Abby lay in bed, alone again. She didn't know if it would ever be ok again
after what Carter had done and she didn't know if she could ever learn get
by on her own.
The nightmare took her over again and Carter listened in the darkness as she moaned and wept in her sleep. He didn't feel anger anymore; he felt regret and an intense self-loathing. What had he done? What the hell had he done?
Abby sat up in bed as the nightmare finally let her go. She was gasping, as though somebody had just plunged her into icy water. Before she could stop herself, a dry sob escaped from her throat and then she couldn't stop crying.
"Oh, God," she whispered to her knees as she rocked herself and tried to end her tears. There were soft footsteps and somebody knelt beside her on the mattress. She felt strong, warm, familiar arms around her and looked up, disbelieving. There he was, and everything inside her that she thought she had lost forever, came flooding back to her.
"It's ok, Abby," Carter murmured and held her close to him. "It's ok, honey. It's just a bad dream." She touched his face and ran her hands through his hair.
"Are you real?" she whispered. Her mind had played so many cruel tricks on her recently that she didn't want to let herself into another trap. "Are you back?" He nodded and kissed her hair over and over again.
"I'm back," he told her. "And I'm never going away again, I swear. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Abby." She cried into his chest.
"It's ok, it's fine." She murmured. He turned her face towards his and wiped the tears from her face.
"You're too good to me, Abby," he shook his head, sadly. "You're far too good to me, you know that?"
"Will she be ok?" she asked him. "Will we all be ok?"
"We'll be fine now. Everything will be just fine." He promised. This was all she had wanted to hear ever since Nathalie fell ill.
There was a long, loud wail from the cot and they both leapt to their feet.
"Oh my god," Abby whispered.
Nathalie cried until she realised that the crying was pulling at her chest and hurting her. She looked up to her mother and father with bright, pleading eyes that were filled with tears. Carter stroked his daughter's face and kissed her; when was the last time he did that?
"It's ok, my angel." He told her. "You're gonna be fine."
"She's gonna be fine." Abby repeated, hardly daring to believe it herself. Carter looked at her, there were tears running down his face, too. He didn't have to pretend anymore, he didn't need to wear his dead, emotionless expression and God knows he hated that thing anyway. He hugged her and kissed her.
"This one's a survivor, Abby. She's strong." he told her with a smile. "It kinda puts me to shame."
Abby laughed; now there was a sound she hadn't made for days. She kissed her daughter and dried her tears. Nathalie, still drowsy from the anaesthetic, sank back into a deep sleep but they just stood and watched her, with smiles on their faces and their arms around each other.
Carter gazed at Abby. In just over a week, he had been to the brink of hell and back. He had looked over the edge and known where he preferred it; right here in his wife's arms.
"Abby?" he began. She snuggled her head in his chest.
"Mmm?"
"Can I come home?"
She laughed softly.
"Of course you can, John. It's just not the same without you."
**************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** ***********
And the Lord said unto thee: "Thou shalt read the fanfic and thou shalt review. And this was done and He was pleased ("
The nightmare took her over again and Carter listened in the darkness as she moaned and wept in her sleep. He didn't feel anger anymore; he felt regret and an intense self-loathing. What had he done? What the hell had he done?
Abby sat up in bed as the nightmare finally let her go. She was gasping, as though somebody had just plunged her into icy water. Before she could stop herself, a dry sob escaped from her throat and then she couldn't stop crying.
"Oh, God," she whispered to her knees as she rocked herself and tried to end her tears. There were soft footsteps and somebody knelt beside her on the mattress. She felt strong, warm, familiar arms around her and looked up, disbelieving. There he was, and everything inside her that she thought she had lost forever, came flooding back to her.
"It's ok, Abby," Carter murmured and held her close to him. "It's ok, honey. It's just a bad dream." She touched his face and ran her hands through his hair.
"Are you real?" she whispered. Her mind had played so many cruel tricks on her recently that she didn't want to let herself into another trap. "Are you back?" He nodded and kissed her hair over and over again.
"I'm back," he told her. "And I'm never going away again, I swear. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Abby." She cried into his chest.
"It's ok, it's fine." She murmured. He turned her face towards his and wiped the tears from her face.
"You're too good to me, Abby," he shook his head, sadly. "You're far too good to me, you know that?"
"Will she be ok?" she asked him. "Will we all be ok?"
"We'll be fine now. Everything will be just fine." He promised. This was all she had wanted to hear ever since Nathalie fell ill.
There was a long, loud wail from the cot and they both leapt to their feet.
"Oh my god," Abby whispered.
Nathalie cried until she realised that the crying was pulling at her chest and hurting her. She looked up to her mother and father with bright, pleading eyes that were filled with tears. Carter stroked his daughter's face and kissed her; when was the last time he did that?
"It's ok, my angel." He told her. "You're gonna be fine."
"She's gonna be fine." Abby repeated, hardly daring to believe it herself. Carter looked at her, there were tears running down his face, too. He didn't have to pretend anymore, he didn't need to wear his dead, emotionless expression and God knows he hated that thing anyway. He hugged her and kissed her.
"This one's a survivor, Abby. She's strong." he told her with a smile. "It kinda puts me to shame."
Abby laughed; now there was a sound she hadn't made for days. She kissed her daughter and dried her tears. Nathalie, still drowsy from the anaesthetic, sank back into a deep sleep but they just stood and watched her, with smiles on their faces and their arms around each other.
Carter gazed at Abby. In just over a week, he had been to the brink of hell and back. He had looked over the edge and known where he preferred it; right here in his wife's arms.
"Abby?" he began. She snuggled her head in his chest.
"Mmm?"
"Can I come home?"
She laughed softly.
"Of course you can, John. It's just not the same without you."
**************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** ***********
And the Lord said unto thee: "Thou shalt read the fanfic and thou shalt review. And this was done and He was pleased ("