Chapter 23 – Party in the Lounge

The lounge is slowly filling up with staff on their breaks or finishing their shift. There are streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling. There is food laid out on the table, food brought in by the staff like Neela's Biryani, Luka's Ajvar, and Haleh's Fudge Pie; and not to forget Jerry ordered half dozen monster sized pizzas. The kitchen surface is like a bar, cluttered with Beer, wine, soda and water.

Jerry and Malik are having an altercation over who should be DJ.

"Why don't you put Bing Crosby's White Christmas on?" Frank grumbled at the pair.

"You got to be kidding me!" Malik replied abruptly.

"So what it's like pashing with another woman?" Morris asked with his mouth full of food. He went mad piling up his plate up with free food.

"I dunno, go and ask Weaver" Abby replied innocently, pulling a face in disgust after having a good view of the contents in his mouth "God you have some nerve mentioning something that didn't happen!"

"I saw you and Susan through the window" He laughed excitingly.

She scoffed at him and walked over to Susan. "Jeez… That's just great Suse! Doctor verbal diarrhoea Morris saw us and spreading the gossip round quick like some contagious disease"

"Oh god! Well that's so typical of him, I know Carter and Weaver wouldn't do it, it's not their nature to do that…"

"Yes typical like I remember Carter was livid when Morris printed off his pictures of Kem from his email and circulated them round the ER"

Susan lets out a chuckle while taking a sip of her drink.

"We better not talk anymore cos I can see the others looking at us" Abby said sarcastically folding her arms and tucked her hair behind her ear. She can see Luka and Sam approaching them.

"Abby, Susan" Luka nodded at the them "I didn't get a chance to say this earlier... congratulations on your pregnancy Abby!"

"Why, thanks!" she replied looking at his towering frame hanging over Sam. He is standing behind her with his arms wrapped round her waist, gently rubbing her tummy. Luka is smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"So erm…" Morris winks at Susan when he nudges for her attention.

"Give over Morris, go away" Susan said, waving her arms at him with annoyance. "Shoo!"

Kerry Weaver noticed Lewis's behaviour towards Archie Morris. She limped over to her.

"Is there a problem with Morris, Susan?"

"Oh he's just being an ass, he's had a few beers" Susan replied.

"Ok" Kerry said, she puts on a playful smile "I see erm… You and Abby were cosy with each other earlier… I felt kind of jealous!"

"Eh?" Susan shook her head and gave Weaver a sharp look "What? Eww no! It wasn't like that, oh don't you start as well!"

"Anyway how is Morris getting on with his chief residency?"

"Too early to comment, I thought you were joking when you gave him the position"

"I didn't have much choice there were hardly any candidates"

"Pratt would be good for the job but he didn't want it"

"Really?"

Abby spotted Neela stood daydreaming with a big smile.

"What's the big smile?" Abby chirped, tapping on Neela's shoulder.

"Michael has just phoned to wish me a happy Christmas" Neela replied letting out a gleeful sigh.

"Michael! How is he?" Abby asked with her eyes racing round the room and sees Carter talking away to a colleague. He looked at her direction and smiled. Abby doesn't smile back; she is still staring at him and vaguely hears Neela's reply.

"He's fine, he wishes that he is at home tucking into the big dinner"

"Uh" Abby waking up from her stare and muttered "Oh yes our big task for tomorrow"

"Abby I was wondering if you would like to kiss me?" Dubenko asked wearing a black turtleneck top, he has a striking resemblance of Dustin Hoffman!

"What?" Abby said turning to him, he is standing by her side.

"Under the mistletoe? It is Christmas after all," He said waving a piece of the branch with his curly long hair bouncing.

"Erm I suppose, ok"

Dubenko puts his arm round Abby's neck and leaned over to kiss her. Abby puts her hand on his chest to guard herself, she didn't know that he was going to kiss her like that, she was expecting him to give her a peck on the lips. Dubenko stay put on her lips for at least 30 seconds to a minute and Abby's eyes were moving around with embarrassment.

