Chapter 12 – One Thing After Another
Abby puts her hand under the shower to check the temperature of the running water. She untied the bathrobe and stepped in. She is standing under the showerhead wetting her hair and then ran both hands through it letting out a sigh. She reaches for the soap and lathered herself with it, rubbing it all over her body, along her arms then she winced when her hand ran over her wrists. They were very sore and bruised from Eddie's grip. She hardly slept all night with being so wound up about the incident and trying to work out how to deal with Jake…
Abby stood in front of the bathroom sink wrapping her wet hair in a towel. She turned on the cold tap, reaches for the toothbrush and squeezed toothpaste on it.
"Oh!" She moaned and her face winced, the toothbrush had caught the cut on her lip.
"Bastard" she muttered.
She grabbed the towel and gently patted her mouth with it. She hears her phone ringing from the lounge. She dashed to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Abby? It's your mother"
"Oh… hi" She rolled her eyes in surprise.
"How are you?"
"Um… I'm ok"
"How's the weather over there?" Maggie asked.
"It's erm..." Abby turns to looks out of the window and raised her brows "Snowing!"
"The reason I'm phoning you is to check if you were still living there"
"I'm still here…" Wrapping her finger round the telephone cord "You think I'd up and leave without telling?"
"Yes Abby, maybe want to get away from your dysfunctional family"
"I do care about you and Eric, it just…" Abby shrugged her shoulders trying to think of something without offending. "You both can be hard work at times… anyway how is he?"
"Ok" Maggie replied "Anyway I'm ringing to say your cousin Rachel getting married"
"Oh great! I'm pleased for her… marrying Tom right?"
"Yes and she wanted to send you an invitation"
"Yes she can send it here"
"Isn't it time you got settled down dear? You are in your mid-thirties, times running out"
"Mom!" Abby pulled a face in disbelief
"When am I going to be a grandmother? Well I nearly was if you hadn't got rid of Richard's baby"
"I've gotta go…" Abby snapped, she can still hear Maggie babbling on when she puts the phone down on the receiver, her mother's last words were…
"I'll see you at the wedding!"
Abby stared at the pictures of her family; she puts both her hands on her head and sighed. Her thoughts were still miles away when she headed to the bedroom to get dressed. She opened the chest drawers and looked up at the mirror. Abby had to look at herself – to see if her cut on her lip was still prominent. She placed her hand in the knickers drawer and froze in shock.
"Oh shit!" She said, placing her hand over her mouth "I forgot to take the pill!"
Abby is tapping away on the PC at the admit desk and notices Wendall, standing in front of her, putting her files on the counter.
"Morning Dr Lockhart"
"Morning Wendall" Abby replied
"Hey Jerry can you page Dr Carter for me" Wendall asked
"I'm sorry he's not here, he flew out to Africa last night"
"What?" Abby said, turning to the burly admissions clerk.
"He said he had to go for some sort of emergency"
"Is it something to do with Kem?" Wendall asked out of curiosity
Jerry shrugged his shoulder.
Both Carter's ex-lovers shook their heads in disbelief.
Abby turned back to the PC and spotted Jake entering the elevator. Abby leapt up from the chair and ran to catch up before the door closes. She slammed her hand on the 'Stop" button and glared at him. Jake stepped back in surprise at her quick entrance.
"What the fuck, are you playing at?" Abby hissed through her teeth. "Your brother attacked me last night thanks to you!"
Jake shrugged his shoulders trying to give her the innocent look and then focusing on the cut on her lip. "He did that?"
"Yes! He gave me a good pasting for the thank you kiss I gave Carter!"
Abby walked away from Jake to the other end of the elevator, She ran her fingers through her hair and turned to him again. She scoffed at him and shook her head.
"I can't accept your conspiratorial behaviour, Jake" Abby said with the tip of her tongue was touching the cut on the side of her lip and sighed, "it's over…"
"Oh?" Jake responded in a soft tone looking disappointed. "I guess I'll take that position in San Francisco then"
Abby stepped forward towards him and stopped to think about what Jake said.
"Were you considering staying here at County because of me?" She narrowed her eyes.
Jake nodded "Or I was going to ask you if you would move to 'Cisco with me?"
Abby laughed out loud "You got to be kidding me? Are you crazy? We've only been seeing each other only a month!"
"I love you, I'm in love with you"
"No no. NO! You can't do this, this isn't happening" Shaking her head and putting her hand up like a stop sign. She stepped back to the control panel and pressed the stop button to deactivate it. The door opens. Abby collided into the protesting crowd, moaning about the hold up in the elevator.
"MOVE!" She shouted.