Chapter 1.

As shifts go, this one was your typical blood, guts and gore. Abby was beyond exhausted. There wasn't a word in the English Dictionary that could adequately describe how she felt as she dragged her feet back to the admin desk to pick up yet another nursing order.

The admin desk was its usually epicenter of chaos. Chaos that is to all but those who lived and breathed the ER. Abby smirked to herself at that thought; maybe it was chaos to all who worked here as well!! Abby picked through the orders, trying to find one that didn't sound too complicated.

'You know, that's a blatant misuse of you management role.'

Abby turned to Carter who had obviously seen her vetting the orders.

'Hey,' she replied, 'there has to be some perks to the job!'

Carter smiled as he put his chart in the holder. He lent on the counter to look at Abby. She looked tired. But then so did everyone today. It had been a terrible shift for all. Starting with a RTA that had completely wiped out a family in one clean sweep. Followed by a couple of warring gang members gracing the ER after a shoot out. 2 more young lives ended for no good reason. In between there were, of course, the usual dregs of Chicago society with various aliments to content with.

'What?' Abby's voice cut through Carter's thoughts.

'What?' he replied.

'You're starring,' Abby said as she moved off with a chart in her hand, 'its unnerving.'

Carter followed her with a short laugh. 'Unnerving! I was trying for smoldering.'

Abby rolled her eyes at him. 'Carter, you don't do smoldering looks.' She smirked as she moved to walk off but stopped suddenly as she felt Carter grab her hand. He pulled her into the drug lockup, took the chart from her, put in on the counter and wrapped his arms around her. She settled into his bear hug gratefully, nestling her head in its usual place on Carter's chest. 'How about,' he said, while his hand gently rubbed her back, 'after we're finished here, we go grab a couple of burgers, go home and I'll show you a smoldering look to top the world's greatest.' Abby smiled against his chest, but before she could answer she heard someone discreetly cough behind her.

'Sorry Dr Carter,' Gallant said, obviously embarrassed for interrupting this tender moment. Abby pulled away from Carter and picked up her chart again.

'Yes Gallant!' Carter demanded. He didn't mean for it to come out as sharp as it did but he was annoyed at being disturbed.

'MVA pulling up. Dr Weaver asked me to find you.'

Carter looked at Abby and smiled his lopsided grin and shrugged. She smiled back at him, 'Guess I'll go see...' she looked at her chart,'....the drunk guy in 3.' As she slid passed Carter, he bent and gave her a quick kiss. She smiled at Gallant and walked off in the direction of curtain 3. Carter followed her out and looked at Gallant. 'Ok Doctor,' he said, 'lead the way.'

2 hours later, Carter came out of Trauma 2 pulling his yellow apron off. He dumped it in the trash and walked over to the admin desk, glancing at his watch. Only 20 minutes left and he was free.

Susan was sat at one of the counter tops writing her charts. She looked up as Carter walked over. She registered his look and said, 'He didn't make it?'

Carter shook his head. 'Did he really stand a chance!' It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Susan looked back at the chart she was writing. Another one of the fatal accident victims. 'Life sucks!'

Carter looked around the immediate area. 'Susan, you seen Abby?' he asked.

Susan looked up at him and smiled. 'Ain't love grand!'

Carter just smiled back.

'She's in Room 1 with the driver.'

'You seen him?' Carter asked.

'Yeah.' Susan stood up as they started to walk over to Room 1.

'Is he hurt bad?'

'No. A few bruises, lacerations. Nothing serious.'

They stopped outside the door. Carter looked through and saw Abby cleaning one of her patient's lacerations.

'Does he know?' Carter asked, still watching Abby through the glass. He hated to think of her in there with that man, alone. Of course, he knew she could handle herself in most situations but that still didn't make his mind rest any easier.

'Know what?' Susan looked confused.

'That he killed 4 people today.' Carter answered, disgust dripping in his voice. Susan looked into the room.

'No.'

Carter turned to go. 'Well, the police will be here soon.' With one last look at Abby, Carter left. Susan took a deep breath. God she hated days like these. Then she entered the room.

'Can you please sit still, Mr. Richmond?' Abby sounded exacerbated.

'I will if you stop putting that bloody stuff on. It stings.' Mr. Richmond pulled away again from Abby's touch.

Susan walked further into the room. 'Sir,' she said, 'you have to let the nurse clean your cuts. They could get infected without medical treatment.'

'I know that.' he spat at her. Even from this distance Susan could smell the alcohol on his breath. 'And I would keep still if this bitch was a little more careful. I thought nurses were gentle and had a caring touch.'

Abby, her arms hanging in mid-air just above Mr. Richmond's head, looked at Susan. Susan hid a smile. She knew that look. It was a typical, ' Would it be wrong if I killed him' Abby look. 'Mr. Richmond,' Susan began, diplomatically, 'there's no need to....'

'Look,' he interrupted whatever Susan was going to say, ' whatever you're gonna say, forget it. I just want to get patched up and on my way. So,' here he turned to Abby, 'can you finish up here more carefully. Like a professional nurse!'

