Sorry for the delay again! I'm getting really bad at updating. Thank you for your lovely reviews they are very much appreciated and I'm sorry if I offended anyone reading my other story, I didn't mean to! More angst will be on its way soon.
Chapter 22 - Relax
We arrive at the restaurant about fifteen minutes later, he was right it isn't too posh for me. We are shown our table and sit down ordering drinks. I sort Leah out while Carter browses the menu. I turn to look at him and want to laugh. He looks up and sees the grin on my face, which I was too slow to hide. A smile spreads across his as he asks with a slight laugh in his voice
"What?"
"Nothing, it was just, never mind."
"Come on Abby you have to tell me now."
"It's just, do you remember the last time we went out for a meal together?"
He starts to shake his head when it suddenly dawns on him
"Oh when I bought out the entire place, was that the last time we ate out?"
"Yeah, I was just thinking how much things have changed since then, with both of us."
"I suppose they have, I bet to anyone else we look like a proper family."
There's an awkward silence as we both contemplate what he just said. Luckily the waiter interrupts us by bringing over our drinks and taking our orders.
"So are you looking forward to starting back?" I change the subject, which he seems relieved about.
"I can't wait to get stuck back in, though I'm sure I'll change my mind about that when I get there. I just need something different to do, I'm actually looking forward to being pulled into traumas."
"That'll definitely change as soon as you get stuck back in."
"You don't realise how much you miss it until you leave."
"I didn't miss it one bit when I was on maternity leave, perhaps it was because I knew I'd have to go back and couldn't just sit at home doing what I wanted forever."
"You didn't miss it one bit?"
"Nope, I had Leah to keep me occupied and Mike and Susan came round to keep me company, I didn't really think about County at all. Now I'm back I just want to get back to rotations but I need the money for Leah, so I'll start back in September."
"If it's the money I can help you out more."
"No I'm managing, I don't want you paying for everything."
"I'm hardly paying for anything."
"You give me enough for Leah, anyway you're paying for this."
"Oh I am am I?"
"Well you said you wanted to help out more!" I laugh at him.
"So you're enjoying med. school?"
"I was."
"But you're still going back to it?"
"Definitely, I wish I'd gone back sooner, I realised it was what I'd always wanted to do, even if it meant having to go talk to Richard." He looks confused.
"I needed him to co-sign a loan application so I could pay the fees." I explain and he nods his head slowly,
"Right, and he did?"
"He wasn't too happy that I showed up but he signed, one thing I can be thankful for I suppose."
"Have you decided what you're going into?"
"I'm not sure it's between emergency medicine or psyche at the moment."
"Not the NICU?"
"Too many dying babies."
"I thought you got a really good evaluation from there." I shake my head,
"Yeah but I wouldn't be able to do it all the time it was too hard, those two weeks were bad enough. It also reminds me about how many things can go wrong."
"It's rather frightening when you start to think about it isn't it? I'm sure whatever you choose you'll be good at it."
"Thanks, at least I haven't killed anyone yet!"
"Well you're not a good doctor until you have." He laughs.
"I'd rather I be a bad doctor if I don't have to kill someone!" I laugh back and he smiles nodding his head.
"I'm sure it won't happen."
"I hope not. Our foods on its way." I nod my head towards the waiter that's heading towards us. We sit eating our food in silence; I hadn't realised quite how hungry I was. We're only half way through our meal when my pager goes off.
"Damn, I thought I'd switched this thing off." I fumble around trying to switch it off.
"You on call?"
"Nope, sorry I'll have to ring and find out what they want." I pull what I hope is an apologetic face at him and get up heading to the payphone at the back of the restaurant.
"Hi it's Abby, you paged me?" I'm met by a panicky voice, I try to listen to what the other person is saying whilst thinking about what to do.
"Oh right, sure, I'll be over straight away. Calm down, it'll be all right." I put the phone down and hurry back to our table.
"I'm really sorry, I'm going to have to go, it was Susan, she's started having contractions, Chuck's in the middle of a flight and can't get to her. She's panicking a bit, she's still got another month to go. I'm sorry Carter, would you be able to take Leah home when you're done?"
"I'll drive you." He gets up pulling his coat on.
"You don't have to."
"How else are you going to get there? And you might need some help." I hadn't thought of that, he goes to pay the bill while I take Leah out of her seat and pack up her stuff. We are soon all in his car heading towards Susan's.
"Do you have your cell?"
"It's in my coat pocket." I pick up his jacket searching for it and finally fishing it out I dial Susan's number.
"She isn't picking up Carter!"
