Title: Hotter Than July
Rating: PG-13, but R later on...
Disclaimer: The ER characters do not belong to me, neither do any products, song lyrics or literary quotations mentioned.
Summary: Warm weather, flirtation and a few lessons to be learned. Luby. Sort of AU, sort of not.
Spoilers: Some season 9 and maybe early 10 I guess.
Reviews: A big thankyou to all my reviewers so far. Stick with me, I have a lot more to come :)
A/N: I wrote this a long time before we were ever treated to the brilliance of Hindsight, so you'll just have to bear with me and imagine for the purposes of this chapter that Luka has a new car that he loves just as much as the old one. :)
The seatbelt fastened in place with an affirmative click. Abby closed her eyes momentarily. She was brought out of her trance as she was hit by a sheer wall of noise as Luka switched on the radio. She jolted violently in the seat as if he had just hit an eject button and sent her vaulting through the sunroof. Suddenly all too aware of her discomfort, he turned the radio down to a softer volume.
Abby leant against the window thoughtfully. The sun was still gleaming brilliant light into the city, the temperature beginning to cool as evening set in.
"Bad day?" He asked, putting on his sunglasses.
"Not really. I just don't think this is the solution. If Weaver wants me to get up on time then she should buy me a new alarm clock."
He laughed. "I agree with you on the first part, but.."
She interrupted. "Yeah, it's my own fault. Sometimes it's just hard to be enthusiastic about an eleven hour shift."
Luka contemplated this for a moment. "I know, I suppose it's better than sitting in an office all day, though."
"People who work in offices don't have to remove foreign objects from people's butts." Abby replied sharply, still gazing out of the window.
"They don't get to save people's lives either."
"OK, that's 1-0 to you." They both laughed. Knowing she had been comprehensively beaten, Abby changed her mode of playful attack.
"So, Luka, what's your excuse?"
He turned quickly to look at her, puzzled. "For what?"
"Being late?" She prompted, grinning.
Pressing his foot on the accelerator he replied quickly, "I need a new alarm clock too."
*****
The drive was relatively short and pleasant, the weather easing off some of their grievances at an inconvenient evening. The university was a grey and black sprawl of buildings which seemed out of place in the light blue sky and gleaming sunshine. The contrast was a disturbing one, a place of such future importance should not have seemed so daunting. But Luka felt a strange aura as the edifice confronted him. He felt like it was waiting to teach him a lesson. Or perhaps he was just worrying about the car, parked a few streets away as there was no way he was going to leave it near the university. Pausing for a moment, he watched the heat haze rising in the air, shimmering with effervescence. Reality quickly caught up with him and he managed to remember his manners as he held the door, allowing Abby to pass through before him. A maze of signs, corridors and catatonic rushes of students exploded before them. Absorbing the chaos around her, Abby figured they should be at home in this madness.
"You have any idea where we're going?" She asked, wanting to find some quiet.
"Third floor. Room 35B. Stairs or elevator?"
Abby let out a little smirk as she hit the button and the elevator swiftly arrived.
Room 35B was strikingly deceptive. Despite having double doors, both were surprised to find a large lecture theatre open up in front of their eyes. It was already half-full, bustling with noise as the students chatted amongst themselves, awaiting the arrival of the lecturer. They made their way inconspicuously to the back, sitting temptingly close to the exit. While Luka stretched uncomfortably and undid another shirt button, Abby scanned the room, examining the students. Most were fairly young, with a few exceptions.
Her observations were interrupted by the arrival of the lecturer, a short, thin man. Dressed in a blue suit and wearing a cravat, he looked as if he had just stepped out of the set of Quincy. Maybe he is Quincy, Abby thought with a little smile. Anything to make this complete waste of time a little more bearable. At least you're not alone, she thought. Luka plucked a pen from his pocket, the artificial light flashing against its silver casing.
The lecturer thumped his books onto the desk, then checked his microphone was clipped on and fully functional.
"OK guys, as promised from last time, there's a treat for you all. If you'd all like to turn around and wave at Ed behind you, he'll start the procedures video running." All eyes momentarily shifted to the back of the room where behind a glass screen sat a middle-aged man who swiftly clicked buttons and the huge video screen roared into life. All eyes returned to the front.
"Great. I forgot the popcorn, " Abby whispered, flatly.
Luka shifted in his seat again, wishing he could've shrunk a few inches for a while. The film clicked into life, the lights were dimmed and a monotonous voice-over began to explain the thoracotomy.
