A/N: This is a post-ep for TLYS, AU, of course. I can't remember the exact dialogue from the show, so I'll just beg for your forgiveness in advance if the first part isn't exactly correct. ::begs:: Well, now that that's done with, read on.
Summary: After she is attacked, the staff of the ER closes ranks around Abby, and Luka finds himself outside the circle.
Chapter 1
"Carter can have you."
As soon as he said the words he regretted it. He meant it, he meant every word of it, but he couldn't bear to see the hurt look on her face, to know that his words had made her look that way. It was like he had just stabbed her in the heart.
"Oh. Okay," she said quietly, for a lack of anything better to say. Well, he had made clear how he felt. It was obvious that there was nothing else that could be said. She turned away from him. She walked away.
I'm sorry, Abby, he wanted to say. He didn't want her to look so sad, to know that he had caused her pain. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, that would make things better.
She was already gone.
He closed his eyes, he slapped the wall. "No," he said quietly to no one in particular. He had never wanted things to end like this; both of them pissed off, yelling things they didn't mean. But it appeared he didn't have a choice in the matter. He had told her how he felt; she had walked away. It was over.
With a heavy heart, Luka walked back towards the El.
__________________________________________________________________
Abby was walking fast. Was she really walking away from him? She didn't want to, but he hadn't given her a choice.
Things had changed so much between them. When they first started dating, they had been so close. They had loved spending time with each other. But now, it was all she could do to pry him away from his video games and make him go with her to dinner.
She thought of him sitting at the bar talking with his friend while she waited outside in the cold, then practically flirting with that waitress. Had she overreacted? She didn't think so. It was almost like he wanted her to say something, to challenge him. Well, she had. And look what happened.
Maybe this was what he wanted. Maybe he was tired of her, but didn't want it to be his fault that they had broken up. That seemed to be what he was trying to say; why else would he have followed her off the El, telling her everything that has wrong with her? He was tired of being with her, but wanted to be able to place all the blame for their failing relationship on her shoulders. Well, she wasn't taking it.
It was his fault too, she reasoned with herself. He was the one who had purposely brought her to a diner where he knew everyone, just so she would feel out of place. He was the one who had left her standing out in the cold while he chatted it up with a friend. He had played up to that waitress like she was invisible, then pretended like he was doing nothing. No, this was as much his fault as it was hers, and she had no regrets. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body. No regrets, she reminded herself, walking on.
She heard footsteps behind her, and she knew who it was. Her heart skipped a beat. What would she do now? What if he wanted to apologize? But it was too late; he had shown her how he felt. They couldn't go back to the way things were before.
But he had probably gotten halfway to the El then remembered how much he loved her, remembered all the good times they had had together, so he panicked and came back. He would probably try to apologize, try to take back all the things he had said. She was ready for this.
She was not ready for the concrete block that smashed down on her head just as she turned to confront him.
____________________________________________________
"Carter? You're still here?"
Carter sighed. "Yes, I'm still here."
"Didn't you get off six hours ago?" Malik said, pointing to the clock.
Carter nodded. "Yes, but I had to help care for the wave of freaks we just got." He glanced around the admit desk. It was fairly empty in the waiting room. "Well, it looks like my services are no longer needed here. Would you tell Weaver I left?"
Malik put his hands in the air. "Tell her yourself. She's still fuming about Chen and Malucci; I'm not going anywhere near her unless I have to."
"Fine, I'll do it myself, since it seems like no one wants to do anything around here." He snatched off him stethoscope as he prowled the halls, looking for Weaver. Thinking about it, he realized that he probably shouldn't have bitten Malik's head off like that; but he was sick and tired of being at County. He had missed dinner with his parents, gotten blood on one of his favorite pairs of pants, and to top it all off, now everyone was leaving and they seemed to expect him to take their patients! Well, he wouldn't. He was clocking out right now, and then he was out of here.
The paramedics crashed through the ambulance doors. "Can somebody take this? Dr. Carter?" they asked, wheeling the gurney in his direction.
"NO. I am off," he stated firmly, going into the lounge just in case they didn't believe him.
"We need someone to take this," said the paramedic. "Mugging victim, LOC, cranial bleeding? We called this in."
Malik shook his head. "WE didn't get it. Must be something wrong with the radio. I'll see if I can find Weaver." Malik raced off down the hall in search of a doctor.
There was Chen! She was in a Trauma room facing the wall. He was about to barge in when he noticed the tears streaming down her face. Okay, maybe not. He'd just try to find Weaver and give Chen a chance to compose herself.
"Doctor Weaver!" he yelled, spotting her from down the hall. "We got a trauma here, no one to take it!"
"Get Carter," she said abruptly.
"He left," Malik lied, knowing how long Carter had been on. He deserved a break.
Weaver sighed. "Where are Chen and Malucci? Don't answer that, I don't wanna know," she said before he could respond. "I'll take it."
Weaver and Malik joined the paramedics, who had taken it upon themselves to wheel the gurney into Trauma 2. "What do we have?"
"Jane Doe, about thirty-five, mugging victim. Looks like she got hit on the head with a large object, she's got serious bleeding. She was unconscious when we got there."
Weaver nodded and strapped on gloves. "Okay, let's-" Her words stopped abruptly when she saw the woman on the gurney.
"Oh my God," Weaver and Malik said at the same time. There, lying on the gurney covered in blood, was Abby.
"Get another nurse," Weaver said to Malik, quickly recovering from her shock. She didn't know what had happened, but she would try her best to see that Abby lived to tell about it.
___________________________________________________________
The hypnotic motion of the El was almost enough to lull Luka to sleep. He was so tired. He just wanted to be off this train and back at home.
He thought of the way he had left Abby. How had things ever gotten so out of hand? They used to care about each other. He still loved her; he didn't know how she felt about him. What had happened to their relationship?
He thought back over the night's events. He really had forgotten about Abby standing outside, and when the man at the bar started talking about his troubles, what could he do but listen? She had been so mad, but it was a simple mistake. But was that really all it was about?
Lately, it seemed like they fought about everything. The simplest mistake by either of them was enough to start a full-scale battle. Maybe that was a sign that it was time for their relationship to end. They had had some great times together, but maybe it was time to call it quits.
Did he really want to? Abby was the first woman he had been with after Danjela. There had been a time when he actually thought that theirs was a love that would last forever. But that was before he really knew Abby, before he had gotten a chance to see her dark side. He had been willing to help her through her problems, but she had made it obvious that she didn't want to change, so there was nothing more he could do. Maybe being apart would be the best thing for both of them.
Luka sighed wearily and rubbed his eyes. So much had happened in one night. He just needed some time to think about all this. Maybe tomorrow, after a good night's sleep, he would have a different perspective on things. He closed his eyes, and was soon rocked to sleep by the rhythm of the El.
A/N: Yes, yet another Abby-gets-hurt story from yours truly. What can I say; I just can't stay away from em. I know I'm two years late to the party, but I watched TLYS last night, and I just couldn't resist tailoring the ending to suit myself. Do be a good lass (or lad) and review. A thousand thanks. ~Taz