A Series of Fortunate Events
Chapter 2: Look Again
Abby didn't fall onto the plastic couch, she collapsed. She left a private hospital to be worked to the bone in a public one. And it was only her first day. You'd think they'd be a little light on her, but they weren't. They beat and bruised her like one of their own. She fit in, of course. She didn't take any crap from anyone. She took control in the trauma. Impressed her boss and everyone around her. They found out they could rely on her. She was tired out as all hell, though. A brush of cold air splashed her body and she looked up to the opening door. Carter stepped in, taking off his stethoscope and lab coat. She hadn't really looked at him as closely before. Now she had the chance. They were both off, and he wasn't her boss any longer. She saw the mass of uncombed dark brown hair on his head, badly in need of a trim. She saw the tired eyes, laugh lines, and five-o-clock shadow on his face. His arms were well-built, and his frame small but strong. Her eyes slid to his hands, and then she stopped looking altogether. There was a ring on his finger, a gold band, glittering in the pale light. She threw her head back against the hard padding, so much for that idea.
"Did you figure out what you're going to do for the night?"
He grabbed her attention once again and he made his way closer to her. She shook her head lightly, keeping her eyes closed. She didn't know what the hell she was going to do. She was stranded in a semi-unfamiliar city, with no clothes, no relatives, no friends, and no place to crash for the night. She would end up getting a hotel room in some dingy little dump in the middle of a drug-addict infested alley. How wonderful.
"Well, if you want, I have an extra room. You could stay the night and then tomorrow figure out what to do."
The offer was tempting. Too bad she didn't feel like barging in on his wife and kids. He probably had kids. At least two.
"No, I couldn't impose. Your wife probably wouldn't be too happy at the thought of you bringing a stranger home."
"First off, I'm divorced, my wife lives in Burr Ridge. Second, you're not a stranger. I've known you for eight hours already."
"Oh yeah, that counts as life-long acquaintances these days, I forgot." She smirked, quite proud of the comeback.
"I'm a good judge of character. I hired you, remember?"
She knew he hired her, but he didn't know the circumstances. He didn't know that she had a little affair with the Chief of Staff, and he would do anything to keep her from telling his wife. Not that she would ever do that. It was a drunken stupor. It meant nothing to either one of them. Much like her ex-husband meant little to her. She sat up and gave him a quizzical look
"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"
"No."
She pulled herself off the couch and literally wobbled to her locker. She was cold, tired, hungry, and homeless. Not a good combination at all. He better plan on feeding her, or his fridge is going to be ransacked sometime in the middle of the morning for edibles. He came over to her to help her put on her coat, but she shrugged him off. She didn't need the help. It was nice and all, but she's used to not having the gentlemen type around. She was the only female physician in the ER back at BU. She learned to fend for herself. She grabbed her purse and followed him out the door. This was gearing up to be an interesting stay. Not to mention the gossip that would be revolving around them when they returned. Obviously he's still attached to his wife, he wears his wedding ring. Gossip makes the world go round.
Author's Notes: Review, please?