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The room was still dim, only one light, located over Abby's bed, glowed. She had been sleeping for a few hours now, her distended bruises beginning to really show. Carter sat at her bedside still, his head resting atop his arm, which lay parallel to the cold, metal guardrail of her bed. He stared indolently at her decrepit body. His eyes drifted from her frail small frame, to her battered face. His hand moved leisurely along the bed sheets until it reached her warm hand. His thumb moved in a small circle, caressing the back of her hand, while his eyes never left the peaceful facial expression she slept with. He wanted nothing more than to just hold her and make her feel safe and let her know how much he really cared for her. But, the moment was ruined by the creaking sound of the exam room door behind him. Carter hurried in his attempt to collect his thoughts, which had been scattered about into wonderful reveries.
"Carter?" Susan's voice came in a half-whisper.
"Oh, hey! I thought you went home..." he began, remembering his previous conversation with Susan concerning Abby's condition.
"Um- yeah, I did. But, I decided to stop by Abby's apartment on the way to see if they found anything... or anyone," she commenced, shortly stalling to contemplate her wording. "Isn't- I mean... wasn't- I thought Abby was an alcoholic..." she exclaimed, lowering her voice to a nearly absent whisper. She was uncomfortable with the way it had sounded out loud.
Carter's expression quickly bounded to a questioning glare as he analyzed what had just been put out there.
"Ye- uh- yeah, why?" he inquired, not quite knowing what to think of the situation.
"Well, nothing- I mean, it could be nothing. I don't know, I just-" now she had regretted ever bringing it up. Maybe she should have just left it alone and minded her own business.
"Susan, what?" Carter persisted, appearing to be growing increasingly anxious.
"I- well, I went to her apartment and-it's probably nothing- but there was a half-empty glass of wine on the counter..." noticing the disbelieving look beginning to take-over over his face, Susan attempted to retract her statement and downplay it's importance, "But I'm sure it's nothing... she probably had company earlier or something..." But that didn't work and Carter only looked more and more concerned for the situation.
Carter had been leaning forward in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees, to appear more attentive. After thinking about and visualizing Abby drinking again, he fell back onto his chair, using the back for his support. He turned it over and over in his mind, wondering why she would revert back to alcoholism after five years of moderation.
Susan grew further more uncomfortable as the period of silence increased, "Look, I had to get home and get some sleep," she finally stated, rising from the seat she had taken opposite Carter, "I have an early shift tomorrow. Carter, please don't think too much about it... I'm really sure it's nothing".
But Carter had slipped into a trance, still envisioning Abby with the glass of wine in hand. He traveled back to his own alcohol problems and where it got him... yeah, it got him three months of rehab in Atlanta. He didn't want to see that happened to Abby but was unsure of just how serious her problem was at this point. He didn't know for sure that she was drinking again but it wasn't something to just push aside in his mind without getting the facts. But there was a problem with that; there was really no way to get the facts without talking to Abby and he couldn't really picture her taking his knowledge of her drinking again very well.
When he finally returned from his deliberation Susan was gone. She was, no doubt, regretting the information she had distributed. Though it was probably the best thing that she had seen it and said something because Abby didn't tend to have very strong determination when it came to temptation. However, this was something he would have to think about and organize in his mind before confronting her about it.
*****
Abby stirred slightly, moaning feebly at the pain that shot through her side. The snow fell outside the window, it seemed infinite but peaceful. A delicate snowfall always made the city look so beautiful. It covered everything in white powder and made it all look untouched. Grasping her side, Abby immediately took notice of Carter's warm hand embracing hers. He had drifted off to sleep, his head resting on the guardrail to her bed once again. This sight brought a slight smile to Abby's lips. She gently slipped her hand from his loose embrace, bringing it to her forehead, combing her small, thin fingers through her knotted hair. Carter stirred at this movement, gradually raising his head from the metal bar to focus on Abby.
"Mornin' " she exclaimed in a mockingly cheerful voice
He smiled back, massaging his eyes as they adjusted to the light, which shown brightly through the window due to the heavy snowfall, "Hey," he replied, twisting his body to stretch his arms and neck, "you can get outta here today!"
Abby fell back onto the stiff, elevated hospital bed, massaging her neck with one hand, which had developed a cramp probably as a result of the way she had slept.
"Stiff neck?" Carter inquired, having noticed this.
"Yeah, either I slept wrong or these beds really are made of cardboard".
He grinned at her attempt at humor after what had happened to her only hours before. Carter ascended from the seat he had spent the night in and sat down on the bed beside her.
"Here, turn around. I'm told that I give amazing massages" he gloated, pulling his body behind her and bringing his hand to rest on her shoulder.
Abby hesitated, unsure if this was appropriate for their relationship. She knew how Carter felt about her yet she was still unsure if the feelings were reciprocated. But hell, it was just a massage, right?
Abby moved forward on the bed, more towards the foot-end to provide some room for Carter to fit behind her comfortably.
"Really? And just who is it that enjoys your massages so much?" she asked, jokingly but with just a hint of suspicion.
"Oh, well you know how I get around" he replied, arrogantly joking.
His hands traveled in rotating motion at the base of her neck. She was sore from the previous night and Carter's touch was tender and caring.
Hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind as dark strands of hair slipped from the ponytail, which Abby held at the side of her head, and fell lightly against his strong hands.
Maybe the wineglass confrontation could wait for tomorrow...
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Thanks for reading! Please Review!
