AN: Thank you for reviewing, the last chapter.
The Rainbow After The Storm
Chapter Five
A few weeks later
'Hey, I need a doctor' shouted Malik, seeing Abby he asked 'Are you a doctor yet?'
'Not yet, ask me again in a couple of days. Jing-Mei is in one' she replied
'Besides I'm dressed as a nurse today'
'Oh yeah' he said hurrying off to find Chen
'What?' said Abby to Frank who was staring at her
'Let's hope the next two days fly by, then we can stop being confused over what to call you, some days you're a nurse, some a med student I can't keep up'
'Oh right' she replied walking off to exam two, she had more important things to worry about.
As soon as she finished her shift she was off to see Susan then she had to go to some sort of charity function thing with Carter. When she had agreed to see them both she didn't realise it would be the same day.
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'Hi' said Abby to Susan as she arrived at her apartment.
She followed Susan who waddled to the lounge area and they sat down.
'You okay?' Abby asked
'Yeah' said Susan 'Quit looking at me like that'
'Like what?'
'Like I'm about to explode or something, I know I'm getting really big'
'It's not that'
'What is it?'
'I'm just showing friendly concern. Chuck came into work today, asked about you'
'Oh hell, what did you tell him?'
'That you weren't in today'
'Oh' Susan shook her head slightly and added 'He didn't ask you, you know if I had said anything about getting married?'
'No, it was hectic and he was bringing a trauma in'
Susan nodded in response.
'He did say something about trying to catch you if you were in tomorrow'
'What did you say?'
'I said I didn't know your schedule' off Susan's questioning look she continued 'and that was it, when I left trauma he'd gone. You've decided then?'
'About getting married?'
'Yeah'
'Yeah. I'm not, getting married that is, not to Chuck anyway' then smiling she added 'Not with anyone actually. What? You think that's wrong'
Abby looked at her friend 'No, you shouldn't get married just because you feel you have to, you should want to, feel happy about it. I'm not the greatest person to ask for advice on the subject'
'Aha but you've been married'
'Exactly and that was for the wrong reasons. I guess I thought I loved him at the time, but deep down I know it was to get away from Maggie. Looked what happened, I think he's happy now, with his little family. I didn't know he even wanted children, I guess I never really knew Richard at all'
'Abby?' Susan asked after a few moments of silence.
'Yep'
'Can I ask you a favour? Say no if you don't want to'
'Tell me then I can decide'
'Okay Abby will you be my birth partner? Come to a couple of antenatal classes with me, some moral support in the delivery room, that kind of thing?'
Abby smiled 'You sure you want me to do that?'
'Positive'
'Sure, I can do that' she said smiling
'Thanks, I feel a lot better' Susan replied relieved she wouldn't have to go through childbirth alone. But with a friend, a good friend who knew what she was about in the OB.
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'Here, you tie's not straight' Abby said to Carter as he stood on the threshold of her apartment and she fiddled with it a bit.
'Same dress' he said to her as they made their way out of the building.
'What?'
'Same dress as last time'
'Think yourself lucky I could have worn the bridesmaid dress again, at least this is black and stylish and...'
'Okay I get the picture' he opened the door for her and she climbed in.
'No limo?' she asked sitting in his old familiar jeep
'I'm thinking of selling them' he answered
'Really?'
'They hardly ever get used'
'I know but selling them'
'I don't need them Abby'
'Maybe your Mom or Dad would like to keep them'
'It's not their decision'
Noticing the tension that was filling the small space of the car and also Carter's expression Abby decided to keep quiet on the subject. They arrived and were soon in a large function room with lots of guests milling around and socialising with each other.
Carter looked nervous and Abby saw that he was fiddling with his tie, when he saw that she was staring at him he said. 'It's choking me'
'It's fine, just take deep breaths' she whispered back
He gave her a sideways glance and suddenly an elderly couple approached and greeted him.
'John' the woman said 'It's been a long time'
Carter could feel the sweat trickle down his back, he wanted to turn and run, suddenly he felt the support and warmth of Abby's hand curl around his damp and clammy one and he found the courage to speak.
'Mr and Mrs Liesching' he said acknowledging them both.
'Good to see you son' said Mr Liesching 'And?'
'Abby Lockhart' said Abby introducing herself
'Pleased to meet you' he replied
'Oh' said Mrs Liesching to her husband 'there's Ann Tomlin, please excuse us,' and they headed off.
Abby felt Carter breathe a sigh of relief, but he didn't let go of her hand, in fact he squeezed it tighter.
'You're doing great' she said encouragingly 'We can leave after you've presented the cheque'
'Good' he replied not trusting himself to say any more.
Some how he managed to let go of Abby's hand while he went to the platform to present the cheque, an annual event his Grandmother used to perform and gave a small speech. All he could focus on was making his way back to Abby's side. After several more people had greeted them, they managed to leave. Abby offered to drive and he was too mentally exhausted to argue. They travelled in silence; some time later she pulled up at her apartment building. She turned the ignition off and they sat the quietly.
'Coffee?' she finally offered.
