Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear on the show.
There are a few coming up that I claim as mine.
Apprehension: Death
~*~*~*~*~*~
The following days he remained silent. Only talking when he thought it was necessary. He heard many reports from Kerry about Abby's search to find him. Kerry worried slightly at John's silence and lack of sleep. It wasn't like him to stay so silent and distracted under any circumstance. However, it only seemed like a matter of time before things returned to normal and he would return to being the person he used to be.
"I'm going to take Gillian early. Make sure everything is okay," Carter said as she stepped into the kitchen where Kerry was finishing her coffee. "I think Gillian could use some time by herself." He slid on his suit jacket and straightened his tie as he waited for Gillian to walk upstairs.
"Okay. We'll be following you shortly."
"Just wait a little bit. I'm having a limo pick you up. I sent a couple others out."
"John, you didn't have to do that," she tried to object.
"It's for Luka. I'll see you soon." He took Gillian's hand and led her out of the house to the waiting limo.
She stood silently by Luka's grave as Carter talked to the priest. Kerry may be worried about him, but he was worried about Gillian. She wasn't sleeping either and that worried him. Gillian was strong and independent and so much like him. He slowly walked up to her and whispered in her ear.
"People are starting to show up," he said. She only nodded. She stayed close to his side as people came by to talk. She didn't know anyone, but she didn't care. She was here for Luka and here for John. No one else really mattered to her. She just wanted this week to be over so she would hopefully return to her own life.
Abby stepped out of the limo with Susan and saw him standing in the distance, talking with Kerry and Sandy, his hand on the lower back of a woman she'd never seen before. He happened to glance over his shoulder and his eyes connected with hers, moments before he slid on a pair of sunglasses. He glanced at his watch and nodded to the priest.
Abby couldn't help but watch him. There was no way to tell what he was feeling. His eyes were hidden, showing no signs of remorse. The funeral was short and sweet. No one spoke, but a silent period was taken to reflect on Luka. Abby looked over at Carter and found his hand tightly clasping the hand on the woman next to him. Who was she? Abby could feel the jealousy rising up in her stomach. The funeral ended and she found her big chance to finally talk to him. He was standing alone, as Deb walked off, his hands thrust deeply into his pockets.
"Hey," she said softly. He looked at her. Or at least she thought he was looking at her.
"Hi." If his face didn't show it, there was something in the sound of his voice that did.
"I've been worried about you. Weaver refused to tell me where you were."
"I'm fine. I just needed some space."
"Space? John, you were in Africa for months and then suddenly you're taking leave and showing up with black eyes. Haven't you ha enough space?"
"I'm not always about you, Abby. Other people have problems, too."
"If things were so bad, you could have told me."
"I tried but mother and brother came first," he said. He felt someone's hand on his back and stopped talking. Abby watched as the woman whispered unknown words into his ear. "Yeah," he said. He looked at Abby. "Thanks for coming. You meant a lot to Luka. I'm glad you had time for him."
Carter turned and walked off with the mysterious woman.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Something about Kerry's message sparked fear in his stomach. He'd barely got out of the shower when the message pierced his ears. His only pair of clean clothes was a pair of faded jeans and his Africa shirt. He quickly slipped his feet into a pair of thongs, grabbed his sunglasses and keys and was out the door in less than five minutes.
"Where's Kerry?" he asked as he walked into the ER.
"Trauma one. What's wrong?" Susan asked. But he was already down the hall. He stopped just outside the doors when he saw Kerry talking to Deb. Both women stopped talking when they saw Carter.
"John," Kerry started as he looked into the room and saw Gillian laying on the gurney, curled up in a ball.
"What happened?" he asked.
"She miscarried, John. I'm so sorry," Kerry said. Deb stood back and tried to read his emotion. He ran a hand over his face and through his hair.
"Gillian was pregnant?" he whispered, slightly shocked.
"She's been under a lot of stress. There's no way this could have been prevented," Kerry said, knowing what it was like to lose a baby.
"It could have been. We didn't have to do this so soon. I didn't watch out for her," he said.
"She didn't know she was pregnant until today," Kerry told him.
"If he didn't have me before, he's going to now that he's dead," Carter said.
"Luka won't blame you. He didn't even know. She's hardly three weeks," Deb said.
Carter looked sharply at her. "What?" he asked.
"She wasn't very far. If Luka was missing for awhile he wouldn't know."
"John," Kerry started but he waved her off.
"I need a minute," he said as he walked into the darkened suture room only to be greeted by another surprise.
Abby was sitting on a gurney, her scrub top off, her lips locked to the face of a man whose hands were nowhere to be seen.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: I appreciate the feedback. However, I would ask you to keep an open mind when reading this story. I like to flirt with the impossible by bring back former characters and issues that not many people would like. I understand that everyone likes Carter with different women. I love him with Abby. I would appreciate it if you would take into consideration that not every author would write what you want. Any feedback I take into consideration, but just because I'm writing it my way doesn't mean you have to beat me up about it. Thanks.
