Here's chapter two! I was disappointed that they changed the name of the
episode from "Episode Nineteen" to "Things Change" even though I guess
"Things Change" was appropriate. I'm working on the next chapter, so I
should be posting it in a couple of days. In the meantime, please review
and tell me what you think!
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"Abby, do you know where Carter is? His shift was supposed to start half an hour ago." Susan asked Abby as Abby came out of a trauma room and Susan walked from behind the front desk several hours later.
"Did you try calling him?"
"I called his apartment and I paged him. No luck."
"Did you try his cell?" She asked, as they both walked into the doctor's lounge.
"No." Susan shook her head. "I didn't know the number."
"Here, I'll do it." Abby said as Susan flopped down onto the sofa and Abby picked up a nearby telephone. After a few rings, he picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey. Where are you? You're late for your shift."
"I'm still over at the house."
"Is your grandmother okay?" Abby asked, concerned.
"No.she, well.she uh died. Right before I got here." She could hear the sadness in his voice.
"Oh my god. Are you alright?" Her tone got the attention of Susan, who immediately sat up and gave her a questioning look.
"I guess so." John responded.
"Do you want me to help you with anything?"
"Could you tell Kerry that I'm not going to be in today?"
"I meant do you want me to go over there."
"No. I think I have everything taken care of." There was a sigh from the other end of the phone.
"Are you sure? I can get someone to cover for me. I get off in an hour anyways."
"I'll meet you over at your apartment later, okay? I'm waiting for her to get picked up and I don't know how long I'm going to be."
"Okay.I'll see you later." Abby closed her eyes and hung up the phone. She ran her hand through her hair as she turned to face her friend. "Carter's grandmother passed away."
"Oh my god. How is he taking it?" Abby shrugged and shook her head. "Do you want me to cover the end of your shift?"
"No. It's fine."
"Okay." Susan nodded.
"I have to get back to my patient." Abby said, starting towards the door. "Can you do me a favor and keep this on the down low."
"Sure. No problem."
"Thanks." Abby gave a grateful smile and left.
An hour and a half later, Abby reached her apartment, and tiredly walked inside. As she opened the door and turned on the light, she saw the red light blinking on her answering machine. She walked over and pressed the button.
"Hi honey. This is your mother. I'm going to try calling you at the hospital. I just got off the phone with Eric. So I'll talk to you soon. I love you."
Abby pressed the erase button and the second message started.
"Hey, it's me. Listen, I don't think I'm going to be able to come over later. The funeral home still hasn't picked up the body and my father is flying in late tonight. I'll call you tomorrow morning. I'm probably just going to spend the night here. Bye."
Abby took off her jacket and rubbed the back of her neck. She walked into her bedroom and kicked off her shoes and fell back onto the bed. She gave serious consideration to crawling into bed and falling asleep, but then changed her mind and stood back up. She pulled her shoes back on, and grabbed her jacket. As she walked down the stairs outside her apartment, she undid and redid her hair back into a ponytail. Walking towards the street, she hailed down a taxi and when it stopped, she got in. Giving the address to the driver, Abby sat back in her seat. Twenty minutes later, they reached her destination, and after paying, Abby got out and walked towards the house. Then she rang the doorbell. She heard voices coming from inside, and finally heard footsteps coming toward the door. She stepped back as the door opened and revealed someone she was not expecting to see answering the door. They both looked at each other in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" Carter asked.
"Why are you answering the door?" Abby responded.
"I thought you were the funeral home." John said, leading Abby into the house.
"They still haven't come?"
"No. I've called four times." Carter shook his head.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Abby commented. "And see if you needed any help with anything."
"I was just about to leave to go pick up my father from the airport."
"Can I go with you?"
"You sure?" Abby nodded and John smiled the first smile of the evening. "We'll have to take one of my grandmother's cars. The Jeep only has room for two."
Several minutes later, they reached the garage and John went around to the passenger side to open the door for Abby. As she went to sit down, he changed his mind and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him.
