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The Rainbow After The Storm
Chapter Twenty Two
Some weeks later (Fall 2005)
After being excited and telling everyone first time. This time Carter felt the opposite. A secret to be shared between himself and Abby. The past few weeks had seem to flown by for him at least. Abby was still secretly suffering from morning sickness or to be more accurate anytime of the day sickness, it didn't even appear to follow a pattern. Although now it was starting to ease a little.
Today was an important day for the Carter's as they were attending an appointment in OB for a sonogram and check up. Days of keeping it to themselves were becoming numbered especially as Abby's clothing began to get uncomfortably tight.
The whole experience was different from last time he thought. This time he was more sure of where he was going in his life and felt more content and he was with the one person he wanted to be with all along. They made their appointment before their shifts started so that they could go together. Abby was nervous, which didn't help her stomach. They eventually saw their baby on the screen before them.
'Wow' said Abby amazed, although she had seen hundreds of babies before on the screen, this was the first time one of them was hers.
'Yeah wow' echoed Carter
He was glad that the baby was in such a position that it was unable to decipher the gender of the baby. But they were both thrilled with the pictures they received. They also received a due date, April 16th 06.
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'Where are the Carter's?' shouted Dr Wright looking at the clock which was one minute past the hour 'They're late'
Jerry shrugged 'Don't look at me, I haven't seen either of them'
With that John Carter came rushing along the corridor and into the Lounge.
'There's one' said Haleh
'You're late' Dr Wright said to Carter as he came up to admit
Carter glanced at the clock 'Three minutes' he answered
'Where's Abby?' he continued
'She'll be here in a minute' Carter answered
James Wright sighed and was about to comment when she indeed did arrive, rushing into the Lounge.
'You didn't travel together?' asked Jerry
Carter looked at him with a strange expression on his face 'Yes' he said
'You're seven minutes late Abby' Dr Wright told her as she joined them at the desk
'I'll stay an extra seven' she said trying to brush it off.
'And?' Dr Wright continued staring intently at her
'I'm sorry' she mumbled
'Good' he said and handed her a few charts and added 'For being late'
Carter soon met up with her in the hall out of sight of Dr Wright 'Okay?' he asked
She nodded and said 'I don't know if I can stomach this patient though' showing him one of the charts Dr Wright had given her.
'Worms, nice' he said 'Okay I'll swap it for possible wrist fracture'
'Thanks' she said as they swiftly parted company seeing Dr Wright not far away.
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'So anyway they were late' Jerry said to Susan
'What's going on, you're closest to them?' asked Pratt
Susan shrugged 'Wish I knew?'
'Why don't you ask?' suggested Yosh
'I'm sure they'd tell me if they wanted me to know. I don't think it's anything much I mean last time we went out, they seemed fine with each other'
'How long ago was that?' asked Pratt
'About a week ago' She replied looking at their expectant faces she added 'Okay I'll see what I can find out'
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Susan caught up with Abby in the cafeteria, Abby was slowly munching on a sandwich and drinking bottled water as Susan sat down with a hearty lunch, which put a look which Susan could only describe as queasy on Abby's face.
'Your eating liver and bacon for lunch?' she asked 'After that trauma we had earlier'
'There's not much choice; I needed something more substantial than that sandwich you chose. I'm starving'
Abby made a non-committal sound.
'What happened to you and Carter this morning, oversleep?' Susan asked fishing for information
'No' Abby replied giving nothing away
Susan tried another angle 'Why did you arrive separately?'
'We didn't not really. I just had to go to the bathroom first'
'Oh' Susan answered not getting anywhere at all. So far everyone would be disappointed.
Suddenly Abby's pager went off. 'Got to go' she said 'Enjoy your lunch' she added sarcastically
'Thank you' mouthed Susan she looked down at her plate suddenly after speaking to Abby she didn't quite fancy it so much after all, but she ate it anyway.
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Next Susan caught up with Carter, who proved to be just as evasive as his wife.
