Sorry again for delay in updating although this one has come relatively
quickly, seeing as it's me. Thanks for the great reviews from last chapter,
really appreciate it I am so glad I managed to fool you all! JUST what I
wanted to do. This is another suspense chapter so hope it was worth the
wait. There are more chapters to come and this chapter has been really fun
to write so hopefully I will get some more written soon. Before you read
this you might wanna download "The Difference" by Matchbox 20. Kinda
relates. Lyrics are in ' '
* Warning *, be prepared for some curse language and mild adult themes. Does Abby die or doesn't she? Read on . . .
- - -
His heart raced so fast, he could feel it thudding against his chest. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, his hands and his breaths were coming out as pants. Frank's voice continued to echo through his head for what seemed like a second time. He jumped to his feet and staggered against the wall, grabbing hold of the toilet roll holder to steady himself. As soon as his surroundings had stopped spinning and he could finally see straight, Carter turned around, unbolted the door and pushed it open with such force the bang it made resulted in him and Frank jumping slightly. Carter strode over to Frank and placed his hands on Frank's shoulders, causing Frank to eye him rather peculiarly.
"Where you . . . Frank were you just in here?"
"No Doctor Carter. What do you mean?"
"I . . . I must have been dreaming." He said to himself rather than to Frank. He released his hands from Frank's shoulders and walked over to the sink. Staring at himself in the mirror, he bowed his head down and splashed his face with cold water. The feeling of the chilly liquid against his skin brought him back to the reality of the situation. Although Abby had not just died in the trauma room, she was still out there, right outside this room in fact, in God knows what state. The dream could have been a premonition. Carter had seen it on television, had read about it in newpapers. People dreaming a dream that was so real, then finding that it was a prediction of what was actually about to happen. The dream - his dream, had been so real. Frank's words, the exact words that were spoken in his dream. He could not go through it again. He could not be in that trauma room, watching Susan and Kerry desperately trying revive Abby, watching Haleh give him that sickening look of pity and melancholy. He wanted it all to go away, the whole situation. He just wanted to be at home, on the sofa, with his girlfriend in his arms. Was that really too much to ask for? Maybe he was still dreaming. Maybe this was still the same dream. It had appeared to be this real before, maybe it still was, and he would wake up in a minute at home, in bed with Abby.
'Slow dancing on the boulevard
In the quiet moments while the city's still dark
Sleepwalking through the summer rain and the tired spaces
You could hear her name when she was warm and tender
And you held her arms around you
There was nothing but her love and affection
She was crazy for you'
He turned around from the sink to face a worried and confused looking Frank.
"Is this a dream? Is this really happening?"
Frank closed his eyes for a second before looking at the floor and then back up to face his distraught colleague. "I know this is hard, but you really should get out there. You're no good to her in here."
Carter sighed. Guess that theory was too good to be true. He looked back at Frank. "Is she bad Frank? At least tell me that."
"I couldn't tell you. Someone just shouted for me to go find you. I ran in here before I had a chance to see."
Same details as the dream. Carter knew he had to go out there, and face the situation once more, this time for real. It was not looking good, all the details of the dream were occurring and pointing to the dreaded outcome - Abby was going to die, and he was going to watch it happen, being able to do absolutely nothing to save her. He had been training to save lives since he was eighteen years old. He had studied medicine at a damn good college, slaved away as a med. student for years, worked his way up to chief resident, and all for what? So he could just stand there and observe the one person in this world that he was actually in love with die? This was not going to happen again. He was going to go out there, face whatever he was faced with, and do everything he could possible do on this earth to save her. No one was going to stand in his way. He prepared himself for blood and for her lifeless body as he stormed out of the bathroom and into the ER.
'Now she's part of something that you lost'
He stood still, outside the bathroom as he was faced with the scene in front of him. This was not the same as his dream, this was no longer a lifeless ER. People stood still: patients, doctors, and nurses. Frightened faces crowded at the admit desk, staring at the doors to the ER.
Susan, who was standing in front of the desk, at the near side to the doors looked round and spotted him. She locked eyes with him before muttering, "Carter no."
This unnerved Carter more than Haleh's look in the dream. What the hell were they all staring at? Where was Abby? He slowly made his way over to the front of the desk and the sight that greeted him as he stood beside Susan, and amongst the rest of the ER staff, was one he could have never prepared himself for in this lifetime. Abby stood before them, being held at gun point.