"Merry Christmas" Dubenko said pulling himself away from the brunette.

"Merry Christmas to you… Ha!" Abby blushed and clears her throat looking around to see who's watching. She smiled at everyone, turned to Neela and whispered "Hmm he's a not bad kisser actually!"

Morris again walked past Susan and makes another stupid comment. Susan grabbed hold of the bearded redhead and pulled him to one side, in a discreet position away from the crowd, so she can talk to him without being unprofessional.

"Hell Morris will you cut it out for once!" She snapped in a whispering tone "This is not funny, in fact I find this innuendo of yours serious matter, you're the new chief resident, I thought you have some respect, god sake will you grow up!"

"I've had a few beers"

"I don't care, I don't want to hear you making lucid comments or rumors about untrue things. If I hear you say one more thing, I will have words and…" Susan puts on an evil grin "I wonder how you feel, if you were demoted?"

Morris chuckled nervously. He then puts on a serious face and scurries off out of the Chief of Emergency's sight. He accidentally bumps into Abby who is looking furious after hearing from someone else, what he had said.

"Can I have your attention please?" Carter called out, tapping a spoon against his bottle of beer. The bustling noise in the room died down.

"Morris do you have to be so persistent about spreading untrue allegations between me and Susan!" Abby lashed out with anger, her hormonal behaviour takes over and realised that the noise level has gone. She cringed and wanted the ground to swallow up. Susan felt the same too, clenching her teeth. Carter and Abby make eye contact, she raised her brows and he cleared his throat to speak.

"I have an announcement to make, I erm… wanted to say that I am leaving County General for Africa"

Everyone gasped at the shock news; Abby tilted her head down in sadness with her arms folded.

"And erm… I've decided that I want to start a new life there because I want to move on. Things have changed and I can't see myself spending the rest of my life here. I may not be gone for long because I had been told some news so I might need to come back…"

"So what's the news?" Morris interrupted, stuffing his face and half of the food spitting out from his mouth.

"Well erm" he chuckled nervously and looked at Abby. She gave him a little nod and a smile. "It's too early to say really, there's some stuff to sort out, depends what I decide then maybe go back to Africa once it's sorted"

Everyone in the room frowned in puzzlement looking at each other, trying to work out what Carter was on about. Abby dropped her shoulders and rolled her eyes. She walked away, weaving in and out through the crowd, making her way out to the door.

"Merry Christmas… and a happy Hanukkah!" Carter raised his bottle of beer in the air.

"Poor Abby…" Susan muttered to herself with her arms folded "That was a bit insensitive. You jerk!"

Susan noticed Abby making her quick exit from the room, she groaned knowing that her friend is upset and tries to weave though the staff to catch up with her. Carter eyes followed Abby leaving the room and sees Susan making her quick exit too.

"Abby!" Susan shouted, running outside in the ambulance bay looking around. She quickly walked to the entrance of the bay and looked around. She spotted Abby over the road, outside Jumbo Mart sitting on the bench with her hands covering her face.

"Oh Abby, I'm sorry" Susan said, sympathetically

"I may… I might…" Abby mimics Carter "Listening to him is really cutting me up"

Susan sat down next to Abby who broke down in tears. Susan placed her arm round her, giving her a shoulder to cry on.

"God my hormones are all over the place" Abby sniffed "Susan am I being a brat or being silly about this?"

"God no Abby, you have every right to be upset, it's awful not knowing where you stand"

"This is so not like him"

"Look Abby, you two are as bad as each other at the moment, you need your heads banging together"

Abby nodded as she agrees.

"I think you and Carter need to sit down, and sort it out amongst yourselves"

"Yeah well he's suppose to come round tomorrow" Abby shrugged her shoulders "That's if he decides to turn up… if he does I will try and have a talk"