The takeout arrived just as Abby exited the bathroom. Carter answered the door and paid the man, then placed the brown paper bag on the coffee table.
She padded barefoot into the lounge.
He looked up as she entered.
She was wearing a white vest that finished about an inch over her navel, and a pair of baggy shorts. The same lavender robe hung about her shoulders, but wasn't knotted as before, and her hair, slightly damp, was full of waves.
Carter could just make out most of a slogan on the vest.
Catching him staring, she pulled the sides of her robe open so he could read it.
"How's my driving?" Carter read, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey, now don't ridicule the shirt!"
He put up his hands in mock surrender.
She sat on the couch next to him, and peaked inside the brown bag.
"What've we got? I'm starving!"
"Uh, noodles, egg fried rice… take a look." She began to unpack the boxes as he got up and walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, where'd you keep the cutlery?" he called back to her.
"That's cheating. You've got to use the free chopsticks."
He walked back into the lounge, and folded his arms.
"You're serious, aren't you…?" He cocked his head to the side, and looked at her, smiling.
"As a heart attack. Now come on, before it gets cold."
Carter sat next to her, and reluctantly picked up his chopsticks.
She found hers and unwrapped them, then, reaching for the nearest box, began to work her fingers swiftly and with ease.
Carter just watched her for a moment, and then attempted to mimic her motion.
He picked up a box that contained sweet and sour chicken.
Doesn't look so hard, really, he thought.
She watched him out of the corner of her eye, as he chased a piece of chicken around the box. He eventually caught it, and raised it about six inches above the box.
Wow, he thought. I'm doing well for a beginner. A proud smile crossed his face.
"Hey, look!"
Just as he said that, the sticks slipped, and the piece of chicken spun from his grasp and landed with a rather wet thud on the table.
"Oops."
They finished the meal in hilarity. Carter proceeded to drop most of it onto the floor and table. Abby eventually let him use a fork, if only to save her furniture.
**********************************
Carter sat back in the sofa and sighed.
"What time you on tomorrow?" he asked, hoping she was on the same time as him.
"Um, eight" She answered, finishing the last bits of the noodles, and then placing the box back on the table.
She definitely wasn't looking forward to it. "You?"
"Same." He wasn't supposed to be on until ten, but he could go in early.
She yawned, and pulled her robe around her.
"You should go to bed."
Glancing at the clock, she nodded. "It's late."
They both rose from the couch, and moved around the table.
They paused, just watching each other.
"You'll be ok, you know…" Carter stated as a fact, certain of it.
She walked close to him, and took his face in her hands. At first he thought she was reaching for him in a different way, but she just ran a soft thumb over his bruise.
"Will I live, Nurse?"
She smiled, turned, and throwing a casual "Goodnight" back to him, padded into her bedroom and closed the door behind her.
**********************************
She was running, through a long hall. She tried this door, and that, but she could find no way out. The corridor twisted and opened out into her kitchen. She saw herself, cowering on the floor, a dark spectre standing over her, fist raised. She reached out, trying to save her other self, pull her out, but she just seemed to move away. The harder she tried, the more the distance grew.
She was falling, further and further away, tumbling, over and over, down, down...
The harsh ring of her alarm brought her out of her dream world, back into a not so different reality.
She sat up, realising she was shaking all over and covered in a cold sweat.
It was the same dream. She had had that dream once, maybe twice a week, ever since she'd started running.
Pushing back the duvet, she climbed from the bed and threw on her robe.
**********************************
When she got into the lounge, Carter was still sleeping soundly on the couch. She walked up to him and gently shook his shoulder.
"Hey…"
He shifted a little, but stayed asleep.
"Hey, Carter, come on, it's seven am, and we have to be at work in an hour."
He opened both his eyes, much to Abby's relief.
"I'm up, I'm up…" He propped himself up on his arms. She smiled at him.
"That eye looks better."
He caught her smile, and returned it.
"Feels better too."
It wasn't throbbing any more, that much was true.
She went to the kitchen to make coffee.
"Hey-" He called to her. "-Is it ok if I take a shower?"
"Knock yourself out."
**********************************
He came back about ten minutes later, rubbing his hair dry in a towel.
