"And everyone remember," Morris droned on, "if these charts are not done correctly, you answer to me, and I am NOT easy going about paperwork."

"Oh yeah right," Ray whispered to Neela, who scoffed.

"I heard that!" the chief resident turned beet red, humiliated that he was being ignored. He seemed the only one completely unaffected by Abby's absence.

"He's such a prick," Sam said, not caring if Morris heard her or not.

"Yeah well, he'll be out after his year," Haleh said, sounding more confident than she felt over the issue. Why couldn't Pratt have gotten it? At least he was medically competent. Without Abby to keep Archie in line, he was a nightmare, intern or no, she was good.

"Hopefully, we need a decent doctor in here,"

"Or back down here," Ray added, knowing they would know whom he was referring to.

"She'll be back. She's awake, off the vent. She'll be back," Sam said, hopefully. Few of them had been in the ER before Abby materialized, and those that had were just as attached to her, she was a part of the place.

Pratt ignored the comment, especially after seeing Abby earlier that day, he was not so hopeful at the moment. "Lockhart, will pull through," he said, trying to sound convincing.

"Hey, they let you up to visit her, right?"

"Yeah, um" shit. "yeah they did."

"Well? How was she doing?"

Pratt shook his head and stuck his hands into the pockets of his lab coat, "not good,"

"How bad...?"

"She…" was he supposed to do this, was he even allowed? "She saw Stenton on TV, I think it triggered her memory of the attack, she went into some sort of trance, the psychologist couldn't pull her out of it,"

"Damn, did they have to sedate her?"

"No, she finally came out of it, but ordered us out of the room, screamed at us rather,"

"Would she let anyone talk to her at least?"

"I think Kerry braved it, I'm not sure how it went, I had to come back. Look, just, if you decide to go and see her, go easy on her, she doesn't mean half the things she says," he said, trying to defend Abby's behavior.

"She's that bad?"

"Yeah, I think she is," it was no longer the physical aspect of it they were worried about, Abby would survive, now they had to worry about her mental health.

"Whoa... That's... Whoa..." the young nurse wasn't quite in shock, but wasn't far from it. Abby had her moments, but in the end, she was one of the most grounded people she knew

Pratt nodded sadly, not as confident as he had been hours before in a full recovery for Abby. "Just.. if you want to visit her.. don't press the subject,"

"Okay. Thanks, I guess."

Pratt shook his head. "Abby knows what happened that night, but has yet to speak to anyone about it. She's frustrated, can't move right now, and is in organ failure." he paused again. "Its not the Abby we all remember,"

"Wait, which organs?"

"Kidney," had they not known? He knew Kerry and Susan had been keeping Abby's visitors to a minimum, but how could they not know?

"Wait, one's failing and the other's not?"

Pratt looked at them stunned, "you're kidding me right? Nobody knows what's going on with her?" his day had gone from bad to worse.

"No one's been telling us much. We found out when she woke up, and when she came off the vent. That's it."

"Fuck," Pratt said, not only did he have to tell them about what had just happened to Abby, but what had been happening.

"What?"

"I..just I cant believe this. She has no kidney function in her remaining kidney, one was removed during the first surgery," he stopped there, figuring they might know the rest, considering Abby's story was all over the news, the poisoning etc.

"Holy shit. That sure as hell wasn't in the tribune."

"Yeah, well apparently it was on CNN,"

"We shouldn't be finding out how our friend is doing from newspapers and the television, Pratt. Do we have to beat it out of you?"

"Go see her for yourself then, go see how well your friend is doing!" and with that he stormed off, but not without first slamming down the chart he had been holding, down onto the counter.

"Everyone stay where you are," Morris demanded instantly, "Unless you're getting back to work."

Nobody moved, what the hell had happened upstairs? They all had thought Abby was recovering. All eyes went to Morris.

"Didn't you hear me? Yulah, Andale, move it or lose it, get your asses back to work."

"Fuck you Morris," Sam hissed at him, he couldn't do a damn thing to her, and then she followed Pratt. The ER, was thankfully nearly empty, had it been busy, she would have stayed with her patients. She found him outside, in the courtyard, right where Abby had been found weeks earlier.

"Isn't it a bit morbid, standing here like this?"

"Yeah, well," the whole situation was morbid,

"And a bit freezing?"

"Twenty degrees warmer then when we found Abby, I think I can survive considering I'm fully clothed and am in the sun,"

"And it's snowing and you're not wearing a jacket."

He turned to look at her, "neither are you,"

"Which is why I want you to go back inside. So I can go back inside and not freeze."

"Go ahead. I just need to be out here for a while,"

"I'm not leaving you out here."

"Why Sam? In case someone decides to come and attack me? Rape me, stab me and then leave me to die in the snow?" he replied sarcastically.

"Because someone's got to watch your back."

"Like we watched Abby's?"

"Come on Pratt, there was no way anyone could have known."

"We all knew something was up, we just chose to ignore it,"

"We... I don't know what we did do, or what we didn't, but what happened is what happened, and we can't change it."

"Have you seen her lately Sam?"

"No."

He nodded, and looked back towards the courtyard, "then come to preach to me after you have," and then with one last look of the snow, he turned and headed back to the ER.

She almost shouted at him. Instead, she wasn't sure why, but Sam found herself making a snowball, and throwing it at the back of his head.

"What the hell?" he said and pat the back of his head, not having expected that.

