Title: My Big Mistake
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Yes! Spoilerness definitely! So don't read if you're spoiler free. Set after ep14, when Kem LEAVES!!!! Yes, she LEAVES! Bwahahahahaha!! Anyway, yeah…Eric's entirely of my imagination, but there was some speculation about TES being back this season, wasn't there?
Disclaimer: I always forget these! ;) Anyway, they're not mine. :( That sucks. Coz if they were mine none of this Kem rubbish would happen. :-p hehe!
Summary: Eric comes back to County, not knowing that Carter and Abby aren't together. He has a little chat with both of them…contains 10.14 SPOILERS
Author's Note: Okay, so I obviously had to do something about all these spoilers! I was ecstatic when I discovered Kem was going back to Africa, and I had to write a nice bit of Carbyness. And then I had this random Eric/Maggie thought floating around in my head. It fitted better with Eric, and thus this fic was born! ;) Thanks to Nette for all her help with this, particularly with that annoying little scene at the end that wasn't quite right! It's amazing what one little word can do. ;) The title comes from the Delta Goodrem song of the same name. Song doesn't really have much to do with the fic, but it is amazing and you should go listen! So Carby! Anyway, I hope you all like it. Please R&R. Jo xx
He walked through the doors of the ER, looking around at the surroundings he hadn't seen for a few months. He breathed in the hospital smell deeply, it reminding him of her. He wasn't sure whether this was the right thing to do, but he wanted to see her. To apologise for the way things had been for the last few months, and for the way he had acted around her. Having not spoken to her properly since he left the last time he felt he owed her this visit. He didn't know how she would react to his presence, he knew she hadn't always been one for surprise visits.
Looking around the admit area, he noticed someone he vaguely recognised. "Hey, it's Frank right?" he asked, approaching the man.
"Yeah, do I know you?" he snapped.
"I think we met a while back. I'm Eric Wyzcenski," he introduced himself, holding out a hand. "Abby Lockhart's brother?"
"Oh, of course!" Frank shook Eric's hand gruffly, and turned back to his computer terminal.
"Err, is Abby around?"
"Not sure."
"Well, is she working today?"
"Yup."
"Could you get her for me then, please?" Eric pushed.
"Don't know where she is."
"Will it make any difference if I get you to tell her I'm on my meds?"
"Look kiddo," Frank started, turning back to face Eric. "I don't know what loopy ideas you've got running around in that little head of yours, but I am not Abby's personal tracker, and I'm not your personal slave. So if you want to see your sister then go find her yourself. Or you can just wait here for her." He turned back to his computer, not even waiting for a response from Eric.
"Right…" Eric leant back against the admit desk, surveying the ER around him. It was slightly different to the last time he'd been here. Maybe that was good. It made sure all the bad memories were left behind, and he didn't have to be reminded of what an idiot he was at every turn.
Just as he was debating with himself whether or not to go and get a coffee he heard a voice that he recognised. John Carter. He froze, caught between wanting to run and wanting to confront him. A part of him felt the need to apologise to Carter as well, explain his actions at the funeral. But he also had a niggling thought in the back of his mind that he could make it all worse. What if Carter wouldn't forgive him? His presence here could ruin everything for his sister's relationship with this man.
"Eric?" Too late, he'd been spotted. He turned slowly, and smiled awkwardly at Carter.
"Hi John." There was an uncomfortable silence, with both men watching each other cautiously, as if at any moment one of them would jump on the other and start a fight. "I…err, it's good to see you again." There was no response from Carter. "Look, I'm so sorry John. I know you must hate me, but…I didn't mean for what happened to happen. I was manic, and I didn't know what I was doing, and…well, I was an idiot basically."
"You can say that again," Carter replied, laughing nervously, as if testing the water.
"Yeah," Eric joined the laugh. "Really, I'm sorry though."
"It's…it's okay. I guess I over reacted a little."
"You were upset, it's understandable." Eric shrugged. "Are you busy?"
"Not too busy. Why?"