'Night swimming in her diamond dress
Making small circles move across the surface
Stand watching from the steady shore
Feeling wide open and waiting for
Something warm and tender
Now she's moving further from you
There was nothing that could make it easy on you
Every step you take reminds you that she's walking wrong'
Carter's breath caught as he staggered backwards from the shock. He leant against the desk to steady himself as he took in the sight before him. A white, middle aged man, approximately in his forties, with eyes as wide and as insane as you could imagine, stood, with a strong hand clasped over Abby's mouth. The same arm was wound tight around her neck, and she was obviously finding it hard to breathe as she struggled and choked frequently. His left hand held a silver shot gun to her left temple, his second finger positioned over the trigger. Abby's face appeared to have been beaten, as there were large red marks on either side of her face and deep cuts to her chin and above her right eye. This was all so hard for Carter to take in, but the worst part was the look on her face as her eyes found his for the first time. They held fear, so much fear, but through the fear, there was love. Although the words were not and had not been spoken, it was felt right there and then between the two of them. Carter's eyes were wide and burnt straight into hers. Tears began to well up in both of their eyes. Tears signifying fright, worry, anguish. A fear that the love felt might not be strong enough to save her. Through all the emotions felt in this one moment in time, words were finally spoken.
"Well, this is all very tense isn't it! Guess I came to the right place for a bit of drama. Sure has brightened up my day!"
The male's sarcastic tone burnt holes through the staff at County General. One of their own, a friend to many, was being held at gun point, on the brink of her own death. Susan's cold voice suddenly cut though the silence as Carter stayed silent besides her, unable to form words as his eyes still were fixed on the woman, his woman, before him.
"What the hell do you want?"
"Well, that is a nice way to speak to me isn't it lady? Very smart of you, speaking to me like I am a piece of shit on the bottom of your shoe when I am holding a loaded gun to your colleague's head. I like your spunk!"
Susan did not say a word but her eyes told of all the hatred she was feeling towards this man.
"Surely you've seen the movies, thought you would have figured it by now. You're all Doctors, pretty smart people right?" The man looked around to see numerous frightened and angry faces. "Well, guess not. This is a hospital right? You save people, that's what you're meant to do? Well, at least that is what I thought growing up, and even up until a few weeks ago that was what I thought. I gave credit to people like you, and this one here." He glanced down at the frightened Abby he still held tightly in his grasp. "Well I must have been pretty dumb myself! My wife, she came into this very hospital exactly three weeks ago with lung cancer, on her death bed she was. I brought her here, to a place where people are trained to save lives and what did you useless piss heads do?! NOT A BLOODY THING! YOU LET HER DIE! My own wife, the one person in this world who loved me. So, you asked the question what the hell am I doing here? It is simple lady . . . revenge. See, I went into the woods this morning, looking for a little fun. Haven't had that in a while ya see."
"You're insane." Susan growled.
"No, not insane. Bored. Started shooting around, felt good, to hold that much power. I have felt so helpless these past few weeks; it made me feel good, like I was doing something to help me. Then, I came across this beauty here. It seemed like fate, a young and attractive woman right in my line of shot, but something about this one caught my eye. This. . . this right here." He pointed to the laminated clip-on badge Abby had attached to her pants. It was her County General security photo card. "Right from the hell hole that killed my Darcy. So . . . instead of killing her right there and then, 'cause face it, that would've been boring, I thought I would bring her here, and kill her in front of all you bastards, who might actually give a damn about her."
Carter tensed. Every bone in his body tensed up at that moment, his jaw set and his voice came out as a snarl. "You son of a bitch."
Susan placed her hand on Carter's forearm to stop him from moving. "Carter . . ."
"Ooooh, look what we have here. Could this be the boyfriend? Ya know, I noticed the way you were looking at her before. You must be a lucky man. How I'd love to bang her every night." With that he began thrusting his hips forward a couple of times before bending down to licked the side of Abby's face as she squirmed in his grasp.
These actions and words pushed Carter over the edge. He lurched forward, and that was driving him forward was bind anger. He ignored the numerous shouts from Susan, Chen and the other doctors who were calling him back. His mind was a haze, he was numb. He felt nothing until pain shot though his face. The man's fist shot through the air at such force and connected with Carter's nose. Carter stumbled backwards and hit the floor with force. The punch was not enough to knock him out, but blood began to poor from his nose and he suspected the man had broken it due to the outright pain he felt. He lay on the floor for a few seconds, not wanting to move, not wanting to see Abby in such pain and terror. The physical pain he was feeling was not nearly as agonizing as the emotional pain he felt inside. He wanted to lie like that forever but a noise, a noise so distressing, brought him back to existence. A shot, a clear, crisp gun shot was heard about a metre away from where he lay. Screams were heard throughout the ER and Carter felt like the world was about to come crashing down on him.
