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Chapter 18

Carter grimaced and shut his eyes against the pain as he lay back against the pillows that Abby had fluffed for him that morning, cross with himself. It had been over a week, ten days in fact and he hardly felt any better and he also knew that he had been overdoing it, trying too much too soon. Lifting Michael yesterday when he had tottered along the hall and fallen over wasn't the best choice he had ever made in his life. His ribs and shoulder had painfully protested and Abby had yelled at him too which hadn't helped his frame of mind. He knew she regretted it afterwards, he saw her eyes soften moments before he turned away not wanting her to see the pain etched on his face. He didn't want her offering or insisting he take another dose of Tylenol.

Today was a special day, today was Michael's first birthday. Maggie and Eric had arrived yesterday and although Abby hadn't said anything, he knew she was finding it all stressful already. They, being Maggie and Eric were downstairs at the moment with Michael. They had wanted to look after him at Abby's apartment but Abby had been reluctant and Carter had suggested they spend the day here with him. Not that he was up to being a host, he thought as he laid there on the bed. Fully dressed in sweat pants and T-shirt listening for any sort of commotion from downstairs or for the phone to ring, or to hear Abby's key in the front door as her shift neared its end.

To be honest he didn't know what he would have done without her the past week or so. Apart from the nursing side of it and he only thought the other day, that it seemed eons ago since she was a nurse. They had spent a lot of time talking together sometimes with Michael playing at the foot of the bed and other times at night when he couldn't sleep. But she wouldn't share his bed with him.

Maybe the accident had been a blessing in disguise he thought trying to find a positive reason for the physical pain he was in. In the last ten days with Abby and Michael living in the same house as him, he had really started to feel like they were a family.

0o0

Abby walked through the door and met with what looked like a job for the rescue team after the bomb squad had failed to do their mission properly. Walking into the lounge she found Michael huddled into Eric both of them sleeping soundly on the sofa. Maggie was busy in the kitchen making a birthday cake of all things and upstairs Carter was snoring gently, propped up on the bed at a slightly awkward angle. She decided it was the best time for her to take a long hot shower which she so desperately needed.

She eventually exited her room and went to see Carter once more who had moved from the bed and she could hear him moving about his en-suite.

"Hey" he called as she turned to leave the room and she stopped and turned to face him.

He was looking better in the fact that his visible bruises had disappeared and he refused to wear the neck collar the hospital had provided. But he still walked carefully as if to protect his injuries and she could tell from looking into his eyes how much pain he was in at any given moment. And at this moment he was feeling okay she decided the rest obviously had done some good.

"Have you been downstairs?" she asked him

"No. Maggie's been very good brought me lunch and coffee at regular intervals. Oh and Michael once too" he replied with a grin

"Oh" she answered and walked up to face him examining him with her eyes and he watched as she scrutinized him.

"What's the diagnoses doctor, will I live?" he asked softly teasing her and grasped for her hand with his good arm.

"Yeah, I think you'll scrape through, especially as I discovered a treatment that really seems to work" she said trying to keep a straight face and succeeding.

"Abby!" he said warningly, wondering what she was going to suggest, he hadn't taken any Tylenol for two days and didn't want to again in a hurry either.

She smiled at him and gave a small laugh and then said "Want me to test it out on you?"

"I don't want any meds Abby, none" he said firmly letting go of her hand and using it to emphasis the point.

"Look I wasn't going to suggest any, I was going to suggest this" she told him and reached up and kissed him soundly on the mouth to which he had no argument for whatsoever.

They were still kissing when Maggie cleared her throat and said "Oh Sorry I didn't realise… I'll just leave this here…I'll be downstairs"

"No Mum wait, it's okay. Is Michael awake? Else he'll never sleep later"

"Yes, the cake's nearly done too; I made it especially for tea" she said with a smile. "You can't have a birthday without a special cake"

"We'll be right down" Carter said to Maggie with a smile while Abby was thinking that she hardly ever had a birthday cake throughout her entire childhood and wasn't completely sure if Maggie made good cakes or not.

Maggie left still apologising and Carter and Abby turned to each other and laughed.

"Abby, that was a good treatment the best yet" he said "And I think I could do with some more"

0o0

They all helped Michael open the presents, eat the cake (which turned out to be delicious), bath him and put him to bed before Abby drove Maggie and Eric back to her apartment and promised they could visit tomorrow too. When she arrived back at Carter's he was stacking up the dishwasher.

"Should you be doing that?" she asked

"I can't be off sick forever; I have to start doing things"

"I guess" she said reluctantly then shrugging "Coffee?"

He nodded his reply and after they made it they went and sat in the lounge together, each enjoying the silence.

Suddenly Carter said "What time of day was he born?"

"5.37am"

"Long labour?"

"Eighteen hours"

"You have a birth partner? Susan? Neela?"

"Nope"

"No one?"

"No" she said shaking her head

"Sorry"

"Why?"

"That I wasn't there"

"We've talked about this John"

"I know, but I've been thinking about it the last couple of days, stuck here alone. I missed so much"

"We can't change the past, despite wanting to, you know I'd change things I have done if I could"

"Not having Michael?" he asked alarmed

"No, not Michael, he's the best thing I've ever done, albeit with your help"

They sighed simultaneously and Carter yawned. "You should go to bed. Were they……Did they?" Abby asked nervously

"They were fine, really" he added

"Fine enough to have them come here tomorrow too" Carter nodded and Abby added "Even after everything that's happened?"

"So much has happened since then Abby, things that have changed my life, helped me to put priorities into perspective, not just mine but yours too"

"You want some help climbing the stairs" she asked as he rose slowly from the chair

"No. How do you think I manage when you're at work?" he asked with a grin

"Just don't go falling over any of Michael's new toys" she gently chided and he looked at the floor still scattered with gift wrap and presents.

After he had gone she spent the next hour clearing the place up and displaying the cards on the mantelpiece, before emptying the dishwasher which had run its cycle by that time.

She fell into bed exhausted, over tired even and it wasn't long before she started dreaming of things which still haunted her mind. Waking with a start she went to the bathroom then to watch Michael sleeping, she still could not get used to him having a room of his own whilst they stayed with Carter.

Leaning on the door jam she watched as Carter snored gently in bed, she took one look down the landing to her room before making a split decision, maybe if she wasn't alone she'd fall back to sleep again, she was so tired she knew that she and her patients would suffer the following day if she did not get a little more sleep at the very least. She tip toed across the room and gingerly slipped between the covers, careful not to make any sudden movements which would wake or jerk Carter and she lay down beside him. She spent long minutes looking up at the ceiling before falling into a deep slumber .