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

Chapter Seven: Conversations

"And now I'd like you to welcome our keynote speakers, Dr. Abigail Lockhart and photographer Ethan Hunt."

Abby grabbed Ethan's hand and gave it a squeeze as she took a deep breathe before they stepped onto stage. The first thing that ran through her mind was how large of a number five hundred had suddenly become.

"Thank you." She replied as she stepped in front of the podium. "As you already know I'm Abby, and this is Ethan." Sheer brilliance she thought. "We're here tonight to tell you about a distinct opportunity we've been given, and one that we would like to offer to you." She glanced at Ethan who standing to the left of her.

"Yes." He interjected. "Five weeks ago Abby and I weren't doing fundraisers, we weren't promoting, or anything else you think we're up here doing tonight. We were in a small African village in the middle of the jungle. We have some pictures we'd like to show you, and some stories we'd like to share." Ethan glanced at Abby as he finished his sentence.

"We want to share with you what has changed our lives, we want to share with you events and situations that are happening everyday. Situations that affect thousands."

……….

"I can't believe we just did that." Ethan said with a smile as he gulped the last bit of water out of its bottle.

"I was so nervous. Do you think they could tell?"

"Probably." He replied with a smile.

"Reassuring."

"I know."

……….

"The country is torn by civil war. There aren't front lines, it's everywhere. So most everyone is affected. Taking violence out of the equation, there is still the epidemic of AIDS." Abby explained.

"Even if they had the medications, it wouldn't do much good." The man rebutted.

"I'm sorry." Abby stated. "I didn't get your name."

"Robert Miller." The man replied, a little taken by the question.

"Mr. Miller, these people aren't stupid. The few who are able to get the proper medication, once explained to them, do well with the regiment."

"I'm not sure that what you've been exposed to is a microcosm of the situation."

"If I placed eight pills that were developed in France in front of you and said 'here you go, your treated' would you know what to do? Would you know when to take them, and how many?"

"No."

"Does that make you incapable of being treated, of being helped?"

"If I can't take the medication, then yes."

"Lets say I then explained when you would need to take the pills, what they would do, and a SIMPLE explanation why. Would you be able to then take the pills responsibly?"

"Yes." The man reluctantly replied.

"What makes you think those people are any different? The fact that they don't have the same education? That doesn't make them stupid."

"Well, it's a fact that…"

"Are you sure you want to begin to quote facts, statistics, or studies right now Mr. Miller?"

…………

"You should have been a lawyer." Sam stated as Abby shut the car door. "I mean you put that man in his place."

"I doubt he'll be contributing any money."

"Are you kidding." Ethan interjected.

"He's right." Sam added. "He feels so much like an insensitive snob he'll have a check at my office by five."

"I really didn't mean to."

"Abby you were great." Ethan said. "Power lunches are definitely your fundraising niche."

"And I thought it was large dinners." Abby said with a smile.

"Thank you so much guys, you don't know what you've done."

"I can't wait to see what this money will do." Abby added.

"Are you all set to leave on Saturday?" Sam asked.

"I think so. My last shift is Thursday."

"I know I'm ready." Ethan stated.

"Your going back?" Abby asked in complete surprise.

" Did I forget to mention that they've rehired me." Ethan said with a smile.

"Rehired?" Abby asked.

"I'm sorry covering the cost."

"I was going to say, I thought Sam and I had a bone to pick."

"Don't worry." Sam jokingly stated.

……….

Walking down the Chicago street Abby took it in. The noise, the people, the surroundings, the familiarity. The lake was beautiful, the breeze was light, the night was idealist.

"What are you thinking about?" Ethan asked as they continued to walk.

"Just taking it in."

"Your going to miss it."

"This is home."

"And yet you go." He added.

"What can I say."

"Abby the do-gooder."

"That'd be one of the few times I've heard that."

"Fair enough."

"And what about you keeping your return a secret?"

"I was just waiting for the opportune moment."

"I see."

"I didn't know how you would feel about me going back." He said as they stopped and leaned against the railing by the edge of the lake.

"Huh?" Abby asked a little confused by his statement.

