Author's Note, 12-13-02: My computer is getting wacky on me and wouldn't
let me open some files so I decided to go ahead and post the chapters I
have finished just incase it decides it doesn't want to let me open them
later on (Stupid computer!). I've worked some on chapter 9, but it's not
finished yet. But only two more days of school so I should be able to work
on it soon. Yay!
Chapter 8
"Now You See Me, Now You Don't"
*************
Abby leaned back in the stiff, uncomfortable chair, stretching her legs out underneath the table as she sipped at her coffee. The doctor's lounge was dark, other than the flickering of light put out by the poor excuse for a television. Abby's eyes were fixated on the screen, but her mind was in a whole other place. Her shift had ended a little while ago, now she was just waiting around for Carter to finish up so they could ride home together. She had thought about going to visit Jake, but it was late and he would most likely be sleeping. Tomorrow would be better.
Thinking about the little boy made Abby smile. It had been a long, hectic, stressful first day back to work, and he had definitely been the highlight of that day. She looked down at the Spider-man lunchbox that was on the table beside her. True to her word, she had kept it close the entire day, despite some strange looks from passersby. Setting her coffee aside, Abby popped open the lid to have another look at the contents. Jake surely wouldn't mind.
She arranged each tiny army man on the table and decided not to even chance opening the thermos. The family picture held her attention for quite awhile, causing her thoughts to take a slightly darker turn. Life didn't make sense. Here was this perfectly happy family that never could have dreamed they would be ripped apart not long after the photograph was taken. Jake, that sweet boy with a beautiful smile, didn't deserve to be orphaned like that.
Angel didn't deserve to be molested by her mother's boyfriend.
Abby didn't deserve to have her life turned upside down for trying to help out someone in need.
She thought back to her run-in with the bum who wandered into the ladies' room. Angels to watch over thee. Where were those angels when Jake, Angel and Abby needed them most?
Dropping the picture into Jake's box, Abby's fingers closed around a cool, heavy object. She pulled the knife out and balanced it in the palm of her hand for a moment before slowly removing the blade that Jake hadn't gotten to show her earlier. It was sharp, just like he had said, and it gleamed, even in the dim lighting.
I'd rather be dead than see his face again.
That was what Angel had finally confessed to Abby about her suicide attempt. The girl actually wanted to end her life rather than live one more day in a world with her mother's boyfriend in it. That was crazy, wasn't it?
Abby looked at the knife in her hand.
Wasn't it?
Good Lord, she was giving herself the creeps. She put the knife down and decided to clear her head with a walk through the ER.
Big mistake.
The minute she stepped into the hall, Abby was roped into checking on a LGFD Conni was too busy to handle. Didn't people realize they were supposed to be home in their warm beds, not hanging around an emergency room with what would most likely be ruled out as imaginary symptoms? It was as pointless as hanging around an emergency room so long you got stuck with another patient.
She yawned before pulling back the curtain. "Ok, what seems to be the prob- ..."
What the hell?
*************
"Ha ha, very funny, Conni." Abby's tone was sarcastic as she leaned her elbows on the front desk and followed the other nurse with a playfully scolding gaze as she passed by.
Conni stepped over to the dry board and erased a name before acknowledging the remark. "What's funny?" she asked distractedly.
"You know. Your invisible patient."
"What?"
"Who put you up to it?" Abby quizzed. "Carter, right?"
"Abby," Conni sounded exasperated, "I have no idea what you're talking about. And even if I did, I am way too busy to be letting anyone put me up to anything."
"So there really was a patient?"
"There's always a patient," Conni laughed. "It was a young guy. He wasn't there?"
Abby shook her head. "I couldn't find him anywhere."
"Maybe he decided to go home where he belongs." The nurse shook her head, neatly woven braids swaying to and fro. "He certainly didn't look like he belonged in the emergency room. I hate it when they're just wasting our time."
"What's the matter?" Carter was sauntering up behind the women. He lifted his stethoscope over his head and set it on the counter, an end-of-shift habit that still made him feel very important and "doctorish" after all these years. He stood beside Abby, offering a smile.
"Abby's patient pulled a vanishing act," Conni explained, backing away from the younger pair and waving a file in farewell. "Now it's my turn."
