Chapter 7 - The Abby After The Evening Before
Abby was arriving at work and the sun wasn't even up. There is something fundamentally wrong about that. She felt very tired, a lot more tired than usual. She really shouldn't have gone out with Carter last night. And that is just due to her early morning shift. They shouldn't be going out pretending to be a couple when they aren't. It just builds up hope on both sides. They should just accept that maybe they just aren't meant to be. As she was thinking this she decided that she should tell him that last night was a mistake. Maybe he would understand and accept what she had accepted. Or had she accepted? Man, she really didn't need an early shift today.
Her shift started like any other morning shift. There was in fact very little to do but somehow Abby found a way to be busy. She needed to be busy. She needed something to take her mind off her thoughts. She needed to concentrate on work. And that meant being busy.
"Abby I need you over here." Said Luka as he examined a patient.
She walked over there and stood by with a chart ready to take down the tests he ordered.
After the list of tests and after he finished his examination he looked at her, "You look tired."
She smiled. Why did everyone notice that about her, "Yeah?"
"Late night?"
She didn't really want to tell him about her evening with Carter, "Yes."
He seemed to understand this, "Okay."
***
She spent the next few hours trying to be busy and trying not to look at the clock. She knew that Carter started at nine but she couldn't decide whether to talk to him or avoid him.
Then the small hand moved so that it pointed straight at the number nine. She instantly walked over to the entrance so that she could see Carter arrive. She saw him enter but she decided against talking to him. She just pretended to treat a patient so that he wouldn't see her. He entered the lounge and she stood still in a moment of complete indecisiveness.
Weaver bought her out of this, "Have you seen Dr Carter?"
Before she could think about it she answered, "Yeah he's in the lounge."
She watched as Weaver made her way across to the lounge. However before she entered Abby was called away.
It was Luka and he wanted to talk, "Hey Abby about earlier. I didn't mean to pry into your personal life. I was just worried about you."
"I went out on a kind of date, that's all."
She looked at Luka for any reaction. He kept the same expression, "Oh."
"Nothing happened." For some reason she thought he should know that.
"Who?"
Abby remained silence.
"Who was it with?"
Abby still remained silence.
Luka knew why she didn't want to tell him, "Carter?"
Abby just nodded.
Now it was Luka's turn not to say anything.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Sure?"
"Yeah."
Abby started to walk away but stopped, "Can you not tell anyone about this? The last thing I need right now is to have people gossiping about me."
"Okay. I won't."
"Thanks."
Abby took one last look at Luka's face as if she could tell by this if he was okay then walked away.
It took a little while longer but Abby finally decided that she needed to talk to Carter. She went over to admin and looked at the chart to see which patient he was treating then made her way over to that room. She stood outside for a minute just watching him work. Then she opened the door and said, "Hey Carter can I talk to you?"
He finished up with the patient then came out, "Okay what do you want to talk about?"
"I've been thinking. It's about last night."
"You didn't like it?"
"No. I did like it."
"And that's a bad thing."
"Kind of."
"Okay I think I missed something. You had a good time last night and that's a problem for you?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"You think I'm crazy, don't you?"
"Yes but I thought that before."
She was about to response but someone called Carter away.
The conservation with Carter had not exactly gone the way she planned it. She didn't get to explain to him why last night was a problem for her. She didn't get to say a lot of things she wanted to. However she did speak to him. She felt a bit better about that, a tiny bit better.
Abby had gone looking for Carter but every time she was needed somewhere else. Eventually she gave up and went outside to take her break and have a smoke. It was there that she met Susan. "Hi Abby, you on a break?"
"Yeah. Are you just starting?"
"No I'm not on for a couple of hours."
"What you doing here then?"
"Part of my admin duties."
There was a silence between the two as they struggled to find something to talk about. Finally Susan said, "You look tired."
"I know. People keep telling me."
"Late night?"
"Yes. I had a sort of date last night."
"Oh. Anyone I know."
Abby nodded.
"Carter?"
"Yeah."
"So it finally happened."
"Not really."
"What do you mean?"
"It was like the other non-date we had."
"What other non-date?"
"He took me to a museum benefit thing."
"So where did he take you?"
"A posh French restaurant."
"He never took me to a place like that." Susan said with a little jealously. "It sounds like a date to me."
Abby thought about it. I suppose it did sound like a date.
"So how did it end?"
Abby thinking about answering that when she was called to come inside. "I've got to go."
"You can't leave with hanging like this."
"Sorry."
***
Abby spent the rest of the shift avoiding Carter. She had too much on her mind for her to face him now. She needed a little time to figure out what she wanted.
Finally her shift was over and she could go. On her way home she kept asking herself loads of questions. Did she want to be with Carter? Did he want to be with her? Did Carter know what she had meant? She should call him? And most importantly, what should she do?