"Well, we've been spending a lot of time together. Most of which is work. I just didn't know."

"Know what?" Abby asked.

"If you felt the same way." He said, his moment of vulnerability obvious.

Abby smiled as she looked into his eyes. He was cute when he was nervous. He tried to cover it with a calm composer, but she could see it. She closed the distance between them and leaned her body slowly towards him. "Does this answer your question?" She asked as she continued to lean in until she kissed him.

As they kissed Ethan clasped his hands to hers. Slowly they pulled away. Ethan pulled her hand to his chest and then slowly brushed her hair away from her eyes. "It wasn't a definitive answer but I guess it will work." He said with a smile.

"Your just all jokes aren't you?"

"What?" He asked defensively.

……….

"I didn't know you were on today." Abby stated as Susan entered the lounge.

"I traded. I wanted to work with you on your last shift." Susan replied.

"Your not going to get sentimental are you?"

"Possibly, I'm very hormonal right now." Susan said with a smile.

"Of course." Abby replied. "I am coming back."

"I know."

"In fact I'll be back in four months. That'll be September, and I'll be here until well after my little niece or nephew's birth. And yes I will be calling it my niece or nephew."

"I wouldn't expect anything else."

"I also expect you to hold off buying all the cute little baby things. I'm coming back in plenty of time for US to do that."

"I'm glad you informed me." Susan replied with a smile.

"I'm going to miss you." Abby stated.

"Me too." Susan added as the two women stood in the lounge. "But hey we have a whole shift of treating fine citizens of Chicago."

"Shall we? Abby asked.

"If we don't Weaver will be in to yell at us."

"It would only be appropriate." Abby smirked.

"Right?"

……….

"Here you go." Haleh stated as she handed Abby a chart.

"What's this?"

"Susan said she needed you to take it." Haleh replied as she began to walk down the hall.

Abby walked to exam three and opened the door. "Hello Stanley." She said to the drunk homeless man lying on the bed.

"Nurse Abby." He replied.

"Stanley, I've been a doctor quite a while now." She tried to explain.

"How've you been?" He asked.

"Ok, Stanley I'm going to get you started on a banana bag, possibly get you a sponge bath, and I'm sure we can find you something to eat."

"You're my favorite nurse. You are." He replied.

"Why thank you Stanley, it means so very much to me."

As she exited the room Susan and Neela were waiting for her. "Very funny guys."

"Oh come on." Susan said defensively.

"We have to have a little fun with you." Neela added.

"Yeah Yeah."

……….

"That's it. All patients are now under the care of someone else." Abby stated as she put her hands in the air.

"Lunch tomorrow then?" Susan asked.

"Absolutely." Abby replied.

"We're going to miss you around here." Malik added.

"I'm going to miss you guys too, four months though. I'll be back."

"You better be." Haleh stated.

"Ok, I'm going to go clear out my locker." Abby stated.

To her surprise there was nothing in the lounge. No cake, no card, not one streamer. Somehow Abby was sure there would have been some gesture to accompany their goodbyes. She opened her locker and filled the small box with her personal items. She looked around the room that held so many memories. Four months she told herself. She would be back. Four months fly by like nothing she convinced herself.

"Goodbye!" The staff yelled as she exited the lounge. Haleh was holding a cake. Susan was snapping pictures, and the rest were, well, standing there.

"Guys." Abby said. "I love you guys."

"We love you too." They replied in unison.

……….

"Do you think this plane ride is going to suck as much the second time around?" Abby asked as they buckled their seat belts.

"Probably." Ethan replied.

"I think you're right." She said as she grabbed his hand. "Have you ever seen 'Say Anything'?"

"The one with John…What's his name?"

"Yeah, where he holds up the stereo while it's playing 'In Your Eyes'" Abby further explained.

"I think so." Ethan replied.

"Me too."

"That's it?"

"Yeah." Abby said.

"Ok."

"What?" She asked.

"I just thought you were going to make a point."

"The end of the movie is on a plane, that's what made me think of it."

"Oh."

"Yeah." She said.

"Ok."