September 10, 2001
They were engaged. It was official. Jing-Mei wore an extremely large diamond and John wore a silver band with a small square diamond in it. They went to sears and got an engagement picture taken. They sent one to every newspaper in the Chicago area and sent them to their family.
The ER loved the fact that they were engaged. Apparently there was a pool going on for years on how long it would take Jing-Mei and john to take this step. Their co-workers knew they were going to get together years before they did. Mark Greene won five hundred dollars.
Abby looked at Carter with a small smirk. He looked at her.
"What?" He chuckled Abby shook her head.
"Oh nothing." She smiled signing a chart. John shook his head.
"No tell me, Abby." He said bopping her head with a chart. She rolled her eyes.
"You're getting married." She said.
"So?" He shrugged.
"You just don't seem to be the marrying type." Abby said leaning against the counter.
"Neither do you." He winked.
"Richard is different. We were young." Abby said.
"Deb and I are young." John said.
"No you're not." She chuckled, "not anymore."
"You say I'm old?" John laughed grabbing another chart.
"Yes." Abby giggled as Jing-Mei walked dup to them.
"What are you guys laughing about?" She asked.
"Oh nothing." Abby smiled walking away. Jing-Mei raised her eyebrow looking at John.
"Nothing really." He said. Jing-Mei shook her head.
"There's a case in curtain two I'd like you to look at." She said handing him a chart.
"Why?" He asked.
"She's asking specifically for you." She shrugged. John flipped through the cart and stared at the name.
"Wow..." he ran his hand through his hair and walked over to curtain two. He looked at the middle aged Blond woman. "Abby..." Abby Keaton smiled when she saw John.
"John, it's been a long time." She smiled tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear. He pulled up a chair and smiled softly.
"Too long." He said looking at her chart. It felt a little weird being here with her. She glanced at his hand.
"You're married?" She asked.
"What? No...I'm engaged." John smiled softly, "To Dr. Chen."
"Ah...Romance in the ER." She smiled at him. "Sounds a little familiar." John blushed deeply.
"So, What's wrong Keaton?" He asked. Abby rubbed her neck.
"I've been getting pains in my stomach for about two weeks now. My doctor back in Boston says there's nothing to worry about and gave me anti-inflammatory pills." Abby said, "But I have a feeling something else is wrong."
"All right. Lay back and let me have a look at you." His ex laid back and put her hands behind her head. John smiled softly at her as he pressed down on her stomach, "Any pain there?"
"No." Abby shook her head.
"How about here?" John pressed down and Abby gasped.
"John!" She cried.
"All right." John noted this on the chart, "Haleh, let's get a CBC, Chem 7, and get ultrasound down here."
"Sure thing, Dr. Carter." Haleh glanced at Abby and went to the nurse's station to start gossiping about Abby Keaton and John. They sat there for a moment as John chuckled.
"What?" Abby smiled.
"In the past few months Since Deb and I have gotten serious, all my ex girlfriends seem to be coming out of the woodwork." John smiled as the ultrasound was rolled in.
"Just your luck, Eh?" She smiled as John squirted the gel onto her stomach.
"I suppose." He said, "How's Boston treating you?"
"Oh...it's okay, I suppose. The pay is better there than it was here." Abby said as John started scanning her stomach.
"County and it's paychecks, eh?" He smiled.
"You get paid now?" Abby chuckled.
"Eh...no." He said, "Okay...Let's see what's going on in here..."
"Am I going to live doc?" Abby chuckled.
"Hmmm..." John mumbled. Abby looked at him.
"What's wrong?" She asked. Haleh looked at John.
"Page Dr. Anspaugh." He said.
"John??" Abby cried. She knew who Anspaugh was.
"There's...ah...There's a growth on one of your ovaries." John cleared his throat. He stared at Abby's large eyes that seemed to grow wider with every second.
"No...How could that be? I...How....Why..." Abby covered her mouth.
"We'll take care of this, Abby." John said holding her hand, "I promise, we'll take care of this."
* * *
"John?" Jing-Mei walked into the dark apartment. She tossed the keys onto the table, "John?" She flipped don the lights and jumped when she saw John sitting on the couch, "Why are you sitting in the dark, Sweetheart?"
"She has Cancer." He said. Jing-Mei sat next to him.
"Who has Cancer? That friend who asked to see you earlier?" She asked taking his hand. John nodded slowly.
"She has stage two ovarian cancer." John said, "She's a frigging doctor and...and...She didn't even know."
"John, I'm so sorry." Jing-Mei said.
"Promise me, you'll keep up on your doctor appointments." He said burying his face in her chest. Jing-Mei bit her lip putting her arms around him.
"I will, John." She said, "I'll make sure I will."
"I don't want to loose you." John said.
"You never will." She said, "I'll be with you for the rest of our lives."
