OK- takes place three months after Carter's return from Africa. He and
Abby have managed to co-exist without too much pain but now Abby needs a
friend to lean on.
After she hung up the phone she stared at it. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. She didn't understand.
'It's a mistake,' she muttered to herself. 'It has to be a mistake.' But she knew it wasn't. Some part of her knew it was true.
She pressed her lips together and willed herself not to cry. She couldn't cry here, not at work. Especially not with him around. She didn't want him to think she was crying over him.
She needed to talk to someone. Her mind raced, listing her friends. Susan? No. Susan had never fully understood. Luka? No. He didn't understand either. No one had ever understood this.except for him. But Abby couldn't talk to him. She wouldn't.
She stood up and walked across the lounge to her locker. She opened it and realized she didn't actually need anything from it. She was just avoiding reality. She found herself remembering how nice it felt to have someone there for you. He had always dropped everything ran to her whenever she needed him. He probably still would.
*****************
By the time she left the lounge she had decided to talk to him about it. She had to talk to someone. She was surprised that her pride wasn't stopping her. 'I guess pride doesn't matter anymore,' she thought to herself.
He was standing behind the admin desk, filing charts. God, she missed him.
"Carter?" she asked. He looked up.
"I'm off," he said and turned back to the charts.
"Good." This response seemed to surprise him and he looked up again. "Can I talk to you?" Abby asked softly, once again fighting back tears. Carter's expression changed from surprise to concern.
"Is everything OK?" he asked. He could see the answer in her face. "Let me just grab my coat," he said.
******************
Abby sat stirring her coffee as Carter stared at her across the table. "What's wrong, Abby?" his voice full of concern. 'Not now,' she thought. 'Don't make me miss you right now.' She looked up at him and smiled weakly. "You're the only one I can talk to. No one else would understand."
Carter reached across the table and gently took her hand in his. "Whatever it is, it'll be OK."
She shook her head. Nothing would ever be OK again. Finally she let a tear fall. It rolled slowly down her cheek and down under her chin. She forced herself to meet his eyes. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
"It's OK. Take you're time." Carter rubbed her hand with his thumb.
She tried again. This time the words came out. Immediately she wished they hadn't. Her saying it had made it true.
"Eric's dead," she whispered.
After she hung up the phone she stared at it. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. She didn't understand.
'It's a mistake,' she muttered to herself. 'It has to be a mistake.' But she knew it wasn't. Some part of her knew it was true.
She pressed her lips together and willed herself not to cry. She couldn't cry here, not at work. Especially not with him around. She didn't want him to think she was crying over him.
She needed to talk to someone. Her mind raced, listing her friends. Susan? No. Susan had never fully understood. Luka? No. He didn't understand either. No one had ever understood this.except for him. But Abby couldn't talk to him. She wouldn't.
She stood up and walked across the lounge to her locker. She opened it and realized she didn't actually need anything from it. She was just avoiding reality. She found herself remembering how nice it felt to have someone there for you. He had always dropped everything ran to her whenever she needed him. He probably still would.
*****************
By the time she left the lounge she had decided to talk to him about it. She had to talk to someone. She was surprised that her pride wasn't stopping her. 'I guess pride doesn't matter anymore,' she thought to herself.
He was standing behind the admin desk, filing charts. God, she missed him.
"Carter?" she asked. He looked up.
"I'm off," he said and turned back to the charts.
"Good." This response seemed to surprise him and he looked up again. "Can I talk to you?" Abby asked softly, once again fighting back tears. Carter's expression changed from surprise to concern.
"Is everything OK?" he asked. He could see the answer in her face. "Let me just grab my coat," he said.
******************
Abby sat stirring her coffee as Carter stared at her across the table. "What's wrong, Abby?" his voice full of concern. 'Not now,' she thought. 'Don't make me miss you right now.' She looked up at him and smiled weakly. "You're the only one I can talk to. No one else would understand."
Carter reached across the table and gently took her hand in his. "Whatever it is, it'll be OK."
She shook her head. Nothing would ever be OK again. Finally she let a tear fall. It rolled slowly down her cheek and down under her chin. She forced herself to meet his eyes. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
"It's OK. Take you're time." Carter rubbed her hand with his thumb.
She tried again. This time the words came out. Immediately she wished they hadn't. Her saying it had made it true.
"Eric's dead," she whispered.