As he sat alone at Doc McGoo's, Luka could do nothing but think about
Abby. He'd only been up to the ICU once. He couldn't face it again. And
then there was Carter to consider. He gently touched his eye; the swelling
had started to go down now, but it still acted as a painful reminder that
this was his fault.
Then:
"Dr Kovac?"
Luka swore under his breath as he turned around to see Haleh heading towards him. Once again the ER was short staffed and they were getting swamped. He was struggling to clear the board while Susan and Pratt kept grabbing all the major traumas. "The patient in curtain 4? I think you need to take a look at him."
"I'll get to him as soon as I can. There are other patients who need treating."
"He came in with head injury, minor lacerations but now he keeps rambling."
Luka sighed. "Is there a nurse with him?"
"No." Luka stared at her pointedly. "Oh no. I'm off. Find someone else." Haleh laughed, handing him the patient's chart. As she walked off down the corridor, he spotted Abby. "Hey Abby, can you help me with the patient in four?" When he got no response, Luka walked across to the admin desk. "Abby?" He reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She spun around sharply, startled.
"Luka, hey."
"You ok?"
"Yeah, fine. You need something?"
"Erm, yeah." He handed her the chart. "Can you check on this patient for me? 28 year old male, suffering from facial injuries. He's in four. I've just got to finish with another patient then I'll come join you."
"Ok!" Abby studied the chart. All morning, she had been unable to focus on her work. Sooner she saw Carter the better. At least then it would be over; one way or the other. Okay, Abby. Try to concentrate on something else for at least five minutes, she thought as she entered the room.
"Hi, Mr." She cursed herself silently for not finding out the guy's name before walking into the room. She glanced at the chart quickly. "Holdsworth."
The patient looked agitated. "Where did the other nurse go?"
"Other nurse?"
"Erm, Haleh, I think. She said to wait in here for a doctor. I really don't think it's necessary. I'd just rather go home, please? I don't want to stay here."
"Haleh went home. Her shift's over. Just let a doctor take a look at your head then once we know you're fine, you can go. Ok?"
"The paramedics said I had to come here. I didn't want to."
"Did you lose consciousness?"
"I dunno. Maybe. I really think I should just go. Can I please leave?" He stood up and made a move towards the door. After a couple of steps though he wavered. Abby rushed forward and guided him back to the bed.
"Head injuries can be serious. We really need to assess you, Mr Holdsworth."
As he sat back down, he glanced up at her and smiled. "Call me Tony. Doesn't seem right having a pretty lady like you call me mister. What's your name?"
"Abby. Ok. Then, Tony, can you tell me how this happened?"
He shrugged. "I don't remember! Ain't serious is it? Cause I feel great!"
"I'm sure it's not."
"So I'd be able to take you out tonight then?"
Abby laughed. "Sorry, but no. I'm not available."
"Boyfriend?" She nodded. "Ten minutes with me and you'll forget all about him. I'll show you a real good time. Promise!"
Abby suddenly began to feel nervous. "I'm just gonna go see if I can find Dr Kovac. He'll be the doctor treating you."
As Abby started for the door, Holdsworth grabbed her wrist, spinning her back round. "You aren't gonna leave me all alone are you?"
Abby pulled sharply away, wrenching her arm free. Picking up the chart, she headed quickly for the door. As soon as she was out in the corridor, Abby leant against the wall and took a deep breath. She started to read the chart. There was no mention of previous psychiatric treatment, but something about this guy had put her on edge.
"Chuny? Have you seen Luka?"
"Suture room."
"Thanks."
Luka wasn't pleased when Abby dragged him away from his patient but he didn't bother to complain about it. "What's the problem?"
"This patient you wanted me to check on? I think that you need to see him right away."
"Why? What are his vitals?"
"I don't know. It isn't the head injury I'm worried about."
"Then what?"
"His behaviour seems erratic. At first, he was nervous, wanting to leave. Then he just. changed."
"How?"
