This story takes place 3 months after the finale for season 10, and i'm taking it in different directions than season 11 will probably go, but that hasn't aired yet, so oh well.
"THIS IS MARK IN THE MORNING! COMING UP NEXT WE GOT A TRIPLE PLAY OF BLUE OYSTER....
"Mmmm....No....not....yet.
Abby rolled over and lifted her arm to switch off the alarm. It didn't want to move. She swung it in the direction of the off button, and knocked the clock radio to the floor. Her arm was totally numb.
"Shit." She moved some more and used her other hand, then lay back down and tried wiggling her fingers. After a few minutes her hand started tingling, and she sat up and swung her legs off the bed. She stumbled to the bathroom without turning on the light. She needed time to adjust.
She searched through the cupboards and the fridge, noting how very unappetizing breakfast cereal was at 5:30 in the morning and ate a nutritious breakfast of chocolate covered coffee beans and some leftover Chinese.
In the bathroom, she stared at herself in the mirror for a few minutes, admiring her new hair. She had it done yesterday. It looked hot, even after sleeping on it, and she stood there modeling it for herself. She grabbed and ugly green shower cap and put it on her head and got in the shower.
Stepping off the El, she was suprised at how warm it was for so early in the morning. It was going to be a hot day. At least County was air-conditioned. Barely.
As she was walking up to the door, she remembered her new hair and smiled. She was prepared for compliments. I wonder what Carter will think, she thought, before catching herself and shutting that little voice up.
She walked past the front desk to the lounge without looking up. She slipped on her lab coat just as the door was opening and Susan walked in.
"Uh...Hi. You couldn't even say hello?" Susan asked.
Abby turned around. " Sorry. I was in a hurry.
"For what? You're five minutes early. Your hair looks fabulous!
"Thanks. I know. Found this great little place that opened up 4 blocks from my house. Owned by this little old gay couple. Well, I'm assuming...Anyway, their son operates it.
"I think it's time for a new hair style. Chuck's starting to call me cheap. I haven't had a haircut in like over a year.
They walked ot the desk together and Abby looked through the charts.
"Nice hair! Who you trying to impress?" Chuni asked.
"Myself," Abby said, and took her chart to curtain three, where a little boy with a possible wrist fracture was waiting.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Lockhart, want to tell me what happened?"
Almost five hours later, she collapsed on the couch in the lounge. She was hot, tired, and slightly nauseous. She desperately wanted a soda from the machine but didn't have the will to get up and walk all the way across the room for it.
The door opened and she looked up.
"Hey Carter, if i give you this dollar, will you go over there and get me some root beer?" She asked, waving a rumpled, sweaty dollar bill in the air.
He chuckled. "Long day?
"It's like 85 in here with the air conditioning, and i think every office worker in town got food poisoning from the same hot dog cart today. I've been puked on three times today." She was fanning herself in vain with the pathetic dollar bill.
He laughed and walked over to the pop machine, pulled a dollar out of his own pocket and got a root beer. He walked over and handed it to her.
"Here. It's on me, sounds like you need a present that hasnt already been digested.
He watched with a smile as she opened the bottle and chugged half of it in one long gulp.
"You know, caffeine isn't the best thing to drink when you're dehydrated on a hot day.
"Shut up, Carter. I'm going to go get some lunch. Are you on shift?
"In about ten minutes."
"Ok, well i'll see you in a while." She got up to leave.
As she was opening the door, he said behind her "Abby. Nice hair.
"Thanks," She said without turning around. It was the best part of her day. In a way, she always craved approval from Carter, and she hated him for that, but she couldn really blame him.
She stepped out into the blinding sunlight, wishing she had brought lunch today. It was just too damn hot. She walked a few blocks and had lunch at a pizza place. It reminded her the least of hot dogs, and it was the cheapest thing around.
By the time she got back tot he hospital, she was sweating and tired again. She still had ten minutes of her lunch break left, and she went back to the lounge to cool off again. She splashed water on her face and positioned the fan to blow right on the couch. After five minutes, she felt much better. Luka came in, jarring her from the semi-concious state she was in.
"Hi. You look hot.
She laughed. "Thanks. Just got my hair done.
Luka looked confused.
"Nevermind.
"Huh? mean it's really warm in here," he said with a raised eyebrow
"Aren't you late?" Abby asked, standing up.
"Yeah. Weaver's not around, is she?
"I just got back from break. Looks like you'll have to risk it.
