[So, this is a pretty short chapter. I was hoping to wrap everything up with this chapter, but it's not coming together as I'd hoped. So you get the first part of it, and I struggle on with the remainder and will (with luck), get that finished and up in the next few days. Thanks for your patience.]
A knock on the door. "Come in?" Luka could hear the strain in his own voice. Three extra-strength Tylenol had blunted the hangover-headache, but hadn't touched the pain in his arm. There was more alcohol in the kitchen cupboard, he knew; half a bottle of vodka. But he knew that he shouldn't drink any more -- and he definitely shouldn't drink enough to make a dent in the pain. He'd had enough.
Luka really didn't want Abby's company just now, but he couldn't exactly tell her that she couldn't come in. She opened the door and came in, and sat on the bed beside him.
"Feeling any better?" she asked.
Luka shrugged. "Not really. What do you want?" God -- did he really just say that?
"The ambulance will be here in about an hour. With the weather and all, it's going to take a while."
"I told you I didn't need an ambulance!"
"So ... what then? You're going to walk to the hospital? It would probably take about as long, but a nice heated ambulance will be a lot more comfortable."
"It can wait. I told you it's not that bad." It really wasn't, Luka told himself again. And there probably wouldn't be much they could do for him anyway, except put it in a sling, which he already had.
"Fine," Abby said, sounding about as irritated as he did. "When they show up, you can tell them that they made the trip out here for nothing." Her voice softened a little. "Come on, Luka, be sensible. The longer it goes untreated, the greater the risk of permanent damage, and the greater the chance that you'll need surgery."
Luka shook his head. "I don't think that's an issue. It's probably an olecrannon fracture, with no displacement. That doesn't need surgery."
"And you diagnosed that how? With your x-ray vision?" Abby sighed. "The ambulance is coming; take it or leave it. I'm going to hitch a ride in whatever you decide to do. County has power. If I have to go another day without a hot shower and real coffee, I'm going to go nuts."
'Yeah', thought Luka. 'Not to mention the insanity-inducing factor having to spend another day here with me.' But he just said, "Fine. If it will make you happy, I'll go. But they probably won't be able to do much for me."
"They can get you some pain killers. That should be worth the trip."
"I'm not in that much pain," Luka insisted.
"Liar." Abby smiled a little, and Luka had to smile back.
"It isn't ten out of ten," he said.
"Just a nine?"
"And a half." He got up and went to look out the window for a moment. "Did you talk to County?"
"Yeah, for a few minutes."
"How are things there?"
"I talked to Chuny. Things are quiet, they've just had a few patients over the past couple of days. They're all going a little stir-crazy, and will be thrilled for the chance to work on your arm."
"I'm sure that once the weather breaks, they'll be flooded with patients."
"All the more reason to get in now ... before the spring rush."
Abby didn't say anything more, and Luka couldn't think of anything to say either. He just looked at her. She looked about as miserable as he felt right now.
He'd ruined everything, of course. For the second time. If he hadn't rushed into it, made assumptions ... maybe they could have had something again. They were getting along well, having fun together -- at least as much fun as could be had under the circumstances. Maybe if he'd taken it slowly they could have picked it up again, had something good again.
She had wanted him. She was the one who had asked him out that first time, had kissed him the first time, had come to his room the first time. And he had screwed it up. He hadn't been able to make the relationship work, no matter how hard he had tried.
And last night? What had she wanted then? Why didn't he know? Surely he should have been able to guess, but he hadn't. And he'd spoiled everything again. He had always been able to understand Danijela. (Not that they hadn't had their fights, of course!) Why couldn't he understand Abby?