"Hey. There's some coffee in the pot." She greeted him, nodding to the kitchen.
He lowered the towel to his shoulders, and began to walk toward the kitchen.
She got up and went to dress.
"Great hair, by the way…" She taunted as she swept passed.
Watching her go, he caught his bemused reflection in the mirror.
She had a point. It was all over the place. He tried to flatten it with his hands, but gave up. He yawned, stretched, and headed for her coffee machine.
**********************************
They arrived, forty minutes later, outside the doors of the ER.
He squeezed her arm.
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
Her voice was shaky but sure.
They stepped up and the automatic doors creaked and rolled back. Warm air blew out and over them, carrying with it the hectic noise of a packed ER.
"Looks like they've fixed the heating…" he commented, glad.
Stepping through, she suddenly felt very uneasy.
"Morning, Abby" Kerry was behind the admin desk. She saw Carter, and did a double take. "Carter, you're not on till ten."
Abby shot him a puzzled look, and disappeared into the lounge.
"Had some charts to catch up on." He justified himself, though even he thought it sounded lame.
Kerry shrugged. "Whatever."
Carter sighed. She obviously hadn't noticed his eye, or if she had, she chose to ignore it. He didn't need to explain it to her as well.
He followed Abby into the lounge, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I didn't want you to come in alone, that's all…"
"You didn't have to-"
"-I wanted to. I'm gonna work on my charts till my shift starts. I'll be in here if you need me." He moved away from her, and sat down at the table, flicking through the clipboards. He watched as she fumbled with her combination, the shaking in her hands making it very difficult.
She put her bag inside her locker and threw on her scrubs. Closing the locker she leant against it, breathing deep, eyes closed.
"You can do this, you know." He had so much faith in her strength. Too much, she thought.
She straightened, swallowing hard.
"Yeah." she said, with all the conviction she could muster. Spinning on the balls of her feet, she headed to the door.
Pausing, she turned to Carter, apparently about to say something.
He just put a long finger to his lips and shook his head.
"Good luck." He mouthed.
She smiled, turned, and left him alone.
**********************************
It was almost ten before she even saw Luka. He didn't see her, she made sure of that, but she watched him for a moment. He looked bad. Hung over, she suspected, but there was something else. She didn't have the time to figure out what it was before someone tapped her on the shoulder.
She turned round, and, to her surprise, she saw Rose.
"Abby…"
"Save your breath. You're welcome to him." She pushed past the doctor and carried on down the hall.
"No, Abby, just hear me out."
Oh, this was going to be good.
Turning, Abby put an impatient hand on her hip and glared at Rose, dark eyes hard and intimidating.
"Well?"
Rose glanced around. "Not here." Taking Abby by the arm, she pulled her into the ladies.
Abby, indignant, shook herself free.
"Get off me… Well?"
"I'm sorry, Abby, but you have to understand I didn't know that you and Luka were…together."
She knew deep down that Rose wasn't to blame, but she couldn't forgive her.
Not yet.
"Oh, so that makes it all better then? I catch you with my boyfriend, but you didn't know he was my boyfriend, so that's ok, is it?" Abby spat angrily.
Her heart pounded in her ears and she swallowed hard.
"I never said it was, but -" Rose couldn't look her in the eye. "I am sorry."
Abby felt bad for her. Her voice softened, just a little. "Is that all you have to say?"
Rose nodded and hung her head.
Abby left her alone, lost in guilt.
**********************************
Carter sat, reading his charts, but not really seeing them. His mind was elsewhere.
The sound of the door brought him back to earth, and sent his charts clattering to the tabletop. He glanced up to see Luka standing in the doorway, but flicked his eyes back to his charts almost as fast.
Luka stood in the doorway for a moment, apparently having an inward battle with himself. Should he go over and attempt to apologise? He glanced at Carter and saw the large amethyst mark that covered his eye, and the piles of charts around him.
Maybe he'd leave it. He was probably busy anyway.
He just got his white coat from his locker, and left.
Looking up as Luka left, Carter frowned. He thought at least he might make some kind of attempt to apologise.
Carter paused. Perhaps it was better that he hadn't.
