(Apologies that it has taken me so long to update this. I've been working some extra shifts at work so I've not had the motivation. I will try harder from now on! Sorry that nothing much happens but I just needed a bit of a filler before the final chapter…20 is just a nice round number to end on whereas 19 is so uneven!)
Part 19
Abby sat in Doc Magoo's nursing a large cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette as she stared out at the street through the window. The sound of dishes being placed on the table drew her away from her thoughts.
"Will there be anything else?" the waitress asked her, placing a burger and a basket of fries in front of Abby.
"Um, no, I don't think so…but my husband will be joining me in a minute so you might want to come back."
"Okay, I'll keep an eye out." She walked away, amused at the little smile Abby had given when she said the word 'husband'.
Abby stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and pulled the plate with the burger in front of her. She picked it up with both hands and took a huge bite, closing her eyes in satisfaction as she relished the taste of the greasy meat and the melted cheese. She let out a little moan of pleasure and was about to bring the burger back up for another bite when a voice stopped her.
"Enjoying yourself?"
She looked up to see John smiling down at her. She put the burger down and covered her mouth with her napkin, wiping the grease she could feel dripping down her chin.
"Uh huh," she mumbled from behind the napkin. She swallowed the mouthful and continued, smiling up at him, "Better than Sex!"
"Oh really?" He raised his eyebrows and gave her a lecherous look. "We'll just have to see about that later!" Abby started to giggle. She couldn't help laughing whenever he gave her that look. It was just…goofy! He returned her smile and bent down to give her a lingering kiss on the lips before slipping into the seat opposite her.
"So I take it the delicious breakfast I made you this morning wasn't enough to fill you up! Is any of this for me or are you just stocking up for winter?!"
"Don't mock me," she glared at him, assuming a hurt voice. "You know I'm nervous about going into that hospital, and when I'm nervous I eat. It's either that or never set foot inside the ER again…which I have to say is looking an attractive option at the moment!"
"Oh come on, it's not that bad!" he laughed and reached over to take her hand in his. She looked into his eyes and realised she didn't have to be worried if he was going to be there with her. She gave him a little smile that acknowledge she was being silly, then they both simultaneously leaned forward over the table for a kiss. Just as their lips were about to meet Carter snaked his other hand over the top of the table…and grabbed a handful of fries from Abby's plate! He popped them in his mouth and sat back in his seat. He folded his arms across his chest and smiled at the look of frustration on her face as he continued to chew on the fries.
"Hey," she said, trying to sound annoyed, "this is my comfort food. Get some of your own!"
"Okay, no need to be so possessive!" He signalled the waitress over and ordered a Tuna Salad and a coffee, which she brought back almost immediately. While they were waiting for the salad to arrive Carter continued to steal chips from Abby's plate, and she kept slapping his hand away. They were both laughing when the waitress came over with John's salad, and as soon as she had laid the plate down they set to eating. After a few moments of companionable silence Abby started to speak.
"So…" she drew out the word for as long as she could, waiting for him to turn his attention from his plate to her. "So what did they say?"
Carter thought about this for a second before replying: "Nothing."
"Nothing? John, you've been in that emergency department for two hours, are you seriously trying to tell me that nobody has said anything to you, or asked you any questions or anything? Come on, somebody has to have said something!" She was exasperated at his answer.
"I didn't realise I was the advance party!" he joked, but seeing the look on her face he realised that this was no joking matter and became more serious. "They were finishing off a major trauma when I got in and I've been stuck with Weaver doing Chart Review since then. I really haven't seen anybody to talk to…Honestly!" he added, seeing that she didn't quite believe him.
"Okay, let's assume that I believe you for a second…what did Weaver say?"
"Well she didn't come right out with it and ask me, if that's what you mean. She just asked if there was something I wanted to tell her, that the staff had been gossiping all weekend, and that maybe since they've not been able to get hold of me at home for the last few weeks I might consider changing my contact details."
Abby smiled and nodded. "So far, good, and you said?"
"That I was sorry for any disruption I had caused, that it was purely unintentional, and that you and I had gotten married on Friday so 'yes' I would fill in the new contact forms as soon as we were finished doing the charts."
"Just like that? Wow! And how did she take it? You know, was she over the top excited for you or did she just tell you not to let it interfere with your work?"
