AN: Thanks everyone for the review so far! Keep reading...
Millicent clasped her hands proudly in front of her and gazed adoringly down at John, "John why don't you take Abby upstairs to the playroom and show her all your things? I need to contact their mother,"
"Is there a function being held here tonight, I saw that they were setting up out front?" John asked. Millicent groaned and gently rested one of her hands across her forehead. She whispered something under her breath which both children missed. Just as she opened her mouth to speak again two women rushed through the doors dressed head to foot in a traditional maid uniform.
"Mrs Carter, the flowers for this evening they are different from what you ordered," one of them said slightly flustered and out of breath. Millicent rested her hand on the lady's back and gently pushed her through to another room. Just as she was out of sight, her voice reached John and a bewildered Abby.
"John take Abby upstairs please I'll be up in a minute," John boyishly grinned in Abby's direction and started climbing the stairs.Abby sheepishlysmoothed out her crumpled jacket feeling like she was a tramp who had mistakenly wondered into Buckingham Palace. She silently followed him up the enormous staircase and into a room which was designed especially for a young person's toy room. They stood at opposite ends of the room, neither of them knowing what to say next. John broke the silence.
"Look," he stated proudly pointing to an enormous map of the world; Abby shoved her arms behind her back and gazed up to where his finger was pointing.
"It's a map of the world," he said knowingly.
"I know," Abby retorted quickly, she was slightly annoyed that he had questioned her intelligence. John edged closer to the wall nearly tripping on an abandoned train set. His eyes were focused on a certain section of the map and he exchanged a quick glance with Abby.
"If I could live anywhere, I would live there," Abby moved away from the door and looked to where he was pointing.
"Africa?" She asked. John nodded and kept his eyes firmly on the continent. Abby sighed down at her feet making it obvious that she did not agree with his choice.
"Where would you live?" John stepped closer to Abby and tilted his head. She looked up at the boy who was a couple of inches taller than her slight frame and then glanced up at the map. After a couple minutes of careful consideration Abby stood on her tiptoes and pointed at the wall just next to the map. Carter followed her outstretched arm and crinkled his forehead in confusion.
"You're not even pointing at the map," Abby let a small smile slip and nodded her head.
"I know!" She giggled for a moment and then returned her arm back to her side. "I would be away from everyone you see," she giggled again. John returned her light laugh even though he was confused by her choice.
"But you would be so lonely," he added, Abby stopped laughing and looked down at the floor nodding her head slightly.
"Yeah I know, suppose it would get a little lonely," she looked around the room, secretly jealous of all his toys. Abby imagined how happy Eric would be if he had at least half of that one toy box laying untouched in the corner of the room. That reminded her.
"Where's my brother?" she asked. John looked past her and pointed to a dark room opposite.
"He's sleeping in there, you can go see him if you want," he looked down at her his big brown eyes looking sweetly concerned. Abby slipped past him and peered into the room. Eric was snoring quietly, reminding everyone that he had a bad cold and a stuffy noise. She could see his outline and once satisfied returned back through to the toy room. Carter was standing awkwardly beside a large toy box wondering how to entertain his grandmother's guest.
"How do you know Gamma?" he asked.
"Who?" Abby's question came out a little ruder then she had expected causing John to blush at his feet.
"My grandmother," he said quietly. Abby nodded her head now understanding and placed herself on a rocking chair next to the gigantic windows. She shrugged her shoulders and began to rock rhythmically.
"Do you want to play something?" John changed the subject and watched as Abby's eyes wondered over all the toys.
"What do you like to play?" John persisted once again awkwardly avoiding the echoing silence. "Barbie's?" he cheekily insinuated with a little twinkle in his eye. Abby puffed her lips and stood up with her arms folded boldly across her chest.
"I've never known a boy to play with Barbie's," she retaliated, "you're a bit of a girl aren't you?" John's face dropped and he stamped his foot.
"I don't even have any Barbie's!" He suddenly yelled at the top of his voice. Abby looked taken aback by his sudden outburst, she unfolded his arms and rested one of them on her hip.
"Well neither do I!" they stood face on glaring stubbornly at each other until the small argument was gradually forgotten. Abby shrugged.
"Sometimes we play doctors and nurses, I make Eric the patient and I get to be the doctor," Abby suggested letting both her arms drop to her side. John's face lit up and he nodded his head enthusiastically.
"Yeah let's make your brother the patient," he suggested glancing through to the other room.
"You can't disturb him, he's sleeping!" Abby argued showing her protective nature over Eric. John looked around the room and suddenly bent down on his knees bringing out a huge box of teddy bears. He pulled out a couple and laid them on the floor. Then he went into another box and grabbed two toy stethoscopes and pretend bandages.
"Shall I be the doctor and you be the nurse?" John asked as he handed Abby one of the stethoscopes. Abby dropped down on her knees next to John.
"How come you get to be the doctor?" John shrugged his shoulders causing Abby to sigh, "Ok I'll be a nurse for a little while and then I get to be a doctor ok?" she said reasoning with him. John nodded his head.
"NEE-NAW-NEE-NAW-NEE-NAW-NEE-NAW-NEE-NAW," John cupped his hands around his mouth and made a loud siren noise deafening Abby. He grabbed one of the teddy bears and wrapped a bandage around his right arm.
"I'm Dr John, you're going to be ok," John said out loud, Abby looked up disapprovingly.
"No wait, you're not Dr John. You'd be Dr Carter besides Carter sounds better than John," John looked up and nodded his head.
"Ok I'm Dr Carter, what seems to be the problem nurse Wyc-Wy…nurse Abby?" Abby rubbed her hand across her mouth as if she was deep in thought.
"He seems to have broken his arm Dr Carter is there anything we can do to save him?" John mimicked Abby's actions by rubbing his own hand across his chin. Both children suddenly lay down on their stomachs with their stethoscopes prodding around in different places.
"I can't hear a pulse," John whispered gravely into Abby's ear.
"We can't give up," Abby jolted up and placed her hands together. She put them across the bear's stomach and started to push down.
"Give him some air Carter," Abby grabbed John's shoulder and pushed him gently in the direction of the bear's mouth. John looked confused at Abby as he didn't know what giving air meant. She rolled her eyes and lay back down on her stomach pretending to blow air into the bear's sown mouth. After a few minutes of repeating her actions John lent back down and moved the stethoscope around the bear's chest.
"We have a pulse!" he said, a triumphant grin emerging across his youthful face. Abby lent back and wiped her brow pretending to be exhausted.
"How did you know what to do?" John asked in awe
"My mum watches a lot of daytime TV" Abby replied with a modest shrug and a small knowing smile.
"Hello you two what have you been up to?" Both children turned to see the presence of Millicent Carter standing in the doorway