The Hurting Time Has Come
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
Chapter 8
I reach up to caress Carter's jaw. His beard is starting to show. He never lets it go this long. It's been four days. Four days since I head his voice, four days since he kissed me. Four impossibly long days. Four days that feel like forever.
I don't know how much longer I can go on like this.
His fingers twitch. I didn't imagine it. I felt it. His fingers twitched. I look to his face, there is no change. The monitors are the same. Nothing's changed. It didn't feel like a spasm. It felt real. It had to be real.
"Carter?" I lean over him and kiss his lips. "Carter, can you hear me? If you can hear me, squeeze my hand." I feel it again, a slight twitch of his fingers. "I'm here, Carter. I'm right here." I should probably yell for Elizabeth or Romano, or someone. Anyone. But I can't leave him. I don't want to miss anything. If he opens his eyes, I want to make sure the first thing he sees is me.
The door opens behind me, as if someone is answering my prayer. I look over my shoulder expecting Elizabeth or Gillian or Susan, but it is a man I don't know. He glances at me, at Carter, then Luka. The resemblance to Luka is unmistakable. They could be twins.
I kiss Carter's hand before approaching the man. He's Luka's brother, I know. I can't remember his name. "Can I help you?"
"Hello," he says with an accent ten times thicker than Luka's. "I am Matej. Luka brother." The words are stiff, unfamiliar to him.
I nod and offer my hand. "I'm Abby." I hate that I feel guilty for walking away from Carter. He could open his eyes any second. I should be with him, not talking to Matej Kovak.
"Abby. Luka spoke of you." He looks me over and I feel nervous for a moment. Then I remember why he's here and it has nothing to do with me.
I gesture at Luka. "He's sleeping right now. You can sit with him."
He nods and walks over to the side of Luka's bed. He sits down and reaches for Luka's hand. I feel like I have grown roots, I can't move. I know I should walk away, I should go back to Carter, but I just stand there watching him.
He raises Luka's hand and lays it against his cheek. He says something in Croatian, and Luka opens his eyes. "Matej…" he whispers. The first words he has said since the attack. "Danijela?" Luka's voice is barely a whisper, but the tone is clearly a question.
Matej shakes his head and I don't understand the words but the message is clear. Luka closes his eyes and turns his head to the side.
I step back, slowly, trying not to call attention to myself. I sit down beside Carter and take his hand in mine. I can still hear Matej talking to Luka, but if Luka says anything I can't hear him.
"Carter, honey, I'm right here," I whisper to him. "I really want you to wake up now. Do you think you can do that for me?"
Nothing.
* * * * * * * *
We're walking along the beach, holding hands, just enjoying the night and each other. I stop suddenly, he takes another step forward then turns back, and he's facing me, standing toe to toe. He's a bit taller than me and has to lean in to kiss me. I close my eyes and tilt my head back in anticipation.
Fireworks explode inside my head, firing off at every nerve ending in my body. I feel like a school girl. He's going to ask me to marry him. I know he is. I can feel it. It's like electricity in the air. I'm ready for it.
He's pulling away from me. This is it, this is the moment I have been waiting for. But something is wrong. His eyes are glazed. He holds his hands up. Blood, like red paint, drips off his fingers.
"Carter!" I scream as he falls to his knees.
I feel hands on my shoulders, shaking me. Someone calling my name. I feel like I'm in the water, it's over my head, and I can't breathe.
"Abby, wake up. Abby, come on. Wake up." Gillian. It must be Gillian with that accent. "You're dreaming, Abby. Abby, wake up."
My eyes feel heavy. Too heavy. I force them open. "I'm sorry."
"Are you all right?"
I nod. "I think so. Carter…"
She shakes her head. "No change."
I sit up and look at him. He looks so peaceful. "His fingers twitched earlier."
"Really?"
"Elizabeth said it was probably just a reflex, but he hasn't done it before. I think he's going to wake up soon."
"I hope so."
"Have you met Matej? Luka's brother? Is he still here?" I look over my shoulder to Luka's side of the room. The curtain has been pulled.
"I knew he had to be Luka's brother. He looks just like him. He was sleeping when I came in."
"I didn't even know he was coming," I say, but I've already forgotten about Matej and Luka and everything but Carter. His beautiful brown eyes are open and staring at me.
* * * * * * * *
Please, please, please use the review option to let me know what you think. This story is moving right along, and I hope you are all enjoying the read. Let me know in review! Thanks so much.
