Make of Two Hearts
~*~
"Hi, Carter," Abby said shakily as she stood up to face him.
"Abby," he said with a curt nod of his head. There was a thick discomfort between the two of them. The silence was heavy and the anger and hatred that they had grown to feel for one another was extending its aura to the borders of the room.
Abby saw Susan edge her way out of the room from the corner of her eye and she cursed Susan in her mind, reminding herself to get her back for this eventually.
Carter's eyes strayed to the table where all of the pictures lay askew. He didn't ask questions, but he didn't meet Abby's gaze after that either.
Abby bent down, gathered the pictures carefully and placed them in her locker before leaving the lounge briskly.
The rest of the day, Abby desperately tried to avoid Carter. She was, of course, failing miserably. Not that it mattered as Carter and she were both making a point of not talking to each other.
As she finished off with her last patient of the day, Carter sauntered up beside her, his expression blank. She was trying to figure out what he wanted as she signed her name deliberately across the line at the bottom of the chart and then turned to face him, her face questioning and her body nonchalant.
"We need to talk," he stated simply. She hadn't been expecting this. She had been prepared for something slightly less civil like, you idiot, you ruined my life and she was somewhat disappointed with his meager comment, but she nodded her consent anyway; she wanted to talk too.
She dropped the chart and admit. and faced him.
"So?" she said. Carter glanced around him.
"Not here," he muttered. Abby looked around, not really sure what was wrong with where they were, but she nodded anyway and shrugged.
"Okay, but make it quick, I have somewhere to be." Carter gestured toward the lounge and held the door for her as they approached it. Abby noticed Susan watching from down the hall and sighed audibly. She turned to face Carter.
"So?" she iterated slightly forcefully this time. Carter looked at her.
"This has to stop," he said shortly. Abby eyed him curiously.
"What?" It was her first day back and she was already bothering him?
"This childishness –"
"Oh, my childishness?"
"I didn't say that! Abby –"
"But you implied it." Carter threw his hands up exasperatedly.
"Will you just listen?" he cried. Abby quieted down and looked into his fiery eyes.
"I'm sorry for yelling," he said more calmly. "I was talking about all of this. Us ignoring each other, avoiding each other. It just… it has to stop. So I propose a kind of truce." Abby snorted.
"Abby. At least… think about it." Abby stared at him seriously. He seemed sincere.
"Okay," she nodded finally, "It's a deal. I'll be civil if you'll be civil." Carter nodded and they stood there in silence.
"I have to go," Abby stated shortly, "I have to pick someone up."
"Your daughter?" Carter asked. It seemed more friendly than contemptuous and Abby figured maybe he wasn't as mad at her as she had thought he had been.
"Um, my step-daughter," she said as she pulled her coat out of her locker, "I get to be the evil step-mother." She winked at him and Carter grinned.
"Well, see you tomorrow," he said suddenly.
"Um, yeah. See you," Abby said with a little wave. Carter stayed firmly in his place in the middle of the lounge floor, so Abby detoured around to the doorway.
She stopped abruptly in the threshold.
"Um…" she looked at the ground, "I just wanted you to know… I'm, I'm sorry for being such an idiot." Carter nodded. She felt like she had to tell him more. Why? Why did she feel the need to inform him? "And Carter? I'm not married anymore."
There, she had gotten it out. She stepped out of the room and left the hospital hastily.
~*~
Abby lay in bed that night after having comforted Lauren back to sleep, thinking about Carter.
She couldn't get him out of head, which was stupid; she tried to tell herself, considering that she had been so mad at him a mere 24 hours ago. Still, she couldn't stop remembering him; good memories and bad memories.
Abby approached the lounge that day, a smile plastered on her face. Susan was jabbering pleasantly about something beside her, but she wasn't really listening. She was a few minutes early to go and meet him, but she wanted to surprise him. She felt bad making him wait alone in the lounge anyway.
She pulled the door open and Susan stopped talking abruptly. Carter was lying on the couch, an OR nurse straddling him from above. She had her mouth on his and low moans were emitting from the base of his throat.
Abby heard a muffled cry come from her own mouth. She felt her tears well up in her eyes, but she willed them not to fall.
Susan's arm was around her, but she wiped it away hastily.
"Abby…" she heard Carter say from beneath the nurse, "It's not what it looks like. Abby!"
But she was gone.
And she returned only once after that to claim her things from her locker and take them home with her. That was it.
Until today.