Bad Karma
Carby. Something happens to Abby. Will Carter get to her in time? Will he be able to save her? Read on to find out!
A.N.: I'm not the original author of this story. The original author is carby luva 313. She's decided she doesn't have enough time to write, so she's giving me the honour of finishing it for her. I hope I can do as good a job!
Disclaimer: I do not own ER. It belongs to Michael Crichton and the other members of the production team.
Chapter 13: Anticipation
Carter awoke to the sensation of a hand on his shoulder. He blinked furiously to let his eyes adjust to the light that now poured into the room. How long had he slept? Was Abby alright? He looked over, she was fine. He had almost forgotten about the reason he had woken up. He looked up to meet Elizabeth's warm eyes.
"Good morning Carter." She said quietly.
"Hey, Elizabeth. Is there something wrong?" Carter asked.
"No, I just came to see how you were both doing. Abby's surgery is in two hours, I thought I should wake you up." Elizabeth said.
"Yeah, thanks. I'm fine. Abby had a few nightmares last night, but I think the worst is over. Can I ask you a tremendous favour?" John inquired.
"Of course, anything. What is it?" Corday asked softly.
"When you take Abby into the O.R. I don't suppose you're going to let me go with her. I want you to talk to her, tell her it'll be alright before the surgery. Tell her you'll get her through it. One of the nightmares she had, she watched her surgery from above and she bled out profusely. She died on the table, in your hands. She needs your reassurance Elizabeth. Maybe get the others to talk to her too." He finished.
"Sure, no problem." Elizabeth smiled. Her pager went off. She fiddled with it so it wouldn't wake Abby.
"Sorry, I have to go. I'll be back in two hours to take Abby up to get prepped. Don't worry, she'll be alright. You might want to wake her up soon. Remember, nothing to eat or drink before the surgery. Only ice chips." Corday said.
"Alright, see you then. Thanks Elizabeth." Carter said warmly.
"Bye." She said and left the room.
Carter looked down at Abby. She looked like a sleeping angel. He didn't want to wake her up. Her dream world was probably so much better than the reality she had to face. He had to do it, though. Carter placed his hand on Abby's shoulder and gently shook her, trying not to startle her.
"Abby, come on wake up. It's a big day today." He said and kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open. She smiled when she saw Carter.
"Hey sweetie." Abby cooed. She had momentarily forgotten about the surgery.
"Good morning sunshine. Are you ready for the operation?" He questioned gently. Suddenly a look of horror crept onto Abby's face.
"Oh my God I forgot!" Abby panicked. Sobs racked her body. Carter took her into his arms and rocked her gently back and forth.
"Shh, it's okay. Listen to me, you're going to be fine. I promise Drs. Corday, Dorset, and Romano won't let anything happen to you. You're going to come out of this just fine, and you'll live a long happy life, with me by your side the whole way through. I know it sounds corny, but we'll grow old together!" Carter reassured Abby for what seemed like the hundredth time. He didn't care. He loved her so much he would reassure her a hundred more times if it made her feel any better.
"It's not corny. I love you. You're right, it'll be okay. It has to be." Abby whispered and calmed down. She was still extremely nervous, and Carter saw this.
"You want me to get you some ice chips?" Carter suggested.
"No thanks, I'm not sure if I can keep anything down right now." Abby admitted. Carter was happy she was being totally honest with him, she usually hid everything. Maybe, just maybe, she finally trusted him.
"Alright, that leaves me with more time here by your side." He smiled. She returned the favour. They just sat and looked deep into eachother's eyes for an hour. Carter kept a comfortably tight grip on Abby's hand. She was glad he did. Just the thought of letting go, even if it was only for a short hour or two, was a scary one to both of them. Soon, Romano came in followed by Shirley.
"Good morning. Are you ready miss Lockhart?" Romano asked softly.
"No, but better now than later I suppose." Abby replied.
Shirley and Dr.Romano walked over to the bed and moved all the IV lines and monitors onto it.