"Guess you lucked out," Carter said, looking down at the woman who had been his roommate and occasional sleeping buddy for the past several days. He was determined they would become more than that, especially after today. A discussion with Susan had revealed her feelings that the relationship she and Carter shared was best left as a friendship. She knew he was in love with Abby, and now that they pretty much lived together Susan felt it was time to move on. She had been very candid and good-natured about it, like she was with most things. Carter was glad there were no hard feelings left between them. He had a lot of respect and admiration for Susan Lewis.
"My shift is over, so we can get going now."
"Bless you," Abby sighed, briefly resting her head against his arm. Memories of their kiss made her straighten just as quickly. She wasn't sure how she felt about their growing displays of affection. Of course it was what she wanted- she had wanted Carter for a long time. But it wasn't the best timing for a new relationship to begin. She would be bringing a lot of emotional baggage along with her, more so than ever before. Not to mention the girlfriend Carter would be bringing with him. Damn.
"Doc Magoo's for a late supper?"
Abby made a face. "Or a last supper."
"It's close and there's coffee," he persuaded. "Anyway, I have something I want to talk to you about."
Uh-oh. "Okay..." She drew the word out, her brown eyes curious but getting no answers at the moment. A discharged patient had wandered up to thank Carter for treating her, so Abby picked up his stethoscope and headed for the lounge to get their coats. And Jake's treasures, of course.
Someone had turned the television up much louder than it had been when she left the room. Apparently a member of the medical staff was going deaf, Abby thought as she crossed over to the lockers and entered Carter's combination first. Ownership of a locker changed so frequently in the ER that she practically had the combination of every one in the place memorized. Not that she would ever abuse that knowledge, of course.
She put the stethoscope on the top shelf and draped Carter's coat over her arm before shutting the locker and moving down a few to her own, twisting in the numbers until it opened. Her coat immediately fell off its hook and dropped at her feet. Stupid thing. She reached for it but yanked her hand away when someone else's hand got to it first. Muttering a surprised curse, Abby took such an abrupt step backwards that she almost fell.
"Careful," Brian warned, standing up to his full height, Abby's coat in his grasp. He dusted it off and offered it to the woman whose expression couldn't have been more terror stricken if she was staring at the devil himself.
Chapter 8
"Now You See Me, Now You Don't"
*************
Abby leaned back in the stiff, uncomfortable chair, stretching her legs out underneath the table as she sipped at her coffee. The doctor's lounge was dark, other than the flickering of light put out by the poor excuse for a television. Abby's eyes were fixated on the screen, but her mind was in a whole other place. Her shift had ended a little while ago, now she was just waiting around for Carter to finish up so they could ride home together. She had thought about going to visit Jake, but it was late and he would most likely be sleeping. Tomorrow would be better.
Thinking about the little boy made Abby smile. It had been a long, hectic, stressful first day back to work, and he had definitely been the highlight of that day. She looked down at the Spider-man lunchbox that was on the table beside her. True to her word, she had kept it close the entire day, despite some strange looks from passersby. Setting her coffee aside, Abby popped open the lid to have another look at the contents. Jake surely wouldn't mind.
She arranged each tiny army man on the table and decided not to even chance opening the thermos. The family picture held her attention for quite awhile, causing her thoughts to take a slightly darker turn. Life didn't make sense. Here was this perfectly happy family that never could have dreamed they would be ripped apart not long after the photograph was taken. Jake, that sweet boy with a beautiful smile, didn't deserve to be orphaned like that.
Angel didn't deserve to be molested by her mother's boyfriend.
Abby didn't deserve to have her life turned upside down for trying to help out someone in need.
She thought back to her run-in with the bum who wandered into the ladies' room. Angels to watch over thee. Where were those angels when Jake, Angel and Abby needed them most?
Dropping the picture into Jake's box, Abby's fingers closed around a cool, heavy object. She pulled the knife out and balanced it in the palm of her hand for a moment before slowly removing the blade that Jake hadn't gotten to show her earlier. It was sharp, just like he had said, and it gleamed, even in the dim lighting.
I'd rather be dead than see his face again.