Also, the name Matej comes from the Croatian names listed at www.Kabalarian.com
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
Chapter 8
I reach up to caress Carter's jaw. His beard is starting to show. He never lets it go this long. It's been four days. Four days since I head his voice, four days since he kissed me. Four impossibly long days. Four days that feel like forever.
I don't know how much longer I can go on like this.
His fingers twitch. I didn't imagine it. I felt it. His fingers twitched. I look to his face, there is no change. The monitors are the same. Nothing's changed. It didn't feel like a spasm. It felt real. It had to be real.
"Carter?" I lean over him and kiss his lips. "Carter, can you hear me? If you can hear me, squeeze my hand." I feel it again, a slight twitch of his fingers. "I'm here, Carter. I'm right here." I should probably yell for Elizabeth or Romano, or someone. Anyone. But I can't leave him. I don't want to miss anything. If he opens his eyes, I want to make sure the first thing he sees is me.
The door opens behind me, as if someone is answering my prayer. I look over my shoulder expecting Elizabeth or Gillian or Susan, but it is a man I don't know. He glances at me, at Carter, then Luka. The resemblance to Luka is unmistakable. They could be twins.
I kiss Carter's hand before approaching the man. He's Luka's brother, I know. I can't remember his name. "Can I help you?"
"Hello," he says with an accent ten times thicker than Luka's. "I am Matej. Luka brother." The words are stiff, unfamiliar to him.
I nod and offer my hand. "I'm Abby." I hate that I feel guilty for walking away from Carter. He could open his eyes any second. I should be with him, not talking to Matej Kovak.
"Abby. Luka spoke of you." He looks me over and I feel nervous for a moment. Then I remember why he's here and it has nothing to do with me.
I gesture at Luka. "He's sleeping right now. You can sit with him."
He nods and walks over to the side of Luka's bed. He sits down and reaches for Luka's hand. I feel like I have grown roots, I can't move. I know I should walk away, I should go back to Carter, but I just stand there watching him.
He raises Luka's hand and lays it against his cheek. He says something in Croatian, and Luka opens his eyes. "Matej…" he whispers. The first words he has said since the attack. "Danijela?" Luka's voice is barely a whisper, but the tone is clearly a question.
Matej shakes his head and I don't understand the words but the message is clear. Luka closes his eyes and turns his head to the side.
I step back, slowly, trying not to call attention to myself. I sit down beside Carter and take his hand in mine. I can still hear Matej talking to Luka, but if Luka says anything I can't hear him.
"Carter, honey, I'm right here," I whisper to him. "I really want you to wake up now. Do you think you can do that for me?"
Nothing.
* * * * * * * *
We're walking along the beach, holding hands, just enjoying the night and each other. I stop suddenly, he takes another step forward then turns back, and he's facing me, standing toe to toe. He's a bit taller than me and has to lean in to kiss me. I close my eyes and tilt my head back in anticipation.
Fireworks explode inside my head, firing off at every nerve ending in my body. I feel like a school girl. He's going to ask me to marry him. I know he is. I can feel it. It's like electricity in the air. I'm ready for it.
He's pulling away from me. This is it, this is the moment I have been waiting for. But something is wrong. His eyes are glazed. He holds his hands up. Blood, like red paint, drips off his fingers.
"Carter!" I scream as he falls to his knees.
I feel hands on my shoulders, shaking me. Someone calling my name. I feel like I'm in the water, it's over my head, and I can't breathe.
"Abby, wake up. Abby, come on. Wake up." Gillian. It must be Gillian with that accent. "You're dreaming, Abby. Abby, wake up."
My eyes feel heavy. Too heavy. I force them open. "I'm sorry."
"Are you all right?"
I nod. "I think so. Carter…"
She shakes her head. "No change."
I sit up and look at him. He looks so peaceful. "His fingers twitched earlier."
"Really?"
"Elizabeth said it was probably just a reflex, but he hasn't done it before. I think he's going to wake up soon."
"I hope so."
"Have you met Matej? Luka's brother? Is he still here?" I look over my shoulder to Luka's side of the room. The curtain has been pulled.
"I knew he had to be Luka's brother. He looks just like him. He was sleeping when I came in."
"I didn't even know he was coming," I say, but I've already forgotten about Matej and Luka and everything but Carter. His beautiful brown eyes are open and staring at me.
* * * * * * * *
Please, please, please use the review option to let me know what you think. This story is moving right along, and I hope you are all enjoying the read. Let me know in review! Thanks so much.
Also, the name Matej comes from the Croatian names listed at www.Kabalarian.com