Abby rolled her eyes as Susan looked at her with questioning eyes. Abby nodded that she would be ok as she "gently" went back to tending to his cuts. As Susan turned to leave she heard Mr. Richmond hiss and mutter cuss words at Abby as she laboriously took care of him. Abby just "requested", in her usual way, that he be quiet, which, Susan thought, wouldn't help much. Susan shook her head as she left the room. Sometimes, she thought, Abby didn't make it any easier on herself. That smart mouth of hers would one day land her in big trouble.

Halfway back to the admin desk, Susan heard a crash back in the room she had just vacated. 'Malik,' she called to the male nurse leaning against the counter, joking around with Jerry. He looked up at her. 'Yea.'

Susan nodded back to Room 1. 'Would you mind giving Abby a hand in 1?'

Malik stood and started over. 'Sure, Dr. Lewis but if she yells at me for interfering I'm telling her to come to you.' Susan laughed, knowing full well that Abby didn't like to think there was a situation she couldn't handle, let alone admit she needed help with anything. Yep, she thought to herself, Abby will pull me over the coals for this one.

Malik strolled over to Room1 He put his hand toward and door and peered in. He wasn't sure why but he stopped. He didn't see Abby or the patient. Maybe, he thought, she's finished. Then he saw them and his heart stopped. The guy, he didn't know who he was, held Abby up against the wall. His hand was around her neck and it didn't look like he was planning on letting go.

Chapter 2.

Later, Malik wouldn't have been able to say how long he had stood there. Hours, he might have said. But he would immediately be able to say when he started moving. When he saw Abby's eyes. He couldn't ever recall that look on Abby. A look of sheer terror and panic. She was grabbing at the guy's hand, trying to stop him. The guy was yelling at her but Malik couldn't make out what he was saying.

Malik turned, yelling to Jerry. 'Jerry, call security.'

Its amazing how so few words would get an immediate response from some people. In the ER short phrases had people moving quickly. 'Cardiac arrest', 'Code blue' 'lost pressure' all had the doctors and nurses moving quickly. But 'call security' was different. Those two words put terror in everyone as it meant one of their own was in trouble. No sooner had the words escaped his mouth than help came in the form of other members of staff. Susan looked up from where she was sitting, worried at the demand, realizing that Malik meant that something was wrong with Abby and came dashing back. Dr. Pratt, who had been near by trying to idle away the remaining minutes of his shift, immediately jumped into action, overtaking Susan on his way to Malik. From nowhere Luka appeared, not knowing what was wrong but he had heard the distress call.

Malik pushed open the door and shouted. 'Hey! Let her go.'

He heard Dr. Kovac whisper 'Abby' as he saw the situation.

Susan entered the room. 'Mr. Richmond, let go of her, you're hurting her.'

Malik looked again at Abby and he could see tiny tears that had sprung to her eyes.

'Hey man,' Pratt interrupted,' 'she can't breath.'

None of them wanted to enter too far incase it made things worse but all four edged closer.

'I told her,' the deranged man shouted, 'I told her not to do it again or I'd give her some pain. But did she stop.' he turned and looked directly into Abby's eyes. 'No!' he yelled at her, punctuating the word by squeezing a little harder and slamming her head back against the wall. The sound vibrated around the room followed by the audibly sound of Abby struggling to breathe. Luka thought he had heard some sickening sounds in his lifetime but this was unbearable. He glanced over at Malik and Pratt and saw them edging closer, silently signaling to each other. Susan was trying to talk to the guy, but Luka couldn't register the words. He searched his mind for a way out. He looked back at Abby and noticed something was wrong. She wasn't moving. Her hands were still on the guy's hands but she wasn't struggling anymore. At that moment Malik and Pratt both rushed the guy, knocking him over, as Luka was distantly aware of security arriving. Then he saw Abby slowly slump to the floor.

Susan ran over and knelt down over the small frame of Abby, checking all vitals. 'I have a pulse, weak but its there.' she turned to Luka, 'she's not breathing though.'

Luka just stood there, bewildered, 'Respiratory arrest.' he said, though if his mind had been functioning properly he would have realized that he didn't need to tell her that.

'Luka!' Susan shouted, ' get a gurney.' Luka looked over at Malik and Pratt as they struggled with Mr. Richmond. Then back at Abby, where he finally registered she wasn't breathing, then his feet worked and the turned and ran to get the gurney.

Chunni saw Luka dash past and followed to help. 'How bad is it?' she asked, concerned.

'Its Abby,' Luka said as they found a gurney and turned back. 'She's not breathing.'

'WHAT!' They both turned at the sound of Carter's voice. '

Abby!'

Luka saw the desperation in Carter's eyes. He was acutely aware that it mirrored the same look he saw in Abby's eyes a few moments before. All he could saw was 'Room 1' then Carter was off. Charging past people and pushing others out of the way.

Carter entered the room at full speed, practically knocking Dr Weaver over. She turned to him and held out her hand to him, to stop him.

'John,' she said, 'I think you should stay outside.'

