It was dark. Abby stumbles over some things when she walks into her apartment. She had a rough day. Three of her patients died and there was nothing she could do to make her feel better. As she walked to the bathroom, she checked her messages. There were two, one from Maggie and the other one from Carter. He sounded worried and asked if she wanted to call him if she got home. Abby did not want to call him, because there was still some awkwardness after Carter and Kem broke up. Abby did not really feel sorry for carter that Kem left. She needed her freedom after the death of their baby, now six months ago. Yes, Abby was still madly in love with John Carter. After he left to the Congo, the connection between them somewhat left with him.
Abby started to wonder if there was still a chance of them getting back together. As she thought that, she suddenly thought about her life in the last 3 years… she came to work in the ER. She had to deal with Maggie, Joyce and Brian, her alcoholism, and her relationships with Luka and John. Abby thought about what her life would be if she stayed an OB-nurse.
Her mind dozed off and she fell asleep.
Abby woke up of knocking on the door. Who could that be? She opened the door and saw to her own surprise… Joyce! Abby helped Joyce get into a shelter because her husband beat her. Joyce looked good. Abby could see she was happy, but also nervous. She invited Joyce in and they talked. Joyce found happiness with another man and they were getting married in a month. Abby was happy for her. She finally got her life back on track. Joyce talked a lot, about her life, her study and then came the subject Abby feared… Brian. Joyce told her that Brian was in jail. He broke into her apartment three months ago and now she had finally got rid of him. Joyce asked if Brian had ever contacted her. She obviously didn't know that Brian assaulted her once. Abby said no. the beat-up was still a sore spot on her soul. Abby's pager interrupted their conversation. It was work. They wanted to her to come in early.
After Joyce left, Abby gathered her stuff and drove to work. It was a busy morning. An MVA needed lots of work. After that, it became silent. There were only a few patients and all of them were waiting on the results of their tests. Abby began with the paperwork that she could not avoid anymore when John came walking by. He said that paperwork could be a lot better with coffee. So they went to get coffee in the cafeteria. They talked about yesterday. Abby told carter that Joyce visited her and that she didn't tell her about the assault. Carter understood her. That was so good about their friendship. He knew how she felt, and understood her. When they came back in the ER there was a trauma rolling in. it was a young girl with a stab wound. Abby and carter started working on her. It went well. It all got to a happy end. After an hour, Abby went to check up on the girl. She was fine. She thanked Abby that she saved her life. Abby realized that her work began to dominate her life. She did not want that one thing. Ok, her work was important, but when you think nothing when you are saving a person's life. There is something wrong.
When it became slow again, she decided to take a break and get some breakfast. It was only half an hour before her actual shift started. She brought some charts with her to make some marks, but she found that work and privacy had to be separate. However, if she had a private life, it would be so much better.
Pizza Hawaii, pizza margarita. So many choices, so little appetite. Abby walked through the jumbo market across the street from county. Suddenly a voice behind her said, ''of course we could go out ''. Abby heard it was John. She smiled. He always had those remarks that were meant to be funny, but usually true. '' We could, but where? I don't feel much for McDonald's''. Carter was rich and he could afford a lot. Abby did not struggle, but it was a surprise how little money there was at the end of the month. ''I'll pay'', carter said, and that was everything Abby wanted to hear. Someone who wanted her as company, and not because they wanted something. Moreover, it was Carter! They went to this local restaurant very different from doc Magoo's. It wasn't very fancy but very tasteful, and good. Carter asked why Abby wanted to be a doctor, and Abby told the story that she wanted to do more with her capacities. Carter told her about Africa and his new car.
After the dessert (Crème Brule), carter paid the bill, and they went outside. It was dark. In the distance dark clouds gathered, but that was far away from them. On the way to the park Abby felt weird. It was like old times again. She totally fell in love again. But there was another feeling. Abby couldn't describe it, but it was a mix of fear, anger and pain. She suddenly felt uncomfortable. She looked behind her but didn't see anything. Abby had the feeling that they were followed. Probably nothing, Abby thought. As they went to sit by the lake, the decisive moment came. Abby knew she had to tell Carter that she was still in love with him. Or else there wasn't going to be much of a future together.
But before Abby tried to say anything a man walked towards them. He roughly grabbed Abby, who couldn't move, and dragged her away from Carter. She had recognized him… it was Brian!
Brian yelled at carter, who stood up and ran after them, that he had to stay out of this, and that it was something between him and Abby. Nevertheless, carter didn't slow down. He ran harder. He almost gained up on them when Brian suddenly turned around. He still had Abby in a firm grip when he grabbed in his pocket and took a gun out of it. He held it against Abby's face and the started walking towards carter. Carter was shocked. He couldn't move. He knew he had to say something like, 'you don't want to do this', but he couldn't get it out of his throat. Abby started crying and Brian whispered that she has to quit moaning or else he would blow her brains out. Almost no one could hear him.
