Chapter 4: Ignorance is Bliss
"Hey, Abby, it's great to have you back!" Malik greeted Abby with a quick hug. She was finally starting back at work after nearly a week off. It felt good to be back in the ER. She felt oddly at home and comfortable there.
"Thanks, Malik..."
"Dr. Weaver!" Chuney called down the hall to her from admit where Abby was standing. "There's a double MVA coming in...a mother and son...ETA five minutes out..."
"All right," she replied. "Get Kovac and I'll be right there."
Showtime...Abby thought as she followed Luka out into the ambulance bay.
"Hey, Abby," Chuney called out to her. "I've got this. Why don't you take the old lady with abdominal pain in one?" she offered as she handed her the chart and ran after Luka.
"Hey...hey!" Abby yelled after her, but she was out of ear-shot. "I'm not incompetent..." she whispered, mostly to herself...or so she thought...
"I never thought you were incompetent..." The voice startled her and almost made her jump, but she smiled instead when she realized the voice was Carter's. "How's your first day back? Taking it easy?"
Abby rolled her eyes. "Not by choice. Everyone's treating me like any amount of stress will make me fall apart. I'm fine, really."
"Tell you what," he whispered. "The next trauma that rolls in, you're my nurse."
"Really?"
"I might even let you intubate...If you're nice..."
"You sure know how to sweet-talk a girl, John Carter," she replied as she walked down to check on her abdominal pain in one.
"Let's just say you owe me a dinner," he called after her.
"I stop serving at seven. Don't be late," she shouted without even turning around.
* * *
"That was really good," Carter complimented Abby's dinner as he wiped his face with a napkin. "I had no idea you were such a good cook."
"You never asked..." she replied as she stood up and began to clear the table.
"No, let me," he offered. "You cooked. I'll clean up." She graciously conceded. She'd never turn down an offer to clean up. She sat down and sipped her coffee slowly while he carried the dishes to the sink.
"So have you two, uh, discussed names yet?"
"For the baby?" Duh...Abby thought, but kept it to herself. "No, not really..." he continued.
"Don't you think you should? It's getting close, right?"
"Yeah, about five weeks to go..."
Abby stood up and began to dry the dishes in the drain board and put them away. "Well, what do you like?" she asked. "John the fourth?" she inquired with a smile
"Nah...I think that legacy is finished. I don't know. What do you like?"
Abby looked away and shrugged. "I don't know."
"Come on... Don't tell me you've never thought about it."
"Well, okay," she began. "I like the old classics like Benjamin, Christopher, Daniel..."
"Oh, I like Daniel."
"Daniel Truman?" Carter looked at her in disgust, and they both began to laugh.
"No way. I wouldn't do that to the poor kid; I know how it feels. I used to get teased all the time."
"I don't blame the kids. I would have teased you too."
"Hey!" he yelled as he splashed soapy water on her.
"I can't believe you did that," she said with her mouth open in shock. She splashed him back. Their little battle continued until she got out the spraying nozzle and threatened him with it.
He put his arms up to surrender. "Truce?" he asked as he offered his hand.
"Truce," she replied as she returned the nozzle to the sink and shook his hand. As soon as he went back to the dishes; however, she snapped the dishtowel hard against his butt and started to run.
"You are so dead," he said as he chased her over to the living room, pinned her down on the couch, and began to tickle her.
"Stop, stop," she cried. Neither of them could cease their laughter.
When he finally stopped and Abby caught her breath, he just stayed there for a moment, poised on top of her. He gently caressed her cheek, aiming to brush some of the soap off of her face. "I was such an idiot," he murmured, and after only a moment's hesitation, he leaned in to kiss her.
Both of them were instantly swept up in the kiss. Neither of them could get enough. Their hands were everywhere. In heat of this passionate moment; however, Carter abruptly pulled away from her and stood up, sighing heavily and rubbing his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." was all he could say.
"John, what's wrong?" Abby asked. So many emotions were tumbling around inside her that she wasn't sure what to think.
"Abby..." he started, and then crouched down on the floor before her and held her hand in his. "I'm so sorry. I still love you. I do—so much. But we can't do this..."
"What do you mean? I thought you wanted..."
"I do. I do—so bad, but it doesn't mater what I want anymore. I have to think of my son. God, I'm so sorry, Abby. I have to go..." After another second before her, he stood up and quickly hurried out of her apartment.