**********
The room was still dim, only one light, located over Abby's bed, glowed. She had been sleeping for a few hours now, her distended bruises beginning to really show. Carter sat at her bedside still, his head resting atop his arm, which lay parallel to the cold, metal guardrail of her bed. He stared indolently at her decrepit body. His eyes drifted from her frail small frame, to her battered face. His hand moved leisurely along the bed sheets until it reached her warm hand. His thumb moved in a small circle, caressing the back of her hand, while his eyes never left the peaceful facial expression she slept with. He wanted nothing more than to just hold her and make her feel safe and let her know how much he really cared for her. But, the moment was ruined by the creaking sound of the exam room door behind him. Carter hurried in his attempt to collect his thoughts, which had been scattered about into wonderful reveries.
"Carter?" Susan's voice came in a half-whisper.
"Oh, hey! I thought you went home..." he began, remembering his previous conversation with Susan concerning Abby's condition.
"Um- yeah, I did. But, I decided to stop by Abby's apartment on the way to see if they found anything... or anyone," she commenced, shortly stalling to contemplate her wording. "Isn't- I mean... wasn't- I thought Abby was an alcoholic..." she exclaimed, lowering her voice to a nearly absent whisper. She was uncomfortable with the way it had sounded out loud.
Carter's expression quickly bounded to a questioning glare as he analyzed what had just been put out there.
"Ye- uh- yeah, why?" he inquired, not quite knowing what to think of the situation.
"Well, nothing- I mean, it could be nothing. I don't know, I just-" now she had regretted ever bringing it up. Maybe she should have just left it alone and minded her own business.
"Susan, what?" Carter persisted, appearing to be growing increasingly anxious.
"I- well, I went to her apartment and-it's probably nothing- but there was a half-empty glass of wine on the counter..." noticing the disbelieving look beginning to take-over over his face, Susan attempted to retract her statement and downplay it's importance, "But I'm sure it's nothing... she probably had company earlier or something..." But that didn't work and Carter only looked more and more concerned for the situation.
Carter had been leaning forward in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees, to appear more attentive. After thinking about and visualizing Abby drinking again, he fell back onto his chair, using the back for his support. He turned it over and over in his mind, wondering why she would revert back to alcoholism after five years of moderation.
Susan grew further more uncomfortable as the period of silence increased, "Look, I had to get home and get some sleep," she finally stated, rising from the seat she had taken opposite Carter, "I have an early shift tomorrow. Carter, please don't think too much about it... I'm really sure it's nothing".
But Carter had slipped into a trance, still envisioning Abby with the glass of wine in hand. He traveled back to his own alcohol problems and where it got him... yeah, it got him three months of rehab in Atlanta. He didn't want to see that happened to Abby but was unsure of just how serious her problem was at this point. He didn't know for sure that she was drinking again but it wasn't something to just push aside in his mind without getting the facts. But there was a problem with that; there was really no way to get the facts without talking to Abby and he couldn't really picture her taking his knowledge of her drinking again very well.
When he finally returned from his deliberation Susan was gone. She was, no doubt, regretting the information she had distributed. Though it was probably the best thing that she had seen it and said something because Abby didn't tend to have very strong determination when it came to temptation. However, this was something he would have to think about and organize in his mind before confronting her about it.
*****
Abby stirred slightly, moaning feebly at the pain that shot through her side. The snow fell outside the window, it seemed infinite but peaceful. A delicate snowfall always made the city look so beautiful. It covered everything in white powder and made it all look untouched. Grasping her side, Abby immediately took notice of Carter's warm hand embracing hers. He had drifted off to sleep, his head resting on the guardrail to her bed once again. This sight brought a slight smile to Abby's lips. She gently slipped her hand from his loose embrace, bringing it to her forehead, combing her small, thin fingers through her knotted hair. Carter stirred at this movement, gradually raising his head from the metal bar to focus on Abby.
"Mornin' " she exclaimed in a mockingly cheerful voice
He smiled back, massaging his eyes as they adjusted to the light, which shown brightly through the window due to the heavy snowfall, "Hey," he replied, twisting his body to stretch his arms and neck, "you can get outta here today!"
Abby fell back onto the stiff, elevated hospital bed, massaging her neck with one hand, which had developed a cramp probably as a result of the way she had slept.
"Stiff neck?" Carter inquired, having noticed this.
"Yeah, either I slept wrong or these beds really are made of cardboard".
He grinned at her attempt at humor after what had happened to her only hours before. Carter ascended from the seat he had spent the night in and sat down on the bed beside her.
"Here, turn around. I'm told that I give amazing massages" he gloated, pulling his body behind her and bringing his hand to rest on her shoulder.
Abby hesitated, unsure if this was appropriate for their relationship. She knew how Carter felt about her yet she was still unsure if the feelings were reciprocated. But hell, it was just a massage, right?
Abby moved forward on the bed, more towards the foot-end to provide some room for Carter to fit behind her comfortably.
"Really? And just who is it that enjoys your massages so much?" she asked, jokingly but with just a hint of suspicion.
"Oh, well you know how I get around" he replied, arrogantly joking.
His hands traveled in rotating motion at the base of her neck. She was sore from the previous night and Carter's touch was tender and caring.
Hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind as dark strands of hair slipped from the ponytail, which Abby held at the side of her head, and fell lightly against his strong hands.
Maybe the wineglass confrontation could wait for tomorrow...
**********
Thanks for reading! Please Review!