The Rainbow After The Storm
Chapter Nine
Carter cursed the traffic, he had left with plenty of time and now he was running late. If he didn't get there soon Abby would probably go home and he would have to face his father's friends alone.
Abby stood outside the theatre wondering where Carter had got too, wishing now that she had agreed for him to come pick her up, so what if he bumped into Eric. Eric was probably out by now anyway.
She half contemplated going home, opera was not her thing, she would much rather sit at home and watch fear factor or catch a movie or even attend an AA meeting, which she reminded herself she really needed to do. She was just about to give up when she saw him walk briskly round the corner.
'Sorry, got held up' he said, then after looking her up and down added 'You look nice'
Smiling he held out his arm and they entered the building, he felt okay, more than okay when she was with him. The surprising thing was that now he could manage to go to events by himself, but because he wanted to spend time with her, this was a good excuse as any. He still was a long way from defining his feelings for her, being honest with himself, but he knew one thing and that was the day was much better with Abby in it.
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Abby got home late, Carter had persuaded her to go for a meal after the theatre. The apartment seemed quiet as she let herself in, and switched on the light. She was not prepared therefore to see Eric standing there looming over her with the baseball bat raised and ready to strike, not a ball but her.
She let out a yelp, then said 'What the hell are you doing?'
'I didn't know who it was, I thought you might be out to get me'
'I had a key Eric, if I was out to get you I wouldn't have....'
'Oh but someone could have had a key cut'
'Are you in some kind of trouble you're not telling me?' she asked worried and concerned, thinking that maybe it just wasn't the fact that he very obviously was not taking his medication properly and spent at least fifty per cent of his time in a drunken stupor.
'No. What gives you that idea?' he said turning round and putting the bat down.
She raised her eyebrows to the ceiling. Then said 'Well for a start you go to sleep with a bat'
'So I'm not normal is that what your saying?' he asked beginning to get agitated.
Abby noticed this and as she didn't want a confrontation tonight knew she had to calm him down.
'No, no that's not what I'm saying'
'But you're right I'm not normal am I?' he said
She sighed 'Maybe if you could get your life back on track' she suggested
'Tried that' he said settling himself back on the sofa to go to sleep. 'Don't want to talk about it anymore Abby, okay?'
'Yeah' she muttered heading off to the bedroom.
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Abby answered the phone on the fifth ring. It was early before six am.
'Hi' she said groggily.
She had worked a double the day before and was still feeling rather out of it, especially when Eric brought a few of his 'new friends' round and the loud music only stopped when three neighbours complained and Abby threatened to throw Eric out of her apartment for good.
'What?' she added
'Right now? Okay, okay, okay, Susan I get the picture. Give me ten minutes right? Right? You can hang on? Great, Just remember about the breathing okay'
She put the phone down. Went to the bathroom, then pulled on the first clothes she came to, before grabbing her keys and heading off to take Susan to the hospital. They arrived and entered via the main entrance so that they wouldn't have to meet anyone from the ER. Soon Susan was settled and the doctor came in to examine her.
'What?' Susan said 'That can't be right, only three centimetres?'
She sighed looking at Abby and said 'I thought at least I was almost fully dilated'
Abby bit back a smile 'Well these things take time'
'It's okay for you to stand there trying not to smile I'm the one in pain here'
'Yeah, well you can have a epidural later if you need one' suggested Abby
'You don't think I'm coping with the pain well do you?' Susan asked her
'I know I've never been where you are now, but these are mild contractions and they only get better when.....'
'Thank you I get the picture, you're supposed to encourage me, make me feel better'
'Sorry'
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'Where's Abby?' asked Kerry, 'hasn't she a shift today?'
'She's upstairs with Susan, the baby...' said Sam
'Oh right' said Kerry 'Isn't it early?'
'A few weeks' commented Carter in a matter of fact way.
'Why are we all gathered here?' asked Luka who preferred to be working than standing at admit with Kerry, who had summoned them there.
'We're just waiting for the new chief of the ER to arrive so that I can introduce him to you all' Kerry replied 'Here he is now'
A large well built man approached, and stopped when he reached them, he didn't smile.
Kerry said 'Everyone this is the newly appointed chief of emergency medicine, Dr James Wright'
Everyone mumbled 'Hello' 'Welcome' and that sort of thing.
There was an uneasy atmosphere, fortunately it was broken when Jerry told them a multi trauma was coming in and they all set to work including Kerry and the new Doctor Wright.