"You didn't have to come you know." John said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I know." Abby responded and leaned in as Carter kissed her.
"Abby, do you know where Carter is? His shift was supposed to start half an hour ago." Susan asked Abby as Abby came out of a trauma room and Susan walked from behind the front desk several hours later.
"Did you try calling him?"
"I called his apartment and I paged him. No luck."
"Did you try his cell?" She asked, as they both walked into the doctor's lounge.
"No." Susan shook her head. "I didn't know the number."
"Here, I'll do it." Abby said as Susan flopped down onto the sofa and Abby picked up a nearby telephone. After a few rings, he picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey. Where are you? You're late for your shift."
"I'm still over at the house."
"Is your grandmother okay?" Abby asked, concerned.
"No.she, well.she uh died. Right before I got here." She could hear the sadness in his voice.
"Oh my god. Are you alright?" Her tone got the attention of Susan, who immediately sat up and gave her a questioning look.
"I guess so." John responded.
"Do you want me to help you with anything?"
"Could you tell Kerry that I'm not going to be in today?"
"I meant do you want me to go over there."
"No. I think I have everything taken care of." There was a sigh from the other end of the phone.
"Are you sure? I can get someone to cover for me. I get off in an hour anyways."
"I'll meet you over at your apartment later, okay? I'm waiting for her to get picked up and I don't know how long I'm going to be."
"Okay.I'll see you later." Abby closed her eyes and hung up the phone. She ran her hand through her hair as she turned to face her friend. "Carter's grandmother passed away."
"Oh my god. How is he taking it?" Abby shrugged and shook her head. "Do you want me to cover the end of your shift?"
"No. It's fine."
"Okay." Susan nodded.
"I have to get back to my patient." Abby said, starting towards the door. "Can you do me a favor and keep this on the down low."
"Sure. No problem."
"Thanks." Abby gave a grateful smile and left.
An hour and a half later, Abby reached her apartment, and tiredly walked inside. As she opened the door and turned on the light, she saw the red light blinking on her answering machine. She walked over and pressed the button.
"Hi honey. This is your mother. I'm going to try calling you at the hospital. I just got off the phone with Eric. So I'll talk to you soon. I love you."
Abby pressed the erase button and the second message started.
"Hey, it's me. Listen, I don't think I'm going to be able to come over later. The funeral home still hasn't picked up the body and my father is flying in late tonight. I'll call you tomorrow morning. I'm probably just going to spend the night here. Bye."
Abby took off her jacket and rubbed the back of her neck. She walked into her bedroom and kicked off her shoes and fell back onto the bed. She gave serious consideration to crawling into bed and falling asleep, but then changed her mind and stood back up. She pulled her shoes back on, and grabbed her jacket. As she walked down the stairs outside her apartment, she undid and redid her hair back into a ponytail. Walking towards the street, she hailed down a taxi and when it stopped, she got in. Giving the address to the driver, Abby sat back in her seat. Twenty minutes later, they reached her destination, and after paying, Abby got out and walked towards the house. Then she rang the doorbell. She heard voices coming from inside, and finally heard footsteps coming toward the door. She stepped back as the door opened and revealed someone she was not expecting to see answering the door. They both looked at each other in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" Carter asked.
"Why are you answering the door?" Abby responded.
"I thought you were the funeral home." John said, leading Abby into the house.
"They still haven't come?"
"No. I've called four times." Carter shook his head.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Abby commented. "And see if you needed any help with anything."
"I was just about to leave to go pick up my father from the airport."
"Can I go with you?"
"You sure?" Abby nodded and John smiled the first smile of the evening. "We'll have to take one of my grandmother's cars. The Jeep only has room for two."
Several minutes later, they reached the garage and John went around to the passenger side to open the door for Abby. As she went to sit down, he changed his mind and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him.
"You didn't have to come you know." John said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I know." Abby responded and leaned in as Carter kissed her.