"Well, do you want to grab a coffee or something? You can fill me in on what you and my big sister have been up to these last few months. I swear, she doesn't tell me anything!"
"I don't know, I'm not really due a break," Carter stuttered, suddenly feeling awkward.
"When are you guys going to get married, anyway?" he asked, laughing.
"Eric?" a voice asked from behind him.
"Hey, Abby!" he exclaimed, turning around and grinning at her.
"Hi," she replied nervously, glancing between Eric and Carter.
"Aren't you going to give me a nice hello hug?" She nodded, and pulled him into a hug. "That's better!"
"What are you doing Eric?"
"I came to visit," he explained.
"No, I mean…" She glanced between him and Carter again.
"Oh right! I was just having a good heart to heart with your boyfriend." Eric immediately noticed that both Abby and Carter looked at the floor guiltily. "Did I say something wrong?"
***
"You broke up with him, then?" Eric queried, once he and his sister were sat in a booth drinking coffee.
"Well, we broke up."
"He broke up with you?"
"Does it matter, Eric?" Abby snapped, glaring at him.
"Sorry. How long ago?"
"Err…" She counted through the months in her head, trying to work out when it was that he had gone. "I don't know, maybe six months?"
"You should have told me Abby. I would have been there for you."
"I'm doing fine," she protested, but smiled at him gratefully. "You know, I'm back at med school, I'm not drinking. I got my life in order. I think maybe this was what I needed to make me do that."
"Okay, you're doing great. I get that. But if you'd told me then I wouldn't have put my foot in it like I did today."
"Don't worry about it."
"Sure. I'll still feel kind of guilty though. Came here to give my big sis a nice surprise and I ended up making a terrible mistake."
"It wasn't a terrible mistake Eric!" she protested once again. "Really, don't sweat it. It's not going to make any difference to the situation."
"The situation?"
"Yeah, you know. Me. Carter."
"I'm not quite sure what you mean by a 'situation'. I mean, you guys are best friends right?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" Eric watched his sister's expressions curiously, trying to work out what was going on with her. "If you're happy without him, and doing so well, why's there a problem with being friends?" She shrugged. "You can tell me to mind my own business, although I might not listen, but it doesn't seem to me like you're entirely happy."
"I'm good. Really. You don't have to worry about me. I'm not on my own anyway, I've got Susan, and Elizabeth, and Sam."
"Sam? New boyfriend?"
"Samantha," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, stop being such a worrier. That's meant to be my job."
"I'm sorry Abby, really. I just feel like I should be responsible for helping you two out, since I kind of ruined things in the first place."
"You didn't ruin things, Eric. We ruined things all by ourselves. You just happened to be there."
"If you say so." He winked, obviously not believing her. "Something happened though, didn't it? Something big. And not just me at the funeral." He looked down uncomfortably as he mentioned the funeral. "Are you going to tell me?" There were a long, drawn out silence, where Abby stared into her mug of coffee, and played with the foam using the metal spoon that had been provided.
"He went to Africa," she announced eventually, looking up at Eric.
"What for?"
"I don't know. To help people. To run away from me. Everything really." She shrugged, sighing sadly. "It was a doctors without borders type thing."
"Sounds pretty harmless."
"It wasn't pretty harmless when he was going to leave without telling me."
"Ouch."
"Yeah."
"But something else happened, right? I can tell by the look on your face, that's not quite it."
"Well, he came back. And then he went again."
"Why?" Eric queried again. Abby was beginning to get the idea that she wouldn't get away without telling him bits of the story. He was going to want the whole lot.
"We thought one of our colleagues had died out there, so he went to get his body. And then he decided not to come back."
"Ouch."
"Stop saying 'ouch' Eric! You sound like a little kid."
"Sorry. So, he's back again now. That's good, right?" Abby let out a sarcastic laugh. "I guess not. What else happened? Stop holding things back Abby!"