She walked to the door, and Luka said from behind her "You're hair looks great.
She smiled. "Thanks.
"THIS IS MARK IN THE MORNING! COMING UP NEXT WE GOT A TRIPLE PLAY OF BLUE OYSTER....
"Mmmm....No....not....yet.
Abby rolled over and lifted her arm to switch off the alarm. It didn't want to move. She swung it in the direction of the off button, and knocked the clock radio to the floor. Her arm was totally numb.
"Shit." She moved some more and used her other hand, then lay back down and tried wiggling her fingers. After a few minutes her hand started tingling, and she sat up and swung her legs off the bed. She stumbled to the bathroom without turning on the light. She needed time to adjust.
She searched through the cupboards and the fridge, noting how very unappetizing breakfast cereal was at 5:30 in the morning and ate a nutritious breakfast of chocolate covered coffee beans and some leftover Chinese.
In the bathroom, she stared at herself in the mirror for a few minutes, admiring her new hair. She had it done yesterday. It looked hot, even after sleeping on it, and she stood there modeling it for herself. She grabbed and ugly green shower cap and put it on her head and got in the shower.
Stepping off the El, she was suprised at how warm it was for so early in the morning. It was going to be a hot day. At least County was air-conditioned. Barely.
As she was walking up to the door, she remembered her new hair and smiled. She was prepared for compliments. I wonder what Carter will think, she thought, before catching herself and shutting that little voice up.
She walked past the front desk to the lounge without looking up. She slipped on her lab coat just as the door was opening and Susan walked in.
"Uh...Hi. You couldn't even say hello?" Susan asked.
Abby turned around. " Sorry. I was in a hurry.
"For what? You're five minutes early. Your hair looks fabulous!
"Thanks. I know. Found this great little place that opened up 4 blocks from my house. Owned by this little old gay couple. Well, I'm assuming...Anyway, their son operates it.
"I think it's time for a new hair style. Chuck's starting to call me cheap. I haven't had a haircut in like over a year.
They walked ot the desk together and Abby looked through the charts.
"Nice hair! Who you trying to impress?" Chuni asked.
"Myself," Abby said, and took her chart to curtain three, where a little boy with a possible wrist fracture was waiting.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Lockhart, want to tell me what happened?"
Almost five hours later, she collapsed on the couch in the lounge. She was hot, tired, and slightly nauseous. She desperately wanted a soda from the machine but didn't have the will to get up and walk all the way across the room for it.
The door opened and she looked up.
"Hey Carter, if i give you this dollar, will you go over there and get me some root beer?" She asked, waving a rumpled, sweaty dollar bill in the air.
He chuckled. "Long day?
"It's like 85 in here with the air conditioning, and i think every office worker in town got food poisoning from the same hot dog cart today. I've been puked on three times today." She was fanning herself in vain with the pathetic dollar bill.
He laughed and walked over to the pop machine, pulled a dollar out of his own pocket and got a root beer. He walked over and handed it to her.
"Here. It's on me, sounds like you need a present that hasnt already been digested.
He watched with a smile as she opened the bottle and chugged half of it in one long gulp.
"You know, caffeine isn't the best thing to drink when you're dehydrated on a hot day.
"Shut up, Carter. I'm going to go get some lunch. Are you on shift?
"In about ten minutes."
"Ok, well i'll see you in a while." She got up to leave.
As she was opening the door, he said behind her "Abby. Nice hair.
"Thanks," She said without turning around. It was the best part of her day. In a way, she always craved approval from Carter, and she hated him for that, but she couldn really blame him.
She stepped out into the blinding sunlight, wishing she had brought lunch today. It was just too damn hot. She walked a few blocks and had lunch at a pizza place. It reminded her the least of hot dogs, and it was the cheapest thing around.
By the time she got back tot he hospital, she was sweating and tired again. She still had ten minutes of her lunch break left, and she went back to the lounge to cool off again. She splashed water on her face and positioned the fan to blow right on the couch. After five minutes, she felt much better. Luka came in, jarring her from the semi-concious state she was in.
"Hi. You look hot.
She laughed. "Thanks. Just got my hair done.
Luka looked confused.
"Nevermind.
"Huh? mean it's really warm in here," he said with a raised eyebrow
"Aren't you late?" Abby asked, standing up.
"Yeah. Weaver's not around, is she?
"I just got back from break. Looks like you'll have to risk it.
She walked to the door, and Luka said from behind her "You're hair looks great.
She smiled. "Thanks.