Chapter 4: Careless Whispers

Susan sat alone in the bar, waiting for her order of a bacardi and coke to show up. She smiled at the young bartender as he passed her the drink. She began to scrabble with her purse but he shook his head. She thanked him and took a sip of it.

Her mind wondered back to Luka and Abby, something nasty most definitely went on there. She wasn't sure what Abby's feelings were but Luka's were blindingly obvious. He loved her still. She sighed and took another sip of her drink.

Suddenly her cell phone began to ring. She flipped it open.



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Luka took another gulp of his beer before once again trying Susan's home number. Again there was no reply. He hung up as the answer phone kicked in for the fifteenth time that day.

He leaned back on his sofa and closed his eyes, hoping that somehow when he opened them again he would be somewhere else. Somewhere in a parallel universe where he was someone else. Where Abby didn't exist and where he was not alone. Somewhere he could see his children growing into adults. A place where he could spend hours and hours strolling around parks and sitting in cafes with his wife who he loved so dearly. A place without death, without suffering and without loss.

He cursed under his breath in croatian as he once again opened his eyes to discover he was still sat on his hideous sofa, in his empty apartment and that he was still all alone.

Suddenly his cell phone began to ring. He glanced at the screen. It was a number he didn't recognise. For a moment he considered not picking it up, not wanting to speak to any member of the outside world and instead once again close his eyes and return to his dreams.



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Dr Susan Lewis sits alone! Susan watched as Abby entered the bar, swaying slightly from side to side, unsteady on her feet. She lunged towards Susan and took a seat next to her. She signalled at the bartender immediately, ordering a vodka, straight up. Susan laughed.
I don't think so
Oh, and since when did you become so high and mighty all of a sudden?
Since I found out you were an alcoholic Susan whispered this sentence and Abby let out a snort.
Get it right Susan, I AM an alcoholic. A drunk. Abby spoke loudly, throwing her hands up in the air as she spoke. Susan raised her eyebrows slightly, It's ok, I don't CARE who knows!
Come on Abby, let's go

To a meeting Abby let out a loud laugh.
To a meeting!? I'm suprised you even know what a meeting is Susan, don't tell me you were an alcoholic!?
No I wasn't
Ah I didn't think so. Not the perfect Dr Lewis, with her perfect hair and her perfect face and her perfect job. You would never stoop to such a level huh? Susan looked down at the floor, becoming more agitated as Abby rambled on.
Abby, if this is jealousy then it's pathetic
abby let out a loud cackle. What would I be jealous of?
Look, nothing happened between me and Luka. Abby once again laughed, louder this time.
LUKA! you think this is about Luka?
What else is it about?
It's about how you think you are better than me. She paused briefly to finish off her vodka, How you think that just because you are a doctor and I'm a nurse you're better than me. Well you're not okay, you are not better than me. You could never be what I am.
And thank god for that With that Susan turned on her heels and headed for the door, stopping only briefly to give the bartender a $20 dollar bill and her apologises.

As she pushed the door open and reached the street she could still hear Abby shouting drunken abuse. However she continued to walk, head held high until she reached her apartment, where she burst into tears.

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He took my shaking body into his strong arms, holding me close to his chest. I felt his heartbeat as I sobbed. It pounded against his chest, he must have ran from where ever he had been. He stroked my hair as I rambled on about what had happened. I made no sense at all, I realised that but at that moment in time I didn't care. All I wanted was him, holding me, comforting me, loving me...

He spoke in a low tone,mumbling in Croatian. I didn't understand what he was telling me but somehow it comforted me, the words were smooth and silky and they slid over each other perfectly, each fitting the next like a piece of a jigsaw.

Slowly my tears dried up and my heart rate got back to normal. I let out a gentle sigh of relief as he loosened his arms and moved his hands to my face. He stroked my skin gently, smoothing back the hair from my face and wiping away the traces of water from my tears.

Are you okay? His voice soothed my throbbing head and I nodded, You have the keys? I nodded again, handing them to him. He smiled and fitted the first one into the lock, opening my apartment door.
What about Abby? My voice was small and quiet. He shook his head.
Forget about her, she's Carter's problem now, come on, let's go up
He took my hand and lead me inside.

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