Author's Notes: This is for Kattybaby2318 because she said I needed a bit more Carter and Abby interaction. Enjoy... I'm sorry it's short, but I think it's a really powerful chapter in this story so hopefully the context makes up for length. Please press that review button and leave me a little note. If there is something you would like to see happen or just anything please write. Thanks so much. And I really do read the reviews and actually base some of my ideas on them... Ummm if the review button isn't your thing, email me ellaspyrka@yahoo.com or you can IM on AIM at ChaosTheory137... That's it. I'm out. I talk too much...
~*~
It had been over a week since that late night conversation with Susan. She knew she was making the right decision. She knew that it would all be okay in the end. She walked into the ER, and it was extremely busy, especially for a Saturday morning. She practically had to drag Nette and John out of bed. She had to start at six instead of seven, and work an hour longer to cover for one of the residents. She was tired out as well, since she had double the paperwork, and triple the patient load that she had in Boston. The first 2 weeks had been slow, but now she was feeling the stress. She got to the lounge, the twins on her heels. She settled them down, and headed off to grab the first chart of the day.
She worked like a dog for hour and hour. Patients began to blurr together, lab reports and knee laques and everything. She needed a break. She needed a break badly. She walked out of her latest patient's room, Mrs. Kotlisi, who burned herself while making tea. First and second degree burns to her arms and chest. But she would be okay. She had just cleaned and dressed the wounds, and wrote out a script for a medicated ointment. She headed to her next patient, Mr. Burrows, who came in complaining of shortness of breathe and dizziness. Well he would since he smoked like a chimney. Probably lung cancer. She just needed the x-rays to confirm it. She saw he had falled asleep, but his pulse ox was still low. She was a bit worried and hoped that the techs would hurry up with those labs. She increased the oxygen flow and was about to push some more morphine when Carter walked into the room. She had gotten used to him coming and going, and they even managed to work on a trauma together once or twice without any discomfort. But they still hadn't exactly talked. And they haven't exactly been able to look at each other without thoughts of killing each other.
"Abby, can I see you for a second in the suture room?"
She looked up at him, and nodded her head. He looked serious and a bit angry. What had she done to one of her patients. Probably nothing, he just didn't like the way she signed her charts or passed orders or something. Those minimal things that no one pays any attention to but could make only him mad. She finished pushing the drug, and threw the needle away. She signed off the chart, replaced it at the foot of the bed and headed toward the suture room.
"Which patient are we talking about?"
She had been talking to his back. He still hadn't turned around. And they were alone. He wasn't turning around. Okay so if that's easier for him, go for it. She didn't mind starring at his back. Better than his deadly gaze and scornful eyes. She couldn't really understand why he was so mad at her. It's not like she dumped him and fled. He's the one that said they were over. He's the one that wanted time. Well she gave him time. She needed time too. And they both got what they wanted.
"Annette and John, their mine."
She heard the statement. It wasn't a question. It was a statement. He knew. How did he find out. How in this bloody world did he find out? The only person that knew was Susan. Susan. She knew she shouldn't have trusted her. Maybe she could still pull it off. She just had to remain calm and nonchallant. One mistake. One word. And it was over.
"No. Their not. Susan just assumed..."
She didn't get a chance to finish.
"Susan didn't assume anything!! Susan didn't say anything either!"
Don't defend her. She's going to die one way or another. Just don't defend her. She shouldn't have trusted her. She couldn't stress that point enough to herself. She wasn't going to deal with this. She could always make up some excuse, some lie, some father. Anything. She cheated on him while he was gone? With who? Luka? God. No. She is defintely not bringing Luka into this. She decided just to take a deep breath and walk out. Just simply exit the room, no definite answers to his statement.
"You're not."
She turned around heading towards the door. She didn't get there in time. He grabbed her forcefully, much more forcefully than she thought he could be. He swung her around, jetting her towards the bed, blocking the door. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She was so scared he was going to hit her. She leaned against the gurney, trying to steady herself and her beating heart. How hadn't anyone heard that. She had almost been murdered by being thrown against a gurney and no one came in. She watched the floor. He came closer. She saw his brown dress shoes standing a few feet before her.
"Abby..."
His voice was quiet and low, slow and delicate. She knew he felt bad. She knew he was beating himself up mentally for what he just did.
"I need to know. Please."
She managed to look up at him. At his pleading face. Those chocolate brown eyes had tears in them, tears that would be able to burn through whatever had destoryed them in the first place. His face looked of regret or sadness. Hopelessness and despair. Everything she had felt for months, even years. It was time for him to suffer. Yet she couldn't let him. She couldn't let him suffer the way she did. Her mind screamed at her to say no. To deny everything. Yet her head nodded up and down slowly, hesitantly. She waited for his reaction.
"At least I know where we stand."