'Every word you never said
Echoes down your empty hallway
And everything that was your world
Just came down'
A thump was heard as a lifeless body collapsed onto the ground beside him. His eyes closed in pain as he refused to look at the body, at her body. This was not happening again. Although the dream's details had turned out to be wrong, the ending was the same. His eyes slowly opened and his head slowly turned to the right, and rested on the form besides him. His form. The gunman's bleeding form. A feeling rushed through his body like one never felt before. Relief. He slowly picked himself up off the ground and his eyes first of all rested upon a tall police officer, standing in the doorway, shouting at everyone to stay calm. Then, Carter's eyes rested on an image far more important to him. Abby. Standing, alive, breathing. Her eyes drifted from the man's body on the floor to her lover's eyes. It was only them in the room now. Three metres or so separated them, as they continued to stare at one another, mouths open, eyes burning into one another's souls. No words could describe what they were both feeling right now. They were here, they were safe and they were with one another. Carter could not bear the feeling of being without her a moment longer. He walked slowly towards her, closing the gap between them by the second. His brows furrowed and he pursed his lips as tears began to stream down his face. Abby continued to stare at the man before her with her lips slightly parted, eyes huge and filling up with tears. Tears of joy, of grief, of love. She finally threw her arms around Carter's neck, as he pulled her to him with such force. His arms wrapped firmly around her waste, never wanting to release her. He buried his head into her shoulder as she pressed her face against his chest. They cried into one another, both feeling as if the tears would never stop flowing, just like their love for one another would never stop flowing.
"I love you" he whispered through the tears, almost inaudible.
She heard his words, as though they were created only for her, just like he was. "I love too."
'Day breaking on the boulevard
Feel the sun warming up your second hand heart
Light swimming right across your face
And you think maybe someday, yeah
Maybe someday'
- - -
YEY Carby fuzz! That's a first for this story! Hope you all loved it. Please please please please review, you don't know how happy it makes me and it really motivates me into writing more . . . what the hell is the point when I don't know you guys are enjoying it right? More fuzz to come next chapter. ***Laura***
* Warning *, be prepared for some curse language and mild adult themes. Does Abby die or doesn't she? Read on . . .
- - -
His heart raced so fast, he could feel it thudding against his chest. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, his hands and his breaths were coming out as pants. Frank's voice continued to echo through his head for what seemed like a second time. He jumped to his feet and staggered against the wall, grabbing hold of the toilet roll holder to steady himself. As soon as his surroundings had stopped spinning and he could finally see straight, Carter turned around, unbolted the door and pushed it open with such force the bang it made resulted in him and Frank jumping slightly. Carter strode over to Frank and placed his hands on Frank's shoulders, causing Frank to eye him rather peculiarly.
"Where you . . . Frank were you just in here?"
"No Doctor Carter. What do you mean?"
"I . . . I must have been dreaming." He said to himself rather than to Frank. He released his hands from Frank's shoulders and walked over to the sink. Staring at himself in the mirror, he bowed his head down and splashed his face with cold water. The feeling of the chilly liquid against his skin brought him back to the reality of the situation. Although Abby had not just died in the trauma room, she was still out there, right outside this room in fact, in God knows what state. The dream could have been a premonition. Carter had seen it on television, had read about it in newpapers. People dreaming a dream that was so real, then finding that it was a prediction of what was actually about to happen. The dream - his dream, had been so real. Frank's words, the exact words that were spoken in his dream. He could not go through it again. He could not be in that trauma room, watching Susan and Kerry desperately trying revive Abby, watching Haleh give him that sickening look of pity and melancholy. He wanted it all to go away, the whole situation. He just wanted to be at home, on the sofa, with his girlfriend in his arms. Was that really too much to ask for? Maybe he was still dreaming. Maybe this was still the same dream. It had appeared to be this real before, maybe it still was, and he would wake up in a minute at home, in bed with Abby.
'Slow dancing on the boulevard
In the quiet moments while the city's still dark
Sleepwalking through the summer rain and the tired spaces
You could hear her name when she was warm and tender
And you held her arms around you
There was nothing but her love and affection
She was crazy for you'
He turned around from the sink to face a worried and confused looking Frank.
