A/N: Thanks for the continued reviews- you guys are way too nice to me. Also thanks to Matchbox Twenty once again for lyrics from "The Difference", Gooders and Noodles as always. This chapter is a little on the short side and I'm back at college now so I'm afraid updates will be much more sporadic but hang in there with me guys- I'm writing chapter five at the moment it's just on a temporary hiatus until a couple of exams are over!

"When she was warm and tender and you
Held her arms around you
There was nothing but her
Love and affection she was
Crazy for you now she's
Part of something that you lost"


The corridors pulse with people as I attempt to walk against the flow. It's just another Wednesday but Midway is heaving. And I thought that O'Hare was supposed to be the busy airport. I finally struggle through to the arrivals gate for the 9:10 plane from Florida and impatiently wait for the passengers to appear. A few moments later, people begin to flood through, searching for family members amid the chaos. I spot him quickly and shout to him from the crowd.
"Eric!"
His head turns sharply and I see his eyes light up as he walks over and envelops me in a hug.
"Abby!"
As I pull back from his embrace I ask, "have you grown again?"
He laughs and comments that I've probably shrunk.
After our moment of frivolity it's down to business.
"How's mom?"
I exhale slowly, "she's been better," I answer softly.
"But she's been worse too, right?" he asks worriedly.
I turn my shining eyes to meet my baby brother's and I don't know how to respond. So I simply say, "I'm really glad you're here."

On the el back to County I fill him in properly on the events of the last few days. I tell him about my impromptu trip to Oklahoma and what the neurologist told me the day before. He knows the drill to a certain extent; this isn't the first time that we've had to deal with Maggie attempting suicide. But it is the first time she's been comatose because of it.
As we walk up to the ICU I feel a little more resolute in myself; I know I have to stay strong for Eric's sake. I've spent my entire life trying to protect him and I'm not about to give up now. He didn't have to watch Maggie seizing on a hospital bed, he didn't feel his own heart almost give way when he saw her ECG and he doesn't have to live with the guilt of knowing that this happened in his presence. But I also don't want to give him false hope. In all probability our mother is going to die and there's nothing I can do to change that. Truth be told, I've never felt so helpless before.

"Mom?" Eric speaks tentatively on entering her room.
I watch him approach her and take her hand, the tiny fingers dwarved by his own. A lump rises in my throat as I observe his loving gaze falling on the pale figure in the bed. And although I know it's irrational, I can't help but feel that I've failed them both. I didn't protect either of them this time. I wipe frantically at my eyes before he notices the tears that have formed there. But I needn't have worried as his eyes are firmly fixed upon Maggie.
The door opens behind me and Carter walks into the room. He spies my reddened eyes in a heartbeat.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll come back later," and opens the door to leave.
"No John, it's fine," I assure him.
A little reluctantly he remains where he is and closes the door gently.
Eric looks up at the stranger who has entered.
"Eric, this is my friend John. John, this is my brother Eric," I introduce.
The two men shake hands.
"So you were with Abby, in Oklahoma?" Eric questions him.
Carter nods.
"Are you a nurse too?" he asks again.
This time Carter shakes his head, "no, I'm a doctor, but I work with Abby in the ER."
"She said you've been a great help," Eric adds, embarrassing me.
Carter smiles politely, "it's nothing."
There's a pause before he initiates further conversation.
"So you live in Florida, right?"
"Yeah," confirms Eric, "it's a damn sight warmer down there."
"I'll bet," Carter agrees, then he turns to me, "whatever possessed you to move to Chicago Abby?"
"I don't mind the cold," I reply, "it's not much different to Minnesota anyway."
"I think she's crazy too," Eric comments.
I glare at him good-naturedly.
Carter opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by his pager beeping. He glances at it.
"911 to the ER, I gotta go. It was nice meeting you Eric."
Eric replies, "You too, I'll probably see you again."
Carter smiles, tells me he'll see me later and exits.

I pad across to where Eric is seated and perch on the edge of the bed next to him.
"So was that your boyfriend?" he asks nonchalantly.
"What?" I ask surprised. "No, he's my best friend."
"He can't be both?" he questions.
I'm contemplative for a second before changing the subject.
"Do you want a drink?"
An hour and two coffees later we head downstairs so that I can begin my shift. We enter the lounge and I spy Luka seated on the couch perusing Scientific American. He looks up at me and smiles and I reciprocate. It appears our disagreement from the day before is forgotten.
"Luka," I start, motioning towards Eric, "this is my brother, Eric."
The men greet with brief "hellos" and then Luka turns back to his magazine.
I continue my previous conversation with Eric only to be interrupted by Luka who inquires as to my evening's plans.
I inform him that I'm going to spend time with my brother and he launches into a complaint of not having seen me for days. What does he expect me to do? I'm not prepared to leave Eric in my apartment just so I can go sleep at my boyfriend's. He makes a quip about the chances of seeing me before the summer is out and exits.
I take a deep breath and close my locker frustratedly.
"That's your boyfriend?" Eric asks incredulously.
I give him a look, hand him my spare key and say "see you at home Eric."

Later, I'm assisting Luka whilst he performs a pelvic exam on a pregnant teenager and he clearly feels remorseful about our semi-argument.
"I'm sorry about earlier," he tells me as he signs off on the chart.
He continues as we walk into the hall. "I know you have a lot on, it's just… I miss you."
"Okay," I reply.
"So if you can't come around tonight, do you want to get some food during your break?"
"Sure," I consent.
He smiles, "Okay, come find me?"
I nod and he walks away.

I do catch up with Luka for some dinner but our meeting is curtailed by an MVA rolling in. Consequently I leave work an hour and a half late and when I finally arrive home I'm exhausted both mentally and physically. Eric is seated on my couch watching cartoons and it feels like he's six again. He sees my lassitude and stands up, offering to make me a coffee. I smile appreciately and collapse on the sofa. Eric asks how my day has been and I tell him long and arduous. He laughs merrily and asks if I wouldn't prefer a drop of "this". I turn towards him to indentify "this" and see his hand indicating the vodka bottle perched innocently on the worktop. I stare at the bottle longingly before assuring him that coffee is fine. I wonder momentarily why I've never tried to explain my drinking problem to him. It's down to pride I guess. I've always been the strong one who sheltered him. I didn't want my little brother to see his big sister's weakness.
He returns to the couch with the caffeinated beverage and I sip it greedily, cradling the mug emanating warmth.
We talk for a while, mostly of things of little significance: the weather, TV, the latest book he read; both trying to distract ourselves from the real reason we're seated together in my apartment. The conversation eventually dwindles and we content ourselves with watching some old black and white number on Turner Classic Movies. I'm stretched out across Eric's lap, his arm loosely draped over my shoulders and I realize how much I've missed him over the last few months. Comfortable and content for the first time in days, except perhaps when I was in Carter's presence, I allow myself to drift into a dreamless slumber.