Coming Home
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
Chapter 5
"You comin' with us, Dr. Carter?" one of the medics asked from the back of the ambulance.
Carter blinked and pushed his fingers against his eyes. "What? Yeah." He took a deep breath, one last look at Lake Michigan, then climbed into the rig. He had probably saved the kid's life, and some part of him wanted to make sure the boy, and his family, would be all right.
The boy's mother reached for his hand. "Thank you, Dr. Carter."
He nodded. "You're welcome."
She looked down at her son. "I only turned my back for a minute. I couldn't see him when turned back around. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there."
He squeezed her hand and smiled. "We headed to County?" He knew the answer already, knew County was the closest hospital. The medic nodded. Carter knew his face, but not his name.
"Didn't know you were back. Dr. Lewis said you went to Africa?"
Carter nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "Kovac is still there."
"Must be exciting to see a different part of the world."
Carter shrugged. "I don't really want to talk about it." He closed his eyes, leaned back. Images of his time in the Congo rolled through his head. Emancipated children, lined up like cattle for immunizations. One little boy with a nasty cough. So treatable, preventable, in the states. Deadly in the Congo.
His mind flashed on Luka. Luka dancing with Gillian. Luka sawing a girl's leg off because there was no other option. Luka fading away in the distance as the car drove off, leaving him there with his patients he would not leave.
"Dr. Carter?" the nameless ambulance medic touched his shoulder and he jumped, slamming his head on the roof. "Sorry, Dr. Carter. We're at County."
Carter sat back and rubbed his head. He waited until the doors opened from the outside then jumped out, nearly colliding with Susan Lewis.
"Welcome back, Carter." She managed before throwing herself into the trauma. Carter stepped back to watch, and followed the team into the hospital.
"Frank, have you seen Abby?"
The desk clerk shook his head. "Didn't show up."
"What?"
"She didn't show up. Weaver's furious."
"Thanks." Carter turned and walked out of the ER, into the streets. Walking. Aimlessly. Alone. No where to go. Nothing to do but walk.
* * * * * * * * * *
She didn't consider herself claustrophobic, but the walls seemed to be closing in on her. Her battle with the bottle was over. She had won. She stood, leaving the still-full bottle and another five dollar bill on the table.
She stumbled out onto the sidewalk and started walking. Aimlessly. Alone. No where to go. Nothing to do but walk. So she walked. One foot in front of the other. Not so hard. And yet terrible hard to keep going.
Why hadn't she just said yes? One simple word, a lifetime of him beside her, ready to fulfill her every desire. She would want for nothing with him. Money, love, passion. Total devotion.
Total devotion. The two words careened full speed through her mind. He would give her everything, anything she could ever want. More than she could ever want.
But she had said no. And for no good reason. Except the didn't think he meant it. He asked because he was upset. Something happened in the Congo, she knew. Something to do with Luka? Another woman? The fighting and devastation there? Poor medical conditions? Something. Something big. Something that affected him more than he knew himself.
He had come to her, wanting and needing. And she had turned him away. Rejected him, stomped on his needs like she always did. He deserved better. He deserved someone who would be there for him, in tune with his needs, in sync with his desires.
Not her. Not plain old alcoholic Abby. Recovering alcoholic, she corrected her thoughts, because she had resisted the bottle. She had stared it in the face, and she had refused the temptation.
But that didn't really change anything. She was still who she was, and far from worthy of John Carter. John Truman Carter III, one of the richest men in America. He came by his money the old fashioned way. He inherited it.
And she had walked away from it. From him. From the greatest thing that ever happened to her.
* * * * * * * * *
He was sitting on the steps outside her apartment when she turned the corner. At first she thought it must be one of the neighbors, but she knew it was him. She would know him anywhere. Even in shadows. Even hunched over with his head in his hands.
She felt her heart shatter in a million pieces right there at his feet. "Carter?"
He looked up, his face swollen from crying. Tears streaked his cheeked. He stood, and made no move to wipe his face. He took a deep breath, a failed attempt to get himself under control. His face crumpled and he swayed, falling into her. She caught him against her shoulder and stroked his hair, his back.
"We should go inside, Carter."
He nodded and pulled away from her. "I'm sorry, Abby."
"What are you sorry for? I'm the one who's sorry." She took his hand an lead the way up the stairs, to her door. Eric was asleep on the couch. She gestured at the bedroom, and lead Carter there, closed the door.
* * * * * * * * *
Want to know what happens now? Use the review button to let me know what you're thinking. Thanks for reading and a thousand thanks to everyone who has reviewed already!
