Walking into Northwestern the following day Carter had a good feeling
that he was going to find Abby. He had to; he was going out of his mind
with worry. What if the woman he had seen the night before was her? She
looked terrible. Walking up to the reception desk he felt nervous. He
wasn't exactly sure why but he knew he could ask for her. "Hi there, I was
wondering if you could help me I'm looking for someone named Abby Lockhart,
may be going under the name of Abigail Lockhart or Abigail Wysenski."
"Patient or worker?" The woman asked knowing in herself who he was looking for.
"I'm not entirely sure, worker I hope." He smiled nervously at her. He couldn't help it, what if she really was ill and a patient.
"Go to the fourth floor, they help you out up there." The woman smiled warmly at him. She liked the woman he was looking for. She had got to know her with her frequent visits.
"Thank you." Carter said before heading to the bank of elevators that sat to the right of the reception area.
On the fourth floor, he stepped out to realise that he was on the oncology floor. He walked over to the reception area. "Abigail Lockhart?" He asked the young girl sitting behind the desk.
The girl looked up. She actually looked shocked that someone was asking for Abby. Abby had been here for almost twelve weeks and no one had come asking about her. "Eh, room four." She stuttered.
Carter thanked her before heading in the direction she was pointing. Approaching room four he took a deep breath and gasped as he looked in and found his worse fear. There in front of him lay Abby. Her back was too him so she couldn't see him. He could see the IV line going into her arm, the oxygen mask across her face and the cover wrapped loosely around her waist. He watched as her body started to shake with cold. Goosebumps appeared on her pale flesh. It took him all his courage not to rush into the room and take her into his arms. He watched as the nurse walked up to the side of the bed and pulled the duvet up under Abby's chin.
The nurse spotted him and walked towards the door. She opened it and offered for him to come in. Carter shook his head but motioned for the nurse to follow him. He needed answers. "What is wrong with her?" His voice didn't sound strong at all.
"You don't know? Wait who are you?" The nurse suddenly realised she had never seen this man before.
"My name is Doctor John Carter MD. I was.. AM this woman's boyfriend. She disappeared on me about twelve weeks ago and I have only just found out where she was. Now will you please tell me what is wrong with her?" Tears glistened in his eyes.
The nurse after listening to his story actually felt sorry for the man standing in front of her. "Ms Lockhart has breast cancer."
Carter felt as if the wind had been knocked out from inside of him. The love of life had been suffering and she hadn't let him in. "I'll be back." He said to the nurse before heading back to the elevators. He had to get Susan.
Taking the elevator back to the ground floor he got his cell phone out and called Susan. "Susan, can you come to Northwestern?"
"Why?" Susan sounded confused. Why was he asking her to go to another hospital? "Have you been in an accident?"
"No, just come. Meet me in reception." He said before ringing off. He paced the floor before seeing the drinks machine calling his name. He hadn't realised how dry his throat was until he saw it.
Twenty minutes later Susan walked in the door. She walked straight up to Carter hugging him seeing how distressed he was. He took her hand and led her upstairs to the fourth floor. "Carter you still haven't explained why I'm here." She said to him as he pulled her towards his previous standing place. He pointed in the window. "Oh my GOD!" Susan gasped as she saw the sight that had Carter floored.
Abby has moved slightly causing the duvet to fall around her waist again. They can both see her face now and she doesn't look like their Abby. She is so thin and pale. She starts to shake again from the cold. The nurse is still the same one from before. Again she lifts the duvet and tucks it around Abby's body. She comes back out to where Carter and Susan stand. "You came back?"
"Said I would. This is Doctor Susan Lewis a very good friend of mine and Abby's." Carter introduced Susan. "Sorry in all the confusion before I didn't catch your name."
"Hallie Majors. I'm Abby's oncology nurse. You didn't give me a chance before to explain myself. Abby has breast cancer. It was discovered approximately twelve weeks ago and she has had surgery and is now going through treatment. She doesn't take the chemo all that well. But she's a fighter. We didn't think she had anyone."
"Well you see she worked at County General and we were dating when she all of a sudden disappeared and we couldn't find her until a friend said she had been spotted here."
