Author's Note: I was not planning on additional chapters for this story, but so many of you asked for it I felt responsible to write it. I'll try to cover everything that happened between "Skin" and "Only Connect".

Part II:

Carter gently put the IV in Abby's hand. She was shaking violently in her sleep, and her vitals were all over the board. He wanted to sedate her before Susan changed her clothes. The more pain he could spare her the better he would feel.

Susan walked in with a vial in her hand. "Are you sure we should sedate her?" As friends it was becoming increasingly difficult to stay objective. They knew they should at least talk to a social worker to find out the best way to proceed with the emotional fallout that was to come, but they wanted to protect her now because they couldn't when she was taken.

Carter prepped the syringe, and Abby's eyes flutter open, the fear was evident. He waited for her to orientate herself to her surroundings. Susan could see the tension slowly ease but not dissipate entirely. Carter leaned in and placed his hand on top of her head. "I'm going to give you something to help you sleep, and then Susan is going to change your clothes."

Abby's hand gripped his. "Please stay. Please don't leave." She pleaded.

John's heart broke. He was never going to stop loving Abby even if their romantic relationship had ended. "It'll only be a few minutes; I thought you would be more comfortable with her…" Truth was he did not want to leave; we wanted to be in physical contact with her until he knew she was safe. He had already ordered security to be posted outside the room.

Abby smiled despite the situation, he was trying to respect her privacy, "Nothing has changed since the last time."

Carter was glad to see Abby was able to joke around, even if it was at the expense of his slight embarrassment. A smile tugged at his mouth, and he looked up at Susan. She was smirking as well, but they were both too tense tolet their guards down completely. Carter picked up the scissors and began to cut her scrub top off. Once that was removed he stopped. "I hope you didn't like this shirt."

Abby shuttered, "I doubt I would ever wear it again even if I did."

The fabric was cut away, and Susan helped Abby sit up so they could slip the remains of her uniform out from under her. As she moved Carter got a look at her abused arms. Her left side was marred by broken blood vessels, and her joints were swelling. He was trying to not look at her exposed flesh, it was true he had seen her naked many times before, but they were no longer dating and it was no longer his right. So he continued to stare at her arm, and that's when he saw it. His anger increased tenfold, "Abby."

Abby tensed. She heard the change in his tone and it scared her. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as she repeated a mantra in her head 'It's John, he will not hurt me. He will not hurt me.'

Susan looked over at Carter, "John," she whispered. It was a question as much as it was a reprimand for his affect on Abby. He wasn't listening, and was clearly fixated on Abby's upper arm.

Carter snapped out of his anger induced trance. "Abby," he spoke again, but this time his voice was filled with concern. For the first time he noticed her reaction, she seemed to be waiting for him to hurt her. Not only did this hurt him almost to the point of physical pain, it also seemed to confirm his fears. "Abby, I'm sorry, open your eyes."

Abby was so focused on her thoughts she did not hear him. 'It's John, he will not hurt me. He will not me.' "I'm not going to hurt you." His words pierced through her thoughts. Her eyes opened and focused immediately on his.

Carter never wanted to see that fear toward him in her eyes again, but he would always remember it. "Did they hurt you?" He had already asked her this question, but now, seeing the hand shaped bruises on her left arm, he questioned her response.

Abby was still feeling residual fear, and she shook her head without saying a word. Aside from waving a gun in her face, and a fear that they would hurt her, she did not recall being physically hurt in anyway. But why was John asking her this again?

Susan eased Abby back down and walked to the other side of the gurney to see what Carter was concerned about. Despite the bruising that was developing due to her stress fractures, and tissue damage, the angry purple marks of a hand stood out. She was soon very concerned that there were other injuries the Abby could not remember, or did not know aboutas a result of shock. Doing a rape kit once again entered her mind. "Abby, do you hurt anywhere else?"

Abby pulled her gaze away from Carter, and saw Susan looking at her arm. She looked down and saw the bruises. Her brain suddenly flashed back to Loose walking up to her with gun in hand and demanding that she get out of the truck. 'You don't have to do this. Please, you don't have to do this.' She had never begged for her life before. She had been so sure he was going to kill her, he had to drag her out and around to the driver's side of the SUV. She remembered the pain only now. Her arms had hurt from the CPR and she did not consider the painful grip he had on her. She struggled to get away, but his hold on her became intense making her comply instantly. The scene played over and over in her mind, and the fear of being shot was renewed. "Please you don't have to do this." She whispered.

