Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear on the show,
however I have made up a few of my own.
Apprehension: Adam
~*~*~*~*~*~
Carter walked into the slightly darkened apartment around seven to find Abby eating breakfast with Andrew; not exactly the first thing he wanted to deal with on a day like today. He was already stressed, already running late and nothing was going to cure his hangover.
"Have a nice night?" Andrew asked.
"Honestly, I have no idea. I was at a club and then I wasn't. Funny how that happens," he said as he disappeared into the bathroom.
"Did he come home at all?" Abby asked.
"For future reference, Carter usually never comes home at night if he's wasted. Especially if he's not alone."
"Am I wrong or does he have to start back at County today?"
"His shift starts at nine. But he's not moving very fast."
Andrew emptied his place and put it in the dishwasher before kissing Abby and stepping out the door to go to work, while Abby hung around for a little bit.
"What are you doing?" he asked he walked upstairs to finish changing.
"I figured you might want company on the El."
"When's your shift?" he asked.
"Nine. Same as yours." He reappeared moments later, fully dressed.
"Are you ready?" he asked, which slightly surprised her before he didn't eat, his hair was still wet and they were early.
"We have time. You can eat or something."
"Not hungry. Note, if you ever plan on getting really drunk again, which I hope you don't, it's not wise to eat an hour after you've finished emptying the contents of what use to be your stomach." He said as he picked up his bag. "I'll settle for the good coffee. I'll buy you a cup if you hurry," he said as he opened the door and waited for her to gather her own things.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Things worked themselves into a routine at County. Carter felt at home once again, taking lead of important situations, possibly being the only one who would argue and prove Romano wrong on almost every occasion. He was beginning to see more purpose. He thought things would turn out all right. He was becoming more comfortable with Abby's relationship with Andrew, only because he was having his own fun at nights, not always drinking, but never usually at home when they were. They didn't really go back to being great friends, but he learned to live with her pestering him, sometimes finding himself flirting a little bit, until he saw that look in her eyes, that said "when you tell me, I'll break up with Andrew". It was at that point that he shifted back into his annoyed self and ignored her for a few days before the routine repeated itself.
And then things started to change again. One curve ball turned into two which kept on spinning until he thought he would die of dizziness. It was the middle of his shift, when he wasn't sure if he was really tired or really awake and nothing could cure it except a good trauma and some good food, not necessarily at the same time.
"Whoa, where do you think you're going?" Carter asked as he intercepted a toddler running down the hall. As he scooped the boy into his arms, the chubby and sticky fingers clung to his cheeks and the piercing dark eyes stared into his. "Who do you belong to?" Carter asked.
"Me. Sorry." Carter looked up to see a man he clearly had problems with.
"Trent, in pedes, right?" Carter asked as he handed the boy over.
"Yeah. Do I know you?" Carter picked up a rag and cleaned off his hands and face.
"John Carter."
"Right. Listen, I'm sorry about before," Trent started before Carter waved him off.
"I don't care about the past. I've been through this with Abby. I don't question her decisions. I have work to do." Carter walked off. An hour later he was talking with Susan in the ambulance bay when Abby walked out holding the same little boy with Trent at her side.
"So, you're gone until Monday?" Abby asked.
"Yeah. I know it's last minute but the nanny split on me, again."
"Hey, Adam's mine too. I want to spend time wit him. I know I haven't done a lot lately but I appreciate everything."
"We've had this discussion, Abby," he said as he started walking off.
"I know. Thanks again."
Susan watched as Carter froze and looked at the "family".
"You know, this makes my life so much better," he told Susan. Abby turned her gaze from a retreating Trent to find Carter watching her. There was something about the look in his eyes that told her he knew a truth she didn't want to face.
"John," Abby said.
"I'm off. I'm getting out of here," he said as he disappeared without listening to Abby.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Continue to R&R. I appreciate feedback.
Apprehension: Adam
~*~*~*~*~*~
Carter walked into the slightly darkened apartment around seven to find Abby eating breakfast with Andrew; not exactly the first thing he wanted to deal with on a day like today. He was already stressed, already running late and nothing was going to cure his hangover.
"Have a nice night?" Andrew asked.
"Honestly, I have no idea. I was at a club and then I wasn't. Funny how that happens," he said as he disappeared into the bathroom.
"Did he come home at all?" Abby asked.
"For future reference, Carter usually never comes home at night if he's wasted. Especially if he's not alone."
"Am I wrong or does he have to start back at County today?"
"His shift starts at nine. But he's not moving very fast."
Andrew emptied his place and put it in the dishwasher before kissing Abby and stepping out the door to go to work, while Abby hung around for a little bit.
"What are you doing?" he asked he walked upstairs to finish changing.
"I figured you might want company on the El."
"When's your shift?" he asked.
"Nine. Same as yours." He reappeared moments later, fully dressed.
"Are you ready?" he asked, which slightly surprised her before he didn't eat, his hair was still wet and they were early.
"We have time. You can eat or something."
"Not hungry. Note, if you ever plan on getting really drunk again, which I hope you don't, it's not wise to eat an hour after you've finished emptying the contents of what use to be your stomach." He said as he picked up his bag. "I'll settle for the good coffee. I'll buy you a cup if you hurry," he said as he opened the door and waited for her to gather her own things.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Things worked themselves into a routine at County. Carter felt at home once again, taking lead of important situations, possibly being the only one who would argue and prove Romano wrong on almost every occasion. He was beginning to see more purpose. He thought things would turn out all right. He was becoming more comfortable with Abby's relationship with Andrew, only because he was having his own fun at nights, not always drinking, but never usually at home when they were. They didn't really go back to being great friends, but he learned to live with her pestering him, sometimes finding himself flirting a little bit, until he saw that look in her eyes, that said "when you tell me, I'll break up with Andrew". It was at that point that he shifted back into his annoyed self and ignored her for a few days before the routine repeated itself.
And then things started to change again. One curve ball turned into two which kept on spinning until he thought he would die of dizziness. It was the middle of his shift, when he wasn't sure if he was really tired or really awake and nothing could cure it except a good trauma and some good food, not necessarily at the same time.
"Whoa, where do you think you're going?" Carter asked as he intercepted a toddler running down the hall. As he scooped the boy into his arms, the chubby and sticky fingers clung to his cheeks and the piercing dark eyes stared into his. "Who do you belong to?" Carter asked.
"Me. Sorry." Carter looked up to see a man he clearly had problems with.
"Trent, in pedes, right?" Carter asked as he handed the boy over.
"Yeah. Do I know you?" Carter picked up a rag and cleaned off his hands and face.
"John Carter."
"Right. Listen, I'm sorry about before," Trent started before Carter waved him off.
"I don't care about the past. I've been through this with Abby. I don't question her decisions. I have work to do." Carter walked off. An hour later he was talking with Susan in the ambulance bay when Abby walked out holding the same little boy with Trent at her side.
"So, you're gone until Monday?" Abby asked.
"Yeah. I know it's last minute but the nanny split on me, again."
"Hey, Adam's mine too. I want to spend time wit him. I know I haven't done a lot lately but I appreciate everything."
"We've had this discussion, Abby," he said as he started walking off.
"I know. Thanks again."
Susan watched as Carter froze and looked at the "family".
"You know, this makes my life so much better," he told Susan. Abby turned her gaze from a retreating Trent to find Carter watching her. There was something about the look in his eyes that told her he knew a truth she didn't want to face.
"John," Abby said.
"I'm off. I'm getting out of here," he said as he disappeared without listening to Abby.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Continue to R&R. I appreciate feedback.
