They slipped out the door and past the man being careful not to catch his attention as he was talking to another patient. Ashley kept her head down and followed Abby through to the trauma room. Luka looked up on their arrival and gave a sympathetic smile.

"Ashley do you need a minute?"

Ashley peered over her mum's lifeless body with tubes probing out of her.

"She looks like she's just sleeping", Ashley whispered and glanced hopefully up at Luka. Luka looked over at Abby and cleared his throat.

"We'll just wait outside. Come out when you're ready you can take as long as you want."

Ashley shook her head, "No I'm not staying in here by myself! She's dead, it's a dead body" Ashley's voice trailed off and she looked for one last time and turned to leave.

"Ashley!" Abby called after her but it was no use.

"Ahh Nightmare!" Abby lifted her hand to her forehead and rubbed at her eyes.

"Have you spoken to the husband?"

"She's not married but her father is alive I think."

"Will he be able to come get her tonight?"

"I don't know"

They left the trauma room and walked along the corridor towards the admin desk.

"Hey Abby, Abby!" Carter emerged through the doors a panic stricken expression was evident on his face.

"I heard what happened. You weren't there when I came back so I phoned the hospital and they said you came in with a patient." Carter shook the snow off his coat and draped it over the desk.

"Was it Ashley is she ok?

"No it was Gill, her mother"

"What happened she seemed fine at the apartment."

"She took an overdose of sleeping pills"

Carter's face fell in remembrance of Maggie's episode with the sleeping pills.

"Oh god, is she stable did you get her back?"

"No", Abby threw her head up to the ceiling."

"Where's Ashley?"

"What?"

"Ashley where is she?"

"She's uhhm…I don't know she went off somewhere. Listen Carter can you do me a huge favour?"

"Sure what do you need?"

"I'm on in a couple of hours, but I need to hang around. Can you maybe try and get hold of your friend about my door."

"Yeah I'll see what I can do"

"And about earlier", her voice trailed off when Carter looked confused as the night's events hadcaused him to forget about the alcohol.

"Carter I…I" Abby's voice trailed off again as she stuttered through her words.

"Abby let's not do this now, we'll talk later."

Abby nodded her head in agreement and turned away from him. Her eyes searched the waiting room for Ashley but she was no where to be soon.

"Hey Abby can you see a patient in curtain one they're complaining of stomach cramps and severe headaches."

"I'm not on"

"Why are you here" said Chuny frustrated.

"Long story, but I'm not on till 5. Get Susan or Kovach"

"They're caught up in a trauma. Hit and run involving a young family"

"Well tell the patient they can wait till a doctor can see them."

"Fine"

Abby exasperated searched the family waiting room but Ashley was still nowhere to be seen. The female toilets were her next stop and she heard someone crying in the cubicle.

"Ashley its Abby are you alright in there?" Ashley emerged from the toilets and flung her arms around Abby's neck. She cried softly into Abby's neckline.

"Abby what am I going to do?"

"Do you want to come somewhere with me", Ashley looked up and nodded her head slowly.

"Are you warm enough, where's your jacket?"

"It's through in that waiting area."

"Ok come on I want to show you something."

They left the ER and climbed the flight of stairs passing through each of the different wards in the hospital. Abby pushed open the door of the roof and let Ashley out first.

"Should I be up here?" Ashley yelled over the wind.

"Probably not" Abby took her hand and led her over to the bench.

They sat for a moment in silence staring out into the night and sirens in the distance.

"It's so beautiful up here"

"I know, it's one of my favourite places. I used to come up here to smoke or mourn over the loss of a patient or…" Abby started laughing, "Actually my boyfriend proposed to me up here"

"Really! Wow that's so romantic"

"Is it?"

"Yeah if it's one of your favourite places"

"I don't think he planned to do it, it was very spontaneous and he was caught in the moment."

"What did you say?"

"I didn't really say anything. Then he backed out of doing in properly."

"Did you love him?"

Abby turned to her and nodded her head thoughtfully.

"Was it Carter?"

"Yes it was, how did you know?"

"He still likes you?"

"What! No he doesn't"

"He does I can tell"

Abby laughed and shook her head.

"You would make great parents" Ashley's voice quivered and she closed her eyes.

"I could live by myself couldn't I?"

"It's against the law until you're sixteen."

"That's only a few years. What if I live in my house at the moment and I have a legal guardian who lives nearby" Ashley's voice sounded hopeful.

"No sweetie it wouldn't be allowed. You would be put in care."

"But I don't want to leave all my friends and my house" Ashley whined.

"Why don't you phone your father?"

"I saw my father, that's where I ran away to. He has a new family now and doesn't want me." Abby sympathetically took her hand.

"I'm very independent!" Ashley stated.

"I know you are. What if something happened though, if there was an emergency you can' be by yourself all the time."

"If there was an emergency I would phone you."

"Ashley I work! I'm unreliable you won't be able to phone me."

"Please Abby I don't want to leave."

"I'm not the only one who will prevent you from living by yourself; the state government won't allow it."

Ashley's lip trembled and she snuggled closer to Abby.

"I'm cold now"

"Shall we go back inside?"

"No I want to stay here."

Abby gently stroked the top of her head and gazed up to the starry sky.

"Ashley I'm sorry you can't stay with me."

"I wouldn't be a bother."

"I'm sorry but I couldn't be your guardian. I work so many hours I would never be in."

Ashley stood up suddenly, "that's fine I wouldn't want to live with you anyway." Her voice drifted away with the wind and she turned her back on Abby and ran back inside. A lonely tear trickled down Abby's face and she sat alone.