He checked his watch. Ten. He'd better go clock in.
He climbed out of the chair, and moved to his locker.
He drew out his neat white coat, crisp and clean. It was tailored, and had his name embroidered on the breast. John Carter, MD. He pulled it on, and straightened it with pride. The top pocket sagged under the weight of his pens, most of them emblazoned with drugstore logos.
His ID hung from the pocket, a small picture on a card that needed updating.
He placed his stethoscope around his neck; it felt cold against his skin.
It was how he chose to carry it, like a symbol of his ability to help people. It represented more than the coat or the ID ever could.
**********************************
Abby strode from the ladies room, breathing heavily and trying to calm her fast beating heart.
She knew it wasn't Rose's fault, she really did, but what was she supposed to do?
"Abby, Mr Cooper's foley bag is full" Susan called out to her.
"Coming." She turned and followed Susan into exam 2, glad to have something else to think about.
Susan was examining Mr Cooper, but Abby caught the little glimpses that she was throwing her way.
"What?"
"Nothing"
The glimpses didn't stop, though.
"Come on, Susan, What?"
"You look a little tired, that's all."
She replaced her stethoscope in her pocket, and started to scribble something on the chart.
"How is everything with you and Luka anyway?" Susan looked at Abby and smiled as she said it, expecting the same smile returned. When it wasn't, her grin disappeared, and was replaced by a frown.
"We split up" She muttered, busying herself with replacing the bag.
"Oh, Abby, I'm sorry, I didn't know. What happened? Are you ok?"
Abby nodded
"What time d'ya finish? We could go out for a drink or something, talk if you like."
"Six, But…"
"Think about it. I finish at six too, so come find me if you want. If you don't, that's fine too."
Now Abby smiled and looked up.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
Susan held her smile for a long moment. They were friends, she was sure, and she hoped that Abby would accept her offer.
**********************************
Finishing up with Mr Cooper's foley bag, Abby left Susan alone to finish the exam, closing the door behind her.
Starting down the corridor, she saw Luka coming in the opposite direction. Alarmed, she spun around and ducked back into Exam 2, with Susan and Mr Cooper.
"…Abby? You ok?" Susan was puzzled, and a little worried.
"It's him" She hoped he hadn't seen her, but that was unlikely.
Sure enough, he burst in on them less than ten seconds later.
"Abby?"
"Not now Luka."
"We have to talk."
"Do you want me to leave?" Susan was reluctant to, seeing Abby's reaction, but this was none of her business.
"No, we aren't going to talk about this now. Not here."
Abby tried to pass Luka, return to the corridor and escape, but he blocked her way.
"Abby, please…"
Her eyes looked up into his, pleading, starting to shine.
"Not now, Luka" She whispered.
Susan chose her moment to step in.
"I think you should go, Luka.-" It wasn't forceful, but there was an anxious edge to her tone.
"-Before you do something you'll regret."
Luka wasn't listening.
"I'm sorry, Abby. I'm sorry, about everything. About Rose, about Carter, about everything."
Anger was boiling inside her veins.
"What do you expect me to…"
She trailed off. Sorry about Carter?
Abby didn't understand.
"What do you mean? Sorry about Carter?" It didn't make any sense.
"His black eye…" Luka was puzzled too now. He thought she would have known what happened, what he did. He tried to explain, but did a lousy job.
"It was an accident. I was drunk."
"You hit him…?" She said, quietly, almost to herself.
"I am sorry, really. I didn't know what I was doing. You have to understand"
Abby barely heard him. Carter had lied to her, she knew, but she never thought that this was what really happened. What? Did he think she couldn't handle the truth? So much for his faith in her.
Luka gently placed his hand on her arm, but she pushed him away.
"Get away from me…" she murmured through gritted teeth.
"Abby…"
"No!" She screamed at him.
"Back off, Luka" Susan was at Abby's side, confused.
He gave Abby one last, lingering look of apology, then turned and left.
Susan stared at Abby. Her dark eyes were glazed and shiny, and her arms folded across her chest in thought.
"What the…?"
Abby looked up, and saw Carter through the window. "…Carter." Abby darted from the room, leaving Susan in her wake.
**********************************
