AN: Thank you for reviewing. Don't get too alarmed at Carter's behaviour, and don't yell at me that it's out of character for him, just go with the flow of the story.

The Rainbow After The Storm

Chapter Four

Abby rang the door bell and waited, no one answered so she rang again. A man answered the door, the butler, a butler did Carter have a butler? Did people actually have butlers these days? These were some of the thoughts running through her mind as she studied the oldish man before her.

'Abby Lockhart' she said introducing herself 'I'm here to see Car.. John' she corrected herself quickly

'I've been expecting you' he replied 'In fact I hope that you can help me with him, he's got himself into a right state'

Abby regarded the man returning his gaze with a worried expression on her face, wondering what the hell had Carter been up to now. They entered the room, which Abby had been in with Carter when she had visited a few days earlier.

'Your friend Abby is here' the man said into the darkened room.

Abby looked into the bleakness and after a moment or two she noticed Carter slumped in a chair and she approached him. It was then that she realised the situation. On the table next to the chair sat five empty beer bottles.

'You're drunk!' she said disbelievingly

'You'd know all about that' he retorted

'Oh God' she thought 'He's in a worse condition than I anticipated'

'Well' she said 'If it only took five bottles to get you into this state, you still can't be used to drinking, when did you start drinking Carter?'

'Africa'

'Oh' she replied surprised, then turning to the man she said 'Glad I got here early, can you make some coffee? I've got to sober him up, oh and where's the bathroom he's got to have a shower or something'

'Dr Carter's rooms are up the stairs third door on the right'

'Thank you'

'Do you need a hand getting him up there?'

Abby looked at the man and then replied 'No, no, it's okay I can manage'

'I don't want to go' Carter said to Abby

'I didn't come all the way here on my day off for you to tell me that' she said 'Besides you still need sobering up and I'm not leaving until I'm sure you're okay'

'You're bossy today' he said looking her up and down.

She walked up to him and took his hands pulling him to a standing position.

'You know' he continued 'There's one left in the fridge, you could have it'

She raised her eyebrows at him ' Now I know you're really drunk. I don't drink' She put one arm behind him and walked with him to the stairs

'Ha!' he said

'Not any more' she clarified

'Hmmm' he muttered giving her a sideways glance.

'Lift your feet, properly'

'I am' he said and they started going up the stairs.

He was quiet for a moment or two then said 'Are you sure you don't want that drink, it's free and...'

'Stop it Carter' she said crossly 'I told you I don't drink anymore'

'Since when?'

'Three hundred and forty one days ago, and counting'

He stopped moving they were about halfway up the staircase. 'Nearly a year' he said stating the obvious.

'I see you can count when you're drunk' she commented

'I don't know, I can't remember being drunk before'

'Let's just get on with this' she said as they climbed the stairs again.

When they reached the bedroom she sat him on the edge of the bed and went into the bathroom to start the shower, before coming back to take off his trainers and socks.

'Shirt' she said and he lifted his arms obligingly and she took it off.

'You can do the rest yourself' she told him

'What?'

'Your sweatpants and underwear, you can take them off yourself'

He sat there not moving just looking at her.

''The shower's on' she added, pulling him up to stand again and going over towards the closet.

He followed her with his eyes as she moved around the room and then while she was looking at him, he, in one fluid movement despite his intoxication, pulled down his remaining clothes. She quickly averted her eyes, thinking that Carter's bare body was not something that she should be looking at right now. Seeing this his grinned to himself and after faltering slightly as the clothes were still around his ankles he stumbled into the shower.

Carter spent a long time in the shower, she was just contemplating knocking and asking if he was alright when he came out of the bathroom with a towel fastened around his waist. Abby was pouring some coffee. She turned and passed him a cup, he looked slightly unsteady and she sat him back down on the bed.

'Better?' she asked

'Slightly, what's that?' he indicated with a slight jerk of his head and then suddenly wishing he hadn't.

'It's a suit, I didn't think you were up to choosing one'

'I like that suit' he said 'And that's my favourite tie'

'Good' she said trying to hide a smile 'Drink the coffee, if you don't want that you can drink water'

He gave her a grimacing look at the thought of water and drank the coffee.

'Do you need me to help you dress?'

He replied by giving her a suggestive look and she frowned at him, pouring him another coffee. Looking at him with a do you want help or not expression on her face.

'Yes' he answered after drinking the second coffee, standing up and dropping the towel.