"You're way to harsh on Kerry," Carter laughed. "She was great. She pulled out some forms from her bag and said she'd already taken the liberty of filling them in with your address for me so all I had to do was sign them! Then we just got on with the reviews and she sent me away on a break…oh, and she said to remind you that your shift starts at 12 sharp so not to be late again!"
Abby looked down at her watch and groaned…only another 5 minutes before her shift started. She felt herself becoming anxious again so she pulled out a cigarette from the pack on the table and took a long, deep drag, instantly feeling calmer as she felt the smoke fill her lungs.
"I thought you said you were going to quit," Carter said, reaching across the table to take the cigarette from her hand and taking a drag himself.
She fixed her eyes on him and exhaled from the corner of her mouth, raising her eyebrows slightly. "You gonna try and stop me?" He shook his head and passed the cigarette back to her. She was obviously itching for a fight and if her smoking saved him from an argument he wouldn't say anything!
Abby picked up her purse from the seat beside her and rose to pull on her jacket on. Carter rose at the same time and threw a handful of bills on the table to cover the bill. He turned to her and smiled, holding out his hand for her to take. She took hold of his hand and returned the smile, leaning into his body as they stepped out of the diner into the street. They walked in silence, but as they approached the ambulance bay Abby suddenly stopped whilst Carter kept walking until he noticed she was no longer by his side.
Carter turned to see her staring ahead to the doors of the ER. He moved back to where she was standing and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head.
"Thins is no big deal," he said softly. "You can do this."
"I know. I'm just being silly…" she spoke into his chest. "Come on!" she added, pulling herself together and stepping back from his embrace. She took his hand in hers and they continued their walk through the ambulance bay.
As they approached the bay doors Carter stopped and looked down at Abby, checking to see if she was really ready to face the gossips. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, then gave a slight nod of her head to show she was ready. They shared a brief kiss before walking through the automatic doors, fingers still intertwined, and seeing every pair of eyes at the nurses station turned towards them they readied themselves for the barrage of questions that was about to come!
(Okay, I'm sorry that was just a bit of a filler chapter and nothing really happened in it. They will be in the hospital in the next chapter and it will all end happily ever after! Thanks for all the lovely reviews!)
Part 19
Abby sat in Doc Magoo's nursing a large cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette as she stared out at the street through the window. The sound of dishes being placed on the table drew her away from her thoughts.
"Will there be anything else?" the waitress asked her, placing a burger and a basket of fries in front of Abby.
"Um, no, I don't think so…but my husband will be joining me in a minute so you might want to come back."
"Okay, I'll keep an eye out." She walked away, amused at the little smile Abby had given when she said the word 'husband'.
Abby stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and pulled the plate with the burger in front of her. She picked it up with both hands and took a huge bite, closing her eyes in satisfaction as she relished the taste of the greasy meat and the melted cheese. She let out a little moan of pleasure and was about to bring the burger back up for another bite when a voice stopped her.
"Enjoying yourself?"
She looked up to see John smiling down at her. She put the burger down and covered her mouth with her napkin, wiping the grease she could feel dripping down her chin.
"Uh huh," she mumbled from behind the napkin. She swallowed the mouthful and continued, smiling up at him, "Better than Sex!"
"Oh really?" He raised his eyebrows and gave her a lecherous look. "We'll just have to see about that later!" Abby started to giggle. She couldn't help laughing whenever he gave her that look. It was just…goofy! He returned her smile and bent down to give her a lingering kiss on the lips before slipping into the seat opposite her.
"So I take it the delicious breakfast I made you this morning wasn't enough to fill you up! Is any of this for me or are you just stocking up for winter?!"
"Don't mock me," she glared at him, assuming a hurt voice. "You know I'm nervous about going into that hospital, and when I'm nervous I eat. It's either that or never set foot inside the ER again…which I have to say is looking an attractive option at the moment!"
"Oh come on, it's not that bad!" he laughed and reached over to take her hand in his. She looked into his eyes and realised she didn't have to be worried if he was going to be there with her. She gave him a little smile that acknowledge she was being silly, then they both simultaneously leaned forward over the table for a kiss. Just as their lips were about to meet Carter snaked his other hand over the top of the table…and grabbed a handful of fries from Abby's plate! He popped them in his mouth and sat back in his seat. He folded his arms across his chest and smiled at the look of frustration on her face as he continued to chew on the fries.