"Can John come with me?" She asked, now scared beyond tears.
"Only as far as the O.R. doors. I'm sorry." Shirley answered sympathetically.
"Alright, let's go." Romano said.
As Abby was being wheeled up to surgery, she tried not to think about what could happen. She could emerge out of this unscathed, or she could die. She tried not to weigh the options. Carter just looked down at her with reassuring eyes. It'll be okay she kept repeating to herself. They were almost at the OR doors.
"Abby, I promise you everything will be okay. You're going to be fine, and I'll be right by your side when you wake up. I love you." Carter said, and with that gave her one last kiss.
She was gone. He looked up at the glowing sign above the doors: O.R. The one and only thing that could separate him from the love of his life. But this is NOT forever he reminded himself.
Inside the O.R.;
"Hello Abby, I'm Dr.Alexander Babcock. I'm the anasthesiologist. In a few minutes, I'll give you a shot of IV valium so you can relax, and then soon you'll be waking up again." He said with a friendly smile.
Elizabeth fully intended to keep her promise, so she told Dr.Babcock to wait untill the surgeons had a chance to talk to Abby before putting her under. She explained to Romano and Dorset and they agreed. It was the least they could do. The three, already clad in gowns and gloves, walked over to where Abby lay. She looked up at them helplessly as if to say please don't let me die.
"Hey Abby. The surgery will begin in a few minutes. I just wanted to promise you that I'll get you through this." Elizabeth said.
"You'll be awake again soon, in the arms of Dr.Carter. He loves you too much to let you go, and I don't intend on letting anyone or anything take you away from him." Dr.Dorset reassured.
"You'll have kids, grow old, and live a happy fulfilling life. This is just a speed bump. Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it. Now Dr.Babcock is going to put you under, and I'll see you again soon." Robert said sympathetically.
Abby nodded and smiled. She felt better knowing they were going to do their best with her. She was glad it was them.
"Alright Abby, now I want you to count backwards from ten." Dr.Babcock instructed as he slipped the mask onto her face.
Ten. Abby felt her eyelids get heavy as she counted down. Nine. She was hallucinating, she thought she saw Carter standing above her. Eight. The room was swimming before her eyes. Seven. It was dark.
Outside The O.R.
Carter had taken to haunting the corridor in front of the O.R. He was pacing nervously. Abby had only been in surgery for ten minutes. Time ticked away slowly. Every second seemed like a year. Every time he glanced up at the clock, only a second or two had passed. How was Abby doing? Was the surgery going well? Had they encountered any problems? These were all questions that were racing through Carter's mind. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't hear Susan come up behind him. When she spoke, he jumped a foot in the air.
"Hey Carter. Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I thought you could use a little company. Weaver let me come up to see how you were doing." Susan said quietly.
"I'm fine. Okay, I'm lying. It's just, I'm so worried about Abby. I know everything will be alright, but it's driving me crazy being out here left to wonder instead of by Abby's side holding her hand and comforting her." Carter sobbed. Susan walked over to him and pulled him into a hug.
"It probably won't sound convincing coming from me, but I promise everything will work out. Don't give up, Carter." Susan said just as her pager went off.
"This is fixed! They make pagers so they ruin everything! Damnit, the ER needs me. Sorry Carter I have to go, but I'll be back up to see you later. Both of you." Susan said, emphasizing the word 'both'.
Carter was glad all of his friends were so supportive. Just then there came the piercing sound of a flatline. John spun around. A patient was crashing in one of the recovery rooms down the hall. Why had his mind so quickly jumped to Abby? It didn't matter now. All Carter knew was that he was weak in the knees, and if he didn't find a chair soon, he'd land in a bed next to Abby with a concussion soon. He wandered over to the waiting room and dropped into a chair. John did the only thing he could do to keep himself from going mad. He prayed.