"Is this a dream? Is this really happening?"
Frank closed his eyes for a second before looking at the floor and then back up to face his distraught colleague. "I know this is hard, but you really should get out there. You're no good to her in here."
Carter sighed. Guess that theory was too good to be true. He looked back at Frank. "Is she bad Frank? At least tell me that."
"I couldn't tell you. Someone just shouted for me to go find you. I ran in here before I had a chance to see."
Same details as the dream. Carter knew he had to go out there, and face the situation once more, this time for real. It was not looking good, all the details of the dream were occurring and pointing to the dreaded outcome - Abby was going to die, and he was going to watch it happen, being able to do absolutely nothing to save her. He had been training to save lives since he was eighteen years old. He had studied medicine at a damn good college, slaved away as a med. student for years, worked his way up to chief resident, and all for what? So he could just stand there and observe the one person in this world that he was actually in love with die? This was not going to happen again. He was going to go out there, face whatever he was faced with, and do everything he could possible do on this earth to save her. No one was going to stand in his way. He prepared himself for blood and for her lifeless body as he stormed out of the bathroom and into the ER.
'Now she's part of something that you lost'
He stood still, outside the bathroom as he was faced with the scene in front of him. This was not the same as his dream, this was no longer a lifeless ER. People stood still: patients, doctors, and nurses. Frightened faces crowded at the admit desk, staring at the doors to the ER.
Susan, who was standing in front of the desk, at the near side to the doors looked round and spotted him. She locked eyes with him before muttering, "Carter no."
This unnerved Carter more than Haleh's look in the dream. What the hell were they all staring at? Where was Abby? He slowly made his way over to the front of the desk and the sight that greeted him as he stood beside Susan, and amongst the rest of the ER staff, was one he could have never prepared himself for in this lifetime. Abby stood before them, being held at gun point.
'Night swimming in her diamond dress
Making small circles move across the surface
Stand watching from the steady shore
Feeling wide open and waiting for
Something warm and tender
Now she's moving further from you
There was nothing that could make it easy on you
Every step you take reminds you that she's walking wrong'
Carter's breath caught as he staggered backwards from the shock. He leant against the desk to steady himself as he took in the sight before him. A white, middle aged man, approximately in his forties, with eyes as wide and as insane as you could imagine, stood, with a strong hand clasped over Abby's mouth. The same arm was wound tight around her neck, and she was obviously finding it hard to breathe as she struggled and choked frequently. His left hand held a silver shot gun to her left temple, his second finger positioned over the trigger. Abby's face appeared to have been beaten, as there were large red marks on either side of her face and deep cuts to her chin and above her right eye. This was all so hard for Carter to take in, but the worst part was the look on her face as her eyes found his for the first time. They held fear, so much fear, but through the fear, there was love. Although the words were not and had not been spoken, it was felt right there and then between the two of them. Carter's eyes were wide and burnt straight into hers. Tears began to well up in both of their eyes. Tears signifying fright, worry, anguish. A fear that the love felt might not be strong enough to save her. Through all the emotions felt in this one moment in time, words were finally spoken.
"Well, this is all very tense isn't it! Guess I came to the right place for a bit of drama. Sure has brightened up my day!"
The male's sarcastic tone burnt holes through the staff at County General. One of their own, a friend to many, was being held at gun point, on the brink of her own death. Susan's cold voice suddenly cut though the silence as Carter stayed silent besides her, unable to form words as his eyes still were fixed on the woman, his woman, before him.
"What the hell do you want?"
"Well, that is a nice way to speak to me isn't it lady? Very smart of you, speaking to me like I am a piece of shit on the bottom of your shoe when I am holding a loaded gun to your colleague's head. I like your spunk!"
Susan did not say a word but her eyes told of all the hatred she was feeling towards this man.
"Surely you've seen the movies, thought you would have figured it by now. You're all Doctors, pretty smart people right?" The man looked around to see numerous frightened and angry faces. "Well, guess not. This is a hospital right? You save people, that's what you're meant to do? Well, at least that is what I thought growing up, and even up until a few weeks ago that was what I thought. I gave credit to people like you, and this one here." He glanced down at the frightened Abby he still held tightly in his grasp. "Well I must have been pretty dumb myself! My wife, she came into this very hospital exactly three weeks ago with lung cancer, on her death bed she was. I brought her here, to a place where people are trained to save lives and what did you useless piss heads do?! NOT A BLOODY THING! YOU LET HER DIE! My own wife, the one person in this world who loved me. So, you asked the question what the hell am I doing here? It is simple lady . . . revenge. See, I went into the woods this morning, looking for a little fun. Haven't had that in a while ya see."