"He came on to me." Luka sniggered. "It isn't funny!" Abby glared at him.
"Ok. Fine. Let's go." Luka took the chart from her and gave it a quick look over. Holdsworth was sat on the edge of the bed, and he looked up anxiously when they entered. "Hello. I'm Dr Kovac."
"Hi. I was telling the nurse that I just want to go home. I don't want to trouble anyone."
"After I've treated you. Now can you tell me what happened?" Luka began examining Holdsworth's head.
"I slipped. Just seemed to lose balance and fall over."
Abby rolled her eyes. "I thought you said you didn't remember what happened?"
Holdsworth stared at her blankly. Luka just continued his analysis. "What's your full name?"
"Alex Thomas Holdsworth."
"You told me your name was Tony!" Abby exclaimed incredulously.
Again, she just got a puzzled look. "No. I didn't. Why would I? Is all this really necessary?"
Luka sighed "Yes. You can't be too careful with head injuries."
"Do you need me?" Abby asked.
"No. It's ok." Luka glanced at Abby, concern in his eyes.
Luka had finally managed to sneak a break and was sat at the table in the lounge when Abby came in to grab a coffee. "You ok?" he asked.
"Why do you keep asking me that?"
Luka shrugged. "You just seem a little." he trailed off.
"A little what?"
"Just how you were acting with Alex Holdsworth."
"Did you discharge him?"
Luka shook his head. "Still waiting on some labs."
"Did you call a psych consult?"
"Why would I?"
"Cause he's nuts!"
"Is that your medical opinion?" Luka laughed.
Abby joined him at the table. "Seriously, there's something not right with the guy."
"Like what?"
"He told me his name was Tony for starters."
"He says he didn't!" Luka said gently.
Abby leapt up. "Fine. I have work to do."
"Abby!" She ignored him, slamming the lounge door shut as she stormed out.
Now:
The last time that he had spoken to her. And he'd pissed her off. Typical of most of the conversations they had had when they were together. Always snapping at each other. The memory made him smile, even though neither of them were happy back then. She'd wake up; somehow he just knew she would. He'd stay away though till she did.
Then:
"Dr Kovac?"
Luka swore under his breath as he turned around to see Haleh heading towards him. Once again the ER was short staffed and they were getting swamped. He was struggling to clear the board while Susan and Pratt kept grabbing all the major traumas. "The patient in curtain 4? I think you need to take a look at him."
"I'll get to him as soon as I can. There are other patients who need treating."
"He came in with head injury, minor lacerations but now he keeps rambling."
Luka sighed. "Is there a nurse with him?"
"No." Luka stared at her pointedly. "Oh no. I'm off. Find someone else." Haleh laughed, handing him the patient's chart. As she walked off down the corridor, he spotted Abby. "Hey Abby, can you help me with the patient in four?" When he got no response, Luka walked across to the admin desk. "Abby?" He reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She spun around sharply, startled.
"Luka, hey."
"You ok?"
"Yeah, fine. You need something?"
"Erm, yeah." He handed her the chart. "Can you check on this patient for me? 28 year old male, suffering from facial injuries. He's in four. I've just got to finish with another patient then I'll come join you."
"Ok!" Abby studied the chart. All morning, she had been unable to focus on her work. Sooner she saw Carter the better. At least then it would be over; one way or the other. Okay, Abby. Try to concentrate on something else for at least five minutes, she thought as she entered the room.
"Hi, Mr." She cursed herself silently for not finding out the guy's name before walking into the room. She glanced at the chart quickly. "Holdsworth."
The patient looked agitated. "Where did the other nurse go?"
"Other nurse?"
"Erm, Haleh, I think. She said to wait in here for a doctor. I really don't think it's necessary. I'd just rather go home, please? I don't want to stay here."
"Haleh went home. Her shift's over. Just let a doctor take a look at your head then once we know you're fine, you can go. Ok?"
"The paramedics said I had to come here. I didn't want to."