Dear God, I've been turning to you a lot lately. This is my greatest time of need, and Abby's as well. If I didn't have you to talk to, I don't know what I'd do. Please watch over my baby in there. Don't take her away from me. I've come to depend on the reassurance that miracles really do happen. I'm not asking for a miracle, but I need something, some kind of sign to tell me that she'll be alright. Please, all I ask is that you give Abby the gift of life, so she can spend it happily with me. Amen.
Just then, Carter heard a tapping sound on the window behind him. He turned around, and there sat a white dove with beautiful eyes. They seemed so full of life, and warmth. Lucy instantly came to mind.
"Thank you." Carter whispered as he looked up at the ceiling.
He decided to offer a quiet thought to Lucy, too.
Hey Lucy, it's Carter. I miss you so much, and I wish you were here. The same thing is happening again. Someone I love is in there, on the table. This time the odds are a lot better, but I still feel so helpless. Please watch over Abby. Let her know she'll be okay, and that I'm right here waiting for her. I love you Lucy, I always will. Bye.
The white dove outside the window cooed, looked at Carter and almost seemed to smile before it flew away.
Abby was in a room. A big circular room painted white. There was a flash of bright light, and someone was walking towards her. Who was it? They were all dressed in white, a beautiful long flowing dress. As the person came nearer, the light died down. Abby got her first good look at who it was.
"Lucy!" Abby gasped.
"Hello, Abby." Lucy smiled.
"How, what, why...?" Abby trailed off, lost for words.
"John sends his love. He wants you to know that he's right outside, waiting for you." Lucy answered.
"What? How? Am I...dead, or dying?" Abby said, still dumbfounded. Lucy smiled.
"He's sitting in the waiting room, praying for you to be okay. I'm here to tell you that everything is going fine. You're not dying. This is all a dream. You'll be waking up in about half an hour, and you'll move on to lead a happy life with John. I promise." Lucy answered.
"Really? How do you know, Lucy? A-are you an angel?" Abby asked.
"Yes, I am. I've been watching over you and John from the second you got together, and I know that you'll be fine judging by the way you two are when you're together. He loves you more than life itself, Abby." Lucy said knowingly.
"Thank you, Lucy." Abby whispered happily.
"No problem. I have to leave now, Abby, but don't worry, I promise you'll get through the surgery. Goodbye..." Lucy said as she faded back into another flash of pure white light.
Abby's vision was filled with darkness again, but this time it felt so much warmer. It was really going to be okay.
Carter had fallen asleep in a chair in the surgical waiting area. This day had only lasted a few hours so far, but he was already drained. Suddenly, in his dream he saw a bright white flash. Someone was walking towards him with open arms. For a second Carter thought it was Abby, had she died during surgery? But no, this was someone else, the face seemed oddly familiar. The light faded and the person was only a few feet away. Carter stared open mouthed at her, it was Lucy. She came up to him and pulled him into an embrace.
"Hey Carter, I've missed you." Lucy whispered.
"Lucy..." Carter said, not quite believing it.
"I got your message. I've been to see Abby, she's doing fine. She'll pull through." Lucy said and smiled.
"I can't believe it! I never thought I'd see you again! Thank you!" Carter rejoiced.
"Don't get too attached cowboy, I have to leave soon. There are other people I have to watch over, too." Lucy said.
"Can't you stay for a while, at least until Abby is out of surgery?" Carter asked.
"Well, which one is it? A while, or until Abby is out of surgery, becasue if that's the case, they were cauterizing the last of the bleeding when I was in, they should be almost done." Lucy said matter-of-factly.
"Thank God, and thank you, too, Lucy!" Carter exclaimed.
"Well, I need to get going now. Bye Carter, I love you. Oh, and I want you to stop feeling guilty, it's not your fault. I was stabbed, and I died, that's all there is to it. Tell Drs.Romano and Corday that it's not either of their faults, either. See you someday..." Lucy trailed off and vanished.