"She doesn't talk much but maybe with you guys she will finally open up." Hallie opened the door and let Carter and Susan enter. They both didn't know what to do or say. She looked peaceful lying there. She had turned again but managed to keep the duvet with her. How were they going to speak to her after all this time and now what they knew about her.
"Patient or worker?" The woman asked knowing in herself who he was looking for.
"I'm not entirely sure, worker I hope." He smiled nervously at her. He couldn't help it, what if she really was ill and a patient.
"Go to the fourth floor, they help you out up there." The woman smiled warmly at him. She liked the woman he was looking for. She had got to know her with her frequent visits.
"Thank you." Carter said before heading to the bank of elevators that sat to the right of the reception area.
On the fourth floor, he stepped out to realise that he was on the oncology floor. He walked over to the reception area. "Abigail Lockhart?" He asked the young girl sitting behind the desk.
The girl looked up. She actually looked shocked that someone was asking for Abby. Abby had been here for almost twelve weeks and no one had come asking about her. "Eh, room four." She stuttered.
Carter thanked her before heading in the direction she was pointing. Approaching room four he took a deep breath and gasped as he looked in and found his worse fear. There in front of him lay Abby. Her back was too him so she couldn't see him. He could see the IV line going into her arm, the oxygen mask across her face and the cover wrapped loosely around her waist. He watched as her body started to shake with cold. Goosebumps appeared on her pale flesh. It took him all his courage not to rush into the room and take her into his arms. He watched as the nurse walked up to the side of the bed and pulled the duvet up under Abby's chin.
The nurse spotted him and walked towards the door. She opened it and offered for him to come in. Carter shook his head but motioned for the nurse to follow him. He needed answers. "What is wrong with her?" His voice didn't sound strong at all.
"You don't know? Wait who are you?" The nurse suddenly realised she had never seen this man before.
"My name is Doctor John Carter MD. I was.. AM this woman's boyfriend. She disappeared on me about twelve weeks ago and I have only just found out where she was. Now will you please tell me what is wrong with her?" Tears glistened in his eyes.
The nurse after listening to his story actually felt sorry for the man standing in front of her. "Ms Lockhart has breast cancer."
Carter felt as if the wind had been knocked out from inside of him. The love of life had been suffering and she hadn't let him in. "I'll be back." He said to the nurse before heading back to the elevators. He had to get Susan.
Taking the elevator back to the ground floor he got his cell phone out and called Susan. "Susan, can you come to Northwestern?"
"Why?" Susan sounded confused. Why was he asking her to go to another hospital? "Have you been in an accident?"
"No, just come. Meet me in reception." He said before ringing off. He paced the floor before seeing the drinks machine calling his name. He hadn't realised how dry his throat was until he saw it.
Twenty minutes later Susan walked in the door. She walked straight up to Carter hugging him seeing how distressed he was. He took her hand and led her upstairs to the fourth floor. "Carter you still haven't explained why I'm here." She said to him as he pulled her towards his previous standing place. He pointed in the window. "Oh my GOD!" Susan gasped as she saw the sight that had Carter floored.
Abby has moved slightly causing the duvet to fall around her waist again. They can both see her face now and she doesn't look like their Abby. She is so thin and pale. She starts to shake again from the cold. The nurse is still the same one from before. Again she lifts the duvet and tucks it around Abby's body. She comes back out to where Carter and Susan stand. "You came back?"
"Said I would. This is Doctor Susan Lewis a very good friend of mine and Abby's." Carter introduced Susan. "Sorry in all the confusion before I didn't catch your name."
"Hallie Majors. I'm Abby's oncology nurse. You didn't give me a chance before to explain myself. Abby has breast cancer. It was discovered approximately twelve weeks ago and she has had surgery and is now going through treatment. She doesn't take the chemo all that well. But she's a fighter. We didn't think she had anyone."
"Well you see she worked at County General and we were dating when she all of a sudden disappeared and we couldn't find her until a friend said she had been spotted here."
"She doesn't talk much but maybe with you guys she will finally open up." Hallie opened the door and let Carter and Susan enter. They both didn't know what to do or say. She looked peaceful lying there. She had turned again but managed to keep the duvet with her. How were they going to speak to her after all this time and now what they knew about her.