"You're late!" Weaver exclaimed as Abby ran through the double doors of the ER.
"Sorry! So Sorry! I had to drop off Lana," she said trying to catch her breath. She looked up at the TV and saw CNN. She hated to have to work with this channel on. Knowing while you work what is going on in the world. She prayed all the time that Carter wouldn't have to go anywhere.
"Hey my love," Carter said sneaking up to Abby and gave her a hug.
"Hi," she said turning around.
"I have to go soon. Nurse's meeting upstairs."
"Ok. How's Lana?"
"She's fine."
"What's the latest question?" Carter joked. He knew that Abby had gotten tired of all of her questions.
"Why is a butterfly called butterfly yet it doesn't like butter," Abby said pondering. Carter seemed to be confused according to his face.
"Actually, why is it called a butterfly called a butterfly when it doesn't like butter?" He questioned sarcastically. Abby slapped on the chest and walked to the elevator.
"Should only be like 30 minutes."
"See you then. Lunch?"
"Yeah, that would be great." Abby said before the doors closed on her. She looked around to see who was in the elevator with her. There was an elderly lady in a wheel chair and a little boy by himself.
"Hi," she said to the boy. He looked at her sheepishly and didn't reply. Abby noticed that he had bruises up and down his arms. She bent down and look at the boy.
"I'm Abby. How did you hurt yourself like this?" She questioned. He still didn't reply. Abby gave up. Apparently he was taught not to talk to strangers.
"How was the meeting?" Carter asked when he saw Abby come back from upstairs.
"Boring," she replied.
"Well, wasn't that just the most adjective-filled description of a meeting I've ever heard."
"I bet you can't do any better," Abby said fast. They both laughed.
"We have plenty of patients and the board is getting full!" Weaver said ramming into the nurse admin area. "Everybody take one chart!" At that everybody groaned.
"Which one which one," Carter said looking at the charts. "Abby, could you help me? Let's see. I have a 7-year-old male. Mom brought him in. Complaining of a sore stomach and vertigo," he informed Abby.
"What fun, what fun." They walked into the bed and found him lying there looking pale.
"So, you don't feel so good do you?" Carter said taking a seat and sliding to the boy's side. He shook his head. Abby took notice that it was the same boy she had found in the elevator. He looked up at her and smiled. She wondered why the sudden mood change.
"My tummy hurts and it feels like the room is spinning."
"Okay. This lady here is going to give you some medicine through your hand. Have you ever had an IV before?" He said telling Abby to start one. He shook his head.
"Well, we need you to sit still so we can put it in, okay? First she is going to put some cream on her hand so you don't feel anything when we put the needle in."
"Needle? I don't want a needle!"
"You won't feel anything," said Abby trying to calm him down. She put the cream on.
"We have to let it sit for a while," she said as she took the chart and wrote something down. Carter pulled her away from the boy and eyed him closely.
"Could you call Social Services for me? Tell them to take a look at the boy. Then get psych consult. How would he get all those bruises?"
"I noticed the same thing. I saw him in the elevator. He didn't have his mother with him."
"We'll see about that then," he finished. The rest of the day was slow. Abby and Carter barely had any majors. They were looking forward to seeing their daughter.
"Mommy?" Lana called.
"Yes?"
"Mommy, why does Daddy have to work like you do?"
"So that he can support the family."
"Oh. Mommy?"
"Yes, Lana?"
"Who's Sacdamn Hooseen?"
"Where did you hear that from?" Abby said now facing her daughter. Even if she pronounced it wrong, she knew whom she was talking about.
"The TV," she replied innocently.
"Don't watch that channel again. Do you understand?" She ordered firmly.
"Yes ma'am. But why Mommy? Why? Who is he?"
"A bad man."
"Why is he a bad man?"
"He did very bad things."
"Oh. What wrong Mommy?" She asked. She saw her mother's face change.
"Nothing, Lana," Abby replied trying to hide her feelings.
"Okay, good," she replied her happy, usual self as she skipped out of the room. Abby knew even at her daughter's age that she could sense something wrong. Abby wanted to try to hide everything. She was afraid that she would know to much. It was why she was afraid of her question frenzy. She was glad for it though; it opened her mind more.
