A/N: Okay, it might start to get interesting now… this is dedicated to MJ. She just started watch ER… tonight! WOO! Yeah, I'm aware of the medical inconsistencies in this. But don't let that hinder your reading! Is Abby gonna die this season? :( For those of you wondering, Jayleigh is pronounced "Jay-lee".
Disclaimer: ER isn't mine. The song is Mandy Moore's. Jayleigh is mine. But barely.
*~LTDan~*
There's a song that's inside of my soul
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again
I'm awake in the infinite cold
But you sing to me over and over and over again
So I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope
Sing to me the song of the stars
Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again
When it feels like my dreams are so far
Sing to me of the plans
That you have for me over again
So I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope
I give you my destiny
I'm giving you all of me
I want your symphony
Singing in all that I am
At the top of my lungs
I'm giving it back
So I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope
~Only Hope by Mandy Moore
For the second time that day, Carter's head was swimming. So much for simple, sensible facts, he thought.
"I'm not sure I understand," he told Abby, laughing nervously.
Tears were rolling down her face. Was it this difficult to talk about her daughter? He had talked to her about Jayleigh before, but she had never cried. He was feeling extremely confused.
"You sh-shouldn't," she whispered between sobs.
Carter offered her the most baffled look he possessed. Wave after wave of perplexity washed over him, each in time with Abby's tears. He wanted to say, to ask, her so much, but right when he was about to speak, to make the situation any lighter, Abby stood.
"I'm sorry, John," she muttered, and walked away.
******
He returned to the Carter mansion around twelve that night. He got out of his XLR, groaning with realization that he had work in five short hours. Maybe he could squeeze in some sleep between then and five, but that wasn't exactly probable. Slowly, he made his way inside and to his bed. He tiredly began to undress himself, and slipped a gray shirt over his head. With a final yawn, he slid into bed.
The phone rang an hour later.
"What?" he murmured into the receiver, instead of his usual "Carter residence, John speaking."
"Dr. Carter," said the voice on the other end quickly.
"Frank?" He checked the luminous clock on his bedside table. "I don't go in for another four hours. I'm not late," he ended stubbornly.
"It's not about work, Dr. Carter. Er—something's happened," he said, an awkward hinting tone in his voice, as if he were leaving something out. But by now, Carter was used to not having the proper story.
"You need me down there desperately?" he asked, sighing.
"Er—yes." Frank's voice was definitely hiding something.
Carter groaned slightly. "Give me fifteen minutes."
"Okay, okay. Hurry, though!"
The phone clicked off.
******
"What is it, Frank?" he asked, practically dragging himself to the admit desk.
"You're needed on the second floor of the ICU, room 403." His sentence was rehearsed.
403—Abby's daughter's room. Her leukemia. Carter's head began to swim—again.
"Right," he mumbled, taking off at a half-run up the hallway.
He burst into the room. "Abby?"
He wished he wouldn't have said it.
Luka was in his pajamas, hooking Jayleigh up to an IV. Abby was sitting in the chair she had been in the previous night. She was curled up into a ball, hugging her knees and sobbing.
"Umm…" Carter said, embarrassed. "Frank said I was needed up here…"
"And it's a good thing you came, too," said Luka, looking down sadly at the girl in the bed.
"What's going on?" Carter asked.
"Jayleigh has cancer, Carter," responded Luka somberly.
Carter nodded. "I know. Abby told me…" he allowed his sentence to trail.
He heard Abby take a deep breath from behind him. He turned to look at her.
"It's leukemia, John. She needs a bone marrow transplant."
Carter's eyebrows shot up. "Why are you telling me this? Couldn't it wait until tomorrow?"
"No, actually, it couldn't," she replied, sniffing.
He inhaled deeply, his head now immune to both swimming and spinning. "Why, Abby?" he asked in a would-be patient tone.
"Because if she doesn't get the transplant tonight, she'll die!" Abby said in a half-angry, half-piteous tone.
Carter bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes. "I'm not trying to be insensitive—really, I'm not—but what's this all have to do with me?"
"Abby's blood type is A," said Luka in a dazed sort of way.
Carter turned on heel. "What's yours, then?"
Luka wore an expression Carter couldn't decipher. "O," he said gravely.
He laughed mirthlessly. "You're a universal donor! Why don't you give her the blood?"
Luka smiled sadly and shook his head. "No, Carter. You have to be a relative to give bone marrow. I'm afraid I can't help her."
Hmm… everyone's motto today must be "To Hell with logic," he thought, a bit angrily. He stared blankly at Luka.
"But you can," said Abby in a croaky whisper after a moment.
"How?" he asked incredulously.
"By giving her the transplant!" Abby yelled, as if it were obvious.
"Abby, I know about leukemia. My brother, Bobby, had it, if you'll re—"
He stopped dead as a memory from last night with Abby came washing over him.
"…It's inherited…"
But she had also said that neither she nor Luka were carriers of leukemia. But if he could give her the transplant, and Luka couldn't, then that could only mean…
…That he had been too caught up in his own confusion to put two and two together.
He tried to speak, but no words came out. It became evident that both Luka and Abby knew what he had just figured out.
"John, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I tried to tell you over dinner, but I couldn't bring myself to say it."
Carter found his voice. "I've been a father for two years, and you don't tell me?" he yelled.
Abby's eyes began to moisten again. "We tried, John, but every time we did, the mail came back unopened."
"I wasn't receiving any mail! Or calls, or any other form of communication. But you could've flown down there, don't you think?" Your little friend—" he threw a nasty look at Luka, "—could've gotten you down there, free of charge!"
"Carter," said Luka in a loud, threatening tone.
"What?" he asked disgustedly.
"Shut up. You're going to wake her."
Carter decided that, even for a back-stabbing jerk, Luka was right. He would figure this all out later. Right now, he had a little girl—a daughter—to save.
Response to ReviewsChiquita: Looks like a just did.
CamiliaCarby: Of course I'll do the right thing! Sadly, yes, Luka and Abby are together…
KitKat: Thank you, thank you.
Hyperpiper91: Thank you! *Puts the story down* Wow, I'm already feeling better.
Fariha Khan: *Huggles* Thank you! Short though they are, do you know how much I love your reviews? XD
CL_Curtis: I finished Holes. Took me two days to read, but… meh, whatever. I liked it a lot. Zero's cool. I started reading your fanfic, but haven't had the pleasure of finishing yet…
Lauren: For once, I can agree. I actually like this fic. One of three out of 57 (that's how many I have!) that I actually like!
Abby: *Shrugs modestly* I try.
Cool cat: There you go. Did you like?
IdontwriteIjustread: Why yes, yes Carter is the father. No, no Abby and Luka are not married. But that's not come up yet. Yes, yes Carter is jealous. Why thank you.
Starbright: Yes, I do like twisting things. As you'll see. I love the next chapter. It's my favorite so far! Emotional-and-regretful!Carter!
A/N: Anyone else who feels like reviewing, I wouldn't mind it. ^^
*~LTDan~*