I haven't updated for a while because my internet card thing was screwed up. Hmm. A while ago I couldn't turn off cap locks, the spell check went retarded, and now this. Wow. I need a new computer...
People with reviews - you guys are amazing! Thanks so much for putting up with me so far. =)
-
Carter stepped outside and into the cold. He thought it would be warmer than the day before, but it was still briskly iced. The air was rough, rather than the smooth, heated he anticipated for. He looked to his feet and kicked them slightly before starting off.
The night before had been a sleepless one. He had thought about everything. There wasn't anything he would rather do than go back to his bed. He wanted to sleep, but it was impossible. He kept thinking about the two women.
Mostly, it was Abby. Abby he was falling for suddenly. Abby he had shared a kiss with. Abby he felt everything for.
Then there was Susan. Susan he had disappointed. Susan who he didn't love. Susan who he didn't want to be with.
He he felt bad, of course, for hurting her. But he wanted to be with Abby. And he couldn't until everything was settled between the two of them. It was moral, just. What did he know about moral and just things? He didn't know. He didn't care, though, as he continued toward the station. He wondered why, of all days, he had chosen to take the L.
It was the longest day he had ever had. Abby was everywhere, literally. She appeared in every trauma, as did Susan. And even when Susan wasn't there, she understood not to do anything. She knew he had to take some time. He hadn't told her about the confrontation with Susan yesterday, but he would. Not here at County, though.
There was a child with a chance of being paralyzed. Susan walked in, to see Carter there already comforting him. He was drifting in and out of consciousness on the bed there and Carter was sitting, holding his hand. His parents were trying to be tracked down at the moment.
"John," she said.
He looked up at her with frowning eyes. "Susan."
She nodded. "I know how you feel about Abby," she said. "The same way I feel about you."
He bit his lip and looked down at the boy. He was unconscious at the moment. His other hand joined his first and held it tighter.
"And," she continued, "I don't want to get in the way of you being happy."
"Susan," he said.
"John," she said, "she's outside. Please talk to her. Let her know."
She hadn't known anything about them. She already did know. But he agreed. He nodded. "Thank you," he said. "And I'm sorry. I had no idea that you - "
Her nodding interrupted him. "I know. It'll take a while, but we'll be friends. Won't we?"
He smiled. "Of course," he reasoned. He took her hand and shook it. "Thanks."
She looked down. "I need to get him upstairs."
"Oh," he said. "Has the swelling in the spinal cord gone down?"
She nodded. "Thank God," she said. "He won't be paralyzed."
Carter breathed out. He'd been with this boy for a while. It was good to know. "And the parents?"
"Still haven't found them," she said. "Babysitter said they went to L.A. for a conference, but their hotel said they've been out all day."
He nodded. He picked himself up from the stool. "I'll see you later."
She smiled and began to ready the boy to travel. He walked out of the room, feeling better. He had finally gotten things resolved. He was ready to sit down and contemplate things for a while. He wanted to be with Abby now. He wanted to, but there was still time to wait out.
-
He boarded the train, and immediately spotted Abby. She had her back turned toward him, with her head bent. She looked awful, even from the behind. Still beautiful, but something was the unfortunate matter with her. He walked up to her and put a comforting hand to her shoulder.
"Hey," he whispered, as she jumped a little from his touch. She whipped around and saw his face. A smile took place in an instant, making him smile as well.
"Hey," she said. It was obvious that she was nervous. She wanted to know what had happened the previous night.
"So," he insisted.
"Haleh and the others said you were at work last night," she laughed. Still nervously.
He nodded. "Complications? Head to a hospital."
She nodded, her smile slightly fading. "What were the complications?"
He shook his head, then looked past her. Turning back to her in a second, he confided, "Susan told me she loved me."
Abby blinked, when her mouth slightly opened. "Oh," she stammered. "Oh. Well, what did you tell her?" She sat down on the given bench and twisted her hands together anxiously.
He sat down beside her. He put his hand on hers, to stop her from what they were doing.
"Oh, God, John," she said. "You love her."
"No," he started instantly. "No, I want to be with you, Abby. I told her I couldn't be with her."