At this she raised her eyes to the ceiling before looking him in the eye.

'And your clean underwear is?'

'Over there, top drawer'

'Any preference?'

'No'

She passed him a pair of boxers and seeing him struggle to balance on one leg she went back to his side and helped him. A couple of coffees and a bit of swearing later (by both of them) he was ready and made it down the stairs holding on to the rail as he descended.

'Keys?' said Abby holding out her hand

'What?'

'Car keys, you, are not, driving'

'What about your car? Didn't you drive here?'

'Wouldn't start, I took a cab'

'Your car was okay the other night'

'It's temperamental'

'Oh' and he picked up his keys from a dish on the sideboard in the entrance hall and gave them to her.

'You need to take anything else with you?'

'No, you could go instead of me'

'That wouldn't work' she told him

'Suppose not'

'Sooner we go, sooner we're back and you can sleep'

'Mmmm' he said nodding which made his head spin, he vowed to himself never to drink again. 'No loud music though'

'It's a deal' she answered


Things went more smoothly after that they arrived at the lawyers with a couple of minutes to spare and she offered him some encouraging words. The whole thing was not as bad as he had feared and he told Abby that that next time he could cope with going on his own. He offered to take her home, but she didn't think that was a good idea, for him to be driving. So when they arrived back at Carter's she made sure that he was okay and the staff told her they would watch out for him more vigilantly. She made them promise to call her if they were worried. When he was sleeping she called a cab and left, she had a mountainous list of things that she had to get done before working the following day.


'Have a relaxing day off yesterday?' Susan asked catching up with Abby at the admit desk the following morning.

'Not really' she replied

'Want to talk about it?'

'No. How are you feeling? Chuck? The baby?'

'Oh okay I haven't seen Chuck, I feel really tired all the time' she said looking down indicating the baby inside her expanding belly.

Abby gave her friend a sympathetic look.

'Abby' said Randi 'Your Mom's on line one'

'I'll take it in the lounge' she replied heading there and picking up the phone handset. 'Mom?'

'Abby' said Maggie her voice anxious

'What's up?'

'Have you heard from Eric?'

'No. Not for a couple of months, I thought you saw him pretty much everyday'

'Yes, he's disappeared again Abby'

'Then we wait'

'Abby, I'm his mother I just can wait'

'Well I told you before and I tell you again, that's what we do, wait. How long has it been?'

'A few days'

'Did he go flying?'

'No he sold it airplane and bought another bike'

'Oh'

'Abby?'

'Look there's nothing I can do, I've got to head back to work'

'Oh okay, call me if he rings you'

'I will, bye'

Abby put the phone down and let out a long drawn sigh, covering her hands with her face, thinking about Carter, Susan, Maggie and Eric and wondering why her life was so complicated.


Meanwhile Carter turned up for his shift and walked up to the desk where he saw Susan sitting writing up a chart.

'Morning' he said 'Seen Abby?'

'Yeah she's taking a call in the Lounge'

'Thanks' he replied heading that way and literally bumping into Abby as she vacated the room.

'Hey' she said 'Feeling better?'

He nodded 'Can I have a word?'

'Sure' and she walked back the way she had come.

She stood in the Lounge as he went to his locker.

'I wanted to say sorry and thank you'

'Sorry and thank you?' she said

'Thank you, for what you did and sorry about how I was, did I say anything I shouldn't have?'

'You don't remember?'

'Not much before we arrived at the appointment, but after that everything I think'

'Oh'

'I did say something didn't I?'

'Not really'

He looked at her raising his eyebrows, asking her if she was being honest with him.

'No. Really, you weren't too bad. You did offer me a beer'

'I did? God, I'm so sorry. That was the first and last time I'm ever getting drunk. In Africa, I just had the odd beer' he added feeling the need to explain.

She smiled 'In case you don't remember I said that I've been sober three hundred and forty one days, well forty two today'

He returned her smile. 'You're right I don't remember that bit'

'Or the bit where you stripped off in front of me?' she said in a teasing manner as she walked to out of the door.

He stood there alone, wondering if she was serious or just kidding. He hurried to catch her up, and found picking a chart from the rack.

'You're joking right?' he said

'What?' she asked

'The last thing you said, it was a joke, right?' waiting for her to say it was.

'No' she replied walking away

He stood looking for a while at her, still not entirely convinced and wondering what else happened that he didn't recall.