"Depends whether you want the long version or the short one. Short version is, met a bitch and got her pregnant." Eric cringed at the words, immediately understanding why his sister was so uncomfortable with her ex-boyfriend.
"I…well…erm…" Eric stuttered, not sure how to react. "He…umm…why?"
"You think I know?"
"Yeah, sorry. Stupid question. Well, that totally sucks. And to think I apologised to that jerk for what happened at his grandmother's funeral…"
"Don't worry, Eric! Kem left this morning, anyway."
"Left as in left for good?"
"Not sure. She's kind of gone back to Africa. But I don't think they split up." She shrugged. "Not that it's really any of my business. I think he probably just wants me to keep my nose out of his life."
"Well he cheated on you with this Kem woman, I'd say it's your business!"
"He didn't cheat on me Eric." She rolled her eyes at him. "He'd already split up with me. See, it's stupid. I shouldn't even be upset. Let's talk about something else. What about Maggie's dog?"
"But you're in love with him."
"Eric, I said leave it."
"No! I won't sit back and let my sister get hurt by some stupid guy and his bitch of a new girlfriend. He doesn't deserve to have you love him, Ab."
***
Carter sat alone on a bench outside the hospital, deep in thought and every now and then sipping from a polystyrene mug of coffee. He felt completely lost today. Everything seemed so strange, so surreal. It was as if his life had been on hold, and he'd just dropped back into it where he left off. Kem was gone, Eric was back. Wasn't this where it all started? All the heartache and anger that he'd tried so desperately to forget through Kem.
He shouldn't have let her go. If only she'd stayed, he'd still be cocooned in his safe little world where he had a girlfriend, a baby on the way, and was happy. Or at least, where he could fool himself that he was happy. Where he didn't have to face up to reality, and see the hurt that he'd caused and was feeling himself.
"Hey, Carter!" He was so lost in thought that it took him a moment to register that someone had said his name. He blinked, and looked up to see Eric standing in front of him.
"Hi Eric," he replied, trying to sound friendly, although he was slightly scared by the look on the younger man's face.
"You been messing my sister around?" he queried, anger evident in his eyes.
"Eric, I…"
"You what? Thought it would be fun to let my sister fall in love with you and then turn around and throw it all back in her face. Get some random woman pregnant, and let Abby watch you play happy families?" He raised a threatening fist, glaring angrily at Carter.
"It's not that simple, Eric," he tried to calm him, his eyes fixed on the fist held in front of his face.
"Maybe not, but I know what I see. And do you know what that is? I see my sister is hurt, and it's all because of you, you bastard!"
"Please Eric, calm down," Carter stated, trying to remain calm himself. How could he explain what was going on in his head to an angry young man when he didn't even know himself? Eric stared at him, not making a move. But after a moment he nodded, and lowered the fist. Sighing, he sat down next to Carter.
"Sorry, I guess I just get annoyed. She's pretty upset, you know."
"I…I know." Carter looked down at his feet, not sure what else to say. "Did she tell you that?"
"No. This is Abby we're talking about, right? She wouldn't admit to being upset."
"Yeah," he sighed, not looking up from the floor. "I didn't mean to hurt her, you know that Eric?"
"Doesn't exactly look like that from the other side." Carter looked up at Eric sadly.
"I know. I totally suck."
"She does love you, you know. Which is why it hurts so much, that you met that Kem woman, and got her pregnant, and…"
"Please don't talk about Kem!" Carter snapped, before calming himself down slightly. "Sorry, I shouldn't shout at you. It's just…I know that the whole Kem thing hurt her. Don't you think I regret it already?"
"I don't think she knows that though."
"What do you want me to do Eric, I know the whole situation's screwed up, I've admitted that! So just tell me what I'm meant to do."
"I'm not sure Carter, love her?"
"I do love her. I love her so much, like I've never loved anyone before."
"Eric? What's going on?" Both men looked up to see Abby standing in front of them, watching them.
"Abby, I…" Carter stuttered. "How much did you hear?" She smiled nervously.
"Enough."
***