AN: Thank you for all your encouraging reviews. Just a little chapter.
Drawn Uncontrollably To You
Chapter 13
Kerry walked up to the desk after vacating the lounge.
'Did you find either of them?' asked Susan 'I need to get Megan and get home'
'Yes both, they're in the lounge, neither fit to work' Kerry answered 'Go home Susan. I'll cover Carter and we can split Abby's patient's between us and oh don't go in the lounge'
'My stuff's in there' protested Susan
'Be discreet' Kerry replied then added 'What patients did Abby have today?'
'We have tried to make it easy for her since she's been back' said Luka 'She hasn't been in many trauma's'
'Was she in one today?' asked Kerry, trying to find out what had occurred.
'No' answered Susan and Luka together
'She dealt with the child abuse case though' interjected Chuny
'Tell me more' said Kerry
'Her Mom was shot by her boyfriend who then proceeded to shoot himself. The girl was discovered behind the sofa'
'Oh great' Kerry said then to Susan and Luka she added 'you let Abby have a patient like that!'
'We were in trauma with the Mom and the boyfriend' explained Susan
'What about Pratt or Morris?' Kerry asked
'We were in trauma too' Morris said hastily. He was not going to put himself in the path for any blame in this matter whatever it was.
Kerry sighed, this whole thing with Abby was still haunting her conscience and she had no one to blame except herself.
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'It's my fault....I killed my baby...it's my punishment....Molly was so...' were some of the comments that Carter managed to decipher as Abby cried out the emotional agony of what had occurred several weeks earlier and what had sparked it all off today.
Carter tried his best to comfort her. Unfortunately it had brought his own pain back a little and he could not stop his own eyes brimming with tears. Although now his pain was more of a dull ache as opposed to the searing, all-consuming pain he had suffered before, what he now assumed that Abby was feeling. He couldn't quite understand all the things she was saying and he had never in his life heard her talk about someone called Molly.
Susan cautiously entered the lounge as quietly as she could and tip toed across the room to her locker. Even though Kerry had given them some explanation of Carter and Abby she was still somewhat surprised. Even more so that neither of them had even noticed that she had been in the room with them both.
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A short while later.
'Okay, it's quieter now, what time are you off Luka?' Kerry asked
'Ten'
'Now you're off at six, tomorrow morning. I need you to cover the remainder of Carter's shift. I'll stay until ten' off Luka's annoyed expression, she added one word of explanation 'Henry'
Grudgingly Luka agreed 'Okay'
'Do you think they're ever going to come out of there?' asked Morris indicating the lounge.
'They still in there?' said Pratt
'Uh huh' answered Jerry
'Has anyone been in?' asked Kerry
'Not since Susan' Jerry informed them
'You know I find it all odd. Dr Carter and Abby' said Morris 'I mean what is it with them anyway. And Abby's sure been odd since she's been back at work. We all know what's eating Dr Carter'
Luka and Kerry gave Morris a disgusted look and Luka said 'It's complicated with Carter and Abby. They go back a long way. It's like they're drawn uncontrollably together despite everything, even when they weren't together, somehow they still were'
'I agree she's been different, distant' added Pratt
'I mean' went on Morris 'She was off for several weeks, she should have sorted out how she felt about things then'
'Delayed reaction' suggested Luka
This time it was Morris who looked at Luka disagreeing.
'Instead of standing here arguing and gossiping about Abby, if you are the friends I thought she had you would be showing her your support and understanding, not your criticism and judgement' interrupted Fleur unexpectedly. Then as suddenly as she had appeared she was gone.
Everyone stood there their mouths agape, including Carter who had approached the desk as Fleur was speaking.
'Now there's someone who's odd' stated Pratt who managed to find his tongue before anyone else and everybody couldn't help but silently agree.
'John?' said Kerry warily, noticing that he looked sort of drained and troubled.
'I'm taking Abby home' Carter told her 'I can come back' he added inwardly hoping that he would not have to, but not expecting it.
'No we've got it covered' Kerry told him which surprised him a bit but he knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth and graciously accepted.
'How's Abby?' asked Luka
Carter shrugged, ran his hands through his hair and shook his head as he met Luka's worried gaze.
Kerry surprised him once more when she told him 'Tell her not to come back 'til she's ready, we'll cover her for a couple of days'
Carter nodded and headed back to the lounge to Abby.
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