The snow descended to the ground on a cold and windy Chicago morning. The sad part about snow in the city was it always turned into slush on the hard streets. It never hardened on the ground like in a field somewhere in Connecticut. The crowd of people rushed down the stairs of the El train platform as if running a marathon. This included Drs. John Carter and Susan Lewis of the emergency department of County General hospital.
" Did you get any rest last night?" asked the chipper woman who was obviously a morning person
" A little. I went to sleep after Abby called." he replied
" Oh I feel special." she said feeling jealous of another woman calling him
" Don't worry. She's just a friend. We haven't talked in what feels like forever so don't get mad." he answered yawning
" I'm not mad. You wanna get some breakfast at Doc's before our shift?"
" Sounds good. I could use a cup of coffee."
" But the coffee and Doc's is awful!"
" I know. It's just something to wake me up."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The red blinking lights just wouldn't go away and the annoying beep didn't seem that it was going to let up either. Finally, after hitting the snooze button several times, Abby forced herself out of the bed. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Luka had broken up with her last night. And who was the first person she turned to to make it all feel better? Carter. John Carter. The name stung in her heart. She called him and cried her eyes out to him. And it made her feel better. Just to hear his voice made everything all right. Just to hear him say, " Abby, everything is going to be OK." His reassuring voice made her tingle with every breath. They hadn't talked in months. Not really talked. Not the way they used to. It hurt when she saw him with Susan. It hurt when she saw him with any woman besides her. Was she really jealous? Was she really supposed to feel that way? Probably not. After standing there looking at herself with pity into the mirror. She realized she was gonna be late for work.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" Time of death: 18:46." replied Chen after the machine finally fell to one, single, flat line
" Who's got the death kit?" asked Lydia
" I've got it," answered Haleh " come on Gallaunt. I'll show you how to do it."
" You guys," said Jing-Mei " tell Weaver I'm on a break."
She turned around and went out of the trauma room toward the lounge. On arriving, she found a sleeping Carter on the sofa. The only sound that could be heard was his heavy breathing. The door squeaked as it closed causing his eyelashes to flutter and he let out a deep, panting, moan.
" Morning sleeping beauty. You better not let Weaver catch you sleeping at," she looked at her watch " 9 in the morning."
" Abby?" he asked
She smirked at him. He was so damn cute when he was groggy. She couldn't help but laughed at his desperation and love for his confident and best friend, whom he was obviously dreaming. She realized a long time ago that they weren't as close as they had been at one time. First, it was Lucy. Now, it's Abby. He longed for companionship and she knew. The sad part for her was she had to realize that it couldn't be her.
" Deb? Did they send you to wake me?" he asked rubbing his eyes still tired from the previous evening
" No sleepyhead. Did someone have a rough night last night? Too many drinks too little time, huh Carter!"
" No. I haven't touched alcohol in months Deb. After my none existent shift," he said sarcastically " Abby called."
" Sorry about that. Abby called?"
" Yeah. We talked from about 1 until 4. I finally got to bed around 5. I got a good 2 hours."
" Despite the loss of sleep, that's a good thing she called right?"
" Yeah nevermind the crying her eyes out all night."
" Really? Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but we have patients to see and all I need his Weaver up my ass this early in the morning."
" Right, I'll see you later."
*~*~*~*~*~*
" Hi Mrs. Tillman. I'm Dr. Carter; What seems to be the problem today?" he asked putting on a smile for his patient
" I think I have frostbite." she answered honestly
" Mrs. Tillman you haven't been burying yourself in the snow anytime soon have you?"
" Well, look at my arm. This one, small spot is black. It looks dangerous and I wanted to clear it up before I go climb Mount Everest with my husband."
" Well, Mrs. Tillman I am pretty sure it's not frostbite, but I am sure that you have a blood clot. We are going to run some test to make sure."
" How long are they going to take? I have to catch a plane for Milwaukee; you know to climb Mount Everest."
" Not very long. Malik, get Mrs. Tillman a cbc, lights, a bloodgas, and, " he leaned into his ear " call psych."
" Right." said Malik with a slight chuckle
" I'll be back to check on you soon Mrs. Tillman."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The cold, morning wind cut sharply into Carter like a knife in the back. So sharp, it gave him images of that Valentine's Day that was 2 years and eight months to the day. He saw Abby at a distance. She was still filling her lungs with nicotine with every puff. Her scarf was wrapped around her neck, Coat fitted tightly around her petite body, and snow covered the collar of her coat. She tucked her hair behind her ears revealing the small diamond studs he had given her for her birthday last year. This made him smile and remember. It was her birthday yesterday.
" Happy late birthday!" he replied with a guilty smile
" Finally, someone remembered." she said wryly
She smiled. It was a vague smile, but a smile nonetheless.
" Sorry I forgot." he begged for her forgiveness
" I'll survive. You wanna go grab some lunch at Doc's."
" Nah, I still have gross thoughts from eating there this morning. How about a pizza by the river?"
" Great. What toppings?"
" Extra cheese and mushrooms?"
" You know me too well." she laughed slightly at his expertise
" Abby?"
" Yeah?"
" Is there any possibility of." he stopped
" Any possibilty of what Carter?"
" Of you...paying for the pizza." he saved himself from that one
" Not on your life. You forgot my birthday remember!"
" So I've been told."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There's my first installment. I really like this story. You can thank Avril Lavigne's " I'm with You" for the title of this fic. The title of this chapter is something from my own crazy, mixed-up brain with a little help from Emily Dickinson. Mind you, this story is set after ' Simple Twist of Fate'. It will have nothing to do with 'Lockdown', 'Chaos Theory', or any of season 9. I have had this in my mind for a while, but never had a title. As you can see, after listening to the song, It gave me my title. Don't you just love music inspiration?
