Go save the world
Carter had stopped in and spoken with Abby for a few minutes before he headed home. The ER was busy and he was tired so it did not take much to convince him to go home and go to bed. As hard as he tried, Carter did not sleep that much, he tossed and turned worried about what was really up with Anna. Having Abby working that night at the hospital was not a good thing. He did not have her arms around him for solace and comfort. He felt Abby slip into bed about 7:30. He put his arms around her pulling her in close to him.
"I missed you." Carter said to her as he kissed the top of her head.
"I missed you too baby." Abby said snuggling into him, "how's Anna?"
"She was sleeping when I left her last night. She seemed to be doing okay considering everything that she has been thru. They had to remove her spleen and repair a liver laceration but she is going to be okay. It appears that those were the worst of her injuries, the rest time will have to heal." Carter said.
"That's good, I'm sure she's going to be just fine. Like you said time and the human body will heal the rest." Abby replied snuggled happily in his arms.
"There's something not right with her though." Carter said softly.
"What do you mean John?" Abby asked. "She was in a car accident and you haven't seen her in a long time, I'm sure that time has changed her a little bit. She is probably not the same person that you remember. People change whether it is for the better of the worse and there is nothing that we can do about that, but be there for our friends when they need us to be, and John you have done that. You were there when she needed someone the most. You saved her life and I am sure that she is grateful for that."
"No, there's more to it than that." Carter said, "It's something that she's hiding. I am going to find out what it is though. I think that it has to do with her relationship with Max. I would actually put money on that."
Abby yawned as she closed her eyes, "you might be reading more into it than what there really is John. You might want to be careful before you go jumping to conclusions."
Carter's head was resting on top of her now as they were snuggled up next to each other, his arms firmly around her holding her tight to him, "when I first met Max there was something wrong with him, don't get me wrong, Anna said he was a recovering drug addict. I don't think he got the recovery part down right." John said softly, "I'm worried that she's going to get hurt."
"John honey, I understand that Anna is your friend, and that you are the kind of person who does give his friendship away half-heartedly. Nevertheless, Anna is a grown woman, I think that if, and I am saying a big if here, she was in trouble she would turn to her friends for help. Didn't you say she was a doctor, emergency medicine and pediatrics, which makes me think that she is a very bright woman who would not get into any kind of relationship that was not good for her? She would know from seeing it happen to others where those kinds of relationships go, and that she would need to get out of it."
"We all do crazy things that we normally wouldn't do when we are in love. It makes us blind to the things that we don't want to see. Makes us turn the other cheek no matter what happens to us. We never understand why the women who come into our ER time after time again having it happen so many times, go back to those who hurt them, they say it's cause they love them, and maybe somewhere deep inside she loves Max that way and is willing to turn the other cheek to protect him. She packed up so fast for Philadelphia that we never got the chance to say all that needed to be said between the two of us. I just hope that she knows that she can trust me, that I'd be willing to help her get thru this, that we'd be willing to help get her thru what ever it is that is going on. " Carter said as he placed a small kiss on top of her head pushing her eyes all the way closed, "I'm just going to talk to her, nothing more, after all she will be waking up in a hospital room all alone and no one should have to be alone. I just want her to know that I'm still her friend and that she can lean on me if she needs to while things get worked out."
Abby knew where that was coming from all too well, "I understand more than you know Carter." She said as she smiled sleepily at him, "go, be with her, be her friend, do what you do best, and that's helping those who need your help. I trust you Carter. She needs all the friends she can get, but I hope that she knows just what kind of friend you are and how far you are willing to go for your friends. I will be right here beside you helping you to help her if there is anything that she needs help with. But don't be surprised or hurt if after all this time she's a happily married woman who wants nothing more than to get out of a hospital and go home."
"You are so full of flattery this morning. Makes me remember just how lucky of a man I am to have you back in my life Abby. I will not be if there is nothing and she is happy and Max is treating her well, then I will wish her the best of luck and send her on her way, just happy to be able to see an old friend after several years. However, if not, I want to help her. She did not seem like the same person after all this time. " Carter said kissing her head once more before starting to get out of the bed.
"She probably isn't the same Carter." Abby said softly sleep was starting to take hold of her, "but talk to her see what she says. It never hurts to just talk."
"Sleep well baby. After last night, you deserve it. I'll be quiet if you need me you can always call my cell or my pager, I'll be at the hospital, I'm sure they can find me too."
She just nodded as she was drifting off, "go save the world John Carter." Abby said before her body gave into the sleep that had been pulling at her.
Carter took a quick shower and got ready to leave. He hoped that after all this time Anna would still trust him enough to know that she could talk to him. He would do what ever was within his power to help her if she needed his help.