A/N- This is the new chapter, quite a quick update coz I wanted to get this
chapter up before Christmas. As always, please R&R
I look around the room I've woken up in, my head pounding and my first though is that I must have slept with that guy at the bar. I'm wondering what to say to him, when into the room walks Luka, carrying a mug of something hot.
'Good Morning,' he says to me,
'Mmm morning. Um Luka, how did I get here?' I ask, almost afraid of the answer,
'You can't remember, after that amazing night we spent together?' he asks as I feel my heartbeat start to race.
'Um,' I say, my face reflecting what I feel. I'm almost taken aback when he starts to laugh,
'Calm down Abby, I was only joking.'
'Oh,' I say, as my heart stops pounding and returns to it's normal rate.
'I found you at a bar, drunk and all over a guy. I took you back here to make sure that you were okay."
'And you slept on the couch?' I ask,
'Yes, I slept on the couch. Now take this,' he says, handing me the mug. I look at it sceptically, I take it from him and look at its contents. They're steaming hot and are a brownish colour.
'Um, no offence Luka, but what is this?'
'It's a Croatian hangover remedy,'
'Oh,' I say looking at it. I don't want to offend him, so I drink it, wincing as its terrible taste slides down my throat. Once it's all gone I give the mug to him and he leaves the room saying, 'Merry Christmas Abby.'
**************
Christmas, it's Christmas and yet I don't feel the slightest bit excited. I can't help but wonder about the parents of the girl who I killed, I can't help but wonder what their Christmas is going to be like. I have to go to work and I spend my shift miserable. Once my shift is over I get in my car do something that my conscience is forcing me to. During the day I looked through files to find the address of the parents of the little girl and as I stand on their porch, I can't help but wonder if they're even going to answer. I'm caught off my guard when a teary eyed middle aged lady opens the door and says to me in an irritable tone of voice, 'yes?' I don't know what I should say, I don't know why I'm even there. I can't tell them that I killed their little girl, so what should I say?
'Hey, I work at Cook County general. We treated your daughter there last night.' She looks at me, great sadness in her eyes and invites me into her home. I feel like a traitor, everywhere there are traces of a child, her toys, pictures, everything. She leads me into their lounge and under the tree there are many unopened presents. I sit down on the couch next to her and she tells me that her husband is out at the moment.
'I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was about.....' I realise that I don't even know her name, 'about your daughter.'
'Jess?'
'Yeah, about Jess. Do you have any other children?'
'No. We, well... after we had Jess, we tried for another one, but.... well, I can't have another baby.'
'I'm so sorry,'
'It's not your fault, I'm sure you did everything you could.'
'Yeah.' She sees me looking at the presents and laughs a sad laugh.
'Rob - my husband, he waited in queues for ages to get her the Barbie playset thing. She's been asking for it for ages, ever since her friend from playschool got one.' A tear falls down her cheek and awkwardly I pat her on the back.
*****
About an hour later I arrive back at my place. There's no trace of Christmas and all I want to do is cry. I look at my answerphone and see that I have one new message. I play it and hear the unmistakable voice of John Carter coming from my answerphone,
'Hey Abby, it's me. I just thought I'd phone because you were acting a bit....off yesterday. I dunno, I just thought I'd phone to see how you are and to wish you a Merry Christmas. So, well I've done that, so.... phone me back when you get back from wherever you are. Well, bye then.' I don't phone him back, I just listen to the message over and over again, as I lie on my bed and cry myself to sleep.
*Merry Christmas and to all a good night*
I look around the room I've woken up in, my head pounding and my first though is that I must have slept with that guy at the bar. I'm wondering what to say to him, when into the room walks Luka, carrying a mug of something hot.
'Good Morning,' he says to me,
'Mmm morning. Um Luka, how did I get here?' I ask, almost afraid of the answer,
'You can't remember, after that amazing night we spent together?' he asks as I feel my heartbeat start to race.
'Um,' I say, my face reflecting what I feel. I'm almost taken aback when he starts to laugh,
'Calm down Abby, I was only joking.'
'Oh,' I say, as my heart stops pounding and returns to it's normal rate.
'I found you at a bar, drunk and all over a guy. I took you back here to make sure that you were okay."
'And you slept on the couch?' I ask,
'Yes, I slept on the couch. Now take this,' he says, handing me the mug. I look at it sceptically, I take it from him and look at its contents. They're steaming hot and are a brownish colour.
'Um, no offence Luka, but what is this?'
'It's a Croatian hangover remedy,'
'Oh,' I say looking at it. I don't want to offend him, so I drink it, wincing as its terrible taste slides down my throat. Once it's all gone I give the mug to him and he leaves the room saying, 'Merry Christmas Abby.'
**************
Christmas, it's Christmas and yet I don't feel the slightest bit excited. I can't help but wonder about the parents of the girl who I killed, I can't help but wonder what their Christmas is going to be like. I have to go to work and I spend my shift miserable. Once my shift is over I get in my car do something that my conscience is forcing me to. During the day I looked through files to find the address of the parents of the little girl and as I stand on their porch, I can't help but wonder if they're even going to answer. I'm caught off my guard when a teary eyed middle aged lady opens the door and says to me in an irritable tone of voice, 'yes?' I don't know what I should say, I don't know why I'm even there. I can't tell them that I killed their little girl, so what should I say?
'Hey, I work at Cook County general. We treated your daughter there last night.' She looks at me, great sadness in her eyes and invites me into her home. I feel like a traitor, everywhere there are traces of a child, her toys, pictures, everything. She leads me into their lounge and under the tree there are many unopened presents. I sit down on the couch next to her and she tells me that her husband is out at the moment.
'I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was about.....' I realise that I don't even know her name, 'about your daughter.'
'Jess?'
'Yeah, about Jess. Do you have any other children?'
'No. We, well... after we had Jess, we tried for another one, but.... well, I can't have another baby.'
'I'm so sorry,'
'It's not your fault, I'm sure you did everything you could.'
'Yeah.' She sees me looking at the presents and laughs a sad laugh.
'Rob - my husband, he waited in queues for ages to get her the Barbie playset thing. She's been asking for it for ages, ever since her friend from playschool got one.' A tear falls down her cheek and awkwardly I pat her on the back.
*****
About an hour later I arrive back at my place. There's no trace of Christmas and all I want to do is cry. I look at my answerphone and see that I have one new message. I play it and hear the unmistakable voice of John Carter coming from my answerphone,
'Hey Abby, it's me. I just thought I'd phone because you were acting a bit....off yesterday. I dunno, I just thought I'd phone to see how you are and to wish you a Merry Christmas. So, well I've done that, so.... phone me back when you get back from wherever you are. Well, bye then.' I don't phone him back, I just listen to the message over and over again, as I lie on my bed and cry myself to sleep.
*Merry Christmas and to all a good night*