A/N:thanks to everyone for reviewing

Abby gazed over all the pictures she had organized into a collage, framed with a dark mahogany red. The frame was situated above an old vase which had belonged to her mother and missed its vital inhabitants of flowers.

A large majority of the pictures were of Liana and Abby's favourite shot was positioned in the middle of the frame. The corner of Abby's mouth rose slightly at the memory. A while back Carter had surprised them both with a two week vacation in the Bahamas, Liana had only been four at the time. The picture showed Liana covered in sand bent down patting a sand castle Carter had made in her honour. She was wearing a sun hat, which Abby had insisted upon to protect from the scorching sun and grinning directly at the camera. Her small cheeks were rosy and dark curls fell out of her hat and onto her freckly shoulders.

Other pictures in the frame consisted of Eric with his plane and one of Abby and Eric on a beach standing happily in each other's company. Abby's eyes filled with tears at the realisation that everyone in the collage apart from herself was bipolar.

She kicked out at the table in frustration, the vase wobbled dangerously and eventually smashed against the wall and onto the floor. This was her life Abby thought as she stared helplessly at the broken bits of vase; she now had to take care of someone else in captivated with the disease. It would never end; she could never be rid of the manic and disruptive behaviour.

One person from her family was missing from the collage and that was Maggie, the origin and source of the Bi-Polar disease. Abby knew she shouldn't blame her, but she did. Eric and now Liana, all because of Maggie. Yes, Abby knew she had no say in having the disease in the first place but Abby had to pass the blame to someone. I should have gone ahead with the abortion, Abby thought glumly.

Her phone rang suddenly, causing Abby to jump as the silence broke. She let it ring out convinced it was Mandy wanting to know when she could pick up Liana.

"Hi this is Abby; leave a message after the tone."

"Hey Abby, it's John, I was just phoning to make sure…"

Abby scrambled for the phone, happy to hear his voice.

"Hey Carter."

"Abby, I was just leaving you a message."

"I know, Carter are you still at County?"

"Yeah I'm just finishing up some charts. Your patient, Thompson he came through in the OR after you brought in back, just thought you might like to know."

"That's great, Carter I need to ask you a favour."

"Go on…"

Abby paused and racked her mind; she really needed to have thought this through. She knew off by heart the medication for Maggie and Eric but what did children require? Lithium was prescribed to calm mania and prevent mood cycling. Depakote, another common medicine, had been prescribed for Maggie to control rapid cycling between mania and depression. Should she get both? How would Liana react? Questions swarmed Abby's mind.

"Abby are you still there?" Carter asked anxiously.

"Uh yeah, can you write me a prescription for Lithium and umm Depakote please."

"Why is Eric in town? Abby?"

She sighed in deeply, "No"

"Is Maggie here?"

Abby's pause left Carter confused and he repeated his question.

"It's for Liana" she said quietly. It was now Carter's turn to pause; she could hear him breathing heavily over the phone.

"Are-are you sure?" he stuttered, "I mean don't you think your reading a little too much into her behaviour. She's a child; they all misbehave and have mood swings."

It was no use, Abby thought, "She's bipolar."

"Abby I know you have all the knowledge about this disease, but maybe a professional should diagnose her."

"Carter I'm a doctor, I've lived with this disease all my life. Professionals can't do anything…what they meet her a few times and look at our family history? It all fits; I just haven't been around to notice anything was wrong up till now."

She heard another voice in the background, and Carter told her he had to go.

"Do you want to meet me for coffee?"

"I need to go pick up Liana."

"I'm off at 8; do you want the prescription before you see her?"

Abby thought, her heart throbbed as she realised Liana could be manic, or depressive and would have no idea why she was how she was.

"Can we meet tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll see you just before work and Abby…"

"Yeah"

"I'm really sorry."

Abby held the phone to her ear listening to the dead ringing tone echoing through her ears. She tapped in some numbers and listened to the tone, after the forth ring a lady's voice brightly said hello.

"Hey Mandy its Abby."

"Abby", her voice almost changed to sympathy tone.

"I'm going to head over and pick up Liana…sorry I was so short earlier."

"It's ok, she was very upset at first I was a little worried. She fell asleep however shortly afterwards and has been sleeping ever since."

"I'll see you soon." Abby hung up and grabbed her jacket off the couch. She returned twenty minutes or so later, with Liana fast asleep in her arms. Her head was rested on Abby's shoulders with her hair falling down Abby's back.

Abby brought her into her own bedroom and lay her down on the unmade bed. She flopped out beside her and stared down at her angel like face. Abby propped her chin on her elbow and gently stroked Liana's face. Fortunately nothing whatsoever about Liana's features reflected Richard's face. She had Abby's eyes, Abby's nose and Abby's pout. Maybe that's why she was bipolar; it had been passed down through Abby because they were almost identical.

She felt Liana stir, so she whispered soft murmurs in her ear so she wouldn't wake. Abby's head dropped to the pillow and she watched Liana sleep gently drifting off into her own world of dreams.