Normally, Susan was always glad whenever she got a break. A chance to
escape from the ER for a short while. It always helped her face the rest of
her shift. She did enjoy her work; sometimes; it's just that she enjoyed
having some time to herself, to deal with whatever had happened so far that
day. Now though, that had changed. For the past three days, her breaks had
been spent in the ICU. Seeing Abby lying there, hooked up to machines that
they used everyday but now appeared more sinister; it seemed surreal for
some reason.
She had never felt comfortable talking to someone who was unconscious. So most of the time she sat in silence. If it was true that they could hear people then she felt sure that Abby would understand. She'd gotten to know Abby better lately, and she would actually count her as a friend, but the main reason she kept coming was for Carter. He wouldn't leave Abby unless someone else was there; so she came and sat with Abby. It left her with too much time to think though. About Carter and Abby and whether she could have done anything to stop this.
Then:
"Whoops." Abby laughed as she dropped her keys, trying to get her apartment door open. She wasn't sure what time it was; she'd lost track of that after the fourth beer; she did know that it was late and she had to work the next morning, so now she just needed to crash. What she didn't need was the dozen answer-phone messages that Carter had left. She collapsed on the sofa, rolling her eyes as she listened to his voice.
"Hey Abby. It's me! Are you there? Abby? Just wondered if you still wanted me to come over tonight after my shift? I'll call back later."
"Hey. Erm. Just checking that you're ok. Call me back. I love you!"
"It's just me again. Give me a call. I'm still at the hospital for another couple of hours."
On and on. Each one saying the same thing. Did he have nothing better to do than keep phoning her? Ok, so she had forgot that they had arranged to spend the evening together. And she had neglected to tell him that she had plans with Susan. It wasn't like she had lied to him or anything, she reasoned. She'd just not told him; there was a difference. And she hadn't meant to get drunk, just to have a couple of drinks; she laughed; that was what she'd been telling herself since she had first started drinking again. That it was under control. It had been in the beginning. Now though, the denial had started to wear off. She sat up, suddenly feeling nauseous. Reaching for the phone, she considered calling Carter, but quickly changed her mind. She couldn't cope with him seeing her drunk tonight. Seeing the disappointment in his eyes once again. She knew that she'd have to deal with it tomorrow though. Carter would have figured out what had been going on. For now though, she'd pretend it was a secret for a little while longer.
Carter paced about his bedroom. He reached for the phone, started to dial her number, and then changed his mind. He sat down on the edge of the bed. He couldn't phone again; it was getting ridiculous. He'd already left so many that he'd lost count. It's just he was worried. He'd been over to her apartment as soon as he had got off work and as there was no lights on, he knew that she must be out and not lying injured at her place. With her not answering her mobile either though or not having told him she was going out, he was still anxious. He'd calmed down slightly after phoning Susan and getting no answer there. She and Abby seemed to have gotten really close lately so he figured that they were probably together which was a good thing. Still he wouldn't be able to sleep till he spoke to Abby, just to make sure she was ok. Suddenly the phone rang and he leapt up to answer it. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Susan!"
"Oh, hey."
"Thanks for sounding so disappointed. I phone at this time of night just because you've left several messages on my machine asking me to and then you'll all like 'whatever'"
"Sorry. I just hoped it was Abby." Carter explained, sitting back down on the bed.
"Did you two have a fight?"
"No! Why?"
"Nothing! It doesn't matter!"
"Susan?"
"It's nothing!"
Carter decided to let it go, not wanting to get into an argument with her this late at night. "So, Abby was with you tonight?"
"Yeah. Why? She didn't tell you?" Susan asked surprised.
"No. Then when she didn't answer the phone, I guess I just panicked."
"Well, you can stop. She's fine, Carter, really!"
"Ok." One question still had to be asked though. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.
"Is that it? Because I'm on at 7:00."
"Was Abby drinking?" There was no reply. "Susan?"
"You should talk to her."
"Is that a yes?"
"Just talk to her, Carter. Soon as you get chance. Goodnight"
"Night!" As he hung up the phone, he considered going over to Abby's right then but he doubted that she would appreciate it. He knew that she too had to be at work early. Tomorrow. He'd go in to the ER before she finished her shift and try and talk to her. He'd known that she'd started drinking again; he just hadn't wanted to deal with it. Things had been going so well for them. He just couldn't understand why she would be doing this. As he lay down on the bed, he thought back to the last time he had seen her drunk, when they were at the Lava Lounge, and he hoped that he didn't get bitten this time he tried to help.
Now:
Sure, Susan felt guilty about going out drinking with Abby. But Abby was an adult and could make her own decisions. She'd have drunk whether Susan was there or not. Susan sighed as she thought about everything that had happened over the past year; coming back to County; her relationship with Carter; Mark dying; She didn't regret breaking up with Carter. There was nothing between them. For Carter, they'd be no one but Abby. Glancing around to check that there was nobody else around, Susan decided to try the talking thing. "Abby, you'd better wake up and get back to Carter. I can't put up with him in this state." she joked. "Please Abby, don't leave him."
