I sighed as I walked into our bedroom. Both the kids were asleep and
I was just about dead on my feet. "God, I'm so tired," I moaned, crawling
into bed.
"Me too," Carter said, putting down the book he'd been reading. He glanced over at me. "You OK?" he asked.
I smiled a fake, tight-lipped smile. "Yep," I said.
Carter gave me a severe look. "Abby," he said. "Come on."
I bit my lower lip. "Well, it's just . . ." I paused. Maybe I was being unreasonable. Maybe I was over reacting. But I had to tell him. "I know you didn't cheat on me but . . .you did cheat on someone. And I just . . .I dunno. It upsets me."
Carter sighed. "That's understandable," he said.
I raised my eyes. "It is?" I hadn't expected him to say that.
"Yeah," he said. "I mean, it was a shitty thing to do and I felt horrible about it forever. I even told Jessica what I did because I felt so guilty." He rolled onto his side so he was facing me. "The weird thing is," he said, smiling slightly. "I felt like I'd betrayed you. I know it sounds strange but I . . .I didn't care about hurting Jessica. You know that first hand. But I was so afraid that cheating on her would make you think less of me."
I nodded, contemplating what he'd said. Then I smiled. "You cheated on Jessica with me," I said.
Carter laughed. "I know," he said. "But that was different. I mean, first of all, we didn't have sex. And second of all, I was in love with you. I AM in love with you." Carter kissed me.
"I wasn't in love with the stripper. Hell, I don't think I even knew her name. That's what made it really horrible." He kissed me again. "And that's why I'll never cheat on you."
I laughed. "What, 'cause you don't wanna feel that horrible again?"
Carter nodded. "That . . .and I'm head over heels in love with you."
I snuggled up against him and took a deep breath. He always smelled so good. He smelt of Aramis and shampoo. "Just promise me one thing," I said, inhaling his scent.
"Anything," he said.
"If I ever catch you with another woman you will let me castrate you."
Carter laughed softly. "Deal," he said, kissing me on the head.
"Multiply GSWs from a school shooting," Chuny said. "ETA five minutes."
Carter and I walked out side to wait for the first ambulance. "I hate these," Carter said.
"Me too," I said. "School shootings scare me. We're gonna send Annie and Kaden to a private school, right?"
Carter laughed. "As you wish." The ambulance pulled up and Carter and I ran to help the paramedics.
"Judy Gale, 28, GSW to the abdomen," one of the paramedics said.
Judy Gale? That name was oddly familiar. I looked down at the woman moaning on the gurney. "Oh my god," I said, grabbing at Carter's arm. "Carter, its Annie's teacher."
Carter's face went white. "Judy," he said. "Judy, where's Annie? Is Annie OK?" Judy didn't answer, she just continued to moan.
Five more ambulances rolled up and out of each came an injured child, none of them Annie.
"Fran," Carter yelled to a paramedic. "How many were injured at the school?"
Fran shook her head. "About twenty," she said. "There are a few more coming to County, the rest are going to Mercy and . . ." before Fran could finish her sentence Carter was running across the ambulance bay. He was in the process of shedding his coat when he ran smack into Romano, knocking him on his ass.
"Where do you think you're going?" Romano yelled from the ground.
"I have to find Annie," Carter said.
Romano shook his head. "No, we're swamped. You're staying right here."
Carter looked at me and I shrugged helplessly. "The faster we get to work on these kids the faster we can find our daughter."
Carter looked sadly at a little girl rolling up to us on a gurney. "I can't," he said weakly. "I have to find her."
I put my hand on Carter's arm and looked at him. "John," I said gently. "This little girl is someone's Annie."
Response to reviews –
Duckygirl – More is on the way!
Kayla – Kaden's fine. Nothing bad ever happens to Kaden. All the bad stuff happens to Annie.
Hyperpiper91 – I can't tell you if you're right or not because I have no idea what you're talking about. What did he say to her? When?
Carbylobsterandavrilfan – Yay! Sweetness!
Jackie – I think I've pretty much done it all now. I could kill off Carter or Abby but I'm not gonna.