And he walked out. She watched him walk out. The tail of his coat barely making it through the small opening he had opened with the door. And she sat there on the gurney. So many things running through her head. So he knew. What was going to happen now. Her wrist hurt from where he had grabbed her and where she had hit the gurney. She saw the bruises forming upon her arms. Pain engulfed her. Not the physical pain, just the mental pain. Memories flooded her mind. She regretted ever coming back. She knew things could never go back to the way they had been, and she knew that coming back to County wasn't a good idea either. And now everything only kept on getting more complicated by the minute.
~*~
It had been over a week since that late night conversation with Susan. She knew she was making the right decision. She knew that it would all be okay in the end. She walked into the ER, and it was extremely busy, especially for a Saturday morning. She practically had to drag Nette and John out of bed. She had to start at six instead of seven, and work an hour longer to cover for one of the residents. She was tired out as well, since she had double the paperwork, and triple the patient load that she had in Boston. The first 2 weeks had been slow, but now she was feeling the stress. She got to the lounge, the twins on her heels. She settled them down, and headed off to grab the first chart of the day.
She worked like a dog for hour and hour. Patients began to blurr together, lab reports and knee laques and everything. She needed a break. She needed a break badly. She walked out of her latest patient's room, Mrs. Kotlisi, who burned herself while making tea. First and second degree burns to her arms and chest. But she would be okay. She had just cleaned and dressed the wounds, and wrote out a script for a medicated ointment. She headed to her next patient, Mr. Burrows, who came in complaining of shortness of breathe and dizziness. Well he would since he smoked like a chimney. Probably lung cancer. She just needed the x-rays to confirm it. She saw he had falled asleep, but his pulse ox was still low. She was a bit worried and hoped that the techs would hurry up with those labs. She increased the oxygen flow and was about to push some more morphine when Carter walked into the room. She had gotten used to him coming and going, and they even managed to work on a trauma together once or twice without any discomfort. But they still hadn't exactly talked. And they haven't exactly been able to look at each other without thoughts of killing each other.
"Abby, can I see you for a second in the suture room?"
She looked up at him, and nodded her head. He looked serious and a bit angry. What had she done to one of her patients. Probably nothing, he just didn't like the way she signed her charts or passed orders or something. Those minimal things that no one pays any attention to but could make only him mad. She finished pushing the drug, and threw the needle away. She signed off the chart, replaced it at the foot of the bed and headed toward the suture room.
"Which patient are we talking about?"
She had been talking to his back. He still hadn't turned around. And they were alone. He wasn't turning around. Okay so if that's easier for him, go for it. She didn't mind starring at his back. Better than his deadly gaze and scornful eyes. She couldn't really understand why he was so mad at her. It's not like she dumped him and fled. He's the one that said they were over. He's the one that wanted time. Well she gave him time. She needed time too. And they both got what they wanted.
"Annette and John, their mine."
She heard the statement. It wasn't a question. It was a statement. He knew. How did he find out. How in this bloody world did he find out? The only person that knew was Susan. Susan. She knew she shouldn't have trusted her. Maybe she could still pull it off. She just had to remain calm and nonchallant. One mistake. One word. And it was over.
"No. Their not. Susan just assumed..."
She didn't get a chance to finish.
"Susan didn't assume anything!! Susan didn't say anything either!"
Don't defend her. She's going to die one way or another. Just don't defend her. She shouldn't have trusted her. She couldn't stress that point enough to herself. She wasn't going to deal with this. She could always make up some excuse, some lie, some father. Anything. She cheated on him while he was gone? With who? Luka? God. No. She is defintely not bringing Luka into this. She decided just to take a deep breath and walk out. Just simply exit the room, no definite answers to his statement.
"You're not."
She turned around heading towards the door. She didn't get there in time. He grabbed her forcefully, much more forcefully than she thought he could be. He swung her around, jetting her towards the bed, blocking the door. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She was so scared he was going to hit her. She leaned against the gurney, trying to steady herself and her beating heart. How hadn't anyone heard that. She had almost been murdered by being thrown against a gurney and no one came in. She watched the floor. He came closer. She saw his brown dress shoes standing a few feet before her.
"Abby..."
His voice was quiet and low, slow and delicate. She knew he felt bad. She knew he was beating himself up mentally for what he just did.
"I need to know. Please."
She managed to look up at him. At his pleading face. Those chocolate brown eyes had tears in them, tears that would be able to burn through whatever had destoryed them in the first place. His face looked of regret or sadness. Hopelessness and despair. Everything she had felt for months, even years. It was time for him to suffer. Yet she couldn't let him. She couldn't let him suffer the way she did. Her mind screamed at her to say no. To deny everything. Yet her head nodded up and down slowly, hesitantly. She waited for his reaction.
"At least I know where we stand."
And he walked out. She watched him walk out. The tail of his coat barely making it through the small opening he had opened with the door. And she sat there on the gurney. So many things running through her head. So he knew. What was going to happen now. Her wrist hurt from where he had grabbed her and where she had hit the gurney. She saw the bruises forming upon her arms. Pain engulfed her. Not the physical pain, just the mental pain. Memories flooded her mind. She regretted ever coming back. She knew things could never go back to the way they had been, and she knew that coming back to County wasn't a good idea either. And now everything only kept on getting more complicated by the minute.