Moments later, the explicit pictures became too much for some of the novices, who began running for the nearest toilet. Meanwhile, Abby was recognising the symptoms of falling asleep. The noise in her ears became blissfully distant, her eyelids began to flicker and the air conditioning blew a cool, caressing air across her skin. Fighting the tiredness, she shifted abruptly upwards in her seat. Searching for something else to capture her attention, she leant slowly against Luka's shoulder, interested in what he had been writing for the past few minutes. Scattered on the paper were an array of doodles and what appeared to be his shopping list. She let out an audible sigh.
"Can we go? This is pointless." She whispered in his ear.
"And get into more trouble? I don't think so, Abby." He replied quietly, pressing the end of his pen harder into the paper.
"You never know. You might enjoy the feel of Weaver's whip on your ass."
Luka laughed hard, disguising his enjoyment by coughing violently into his hands. Turning to face her, he shrugged, then offered her his hand, rapidly sweeping her out of her seat, while getting to his feet, clutching pen and paper in the other hand. Luka was very convinced that he would lose his balance but managed to sort himself out and slowly followed Abby towards the heaven that was the exit. They stole away in silence, not a soul witnessing their departure from the dark theatre of dreams.
Every university seemed to have its very own "Lung Cancer Alley," a doorway littered with students eagerly consuming what smelled like half the world's tobacco. Abby was surprised that instead of fuelling her temptation to smoke the acrid cloud of fumes irritating her eyes put her off. They dodged their way in out of the crowd like footballers in a swarming penalty box, eventually reaching the safety of the street. The air was slightly cooler now, the sun still blissfully unaware of its shimmering power. Slowly, they began the short walk to the car.
"I must admit, I'm disappointed with your lecture notes."
"Well, it's better than nothing." He said, optimistically.
"I think "I was bored" is a waste of ink and paper, don't you?"
Luka laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."
When they finally reached the car, sunlight gleaming against the paintwork, both sharply realised that they would be going nowhere in a hurry. Although parking there had seemed to be a good idea at first, the traffic cop had obviously had other ideas and thus, Luka had earned a ticket and a wheel clamp for his troubles. Abby was tempted to laugh, dying to tell him "I told you so." She was surprised to find herself giving in to her instincts as the supplication was evident in Luka's eyes, as if he were asking her to do it.
"Well, I did tell you not to park there." He shrugged, surprised that he was relatively unconcerned.
"I'm sorry." Luka spoke sincerely, knowing they had a relatively long walk ahead of them. There was a moment of almost unbearable silence.
Abby smiled. "You'll just have to be a gentleman and walk me home, then."
Without argument, they headed for the bustling heart of the city.
The streets were full, racing with the vivacity of a rainbow, colours unfurling like an acid trip. People, whether together or apart, floated in and out of the crowds like a miasma, everybody seemingly oblivious of everybody else's life, problems or troubles. In fact, it was such a perfect evening, the sun dancing high in the sky, a lush, cool breeze hanging in the air, it appeared impossible that people could have any troubles.
"I'm sorry," Luka repeated, beginning to feel a little tiredness tugging at his limbs, wishing he didn't have to walk.
"It's OK. Besides, I haven't talked to you properly for a couple of weeks. What have you been up to?" Abby asked gently, turning to look at him.
"Not much." Abby rolled her eyes, half-expecting such a vague answer. She knew she'd have to work on this one.
"You know the saying."
"Do I?" Luka asked , instantly intrigued by the riddle.
"The devil finds work for idle hands."
He laughed. "Nothing like that. Working, reading, getting beaten at Pictionary."
"Still?" She asked, bemused, then added, "You should get Operation. If your friends beat you at that, then.."
"I'm in trouble. I'll think about it."
The flow of people and traffic twisted chaotically as they crossed a road laden with cars, trucks, buses and a wall of sound which cut a dark shadow through the utopia of the sunshine. Diesel fumes invaded the sticky air and the buzz of a thousand radios and voices mingled into a confusing disharmony. Summer in the city was both beautiful and destructively ugly. The pavement was a welcome haven from the chaos, despite the ongoing rush of people like blood burst from an artery, wildly spraying and scattering the summer streets.
