Abby opened her apartment door to reveal Neela, dressed in a pale pink sweater and dark jeans. She looked fully awake and ready to study.
"I take it you stayed home last night then?" Abby asked her, stepping aside to allow her in.
"I was studying," Neela said, "Were you out?" Abby shook her head.
"Nah. Ella. Remember?"
"Oh right. Is she still…" An ear piecing shriek which became a giggle from the next room answered her question for her. "Here. So did you get any sleep?" Abby was clearing her table,
"Oh yeah. She's an angel, just went straight to sleep. You want a coffee or anything?" Neela nodded, putting down her books on the table,
"Coffee would be good thanks," She said, sitting down and opening them, "When is Doctor Corday picking Ella up?" Abby shrugged,
"I said when she wakes up. I'll leave the door open so I can see her, and we can hit the books."
"Sounds like a plan." Neela took her cup of coffee gratefully, and Abby sat down opposite her.
Elizabeth got to Abby's at eleven. She felt refreshed, rested, and thoroughly grateful to have had a break for a night. She knocked, and Neela opened the door,
"Hi, Doctor Corday," She said, Elizabeth greeted her, "Abby's just dragging Ella away from the TV." Elizabeth laughed, she knew how difficult that task could be.
"We could be here a while then," She said, stepping inside. "Ella's worse than I am for TV." Abby came out into the kitchen, Ella in one arm and her night bag over the other.
"Morning," She said, "How'd it go last night?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes, before taking her daughter who was reaching out to her,
"Oh not bad I suppose. I'm not making a habit of it though."
"Dorsett's back today though right?"
"Yes. Wonderful news." Elizabeth glanced at Neela. Abby caught the look, and changed the subject.
"Ella was great. She didn't make a fuss or anything. If you ever need a babysitter, I don't have any kind of a personal life." She joked, "She's an angel."
"She must get it from her father then, because my father never misses a chance to remind me of how disagreeable I was as a child." Elizabeth said, noticing the effect that mentioning Mark had on both Abby and Neela. For goodness sake, wasn't it her job to feel awkward around the subject? "Studying hard are you?"
"Books suck." Abby said, sulkily, "But we're in the hospital later aren't we?"
"Yes," Neela said, "At four."
"I'm in at six." Elizabeth said, taking the bag from Abby, "Actually Abby, while I'm here, there was something I wanted to talk to you about…" Neela took the hint quickly,
"I'll be in the living room," She said, picking up some books and taking them into the other room. Abby followed her with her eyes for a moment, and then turned back to Elizabeth,
"What's up?" She asked.
"I think you were right. About Robert." She said, in a low voice. Abby frowned,
"Did you talk to him?" She asked. Elizabeth nodded,
"He won't go to a 'shrink', as he so crudely puts it. But I'm worried he's going to develop agoraphobia, especially being stuck inside such a small room for so long. Tomorrow's Christmas eve for goodness sake, he shouldn't be in hospital if there's no reason for it."
"I can think of a reason." Abby suggested. Elizabeth looked interested,
"What?"
"Well, added to your agora theory, how about the fact that being in hospital, I'm in every day, you're in just about every day, random nurses, random doctors are in and out… it gives him someone to yell orders at, or to talk to. If I was in that situation, and it was almost Christmas, I wouldn't want to be stuck at home, alone."
"You think he's lonely?" Abby shrugged,
"Like I said, it's just a theory. Look, Doctor-"
"Elizabeth,"
"Elizabeth," Abby corrected herself, "I know it's none of my business, but being in the hospital just about every day, I see and hear a lot more than most people. You go to see him all the time. The only person he really cares about being there is you, and you're the only person he doesn't attempt to insult every time he sees you." She paused, waiting for some remark from Elizabeth, but got none. "It's not pity that takes you there every day, is it?" Elizabeth looked uneasy, "Look I'm sorry, it's none of my business…"
"Of course it's your business." Elizabeth said, briskly, "Like you said, you're there every day, and as a doctor it's your responsibility to look after the welfare of your patient." She shook her head, "If I'm honest about it, I'm not sure what I'm doing."
"You care about him. I am right, aren't I?" Elizabeth hesitated, "Elizabeth?"
"Yes." She said, quickly. Abby continued,
"And he cares a hell of a lot about you. If I were you, I wouldn't miss out on something like that." Elizabeth's eyes kept flicking to the door Neela had gone through.
"It's complicated Abby," She said, "Look, I'd better go. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention anything about this to any one."
"I won't." Abby assured her. "See you at the hospital?"
"Most likely. Thank you again,"
"That's okay. Like I said, any time." She waved to Ella, "Bye Ella!" Ella waved back and Elizabeth left, closing the door behind her.
Elizabeth got back to the hospital at ten to six, after leaving Ella with Kris, her nanny. She went in through the ER entrance, hoping to catch Kerry to check the dates for a meeting on her way up. She spotted Abby at the desk, pulling the wrapper of a Christmas gift.
"Hey, Doctor Corday," Frank stopped her on her way through, "Carter got African junk for everybody. Looks like you got a card too." He handed her a neatly wrapped parcel to her and went back to the desk. Elizabeth looked at it for a moment, before heading through the ER, nodding to Abby on her way past.
"Oh, Abby," She said, stopping, "Have you seen Weaver?" Abby was about to answer, but Jerry beat her to it on his way past,
"Not in today," He said. Elizabeth frowned,
"I thought she started at four?"
"Called in sick. Some sort of lesbian emergency." Abby rolled her eyes behind his back, before he carried on toward the front desk. Elizabeth smiled at Abby before heading off toward the Elevator.
"Did you think about it?" Abby called after her,
"Annoyingly yes." Elizabeth replied over her shoulder,
"And?"
"And what?" She flashed the med student/ nurse a grin as the elevators doors closed. Abby glanced down at the dark wooden box she had received from Carter, which Luka had informed her was a form of medicinal box, that used to be used in Africa. Kind of an ancient first aid kit. Her eyes lingered on it for a moment, then she headed straight for the doctors lounge to stash it away. She wasn't exactly sure what she thought of it.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a petite woman, with sleek red hair was dialling a number into her cell phone for what seemed like the hundredth time. When there was no answer again, she reached into her dark suede clutch bag and dug around in an inside pocket until she extracted an air ticket. She looked at it for a while, contemplating whether it was worth using it or not.