Thoroughly confused and soaking wet, Abby was left alone to contemplate all that had just happened...
* * *
The next day at work, Abby peaked into Exam 4 to make sure it was empty before she snuck inside. She sighed heavily and leaned her back against the door. She began to gently massage her temples in an attempt to cease the pounding in her head. It wasn't her work or the patients that were giving her a migraine, it was her colleagues. If one more person asked her how she was or suggested she take it easy, she might scream. She couldn't stand being the center of attention or being pitied. She felt fine, really she did, but no one believed her. No one but Carter... Carter always new what she was thinking without her having to say a word. And she always knew what he was thinking. That's why the events from the previous night were weighing on her mind so heavily. She couldn't get his words out of her head. I was such an idiot...I still love you...but, it doesn't matter what I want now...She could still feel the softness and warmth of his lips on hers...
As she was mulling over all these things in her head, she was simultaneously struggling to remove the child-proof cap from her bottle of ibuprofen. It was stuck and giving her much difficulty. With a sudden burst of force she removed the lid, but also succeeded in spilling half of the pills onto the floor.
"Damnit!" she muttered to herself as she walked around to the other side of one of the beds and knelt down to retrieve the pills that had rolled underneath it.
* * *
Kem peaked into the exam room to make sure it was empty before she snuck inside. She took one last glance through the window to the hall before she picked up the phone and began to dial. She didn't even need her calling card; she knew all the numbers by heart. The phone rang five times before he finally picked up.
"Bonjour, mon amour," she said sweetly. "Wonderfully, we are both doing wonderfully," she replied in a soft whisper as she stroked her abdomen. "It's going well... I miss you too... Nope, he doesn't suspect a thing... Stop it... I miss you two, but... Yeah... Hopefully in a few weeks... Sorry, but I've got to run... I love you too, Peter, and so does your son... Au revoir, a tout a l'heure."
She hung up the phone gently and quietly exited the room
After a few moments, Abby slowly stood up from beside the bed. She couldn't believe what she had just heard...
**AUTHOR'S NOTE** I hope you enjoyed chapter 4. Please R I loooooooooove feedback!! Thanks for all the great reviews the first time around. Sorry it took so long to update. I promise the next chapter won't be as long coming.
"Hey, Abby, it's great to have you back!" Malik greeted Abby with a quick hug. She was finally starting back at work after nearly a week off. It felt good to be back in the ER. She felt oddly at home and comfortable there.
"Thanks, Malik..."
"Dr. Weaver!" Chuney called down the hall to her from admit where Abby was standing. "There's a double MVA coming in...a mother and son...ETA five minutes out..."
"All right," she replied. "Get Kovac and I'll be right there."
Showtime...Abby thought as she followed Luka out into the ambulance bay.
"Hey, Abby," Chuney called out to her. "I've got this. Why don't you take the old lady with abdominal pain in one?" she offered as she handed her the chart and ran after Luka.
"Hey...hey!" Abby yelled after her, but she was out of ear-shot. "I'm not incompetent..." she whispered, mostly to herself...or so she thought...
"I never thought you were incompetent..." The voice startled her and almost made her jump, but she smiled instead when she realized the voice was Carter's. "How's your first day back? Taking it easy?"
Abby rolled her eyes. "Not by choice. Everyone's treating me like any amount of stress will make me fall apart. I'm fine, really."
"Tell you what," he whispered. "The next trauma that rolls in, you're my nurse."
"Really?"
"I might even let you intubate...If you're nice..."
"You sure know how to sweet-talk a girl, John Carter," she replied as she walked down to check on her abdominal pain in one.
"Let's just say you owe me a dinner," he called after her.
"I stop serving at seven. Don't be late," she shouted without even turning around.
* * *
"That was really good," Carter complimented Abby's dinner as he wiped his face with a napkin. "I had no idea you were such a good cook."
"You never asked..." she replied as she stood up and began to clear the table.
"No, let me," he offered. "You cooked. I'll clean up." She graciously conceded. She'd never turn down an offer to clean up. She sat down and sipped her coffee slowly while he carried the dishes to the sink.
"So have you two, uh, discussed names yet?"
"For the baby?" Duh...Abby thought, but kept it to herself. "No, not really..." he continued.
"Don't you think you should? It's getting close, right?"
"Yeah, about five weeks to go..."