He looked at her and nodded as a reply. He sat on the sofa and watched her move around the kitchen, making the drinks. Neither of them spoke lost in their own private thoughts. He hadn't been here for so long, yet the room looked the same. That was probably the only thing that hadn't altered for everything else had. She finally came and sat next to him and handed him a drink.
He took a deep breath and said 'Thanks'
'You're welcome' she replied
It seemed as though neither of them wanted to talk.
Finally she said 'You okay? You did good'
He offered her half a smile and took a sip of the scalding liquid.
'I always hated going to that sort of thing, it was just harder this time'
She looked at him willing him to continue.
'You know, my Grandmother would present that cheque every year' he added chokingly, trying to control himself.
She sat there, again unsure whether to touch him.
'You should be pleased with yourself, I don't think anyone else picked up on your nerves'
'You did'
She shrugged 'That's just me'
'I'm glad you were there'
'I promised to help remember?'
He looked at her and nodded, when suddenly the telephone rang.
'I'd better get it, it might be work, short of nurses as usual, said I'd be home after midnight'
She chose to go into the bedroom to take the call and he looked at the clock, not believing that it was that late, but sure enough the hands read twelve twenty. He sat there nursing his coffee thinking through the last few hours, reliving them in his mind when suddenly Abby's voice became raised and he brought himself back to the present, hearing Abby smash the phone down.
She came back into the room a few moments later looking rather stressed.
'Everything okay?' he asked concerned
She sighed not feeling that he could cope with her problems at the moment as well as his own.
'Fine'
He continued to look at her.
'Maggie' she explained 'We had a bit of a fight'
He accepted her explanation.
'I'd better get going, I'm working tomorrow' he said
'Sure' she replied
She walked him to the door, he smiled at her.
'See you tomorrow' he said as he left.
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The ER was slammed, all day. It was one thing after another everyone was rushed off their feet. Carter left late afternoon looking exhausted Abby thought, Susan had arrived just before looking tired before her shift had even started.
Abby left at six and headed off to a meeting, she had the letter unopened in her pocket, people had been too busy to ask how she had done and she had been too busy to open it. By the end of her shift she was on her fifth pair of scrubs, every kind of body fluid had covered her at least once.
She finally got home about eight, had a shower then fixed some dinner and then sat down with the envelope on the table before her. After turning it around in her hand several times, she opened it, read it and smiled.
The phone rang, sighing she went to answer it.
'Hi' she said
'Abby, Abby' Maggie was frantic again, Abby hoped that she was still on her meds.
'Has he turned up?' she asked
'No, I got a letter'
'He sent you a letter?'
'It's dated a few weeks ago, when he first left, but the post mark was two days ago'
'Where was he?'
'Liberty, Missouri, we have to go there'
'No'
'Abby what do you mean no?'
'No, we wait 'til he shows'
'I can't wait 'til then Abby, he's my son'
'We've had this discussion before' Abby sighed she was tired and this was the last thing that she wanted to deal with right now.
'Oh Abby, you always say that, but I need you to come with me'
'I'm not going anywhere, I can't afford to take any time off'
'Just a few days'
'No'
And so the conversation went on for another twenty minutes, round and round in circles, neither of them giving in. Finally Abby unable to take anymore when Maggie said that if anything happened to him it would be Abby's fault. She eventually lost her patience with her Mother and slammed the phone down, frustrated, hurt and angry.
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She drove not really paying attention to where she was going or the time that she was wasting as she moved through Chicago. Why was life so problematical, her life in particular? She knew that he would surface properly eventually, Maggie always had done and so would he. She just wished that she could confide in someone, Susan was engrossed in the baby and everything that went with it and Carter was totally involved in his own problems without worrying about hers. She felt like crying but that had never solved her problems in the past.
She looked up, she had been driving for ages, she sat there at the beginning of the drive and after a moment's hesitation drove up to the house. There she sat after she had killed the engine and the lights, staring at the house and wondering what had possessed her to come here.
He had heard the sound of an engine, wondering who the hell was visiting after eleven at night and curiosity got the better of him as he looked out of one of the windows. He felt surprised, trying to remember if they had arranged to meet up tonight, but drawing a blank.
He moved to the front door and opened it staring out at her car. As if she sensed this she looked up in the direction of the house and saw him standing there. She slowly got out of the car and headed towards the house.
She looked at him; he looked tired and drawn, but calm, a couple of days stubble on his chin, standing there in front of her in a T-shirt and sweatpants.
She, he noticed, was troubled, he knew that she'd got her results today, maybe it had something to do with that, but deep down he knew that it was something more than that.
Neither of them moved, neither of them spoke, it was as if time stood still, but of course it hadn't.
She didn't know what to say what to tell him. She didn't want to delve into the mess that Eric had helped to make of their relationship before, and this she thought would threaten it again. Not that they had that kind of relationship at present. Neither one of them was ready, just yet for that.
As if sensing her unease and discomfort, he did the only thing that he could, the only thing that he was able to at this time in his life, in his relationship with her. She was his friend, his best friend and he was not at present willing to admit to anything else which was lurking beneath the surface for the pair of them.
So, he opened his arms to her and she went into them.
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