Carter peered easily over her head but he could see anything except several members of staff leaning over some one lying on the floor.

'Abby?' he practically whispered.

He felt gentle pushing from behind and, turning slightly, he saw Luka and Chunni run passed with a gurney. Then the group moved and he saw her. She was lying on her back; Susan had an ambi-bag held over her mouth and nose. She wasn't breathing. Susan was doing that for her. Pratt had his fingers on her carotid pulse. Has she got a pulse, Carter asked in his head, but the words just wouldn't come out of his mouth. As if reading his mind, Pratt said, 'Still got a pulse but its getting weaker.'

Carter groaned and Susan must have heard him because she looked up from her place by Abby's head and locked eyes with him. There was so much in that look. Sadness, pity, fear and anger.

With the ease of obvious repeativeness, Abby was lifted onto the waiting gurney. Everyone moved as one as they wheeled the gurney out and toward Trauma 1. Carter stood in daze as she was wheeled passed him, various doctor's shouting orders to the number of nurses that followed.

'Hook her up to the SATs monitor.'

'Lydia, start a line.'

'SATs are dropping. We need to intubate.' I

ntubate. The word echoed in Carters brain. Oh God, they have to intubate. Finally he moved as he raced to Trauma 1.

Susan, Luka, Dr. Weaver and Pratt where all around Abby, while Malik, Chunni and Lydia rushed about doing the various jobs their roles in a trauma demanded. Luka stood at Abby's head, ET tube in his hand, still demanding more from the nurses. Susan was still pumping the ambi-bag. Weaver had her stethoscope out and was listening to Abby's air entry.

'No breath sounds,' she was saying.

'Chest tube?' Pratt looked up questioningly.

Lydia lifted her voice above the others, 'SATs are dropping.'

Chunni called out, 'Pulse is dropping.'

Carter moved quicker than he thought he could possibly move. Rounding the gurney, he knocked Luka out of the way, grabbing the ET tube he held in his hand.

'John,' Kerry shouted. 'I told you to stay outside.'

Carter didn't answer as he looked down at Abby. His Abby. He was vaguely aware of severe bruising around her throat. All sounds were blocked out of his head as his own mind ran at double time.

'Don't you die on me,' he said, not aware that he had actually spoken out loud. 'Not here, in this room.' He started to intubate her as he continued his babbling, the others continuing their work, painfully listening to him. 'This is our room, Abby.' Carter continued. 'Remember while we were here during the lockdown.' Susan looked at Abby on the table and back at Carter, who had finished intubating her but had stayed where he was, gently stroking her hair.

Luka hooked up the respirator, trying hard not to think of Abby and Carter alone in this room for 2 weeks. The machine whizzed into motion.

'You can't die,' Carter was whispering. 'You took too long...we took too long.'

Pratt looked over at Carter and saw a tear winding its way down his cheek. Pratt looked away, ashamed that he had seen Carter this vulnerable. He glanced around and noticed that the others were probably thinking the same.

Outside the Trauma room, Pratt saw a number of people had gathered. Dr. Corday, Jerry and Jing-Mei all stood there with concern on their faces. Pratt's gaze lingered on Jing-Mei. Did what he feel about her mirror one shred of what Carter felt about Abby? He wasn't sure.

'I haven't told you,' Carter's voice started up again, 'how much I..' he stopped and choked on his own words, 'how much I love you.'

The room was quiet by this time and those words rung in everyone's ears. Susan put her hand on Carter's shoulder.

'She knows, John,' she said. Carter looked up at her, and then quickly looked back at Abby. 'Good breath sounds bilaterally.' Kerry's voice sounded like gold to Carter. Those words never sounded so good.

'SATs coming up.' he heard Chunni say.

'Heart rate is increasing.' Malik added. There was a tangible sigh in the room. Everyone was thinking the same. She was ok. For now anyway. Things wouldn't be certain until they could tell if any damage had been done both to the larynx, due to the amount of pressure applied there, or the brain, due to lack of oxygen.

'Ok,' Kerry's voice broke the silent with its authority. 'Malik, keep a check on her SATs and pulse rate. Everyone else, we have an ER full so back to work.' She looked at Carter, who hadn't moved, then turned to leave with Pratt, Chunni and Lydia following her. When she got to the door she turned to Luka. 'Luka' When he didn't turn or answer her she called a little louder, 'Dr. Kovac.' Luka turned to her. 'Back to work.' Luka looked bewildered. He looked back at Abby and Carter, back to Kerry, then nodded and followed her out.

Susan brought up a stool for Carter and gently guided him round to Abby's side to sit down. He let her move him easily, though he never moved one of his hands form Abby's hair. Looking up at Malik she said, 'Keep me informed and keep an eye on him as well.' Malik nodded his head as she left. He looked at Carter who now was holding one of Abby's hands in one hand while continuing to stroke her hair with his other. Malik tried to busy himself while Carter was whispering to Abby. He knew Abby and Carter had gone through a lot to get to where they were now. Who didn't? They had kept the ER in gossip for at least 2 years. Man, he thought, I wish I had someone to love as much as he loves her.