Abby stood up and began to dry the dishes in the drain board and put them away. "Well, what do you like?" she asked. "John the fourth?" she inquired with a smile
"Nah...I think that legacy is finished. I don't know. What do you like?"
Abby looked away and shrugged. "I don't know."
"Come on... Don't tell me you've never thought about it."
"Well, okay," she began. "I like the old classics like Benjamin, Christopher, Daniel..."
"Oh, I like Daniel."
"Daniel Truman?" Carter looked at her in disgust, and they both began to laugh.
"No way. I wouldn't do that to the poor kid; I know how it feels. I used to get teased all the time."
"I don't blame the kids. I would have teased you too."
"Hey!" he yelled as he splashed soapy water on her.
"I can't believe you did that," she said with her mouth open in shock. She splashed him back. Their little battle continued until she got out the spraying nozzle and threatened him with it.
He put his arms up to surrender. "Truce?" he asked as he offered his hand.
"Truce," she replied as she returned the nozzle to the sink and shook his hand. As soon as he went back to the dishes; however, she snapped the dishtowel hard against his butt and started to run.
"You are so dead," he said as he chased her over to the living room, pinned her down on the couch, and began to tickle her.
"Stop, stop," she cried. Neither of them could cease their laughter.
When he finally stopped and Abby caught her breath, he just stayed there for a moment, poised on top of her. He gently caressed her cheek, aiming to brush some of the soap off of her face. "I was such an idiot," he murmured, and after only a moment's hesitation, he leaned in to kiss her.
Both of them were instantly swept up in the kiss. Neither of them could get enough. Their hands were everywhere. In heat of this passionate moment; however, Carter abruptly pulled away from her and stood up, sighing heavily and rubbing his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." was all he could say.
"John, what's wrong?" Abby asked. So many emotions were tumbling around inside her that she wasn't sure what to think.
"Abby..." he started, and then crouched down on the floor before her and held her hand in his. "I'm so sorry. I still love you. I do—so much. But we can't do this..."
"What do you mean? I thought you wanted..."
"I do. I do—so bad, but it doesn't mater what I want anymore. I have to think of my son. God, I'm so sorry, Abby. I have to go..." After another second before her, he stood up and quickly hurried out of her apartment.
Thoroughly confused and soaking wet, Abby was left alone to contemplate all that had just happened...
* * *
The next day at work, Abby peaked into Exam 4 to make sure it was empty before she snuck inside. She sighed heavily and leaned her back against the door. She began to gently massage her temples in an attempt to cease the pounding in her head. It wasn't her work or the patients that were giving her a migraine, it was her colleagues. If one more person asked her how she was or suggested she take it easy, she might scream. She couldn't stand being the center of attention or being pitied. She felt fine, really she did, but no one believed her. No one but Carter... Carter always new what she was thinking without her having to say a word. And she always knew what he was thinking. That's why the events from the previous night were weighing on her mind so heavily. She couldn't get his words out of her head. I was such an idiot...I still love you...but, it doesn't matter what I want now...She could still feel the softness and warmth of his lips on hers...
As she was mulling over all these things in her head, she was simultaneously struggling to remove the child-proof cap from her bottle of ibuprofen. It was stuck and giving her much difficulty. With a sudden burst of force she removed the lid, but also succeeded in spilling half of the pills onto the floor.
"Damnit!" she muttered to herself as she walked around to the other side of one of the beds and knelt down to retrieve the pills that had rolled underneath it.
* * *
Kem peaked into the exam room to make sure it was empty before she snuck inside. She took one last glance through the window to the hall before she picked up the phone and began to dial. She didn't even need her calling card; she knew all the numbers by heart. The phone rang five times before he finally picked up.
"Bonjour, mon amour," she said sweetly. "Wonderfully, we are both doing wonderfully," she replied in a soft whisper as she stroked her abdomen. "It's going well... I miss you too... Nope, he doesn't suspect a thing... Stop it... I miss you two, but... Yeah... Hopefully in a few weeks... Sorry, but I've got to run... I love you too, Peter, and so does your son... Au revoir, a tout a l'heure."
She hung up the phone gently and quietly exited the room
After a few moments, Abby slowly stood up from beside the bed. She couldn't believe what she had just heard...
**AUTHOR'S NOTE** I hope you enjoyed chapter 4. Please R I loooooooooove feedback!! Thanks for all the great reviews the first time around. Sorry it took so long to update. I promise the next chapter won't be as long coming.
