Chapter 3: Questions without Answers
"Why?" Her question stung the air. Repeating over and over in Carter's head like an an echo. She was asking why he wanted to go back."
"What do you mean, why?" Carter asked.
"Why would you want to go back?
She asked, and although Carter felt like it was obvious, he wasn't sure how to respond.
"They need me." It sounded even cheesier out loud than it had in his head.
"But why would you go back, after all that happened there?"
Carter knew what the "that" had meant, she meant the baby, she meant Kem.
"That happened here."
"So why are you leaving?"
Again, Carter felt like it was so obvious, but he didn't know how to answer.
"They need me." He said again, softer this time. It was a bad answer, he knew it.
"You are running away." She said. Sounding slightly accusing, and slightly pissed.
"I am not running Abby." Carter was suddenly a little mad that she would say that. Mostly because he knew it was true, but he didn't want to admit it.
"Then why don't you stay."
Why not stay, he asked himself. Because he could, he knew, to much to remind him.
"I can't." Carter said.
"Carter, if you don't deal with this now, you never will.
Carter was pissed again.
"Who are you to tell me off for running from problems.
Carter said this more forcefully then he mean it. But he was mad at her, he didn't want to be out there anymore. He wanted inside, he wanted people. He turned to head inside, and stalked away.
"It's not going to make you forget Carter." Abby shouted after him. "Running from it isn't going to make it go away.
There was silence, then she heard the door slam behind Carter. Carter had made up the thing about thinking about Africa when Abby had first come up, but it wasn't a lie that he wanted to return. Even though he knew things there were real in his mind. He wanted that escape. He couldn't face this any longer, he hated it.
And who was she to tell him off for running away, Carter though bitterly. He grimaced. He had been calm before, or at least calmer. Now he was just mad, meaning he was brooding on things. It would make him think more and more again about everything that happened. Mostly his mistakes. He would be pissed for a while, he knew. It would be a long and unpleasant night.
"Why?" Her question stung the air. Repeating over and over in Carter's head like an an echo. She was asking why he wanted to go back."
"What do you mean, why?" Carter asked.
"Why would you want to go back?
She asked, and although Carter felt like it was obvious, he wasn't sure how to respond.
"They need me." It sounded even cheesier out loud than it had in his head.
"But why would you go back, after all that happened there?"
Carter knew what the "that" had meant, she meant the baby, she meant Kem.
"That happened here."
"So why are you leaving?"
Again, Carter felt like it was so obvious, but he didn't know how to answer.
"They need me." He said again, softer this time. It was a bad answer, he knew it.
"You are running away." She said. Sounding slightly accusing, and slightly pissed.
"I am not running Abby." Carter was suddenly a little mad that she would say that. Mostly because he knew it was true, but he didn't want to admit it.
"Then why don't you stay."
Why not stay, he asked himself. Because he could, he knew, to much to remind him.
"I can't." Carter said.
"Carter, if you don't deal with this now, you never will.
Carter was pissed again.
"Who are you to tell me off for running from problems.
Carter said this more forcefully then he mean it. But he was mad at her, he didn't want to be out there anymore. He wanted inside, he wanted people. He turned to head inside, and stalked away.
"It's not going to make you forget Carter." Abby shouted after him. "Running from it isn't going to make it go away.
There was silence, then she heard the door slam behind Carter. Carter had made up the thing about thinking about Africa when Abby had first come up, but it wasn't a lie that he wanted to return. Even though he knew things there were real in his mind. He wanted that escape. He couldn't face this any longer, he hated it.
And who was she to tell him off for running away, Carter though bitterly. He grimaced. He had been calm before, or at least calmer. Now he was just mad, meaning he was brooding on things. It would make him think more and more again about everything that happened. Mostly his mistakes. He would be pissed for a while, he knew. It would be a long and unpleasant night.