"So, what about you? Shouldn't you be out with Carter?" Luka asked, staring straight ahead, digging his fingers against the car keys in his pocket. Abby exhaled deeply and then let out a trademark sarcastic laugh. "That was over a while ago. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it." The walls in that hospital had ears, that was a pure certainty.
"I've been busy," he replied, with a nonchalance that betrayed every ounce of his feelings. Seconds felt like minutes, time seemed to elapse painfully. Suddenly all too aware of his unfeeling tone, Luka continued. "I'm sorry. And I'm surprised. I thought he was in love with you."
"They're just words." Abby replied sharply, although her words were tinged with a palpable sadness. Words which seemed so violently out of place in summer's rapturous reverie. Luka momentarily searched for words but knew there was no answer, and furthermore that silence often spoke louder volumes. Astonishment crept into his veins as he realised that he actually felt sorry for Carter. An emotion that he had not felt for a very long time. Yeah, like he really needs my pity, he thought. Still, nobody really deserved to have their feelings dismissed with such iciness. But as he was relatively oblivious to the situation, he let it drift away into the humid air.
"You've been busy looking after Maria, haven't you?" Maria was seventeen and dying of leukaemia, but apart from the obvious symptoms, nobody would have ever known. Every person who met her agreed that she had a vivacity, an endearing quality that stretched far beyond her illness. She was not dying, she was alive. She smiled endlessly, joked about her unenviable position and sang constantly. Courageous was not the word, more like miraculous. Accepting your immediate fate was perhaps the most daunting task a human being could face, Maria had done so with considerable grace and without any indication of fear.
"Yeah. But now that you mention it, sometimes it makes me feel a little guilty. Simply because her optimism is catching, I feel as if I'm just doing it to make myself feel better."
Abby laughed at his humility, then added, "Trust me, you're doing it to make her feel better. Either that, or you're taking your pay home under false pretences."
"It must be the first one, then." His conscience eased slightly, Luka gazed up speculatively at the sky.
"I hope the weather stays the same." His tone was almost dream-like, as if he were momentarily astounded by nature's perfection.
"You won't be saying that tomorrow to all the sunburnt old ladies and the annoyingly hyperactive kids." Abby was not trying to irritate him, but enjoyed putting a realistic spin on such a total image of faultlessness. The good weather did not make everything better. But it certainly helped.
*****
Rating: PG-13, but R later on...
Disclaimer: The ER characters do not belong to me, neither do any products, song lyrics or literary quotations mentioned.
Summary: Warm weather, flirtation and a few lessons to be learned. Luby. Sort of AU, sort of not.
Spoilers: Some season 9 and maybe early 10 I guess.
Reviews: A big thankyou to all my reviewers so far. Stick with me, I have a lot more to come :)
A/N: I wrote this a long time before we were ever treated to the brilliance of Hindsight, so you'll just have to bear with me and imagine for the purposes of this chapter that Luka has a new car that he loves just as much as the old one. :)
The seatbelt fastened in place with an affirmative click. Abby closed her eyes momentarily. She was brought out of her trance as she was hit by a sheer wall of noise as Luka switched on the radio. She jolted violently in the seat as if he had just hit an eject button and sent her vaulting through the sunroof. Suddenly all too aware of her discomfort, he turned the radio down to a softer volume.
Abby leant against the window thoughtfully. The sun was still gleaming brilliant light into the city, the temperature beginning to cool as evening set in.
"Bad day?" He asked, putting on his sunglasses.
"Not really. I just don't think this is the solution. If Weaver wants me to get up on time then she should buy me a new alarm clock."
He laughed. "I agree with you on the first part, but.."
She interrupted. "Yeah, it's my own fault. Sometimes it's just hard to be enthusiastic about an eleven hour shift."
Luka contemplated this for a moment. "I know, I suppose it's better than sitting in an office all day, though."
"People who work in offices don't have to remove foreign objects from people's butts." Abby replied sharply, still gazing out of the window.
"They don't get to save people's lives either."
"OK, that's 1-0 to you." They both laughed. Knowing she had been comprehensively beaten, Abby changed her mode of playful attack.
"So, Luka, what's your excuse?"
He turned quickly to look at her, puzzled. "For what?"
"Being late?" She prompted, grinning.
Pressing his foot on the accelerator he replied quickly, "I need a new alarm clock too."