"She probably just moved away from the phone, she'll be fine. We're nearly there now anyway." I hang up the phone wondering why she isn't answering, Carter's probably right, but what if he isn't?
Chapter 22 - Relax
We arrive at the restaurant about fifteen minutes later, he was right it isn't too posh for me. We are shown our table and sit down ordering drinks. I sort Leah out while Carter browses the menu. I turn to look at him and want to laugh. He looks up and sees the grin on my face, which I was too slow to hide. A smile spreads across his as he asks with a slight laugh in his voice
"What?"
"Nothing, it was just, never mind."
"Come on Abby you have to tell me now."
"It's just, do you remember the last time we went out for a meal together?"
He starts to shake his head when it suddenly dawns on him
"Oh when I bought out the entire place, was that the last time we ate out?"
"Yeah, I was just thinking how much things have changed since then, with both of us."
"I suppose they have, I bet to anyone else we look like a proper family."
There's an awkward silence as we both contemplate what he just said. Luckily the waiter interrupts us by bringing over our drinks and taking our orders.
"So are you looking forward to starting back?" I change the subject, which he seems relieved about.
"I can't wait to get stuck back in, though I'm sure I'll change my mind about that when I get there. I just need something different to do, I'm actually looking forward to being pulled into traumas."
"That'll definitely change as soon as you get stuck back in."
"You don't realise how much you miss it until you leave."
"I didn't miss it one bit when I was on maternity leave, perhaps it was because I knew I'd have to go back and couldn't just sit at home doing what I wanted forever."
"You didn't miss it one bit?"
"Nope, I had Leah to keep me occupied and Mike and Susan came round to keep me company, I didn't really think about County at all. Now I'm back I just want to get back to rotations but I need the money for Leah, so I'll start back in September."
"If it's the money I can help you out more."
"No I'm managing, I don't want you paying for everything."
"I'm hardly paying for anything."
"You give me enough for Leah, anyway you're paying for this."
"Oh I am am I?"
"Well you said you wanted to help out more!" I laugh at him.
"So you're enjoying med. school?"
"I was."
"But you're still going back to it?"
"Definitely, I wish I'd gone back sooner, I realised it was what I'd always wanted to do, even if it meant having to go talk to Richard." He looks confused.
"I needed him to co-sign a loan application so I could pay the fees." I explain and he nods his head slowly,
"Right, and he did?"
"He wasn't too happy that I showed up but he signed, one thing I can be thankful for I suppose."
"Have you decided what you're going into?"
"I'm not sure it's between emergency medicine or psyche at the moment."
"Not the NICU?"
"Too many dying babies."
"I thought you got a really good evaluation from there." I shake my head,
"Yeah but I wouldn't be able to do it all the time it was too hard, those two weeks were bad enough. It also reminds me about how many things can go wrong."
"It's rather frightening when you start to think about it isn't it? I'm sure whatever you choose you'll be good at it."
"Thanks, at least I haven't killed anyone yet!"
"Well you're not a good doctor until you have." He laughs.
"I'd rather I be a bad doctor if I don't have to kill someone!" I laugh back and he smiles nodding his head.
"I'm sure it won't happen."
"I hope not. Our foods on its way." I nod my head towards the waiter that's heading towards us. We sit eating our food in silence; I hadn't realised quite how hungry I was. We're only half way through our meal when my pager goes off.
"Damn, I thought I'd switched this thing off." I fumble around trying to switch it off.
"You on call?"
"Nope, sorry I'll have to ring and find out what they want." I pull what I hope is an apologetic face at him and get up heading to the payphone at the back of the restaurant.
"Hi it's Abby, you paged me?" I'm met by a panicky voice, I try to listen to what the other person is saying whilst thinking about what to do.
"Oh right, sure, I'll be over straight away. Calm down, it'll be all right." I put the phone down and hurry back to our table.
"I'm really sorry, I'm going to have to go, it was Susan, she's started having contractions, Chuck's in the middle of a flight and can't get to her. She's panicking a bit, she's still got another month to go. I'm sorry Carter, would you be able to take Leah home when you're done?"
"I'll drive you." He gets up pulling his coat on.
"You don't have to."
"How else are you going to get there? And you might need some help." I hadn't thought of that, he goes to pay the bill while I take Leah out of her seat and pack up her stuff. We are soon all in his car heading towards Susan's.
"Do you have your cell?"
"It's in my coat pocket." I pick up his jacket searching for it and finally fishing it out I dial Susan's number.
"She isn't picking up Carter!"
"She probably just moved away from the phone, she'll be fine. We're nearly there now anyway." I hang up the phone wondering why she isn't answering, Carter's probably right, but what if he isn't?