Chapter 17 - Warning Sign
I'm stood at the desk, Leah's sat on top of it in her little carry cot thing. I'm nervously fiddling with my hair looking round towards the triage doors. Will he come? What if does? What if he doesn't? I'm so confused by what I'm thinking. I'm going mad, and it's all because of one man. John Carter. How come he always manages to do this to me? An impatient cough brings me out of my thoughts. I turn around to meet its owner. Frank. I just look at him.
"Do you think you could move your daughter off my desk?"
"She's not causing any problems." She looks rather happy sat there, not a care in the world.
"She's messing up my desk."
"We'll be gone in a minute." He sighs giving me an unimpressed look before turning to answer the phone.
"How's my favourite little girl doing?"
"Hey Susan."
"What's she doing down here? I didn't think you finished until five."
"I don't, we're waiting for someone." She throws me an inquisitive look.
"Carter."
"You're letting Carter take her?"
"You think it's a bad idea?"
"No, I just didn't think you'd give in that easily."
"I didn't give in, I want Leah to know her dad. Anyway I gave him an ultimatum, he shows up today or he's out of her life for good."
"And now you're worried that he's not going to show?"
"Yes, no, I don't know. I want him to be here for her." I look impatiently at the clock.
"What time was he meant to be coming to pick her up at."
"Ten."
"Well he's still got five minutes." She said looking at her watch.
"I know, I'm just nervous about it. It would be easier if he didn't show at least then I'd know it's just me and her. But then she needs a father. What do I do if doesn't show?"
"The same as you've been doing for the past six months, forget about him."
"But I haven't forgotten about him, I've still thought about him all the time, I just never thought he'd come back for good."
"Yes but you've managed perfectly fine without him here, and you've got on with your life."
"I suppose."
"There's not any 'suppose' about it you have, you've gone back to med. school, stopped drinking, smoking, had a baby, and you're managing fine with all of it!"
I smile thinking about it, she's right I can manage, but what about Leah? Then I grew up without a dad and it wasn't that bad. The smile soon disappears from my face as I see him walk round the corner.
"Talk of the devil." Susan turns to see him, puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder before picking up a chart and walking off.
He walks slowly up to me.
"Is she ready?"
"Yes, all her things are in the bag, there's a list as well, if you need anything call. Oh, and she's been rather sleepy this morning so she might need to sleep for longer. Can you drop her off at mine about quarter to six?" That's it don't talk about anything else apart from Leah and it isn't too hard.
"Quarter to six it is then." He picks up the bag from the floor. I say bye to Leah before he takes her out of the ER, hardly having said a word to me. I stand there for a minute wondering why I just let him take her, knowing I can't do anything about it. Anyway what can go wrong, it's only Carter.
"Abby, we need help in triage, bus load of kids with food poisoning." Sam yells.
"Coming." What fun, pucking kids, I've got one of my own and that's enough.
"Hi Carter, it's Abby, would you be able to keep her for a few more hours? Romano's got me covering for Lydia who's gone home sick. I'm really sorry to do this to you, I'll definitely be home by nine. Call me if you can't."
I place the phone back in its resting place. I hate my job! Why do people have to get sick, especially when it's only an hour before you have to leave?
"What's wrong?" Neela asks as she approaches the desk.
"Only the fact that I've been on for eleven hours, got another one to do before I have to cover the end of Lydia's shift, while I've left Leah with Carter for the first time and had to ask him to look after her for longer probably making him wonder what sort of mother I am, and then I'm actually going to have to talk to him when I get home. So apart from that nothing." I walk off leaving her stood there. God I feel mean, she was only being nice and I had to go shove that in her face. Could this day get any worse?
*~*
Carby lover - Thank you for your review, it kind of helped me to think about where I was taking it, any more advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you to everyone else that reviewed.
I'm stood at the desk, Leah's sat on top of it in her little carry cot thing. I'm nervously fiddling with my hair looking round towards the triage doors. Will he come? What if does? What if he doesn't? I'm so confused by what I'm thinking. I'm going mad, and it's all because of one man. John Carter. How come he always manages to do this to me? An impatient cough brings me out of my thoughts. I turn around to meet its owner. Frank. I just look at him.
"Do you think you could move your daughter off my desk?"
"She's not causing any problems." She looks rather happy sat there, not a care in the world.
"She's messing up my desk."
"We'll be gone in a minute." He sighs giving me an unimpressed look before turning to answer the phone.
"How's my favourite little girl doing?"
"Hey Susan."
"What's she doing down here? I didn't think you finished until five."
"I don't, we're waiting for someone." She throws me an inquisitive look.
"Carter."
"You're letting Carter take her?"
"You think it's a bad idea?"
"No, I just didn't think you'd give in that easily."
"I didn't give in, I want Leah to know her dad. Anyway I gave him an ultimatum, he shows up today or he's out of her life for good."
"And now you're worried that he's not going to show?"
"Yes, no, I don't know. I want him to be here for her." I look impatiently at the clock.
"What time was he meant to be coming to pick her up at."
"Ten."
"Well he's still got five minutes." She said looking at her watch.
"I know, I'm just nervous about it. It would be easier if he didn't show at least then I'd know it's just me and her. But then she needs a father. What do I do if doesn't show?"
"The same as you've been doing for the past six months, forget about him."
"But I haven't forgotten about him, I've still thought about him all the time, I just never thought he'd come back for good."
"Yes but you've managed perfectly fine without him here, and you've got on with your life."
"I suppose."
"There's not any 'suppose' about it you have, you've gone back to med. school, stopped drinking, smoking, had a baby, and you're managing fine with all of it!"
I smile thinking about it, she's right I can manage, but what about Leah? Then I grew up without a dad and it wasn't that bad. The smile soon disappears from my face as I see him walk round the corner.
"Talk of the devil." Susan turns to see him, puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder before picking up a chart and walking off.
He walks slowly up to me.
"Is she ready?"
"Yes, all her things are in the bag, there's a list as well, if you need anything call. Oh, and she's been rather sleepy this morning so she might need to sleep for longer. Can you drop her off at mine about quarter to six?" That's it don't talk about anything else apart from Leah and it isn't too hard.
"Quarter to six it is then." He picks up the bag from the floor. I say bye to Leah before he takes her out of the ER, hardly having said a word to me. I stand there for a minute wondering why I just let him take her, knowing I can't do anything about it. Anyway what can go wrong, it's only Carter.
"Abby, we need help in triage, bus load of kids with food poisoning." Sam yells.
"Coming." What fun, pucking kids, I've got one of my own and that's enough.
"Hi Carter, it's Abby, would you be able to keep her for a few more hours? Romano's got me covering for Lydia who's gone home sick. I'm really sorry to do this to you, I'll definitely be home by nine. Call me if you can't."
I place the phone back in its resting place. I hate my job! Why do people have to get sick, especially when it's only an hour before you have to leave?
"What's wrong?" Neela asks as she approaches the desk.
"Only the fact that I've been on for eleven hours, got another one to do before I have to cover the end of Lydia's shift, while I've left Leah with Carter for the first time and had to ask him to look after her for longer probably making him wonder what sort of mother I am, and then I'm actually going to have to talk to him when I get home. So apart from that nothing." I walk off leaving her stood there. God I feel mean, she was only being nice and I had to go shove that in her face. Could this day get any worse?
*~*
Carby lover - Thank you for your review, it kind of helped me to think about where I was taking it, any more advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you to everyone else that reviewed.