"Did you lose consciousness?"
"I dunno. Maybe. I really think I should just go. Can I please leave?" He stood up and made a move towards the door. After a couple of steps though he wavered. Abby rushed forward and guided him back to the bed.
"Head injuries can be serious. We really need to assess you, Mr Holdsworth."
As he sat back down, he glanced up at her and smiled. "Call me Tony. Doesn't seem right having a pretty lady like you call me mister. What's your name?"
"Abby. Ok. Then, Tony, can you tell me how this happened?"
He shrugged. "I don't remember! Ain't serious is it? Cause I feel great!"
"I'm sure it's not."
"So I'd be able to take you out tonight then?"
Abby laughed. "Sorry, but no. I'm not available."
"Boyfriend?" She nodded. "Ten minutes with me and you'll forget all about him. I'll show you a real good time. Promise!"
Abby suddenly began to feel nervous. "I'm just gonna go see if I can find Dr Kovac. He'll be the doctor treating you."
As Abby started for the door, Holdsworth grabbed her wrist, spinning her back round. "You aren't gonna leave me all alone are you?"
Abby pulled sharply away, wrenching her arm free. Picking up the chart, she headed quickly for the door. As soon as she was out in the corridor, Abby leant against the wall and took a deep breath. She started to read the chart. There was no mention of previous psychiatric treatment, but something about this guy had put her on edge.
"Chuny? Have you seen Luka?"
"Suture room."
"Thanks."
Luka wasn't pleased when Abby dragged him away from his patient but he didn't bother to complain about it. "What's the problem?"
"This patient you wanted me to check on? I think that you need to see him right away."
"Why? What are his vitals?"
"I don't know. It isn't the head injury I'm worried about."
"Then what?"
"His behaviour seems erratic. At first, he was nervous, wanting to leave. Then he just. changed."
"How?"
"He came on to me." Luka sniggered. "It isn't funny!" Abby glared at him.
"Ok. Fine. Let's go." Luka took the chart from her and gave it a quick look over. Holdsworth was sat on the edge of the bed, and he looked up anxiously when they entered. "Hello. I'm Dr Kovac."
"Hi. I was telling the nurse that I just want to go home. I don't want to trouble anyone."
"After I've treated you. Now can you tell me what happened?" Luka began examining Holdsworth's head.
"I slipped. Just seemed to lose balance and fall over."
Abby rolled her eyes. "I thought you said you didn't remember what happened?"
Holdsworth stared at her blankly. Luka just continued his analysis. "What's your full name?"
"Alex Thomas Holdsworth."
"You told me your name was Tony!" Abby exclaimed incredulously.
Again, she just got a puzzled look. "No. I didn't. Why would I? Is all this really necessary?"
Luka sighed "Yes. You can't be too careful with head injuries."
"Do you need me?" Abby asked.
"No. It's ok." Luka glanced at Abby, concern in his eyes.
Luka had finally managed to sneak a break and was sat at the table in the lounge when Abby came in to grab a coffee. "You ok?" he asked.
"Why do you keep asking me that?"
Luka shrugged. "You just seem a little." he trailed off.
"A little what?"
"Just how you were acting with Alex Holdsworth."
"Did you discharge him?"
Luka shook his head. "Still waiting on some labs."
"Did you call a psych consult?"
"Why would I?"
"Cause he's nuts!"
"Is that your medical opinion?" Luka laughed.
Abby joined him at the table. "Seriously, there's something not right with the guy."
"Like what?"
"He told me his name was Tony for starters."
"He says he didn't!" Luka said gently.
Abby leapt up. "Fine. I have work to do."
"Abby!" She ignored him, slamming the lounge door shut as she stormed out.
Now:
The last time that he had spoken to her. And he'd pissed her off. Typical of most of the conversations they had had when they were together. Always snapping at each other. The memory made him smile, even though neither of them were happy back then. She'd wake up; somehow he just knew she would. He'd stay away though till she did.