Chapter 5: Susan Was Right

Abby stood rooted in the same spot for nearly ten minutes. For the first time in her life, she fully comprehended the term "speechless." There was no other word to describe how she was feeling at that exact moment. She tried unsuccessfully to process what she had just heard. Her mind was blank.

Eventually, her feet began to function again, and she slowly made her way over to the window to the hall. She spotted Kem at admit talking and laughing with a few nurses. That little...she thought to herself, but she couldn't think of a good enough, rather, bad enough word to describe her.

Just then, Abby spotted Susan approaching the room from down the hall. She wasn't paying attention; she was looking down at a chart. Just as she was about to walk passed the room, Abby reached out the door and pulled Susan in by the arm in one swift motion. (This was no small feat considering Susan was much taller than her and about seven months pregnant.)

"Jeez, Abby, what the hell?" Susan cried.

Still at a loss for words, Abby merely put a finger to her lips and forcibly pointed to one of the beds, indicating that Susan should sit.

"You want me to sit?" Susan asked.

Abby crossed her arms over her chest and nodded her head vigorously.

"Okay..." Susan replied, sitting slowly and thoroughly convinced that her friend had completely lost it. She put the chart next to her and searched to meet Abby's eyes, which were wandering around the room. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Abby rolled her eyes in bewilderment. She began to pace back and forth across the room. One hand held her head while the other swung at her side. She was staring at the floor and wondering where to begin...

"Am I going to have to play charades with you—" Susan started to ask, but before she could finish, Abby blurted out:

"You were right about Kem."

* * *

Susan just sat on the bed with wide eyes, taking in all that Abby had just shared with her.

"See? See?! You try to form a coherent thought now..."

Susan finally realized why Abby couldn't speak when she first entered the room. Susan opened her mouth like she was about to stay something, but instead, she slowly exhaled from her bottom lip, blowing her bangs in the air. She too was at a loss for words.

"Damn..." she finally said.

"Yeah..."Abby agreed.

"Wow..."

"I think that about sums it up."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Susan thought, "are you going to tell him?"

"I, uh," she stammered. All she could do was shrug her shoulders and sigh.

"You have to. This, uh, woman, is going to ruin his life."

"I know, but...how am I supposed to tell him something like this?"

"You just tell him—that's all. There's no nice way of putting it really..."

"You don't understand..."

"What?"

"I haven't told you about last night yet..."

* * *

Several minutes later, Abby walked over to the admit desk. She reasoned that she had to get back to work sometime, and Susan needed to be left alone for a few minutes to process all that Abby had just thrown at her. Abby looked at her watch. She couldn't believe she had only been in that exam room for twenty minutes. It had felt like hours...

"This came for you today," Frank motioned to a large envelope on the desk addressed to Abby.

"Thanks," Abby replied without looking up. She was reading the chart of one of her patients—a teenage girl with gonorrhea in two—and she didn't have to look at the envelope to know who it was from.

"Who's it from?" a voice to her right asked. Abby turned to see Luka motioning to her mail. Abby turned the envelope so he could see the return address.

"L'Alliance de Medicine Internationale? You're not thinking about going to Africa, too, are you?"

Abby smiled. "I just thought I'd get some information...see what all the fuss is about..."

But Luka was not smiling. He looked scared and dead serious. "Abby, it is really dangerous—you can't go there."

Abby looked up at him. She was surprised at his reaction. "I'm just getting some information, Luka," she tried to assure him. "I don't think I'm actually going to go...but I am graduating soon, and this would be a good experience for a new doctor..."

"Abby, it's too dangerous. Promise me you won't go..."

Now Abby was getting angry. How dare he tell her what to do! "Well, thanks for your concern, Luka, but I'm a big girl. It's my life and my decision." With that, she took off down the hall to check on some patients.

* * *

Later, after what felt like an interminable shift, Abby was finally at home. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she cradled the phone in her hand, wondering whether she should call Carter. Susan was right; she had to tell him, and there really was no easy way to do it. She guessed that over coffee and face-to-face was the best way—if there was a best way to tell someone something like this.

She pondered all of this while she began to dial and placed the phone to her ear, waiting for an answer.

"Hello?"

Abby froze. It was her. Her mouth went dry. She struggled to find her voice, but it had abandoned her.

"Hello?" she asked again, a little louder and more distinct this time.

"Hi, uh," Abby cleared her throat. "Is John there?"

"May I ask whose calling?"

"Um, Abby..."

"Sure, Abby, one minute..." She sounded pleasant enough, but Abby knew better now...

"Hello, Abby?" Carter asked.

"Hey, Carter....listen, um, we need to talk."

"Okay..." Carter sounded nervous. He probably thought she meant about the previous night, but right now, that was the furthest thing from Abby's mind. (Well, maybe not the furthest...)

"Could you meet me for breakfast at Ike's?" she asked.

"Sure, but I have a shift at eight."

"Meet me at seven, then..."

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope you can picture the scenes between Abby and Susan, because I have their exact facial expressions and gestures in mind, but I had trouble putting them into words. Now for a few shout-outs (sorry they didn't come sooner): Sci-Fi Gillian: Thanks a bunch!! Shining Friendship: They're my fave too (in case you couldn't tell)... I'm glad you liked the scene cause I had fun writing it. Hyperpiper91: Hehe, me too!! BB: Dude, thanks!! Duckygirl: I'll try to write ASAP!! Abby Lockhart: I've always thought Kem was evil, and I still do... CamilaC: He is an idiot... Carby6: I'm going... Thanks!! Carbytothecore: Love you too!! Proffy: Thanks, I'll try!! Honey Lane: I'm glad you liked it, and I hope there is more description now. I've been working on it. Shygurl222: Thanks!! I thought I'd keep with the original girls' club. Lauren: Thanks tons and tons!! AJ: Here's the more you requested... CARBYforever: I'm glad you're lovin it. I hope you still are... Carbylover: I live to make people's days. Kattybaby2318: Thanks!! Here's the continuing...

I think this is going to be about eight chapters, but that won't be the end, it'll just be the way I would end season 10. Then I'll either add more (sooner than the real season 11 starts, I promise) or write a sequel. You all can help me decide. I'll let you know when... Thanks again to all those who read and reviewed!!