Author's note: This chapter is one of those ones that switches back and forth frequently. What's happening is a switch between a dream sequence and what's actuallygoing on at the same time as the dream. The italicised parts are the dream. Thanks again to everyone who's sent reviews and to Carolyn, the Beta Queen.

[insert the usual disclaimers here]

*****
And the Moment...
*****

CHAPTER 5: DREAM SEQUENCE




She'd never experienced anything that felt quite like this. It was indescribable- numb, yet heavy. The effort that it might take to open her eyes was too much for her. Dimly she made out the sound of voices, distant and unintelligible. She could feel the pressure on her hand, as though it was enfolded into another. Her mind was foggy; she wasn't sure what exactly was happening.

She felt herself slip away into sleep and welcomed the sweet oblivion.

*****

"We did another CT on her about an hour ago," Dr. Jackson reported. "The swelling has lessened considerably. Within the next day or two, she may begin to wake up."

Maggie Wyczenski breathed a shaky sigh. "Then she will be okay?"

"It's looking very good," the neurologist replied, "However, Dr. Leegans is still very much concerned with her kidney function."

"Can we speak with him?" Carter asked.

"I think he'll be stopping in later on to tell you what is going on," Dr. Jackson said.

"Thanks, Tony." Carter greatly appreciated the care given to Abby by their colleagues.

"We're really rooting for her," Jackson said before he departed.

"This seems like good news," Eric offered.

"Yeah..." Carter seemed pensive.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked him.


"The fact that they're worried about her kidneys worries me. If it wasn't serious, Dr. Jackson would have told us himself instead of referring us to the nephrologist."

"No," Maggie whispered. Her gaze fell to her daughter. "We've never been very close," she said, trancelike. "I wasn't able to handle the responsibility of being Mom. I was never on my medicine. Maybe I never would have gotten it together if it hadn't been for her coming to Oklahoma to get me. God, I put her through so much...both of you." She turned a pleading look to Eric.

"Mom, you really don't have to-"

"Yes, I do!" Maggie said desperately. "I do, because I was so wrong in the way I raised you. I was so wrong to lay such heavy responsibility on her, and to leave you without a mother. I'm sorry, Eric, I'm sorry to you and I'm sorry to Abby and oh, God, what if she never gets to hear me say it? I want to be able to tell her that she was finally the influence that got me on my medication. I want to make it up to her, to both of you. She has to get better, she has to!" Maggie was nearly in hysterics.

Eric stood back, unsure whether to comfort his mother or if his touch would trigger something in her. Carter, however, had no such qualms. He stepped right up to Maggie and put his arms around her. She clung to him, weeping.

"It's okay," he soothed. "It's okay. She's going to make it, and you will be able to tell her. It'll be okay." he repeated the words, driving them into Maggie's mind as well as his own.

*****

She was watching a scene from above. It was as though a roof had been torn off of a building and she was looking down onto the inside.

It was a house, someone's home. It was fairly large, simply but tastefully decorated. In one room a television blared a cartoon theme song while two dark-haired children tussled over a toy of sorts. They were around four or five, maybe only a year or two apart, the elder one a boy and then smaller one, a girl. They both had a firm grip on what appeared to be a stuffed elephant. The boy gave a valiant tug and the little girl crashed onto the carpet.

She felt herself smile as the boy, now contrite, knelt by his sister and consoled her, handing her the toy and drying her tears with his own sleeve. She always hoped that her children would be polite kids.

Her children?

Something wasn't right. But wait-there she was, coming into the room, alarmed by the crying of her daughter. The boy offered an explanation to his mother and she gave him a light warning before returning to the other room.

*****

"Did anyone ever notify Richard?" Maggie asked out of the blue.

"Yes," Carter said shortly. He'd disliked Richard on their one meeting- at a Carter family event. He'd asked Gamma to exclude Abby's ex from future events.

"Did he care?" Eric asked sourly. Carter didn't answer.

They looked to see who was coming in the door. Susan Lewis appeared bearing a huge white take-out bag.

"I brought you all something from Doc's," she announced.

"You're a life saver!" Carter proclaimed as he assisted her with the heavy bag. "Best grease burgers in town," he added to the puzzled Wyczenskis.

"That's the place across the street?" Maggie frowned in remembrance.

"Yeah." Carter handed her a box containing a cheeseburger and french fries, plus a styrofoam cup of iced tea. Susan handed another to Eric, and Carter dug into the third one.

"When's the last time any of you ate?" Susan questioned. The trio looked around at each other and Carter shrugged. "That's not going to do her much good," Susan said gently. "You should all go and get some rest, too."

Carter swallowed. "We're staying here," he said firmly.

"Susan gave him a level look. "If you don't go on my suggestion, I'll bring Weaver up to talk to you," she threatened.

"Low blow," Carter protested. "Okay, we'll go for a little while- AFTER we talk to Dr. Leegans."

"The nephrologist?" Susan's face registered concern. "Why?"

"They're still worried about her kidneys."

*****

She was still observing the family- her family- in the happy house. She saw the front door open and the children abandoned their play to swarm around the newcomer, screeching "Daddy! Daddy!" as he caught each in turn into a huge hug. She saw herself come out of the kitchen, her face lit up with an expression that she recognized as love. She ran to him as though she hadn't seen him in months and he swung her up into a hug as if he were no bigger than the children.

"How was your day off?" he asked.

"We had a great day," she replied happily.

"Yeah? What did you do?" he asked interestedly while hanging his jacket in the closet.

"First we went by the elementary school to register Johnny for kindergarten in the fall."

"We had lunch with Uncle Eric!" Johnny piped up.

"An' Chloe an' Sean, too," the girl added.

"That's right, Maggie, Chloe and Sean, too."

"Oh, right, Susan told me about that," her husband recalled.

She slipped her arms around his waist. "I can't believe my best friend married my brother," she murmured. He kissed her softly. "I thought your best friend married you," he teased.

"The other best friend, John," she reminded him.

"I know."

*****

"Dr. Carter, sorry that took so long," Frank Leegans strode into the ICU with a clipboard tucked under one arm.

"Dr. Leegans," Carter acknowledged him. Leegans took the clipboard and flipped several pages, skimming over it.

"Ah, nurse Lockhart. Um, the second kidney has not begun to function as we were hoping it would. Also, the working one seems to have declined a little. We're watching it closely, but as I'm sure you know, this is something that highly concerns us."

Carter nodded, tightlipped.

"What might happen?" Maggie asked.

"It might recover again, it might decline further. I don't think that there will be anything drastic happening though. However, we'll have it on constant monitoring. Now I'm sorry to bear this news and run, but I have an emergency awaiting me." With that, he disappeared through the doors, leaving the anxious family to await the next bit of news.

"We should probably find a hotel," Eric said at last.

"No, you'll stay at my grandmother's place."

"We can't impose-" Maggie started.

"It's no bother. But we better go before we collapse, or before Susan sends Weaver after me."