"Hey," she said, trying to sound annoyed, "this is my comfort food. Get some of your own!"
"Okay, no need to be so possessive!" He signalled the waitress over and ordered a Tuna Salad and a coffee, which she brought back almost immediately. While they were waiting for the salad to arrive Carter continued to steal chips from Abby's plate, and she kept slapping his hand away. They were both laughing when the waitress came over with John's salad, and as soon as she had laid the plate down they set to eating. After a few moments of companionable silence Abby started to speak.
"So…" she drew out the word for as long as she could, waiting for him to turn his attention from his plate to her. "So what did they say?"
Carter thought about this for a second before replying: "Nothing."
"Nothing? John, you've been in that emergency department for two hours, are you seriously trying to tell me that nobody has said anything to you, or asked you any questions or anything? Come on, somebody has to have said something!" She was exasperated at his answer.
"I didn't realise I was the advance party!" he joked, but seeing the look on her face he realised that this was no joking matter and became more serious. "They were finishing off a major trauma when I got in and I've been stuck with Weaver doing Chart Review since then. I really haven't seen anybody to talk to…Honestly!" he added, seeing that she didn't quite believe him.
"Okay, let's assume that I believe you for a second…what did Weaver say?"
"Well she didn't come right out with it and ask me, if that's what you mean. She just asked if there was something I wanted to tell her, that the staff had been gossiping all weekend, and that maybe since they've not been able to get hold of me at home for the last few weeks I might consider changing my contact details."
Abby smiled and nodded. "So far, good, and you said?"
"That I was sorry for any disruption I had caused, that it was purely unintentional, and that you and I had gotten married on Friday so 'yes' I would fill in the new contact forms as soon as we were finished doing the charts."
"Just like that? Wow! And how did she take it? You know, was she over the top excited for you or did she just tell you not to let it interfere with your work?"
"You're way to harsh on Kerry," Carter laughed. "She was great. She pulled out some forms from her bag and said she'd already taken the liberty of filling them in with your address for me so all I had to do was sign them! Then we just got on with the reviews and she sent me away on a break…oh, and she said to remind you that your shift starts at 12 sharp so not to be late again!"
Abby looked down at her watch and groaned…only another 5 minutes before her shift started. She felt herself becoming anxious again so she pulled out a cigarette from the pack on the table and took a long, deep drag, instantly feeling calmer as she felt the smoke fill her lungs.
"I thought you said you were going to quit," Carter said, reaching across the table to take the cigarette from her hand and taking a drag himself.
She fixed her eyes on him and exhaled from the corner of her mouth, raising her eyebrows slightly. "You gonna try and stop me?" He shook his head and passed the cigarette back to her. She was obviously itching for a fight and if her smoking saved him from an argument he wouldn't say anything!
Abby picked up her purse from the seat beside her and rose to pull on her jacket on. Carter rose at the same time and threw a handful of bills on the table to cover the bill. He turned to her and smiled, holding out his hand for her to take. She took hold of his hand and returned the smile, leaning into his body as they stepped out of the diner into the street. They walked in silence, but as they approached the ambulance bay Abby suddenly stopped whilst Carter kept walking until he noticed she was no longer by his side.
Carter turned to see her staring ahead to the doors of the ER. He moved back to where she was standing and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head.
"Thins is no big deal," he said softly. "You can do this."
"I know. I'm just being silly…" she spoke into his chest. "Come on!" she added, pulling herself together and stepping back from his embrace. She took his hand in hers and they continued their walk through the ambulance bay.
As they approached the bay doors Carter stopped and looked down at Abby, checking to see if she was really ready to face the gossips. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, then gave a slight nod of her head to show she was ready. They shared a brief kiss before walking through the automatic doors, fingers still intertwined, and seeing every pair of eyes at the nurses station turned towards them they readied themselves for the barrage of questions that was about to come!
(Okay, I'm sorry that was just a bit of a filler chapter and nothing really happened in it. They will be in the hospital in the next chapter and it will all end happily ever after! Thanks for all the lovely reviews!)
