Author's note

Thanks for your encouraging reviews. I am trying to keep the chapters short so that I can update more often.

Chapter 16

"Hi I'm Dr Lockhart" Abby said to the desk clerk at Mercy, with a sleeping Michael in her arms and secretly wishing the buggy had been in the trunk of the car and not standing by the door to her apartment.

"The doctors lounge is through there" the clerk replied not even looking up from the computer screen.

"No. I'm not here to work. I'm here to collect Dr John Carter, he's a patient here, you called me at work, at County" she said trying to jog the clerk's memory, if indeed this was the same clerk she had spoken to, the voice did sound similar after all.

"You came in an ambulance?" he asked and Abby decided it must be a different clerk or a very incompetent one.

"No I drove, I'm taking him home" she clarified shifting Michael to her other shoulder as he was heavy.

"And your relationship with him is….?"

Abby bit back the sarcastic reply and said instead "His friend…. His girlfriend"

The desk clerk pointed to a row of uncomfortable looking plastic chairs and indicated that she should sit in one, for which she was relieved as Michael was still sleeping and heavy in her arms. Abby had been sitting there a while, the stench from the man beside her was almost unbearable, but she couldn't move. Firstly without being rude and secondly there weren't any other seats available anyway. She watched the clock as the seconds ticked by and with each one she felt an increasing amount of anxiety. Just when she was contemplating going back up to the desk a particularly fresh faced doctor approached her.

"Mrs Carter" said the figure before her

Abby rolled her eyes, shook her head and said "No. No, no, no, there's been a misunderstanding, there's no Mrs Carter"

"Oh…umm…. You…. are um..?" the intern stuttered as Abby looked at his lab coat and read Dr I.M Adcock.

"Lockhart"

"Well Mrs Lockhart…"

"No I'm not Mrs, I'm Doctor"

"I'm sorry"

"No problem. Look where is he? Dr Carter I mean. When the clerk called he said that he was being discharged and could I come, he needed to be taken home" she explained, feeling exhausted and ready to drop but knowing that she wouldn't be able to relax and unwind for ages yet.

"Come with me I'll take you to him"

"Finally" she muttered to herself and followed him down the hall to one of the exam rooms.

There on the bed with pristine white sheets lay Carter, with his eyes shut and his face matching the linen.

"You sure he's fit to go home?" she asked

"Well we would have preferred it if he had stayed, but he was adamant about going home"

"Mmmmmm" commented Abby dryly

"He said that he was a doctor and that, well that he was fine. He would only take Tylenol too"

"Mmmmmmm" she said again in the same tone. "Okay" Then after a pregnant pause added "So has he actually been discharged?"

"No, we were waiting for you to get here"

"Well I'm here, let's get on with it"

"Sure, I'll be right back" he told her and left leaving Abby staring at a sleeping Carter.

She moved up to the bed and with her free hand took his medical chart and poured over its contents. A couple of broken ribs, broken collar bone, whiplash and various cuts and bruises she noted.

"Abby" Carter uttered his voice gravely from under use and pain.

"Hey" she said softly putting the chart back and looking at him tenderly. "This was going a bit far to get my attention" she added with a wry smile.

And he grinned back briefly before grimacing as he attempted to move. "I just want to go home" he told her.

"I know" she said "That's why we're here"

"You should sit down, he must be heavy" Carter added indicating Michael who still remained asleep.

"Tell me about it" she said sinking into the chair beside him.

"Have you been here long?" he asked

She glanced at her watch and said "About forty minutes I guess, so what happened? Can you remember?"

"I got caught in the middle of the pile up, I think"

"Oh, unfortunate" she said sympathising

"It could have been worse" he told her

"How?" she said

"Well if we did what we were going to do, Michael would have been with me"

"True" she agreed. "You know you're going to have to take it easy for a while"

He let out a sigh slowly as if to try and minimise the pain as much as he could and said "Yeah"

"I hope you are going to be able to walk, 'cause you know John I won't be able to carry you too" she said trying to take his mind off things and lighten the mood.

"That won't be a problem" he answered with a smile.

0o0

Abby remembered those words as she helped him through the front door, up the stairs, undressed him and got him into his bed. Before going back to put Michael down in his room at Carter's too. She checked that both the men in her life were sleeping before she entered the kitchen and made her self a coffee and toast as she was starving but too tired to make anything more substantial.

The cold woke her and she took some moments to wake up properly discovering herself on Carter's sofa. She stood and stretched and decided to check on Carter and Michael while she was upstairs looking for a blanket or comforter to wrap round her.

Michael was snoring gently in the cot and she walked over to him and stroked back his hair softly. Carter was not, he lay propped up in bed looking uncomfortable and wide awake.

"You're supposed to be sleeping" she chided gently. "Want some more Tylenol?"

He shook his head and said "No"

"I think" she said "That a few doses will be okay John"

He groaned "You're right I know, but I'm trying not to need it"

"You can try not to need it in a day or two, not now" she insisted

"You're right for once" he admitted grudgingly

"Ha ha" she retorted and fetched him a glass of water and a couple of tablets which he took from her without any further argument.

"What you doing up anyway?" he asked her

"Looking for a blanket, I woke up cold on the sofa"

"You know there are a couple of spare rooms, like the one you slept in last time"

"I wasn't intending to fall asleep, it just happened" she explained "I was going to get Michael and go home, not that you are in a fit state to be alone"

"You could stay" he suggested

"What?" she asked

"Here. Michaels got his room, you can have the guest room you used at Christmas" he said hoping that she would agree.

"Well two things are for sure, firstly I can't leave you alone for too long here and secondly we won't all fit comfortably in my apartment"

"Then come stay here" he said his eyes begging her to agree. "Just for a couple of weeks 'til I'm better"

"A couple of weeks? You mean a few weeks. You're not going anywhere anytime soon"

"So you'll stay? The bed's made up or you could come share with me?"

"I don't think that's on option right now do you?" she asked as the corners of her mouth lifted in a smile.

"A man can hope"

"Dream would be a better word, under the circumstances" she replied "Okay, I'll stay, in the guest room, okay?"

"Yeah" and he nodded

"You better try get, some sleep"

"You too, you look tired" he commented

"See you in the morning then Carter" she said and went over to the bed and kissed him on the forehead before turning the light out and leaving the room.

Leaving him there in the dark to ponder over the days events and although he was frustrated and annoyed at what had happened today, he was pleased that she was here to take care of him.