'Hi what's happening?' she asked him
'Just lost a patient' he replied
'Oh sorry. Actually I meant with you and Abby, everything okay?'
'Uh huh'
'Nothing bothering you? You've seemed kind of preoccupied recently'
'No. Why all these questions?'
'No reason' Susan said trying to sound uninterested after all.
He looked at her raising his eyebrows and she shrugged and shook her head in return.
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'Give him ten of Haldol' shouted Dr Wright holding down the patient he was referring to. 'NOW!'
Sam stuck the needle in the patient and he calmed down considerably.
'Need a hand?' asked Carter coming over to them and then adding 'Seen Abby?'
'OB' said Sam in response to his second question
'No I've got this' said James Wright in response to his first.
'Why did she go to OB?' asked Carter trying to sound casual and not let the panic which was rising up in him show through.
'She took a patient up, a young teenage girl. She was really scared and Abby was the only person who could calm her down so she went up too'
'She can't stay up there all afternoon, we're busy' commented James Wright 'Jerry call OB and tell Abby to get her butt down here where she should be'
Carter walked up to the desk flipping through the charts.
Jerry shouted to Dr Wright 'She's left already'
'Then why isn't she here' he replied whilst tending to the patient.
Jerry shrugged and Malik answered for him 'She down by the elevator, Dr Weaver's talking with her'
'Okay' Dr Wright said resigned to the fact that if she was talking to Kerry there was not much he could do about it. He didn't know why he was singling her out more than usual, other than the fact he was somewhat irked that she had swapped one of the patients he had given her earlier today with one of her husbands patients.
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Susan spent as much time as she could that afternoon watching either Abby or Carter, looking for signs. He was attentive she noticed, they spoke together at least hourly if not more and he always seemed to have one eye on her if at all possible.
She on the other hand disappeared frequently, which was odd and every time no one knew where she had gone. Once Susan had met Abby coming out of the bathroom. She looked tired and drained, more so than when she was a med student and holding down a nurse job too.
Susan thought to herself and started to add it all together. Abby saw Susan and walked towards her, it was then that Susan swore Abby had put weight on. She didn't have time to evaluate this as they were called into a trauma for an hour. However as the patient was being wheeled away Susan noticed how pale and queasy she looked and remembered that that was the second time she had looked that way today. Susan wondered why she hadn't noticed something earlier.
She knew that she had been wrapped up with her own life, Daniel and her problems, which were really pulling her down at the moment, to notice what was happening around her.
'Abby' she said 'Want a coffee? You look like to could do with one'
Abby replied 'Um not right now, I could do with some water though'
'Water?' said Susan
'Yeah' said Abby 'It's good for you'
'Since when did you start drinking water like it was coffee?'
'Oh I don't know, the summer' she replied casually
'Mmmmmm' said Susan putting two and two together and making four.
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Abby and Carter left the hospital relieved that their busy day was over.
'Hey wait up' said Susan running after them
They stopped and turned to face their friend.
'What's wrong?' Abby asked 'Did I forget to do something?'
'Er no, maybe you two forgot to tell me something though'
Abby and Carter looked at each other and back at Susan.
'Well' she prompted 'I know you know, I guessed. I didn't really think about it 'til today. But everything adds up. It's not something you can keep hidden for long. So?'
Abby and Carter looked at each other, Susan studied them. Neither of them spoke but they seemed to communicate without words and Abby finally said 'Okay'
'Okay?' said Susan
'You can tell everyone I know you want to'
'Tell me officially first' she said grinning at them
They sighed and Carter said 'Susan, we'd like to tell you that Abby and I are expecting our first child'
Susan squealed with delight, and hugged her best friends tight. 'When?' she asked
'April 16th' Abby replied
'April, that makes you like sixteen weeks already'
'Uh huh'
'Oh well I know now, you sure I can tell?' she indicated the ER
They nodded 'Save us a job'
'I'm so pleased for you guys' she added as she turned back to the hospital and they holding hands headed home.
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