Authors Note Thank you for your reviews, sorry I am slow at updating at the moment and that this is such a short chapter. Hope this chapter makes it clear about what occurred in the last.

Chapter 15

The ER was slammed it was one emergency after the other or three or four at once and everyone on shift was working flat out.

"Hey Susan!" called Ray "We got room for another trauma?"

"Yes the last one went up to the OR five minutes ago, how long out are they?"

"Ten. Multiple MVA some are going to Mercy"

"Great, what is it about today? Everyone has descended on us at the same time"

"That's what you get after two or three quiet days on the trot honey" Haleh said

"Yeah but why can't it be spread out more evenly" She muttered under her breath

"Cause it's more fun this way" Abby said and she walked by.

"No, that's not it" Susan said shaking her head. "Jerry!"

"Dr Lewis?" he replied

"You get hold of Carter?"

"No"

"Keep trying I need more attendings" she replied becoming more stressed out by each second that passed then added "Abby, you know where Carter is?"

Abby who was by her patient at curtain four shrugged and shook her head.

0o0

Carter lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling, wishing that the pain in his back and shoulder would cease and then he could get up and get on with something constructive. The morning had started off so well and then everything seemed to fall into a disaster right before his eyes. Moving slightly caused him to grimace, but he tried not to let it show and he shut his eyes to block out the pain and the people around him.

0o0

Abby's shift had flown by, in fact now she had been working two hours extra and was dying to go up to day care to collect Michael. She stood at the desk writing up some overdue paperwork, but her mind was elsewhere. Her thoughts were of two weeks previously, her birthday, the night she had slept with Carter, not that she regretted it she didn't, although their relationship was now the weirdest one she had ever had with anyone. She was pleased that this time they had remembered to use some protection otherwise she knew the chances of having a brother or sister for Michael would have been very probable. Abby didn't know if any of them were ready for that. She looked up and Morris was staring at her, and she shifted her eyes to the paperwork once more but her mind was still on Carter. She supposed they could class themselves as a couple, and Frank was still asking her if they were, almost everyday. Then there were the odd snide remark from Morris. She sighed and completed the form and took the next one on the pile, trying to focus her attention on what she was doing so that she could go and get Michael.

"County" barked Jerry into the telephone which had been incessant all day and then after listening to the person on the other end, put his hand over the mouthpiece and said. "Abby"

"Yeah" she called looking up and over at him.

"Mercy, for you" he said shrugging

"Oh ok" she replied picking up the phone and saying "Dr Lockhart, how can I help you?"

"My feet are killing me" Susan said joining them at the desk "What's new?"

Jerry shrugged "Abby's got a call from Mercy"

"She transfer a patient there?" Susan asked

Jerry shrugged again and they looked at Abby who was saying "What?... When?... No, okay I'll be there……… I just have to collect my son first………. Sure……..Whatever"

She put the phone down and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger before turning to face them.

"I have to go Susan" she said

"To Mercy?" Susan asked frowning

"Yes. I have to go collect a patient"

"Not to bring here" Susan told her

"No, not to bring here, to take home"

"You're not making sense" said Susan "Or you are, and I'm so tired I can't follow"

"You asked me earlier where Carter was, it appears he has spent the day at Mercy"

"Why would he do that?" asked Jerry

"Apparently he was involved in the MVA and he got taken there instead of here" Abby explained shrugging "He asked for me, I have to go"

"Oh hell" said Susan "Call me and let me know the score later okay"

"Yeah" she said biting her lip, then she turned and walked off in the direction of the elevator to get Michael.

Jerry and Susan looked at each other and Susan said "I feel bad now, I was cursing all day 'cause we couldn't get hold of him" she rested her head on her hand

"He'll be okay, she did say she was going to collect him, so that means they're gonna discharge him" Jerry pointed out.

"That's true" said Susan

0o0

Abby sat in her car with Michael strapped securely in the back, the traffic was not moving and she couldn't see what was holding them up which made her worry about Carter all the more. Not that he was at death's door or anything, but he was still hurting and in pain and that made her heart ache and somehow want to make it better for him. She rubbed her hand across her tired eyes and knew it would be ages before she managed to get the sleep she desired. As the car in front moved a few feet forward she did the same and slowly made her way across the city.