The day dragged, as bad days tend to. She felt everyone keeping their distance from her, as if they could sense how awful she felt and didn't want any part of that. Or maybe they were scared she'd bite their head off, and the truth was she probably would. She went about her work, no more than passing the time of day with anyone. She went to lunch alone, and sat in Doc's for a half-hour staring into the same cup of coffee.
"Can I get you another?"
It was a female voice that she couldn't immediately place. Abby looked up from the now cold brown liquid.
"No, no it's fine."
"Can I get you anything else?"
The waitress, another new girl that Abby didn't recognize, was only doing her job. She was probably working her hardest to impress her boss on her first day. It was the only day when any enthusiasm was a good thing.
"No. I'm fine, thank you,"
Aware of how curt her tone sounded, Abby added the thanks. It wasn't the blonde girl's fault. It was mere moments before she was aware of another presence hovering over her.
"Fancy seeing you here,"
Abby sighed heavily, tried to smile and looked up at the doctor.
"Hi. Am I needed?"
"Nope. It's slowed down. Can I join you?"
"If you want,"
Abby said sullenly. She wasn't in the mood for company, but was in even less of a mood to attempt to explain why.
"Is everything alright?"
Such a generic question, with so many answers. Abby mulled it over for a second before nodding slowly.
"Yep, it's all fine,"
"How did it go last night?"
A sudden jolt of panic shot through her, she sat bolt upright and looked Jing-Mei straight in the eye for the first time.
"What do you mean?"
"Just wondering if you had fun, that was all. Why so jumpy?"
"No reason."
"There is. Something happened. Oh, you've got to tell me now, you're a useless liar,"
It was a friendly, teasing tone, but it had Abby squirming. She couldn't explain this to anyone. She couldn't tell anyone, let alone Chen.
"It was…Nothing happened, O.K?"
"What did you do?"
There was an edge, and Chen was pushing her ever nearer to it.
"What did *he* do is more accurate,"
Abby paused, but was encouraged to continue by the expression in Chen's eyes, a strange mixture of elation and confusion.
"He kissed me,"
The doctor's eyes widened. Abby looked away, out the window and across the street. She wished she hadn't said what she had earlier, she wished she wasn't so defensive, so insecure. Above all, she wished this wasn't so complicated.
"And?"
"And nothing. His mother happened,"
"Ah,"
The sigh was an almost knowing one. The look in Eleanor's eyes had been so chilling. In those few seconds, she'd seen herself through the eyes of another, and it had been an appallingly negative image.
"Don't say anything, O.K? The last thing I need is this getting back to you know who,"
Why couldn't she even bring herself to say his name? He was supposed to be her boyfriend. Chen shook her head. Abby had to believe her. She felt that this was now scarily out of her control.
"I won't. But I will tell you this. There's something in the way he looks at you, Abby, something special. There's something there that very few people ever find. I don't know if you feel the same about him, but I have my suspicions."
"I do,"
Abby whispered, as much to herself as anything else.
"Don't let him go,"
"Can I get you another?"
It was a female voice that she couldn't immediately place. Abby looked up from the now cold brown liquid.
"No, no it's fine."
"Can I get you anything else?"
The waitress, another new girl that Abby didn't recognize, was only doing her job. She was probably working her hardest to impress her boss on her first day. It was the only day when any enthusiasm was a good thing.
"No. I'm fine, thank you,"
Aware of how curt her tone sounded, Abby added the thanks. It wasn't the blonde girl's fault. It was mere moments before she was aware of another presence hovering over her.
"Fancy seeing you here,"
Abby sighed heavily, tried to smile and looked up at the doctor.
"Hi. Am I needed?"
"Nope. It's slowed down. Can I join you?"
"If you want,"
Abby said sullenly. She wasn't in the mood for company, but was in even less of a mood to attempt to explain why.
"Is everything alright?"
Such a generic question, with so many answers. Abby mulled it over for a second before nodding slowly.
"Yep, it's all fine,"
"How did it go last night?"
A sudden jolt of panic shot through her, she sat bolt upright and looked Jing-Mei straight in the eye for the first time.
"What do you mean?"
"Just wondering if you had fun, that was all. Why so jumpy?"
"No reason."
"There is. Something happened. Oh, you've got to tell me now, you're a useless liar,"
It was a friendly, teasing tone, but it had Abby squirming. She couldn't explain this to anyone. She couldn't tell anyone, let alone Chen.
"It was…Nothing happened, O.K?"
"What did you do?"
There was an edge, and Chen was pushing her ever nearer to it.
"What did *he* do is more accurate,"
Abby paused, but was encouraged to continue by the expression in Chen's eyes, a strange mixture of elation and confusion.
"He kissed me,"
The doctor's eyes widened. Abby looked away, out the window and across the street. She wished she hadn't said what she had earlier, she wished she wasn't so defensive, so insecure. Above all, she wished this wasn't so complicated.
"And?"
"And nothing. His mother happened,"
"Ah,"
The sigh was an almost knowing one. The look in Eleanor's eyes had been so chilling. In those few seconds, she'd seen herself through the eyes of another, and it had been an appallingly negative image.
"Don't say anything, O.K? The last thing I need is this getting back to you know who,"
Why couldn't she even bring herself to say his name? He was supposed to be her boyfriend. Chen shook her head. Abby had to believe her. She felt that this was now scarily out of her control.
"I won't. But I will tell you this. There's something in the way he looks at you, Abby, something special. There's something there that very few people ever find. I don't know if you feel the same about him, but I have my suspicions."
"I do,"
Abby whispered, as much to herself as anything else.
"Don't let him go,"