*****
The drive was relatively short and pleasant, the weather easing off some of their grievances at an inconvenient evening. The university was a grey and black sprawl of buildings which seemed out of place in the light blue sky and gleaming sunshine. The contrast was a disturbing one, a place of such future importance should not have seemed so daunting. But Luka felt a strange aura as the edifice confronted him. He felt like it was waiting to teach him a lesson. Or perhaps he was just worrying about the car, parked a few streets away as there was no way he was going to leave it near the university. Pausing for a moment, he watched the heat haze rising in the air, shimmering with effervescence. Reality quickly caught up with him and he managed to remember his manners as he held the door, allowing Abby to pass through before him. A maze of signs, corridors and catatonic rushes of students exploded before them. Absorbing the chaos around her, Abby figured they should be at home in this madness.
"You have any idea where we're going?" She asked, wanting to find some quiet.
"Third floor. Room 35B. Stairs or elevator?"
Abby let out a little smirk as she hit the button and the elevator swiftly arrived.
Room 35B was strikingly deceptive. Despite having double doors, both were surprised to find a large lecture theatre open up in front of their eyes. It was already half-full, bustling with noise as the students chatted amongst themselves, awaiting the arrival of the lecturer. They made their way inconspicuously to the back, sitting temptingly close to the exit. While Luka stretched uncomfortably and undid another shirt button, Abby scanned the room, examining the students. Most were fairly young, with a few exceptions.
Her observations were interrupted by the arrival of the lecturer, a short, thin man. Dressed in a blue suit and wearing a cravat, he looked as if he had just stepped out of the set of Quincy. Maybe he is Quincy, Abby thought with a little smile. Anything to make this complete waste of time a little more bearable. At least you're not alone, she thought. Luka plucked a pen from his pocket, the artificial light flashing against its silver casing.
The lecturer thumped his books onto the desk, then checked his microphone was clipped on and fully functional.
"OK guys, as promised from last time, there's a treat for you all. If you'd all like to turn around and wave at Ed behind you, he'll start the procedures video running." All eyes momentarily shifted to the back of the room where behind a glass screen sat a middle-aged man who swiftly clicked buttons and the huge video screen roared into life. All eyes returned to the front.
"Great. I forgot the popcorn, " Abby whispered, flatly.
Luka shifted in his seat again, wishing he could've shrunk a few inches for a while. The film clicked into life, the lights were dimmed and a monotonous voice-over began to explain the thoracotomy.
Moments later, the explicit pictures became too much for some of the novices, who began running for the nearest toilet. Meanwhile, Abby was recognising the symptoms of falling asleep. The noise in her ears became blissfully distant, her eyelids began to flicker and the air conditioning blew a cool, caressing air across her skin. Fighting the tiredness, she shifted abruptly upwards in her seat. Searching for something else to capture her attention, she leant slowly against Luka's shoulder, interested in what he had been writing for the past few minutes. Scattered on the paper were an array of doodles and what appeared to be his shopping list. She let out an audible sigh.
"Can we go? This is pointless." She whispered in his ear.
"And get into more trouble? I don't think so, Abby." He replied quietly, pressing the end of his pen harder into the paper.
"You never know. You might enjoy the feel of Weaver's whip on your ass."
Luka laughed hard, disguising his enjoyment by coughing violently into his hands. Turning to face her, he shrugged, then offered her his hand, rapidly sweeping her out of her seat, while getting to his feet, clutching pen and paper in the other hand. Luka was very convinced that he would lose his balance but managed to sort himself out and slowly followed Abby towards the heaven that was the exit. They stole away in silence, not a soul witnessing their departure from the dark theatre of dreams.
Every university seemed to have its very own "Lung Cancer Alley," a doorway littered with students eagerly consuming what smelled like half the world's tobacco. Abby was surprised that instead of fuelling her temptation to smoke the acrid cloud of fumes irritating her eyes put her off. They dodged their way in out of the crowd like footballers in a swarming penalty box, eventually reaching the safety of the street. The air was slightly cooler now, the sun still blissfully unaware of its shimmering power. Slowly, they began the short walk to the car.
"I must admit, I'm disappointed with your lecture notes."
"Well, it's better than nothing." He said, optimistically.
"I think "I was bored" is a waste of ink and paper, don't you?"
Luka laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."
When they finally reached the car, sunlight gleaming against the paintwork, both sharply realised that they would be going nowhere in a hurry. Although parking there had seemed to be a good idea at first, the traffic cop had obviously had other ideas and thus, Luka had earned a ticket and a wheel clamp for his troubles. Abby was tempted to laugh, dying to tell him "I told you so." She was surprised to find herself giving in to her instincts as the supplication was evident in Luka's eyes, as if he were asking her to do it.