Abby was arriving at work and the sun wasn't even up. There is something fundamentally wrong about that. She felt very tired, a lot more tired than usual. She really shouldn't have gone out with Carter last night. And that is just due to her early morning shift. They shouldn't be going out pretending to be a couple when they aren't. It just builds up hope on both sides. They should just accept that maybe they just aren't meant to be. As she was thinking this she decided that she should tell him that last night was a mistake. Maybe he would understand and accept what she had accepted. Or had she accepted? Man, she really didn't need an early shift today.
Her shift started like any other morning shift. There was in fact very little to do but somehow Abby found a way to be busy. She needed to be busy. She needed something to take her mind off her thoughts. She needed to concentrate on work. And that meant being busy.
"Abby I need you over here." Said Luka as he examined a patient.
She walked over there and stood by with a chart ready to take down the tests he ordered.
After the list of tests and after he finished his examination he looked at her, "You look tired."
She smiled. Why did everyone notice that about her, "Yeah?"
"Late night?"
She didn't really want to tell him about her evening with Carter, "Yes."
He seemed to understand this, "Okay."
***
She spent the next few hours trying to be busy and trying not to look at the clock. She knew that Carter started at nine but she couldn't decide whether to talk to him or avoid him.
Then the small hand moved so that it pointed straight at the number nine. She instantly walked over to the entrance so that she could see Carter arrive. She saw him enter but she decided against talking to him. She just pretended to treat a patient so that he wouldn't see her. He entered the lounge and she stood still in a moment of complete indecisiveness.
Weaver bought her out of this, "Have you seen Dr Carter?"
Before she could think about it she answered, "Yeah he's in the lounge."
She watched as Weaver made her way across to the lounge. However before she entered Abby was called away.
It was Luka and he wanted to talk, "Hey Abby about earlier. I didn't mean to pry into your personal life. I was just worried about you."
"I went out on a kind of date, that's all."
She looked at Luka for any reaction. He kept the same expression, "Oh."
"Nothing happened." For some reason she thought he should know that.
"Who?"
Abby remained silence.
"Who was it with?"
Abby still remained silence.
Luka knew why she didn't want to tell him, "Carter?"
Abby just nodded.
Now it was Luka's turn not to say anything.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Sure?"
"Yeah."
Abby started to walk away but stopped, "Can you not tell anyone about this? The last thing I need right now is to have people gossiping about me."
"Okay. I won't."
"Thanks."
Abby took one last look at Luka's face as if she could tell by this if he was okay then walked away.
It took a little while longer but Abby finally decided that she needed to talk to Carter. She went over to admin and looked at the chart to see which patient he was treating then made her way over to that room. She stood outside for a minute just watching him work. Then she opened the door and said, "Hey Carter can I talk to you?"
He finished up with the patient then came out, "Okay what do you want to talk about?"
"I've been thinking. It's about last night."
"You didn't like it?"
"No. I did like it."
"And that's a bad thing."
"Kind of."
"Okay I think I missed something. You had a good time last night and that's a problem for you?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"You think I'm crazy, don't you?"
"Yes but I thought that before."
She was about to response but someone called Carter away.
The conservation with Carter had not exactly gone the way she planned it. She didn't get to explain to him why last night was a problem for her. She didn't get to say a lot of things she wanted to. However she did speak to him. She felt a bit better about that, a tiny bit better.
Abby had gone looking for Carter but every time she was needed somewhere else. Eventually she gave up and went outside to take her break and have a smoke. It was there that she met Susan. "Hi Abby, you on a break?"
"Yeah. Are you just starting?"
"No I'm not on for a couple of hours."
"What you doing here then?"
"Part of my admin duties."
There was a silence between the two as they struggled to find something to talk about. Finally Susan said, "You look tired."
"I know. People keep telling me."
"Late night?"
"Yes. I had a sort of date last night."
"Oh. Anyone I know."
Abby nodded.
"Carter?"
"Yeah."
"So it finally happened."
"Not really."
"What do you mean?"
"It was like the other non-date we had."
"What other non-date?"
"He took me to a museum benefit thing."
"So where did he take you?"
"A posh French restaurant."
"He never took me to a place like that." Susan said with a little jealously. "It sounds like a date to me."
Abby thought about it. I suppose it did sound like a date.
"So how did it end?"
Abby thinking about answering that when she was called to come inside. "I've got to go."
"You can't leave with hanging like this."
"Sorry."
***
Abby spent the rest of the shift avoiding Carter. She had too much on her mind for her to face him now. She needed a little time to figure out what she wanted.
Finally her shift was over and she could go. On her way home she kept asking herself loads of questions. Did she want to be with Carter? Did he want to be with her? Did Carter know what she had meant? She should call him? And most importantly, what should she do?