The two doctors were helpless as they watched Abby relive her experience. "Susan, call Wendall." Susan nodded and walked the few feet to the in-house phone. Carter took Abby's hand trying to comfort her. "What did they do Abby?"

While Carter tried to pull Abby out of her flashback Susan talked to Wendall. "…she came in with blood on her, and in shock. We don't know what to do, she's experiencing flashbacks… Thanks, we're in trauma one." Susan rejoined Carter. "She's coming right down."

Only then did Carter remember that he was supposed to meet Wendall forty-five minutes ago, but he immediately dismissed the feelings of guilt.The only thing that mattered to him right now was Abby. Her hand had grown cold, her vitals were not looking good, and she kept repeating her plea: 'you don't have to do this.' "Damn it," he cursed at his feeling of helplessness. "Susan, get me a blanket." She ran for one, and helped wrap Abby up. Carter then disconnected her from the IV and the monitors. He picked her up effortlessly and walked out of the trauma room. Susan followed him, not sure where he was going. "Make sure the break room is cleared out." Susan ran ahead without question. The staff watched the movement with concern, and the guards moved to follow, posting themselves outside the break room. Susan held the door open, as Carter walked purposefully to the couch and sat down cradling Abby in his arms. "Abby, you're ok, you're safe. It's over." He then looked up at Susan. "It's less sterile in here; I thought this may be more comfortable surroundings for her… I'm going to take her home."

Susan nodded and looked on as Abby did seem to calm down. It was hard to tell if it was because she was in Carter's arms, the new surroundings, or just plain exhaustion. "We need to find out if she's been hurt more that we can see."

Carter nodded, but before he could respond Wendall walked in. "They said you rushed her in here?" She asked with concern, and confusion.

"She wasn't snapping out of the flashback." Carter tightened his hold on her to remind her he was there.

Wendall pulled up a chair, trying to not let situation bug her. She knew there was history between the two, but did not know the whole story. She did know they were still friends, and did't want to read too much into the closeness. She leaned in to touch Abby's shoulder to get a sense for her mental state as well as to get her attention. She then realized Abby did not have a shirt on, and was covered only by her bra and the blanket surrounding her. She looked in surprise at John, but tried not to let it bother about her. "Abby, can you hear me?"

Her only reaction was to huddle closer to Carter.

"Abby, can you tell me what happened to you?" Wendall knew she wasn't going to get much out of the scared resident, but needed to try. "John, what happened?"

Carter looked up at the blonde, and explained briefly, "She got pulled into a gang war, they needed a doctor. She has injuries from administering prolonged CPR, but she said she wasn't hurt anywhere else. We found some bruising on her upper arm, and when we asked her about it she had a flashback." Carter closed his eyes as he remembered her desperate pleas. "She kept repeating 'Please, you don't have to do this'."

Wendall listened with concern. "Were you able to figure out what she was referring to?" Carter shook his head. "Did you do a rape kit?"

Susan answered, "She said she wasn't raped. She thought they were going to but they never followed through."

"And her injuries that you did find?"

"Stress fractures and some muscle and tissue damage, all attributed to the CPR. But now we're not sure if there are other injuries." Susan continued.

Wendall took all the information in. "Okay, we won't get much out of her tonight. The best thing you can do is make her feel safe, and be there for her if she needs you. I'll want to talk to her right away tomorrow though. Have you prescribed her anything to help her sleep?"

Susan shook her head, "We were going to sedate her."

"Let her decide if that is what she wants, it's going to be very important that she feel in control over the next few hours. Are you going to admit her?" Wendall already knew the answer.

John looked up at her, "She's coming home with me… I… Wendall, I need to be there for her… it's—"

Wendall stopped him by hold up her hand, "I am the last person you should be worried about. Take care of Abby, and bring her in tomorrow." Carter nodded, and smiled in gratitude. "John, you need to make sure she comes in. She won't want to talk about it, but she has to."

Carter nodded his understanding, and Wendall stood up to leave. "Thank you." He said and then turned his attention to Susan, "Can you get my keys out of my locker and have someone bring my car into the ambulance bay? I'm going to get the new scrubs on her."

Susan took the keys and walked out with Wendall, leaving Carter alone with Abby. He looked down at her face, she was sleeping. He brushed some hair out of her eyes and placed a kiss on her forehead.

TBC...