County General 10 days after Abby's diagnosis

"Abby! There's a trauma coming in... auto versus pedestrian. We need you, now!"

Stifling a yawn, Abby came around the admit desk. "What's the ETA, Haleh?"

"Now!"

The doors swung open and Abby was at the side of the gurney immediately, trying her best to pay attention to what the paramedics were telling her.

Once they were in the trauma room, Abby couldn't take it anymore. "Haleh? Could you take this, please?"

Not waiting for Haleh's approval, Abby bolted from the trauma room and headed straight for the lounge. Peeking her head inside, she was relieved to find the room empty. She rushed to her locker and fumbled slightly with the combination. With trembling hands, she zipped open her bag and took out a bottle of lithium. She took the two tablets over to the sink and gulped them down with ice cold water.

"Abby?" Susan stepped into the lounge, a concerned expression etched on her face. "You okay?" she asked.

Abby gulped and nodded. "Yeah, Susan. I'm fine. I just had a... headache."

"Haleh said you bolted out of a trauma," Susan stated, stepping closer to her friend.

Abby took a few defensive steps back. "Uh, yeah... I had... an emergency phone call."

"Eric?" Susan asked.

"Uh, no... It was about a patient," Abby lied.

"Oh, okay. Well, as long as you're all right..."

Abby nodded. "Yep. Couldn't be better. Thanks, Susan."

With a nod and one last quizzical look at Abby, Susan left the lounge. Something was seriously wrong with her friend and she was determined to find out what it was.

1 week later - County General

Abby's adjustment to work and medication had been smooth, despite a few minor bumps in the road.

On a frigid November morning Abby breezed into work, greeting everyone as she went. She made her way into the lounge and began putting her things away. Just as she was ready to leave, John walked in.

"Hey," he said, kissing her gently on the cheek.

Abby smiled. "Hi."

"When are you off?" he asked.

"In 11 hours and 59 minutes," she said, looking at her watch.

"You're a minute late, Ms. Lockhart," John said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "You don't want me to have to punish you here and now, do you?" John whispered, slipping a hand between her legs.

Abby's breath caught in her throat. "John... I - I have to get to work..." she said, gently pulling away.

"Aww, come on, Abby. I've hardly gotten to see you in a week." He grabbed her hands playfully and grinned. "Much less take advantage of you."

"Take advantage of me?" she laughed and put her arms around his neck. "When are you off, Dr. Carter?" she asked, a twinkle in her eyes and a devilish grin creeping up her lips.

"Oooohhh..." Carter childishly groaned. "Do I have to wait 'til then?"

"Well... Have you been a good boy?" she asked, starting to undo his belt buckle.

"Yes, ma'am. I..."

Both Carter and Abby snapped to attention as the lounge door opened and Kerry stepped inside. "Abby, John... What time is it?"

Abby looked at her watch, visibly annoyed. "Seven oh three," she said, sighing.

"Well, Ms. Lockhart, the last time I checked, your shift started promptly at seven. I've been cutting you some slack lately, but that gives you no right to sit in the lounge and play tonsil hockey with your boyfriend. Get to work! Same goes for you, Carter!" With a final glare, Kerry left the lounge.

Carter glanced toward the door and pulled Abby closer. "I want you," he whispered. "Now."

"Carter... Hey, how about this? I'll meet you in the suture room when we're both on break," she said, running her leg up Carter's.

"It's a date," he whispered, his voice deep and husky.

Both Carter and Abby's schedules were packed that day. They'd had two major traumas in a span of 3 hours and things were growing more hectic by the minute. Finally there was a lull in the action and both were in desperate need of a breather... and of each other.

Carter walked out of Exam 2 and spotted Abby making notes on a chart at admit. He snuck up behind her and whispered, "Are you ready?"

Abby smiled. "Uhh... yeah. Suture room's full. Where to?" she asked, as he took her hand and led her down the hall.

"Well, I know a deserted storage closet..."

Abby grinned. "Lead the way."

Once they were safely locked in the somewhat spacious closet, they were like two caged animals dying to be set free. Carter passionately kissed her, leaning her against the wall. He gently slid one hand down her pants, one into her scrub top and let his fingers do the talking.

"Ahh... Caaa... Carter!" Abby almost screamed in ecstasy. She quickly undid his belt buckle and slipped her hand inside to find that he was rock hard. She placed soft kisses up his neck and slipped her tongue delicately inside his mouth. They stayed this way for a while, moving in rhythm with one another, each moan answering the other.

Carter gently laid Abby on the floor, finding a stray pillow to support her head. "Come on down, bad boy," she said, her pulse racing. Carter discarded his clothes on the floor and lowered himself next to Abby. "What are you waiting for, baby?" she purred. He gently removed her scrubs and ran a finger up her inner thigh, caressing her gently and slipping a finger inside. "Oh, John... John, please... now..." John took her in his arms and slipped himself inside.

The feel of her felt incredible. As many times as they'd had sex before, it had never felt like this. Abby took her mouth with his, running a hand through his hair while they rocked in a steady rhythm together.

"Baby, you're wonderful," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I love you."

Abby smiled. "I love you, too," she said, slipping a hand between his legs as he laid next to her.

All of a sudden, something occurred to her. She rolled over and grabbed her watch from atop the pile of clothes in the corner. "Shit!"

"What?"

"John... we're gonna be late for our shift if we're not there in... two minutes," she said, looking at him.

John just laughed.

"What's so funny," she asked.

"Just... the situation," he said.

She fought a smile. "How is that funny?"

"It just... is," he said, running a hand up one of her legs and down the other.

"John... come on," she begged. "We can finish this tonight, I promise. I'm already in enough trouble with Weaver as it is." She stood up and frantically began to get dressed.

Carter just laid there and looked up at her. "All right," he said. "As long as you promise."

The rest of John's shift had been very hectic. He'd lost two patients and worked on a hellish trauma.

Walking towards admit, he noticed that Abby was sitting in Chairs.

"What are you doing?" he asked, walking up to her.

Abby flat-out ignored him, watching the people around the hospital.

"Abby."

Abby looked at him with a blank expression. "Yeah?"

John sat down beside her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm on my break," she said, giving John an 'isn't-it-obvious?' look.

Without a word, Carter went into the lounge, opened Abby's locker and took out her pills. He popped open the cap and counted them. He counted them three times and came out with the same number each time. She had missed two doses.