"Ashley, Ashley are you awake, sweetie you're gonna have to wake up because I need to go to work". Abby gently shook her arm in an attempt to wake her

"No I'm not getting up".

"Well you're going to have to".

Ashley sat up in bed, her hair was in knots and tangles covering her face and she was pouting angrily at Abby. Abby however couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh so like me, you're not a morning person"

"No"

"Let me look at your face", Abby brushed her hair back, "You have a black eye, sweetie, but it will gradually go. Are you planning to go to school today?"

"No, I think I'll just take the day off".

Seeing Abby's concerned expression Ashley reconciled her by informing that the school would get the social services involved if she went in with a black eye.

"Ok, but don't make a habit of this"

"Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't take a couple of days off when you were younger. Other kids do it for way worse things"

"Yeah but Ashley you can't let her take over your life and if you're missing classes you need to tell your teachers and catch up, don't let her affect your life like this"

"Abby I have a black eye!"

"I know, I know I'm sorry but in future you can't use her as an excuse, it's an illness, a disease! You can both overcome it".

"Well you tell her that then because I never want to see her again"

Abby breathed in deeply a flashback appeared in her mind of her after a bad experience with Maggie sitting in Ashley's position and telling someone that she never wanted to see her own mother ever again.

"Never is a long time believe me you'll have to see her sometime".

"Do you see your mum often?"

"Not really no. I used to get the occasional mad phone call in which I had to go pick her up in some stranded motel or rescue her when she was dangerously off her meds but now she's back on her meds and living a normal life elsewhere. She's happy."

"Yeah I wish my mum lived elsewhere".

"Ashley I need to go to work now what are you going to do"

"Can I stay here for just a bit longer?"

Abby stood up from the bed and gazed out the window.

"Ok you can stay here, just so long you contact your mother and tell her you're safe, Ashley, Ashley hey listen to me ok?" Ashley didn't answer and avoided eye contact.

"I'll leave a spare key for you on the living room cabinet with my work number so phone if you need something ok? Ashley ok?" Ashley nodded at her and lay back down on her bed. Abby sighed and left her apartment.

"Abby come on we've got two criticals, ETA of 5 minutes rolling in and we're full in triage grab a chart", Weaver limped towards Abby, "MORRIS! Get your ass over here and pick up a chart".

"Can I least have a moment to take my jacket off", Abby shook the snow of her hood and glared at Weaver.

"NO!"

Abby groaned, but saw to her delight Carter standing talking to a patient in curtain one. He was in full conversation and his head was bent slightly listening intently to what the elderly man was saying. Both of his hands were holding the stethoscope draped around his neck, to Abby he looked absolutely gorgeous. Coming out of her trance she saw Weaver limping to the door and grabbing a gurney with a small child lying unconsciousness on it. After one last lingering look at Carter she helped Weaver pull the gurney, and gazed down at the child.

"7- year old male in car crash he has lacerations to head and stomach, vitals and BP are low.

"What's his name?" Abby asked the paramedic

"It's Mikey, his father is in the other ambulance"

"Mikey my name is Dr Lockhart can you hear me? Mikey?"

"Pupils are dilated and unresponsive", Weaver lent over the young boy and glanced up at Abby.

"Abby he's crashing", Weaver suddenly yelled alerting Abby.

They worked on the boy for the next 30 minutes, but after CPR Abby finally called it.

"Time of death 7:39", she said with a distinct sadness present in her voice.

"How's the father doing?" Abby asked Haleh

"He's stable Kovach and Lewis are working on him"

"Are their any other family members to contact?"

"Yeah there's a wife and two other children, they re in the family waiting area".

"Abby I'll go up and tell them", Weaver said which relieved Abby as she did not feel like telling the family about the boy's death.

Abby walked towards the main desk, her eyes felt heavy and she was already struggling to keep awake.

"Her stranger", a voice she knew and loved prompted Abby to turn around. Big brown eyes were smiling at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey Carter, how are you?"

"Well not too bad considering", his voice dropped and he looked down at his feet. Abby tried her very best to be sympathetic but in actual fact she couldn't be happier, Kem had left for good, back to Africa. She hadn't had a proper chance to speak to him since the split and she'd been dying to.

"What time are you off?"

"I just worked the night shift so anytime now and I'll be back on this evening, need to catch up on my sleep", he winked at her and Abby's knees almost buckled beneath her.

"Ok, but we need to catch up soon."

"Definitely, maybe sometime tomorrow?"

"Yeah sure, Carter you know I'm always here if you ever want to talk."

"I know, thanks Abby".

Abby felt she could stand in this spot for ever gazing into his eyes, however the blissful situation was ruined by a voice hollering out her name.

"Abby come on we have 3 majors and 2 minors rolling in, you're not a nurse anymore you have more patients to see now". Abby rolled her eyes and smiled at Carter turning to see Weaver glaring at her angrily.

It was almost one' o clock in the afternoon and Abby leant against the desk, clock watching. Her stomach rumbled reminding her she hadn't had anything to eat all day, just about to go up to the cafeteria she saw a familiar women enter the waiting area. Abby stopped and tilted her head racking her mind to where she had seen this woman before. The lady was in a stressful state and whipped around as if she was searching for someone. Abby caught a familiar look in her face and realised that it was Ashley's mum. Abby ducked down slightly, worried that she was looking for her but it was too late. Sam was working triage, and the women pushed past patients demanding to see Abby.

"Hey Abby, this lady here says you can help her", Sam looked at Abby confused by the woman's shouts and demands.

"Yeah okay I'll speak to her", Abby muttered. She sighed up to the ceiling the women was obviously off her meds and from experience this was going to be a long conversation one that quite frankly she did not want to have.

"Where is she?" The women approached her demanding with both hands on her hips.

"Hi Mrs McNeil", Abby said brightly.