Chapter 16
Carter's heart was still pounding when he fell on the floor.
ABBY, was the first thought that came into his mind. I have to save her. What am I gonna tell the twins?
Then Carter was confused. But why am I back in my room? Was it a dream? That didn't seem too possible. It had been so real. He still remembered the sickening crack of Abby's rib as it succumbed to the pressure of his compressions. Could that have been a dream?
He had to find out. Quickly, he climbed out of his bed and headed to the door, praying that Abby was alright.
First, he stopped at Jill and Riley's room. He was spooked, and wanted to make sure that they were okay, too.
The picture he saw was eerily similar to the one he had just seen a few minutes ago. He saw two chests rising and falling in the slow motions of sleep. His heart began to thud with fear. Please don't let it be true, he thought, racing across the hall to Abby's room. If it was true, he was probably too late...
No, he couldn't think about that, couldn't face that horrible possibility. He had to concentrate on getting to Abby's room as soon as possible, take things one step at a time. Had the hallway been this wide the last time he crossed it?
The door to Abby's room opened with a squeak. "Abby?" he whispered, his heart pounding with fear. Things were too much like his dream.
He didn't see Abby's chest rising or falling. "Oh, no!" he moaned, running towards the bed and dropping to his knees. Abby was lying on her stomach, and she was lying on top of both of her hands, which make it hard for him to grab one of her wrists. But he did, and he held it between his fingers, holding his breath as he waited for the signs of life.
He couldn't feel a pulse.
"Oh, no," he moaned again. This couldn't be happening! He placed his hand on her neck, hoping, praying for a pulse, and felt-
"Carter? What's wrong? What are you doing here?"
At the sound of her voice, Carter almost melted with relief. She was okay! It was all going to be okay! Before he could stop himself, he had gathered her up in his arms, and was holding her as close to his as he could. "I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered, squeezing her tightly in his embrace. He could feel her heart beat against his chest, and it filled him with joy.
Meanwhile, Abby was quite confused. She had been sleeping peacefully when she felt Carter's hand around her neck. She asked him what was going on, and he grabbed her in a bear hug, like they hadn't seen each other in years. She wondered what in the world was going on.
But right now, she had more pressing problems. Literally. "Carter, I can't breathe," she gasped with the few wisps of air left in her lungs.
Reluctantly, Carter loosened his grip. He held her at arms length and gazed into her eyes. "I thought I had lost you forever," he said sincerely, and that was enough of an explanation for her. She let him hold her in his arms until they both fell asleep.
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"Um, Carter? I think we have a problem."
"What?" Carter said groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Hey, this wasn't his room! What was going on?
"Well, one of us is multiplying," Abby observed calmly.
"What?" Carter said for the second time in ten seconds.
"Weren't there only two of us last night?"
"Oh, no," Carter groaned, looking at the two sleeping figures curled in between them.
"My thoughts exactly," Abby said.
"How did they get in here?"
"Well, I would assume they used the hallway, but I guess they could have crawled up the trellis."
"You know what I mean," Carter said, rolling over to face her. "Do they come in here all the time?"
"Only when they have nightmares."
Carter looked at Abby. "Do you think that if we moved them back to their room, they might forget?"
Abby shrugged. "I guess it's worth a try." They each picked up the twin closest to them and (gently) carried them across the hall. They got the twins into their beds without incident, then returned to Abby's room.
"Well, I guess now would be a good time to ask why there were even two of us in here last night," Abby observed.
Carter grinned, embarrassed. "I had this horrible dream that you died, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I couldn't feel a pulse in your wrist, and I thought..." he let the sentence trail off unfinished.
"Hmm, sounds like someone's medical skills are a bit lacking," Abby commented, and Carter smiled. It was so great to be talking to her again.
What if he really had lost her? The dream had made him realize how much she meant to him. Not just as the mother of his children, but...something more.
No. Carter shook that thought out of his head. It was too late for that. He had let Abby down in the worst way possible, and there would probably never be anything like that between them again. But what if...
