Chapter 2
I can't believe Eric cut me. What happened to my little brother?
I'm sorry, Eric. I failed you. I did everything I could to protect you from bipolar disorder, and now it has consumed you. I wish I had been a better sister, that I had kept you from becoming like this. I feel wetness on my face and realize that I'm crying.
I'm also bleeding. I'm bleeding because my brother, who I took care of and loved his entire life, has just cut me. I'm bleeding because Eric doesn't want to admit that he can't control this.
Maybe something good will come out of this. Maybe this will make him see that he's out of control, that he needs to get help for this, and make him start taking his medication.
I realize that I'm going to have to get up off the floor. I do so, slowly, but I still feel dizzy. I look down and realize that my carpet will be ruined if I don't clean it in the next hour. I better hurry up and bandage this wound. I don't have the money for new carpet.
I stagger into the bathroom. I'm starting to see black spots in front of my eyes, and know it's because of the blood loss. I consider going to the hospital, but know I can't. Whenever someone comes in with a knife wound, the hospital is required to call the cops, and I'm not telling them that my brother attacked me. I've already gotten him arrested once; I think that's enough.
I see that there's blood on the bathroom floor, and I'm confused. How did that get there? I realize that I must still be bleeding. Where did I put my first aid kit?
My shirt is soaked with blood, so I take it off and throw it on the toilet. It makes a squishing sound when it lands. I keep searching for the first aid kit; I could have sworn I put it in the bathroom.
I lean against the counter because I'm feeling dizzy again. I think I'm going to pass out. I hear footsteps quickly approaching, and know that Eric must be back.

____________________________________________________________________________ __

Carter let himself into Abby's apartment. It was dark and quiet. "Abby?" he called, turning on the light.
As soon as the light came on, he saw the blood. It was everywhere: in front of the door, on the couch, and trailing towards the bedroom. Carter's first thought was that Abby had been murdered. Oh God, he thought. What if I never see her again? What if I never get to tell her I'm sorry?
Carter raced into the bedroom, where the blood seemed to be leading. "Abby?" he yelled, panic-stricken. The trail led into the bathroom. He ran to the door- and found it locked.
"Abby? Are you okay? Open the door!" Carter yelled, jiggling the doorknob.
"Go away Carter," Abby said. She couldn't let Carter find out. She couldn't let him call the police on Eric!
"Open the door!" Carter said, slamming against it. There was so much blood on the carpet; how could there be any left in her body?
Abby leaned on the sink, fighting unconsciousness. She knew that she had lost too much blood, but she couldn't betray Eric. She had to help him, no matter what.
The door gave way on the fifth heave. Carter burst into the bathroom. He saw Abby leaning on the counter, eyes half closed. Her pants were covered in blood. Then he saw the wound.
Abby had a long, jagged gash going across her abdomen. Carter immediately knew it was a knife wound. He was reminded of the day when he was stabbed, the day he had let Lucy die. He couldn't let that happen to Abby.
"I don't wanna go to the hospital," Abby murmured, with her eyes half closed. Carter wrapped her in a towel and picked her up. He wasn't going to let her die too. "Don't worry, Abby, you're gonna be okay," he said as he carried her out the door.

__________________________________________________________________________

Carter sat by Abby's hospital bed, rubbing his eyes. Thank God she hadn't died. Once they got to County, they had given her a few units of blood and she started looking much better. Fortunately, her wound was not as deep as it had seemed to Carter. Though she would need a lot of stitches, she probably would not need surgery. Carter was just relieved to find out that she was going to live.
When he saw her like that, bleeding so profusely, he thought she was going to die. He thought he had lost her forever. And now, he had her back. He promised himself that he wouldn't waste this opportunity. He would try his best to make things right with Abby. He might not forgive him for leaving her, but he could at least ask her to. He wasn't going to spend another day living in limbo like this.
As if on cue, Abby stirred for the first time in hours. "Abby?" Carter said quietly, taking her hand.
"John," Abby said weakly. "What happened?" Her whole memory was a blur. What was she doing in the hospital?
"I was going to ask you the same thing. Somebody attacked you in your apartment. I came over and there was blood everywhere." Carter looked in her eyes and he could tell that she was remembering now. "Who did this to you?"
Abby bit her lip. She didn't want to rat Eric out; what good would it do? Hopefully, this whole incident had made him realize that he needed help, and now he would get it. If this didn't convince him, nothing would.
"Um, could we talk about this later? I'm kind of tired."
Carter wondered what had happened to her. Someone had snuck into her apartment and attacked her, and now she didn't want to talk about it? "The police were here. They want to talk to you too."
"I don't want to file a report."
Now Carter knew something was wrong. "Why not? Who did this to you?"
Abby lowered her eyes. "I...I fell on some broken glass," she said. She knew that this was completely impossible, but maybe Carter would buy it.
He didn't. "Abby, I'm a doctor. I know what a knife wound looks like. Tell me what really happened."
"That is what really happened."
Carter sighed. He would stake his entire career on the fact that Abby hadn't gotten cut on a piece of glass. He didn't understand why she was lying to him. "Why won't you tell me the truth?"
Abby scowled at him, but she was trying to hide the tears that were coming to her eyes. "You're not my mother, Carter. I don't have to report to you."
Carter stared at her. "Where is this hostility coming from? I just want to know what happened!"
Abby folded her arms. "I already told you what happened," she said stubbornly.
It was only after Carter had left that she allowed herself to cry.

_______________________________________________________________________

The detective closed his writing pad. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do."
"But there's a dangerous person on the loose!"
"She said she fell on a piece of glass. We have to go by that."
"Well, I am a doctor, and I can tell you that the injury she has was NOT inflicted by a piece of glass. It was inflicted by a knife."
The detective shrugged. "Sorry, but we can't do anything if she doesn't want to press charges."
Carter sighed in frustration. He still couldn't get Abby to tell him who had attacked her, and the police wouldn't do anything. What if her attacker struck again?
He was struck with a sudden thought. What if ABBY had held the knife? What if she had done this to herself? He realized that would be one reason she wouldn't want police to investigate. That also explained why she wouldn't let him in the bathroom, and why she claimed there was no attacker. She was protecting herself!
The more Carter thought about it, the more he realized that it was the only explanation that made any sense. He couldn't imagine why Abby had done this to herself, but it was obvious that she needed serious help. Carter decided that, no matter what was wrong, he would still support her, and stay with her. Now all he had to do was ask her if his suspicions were true.
Dreading the confrontation, Carter walked towards the door.