Susan Lewis stood in front of the board, looking at the cases they had in that morning. One kid with a penny up his nose, one broken foot, a migraine and some vomiting. In other words, a normal morning in the ER.

'Morning Dr. Lewis.' Susan turned to see Sam looked over the reception desk with her coat on having just come inside. 'Slow day huh?'

'Yea', Lewis replied. 'Go take your coat off and have some coffee…you know what slow days are like. The rush is always just around the corner.'

Smiling, Sam wondered off into the lounge to take Susan's advice. 'You know who else is in today Frank?' Susan asked the desk clerk.

'Lockhert's due in at 10. Weaver at 12.'

'It's another day of doctor chicks then eh Frank?'

'Well Luka's been here since 6 this morning. He'll no doubt be pleased about that.'

'Frank!' Susan smiled. She could do with a good slow day. Things had been so rushed lately…the ER just seemed busier than usual. Susan couldn't remember the last time she'd actually got to sit down during a shift. Just then, the radio crackled.

'County do you read?'

'Spoke too soon', Susan muttered to herself. Picking up the radio she replied, 'this is County, we read. Are you a new crew? I don't recognise your voice.'

'Yea we've been drafted in temp to cover holidays. We've got a suicide attempt coming in, unidentified female, in her twenties. Looks like pills. ETA about 3 minutes.'

'Ok we copy that.' Susan hated suicides. It just made her think too much. But she had to be professional. She turned to the desk clerk. 'Where's Luka?'

'I'll page him' Frank replied.

'Thanks'. Susan saw Sam walking out the lounge. 'Sam we need you, suicide attempt on the way'.

'Oh great', Sam exclaimed. 'Those are the worst.'

'Yea I know. It sucks.' Susan and Sam waited outside; they could hear the ambulance coming down the street. Looking up at the sky Susan could see spring was on the way. The days were getting lighter, the air a little warmer. Although it wasn't one of her favourite types of cases, especially with young women, Susan felt she could handle this one. The ambulance pulled up and the back doors flew open.

'Young female in her twenties, attempted suicide. She was found on the floor of her apartment block lobby.'

As they wheeled the gurney out the back of the ambulance, Susan felt something leap in her stomach. Her instincts had recognised who it was before her brain had time to catch up. As soon as she looked at the face of the patient she let out a scream. 'Oh my God…. Abby…'

Running into resus with Sam, Susan called on every doctor she could see who was not doing something vital.

'Luka, Ray, Neela we need you NOW!'

As each doctor entered the room their faces fell. Neela put a hand up to her mouth in shock.

'Come on!' Susan shouted. 'Work! We need to get a tox screen to see what she's taken and get a gastric lavage in her now.'

The doctors and nurses began working on Abby, pushing the drugs and trying to get a tube down her throat to pump her stomach. Susan looked up at her colleagues. 'C'mon', she said. 'Lets just do our jobs and think about things later.'

'Tox screen is back', Sam said. 'Looks like sleeping pills and a lot of alcohol. Jesus…'

As she pushed a tube into her friend's stomach, Susan whispered softly to her 'Oh Abby…why'd you do this? Why?' But Susan had no time to wonder, as Abby started fitting and her cardiac monitor went crazy.

'Push the drugs!' Luka shouted. 'Let's get her stable, and quickly!' Abby's eyes opened and rolled back into her head. Slowly she stopped shaking and her heart rate returned to normal. 'Right. Let's get some charcoal into her.' Luka looked at Susan, who was struggling to hold it together. 'Dr. Lewis, why don't you go sit down somewhere.'

'No.' Susan shouted. She hated to be so unprofessional. 'I'm fine. Gimmie the charcoal.'

'Susan…' Luka took the equipment out of her trembling hands. 'Go have a quiet moment. Please. You're not being unprofessional. I promise. Just go and sit down.'

Susan pushed open the door into exam 2. The room was dark. She didn't turn on the lights. It was all she could do to sit down on the bed before giving way to heaving sobs. Why had Abby done this? Could she have helped her? Had Susan been a bad friend? What was going on? Unable to think straight, Susan hadn't realised there was someone else in the room until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

'She's stable Dr. Lewis. Dr. Kovac is getting the rest of the charcoal down her.' Susan looked up and saw Neela standing next to her. Trying to compose herself, Susan wiped her eyes. 'It's ok to be upset Dr. Lewis.' Neela said. With that, Susan broke into sobs again, and felt no need to compose herself as Neela put and arm round her and stroked her back.