Abby held on tightly to Carter's hand. She didn't like the way the
doctor was looking. He looked like he had pretty bad news. Abby felt a tear
roll down her cheek and Carter reached over without hesitation and wiped it
away. The doctor sat down at his desk and pulled out his charts.
"Well Doctor Lockhart, I don't have the best of news. Are you ready to hear this?" He asked and Abby nodded slightly, squeezing Carter's hand even tighter.
"Dr. Lockhart, you have leukemia. It is in its middle stages so we will do everything we can to get you started on a treatment program. Perhaps you and your fiancée can talk this over. Please give me a call when you've made your decisions." He said as he left out the door.
Abby was in the state of shock. She couldn't cry nor speak. She just sat there, holding onto John's hand, completely motionless.
After a few minutes Carter spoke. "Abby, sweetheart lets go get coffee or something."
Abby said nothing, only nodding in reply. She didn't have the strength to protest. They walked down the corridor of the hospital not letting go of each other. Neither spoke nor looked at each other. Abby was afraid that if she even so much as said one word, she'd break down. They arrived at the coffee stand and John ordered two coffees for them and sat down at the round tables that were set up.
Abby sipped her coffee only a few times before realizing that she had to get back to work. Abby talked in a dazed form.
"John, I've got to get back to work. Weaver will seriously kill me if I don't finish this shift. They're swarmed down there."
"Abby, you can't go back to work. Its too dangerous. What if you pass out again or."
"John, you know I'm supposed to live my life as normal as possible." She said firmly. " I'm going back to work."
Carter sighed. "Alright, alright that's fine. I'll walk you there."
They took each others hand and once again walked back to the ER. When they arrived, John took Abby's other hand and stared into her eyes.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" He asked her with fear in his eyes.
"John, I'm fine. Really. I'll see you after my shift." She said softly, giving him a soft hug and a kiss.
He watched her as she went to the admin desk and picked up a few charts. She looked so delicate like she could break any second. He hadn't noticed until now how frail and thin she looked. Carter decided to pick up a few charts. His shift was over hours ago but he thought he'd help out. Throughout the shift, he kept a close eye on Abby. Suddenly the doors to the ER flew open. Abby and Susan who were taking a quick break at the admin desk ran over to the gurney.
"32 year old female, end stage leukemia." The EMT said. Abby froze. She couldn't get herself to move.
"Abs, you coming?" Susan asked wondering why she was just standing there.
Abby knew she had to go in there and face it. She took a deep breath and followed Susan into the trauma room. She looked down at the patient. She was hooked up to monitors and tubes and she was breathing through a respirator. She looked so small and pale against the white gurney. Abby couldn't take it anymore. She began to breath heavily and quickly. She was hyperventilating. Susan looked over at Abby with fear in her eyes.
"Abby, are you alright?" Susan asked with concern but Abby could not reply. Her breathing became too fast for her to function. She walked unsteadily out of the room and sat in the chair outside the trauma room. Susan came running out.
"Abby, what is it? What's wrong?" Susan asked, kneeling in front of her.
"Just.get.carter" She said as she breathed laboriously.
Susan took off running down the hall bumping into many people and gurneys on the way. She ran right into Exam 1 where Carter was assessing a patient.
"John, John come quick. Something is wrong with Abby." Susan said.
Carter dropped everything and ran after Susan. He saw Abby in the chair hyperventilating. "Abby, shhh, baby its okay." He said soothingly.
"John, John don't let me end up that way." She cried, pointing to the gurney in the trauma room between breaths and sobs. "Promise me John. Promise me." She said as she fell into his arms and sobbed. Susan was on the other side, rubbing Abby's back and exchanging questioning looks with Carter.
"I Promise.shhh honey its going to be alright. I Promise."
"Well Doctor Lockhart, I don't have the best of news. Are you ready to hear this?" He asked and Abby nodded slightly, squeezing Carter's hand even tighter.
"Dr. Lockhart, you have leukemia. It is in its middle stages so we will do everything we can to get you started on a treatment program. Perhaps you and your fiancée can talk this over. Please give me a call when you've made your decisions." He said as he left out the door.
Abby was in the state of shock. She couldn't cry nor speak. She just sat there, holding onto John's hand, completely motionless.
After a few minutes Carter spoke. "Abby, sweetheart lets go get coffee or something."
Abby said nothing, only nodding in reply. She didn't have the strength to protest. They walked down the corridor of the hospital not letting go of each other. Neither spoke nor looked at each other. Abby was afraid that if she even so much as said one word, she'd break down. They arrived at the coffee stand and John ordered two coffees for them and sat down at the round tables that were set up.
Abby sipped her coffee only a few times before realizing that she had to get back to work. Abby talked in a dazed form.
"John, I've got to get back to work. Weaver will seriously kill me if I don't finish this shift. They're swarmed down there."
"Abby, you can't go back to work. Its too dangerous. What if you pass out again or."
"John, you know I'm supposed to live my life as normal as possible." She said firmly. " I'm going back to work."
Carter sighed. "Alright, alright that's fine. I'll walk you there."
They took each others hand and once again walked back to the ER. When they arrived, John took Abby's other hand and stared into her eyes.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" He asked her with fear in his eyes.
"John, I'm fine. Really. I'll see you after my shift." She said softly, giving him a soft hug and a kiss.
He watched her as she went to the admin desk and picked up a few charts. She looked so delicate like she could break any second. He hadn't noticed until now how frail and thin she looked. Carter decided to pick up a few charts. His shift was over hours ago but he thought he'd help out. Throughout the shift, he kept a close eye on Abby. Suddenly the doors to the ER flew open. Abby and Susan who were taking a quick break at the admin desk ran over to the gurney.
"32 year old female, end stage leukemia." The EMT said. Abby froze. She couldn't get herself to move.
"Abs, you coming?" Susan asked wondering why she was just standing there.
Abby knew she had to go in there and face it. She took a deep breath and followed Susan into the trauma room. She looked down at the patient. She was hooked up to monitors and tubes and she was breathing through a respirator. She looked so small and pale against the white gurney. Abby couldn't take it anymore. She began to breath heavily and quickly. She was hyperventilating. Susan looked over at Abby with fear in her eyes.
"Abby, are you alright?" Susan asked with concern but Abby could not reply. Her breathing became too fast for her to function. She walked unsteadily out of the room and sat in the chair outside the trauma room. Susan came running out.
"Abby, what is it? What's wrong?" Susan asked, kneeling in front of her.
"Just.get.carter" She said as she breathed laboriously.
Susan took off running down the hall bumping into many people and gurneys on the way. She ran right into Exam 1 where Carter was assessing a patient.
"John, John come quick. Something is wrong with Abby." Susan said.
Carter dropped everything and ran after Susan. He saw Abby in the chair hyperventilating. "Abby, shhh, baby its okay." He said soothingly.
"John, John don't let me end up that way." She cried, pointing to the gurney in the trauma room between breaths and sobs. "Promise me John. Promise me." She said as she fell into his arms and sobbed. Susan was on the other side, rubbing Abby's back and exchanging questioning looks with Carter.
"I Promise.shhh honey its going to be alright. I Promise."