OK, this was supposed to be the very first chapter of this fic but, for
some reason, it didn't upload properly. So this is supposed to go right
before the chapter called "Getting Ready." I thought I might as well post
this now. Better late then never. . .right?
Carter stared at the tickets in his hand. He had bought them in February. He had bought them for her. But now they were just friends. If that. They joked together and got along fine but they never really talked much outside of the hospital.
She had wanted to go to the show so badly. He thought it would make a great early Christmas gift. And now he didn't have the foggiest idea what to do with them.
He had been up the night before, trying to decide what to do with them. They'd been expensive and he actually really wanted to go. So he had decided to invite Mandy, the cute girl in his building he had been flirting with lately. But then he saw her that morning and all he could think about was Abby, Abby, Abby.
He hated it. He had broken up with her, for crying out loud. He should be over her. And he thought he was. Until he looked at those tickets. Carter smiled as he remembered the look on Abby's face when she found out that Robin Williams would be performing his new stand-up comedy routine in Chicago.
"I LOVE him, John!" she cried when she saw the poster. "I saw him live years and years ago, before he was really famous and he was just great. I bet that'll be a really good show." Carter had said nothing. He had begun a secret plot to buy tickets and surprise her with them on the night of the show. The show was in seven hours and he still didn't have anyone to go with.
He stuffed the tickets back into their envelope and put the envelope back in his locker. He could just give the tickets to Abby. Then she could take whomever she wanted. He shrugged. It was the adult thing to do. After all, he had bought the tickets for her.
His shift was over in an hour. . .and so was hers. He decided he'd catch up with her then and give her the tickets.
*******************************************
"Abby!" Carter called as he followed her out into the ambulance bay. She had her coat wrapped tightly around her and she looked surprised and annoyed.
"What?" she asked impatiently.
Carter reached into his pocket. "I bought these for you. . .well, for us. . .in February when we were still. . .you know. But now. . .well, I thought you might still like to go." He handed her the envelope.
She looked at him and hesitated slightly but eventually took the envelope from him. She opened and read the tickets.
"Oh my God," she said. "I can't believe you got these." She smiled at him. "These are for tonight? Nothing like waiting until the last minute huh, Car. . ." she paused. "You spent $100 on these tickets?!?"
Carter grinned sheepishly. "Well, $200, actually. They were $100 a piece."
"Wow, John. I don't know what to say." Abby reached out and pulled Carter into a rather awkward hug. "So, um, do you want to pick me up or should I met you at the theatre?"
This question caught Carter off guard. "Actually, I thought. . ." he was going to say that he thought she could go with Susan or something but then stopped himself. He was being given a chance to go on a sort-of-date with Abby. And besides, he did REALLY want to go. "I thought we could go out to dinner first," he finished. "The show starts at 8 so I'll pick you up at 6 and we can go to Monticello's, if you want."
"That's sounds good. I'll see you then." She started to walk away but stopped and turned around. "This isn't just some sort of lame attempt to get into my pants, is it?" she teased.
Carter could feel himself blush. "Uh, no, no, of course not," he stammered.
She looked at him quizzically. Then she smiled. "See you at 6!" And she was gone.
Carter stared at the tickets in his hand. He had bought them in February. He had bought them for her. But now they were just friends. If that. They joked together and got along fine but they never really talked much outside of the hospital.
She had wanted to go to the show so badly. He thought it would make a great early Christmas gift. And now he didn't have the foggiest idea what to do with them.
He had been up the night before, trying to decide what to do with them. They'd been expensive and he actually really wanted to go. So he had decided to invite Mandy, the cute girl in his building he had been flirting with lately. But then he saw her that morning and all he could think about was Abby, Abby, Abby.
He hated it. He had broken up with her, for crying out loud. He should be over her. And he thought he was. Until he looked at those tickets. Carter smiled as he remembered the look on Abby's face when she found out that Robin Williams would be performing his new stand-up comedy routine in Chicago.
"I LOVE him, John!" she cried when she saw the poster. "I saw him live years and years ago, before he was really famous and he was just great. I bet that'll be a really good show." Carter had said nothing. He had begun a secret plot to buy tickets and surprise her with them on the night of the show. The show was in seven hours and he still didn't have anyone to go with.
He stuffed the tickets back into their envelope and put the envelope back in his locker. He could just give the tickets to Abby. Then she could take whomever she wanted. He shrugged. It was the adult thing to do. After all, he had bought the tickets for her.
His shift was over in an hour. . .and so was hers. He decided he'd catch up with her then and give her the tickets.
*******************************************
"Abby!" Carter called as he followed her out into the ambulance bay. She had her coat wrapped tightly around her and she looked surprised and annoyed.
"What?" she asked impatiently.
Carter reached into his pocket. "I bought these for you. . .well, for us. . .in February when we were still. . .you know. But now. . .well, I thought you might still like to go." He handed her the envelope.
She looked at him and hesitated slightly but eventually took the envelope from him. She opened and read the tickets.
"Oh my God," she said. "I can't believe you got these." She smiled at him. "These are for tonight? Nothing like waiting until the last minute huh, Car. . ." she paused. "You spent $100 on these tickets?!?"
Carter grinned sheepishly. "Well, $200, actually. They were $100 a piece."
"Wow, John. I don't know what to say." Abby reached out and pulled Carter into a rather awkward hug. "So, um, do you want to pick me up or should I met you at the theatre?"
This question caught Carter off guard. "Actually, I thought. . ." he was going to say that he thought she could go with Susan or something but then stopped himself. He was being given a chance to go on a sort-of-date with Abby. And besides, he did REALLY want to go. "I thought we could go out to dinner first," he finished. "The show starts at 8 so I'll pick you up at 6 and we can go to Monticello's, if you want."
"That's sounds good. I'll see you then." She started to walk away but stopped and turned around. "This isn't just some sort of lame attempt to get into my pants, is it?" she teased.
Carter could feel himself blush. "Uh, no, no, of course not," he stammered.
She looked at him quizzically. Then she smiled. "See you at 6!" And she was gone.