That was what Angel had finally confessed to Abby about her suicide attempt. The girl actually wanted to end her life rather than live one more day in a world with her mother's boyfriend in it. That was crazy, wasn't it?
Abby looked at the knife in her hand.
Wasn't it?
Good Lord, she was giving herself the creeps. She put the knife down and decided to clear her head with a walk through the ER.
Big mistake.
The minute she stepped into the hall, Abby was roped into checking on a LGFD Conni was too busy to handle. Didn't people realize they were supposed to be home in their warm beds, not hanging around an emergency room with what would most likely be ruled out as imaginary symptoms? It was as pointless as hanging around an emergency room so long you got stuck with another patient.
She yawned before pulling back the curtain. "Ok, what seems to be the prob- ..."
What the hell?
*************
"Ha ha, very funny, Conni." Abby's tone was sarcastic as she leaned her elbows on the front desk and followed the other nurse with a playfully scolding gaze as she passed by.
Conni stepped over to the dry board and erased a name before acknowledging the remark. "What's funny?" she asked distractedly.
"You know. Your invisible patient."
"What?"
"Who put you up to it?" Abby quizzed. "Carter, right?"
"Abby," Conni sounded exasperated, "I have no idea what you're talking about. And even if I did, I am way too busy to be letting anyone put me up to anything."
"So there really was a patient?"
"There's always a patient," Conni laughed. "It was a young guy. He wasn't there?"
Abby shook her head. "I couldn't find him anywhere."
"Maybe he decided to go home where he belongs." The nurse shook her head, neatly woven braids swaying to and fro. "He certainly didn't look like he belonged in the emergency room. I hate it when they're just wasting our time."
"What's the matter?" Carter was sauntering up behind the women. He lifted his stethoscope over his head and set it on the counter, an end-of-shift habit that still made him feel very important and "doctorish" after all these years. He stood beside Abby, offering a smile.
"Abby's patient pulled a vanishing act," Conni explained, backing away from the younger pair and waving a file in farewell. "Now it's my turn."
"Guess you lucked out," Carter said, looking down at the woman who had been his roommate and occasional sleeping buddy for the past several days. He was determined they would become more than that, especially after today. A discussion with Susan had revealed her feelings that the relationship she and Carter shared was best left as a friendship. She knew he was in love with Abby, and now that they pretty much lived together Susan felt it was time to move on. She had been very candid and good-natured about it, like she was with most things. Carter was glad there were no hard feelings left between them. He had a lot of respect and admiration for Susan Lewis.
"My shift is over, so we can get going now."
"Bless you," Abby sighed, briefly resting her head against his arm. Memories of their kiss made her straighten just as quickly. She wasn't sure how she felt about their growing displays of affection. Of course it was what she wanted- she had wanted Carter for a long time. But it wasn't the best timing for a new relationship to begin. She would be bringing a lot of emotional baggage along with her, more so than ever before. Not to mention the girlfriend Carter would be bringing with him. Damn.
"Doc Magoo's for a late supper?"
Abby made a face. "Or a last supper."
"It's close and there's coffee," he persuaded. "Anyway, I have something I want to talk to you about."
Uh-oh. "Okay..." She drew the word out, her brown eyes curious but getting no answers at the moment. A discharged patient had wandered up to thank Carter for treating her, so Abby picked up his stethoscope and headed for the lounge to get their coats. And Jake's treasures, of course.
Someone had turned the television up much louder than it had been when she left the room. Apparently a member of the medical staff was going deaf, Abby thought as she crossed over to the lockers and entered Carter's combination first. Ownership of a locker changed so frequently in the ER that she practically had the combination of every one in the place memorized. Not that she would ever abuse that knowledge, of course.
She put the stethoscope on the top shelf and draped Carter's coat over her arm before shutting the locker and moving down a few to her own, twisting in the numbers until it opened. Her coat immediately fell off its hook and dropped at her feet. Stupid thing. She reached for it but yanked her hand away when someone else's hand got to it first. Muttering a surprised curse, Abby took such an abrupt step backwards that she almost fell.
"Careful," Brian warned, standing up to his full height, Abby's coat in his grasp. He dusted it off and offered it to the woman whose expression couldn't have been more terror stricken if she was staring at the devil himself.