Chapter 7-An Unexpected Visitor
[That night while sleeping in the guest room, Abby couldn't sleep. Crying all night and feeling alone, she needed warmth and comfort.]
(Abby looks at the clock, it is 2:30 a. m.)
Abby (thinking to herself): "Come on Abby, go to sleep. But you can't. You need comfort. Go see if Carter is asleep. He will keep you warm."
(Abby walks down the hall, finds Carter's room, and opens the door. She finds him sound asleep and snoring. She moves closer to his bed and climbs in, startling Carter.)
Carter (awaken from sleep): "What? What? Who is that?"
Abby: "Carter, I need you."
Carter: "Is that you Abby?"
Carter: "What's wrong? Do you feel alright? Are you sick?"
Abby: "No, I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep by myself. I need you. I need you to hold me. I felt alone again, like I did with Luka. It scared me."
(Carter beckons for her to get in his bed)
Carter: "Come on Abby, you can sleep with me. You can hold me. I won't let you go. Everything will be alright. I'm here now, sweetie."
(Abby starts to sob)
Abby: "Thank you Carter. I love you."
(Carter holds her and rocks her)
Carter: "Come closer, you can sleep in my arms. Just cry it out. There, there Abby. It's okay."
Abby: "Why did he have to die? Everytime I closed my eyes, that's all I saw, him or the funeral. It hurts."
(Crying harder, Abby starts to shake)
Carter: "It's okay Abby, I'm here."
(She sobs uncontrollably)
Abby: "Oh Carter!"
(Abby cries and lets the tears fall)
Carter: "Shh..shh..I'm here, it's okay."
(Abby sobs)
Carter: "Sleep my love."
(Carter strokes her hair, wipes away her tears and kisses her face)
(Holding her, she falls asleep in his arms. Making sure she is asleep, he tucks her in gently and closes his eyes with his arms around her.)
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[10:00 AM THE NEXT MORNING]
(Alarm clock buzzes, Abby yawns and shuts it off. Carter is making coffee and breakfast when she walks into the kitchen)
Carter: "Sleep well Abby?"
Abby: (yawns) "Yes."
Abby: "Carter, listen you did not have to help me but..."
(Carter puts his finger to his mouth)
Carter: "Abby, listen you did not have to say anything, we both love each other, and that's enough. What time are you on?"
Abby: "I don't work today. Weaver gave me the day off. Why?"
Carter: "Well, I didn't have to work today rither and I was thinking that you and I could maybe go and visit Mark's grave. I hadn't visited it since the funeral, and I thought we could go together. Are you okay with it? We could say goodbye to him together. Is that okay, Abby?"
Abby (smiles with tears in her eyes): "I'd like that."
Carter: "I'm going to take a shower, we can go after you take one too."
Abby: "Okay, I won't take long."
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[That night while sleeping in the guest room, Abby couldn't sleep. Crying all night and feeling alone, she needed warmth and comfort.]
(Abby looks at the clock, it is 2:30 a. m.)
Abby (thinking to herself): "Come on Abby, go to sleep. But you can't. You need comfort. Go see if Carter is asleep. He will keep you warm."
(Abby walks down the hall, finds Carter's room, and opens the door. She finds him sound asleep and snoring. She moves closer to his bed and climbs in, startling Carter.)
Carter (awaken from sleep): "What? What? Who is that?"
Abby: "Carter, I need you."
Carter: "Is that you Abby?"
Carter: "What's wrong? Do you feel alright? Are you sick?"
Abby: "No, I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep by myself. I need you. I need you to hold me. I felt alone again, like I did with Luka. It scared me."
(Carter beckons for her to get in his bed)
Carter: "Come on Abby, you can sleep with me. You can hold me. I won't let you go. Everything will be alright. I'm here now, sweetie."
(Abby starts to sob)
Abby: "Thank you Carter. I love you."
(Carter holds her and rocks her)
Carter: "Come closer, you can sleep in my arms. Just cry it out. There, there Abby. It's okay."
Abby: "Why did he have to die? Everytime I closed my eyes, that's all I saw, him or the funeral. It hurts."
(Crying harder, Abby starts to shake)
Carter: "It's okay Abby, I'm here."
(She sobs uncontrollably)
Abby: "Oh Carter!"
(Abby cries and lets the tears fall)
Carter: "Shh..shh..I'm here, it's okay."
(Abby sobs)
Carter: "Sleep my love."
(Carter strokes her hair, wipes away her tears and kisses her face)
(Holding her, she falls asleep in his arms. Making sure she is asleep, he tucks her in gently and closes his eyes with his arms around her.)
***********************
[10:00 AM THE NEXT MORNING]
(Alarm clock buzzes, Abby yawns and shuts it off. Carter is making coffee and breakfast when she walks into the kitchen)
Carter: "Sleep well Abby?"
Abby: (yawns) "Yes."
Abby: "Carter, listen you did not have to help me but..."
(Carter puts his finger to his mouth)
Carter: "Abby, listen you did not have to say anything, we both love each other, and that's enough. What time are you on?"
Abby: "I don't work today. Weaver gave me the day off. Why?"
Carter: "Well, I didn't have to work today rither and I was thinking that you and I could maybe go and visit Mark's grave. I hadn't visited it since the funeral, and I thought we could go together. Are you okay with it? We could say goodbye to him together. Is that okay, Abby?"
Abby (smiles with tears in her eyes): "I'd like that."
Carter: "I'm going to take a shower, we can go after you take one too."
Abby: "Okay, I won't take long."
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