" Did you get any rest last night?" asked the chipper woman who was obviously a morning person
" A little. I went to sleep after Abby called." he replied
" Oh I feel special." she said feeling jealous of another woman calling him
" Don't worry. She's just a friend. We haven't talked in what feels like forever so don't get mad." he answered yawning
" I'm not mad. You wanna get some breakfast at Doc's before our shift?"
" Sounds good. I could use a cup of coffee."
" But the coffee and Doc's is awful!"
" I know. It's just something to wake me up."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The red blinking lights just wouldn't go away and the annoying beep didn't seem that it was going to let up either. Finally, after hitting the snooze button several times, Abby forced herself out of the bed. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Luka had broken up with her last night. And who was the first person she turned to to make it all feel better? Carter. John Carter. The name stung in her heart. She called him and cried her eyes out to him. And it made her feel better. Just to hear his voice made everything all right. Just to hear him say, " Abby, everything is going to be OK." His reassuring voice made her tingle with every breath. They hadn't talked in months. Not really talked. Not the way they used to. It hurt when she saw him with Susan. It hurt when she saw him with any woman besides her. Was she really jealous? Was she really supposed to feel that way? Probably not. After standing there looking at herself with pity into the mirror. She realized she was gonna be late for work.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" Time of death: 18:46." replied Chen after the machine finally fell to one, single, flat line
" Who's got the death kit?" asked Lydia
" I've got it," answered Haleh " come on Gallaunt. I'll show you how to do it."
" You guys," said Jing-Mei " tell Weaver I'm on a break."
She turned around and went out of the trauma room toward the lounge. On arriving, she found a sleeping Carter on the sofa. The only sound that could be heard was his heavy breathing. The door squeaked as it closed causing his eyelashes to flutter and he let out a deep, panting, moan.
" Morning sleeping beauty. You better not let Weaver catch you sleeping at," she looked at her watch " 9 in the morning."
" Abby?" he asked
She smirked at him. He was so damn cute when he was groggy. She couldn't help but laughed at his desperation and love for his confident and best friend, whom he was obviously dreaming. She realized a long time ago that they weren't as close as they had been at one time. First, it was Lucy. Now, it's Abby. He longed for companionship and she knew. The sad part for her was she had to realize that it couldn't be her.
" Deb? Did they send you to wake me?" he asked rubbing his eyes still tired from the previous evening
" No sleepyhead. Did someone have a rough night last night? Too many drinks too little time, huh Carter!"
" No. I haven't touched alcohol in months Deb. After my none existent shift," he said sarcastically " Abby called."
" Sorry about that. Abby called?"
" Yeah. We talked from about 1 until 4. I finally got to bed around 5. I got a good 2 hours."
" Despite the loss of sleep, that's a good thing she called right?"
" Yeah nevermind the crying her eyes out all night."
" Really? Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but we have patients to see and all I need his Weaver up my ass this early in the morning."
" Right, I'll see you later."
*~*~*~*~*~*
" Hi Mrs. Tillman. I'm Dr. Carter; What seems to be the problem today?" he asked putting on a smile for his patient
" I think I have frostbite." she answered honestly
" Mrs. Tillman you haven't been burying yourself in the snow anytime soon have you?"
" Well, look at my arm. This one, small spot is black. It looks dangerous and I wanted to clear it up before I go climb Mount Everest with my husband."
" Well, Mrs. Tillman I am pretty sure it's not frostbite, but I am sure that you have a blood clot. We are going to run some test to make sure."
" How long are they going to take? I have to catch a plane for Milwaukee; you know to climb Mount Everest."
" Not very long. Malik, get Mrs. Tillman a cbc, lights, a bloodgas, and, " he leaned into his ear " call psych."
" Right." said Malik with a slight chuckle
" I'll be back to check on you soon Mrs. Tillman."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The cold, morning wind cut sharply into Carter like a knife in the back. So sharp, it gave him images of that Valentine's Day that was 2 years and eight months to the day. He saw Abby at a distance. She was still filling her lungs with nicotine with every puff. Her scarf was wrapped around her neck, Coat fitted tightly around her petite body, and snow covered the collar of her coat. She tucked her hair behind her ears revealing the small diamond studs he had given her for her birthday last year. This made him smile and remember. It was her birthday yesterday.
" Happy late birthday!" he replied with a guilty smile
" Finally, someone remembered." she said wryly
She smiled. It was a vague smile, but a smile nonetheless.
" Sorry I forgot." he begged for her forgiveness
" I'll survive. You wanna go grab some lunch at Doc's."
" Nah, I still have gross thoughts from eating there this morning. How about a pizza by the river?"
" Great. What toppings?"
" Extra cheese and mushrooms?"
" You know me too well." she laughed slightly at his expertise
" Abby?"
" Yeah?"
" Is there any possibility of." he stopped
" Any possibilty of what Carter?"
" Of you...paying for the pizza." he saved himself from that one
" Not on your life. You forgot my birthday remember!"
" So I've been told."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There's my first installment. I really like this story. You can thank Avril Lavigne's " I'm with You" for the title of this fic. The title of this chapter is something from my own crazy, mixed-up brain with a little help from Emily Dickinson. Mind you, this story is set after ' Simple Twist of Fate'. It will have nothing to do with 'Lockdown', 'Chaos Theory', or any of season 9. I have had this in my mind for a while, but never had a title. As you can see, after listening to the song, It gave me my title. Don't you just love music inspiration?