She swallowed, looking at him with a smile. Her laugh was filled with sharp breathing, until finally she let it out and went to hug him. He hugged her back, breathing near her neck. Her hair was next to his face, which was no problem with him. He closed his eyes and lovingly breathed it all in.
"Was it hard?" she asked. They were still in the hug.
"Hard to tell a friend that," he said. "But I'm glad it's all straightened out now."
She hugged him tighter and forced her face into his shoulder. He felt so full of pure joy just to be with her. He put his nose into her coat and strengthened his hold on her waist.
"Are we," she said. The questioning voice had already been activated, the kind where she was nervous. Just as she had been a minute ago. "Are we, um - "
"I want to be with you now," he said.
She laughed again. The sound of her laugh was the kind of laugh someone gave when they were proposed to, or when they had a baby. It was that happy. He expected his sounded the same way. She pulled away to look at his face. They stared at one another, knowing, but not knowing what to do.
"I want to be with you, too," she said. Her eyes were glittering.
The train screeched to a stop. Neither of them noticed when someone pushed them out of the way. Their faces were still staring at the other. They couldn't move. They could barely speak. They were lost, both thinking about something.
Frozen in their standing, Carter leaned forward to kiss her. She welcome it automatically and didn't let go of his shoulders. His hands were on her back, but one of them ventured slowly to her hair. He felt it against his skin and wanted to die in her arms.
She fell against him. They were frozen again. Lying against each other. Paralyzed momentarily.
--
Ha ha. Did you see that double meaning? Not really a good one, but paralyzed fit in two places! Ten points for me.
Again, sorry for not posting earlier. Computer complications. I considered naming this chapter "Complications," by the way.
I thought about maybe mentioning what the next chapter's name would be. To give you a look at what it might be about. If that sounds okay, give me the go. Someone else did it before in their fics, but I didn't like it because it was kind of giving it away.
There are some amazing stories on this site. Sometimes I don't have time to review them because I head to the hospital as a volunteer in the morning. Reading the stories has become a sort of routine for me this summer, and I enjoy them a lot. There's a lot of talent out there, so keep up the *great* work, everyone!
-me
People with reviews - you guys are amazing! Thanks so much for putting up with me so far. =)
-
Carter stepped outside and into the cold. He thought it would be warmer than the day before, but it was still briskly iced. The air was rough, rather than the smooth, heated he anticipated for. He looked to his feet and kicked them slightly before starting off.
The night before had been a sleepless one. He had thought about everything. There wasn't anything he would rather do than go back to his bed. He wanted to sleep, but it was impossible. He kept thinking about the two women.
Mostly, it was Abby. Abby he was falling for suddenly. Abby he had shared a kiss with. Abby he felt everything for.
Then there was Susan. Susan he had disappointed. Susan who he didn't love. Susan who he didn't want to be with.
He he felt bad, of course, for hurting her. But he wanted to be with Abby. And he couldn't until everything was settled between the two of them. It was moral, just. What did he know about moral and just things? He didn't know. He didn't care, though, as he continued toward the station. He wondered why, of all days, he had chosen to take the L.
It was the longest day he had ever had. Abby was everywhere, literally. She appeared in every trauma, as did Susan. And even when Susan wasn't there, she understood not to do anything. She knew he had to take some time. He hadn't told her about the confrontation with Susan yesterday, but he would. Not here at County, though.
There was a child with a chance of being paralyzed. Susan walked in, to see Carter there already comforting him. He was drifting in and out of consciousness on the bed there and Carter was sitting, holding his hand. His parents were trying to be tracked down at the moment.
"John," she said.
He looked up at her with frowning eyes. "Susan."
She nodded. "I know how you feel about Abby," she said. "The same way I feel about you."
He bit his lip and looked down at the boy. He was unconscious at the moment. His other hand joined his first and held it tighter.
"And," she continued, "I don't want to get in the way of you being happy."
"Susan," he said.
"John," she said, "she's outside. Please talk to her. Let her know."
She hadn't known anything about them. She already did know. But he agreed. He nodded. "Thank you," he said. "And I'm sorry. I had no idea that you - "
Her nodding interrupted him. "I know. It'll take a while, but we'll be friends. Won't we?"