She had never felt comfortable talking to someone who was unconscious. So most of the time she sat in silence. If it was true that they could hear people then she felt sure that Abby would understand. She'd gotten to know Abby better lately, and she would actually count her as a friend, but the main reason she kept coming was for Carter. He wouldn't leave Abby unless someone else was there; so she came and sat with Abby. It left her with too much time to think though. About Carter and Abby and whether she could have done anything to stop this.
Then:
"Whoops." Abby laughed as she dropped her keys, trying to get her apartment door open. She wasn't sure what time it was; she'd lost track of that after the fourth beer; she did know that it was late and she had to work the next morning, so now she just needed to crash. What she didn't need was the dozen answer-phone messages that Carter had left. She collapsed on the sofa, rolling her eyes as she listened to his voice.
"Hey Abby. It's me! Are you there? Abby? Just wondered if you still wanted me to come over tonight after my shift? I'll call back later."
"Hey. Erm. Just checking that you're ok. Call me back. I love you!"
"It's just me again. Give me a call. I'm still at the hospital for another couple of hours."
On and on. Each one saying the same thing. Did he have nothing better to do than keep phoning her? Ok, so she had forgot that they had arranged to spend the evening together. And she had neglected to tell him that she had plans with Susan. It wasn't like she had lied to him or anything, she reasoned. She'd just not told him; there was a difference. And she hadn't meant to get drunk, just to have a couple of drinks; she laughed; that was what she'd been telling herself since she had first started drinking again. That it was under control. It had been in the beginning. Now though, the denial had started to wear off. She sat up, suddenly feeling nauseous. Reaching for the phone, she considered calling Carter, but quickly changed her mind. She couldn't cope with him seeing her drunk tonight. Seeing the disappointment in his eyes once again. She knew that she'd have to deal with it tomorrow though. Carter would have figured out what had been going on. For now though, she'd pretend it was a secret for a little while longer.
Carter paced about his bedroom. He reached for the phone, started to dial her number, and then changed his mind. He sat down on the edge of the bed. He couldn't phone again; it was getting ridiculous. He'd already left so many that he'd lost count. It's just he was worried. He'd been over to her apartment as soon as he had got off work and as there was no lights on, he knew that she must be out and not lying injured at her place. With her not answering her mobile either though or not having told him she was going out, he was still anxious. He'd calmed down slightly after phoning Susan and getting no answer there. She and Abby seemed to have gotten really close lately so he figured that they were probably together which was a good thing. Still he wouldn't be able to sleep till he spoke to Abby, just to make sure she was ok. Suddenly the phone rang and he leapt up to answer it. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Susan!"
"Oh, hey."
"Thanks for sounding so disappointed. I phone at this time of night just because you've left several messages on my machine asking me to and then you'll all like 'whatever'"
"Sorry. I just hoped it was Abby." Carter explained, sitting back down on the bed.
"Did you two have a fight?"
"No! Why?"
"Nothing! It doesn't matter!"
"Susan?"
"It's nothing!"
Carter decided to let it go, not wanting to get into an argument with her this late at night. "So, Abby was with you tonight?"
"Yeah. Why? She didn't tell you?" Susan asked surprised.
"No. Then when she didn't answer the phone, I guess I just panicked."
"Well, you can stop. She's fine, Carter, really!"
"Ok." One question still had to be asked though. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.
"Is that it? Because I'm on at 7:00."
"Was Abby drinking?" There was no reply. "Susan?"
"You should talk to her."
"Is that a yes?"
"Just talk to her, Carter. Soon as you get chance. Goodnight"
"Night!" As he hung up the phone, he considered going over to Abby's right then but he doubted that she would appreciate it. He knew that she too had to be at work early. Tomorrow. He'd go in to the ER before she finished her shift and try and talk to her. He'd known that she'd started drinking again; he just hadn't wanted to deal with it. Things had been going so well for them. He just couldn't understand why she would be doing this. As he lay down on the bed, he thought back to the last time he had seen her drunk, when they were at the Lava Lounge, and he hoped that he didn't get bitten this time he tried to help.
Now:
Sure, Susan felt guilty about going out drinking with Abby. But Abby was an adult and could make her own decisions. She'd have drunk whether Susan was there or not. Susan sighed as she thought about everything that had happened over the past year; coming back to County; her relationship with Carter; Mark dying; She didn't regret breaking up with Carter. There was nothing between them. For Carter, they'd be no one but Abby. Glancing around to check that there was nobody else around, Susan decided to try the talking thing. "Abby, you'd better wake up and get back to Carter. I can't put up with him in this state." she joked. "Please Abby, don't leave him."