Chapter 3
"Would you like anything to drink Miss?"
"Miss?"
Abby looks away from her spot, looking down at all the bright lights below the plane she sits in.
"No thanks."
The air hostess nods and continues on down the aisle.
Abby lies back on the leather seat. She had splashed out on a first class ticket, needing a good few hours sleep to prepare her for what was to come.
The problem is though, she is to busy worrying about what is to come, to get some sleep.
Abby turns over to look out of the window again.
Remembering time when she flew with Carter to Oklahoma, Abby smiles. She couldn't sleep then for worrying either. She remembers looking over to where he was sitting reading some car magazine and thinking about what a great guy he was. Its not very often you come across a guy who would risk getting dumped by a young, sexy girl and fired from work to go with you to rescue a psychotic woman from a dead end motel.
Abby knew deep down inside, even then, that Carter would do anything for her, he wanted to be with her. The scary thing at the time was, she felt the same way. But she also had feelings for Luka and didn't want to do anything to hurt him.
Abby's thoughts are interrupted when she heard the bleep signalling for her to fasten her seatbelt. She had made it to Chigago. Just one small step closer to seeing Carter again. This thought scared her more than the thought of the plane landing. She closes her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing. Ever since the incident with her mom on the plane all those years ago, Abby has not been the best of flyers.
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Abby looks around her and realises that the air terminal she is standing in is empty. Taking out her cell phone she dials Susan's number.
"Hi, this is Susan, I'm sorry I'm not able to.."
Abby presses cancel on her small grey phone which she got from her brother last Christmas. She remembers asking him how he managed to afford it, and as usual he replied "It was a special deal.".
Abby sighs then dials another number.
"County"Hearing Frank's voice Abby coughs, trying to disguise her voice.
"Hi, could I speak to Dr Lewis please?"
"She left ten minutes ago. Would you like to speak to another doctor?"
Abby realises that Susan must already be on her way to pick her up.
"No thanks, I'll phone back another time."
Abby presses cancel once again on her phone and sits down on top of her suitcase.
Pulling her coat tighter around her, Abby wonders what the weather back home was like. She gets up and starts to pace the floor around the baggage claim area, rubbing her hands together and looking out at the snow falling, not looking forward to having to step out into it.
"Abby"
Abby turns around to see Susan running towards her.
"I am so sorry, I had to do an extra shift."
"I thought the snow would have encouraged people to stay at home." Abby jokes, while picking up her suitcase.
"Well, I had to cover for someone."
"Who?"
"I'll tell you later. Lets go and grab something to eat, you must be starving. Was the plane food as good as hospital food?"
"Actually, First class food is delicious."
"You flew first class? You've not taken up a second job as a call girl or something have you?"
"Susan!" Abby smiles and punches Susan gently on the arm.
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"Well, I must admit Susan, so sure can pick a good Chinese Restaurant!" Abby says while sitting down on the couch in Susan's apartment.
"Ok, ok, I know. I should have cooked you something, and I planned to, but thanks to Carter I…" Susan stops, realising that she just let the cat out of the bag.
"What did Carter do." Abby gets up and walks into the kitchen where Susan is washing dishes.
"Nothing, its just that, he…"
"He what?" Abby says, beginning to get concerned.
"Its just that he hasn't been in to work in a few days. I've been covering for him."
"Is he sick?"
"That's the problem, he hasn't even phoned in to say where he is. I tried phoning in, but he doesn't answer. "
Abby sits the glass she is holding down on the counter.
"Weaver's beginning to get suspicious. I've been making excuses for him, but I can't keep it up for that much longer." Susan finishes.
Abby goes over to the door of Susan's apartment and picks up her coat and bag.
"Abby, what are you doing? You can't go and see him now, how do you know he's even in? I've been ringing him all week. "
"Because I know him Susan."
"Well, at least let me drive you over there. It will save a fare."
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As the car approaches the Carter family mansion, Abby notices that the grass outside isn't as short as it used to be, it is now overgrown with grass and weeds.
"I wonder what happened to good old Billy, the gardener. "
"Carter fired him, along with the butler, the maid and all the other staff. "
Abby doesn't say anything, and opens the door as the car slows to a stop.
"I'll wait outside, okay?" Susan says, while patting Abby's shoulder.
"I don't know how long I'll be. "
"That's alright, I've come prepared." Susan says, holding up a copy of Vogue.
Abby closes the car door and heads up towards the front door, desperately planning out what she was going to say when the door was opened.
Pressing the doorbell, she continues to think of things to say to him.
"Carter, I'm sorry about when I left, I didn't mean to.."
Realising that no one has answered the door Abby knocks hard on the door.
"I kissed Luka. I didn't mean to, It was just…"
Abby gives up on planning what she is going to say and looks through the side window beside the door. She recognises Carter's wallet and house keys and figures out that he is definitely in there.
Ringing the doorbell one last time Abby tries to open the door to the mansion. She is surprised to find it open. Carter always used to be strict on security.
Walking around the big dusty house Abby begins to regret coming there. What can she possibly do to help him? She can't exactly kiss everything better. Seeing her is probably just going to make him more depressed than he is right now. Just as Abby decides she is leaving, she hears a crash upstairs.
Abby runs up the stairs two at a time, beginning to fear for the worst. She reaches the top of the stairs and takes a look around, walking from room to room. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs to the third floor of the building, Abby lets out a gasp at the scene in front of her. Her hand shakes as she reaches into her jacket pocket for her cellphone. Dialling 911, Abby runs back along the second floor landing and frantically bangs on the window in hope that Susan will hear her.
As Susan closes her eyes, hoping to get a few winks of sleep she sits up suddenly, hearing a thumping noise. She gets out of the car and looks up to see Abby frantically signalling for her to come in. Susan can tell by Abby's face that something is definitely wrong so she runs up the steps and through the house. On the second floor, she can't see Abby so yells out to her.
"Abby?"
"We… We're up here."
Susan reaches the bottom of the staircase to the third floor and notices an empty glass bottle lying on the ground. Looking up, she is horrified by the sight.
"I've phoned for an ambulance…" Abby says, staring at the lifeless body below her.
"Is he breathing?….Abby!"
Susan pushes past Abby who seems to be in a state of shock, and runs up the stairs and puts her hand in front of her colleague's mouth. She lets out a sigh of relief when she feels air hitting it.
"He's alive, he's breathing… John, can you hear me… John?"
Abby seems to snap out of the daze she was in and helps Susan to put Carter into the recovery position. As they roll his body over, something falls out John's hands.
Susan notices and picks it up.
"How many has he taken?" Abby asks calmly.
"Its empty."
"This is all my fault!"
"Abby, don't be so stupid, you didn't know that all of this was going to happen… You couldn't have stopped that car crash from happening."
"Yeah, but I should have been here for him, I could have helped him, like he helped me, he was…"
Abby is interrupted by the wail of a siren pulling up to the mansion.
As Susan runs down to meet the paramedics, Abby leans over Carter and checks his pulse. After a few seconds, she moves her fingers further over his neck and immediately throws him onto his back, pressing her hands to his chest and carrying out the actions that she usually does at least three times a week. Images from their past together flash through Abby's head as she gazes at John's un-shaven face. She tries to imagine that she is carrying out the actions on a stranger, someone she hasn't met. Not John Carter, not the man she still loves.
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Authors Note: Thanks for all the reviews so far! Please keep them coming, I value everyone's opinion, good or bad!