The Hurting Time Has Come
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
Chapter 7
"He's seizing!" I yelp. I hold on to his hand and look over my shoulder. No one is with Luka. His eyes are open, staring at me. His mouth twitches, we both know there is nothing he can do.
"Help!" I scream, hoping someone in the hall way will hear. Why aren't they coming? They should know, an alarm should be going off at the nurse's station.
I have to run to the door. I try to pull my hand from his, but his fingers have clamped down hard. I feel a pop in each of my fingers, but there is no pain. Only concern, fear for him. I have to get help.
"Help! Please! Someone help!"
The door swings open. Two nurses rush in. One of them tells me to move aside. I can't move. He has my hand. I hold it up, so they can see.
Tears are streaming down my face and I can't see clearly. I try to move out of the way, so they can work on him. Any other patient and I'd be there, right in the middle of it, doing what I could to help.
"I'll page Dr. Corday," one of the nurses says. I nod. I can't move. My hand is broken. I don't even care. I just want this to stop. Why can't I just wake up from this nightmare?
* * * * * * * * *
"Abby, I want you to go downstairs and get an X-ray of that hand."
I'm holding it against my chest. I shake my head. "I'm not leaving him, Elizabeth. I won't leave him."
"You know it's probably broken."
I nod. "I don't care. I'm not leaving him."
"I'll stay here until you get back."
"I'm not going." I'm stroking his hair with my other hand. He looks different now, somehow. Pale. More drawn. Like he's slipping away. "I'm not leaving him."
Elizabeth sighs. "Will you let me splint it?"
"I'm not leaving."
"I'll do it right here. But I really wish you would get an X-ray."
I shake my head. I can't take my eyes off him. "If he's going to…If he's not going to make it, I'm not going to waste one minute I have with him."
"I understand," Elizabeth whispers and I know she does. I hear the sadness in her voice, the pain of missing Mark so much even after so many months. I want to ask her if it gets any easier, but I can't form the words.
She leaves, and I'm alone with him. I take a deep breath and climb into the bed. I lay beside him, my good arm stretched across him, my fingers laced with his. I rest my head on his chest, careful to avoid the bandages.
His heartbeat is steady, though not strong.
I close my eyes and try to pretend we're just laying in bed together. He's asleep, and I don't want to disturb him so I just lay there, listening to his heart, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest.
The door opens, but I don't move. I can't move. I never want to move. I want to stay here with him like this forever, pretending everything is okay and he's just sleeping. Just sleeping.
"Abby?"
That accent is unmistakable. I grit my teeth. Maybe if I ignore her she will go away. I don't really believe that, but it's worth a try. Doesn't she know she's ruining my fantasy?
"Abby?"
I open my eyes and look at her. She is beautiful, really. And even though I don't want to admit it, she looks a lot like Carter. Enough like him to be his sister. They must both take after their father.
"Go away," I whisper. I can't pretend he's just sleeping if she's here.
"I just found out what happened. How is he?"
"Alive," I say and the tears start down my cheeks. There's no point in wiping them away, there will only be more to replace them.
She reaches out to cover my hand and his with her own. The warmth of her touch somehow comforts me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "You really are his sister, aren't you?"
"Yes. I really am." Her voice cracks and I know she's crying too.
The door opens again and I know it's Elizabeth. I open my eyes. Gillian is using her shirt sleeves to dab at her eyes.
* * * * * * * * * *
Please use the review option to let me know what you think of this chapter. Feedback is very important to a writer, without it I don't know if you're enjoying the story. If you're reading this, I'm begging you please review me. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks so much.
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
Chapter 7
"He's seizing!" I yelp. I hold on to his hand and look over my shoulder. No one is with Luka. His eyes are open, staring at me. His mouth twitches, we both know there is nothing he can do.
"Help!" I scream, hoping someone in the hall way will hear. Why aren't they coming? They should know, an alarm should be going off at the nurse's station.
I have to run to the door. I try to pull my hand from his, but his fingers have clamped down hard. I feel a pop in each of my fingers, but there is no pain. Only concern, fear for him. I have to get help.
"Help! Please! Someone help!"
The door swings open. Two nurses rush in. One of them tells me to move aside. I can't move. He has my hand. I hold it up, so they can see.
Tears are streaming down my face and I can't see clearly. I try to move out of the way, so they can work on him. Any other patient and I'd be there, right in the middle of it, doing what I could to help.
"I'll page Dr. Corday," one of the nurses says. I nod. I can't move. My hand is broken. I don't even care. I just want this to stop. Why can't I just wake up from this nightmare?
* * * * * * * * *
"Abby, I want you to go downstairs and get an X-ray of that hand."
I'm holding it against my chest. I shake my head. "I'm not leaving him, Elizabeth. I won't leave him."
"You know it's probably broken."
I nod. "I don't care. I'm not leaving him."
"I'll stay here until you get back."
"I'm not going." I'm stroking his hair with my other hand. He looks different now, somehow. Pale. More drawn. Like he's slipping away. "I'm not leaving him."
Elizabeth sighs. "Will you let me splint it?"
"I'm not leaving."
"I'll do it right here. But I really wish you would get an X-ray."
I shake my head. I can't take my eyes off him. "If he's going to…If he's not going to make it, I'm not going to waste one minute I have with him."
"I understand," Elizabeth whispers and I know she does. I hear the sadness in her voice, the pain of missing Mark so much even after so many months. I want to ask her if it gets any easier, but I can't form the words.
She leaves, and I'm alone with him. I take a deep breath and climb into the bed. I lay beside him, my good arm stretched across him, my fingers laced with his. I rest my head on his chest, careful to avoid the bandages.
His heartbeat is steady, though not strong.
I close my eyes and try to pretend we're just laying in bed together. He's asleep, and I don't want to disturb him so I just lay there, listening to his heart, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest.
The door opens, but I don't move. I can't move. I never want to move. I want to stay here with him like this forever, pretending everything is okay and he's just sleeping. Just sleeping.
"Abby?"
That accent is unmistakable. I grit my teeth. Maybe if I ignore her she will go away. I don't really believe that, but it's worth a try. Doesn't she know she's ruining my fantasy?
"Abby?"
I open my eyes and look at her. She is beautiful, really. And even though I don't want to admit it, she looks a lot like Carter. Enough like him to be his sister. They must both take after their father.
"Go away," I whisper. I can't pretend he's just sleeping if she's here.
"I just found out what happened. How is he?"
"Alive," I say and the tears start down my cheeks. There's no point in wiping them away, there will only be more to replace them.
She reaches out to cover my hand and his with her own. The warmth of her touch somehow comforts me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "You really are his sister, aren't you?"
"Yes. I really am." Her voice cracks and I know she's crying too.
The door opens again and I know it's Elizabeth. I open my eyes. Gillian is using her shirt sleeves to dab at her eyes.
* * * * * * * * * *
Please use the review option to let me know what you think of this chapter. Feedback is very important to a writer, without it I don't know if you're enjoying the story. If you're reading this, I'm begging you please review me. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks so much.