When he stood like 4 feet away from Carter, he suddenly let go of Abby and grabbed Carter, who was surprised by this. 'Now you will know how it is to lose the love of your life'. He pointed the gun at Carter's head and walked backwards to a bush! Abby still cried and told Brian to stop but it had no point. Brian wasn't paying attention to Abby anymore. He walked to the lake with carter and he started talking about things. 'Ever since we came and lived in Chicago, you tried to mess Joyce up! And it worked, you know. You ruined our life! And now I'm gonna do the same with you!' Abby tried to walk over to carter, but Brian walked away from her. Carter felt water filling his shoes. They walked into the lake. Brian looked like he was ready to shoot when something happened that took them all by surprise. A big rock in the water made Brian stumble and fall in the water. Carter yelled at Abby that she should run. And she did. Carter ran away too, but it took 10 seconds before Brian stood up again.
Abby and carter ran away, but suddenly there was a loud noise. It was a gunshot. They still kept running and Abby noticed that Brian had missed. It began to rain. Big drops of water fell on Abby and Carter's faces, but they didn't feel it. There was another gunshot. Missed again. They heard Brian's voice. 'I'm gonna get you!'. Carter dragged abby along and they went in some bushes to hide. Abby sat down and took a peek. She saw Brian running, slowing down, and standing still. He was looking around him. Carter doubted if Brian could see them. He knew that he had to get Abby out of there. He moved his fingers over the ground to find a big rock. He held it in his hand until Brian stood with his back facing Carter and Abby. Carter decided that this was now or never. He told abby to stay there and threw the rock a couple if feet away from them. Brian immediately turned around and started to walk towards the place where the rock laid. Then carter did something Abby could never imagine. She did not know about his plan and she held her breath.
Carter jumped out of the bushes and jumped into Brian. The gun fell out of his hand and they started fighting. Abby froze up and didn't know what to do. She saw two men fighting and she was scared to death that someone may not survive this. Carter and Brian were fighting roughly. They fell unto the ground and they both didn't know what they were doing. Carter felt Brian's wrist punch his stomach and Carter himself hit Brian in the face. The rolled over and both of them tried to reach the gun that as on the ground a foot away from the fight. Carter missed it by an inch. The suddenly Brian reached it and grabbed the gun. Carter reached again and he grabbed Brian's hands so that he couldn't aim. Then it happened. The gun went of and both Carter and Brian fell on the ground again. They both didn't move. Abby was still sitting in the bushes. She slowly stood up and when she saw blood she ran to carter.
He looked awful. He had a nosebleed and a couple bruises. Brian looked almost the same. Then Abby saw that the both had blood on their clothes. She cried and opened carter's jacket. Nothing. Then she took a look at Brian. The place where the blood was began to grow. It became bigger and dark red. Abby checked his blood pressure, but because of the pouring rain, she didn't feel anything. Abby called 911 and stayed with Carter. She tried to wake him up, but carter just laid there. Five minutes later, the ambulance pulled over and abby saw the paramedics run into the park. She screamed where she was. When the paramedics reached them, they started to work on them. Carter wasn't in too bad shape, but it was necessary that he had to be admitted. The other paramedic was working on Brian. However, after a short while she stopped. There was no heartbeat. Brian was dead. The paramedics carried carter on a gurney and wheeled him in the ambulance. Soon another ambulance came to pick up Brian. Abby went in the ambulance with Carter and they drove off. Abby asked if they could go to County. That was no problem. It took 7 minutes to get there.
Dr. Lewis and Sam where waiting in the ambulance bay when the ambulance rolled in. they were shocked to see Carter. They brought him in trauma 1 and started working on him. Abby got off and walked into County on her own. She tried to help carter in the trauma room, but Susan stopped her. She told Abby to wait in the doctor's lounge. Abby didn't want to, but she did anyway. After a half hour, Susan walked to Abby. Her face was serious. Abby started to cry, but Susan said it was going to be fine. For a moment Abby was happy, she could jump in the air, but she asked Susan if she could see Carter. Susan led her into the room where Carter was. He was awake. Abby ran over to him and she cried. She and carter hugged and then Carter suddenly asked Abby how Brian was doing. She told him Brian was dead. Carter became silent and sighed. Susan walked in with a chair for Abby and she sat on it. Abby thanked her and hugged carter again. Thank god this was over. Carter looked a little amused, and said, 'now, where were we'. Then as if there was no gravity, Abby leaned over and kissed Carter. It was heavenly. Finally, this was what she desired for almost a year. She felt happy again. Finally she felt happy…