"You're insane." Susan growled.
"No, not insane. Bored. Started shooting around, felt good, to hold that much power. I have felt so helpless these past few weeks; it made me feel good, like I was doing something to help me. Then, I came across this beauty here. It seemed like fate, a young and attractive woman right in my line of shot, but something about this one caught my eye. This. . . this right here." He pointed to the laminated clip-on badge Abby had attached to her pants. It was her County General security photo card. "Right from the hell hole that killed my Darcy. So . . . instead of killing her right there and then, 'cause face it, that would've been boring, I thought I would bring her here, and kill her in front of all you bastards, who might actually give a damn about her."
Carter tensed. Every bone in his body tensed up at that moment, his jaw set and his voice came out as a snarl. "You son of a bitch."
Susan placed her hand on Carter's forearm to stop him from moving. "Carter . . ."
"Ooooh, look what we have here. Could this be the boyfriend? Ya know, I noticed the way you were looking at her before. You must be a lucky man. How I'd love to bang her every night." With that he began thrusting his hips forward a couple of times before bending down to licked the side of Abby's face as she squirmed in his grasp.
These actions and words pushed Carter over the edge. He lurched forward, and that was driving him forward was bind anger. He ignored the numerous shouts from Susan, Chen and the other doctors who were calling him back. His mind was a haze, he was numb. He felt nothing until pain shot though his face. The man's fist shot through the air at such force and connected with Carter's nose. Carter stumbled backwards and hit the floor with force. The punch was not enough to knock him out, but blood began to poor from his nose and he suspected the man had broken it due to the outright pain he felt. He lay on the floor for a few seconds, not wanting to move, not wanting to see Abby in such pain and terror. The physical pain he was feeling was not nearly as agonizing as the emotional pain he felt inside. He wanted to lie like that forever but a noise, a noise so distressing, brought him back to existence. A shot, a clear, crisp gun shot was heard about a metre away from where he lay. Screams were heard throughout the ER and Carter felt like the world was about to come crashing down on him.
'Every word you never said
Echoes down your empty hallway
And everything that was your world
Just came down'
A thump was heard as a lifeless body collapsed onto the ground beside him. His eyes closed in pain as he refused to look at the body, at her body. This was not happening again. Although the dream's details had turned out to be wrong, the ending was the same. His eyes slowly opened and his head slowly turned to the right, and rested on the form besides him. His form. The gunman's bleeding form. A feeling rushed through his body like one never felt before. Relief. He slowly picked himself up off the ground and his eyes first of all rested upon a tall police officer, standing in the doorway, shouting at everyone to stay calm. Then, Carter's eyes rested on an image far more important to him. Abby. Standing, alive, breathing. Her eyes drifted from the man's body on the floor to her lover's eyes. It was only them in the room now. Three metres or so separated them, as they continued to stare at one another, mouths open, eyes burning into one another's souls. No words could describe what they were both feeling right now. They were here, they were safe and they were with one another. Carter could not bear the feeling of being without her a moment longer. He walked slowly towards her, closing the gap between them by the second. His brows furrowed and he pursed his lips as tears began to stream down his face. Abby continued to stare at the man before her with her lips slightly parted, eyes huge and filling up with tears. Tears of joy, of grief, of love. She finally threw her arms around Carter's neck, as he pulled her to him with such force. His arms wrapped firmly around her waste, never wanting to release her. He buried his head into her shoulder as she pressed her face against his chest. They cried into one another, both feeling as if the tears would never stop flowing, just like their love for one another would never stop flowing.
"I love you" he whispered through the tears, almost inaudible.
She heard his words, as though they were created only for her, just like he was. "I love too."
'Day breaking on the boulevard
Feel the sun warming up your second hand heart
Light swimming right across your face
And you think maybe someday, yeah
Maybe someday'
- - -
YEY Carby fuzz! That's a first for this story! Hope you all loved it. Please please please please review, you don't know how happy it makes me and it really motivates me into writing more . . . what the hell is the point when I don't know you guys are enjoying it right? More fuzz to come next chapter. ***Laura***