AUTHOR'S NOTE
A little bit of fuzz, per your request. There is just one more chapter to go after this one, and it's pretty short. Keep the reviews coming. Let me know how I'm doing. Thanks again to all of you
who reviewed already. Enjoy!!
"So, how is your ankle, Mrs. Carson?" Carter asked the woman in Exam 1. He got his first look at her after glancing up from his chart, and she was gorgeous. She couldn't be more than twenty-five years old, and her long, perfect legs were crossed with the bandaged one on top. She had long, blonde hair, and she looked as if she had just stepped off the fashion runway.
"Actually, it's Miss Carson," she corrected him with a smile. "And it doesn't hurt so much now that the nurse gave me something for the pain. I'm just more embarrassed than anything. I tripped and fell off the runway in those stupid heels."
"Runway?" Carter asked.
"Yeah," she looked down, embarrassed. It was a charity fashion show." So, she really was a model... "It's just something that I do on the side. I'm actually a law student, but people look at me and they just see a blonde bimbo..."
"I don't," Carter said with a smile that she quickly returned. "No let me see if I can finish up with that ankle, so you can get out of here."
"Take one of these every four hours for the pain if you need it, and come back in a week so we can make sure everything's healing all right," Carter handed Miss Carson her prescription out by the Admit desk.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Carter...Listen, I don't mean to sound forward or anything, but, would you like to go out sometime?"
"I would love t—" he started, but stopped himself quickly. What was he doing flirting with this woman? He was a married man...well, for today anyway. Either way, there was no way that he could ever cheat on Abby.
"I'm sorry, but I can't," he began again. "But I am very flattered..."
"Okay," she responded. "Thank you anyway," she continued as she limped off toward the door. Carter glanced down at his watch. It was ten o'clock. Only two hours remained until he got to go home to his family...his family.
As Carter entered his and Abby's bedroom later that night, he tried his best to be quiet as he changed into his pajamas and climbed his exhausted body into bed. Abby instantly rolled over and put her arms around him.
"Hey," she whispered.
"Hey, I'm sorry that I woke you," he answered by kissing her forehead.
"You didn't," she responded with a gentle kiss on the lips. "I was waiting for you. How was work?" she asked, snuggling in closer to him.
"Not bad. Except for one patient..."
"What happened?"
"Uh, an infant girl was brought in. She was found in her crib not breathing..."
"Oh," was all that Abby could say.
"Kerry and Luka took her from me," Carter continued. "I guess it was for the best."
"Are you okay?" Abby asked.
"Yeah, you?"
"Yeah, sometimes I feel bad, but we have so much to be grateful for. Of course, we'll never forget Danny..."
"Of course...Abby, can I ask you a question?"
"Hmm?"
"Do, you, uh, ever worry about our kids being bipolar?"
She sat up quickly, "Why, do you?"
"No, no, no," he answered quickly. He didn't want to scare her. He just wanted to know what she thought.
Abby snuggled back into bed, close to him. "Sometimes, yeah, I do, but I don't let the worry run my life anymore. I think it was a blessing that we got pregnant with Danny and Jake by accident." Carter silently smiled at this revelation, and Abby continued, "We were still talking about having kids at the time, and we might have never decided. I guess the decision was made for us, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Well, maybe just that Danny could still be with us..."
There was a moment of silence before Carter said, "We made some great kids, didn't we?"
"We certainly did," she agreed. It sounded like he was slowly losing her to sleep, though.
"Abby?" he asked.
"Hmm?" she answered, almost totally gone now.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too, John. Good night."
After Abby had fallen asleep, Carter tried his hardest to stay awake. He didn't want to wake up alone again. Now that he had Abby in his arms, he didn't want to ever let her go. He understood now. He understood what his grandfather had said about no life being perfect. But he also realized that lying here with Abby in his arms and their beautiful children sleepy peacefully down the hall was the sweetest imperfection that he could ever hope for. He sat up a little, still holding Abby tightly. Maybe if I just stay awake all night, he thought to himself. Maybe if I just never go to sleep again... However, as the sun began to rise slowly in the window across the room, Carter's eyes became just too heavy to hold open anymore, and his body was overtaken by a peaceful slumber.
The incessant beeping of his alarm awoke Carter the next morning. He reached over in hope, but only succeeded in grabbing a pillow. As he slowly opened his eyes, he realized that he was back in his apartment, and all alone once more.
