DISCLAIMER: I do not own ER. I am making no profit.

Chapter Three: Too Little Time To Spend

As she approached the ER she wasn't exactly sure how she had managed to return home and pack, while still making it to work on time. She had thrown her two pairs of cargo pants into a bag, along with her three most safari looking shirts. Before she knew it she was trying to stuff deodorant into the bag as she hastily tried to hail a cab. Yes, this day was already proving to be more stressful than she would like.

She was perhaps fifteen feet from the entrance now. At lunch she would have to go and update a few shots, nothing major. Hopefully she could leave early and have an hour or so before she needed to head to the airport. She smiled at that thought as she looked down at her carry on. Something told her time was a luxury she didn't necessarily have.

The doors opened as she moved into the ER. Patients, they were every where. The board was full, the waiting room was full, the hallways were full. Yeah, she would get to leave early.

"Abby, so glad your hear." Pratt said with a smile.

"Good morning to you to." She replied.

"Weaver was very excited about your message this morning."

"How pissed was she?"

"Lets just say your going to love the night life."

"Great." Abby sighed as she moved into the lounge. She quickly shoved her bag and coat into her locker and headed into battle.

……….

"Ms. Stroud, I'm Dr. Lockhart. I hear you fell on your ankle."

"My roommate left her hand weights out again."

"Ouch. Well, let me look at your x-rays."

"Is it broken?" The girl asked.

"No, looks like a bad sprain. I'm going to give you a prescription and a nurse will bring you a brace. Take the pain medication twice a day for a week, and wear the brace for two. Come back if the pain doesn't stop." Abby said with a smile as she handed her the prescription."

"That's it?" The girl asked in surprise.

"That's it." Abby said as she smiled and left the room. She quickly headed to the admit desk to finish discharging Ms. Stroud. "One more down." She said out loud.

"Really? Weaver replied, as she happened to be walking by at the moment Abby made her comment.

Dang it, Abby thought. "Here's leg lac, a pelvic, and a what ever this chart is." Weaver added.

"Gees, thanks Kerry."

………..

Twenty eight patients later it was almost six o'clock . Abby was on until eight and she had to be at the airport by nine. Hopefully things would stay relatively calm, it took most of the day to get the patient load down to something bearable, and Abby was exhausted. "Hey." Susan said as she lightly hit Abby's arm.

"Hey!" Abby exclaimed as she grabbed her arm.

"Sorry?" Susan asked, perplexed.

"I had to get some shots at lunch."

"For Africa?" Susan asked.

"Yeah."

"Nothing like a last minute trip." Susan said with a smile.

"I know. There is a boy, Jonah, who needs open heart surgery. Carter has arranged for it all, but he needs to travel with medical supervision."

"And that's you?" Susan asked almost sarcastically.

"That would be me." Abby replied with an almost sarcastic smile.

"Why can't John or one of the other doctors fly back with him?"

"They can't spare the personnel."

"Yeah." Susan agreed as she recalled the picture Carter sent back.

"So I'm flying out tonight."

"What time do you have to be at the airport?" Susan asked as she checked her watch.

"By nine." Abby replied with a tone a weariness.

"What did Greg have to say about all this?"

"Shit!"

"What?"

"Greg!"

"Shit is right." Susan laughed.

"I have to go call him." Abby said as she ran to the lounge.

She sat in the chair nervously as his cell phone rang. "Greg? Hey, I know I didn't call." She knew he was upset. "I went to the place today and…" She hesitated. "…I'm flying to Africa tonight." God he was pissed. "No it's about a sick boy who is going to die if I don't help." He isn't going to understand. "Listen to me! Please." She was going to have to work her way out of this one. "I had to be at work, we were over loaded. I've seen almost double a normal patient load." This means nothing to him. "I'm sorry, that's all I can say." Is it going to be enough. "I'm still at work." That's what he wanted to hear. "I'm going to try to get away." Does he even believe me? "Meet me at the airport then. I'll try to get there as soon as I can." She could feel the animosity. Click. He hung up on her. She let her head hang low as she ran her fingers through her hair.

How could she have forgotten? What was wrong with her? This would take more than an apology to fix. He read into things like this. She had no idea how far he could take this one. How could she have screwed up so badly?

"Abby." Chuny said as she stuck her head in the room.

"Yeah?" She asked as she picked her head up.

"MVA rolling in."

"Ok."

………….

The cab pulled into the airport and Abby handed him the money and politely but quickly told him to keep the change. It was eight forty five and Greg would be waiting. She found him at the bar in the first restaurant she saw.

"Hey." She apologetically said.

"Hey." He replied as he finished off his drink. Abby had only seen him drink twice, and that was socially. "So?" He broke the silence, probably a bad sign.

"Greg listen…" She was going to think of something.

"No Abby, you listen. Are we kidding ourselves?" He really read into this. "I mean we say we love each other, that we want to spend forever together, but when it comes down to it…" He didn't finish that sentence. "Your leaving for Africa, to go and…I don't even know what, and you don't call until three hours before you leave. And then you don't show up until ten minutes before you have to start going through security. That's not forever."

"Greg."

"Abby, take this trip. Think about us. I can't live like this. If that doesn't work for you then we should find out now." He laid some money on the table and stood up to walk out.

Abby grabbed his arm. "Greg, believe me when I say I love you." He just looked at her. "Believe me when I say a boy's life is at stake." Again he just looked at her. "Believe me when I say that we'll work this out when I get back."

"Yeah, when you get back." He said as he turned and walked away.

"Smooth" Abby said to herself as she picked up her bag and headed towards baggage check.

……….

Two hours later Abby settled into her seat. Coach never felt so nice. All she wanted to do was go to sleep. Her thoughts wouldn't allow it. What would this be like? What would happen when she returned? Greg's last statements ran through her mind. "Yeah, when you get back." It was the way he said it. She wasn't sure if he had ever said something with so much behind it. It was as if he put everything he was feeling, thinking, and supposing into it. Something about didn't sit right. Abby could place it though. This situation was getting crappier by the second. The captain's voice came on the loud speaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen thank you for flying Delta…"