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'Any news?' Sam asked Jerry
'What?'
'Susan?'
'Not yet'
'She's only been up there eight hours or so' commented Pratt
'Eight hours is long enough believe me' said Sam, from experience.
'Where's the new guy gone?' said Luka joining them at the desk
'Home I think' said Jerry
'Good' said Sam 'And I thought Romano was a jerk, this one seems worse'
'You can't tell already' Luka said
'I can' she replied 'He kind of leers at you, I suppose you didn't notice, he wasn't staring at you'
'I know what you mean' said Elizabeth, 'he looked at me like that too'
'You two' said Luka 'Are over reacting' he picked up another chart and went off.
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'Hey Abby! Wait up' Carter called as Abby almost entered the elevator. 'Frank said you'd been down' he added 'How's Susan?'
'Good. Tired'
'Abby do me a favour?' he asked holding out an envelope to her, she looked questioningly at him.
'It's for Susan, the baby really. I didn't contribute to the staff gift. I couldn't' he faltered slightly
She put a hand on his arm and said 'You okay?'
'Yeah, it's difficult, that's all'
'You want me to come over, after your shift?'
'You must be tired, you've been up there all day and I know you worked a double yesterday'
She shrugged 'If you need me'
'I think you need your sleep more'
She looked back at him not entirely persuaded.
'Really' he added
'I'll call you then' she stated, pulling away and getting into the elevator before the doors shut.
Carter looked to his left and saw Luka there watching him.
'You two together again?' he asked Carter
'No' Carter replied bluntly, walking off leaving Luka staring after him contemplating the reply.
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'This is from Carter' said Abby when she came back into the room handing her friend the envelope.
'Why didn't he come up here himself?' she asked fixing her attention on her son nestled in her arms all 8lb 1oz of him, despite his slightly early arrival.
'It's busy down there' Abby replied for want of a better excuse.
'Let's hope is better than the letter he wrote you' she said
Abby sighed Carter was not going to live the contents of that letter down in a hurry.
'Wow!' Susan exclaimed
'What?' asked Abby
'A cheque, a generous cheque and a note saying he's sorry he can't be much help'
'He's sad' Abby finally admitted
Susan looked confused.
Abby continued 'Happy for you but sad for him' she clarified.
'Oh' answered Susan 'I kind of forgotten about that in my joy, happiness, that he would be down, that's why he's not visiting isn't it?'
Abby nodded.
'So what's going on with you two anyway, you seem in each others pockets all of a sudden, something you're not telling me?' Susan asked
'Nothing's going on, we're just friends'
'Yeah right' Susan replied 'As if you both will, just be friends'
'Thought about a name yet?' Abby asked changing the subject.
'Mmmmmm, well I always wanted to call him Bradley, but somehow that doesn't seem to suit him, so I'm going to call him Daniel'
'Daniel' repeated Abby 'What about Chuck?'
'I don't want to call him Chuck'
'No, that's not what I meant, what I meant was, will Chuck mind what you name the baby'
'Oh' replied Susan 'No well we couldn't really decide, I guess he can choose a middle name'
Strangely at that moment there was a tap at the door and Chuck poked his head around it, then came in.
'I'd better go' said Abby tactfully, leaving baby Daniel with both of his parents, for probably one of the few occasions of his life.
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Abby went home, vacating the hospital without going through the ER and collapsing on top of her bed without even getting undressed, where she fell asleep immediately.
The banging around her apartment woke her about midnight. She sleepily got up and went to investigate, only to find Eric waving his baseball bat about.
Switching the light on she said 'What are you doing?'
'I've just got in'
'Oh, you took that thing with you?'
'You can never be too careful'
'You could hurt something, someone with that'
'I could, if they threatened me'
'Eric, you'll end up in jail'
He chose to ignore her 'Have you seen my...' he stopped
'Your what?' she asked
'I'm going out again, I just came back for my....'
'You're what Eric, what are you looking for?'
'This' he replied having looked down the side of the sofa and locating a bottle of gin.
'I told you, no alcohol in the apartment or you're out' she said
'Yeah, yeah. You're beginning to sound like Mom, why do you think I left. She drove me crazy, telling what I could and couldn't do'
'You bring alcohol in here again and that's it Eric' she said
He waved the bat around, she stepped back. He studied her expression, then turn and walked back out the front door.
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