"Sorry! So Sorry! I had to drop off Lana," she said trying to catch her breath. She looked up at the TV and saw CNN. She hated to have to work with this channel on. Knowing while you work what is going on in the world. She prayed all the time that Carter wouldn't have to go anywhere.
"Hey my love," Carter said sneaking up to Abby and gave her a hug.
"Hi," she said turning around.
"I have to go soon. Nurse's meeting upstairs."
"Ok. How's Lana?"
"She's fine."
"What's the latest question?" Carter joked. He knew that Abby had gotten tired of all of her questions.
"Why is a butterfly called butterfly yet it doesn't like butter," Abby said pondering. Carter seemed to be confused according to his face.
"Actually, why is it called a butterfly called a butterfly when it doesn't like butter?" He questioned sarcastically. Abby slapped on the chest and walked to the elevator.
"Should only be like 30 minutes."
"See you then. Lunch?"
"Yeah, that would be great." Abby said before the doors closed on her. She looked around to see who was in the elevator with her. There was an elderly lady in a wheel chair and a little boy by himself.
"Hi," she said to the boy. He looked at her sheepishly and didn't reply. Abby noticed that he had bruises up and down his arms. She bent down and look at the boy.
"I'm Abby. How did you hurt yourself like this?" She questioned. He still didn't reply. Abby gave up. Apparently he was taught not to talk to strangers.
"How was the meeting?" Carter asked when he saw Abby come back from upstairs.
"Boring," she replied.
"Well, wasn't that just the most adjective-filled description of a meeting I've ever heard."
"I bet you can't do any better," Abby said fast. They both laughed.
"We have plenty of patients and the board is getting full!" Weaver said ramming into the nurse admin area. "Everybody take one chart!" At that everybody groaned.
"Which one which one," Carter said looking at the charts. "Abby, could you help me? Let's see. I have a 7-year-old male. Mom brought him in. Complaining of a sore stomach and vertigo," he informed Abby.
"What fun, what fun." They walked into the bed and found him lying there looking pale.
"So, you don't feel so good do you?" Carter said taking a seat and sliding to the boy's side. He shook his head. Abby took notice that it was the same boy she had found in the elevator. He looked up at her and smiled. She wondered why the sudden mood change.
"My tummy hurts and it feels like the room is spinning."
"Okay. This lady here is going to give you some medicine through your hand. Have you ever had an IV before?" He said telling Abby to start one. He shook his head.
"Well, we need you to sit still so we can put it in, okay? First she is going to put some cream on her hand so you don't feel anything when we put the needle in."
"Needle? I don't want a needle!"
"You won't feel anything," said Abby trying to calm him down. She put the cream on.
"We have to let it sit for a while," she said as she took the chart and wrote something down. Carter pulled her away from the boy and eyed him closely.
"Could you call Social Services for me? Tell them to take a look at the boy. Then get psych consult. How would he get all those bruises?"
"I noticed the same thing. I saw him in the elevator. He didn't have his mother with him."
"We'll see about that then," he finished. The rest of the day was slow. Abby and Carter barely had any majors. They were looking forward to seeing their daughter.
"Mommy?" Lana called.
"Yes?"
"Mommy, why does Daddy have to work like you do?"
"So that he can support the family."
"Oh. Mommy?"
"Yes, Lana?"
"Who's Sacdamn Hooseen?"
"Where did you hear that from?" Abby said now facing her daughter. Even if she pronounced it wrong, she knew whom she was talking about.
"The TV," she replied innocently.
"Don't watch that channel again. Do you understand?" She ordered firmly.
"Yes ma'am. But why Mommy? Why? Who is he?"
"A bad man."
"Why is he a bad man?"
"He did very bad things."
"Oh. What wrong Mommy?" She asked. She saw her mother's face change.
"Nothing, Lana," Abby replied trying to hide her feelings.
"Okay, good," she replied her happy, usual self as she skipped out of the room. Abby knew even at her daughter's age that she could sense something wrong. Abby wanted to try to hide everything. She was afraid that she would know to much. It was why she was afraid of her question frenzy. She was glad for it though; it opened her mind more.