A little bit of fuzz, per your request. There is just one more chapter to go after this one, and it's pretty short. Keep the reviews coming. Let me know how I'm doing. Thanks again to all of you
who reviewed already. Enjoy!!
"So, how is your ankle, Mrs. Carson?" Carter asked the woman in Exam 1. He got his first look at her after glancing up from his chart, and she was gorgeous. She couldn't be more than twenty-five years old, and her long, perfect legs were crossed with the bandaged one on top. She had long, blonde hair, and she looked as if she had just stepped off the fashion runway.
"Actually, it's Miss Carson," she corrected him with a smile. "And it doesn't hurt so much now that the nurse gave me something for the pain. I'm just more embarrassed than anything. I tripped and fell off the runway in those stupid heels."
"Runway?" Carter asked.
"Yeah," she looked down, embarrassed. It was a charity fashion show." So, she really was a model... "It's just something that I do on the side. I'm actually a law student, but people look at me and they just see a blonde bimbo..."
"I don't," Carter said with a smile that she quickly returned. "No let me see if I can finish up with that ankle, so you can get out of here."
"Take one of these every four hours for the pain if you need it, and come back in a week so we can make sure everything's healing all right," Carter handed Miss Carson her prescription out by the Admit desk.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Carter...Listen, I don't mean to sound forward or anything, but, would you like to go out sometime?"
"I would love t—" he started, but stopped himself quickly. What was he doing flirting with this woman? He was a married man...well, for today anyway. Either way, there was no way that he could ever cheat on Abby.
"I'm sorry, but I can't," he began again. "But I am very flattered..."
"Okay," she responded. "Thank you anyway," she continued as she limped off toward the door. Carter glanced down at his watch. It was ten o'clock. Only two hours remained until he got to go home to his family...his family.
As Carter entered his and Abby's bedroom later that night, he tried his best to be quiet as he changed into his pajamas and climbed his exhausted body into bed. Abby instantly rolled over and put her arms around him.
"Hey," she whispered.
"Hey, I'm sorry that I woke you," he answered by kissing her forehead.
"You didn't," she responded with a gentle kiss on the lips. "I was waiting for you. How was work?" she asked, snuggling in closer to him.
"Not bad. Except for one patient..."
"What happened?"
"Uh, an infant girl was brought in. She was found in her crib not breathing..."
"Oh," was all that Abby could say.
"Kerry and Luka took her from me," Carter continued. "I guess it was for the best."
"Are you okay?" Abby asked.
"Yeah, you?"
"Yeah, sometimes I feel bad, but we have so much to be grateful for. Of course, we'll never forget Danny..."
"Of course...Abby, can I ask you a question?"
"Hmm?"
"Do, you, uh, ever worry about our kids being bipolar?"
She sat up quickly, "Why, do you?"
"No, no, no," he answered quickly. He didn't want to scare her. He just wanted to know what she thought.
Abby snuggled back into bed, close to him. "Sometimes, yeah, I do, but I don't let the worry run my life anymore. I think it was a blessing that we got pregnant with Danny and Jake by accident." Carter silently smiled at this revelation, and Abby continued, "We were still talking about having kids at the time, and we might have never decided. I guess the decision was made for us, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Well, maybe just that Danny could still be with us..."
There was a moment of silence before Carter said, "We made some great kids, didn't we?"
"We certainly did," she agreed. It sounded like he was slowly losing her to sleep, though.
"Abby?" he asked.
"Hmm?" she answered, almost totally gone now.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too, John. Good night."
After Abby had fallen asleep, Carter tried his hardest to stay awake. He didn't want to wake up alone again. Now that he had Abby in his arms, he didn't want to ever let her go. He understood now. He understood what his grandfather had said about no life being perfect. But he also realized that lying here with Abby in his arms and their beautiful children sleepy peacefully down the hall was the sweetest imperfection that he could ever hope for. He sat up a little, still holding Abby tightly. Maybe if I just stay awake all night, he thought to himself. Maybe if I just never go to sleep again... However, as the sun began to rise slowly in the window across the room, Carter's eyes became just too heavy to hold open anymore, and his body was overtaken by a peaceful slumber.
The incessant beeping of his alarm awoke Carter the next morning. He reached over in hope, but only succeeded in grabbing a pillow. As he slowly opened his eyes, he realized that he was back in his apartment, and all alone once more.