Apprehension: Death
~*~*~*~*~*~
The following days he remained silent. Only talking when he thought it was necessary. He heard many reports from Kerry about Abby's search to find him. Kerry worried slightly at John's silence and lack of sleep. It wasn't like him to stay so silent and distracted under any circumstance. However, it only seemed like a matter of time before things returned to normal and he would return to being the person he used to be.
"I'm going to take Gillian early. Make sure everything is okay," Carter said as she stepped into the kitchen where Kerry was finishing her coffee. "I think Gillian could use some time by herself." He slid on his suit jacket and straightened his tie as he waited for Gillian to walk upstairs.
"Okay. We'll be following you shortly."
"Just wait a little bit. I'm having a limo pick you up. I sent a couple others out."
"John, you didn't have to do that," she tried to object.
"It's for Luka. I'll see you soon." He took Gillian's hand and led her out of the house to the waiting limo.
She stood silently by Luka's grave as Carter talked to the priest. Kerry may be worried about him, but he was worried about Gillian. She wasn't sleeping either and that worried him. Gillian was strong and independent and so much like him. He slowly walked up to her and whispered in her ear.
"People are starting to show up," he said. She only nodded. She stayed close to his side as people came by to talk. She didn't know anyone, but she didn't care. She was here for Luka and here for John. No one else really mattered to her. She just wanted this week to be over so she would hopefully return to her own life.
Abby stepped out of the limo with Susan and saw him standing in the distance, talking with Kerry and Sandy, his hand on the lower back of a woman she'd never seen before. He happened to glance over his shoulder and his eyes connected with hers, moments before he slid on a pair of sunglasses. He glanced at his watch and nodded to the priest.
Abby couldn't help but watch him. There was no way to tell what he was feeling. His eyes were hidden, showing no signs of remorse. The funeral was short and sweet. No one spoke, but a silent period was taken to reflect on Luka. Abby looked over at Carter and found his hand tightly clasping the hand on the woman next to him. Who was she? Abby could feel the jealousy rising up in her stomach. The funeral ended and she found her big chance to finally talk to him. He was standing alone, as Deb walked off, his hands thrust deeply into his pockets.
"Hey," she said softly. He looked at her. Or at least she thought he was looking at her.
"Hi." If his face didn't show it, there was something in the sound of his voice that did.
"I've been worried about you. Weaver refused to tell me where you were."
"I'm fine. I just needed some space."
"Space? John, you were in Africa for months and then suddenly you're taking leave and showing up with black eyes. Haven't you ha enough space?"
"I'm not always about you, Abby. Other people have problems, too."
"If things were so bad, you could have told me."
"I tried but mother and brother came first," he said. He felt someone's hand on his back and stopped talking. Abby watched as the woman whispered unknown words into his ear. "Yeah," he said. He looked at Abby. "Thanks for coming. You meant a lot to Luka. I'm glad you had time for him."
Carter turned and walked off with the mysterious woman.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Something about Kerry's message sparked fear in his stomach. He'd barely got out of the shower when the message pierced his ears. His only pair of clean clothes was a pair of faded jeans and his Africa shirt. He quickly slipped his feet into a pair of thongs, grabbed his sunglasses and keys and was out the door in less than five minutes.
"Where's Kerry?" he asked as he walked into the ER.
"Trauma one. What's wrong?" Susan asked. But he was already down the hall. He stopped just outside the doors when he saw Kerry talking to Deb. Both women stopped talking when they saw Carter.
"John," Kerry started as he looked into the room and saw Gillian laying on the gurney, curled up in a ball.
"What happened?" he asked.
"She miscarried, John. I'm so sorry," Kerry said. Deb stood back and tried to read his emotion. He ran a hand over his face and through his hair.
"Gillian was pregnant?" he whispered, slightly shocked.
"She's been under a lot of stress. There's no way this could have been prevented," Kerry said, knowing what it was like to lose a baby.
"It could have been. We didn't have to do this so soon. I didn't watch out for her," he said.
"She didn't know she was pregnant until today," Kerry told him.
"If he didn't have me before, he's going to now that he's dead," Carter said.
"Luka won't blame you. He didn't even know. She's hardly three weeks," Deb said.
Carter looked sharply at her. "What?" he asked.
"She wasn't very far. If Luka was missing for awhile he wouldn't know."
"John," Kerry started but he waved her off.
"I need a minute," he said as he walked into the darkened suture room only to be greeted by another surprise.
Abby was sitting on a gurney, her scrub top off, her lips locked to the face of a man whose hands were nowhere to be seen.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: I appreciate the feedback. However, I would ask you to keep an open mind when reading this story. I like to flirt with the impossible by bring back former characters and issues that not many people would like. I understand that everyone likes Carter with different women. I love him with Abby. I would appreciate it if you would take into consideration that not every author would write what you want. Any feedback I take into consideration, but just because I'm writing it my way doesn't mean you have to beat me up about it. Thanks.