"Well, I did tell you not to park there." He shrugged, surprised that he was relatively unconcerned.
"I'm sorry." Luka spoke sincerely, knowing they had a relatively long walk ahead of them. There was a moment of almost unbearable silence.
Abby smiled. "You'll just have to be a gentleman and walk me home, then."
Without argument, they headed for the bustling heart of the city.
The streets were full, racing with the vivacity of a rainbow, colours unfurling like an acid trip. People, whether together or apart, floated in and out of the crowds like a miasma, everybody seemingly oblivious of everybody else's life, problems or troubles. In fact, it was such a perfect evening, the sun dancing high in the sky, a lush, cool breeze hanging in the air, it appeared impossible that people could have any troubles.
"I'm sorry," Luka repeated, beginning to feel a little tiredness tugging at his limbs, wishing he didn't have to walk.
"It's OK. Besides, I haven't talked to you properly for a couple of weeks. What have you been up to?" Abby asked gently, turning to look at him.
"Not much." Abby rolled her eyes, half-expecting such a vague answer. She knew she'd have to work on this one.
"You know the saying."
"Do I?" Luka asked , instantly intrigued by the riddle.
"The devil finds work for idle hands."
He laughed. "Nothing like that. Working, reading, getting beaten at Pictionary."
"Still?" She asked, bemused, then added, "You should get Operation. If your friends beat you at that, then.."
"I'm in trouble. I'll think about it."
The flow of people and traffic twisted chaotically as they crossed a road laden with cars, trucks, buses and a wall of sound which cut a dark shadow through the utopia of the sunshine. Diesel fumes invaded the sticky air and the buzz of a thousand radios and voices mingled into a confusing disharmony. Summer in the city was both beautiful and destructively ugly. The pavement was a welcome haven from the chaos, despite the ongoing rush of people like blood burst from an artery, wildly spraying and scattering the summer streets.
"So, what about you? Shouldn't you be out with Carter?" Luka asked, staring straight ahead, digging his fingers against the car keys in his pocket. Abby exhaled deeply and then let out a trademark sarcastic laugh. "That was over a while ago. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it." The walls in that hospital had ears, that was a pure certainty.
"I've been busy," he replied, with a nonchalance that betrayed every ounce of his feelings. Seconds felt like minutes, time seemed to elapse painfully. Suddenly all too aware of his unfeeling tone, Luka continued. "I'm sorry. And I'm surprised. I thought he was in love with you."
"They're just words." Abby replied sharply, although her words were tinged with a palpable sadness. Words which seemed so violently out of place in summer's rapturous reverie. Luka momentarily searched for words but knew there was no answer, and furthermore that silence often spoke louder volumes. Astonishment crept into his veins as he realised that he actually felt sorry for Carter. An emotion that he had not felt for a very long time. Yeah, like he really needs my pity, he thought. Still, nobody really deserved to have their feelings dismissed with such iciness. But as he was relatively oblivious to the situation, he let it drift away into the humid air.
"You've been busy looking after Maria, haven't you?" Maria was seventeen and dying of leukaemia, but apart from the obvious symptoms, nobody would have ever known. Every person who met her agreed that she had a vivacity, an endearing quality that stretched far beyond her illness. She was not dying, she was alive. She smiled endlessly, joked about her unenviable position and sang constantly. Courageous was not the word, more like miraculous. Accepting your immediate fate was perhaps the most daunting task a human being could face, Maria had done so with considerable grace and without any indication of fear.
"Yeah. But now that you mention it, sometimes it makes me feel a little guilty. Simply because her optimism is catching, I feel as if I'm just doing it to make myself feel better."
Abby laughed at his humility, then added, "Trust me, you're doing it to make her feel better. Either that, or you're taking your pay home under false pretences."
"It must be the first one, then." His conscience eased slightly, Luka gazed up speculatively at the sky.
"I hope the weather stays the same." His tone was almost dream-like, as if he were momentarily astounded by nature's perfection.
"You won't be saying that tomorrow to all the sunburnt old ladies and the annoyingly hyperactive kids." Abby was not trying to irritate him, but enjoyed putting a realistic spin on such a total image of faultlessness. The good weather did not make everything better. But it certainly helped.
*****