"Well, near death experiences always give me a big appetite. What's for breakfast?" Abby asked, hopping off the bed.
Carter smiled. "Whatever you want," he replied.
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Susan slowly walked up the driveway to the Carter mansion, sleepiness clouding her vision. She really shouldn't have stayed up that late last night when she had promised to take the twins out the next morning. But she could take a nap when she got home.
Susan raised her fist to knock on the door, but paused when she heard a sound coming from the house. Could that be laughing?
She pressed her ear to the door and heard Carter and Abby's muffled voices. It was a shame they weren't at an apartment; then she'd really be able to hear them. But through the thick walls of the mansion, all she could hear was mumbling. Smiling, Susan knocked on the door. Obviously, she had come in just the nick of time.
"Oh, hi Susan," Abby said cautiously, as if she hadn't been expecting her.
"What are you guys up to in here?" Susan asked suspiciously, glancing around the room.
"Nothing, just talking," Abby said, exchanging a glance with Carter.
"Oh, I see," Susan said knowingly.
"Hi Aunt Susan!" Jill said, running into the room.
"Hi, Jill! You guys ready to go?" she asked.
"Can we go to the zoo again?" Riley asked.
"No, let's go the movies! I want popcorn!" Jill exclaimed.
Susan smiled. "I vote for a movie," she said. Jill beamed.
"Are you and Mommy coming?" Riley asked Carter.
Carter shook his head. "No, me and Mommy need to have a little talk." Neither Carter nor Abby missed the smile that Jill and Riley exchanged.
Susan yawned widely. "I really stayed up too late last night," she commented. "But I had to see how that movie ended..."
"Yeah, and everyone knows that movies are more important than sleep," Abby commented dryly.
Susan laughed. "Well, that movie was only on last night! I can sleep anytime!" She glanced at her watch. "I might even be able to get in a nap before my next shift..."
Jill looked at Carter, then asked him, "Daddy, how come you were sleeping in Mommy's bed last night?"
Carter choked on the mouthful of coffee that he had been about to swallow. Abby, red-faced, suddenly became very interested in the carpet. Susan, however, was staring at Carter and Abby, an amused grin on her face.
"Um...well...Mommy had a bad dream, and she was scared," Carter stammered.
Jill was smiling almost as widely as Susan. "And you made her feel better, didn't you?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Carter nodded quickly. "Yes, I did," he said, relieved.
"Well, you guys better get going," Abby said, rushing them out the door. Susan was still grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"Wait for me outside, guys," Susan said. Once Jill and Riley were outside, she turned back to Carter and Abby. "I think you guys have a little explaining to do?" she said, still smiling.
"Oh, wipe that grin off your face," Carter said. "It's not what it sounds like."
"Oh, yeah? Cause it sounds like you two were-"
"Look, it was nothing, Susan. We just sort of fell asleep-"
"In each other's arms?" Susan asked, grinning widely.
"If you keep smiling that big, you're not gonna be able to fit your face out of the door," Abby said.
"I don't mind. I'll just stay here and get the juicy details," she said happily.
"Just go, Susan! The kids are waiting for you."
"But I get the whole story when I get back?" Susan wheedled.
"There is no whole story!" Abby said.
"Right. Well, when you guys stop living in denial, I'll be waiting," Susan said, breezing out the door.
"That went well," Abby said wryly.
Carter ran his fingers through his hair. "Trust kids to say things at the worst time," he said.
Abby smiled. "Well, they do say the darndest things," she pointed out. "So, what did you wanna talk to me about?"
Carter hated to spoil the good mood, but this was important. "Follow me," he said, leading her down the hall.
A/N: I feel like I owe everyone an explanation. I thought people would guess it was a dream! In fact, when I first wrote this story, Chapter 15 wasn't even a cliffhanger. But I added the last section of 15 to 16 so they would be closer to the same length. I apologize for all the anguished, sleepless nights you all spent worrying about Abby's welfare ;). And Little Miss, good guess, you get a sugar-free wafer! ~Taz