At three thirty the following afternoon Carter stood outside Abby's
new apartment door. He was so nervous. He wasn't even sure what he was
going to say to her. Knocking lightly on the door, he stood back and
waited for her to answer. He heard her faint voice from inside. "John is
that you?"
"Yes." He was surprised by how strong his voice sounded.
"There's a key under the mat." Her voice sounded so sweet.
He found the key and cautiously opened the door. Stepping into the apartment he saw how bright and airy it was. The main room was sparsely decorated with only her sofa, television and coffee table. He could see her lying on the sofa under her duvet. He smiled walking across to her. She had a smile on her face but a look of worry. She had covered her head with a red bandana and was wearing an oversized blue sweater. "Hey." He said sitting on the edge of the coffee table.
She smiled a bit wider. Then she looked hard into his eyes. "I'm sorry." She finally spoke.
He looked at her in surprise. "What are you talking about?" He desperately wanted to reach out and take her into his arms.
"I'm so sorry that I never told you. John I've gone through so much in the last while that I haven't been able to tell you. I thought I was doing everyone a favour by not telling them and not burdening them with it all but seeing your face yesterday and how much I hurt you, I realised that I had been wrong."
"Abby, I wish you had spoken to me, but can you tell me exactly what happened and why you disappeared so quickly. You see to have done well for yourself. Your apartment is lovely but you had a perfectly fine apartment with lots of people who love you. Why couldn't you just tell me?" Carter was sounding exasperated.
Abby took a deep breath before continuing. "John what I have to say is going to take me a while and I am probably going to need a break in the middle. I can't seem to stay awake for long periods of time at the moment, but if you have the patience then I'd like to tell you everything." Carter simply nodded and took a hold of her hand. It felt so bony in his. Taking another deep breath Abby began. "Firstly do you remember when I went away for a few days before I disappeared? Eh, I was in Minnesota. Maggie," Abby paused. "Maggie died." She could feel the grip from Carter's hand get tighter. "I went down to bury her and clear up the house. Eric doesn't know. I couldn't find him so I did it all by myself. It was weird doing it all. It was something that when I was young I dreamed of but now we were finally getting back on track. It was while I was clearing out her house that I discovered the lump. So when I came back to Chicago I went to see the oncologist at Northwestern who examined me and told me that he would perform the operation. He told me that I would need at least six weeks off work depending on what treatment was needed. When I spoke to Weaver, I asked for a leave of absence for personal reasons. She told me that if I couldn't give a reason then no I couldn't have it. SO I then told her where she could stick her job. I left county and then packed up the apartment. I know of this one, and that I could move in immediately so I did." Abby started to cough. "Could you pass me the bucket please?" John obliged before she started vomiting into it. He felt so helpless but knew that this was one side effect of the chemo. He rubbed her back not knowing if it was helping. She vomited till she had nothing left. As she lay back against the pillows, she closed her eyes. "John there is still so much to tell you but I need to sleep. Please stay. Make you self comfortable, there's food in the fridge if you get hungry." The last line was rather slurred as she fell into a deep slumber. Carter pulled the duvet up round her before kissing her forehead and letting her sleep. He walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. He was trying hard to understand everything that she had told him. It was such a lot to take in but still there was more to come. He couldn't believe that she had gone through Maggie's funeral on her own. She was just so stubborn sometimes. But no matter what he was going to be there for her from now on.
"Yes." He was surprised by how strong his voice sounded.
"There's a key under the mat." Her voice sounded so sweet.
He found the key and cautiously opened the door. Stepping into the apartment he saw how bright and airy it was. The main room was sparsely decorated with only her sofa, television and coffee table. He could see her lying on the sofa under her duvet. He smiled walking across to her. She had a smile on her face but a look of worry. She had covered her head with a red bandana and was wearing an oversized blue sweater. "Hey." He said sitting on the edge of the coffee table.
She smiled a bit wider. Then she looked hard into his eyes. "I'm sorry." She finally spoke.
He looked at her in surprise. "What are you talking about?" He desperately wanted to reach out and take her into his arms.
"I'm so sorry that I never told you. John I've gone through so much in the last while that I haven't been able to tell you. I thought I was doing everyone a favour by not telling them and not burdening them with it all but seeing your face yesterday and how much I hurt you, I realised that I had been wrong."
"Abby, I wish you had spoken to me, but can you tell me exactly what happened and why you disappeared so quickly. You see to have done well for yourself. Your apartment is lovely but you had a perfectly fine apartment with lots of people who love you. Why couldn't you just tell me?" Carter was sounding exasperated.
Abby took a deep breath before continuing. "John what I have to say is going to take me a while and I am probably going to need a break in the middle. I can't seem to stay awake for long periods of time at the moment, but if you have the patience then I'd like to tell you everything." Carter simply nodded and took a hold of her hand. It felt so bony in his. Taking another deep breath Abby began. "Firstly do you remember when I went away for a few days before I disappeared? Eh, I was in Minnesota. Maggie," Abby paused. "Maggie died." She could feel the grip from Carter's hand get tighter. "I went down to bury her and clear up the house. Eric doesn't know. I couldn't find him so I did it all by myself. It was weird doing it all. It was something that when I was young I dreamed of but now we were finally getting back on track. It was while I was clearing out her house that I discovered the lump. So when I came back to Chicago I went to see the oncologist at Northwestern who examined me and told me that he would perform the operation. He told me that I would need at least six weeks off work depending on what treatment was needed. When I spoke to Weaver, I asked for a leave of absence for personal reasons. She told me that if I couldn't give a reason then no I couldn't have it. SO I then told her where she could stick her job. I left county and then packed up the apartment. I know of this one, and that I could move in immediately so I did." Abby started to cough. "Could you pass me the bucket please?" John obliged before she started vomiting into it. He felt so helpless but knew that this was one side effect of the chemo. He rubbed her back not knowing if it was helping. She vomited till she had nothing left. As she lay back against the pillows, she closed her eyes. "John there is still so much to tell you but I need to sleep. Please stay. Make you self comfortable, there's food in the fridge if you get hungry." The last line was rather slurred as she fell into a deep slumber. Carter pulled the duvet up round her before kissing her forehead and letting her sleep. He walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. He was trying hard to understand everything that she had told him. It was such a lot to take in but still there was more to come. He couldn't believe that she had gone through Maggie's funeral on her own. She was just so stubborn sometimes. But no matter what he was going to be there for her from now on.