He smiled. "Of course," he reasoned. He took her hand and shook it. "Thanks."
She looked down. "I need to get him upstairs."
"Oh," he said. "Has the swelling in the spinal cord gone down?"
She nodded. "Thank God," she said. "He won't be paralyzed."
Carter breathed out. He'd been with this boy for a while. It was good to know. "And the parents?"
"Still haven't found them," she said. "Babysitter said they went to L.A. for a conference, but their hotel said they've been out all day."
He nodded. He picked himself up from the stool. "I'll see you later."
She smiled and began to ready the boy to travel. He walked out of the room, feeling better. He had finally gotten things resolved. He was ready to sit down and contemplate things for a while. He wanted to be with Abby now. He wanted to, but there was still time to wait out.
-
He boarded the train, and immediately spotted Abby. She had her back turned toward him, with her head bent. She looked awful, even from the behind. Still beautiful, but something was the unfortunate matter with her. He walked up to her and put a comforting hand to her shoulder.
"Hey," he whispered, as she jumped a little from his touch. She whipped around and saw his face. A smile took place in an instant, making him smile as well.
"Hey," she said. It was obvious that she was nervous. She wanted to know what had happened the previous night.
"So," he insisted.
"Haleh and the others said you were at work last night," she laughed. Still nervously.
He nodded. "Complications? Head to a hospital."
She nodded, her smile slightly fading. "What were the complications?"
He shook his head, then looked past her. Turning back to her in a second, he confided, "Susan told me she loved me."
Abby blinked, when her mouth slightly opened. "Oh," she stammered. "Oh. Well, what did you tell her?" She sat down on the given bench and twisted her hands together anxiously.
He sat down beside her. He put his hand on hers, to stop her from what they were doing.
"Oh, God, John," she said. "You love her."
"No," he started instantly. "No, I want to be with you, Abby. I told her I couldn't be with her."
She swallowed, looking at him with a smile. Her laugh was filled with sharp breathing, until finally she let it out and went to hug him. He hugged her back, breathing near her neck. Her hair was next to his face, which was no problem with him. He closed his eyes and lovingly breathed it all in.
"Was it hard?" she asked. They were still in the hug.
"Hard to tell a friend that," he said. "But I'm glad it's all straightened out now."
She hugged him tighter and forced her face into his shoulder. He felt so full of pure joy just to be with her. He put his nose into her coat and strengthened his hold on her waist.
"Are we," she said. The questioning voice had already been activated, the kind where she was nervous. Just as she had been a minute ago. "Are we, um - "
"I want to be with you now," he said.
She laughed again. The sound of her laugh was the kind of laugh someone gave when they were proposed to, or when they had a baby. It was that happy. He expected his sounded the same way. She pulled away to look at his face. They stared at one another, knowing, but not knowing what to do.
"I want to be with you, too," she said. Her eyes were glittering.
The train screeched to a stop. Neither of them noticed when someone pushed them out of the way. Their faces were still staring at the other. They couldn't move. They could barely speak. They were lost, both thinking about something.
Frozen in their standing, Carter leaned forward to kiss her. She welcome it automatically and didn't let go of his shoulders. His hands were on her back, but one of them ventured slowly to her hair. He felt it against his skin and wanted to die in her arms.
She fell against him. They were frozen again. Lying against each other. Paralyzed momentarily.
--
Ha ha. Did you see that double meaning? Not really a good one, but paralyzed fit in two places! Ten points for me.
Again, sorry for not posting earlier. Computer complications. I considered naming this chapter "Complications," by the way.
I thought about maybe mentioning what the next chapter's name would be. To give you a look at what it might be about. If that sounds okay, give me the go. Someone else did it before in their fics, but I didn't like it because it was kind of giving it away.
There are some amazing stories on this site. Sometimes I don't have time to review them because I head to the hospital as a volunteer in the morning. Reading the stories has become a sort of routine for me this summer, and I enjoy them a lot. There's a lot of talent out there, so keep up the *great* work, everyone!
-me