Stuck In A Storm
Chapter 3
Carter was shocked by the question that Abby had just asked him. How was he supposed to answer this?
"So what's the answer?" Abby asked quietly, trying to stay awake.
Abby could tell that he didn't want to answer the question. "You said that I could ask you any question. So answer me, why did you do it?"
"I was hurt."
"Hurt?" Abby said. "Did I give you a dear john letter? Did someone take that letter out of the trash and let the whole staff read it then talk behind your back about it? No."
"You hurt me when your brother ruined my grandmother's funeral."
"I understand why you went to Africa, but I don't understand why you couldn't break up with me on the phone, I'm not saying it would have been better than a letter but at least I would have been the only one to know about it." Abby replied, as she started to close her eyes.
"Abby, don't sleep, stay awake." he said. "Abby, I didn't know if I would ever go back to Chicago, so I wanted to break up with you, I know I should have done it better, but I was hurting, I guess in some weird way I wanted you to hurt as well."
"Thanks John, just what I wanted to hear, that you want me to hurt."
"I'm sorry, Abby, I was at a bad place at that time, but I regret sending you that letter and not doing in person or at least by the phone."
Abby looked at Carter. "I guess I do have to thank you for breaking up with me, if you didn't, I probably never would have decided to go back to med school, so thanks."
"Whatever I can do to help you," he said with a laugh. Abby looked at Carter. "You look like you are freezing. Do you have a blanket that we go both go under, so we don't both freeze to death?" Carter smiled. "If I didn't know any better I would think you were flirting with me."
"I don't flirt with my ex's."
"If you say so." Carter said, as he pulled a blanket of the back seat of the car and moved closer to her. He put the blanket over the two of them. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel really tired, I just want to sleep."
"You can't do that." Carter told her. "Just keep on talking to me." She looked at him. "Do you remember the first time we got stuck together?"
"How could I forget that? It was the first time that I kissed you. I had been dreaming about it for a long time, it was well worth the wait."
She smiled. "And then we had to stay in the hospital for 2 weeks together. Those were two long weeks."
"But it was fun wasn't it?" Abby smiled at Carter, as she thought about what they were up to those 2 weeks. "But that was a long time ago."
"Do you ever think about what could have happened if we had gotten engaged?"
"Why are you doing this, John? I know you want me to stay awake. So why are you talking about our relationship, it's over. You moved on. Why are you thinking about us again. If you want me to stay awake, ask me about the weather, work, anything but our relationship."
"Why does it bother you so much, Abby?"
"How would you feel if an old girlfriend started to ask you about your relationship? You wouldn't like it, so why would I?" Abby replied, as she looked at the window. "Do you think anybody will ever come?"
"Abby, I didn't mean to upset you. I guess us being stuck here together got me thinking about what could have happened between us. Ever since what happened with me and Kem, I started to realize how I'm never going to be happy."
"That's not true; you'll be happy one day."
"Are you happy, Abby?"
"Yes I am, I'm a doctor. It's everything that I wanted for a very long time." Carter glanced at Abby. "I mean are you happy in your personal life?"
Abby shake her head. "You are the only ex-boyfriend that I know that has asked his ex- girlfriend if she is happy in her life."
"So are you?"
"I guess."
"That doesn't sound like a real answer, yes or no."
"Fine, no. I haven't dated anybody for a while now. But that's because I am a doctor now; I don't really have a lot of personal time."
"You could make time if you wanted, but you haven't." Carter replied.
Abby sighed. "I wish I had taken a cab home. At least if I got stuck with the cab driver, I wouldn't have to listen to someone tell me about my life and how much it sucks."
"I didn't mean to sound like that. I just want you to be happy." Carter replied. She looked at him. "I want you to be happy. Maybe one day."
"So why didn't you and Kem work out?" Abby questioned Carter. "If you can ask me questions about my life, I can do the same thing to you."
"We just couldn't survive the death of our son, sometimes a death brings a couple together and something it breaks them apart. We just broke apart, I'll never forget her, but I don't think there is way we will get back together."
"I'm really sorry."
Abby moved closer to Carter and put her head on his chest. He then looked down at her and had this smile on his face. "I'm sorry, John, I shouldn't have done that, it's just so cold."
Carter smiled. "It's fine. Just make sure you don't fall asleep."
"Yes, doctor." she said. It felt so good to be in Carter's arms again, but she knew that there was no way that they would ever get back together, but at least they were still friends. He touched her hair, and smiled. "If only, we had stayed together, everything will be different right now", he mumbled to himself.
"Did you say something?" she asked. "Just say I hope someone finds us soon. I don't want to freeze to death here."
"I don't think we'll freeze to death." Abby said with a laugh. She then started to cough.
"Are you okay?" Carter asked, as he turned to face her. "I just coughed."
"You could have internal injuries that we don't know about. I'm going to get out of here and find us help."
"Don't you remember the door is stuck?"
Carter grinned. "Actually, it's not as stuck as I made it out to be."
"What are you talking about?" she asked with this confused look on her face.
"Well see I tried to open the door, and it was stuck for a moment, but then it opened, but I didn't want to leave just yet."
"What are you talking about? I'm freezing to death here and you are telling me we could have gotten help."
"I just wanted to spend some time with you, we're friends again, but we don't talk like we used to. I just wanted to know how you were feeling. You told me that you were okay, so I thought you would be okay. But now I'm worrying that you could have internal injuries and it will be my fault if something happens to you."
"I'm fine, John. Did you really do that so you could talk to me? I can't believe that," she said, as she hit him.
"I'm sorry, Abby. But I miss us talking like we use to. I miss just being with you."
Abby smiled. "I miss talking to you too, but you didn't need to do this. You could have just said how about we go out for dinner?"
Carter grinned. "I didn't plan the snowstorm or us getting stuck here together. But I thought this was the best time to talk to you."
"You talked to me; you know how I feel about everything." Abby said. "But I don't think you should go out in the snowstorm by yourself."
"I have to. I can't let you die, Abby. I'm still have feelings for you,"
Before Abby could respond to what Carter had just told her, everything went black.
"I shouldn't have said that Abby, but I do have feelings for you, I don't know exactly what they are yet."
"I understand that you don't like what I said, but you don't need to not talk to me." Carter replied, as he turned around and saw that Abby was unconscious.
"Abby… wake up. I can't lose you, don't do this to me. Wake up." Carter yelled, but she wasn't waking up. He touched her face. "I'm going to get us help, nothing is going to happen to you." he said, as he kissed her on the forehead.
He opened the door and walked out of the car. He turned around to look at Abby. "I'll be back with help. Just don't die on me, please." he cried as he walked into the biggest snowstorm of Chicago's history.