The Hurting Time Has Come
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
Chapter 10
I sit with him hour after endless hour, just sitting beside his bed holding his hand. Gillian is on the other side, holding his other hand. We don't talk much, because there really isn't anything to say, but the silence gives me too much time to think.
What if he really doesn't remember me? What will happen to us then? I love him so much, all I want is for him to wake up and be like he was before. But that will never happen. No matter if he remembers me or if he doesn't, he's never going to be the same again.
I wish I knew who did this to him and why. It doesn't make sense. Who would want to hurt two wonderful, good men like Luka and Carter? All either of them ever wanted was to help people. This shouldn't have happened to them.
All of a sudden I realize I'm walking toward some fancy outdoor café. Flowers decorate the patio, spotted with several white iron tables with umbrellas. His back is to me, so I sneak up behind him and slide my arms over his shoulders.
He jumps and throws me off him. "Who are you?" he demands.
"Carter?"
His eyes are cold and distant. "I asked you a question, Miss. Who are you?"
"Carter, it's me. Abby," I say.
He's still just staring at me. I feel like he's looking right through me. "You must have me mistaken for someone else." He sits back down, his back to me once again.
"You're hurt…" I say. There's blood dripping from his side.
His head lolls to the side, and there's blood on his lips.
I scream and stumble backwards.
"Hey, hey," a voice calls and I feel hands on my shoulders. I open my eyes and for a split second I think it's Luka on his knees in front of me. "Are you okay?" Matej struggles with each word.
I nod and push a hand through my hair. "Just a dream."
"Abby?" We both turn to Carter. Matej stands and I move to the edge of my chair, just a little closer to Carter. "What happened?" he asks.
I stand and reach up to smooth the hair from his forehead. I want to ask him if he knows who I am, but I don't want him to say no. "Nothing. It was a dream. Just a bad dream."
Matej pats my shoulder and goes back to the other side of the room.
Carter closes his eyes. "What happened to me?" His voice is so weak I can barely hear him.
I glance at Gillian, sitting on the other side of the bed. "He wants to know what happened to him," she says. Carter's eyes open and looks at her for just a second, then his eyes close again like the effort to keep them open is too great.
"Do you know where you are?" I ask.
"Hospital."
"Do you remember anything?"
"I can't feel my legs."
I don't know how much I should tell him. "Carter, do you know who I am?"
His eyes open for a moment. "Abby." He raises his hand to my cheek. My eyes close with the relief, and I bring my hand up to hold his against my face. The warmth of pure relief spreads through me. Thank God. Thank you, God. He knows who I am. I know everything is going to be all right now. "Are my parents here?"
"No. They're both over seas. Your father asked Gillian to come."
His eyes open and turns his head to look at Gillian. "Hey," he says softly and his eyes close again.
She smiles. "Hey. You know if you wanted to see me all you had to do was call."
"I'm glad you're here."
I turn my head a little to kiss his hand then ease it to the mattress. A comfortable silence settles in the room.
"What happened to your hand?" He asks after a few minutes.
"I was holding your hand when you had a seizure and a couple of my fingers are broken."
His eyes open, and he stares at me for a few seconds. He looks weary, but he's doing pretty good, I think. "Why can't I feel my legs?"
"You were stabbed a few days ago." There's no reason to lie to him.
"Stabbed?" He repeats and his eyes close.
"But you're going to be okay now. You're going to be just fine, Carter." I stroke his hair. "Why don't you try to sleep now? You need to rest."
* * * * * * *
I've been struggling with this chapter for a while...I hope it's worth the wait… After this I think I'm going to skip some time to get Luka and Carter into the recovery phase where we will get to the meat of the story…Please use the review option (here I am BEGGING again) to let me know what you think…Thanks so much for reading and double the appreciation to all who review me!
An ER fan fiction by AbCaLuDa
Chapter 10
I sit with him hour after endless hour, just sitting beside his bed holding his hand. Gillian is on the other side, holding his other hand. We don't talk much, because there really isn't anything to say, but the silence gives me too much time to think.
What if he really doesn't remember me? What will happen to us then? I love him so much, all I want is for him to wake up and be like he was before. But that will never happen. No matter if he remembers me or if he doesn't, he's never going to be the same again.
I wish I knew who did this to him and why. It doesn't make sense. Who would want to hurt two wonderful, good men like Luka and Carter? All either of them ever wanted was to help people. This shouldn't have happened to them.
All of a sudden I realize I'm walking toward some fancy outdoor café. Flowers decorate the patio, spotted with several white iron tables with umbrellas. His back is to me, so I sneak up behind him and slide my arms over his shoulders.
He jumps and throws me off him. "Who are you?" he demands.
"Carter?"
His eyes are cold and distant. "I asked you a question, Miss. Who are you?"
"Carter, it's me. Abby," I say.
He's still just staring at me. I feel like he's looking right through me. "You must have me mistaken for someone else." He sits back down, his back to me once again.
"You're hurt…" I say. There's blood dripping from his side.
His head lolls to the side, and there's blood on his lips.
I scream and stumble backwards.
"Hey, hey," a voice calls and I feel hands on my shoulders. I open my eyes and for a split second I think it's Luka on his knees in front of me. "Are you okay?" Matej struggles with each word.
I nod and push a hand through my hair. "Just a dream."
"Abby?" We both turn to Carter. Matej stands and I move to the edge of my chair, just a little closer to Carter. "What happened?" he asks.
I stand and reach up to smooth the hair from his forehead. I want to ask him if he knows who I am, but I don't want him to say no. "Nothing. It was a dream. Just a bad dream."
Matej pats my shoulder and goes back to the other side of the room.
Carter closes his eyes. "What happened to me?" His voice is so weak I can barely hear him.
I glance at Gillian, sitting on the other side of the bed. "He wants to know what happened to him," she says. Carter's eyes open and looks at her for just a second, then his eyes close again like the effort to keep them open is too great.
"Do you know where you are?" I ask.
"Hospital."
"Do you remember anything?"
"I can't feel my legs."
I don't know how much I should tell him. "Carter, do you know who I am?"
His eyes open for a moment. "Abby." He raises his hand to my cheek. My eyes close with the relief, and I bring my hand up to hold his against my face. The warmth of pure relief spreads through me. Thank God. Thank you, God. He knows who I am. I know everything is going to be all right now. "Are my parents here?"
"No. They're both over seas. Your father asked Gillian to come."
His eyes open and turns his head to look at Gillian. "Hey," he says softly and his eyes close again.
She smiles. "Hey. You know if you wanted to see me all you had to do was call."
"I'm glad you're here."
I turn my head a little to kiss his hand then ease it to the mattress. A comfortable silence settles in the room.
"What happened to your hand?" He asks after a few minutes.
"I was holding your hand when you had a seizure and a couple of my fingers are broken."
His eyes open, and he stares at me for a few seconds. He looks weary, but he's doing pretty good, I think. "Why can't I feel my legs?"
"You were stabbed a few days ago." There's no reason to lie to him.
"Stabbed?" He repeats and his eyes close.
"But you're going to be okay now. You're going to be just fine, Carter." I stroke his hair. "Why don't you try to sleep now? You need to rest."
* * * * * * *
I've been struggling with this chapter for a while...I hope it's worth the wait… After this I think I'm going to skip some time to get Luka and Carter into the recovery phase where we will get to the meat of the story…Please use the review option (here I am BEGGING again) to let me know what you think…Thanks so much for reading and double the appreciation to all who review me!