Higherbeingfriendsfan – Updates on their way!
"Me too," Carter said, putting down the book he'd been reading. He glanced over at me. "You OK?" he asked.
I smiled a fake, tight-lipped smile. "Yep," I said.
Carter gave me a severe look. "Abby," he said. "Come on."
I bit my lower lip. "Well, it's just . . ." I paused. Maybe I was being unreasonable. Maybe I was over reacting. But I had to tell him. "I know you didn't cheat on me but . . .you did cheat on someone. And I just . . .I dunno. It upsets me."
Carter sighed. "That's understandable," he said.
I raised my eyes. "It is?" I hadn't expected him to say that.
"Yeah," he said. "I mean, it was a shitty thing to do and I felt horrible about it forever. I even told Jessica what I did because I felt so guilty." He rolled onto his side so he was facing me. "The weird thing is," he said, smiling slightly. "I felt like I'd betrayed you. I know it sounds strange but I . . .I didn't care about hurting Jessica. You know that first hand. But I was so afraid that cheating on her would make you think less of me."
I nodded, contemplating what he'd said. Then I smiled. "You cheated on Jessica with me," I said.
Carter laughed. "I know," he said. "But that was different. I mean, first of all, we didn't have sex. And second of all, I was in love with you. I AM in love with you." Carter kissed me.
"I wasn't in love with the stripper. Hell, I don't think I even knew her name. That's what made it really horrible." He kissed me again. "And that's why I'll never cheat on you."
I laughed. "What, 'cause you don't wanna feel that horrible again?"
Carter nodded. "That . . .and I'm head over heels in love with you."
I snuggled up against him and took a deep breath. He always smelled so good. He smelt of Aramis and shampoo. "Just promise me one thing," I said, inhaling his scent.
"Anything," he said.
"If I ever catch you with another woman you will let me castrate you."
Carter laughed softly. "Deal," he said, kissing me on the head.
"Multiply GSWs from a school shooting," Chuny said. "ETA five minutes."
Carter and I walked out side to wait for the first ambulance. "I hate these," Carter said.
"Me too," I said. "School shootings scare me. We're gonna send Annie and Kaden to a private school, right?"
Carter laughed. "As you wish." The ambulance pulled up and Carter and I ran to help the paramedics.
"Judy Gale, 28, GSW to the abdomen," one of the paramedics said.
Judy Gale? That name was oddly familiar. I looked down at the woman moaning on the gurney. "Oh my god," I said, grabbing at Carter's arm. "Carter, its Annie's teacher."
Carter's face went white. "Judy," he said. "Judy, where's Annie? Is Annie OK?" Judy didn't answer, she just continued to moan.
Five more ambulances rolled up and out of each came an injured child, none of them Annie.
"Fran," Carter yelled to a paramedic. "How many were injured at the school?"
Fran shook her head. "About twenty," she said. "There are a few more coming to County, the rest are going to Mercy and . . ." before Fran could finish her sentence Carter was running across the ambulance bay. He was in the process of shedding his coat when he ran smack into Romano, knocking him on his ass.
"Where do you think you're going?" Romano yelled from the ground.
"I have to find Annie," Carter said.
Romano shook his head. "No, we're swamped. You're staying right here."
Carter looked at me and I shrugged helplessly. "The faster we get to work on these kids the faster we can find our daughter."
Carter looked sadly at a little girl rolling up to us on a gurney. "I can't," he said weakly. "I have to find her."
I put my hand on Carter's arm and looked at him. "John," I said gently. "This little girl is someone's Annie."
Response to reviews –
Duckygirl – More is on the way!
Kayla – Kaden's fine. Nothing bad ever happens to Kaden. All the bad stuff happens to Annie.
Hyperpiper91 – I can't tell you if you're right or not because I have no idea what you're talking about. What did he say to her? When?
Carbylobsterandavrilfan – Yay! Sweetness!
Jackie – I think I've pretty much done it all now. I could kill off Carter or Abby but I'm not gonna.
Higherbeingfriendsfan – Updates on their way!