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
Chapter 5
"You comin' with us, Dr. Carter?" one of the medics asked from the back of the ambulance.
Carter blinked and pushed his fingers against his eyes. "What? Yeah." He took a deep breath, one last look at Lake Michigan, then climbed into the rig. He had probably saved the kid's life, and some part of him wanted to make sure the boy, and his family, would be all right.
The boy's mother reached for his hand. "Thank you, Dr. Carter."
He nodded. "You're welcome."
She looked down at her son. "I only turned my back for a minute. I couldn't see him when turned back around. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there."
He squeezed her hand and smiled. "We headed to County?" He knew the answer already, knew County was the closest hospital. The medic nodded. Carter knew his face, but not his name.
"Didn't know you were back. Dr. Lewis said you went to Africa?"
Carter nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "Kovac is still there."
"Must be exciting to see a different part of the world."
Carter shrugged. "I don't really want to talk about it." He closed his eyes, leaned back. Images of his time in the Congo rolled through his head. Emancipated children, lined up like cattle for immunizations. One little boy with a nasty cough. So treatable, preventable, in the states. Deadly in the Congo.
His mind flashed on Luka. Luka dancing with Gillian. Luka sawing a girl's leg off because there was no other option. Luka fading away in the distance as the car drove off, leaving him there with his patients he would not leave.
"Dr. Carter?" the nameless ambulance medic touched his shoulder and he jumped, slamming his head on the roof. "Sorry, Dr. Carter. We're at County."
Carter sat back and rubbed his head. He waited until the doors opened from the outside then jumped out, nearly colliding with Susan Lewis.
"Welcome back, Carter." She managed before throwing herself into the trauma. Carter stepped back to watch, and followed the team into the hospital.
"Frank, have you seen Abby?"
The desk clerk shook his head. "Didn't show up."
"What?"
"She didn't show up. Weaver's furious."
"Thanks." Carter turned and walked out of the ER, into the streets. Walking. Aimlessly. Alone. No where to go. Nothing to do but walk.
* * * * * * * * * *
She didn't consider herself claustrophobic, but the walls seemed to be closing in on her. Her battle with the bottle was over. She had won. She stood, leaving the still-full bottle and another five dollar bill on the table.
She stumbled out onto the sidewalk and started walking. Aimlessly. Alone. No where to go. Nothing to do but walk. So she walked. One foot in front of the other. Not so hard. And yet terrible hard to keep going.
Why hadn't she just said yes? One simple word, a lifetime of him beside her, ready to fulfill her every desire. She would want for nothing with him. Money, love, passion. Total devotion.
Total devotion. The two words careened full speed through her mind. He would give her everything, anything she could ever want. More than she could ever want.
But she had said no. And for no good reason. Except the didn't think he meant it. He asked because he was upset. Something happened in the Congo, she knew. Something to do with Luka? Another woman? The fighting and devastation there? Poor medical conditions? Something. Something big. Something that affected him more than he knew himself.
He had come to her, wanting and needing. And she had turned him away. Rejected him, stomped on his needs like she always did. He deserved better. He deserved someone who would be there for him, in tune with his needs, in sync with his desires.
Not her. Not plain old alcoholic Abby. Recovering alcoholic, she corrected her thoughts, because she had resisted the bottle. She had stared it in the face, and she had refused the temptation.
But that didn't really change anything. She was still who she was, and far from worthy of John Carter. John Truman Carter III, one of the richest men in America. He came by his money the old fashioned way. He inherited it.
And she had walked away from it. From him. From the greatest thing that ever happened to her.
* * * * * * * * *
He was sitting on the steps outside her apartment when she turned the corner. At first she thought it must be one of the neighbors, but she knew it was him. She would know him anywhere. Even in shadows. Even hunched over with his head in his hands.
She felt her heart shatter in a million pieces right there at his feet. "Carter?"
He looked up, his face swollen from crying. Tears streaked his cheeked. He stood, and made no move to wipe his face. He took a deep breath, a failed attempt to get himself under control. His face crumpled and he swayed, falling into her. She caught him against her shoulder and stroked his hair, his back.
"We should go inside, Carter."
He nodded and pulled away from her. "I'm sorry, Abby."
"What are you sorry for? I'm the one who's sorry." She took his hand an lead the way up the stairs, to her door. Eric was asleep on the couch. She gestured at the bedroom, and lead Carter there, closed the door.
* * * * * * * * *
Want to know what happens now? Use the review button to let me know what you're thinking. Thanks for reading and a thousand thanks to everyone who has reviewed already!