Just then, Carter woke up. He looked at the clock. Abby had been in surgery for over an hour already, they should be finishing up soon. He couldn't believe what he had just dreamt. Was it real, or was it just his mind playing tricks on him in spite of recent events? Either way, a great weight had just been lifted from his soul. He felt much better knowing Lucy didn't blame him. He made a mental not to himself to talk to the two surgeons, too. Just then, detective Bernard entered the room.
"Hello, Dr.Carter." Bernard said briskly.
"Oh, detective Bernard, hi." Carter said suprisedly.
"How's miss Lockhart doing? I heard she was in surgery, is it serious?" Bernard asked.
"She's fine. She is indeed in surgery, but it's just to fix a small tear in her diaphragm." Carter replied.
"Good then." Bernard said.
"What brings you here?" Carter questioned.
"I'm here to tell you. They caught Jack Conner and Kenny Bruckheimer. Abby's safe now." Bernard explained.
"Thank God! How long will they be put away for?" Carter inquired.
"Forever, actually. They're both dead. Kenny died of blood loss from a gunshot wound to the stomach. Jack died instantly from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. Neither you or Abby ever have to worry about them again." Bernard rattled off.
"Oh my God. That's great news, though! Now maybe Abby will feel like she can move on. This is the best news I've heard since Abby was found! Thank you, detective Bernard." Carter rejoiced.
"No problem. Tell miss Lockhart I say hi, and I hope she feels better soon. Goodbye now, Dr.Carter. I'll be in touch. If you need anything, you know where to find me." Bernard said, and with that he left the room.
Carter was feeling much better now, knowing Jack could never come back for Abby again. The world was short two rapists, and Abby would soon be on her way to both physical and mental recovery. Just then, Dr.Dorset walked into the room.
"Edward! How is she, are they done?" Carter asked frantically.
"Relax, John. She's fine. is just suturing, she'll be wheeled into recovery soon. We've got her intubated because the tear in her diaphragm was worse than we first expected. She might have trouble breathing due to pain for a while, but we'll see when she wakes up. She was fine throughout the surgery, everything went smoothly. She'll be around soon. Come with me and I'll show you where they're bringing her." Dr.Dorset answered.
"Thank you so much, Eddie." Carter said.
"No problem. Hey, I care about her, too." Dorset said.
The two men left the room and walked down the hall towards recovery. When they reached the room and entered, it was still empty.
"You can stay here and wait for them to bring her out, it should be soon." Dr.Dorset informed.
"Thanks again. See you." Carter said.
After Dorset left, Carter felt much better. Abby was fine, the surgery went well. He'd be at her side again soon. Carter sat deep in thought for a few minutes when the door opened. It was Elizabeth and Romano, bringing Abby in. Carter jumped out of his seat and bolted to her side. Right away he took her delicate hand in his.
"Hey Carter." Elizabeth whispered.
"Did Dr.Dorset already explain everything?" Romano questioned.
"Yes. I'm so glad she's okay. Thank you both so much." Carter said. With that he walked over to the surgeons and pulled them both into a hug.
"I have something to tell you both. It might sound strange, but I dreamt it. In my dream, Lucy came to me and told me to tell you both not to feel guilty or responsible for her death. It was her time, and she wants you both to move on." Carter said.
"It doesn't sound strange at all." Elizabeth said. She meant it.
"Thank you, Dr.Carter." Romano said. He meant it, too.
There was just something about the whole scenario that made it believeable. Usually, in a case like this, Romano would have called a psych consult in a second, but now, both surgeons felt like the veil that had obscured both their visions over the years had been lifted.
"When she wakes up, page us." Elizabeth said.
"See you later." Romano said.
With that both surgeons turned and left the room. Carter walked over to where Abby lay and took her hand. He sat down beside her and kissed her forehead.
"See, you made it through, just like I promised." Carter whispered.
A.N.: How was that one? Told you I'd get it up fast! I just love to write, I spend hours in front of the computer. Thanks to everyone who reviews. Especially hyperpiper91 who has remained loyal to the story! So tell me what you think by reviewing, and I'll update soon! Love ALL my readers! Julia