"Don't' tell me what the fuck to do Pratt."

"She's gone Sam! What the hell do you expect me to do, want me to act like everything is perfect. Sure, she maybe consciences, but that's about it!":

"You don't know that."

"And you haven't seen her, because I guarantee you Sam, she's nothing like we could have expected,"

"So we're even."

He nodded again, "I'm going to go and see how she's doing,"

"Can I come with you?"

"As long as you don't get your feelings hurt to easily," he warned

"I don't."

"Fine," he spoke as they walked back into the warmth of the ER, and headed upstairs. They made their way down the hall and around the corner, where they discovered, Susan, Kerry and another doctor speaking quietly outside of Abby's room.

"Dr. Lewis, Dr. Weaver, any change?"

"She's asleep," Susan said bluntly. But Pratt could tell that she was seriously worried.

"What's wrong now?"

"We don't know if there is anything wrong, that's what we're trying to figure out,"

"Why do you think there is something wrong?"

"She's stopped talking to us, refuses to acknowledge anyone's presence,"

"All of you?"

"She talked to Kerry for a while, went to sleep, woke up and now refuses to communicate," Susan glanced back in to the room, Abby was sleeping again. "We're trying to figure out how to approach this,"

"Send someone in?"

"you mean a psychiatrist?" Susan crossed her arms across her chest.

"No. One of you."

"We've tried Pratt, she refuses to even make eye contact with any of us,"

"So try again," Sam piped up.

"Sam.." Susan shook her head.

"What? I'm just a nurse so I should keep my mouth shut?"

"No, you know I don't think that."

"Why not at least try?"

"We have, we will, but its not just talking anymore, we need a set plan of what to do,"

"Maybe the set plan is where you're fucking up?"

"Excuse me?" Susan said, slightly offended. "What do you suggest then?"

"Like I said, just go in and talk. Don't make it about anything. Blabber endlessly about your day if it comes to that. Maybe she just needs a touch of normal."

After a moment of silence, everyone pondering Sam's idea, Pratt spoke up. "Who is going to be the first victim?"

"Well Sam, since it's your idea," Susan said, seeing it as a small form of vengeance.

"No way. Dr. Weaver managed to get her to communicate last time, why not again?" Sam didn't want to be the paschal lamb

"And she failed," Susan didn't mean to sound discouraging, but after one stern look fro Sam, Susan turned to Kerry, "Would you mind trying again?"

"Might as well give it a shot."

Susan nodded a silent thank you, not ready just yet to give up on her best friend.

Kerry entered Abby's room, "Hello."

Abby didn't even so much as glance up, just kept looking at the window. She had kept this charade up for a while now, it was getting easier and easier just to block everyone out.

"Snowing again, traffic should be... interesting." She got nothing, nothing to prove to her that Abby was actually listening. "Sam came up to visit if you want to see her." The snow was coming down heavier and heavier, letting Abby's mind drift away, simply by watching the large flakes fall from the sky. "But if you don't plan on conversing, she should probably just go back down to the ER." 'well, finally, someone is getting it' Abby thought to herself. She couldn't deal with herself anymore, much less anyone else.

But for some reason, she felt that she HAD to talk to Kerry, she didn't have to be civil by any means, but at the same time couldn't just ignore her. "please, just leave, there is no point in wasting your time,"

"I'm not sure this constitutes a waste of time."

"Well then your sadly mistaken,"

"How so?"

After a moment of silence, Abby came to the conclusion that she really didn't have an answer to Kerry's question, "it doesn't matter,"

"What doesn't? That you think I'm wasting my time or that I disagree on that point?"

"What don't you get? I don't want anyone to help me, I don't need you or anyone else at this fucking hospital,"

"I never said you needed anyone."

"I can take care of myself, I want to go home, I want to be by myself for more then a few minutes without any interruptions from anyone!"

"Taking care of yourself involves getting up and around."

"I'll figure out something," Kerry could see it in her face, Abby was determined to leave. "I know what to do, I can take of myself," she reiterated.

"Can you get out of bed yet?"

"I want to leave," she said though her teeth.

"I realize that, but can you get out of bed on your own?"

"Will you please bring me the papers,"

"Will you please consider answering the question?"

"No, I won't" she shook her head. "I'm signing out of here,"

"Alright, I'll get you the papers, even call a cab for you, but you'll need to get yourself to it."

"Fine," she grumbled and reached down and began unhooking all the machines.

"You might want to turn the twelve lead off before you actually take the leads off, spare the code team a bit of sprinting."

Abby nodded and did what Kerry said, before going back to work on the multiple IV's, her hands shaking as she tried to undo the first one.

"Do you need help with that?"

"NO! Dam it, I can do it,"

"You do that, I'll go get the paperwork," Kerry turned to leave the room, wondering what the hell she was doing, but fairly confident that Abby wouldn't actually make it out of the hospital.

"Kerry," Susan pounced as soon as she came out of the room, Sam right behind her.

"Yes?"

"Don't make me play these games, did she say anything?"

"She wants to leave the hospital and go home."

"That's nothing new Kerry, she has wanted that since she woke up,"

"She needs to sign a waver, a patient leaving AMA involves paperwork."

"WAIT! Your actually going along with this?"

"She has to be able to get herself out the door. I don't think she can, and I think not being able to might make her get the point."

"This is Abby we are talking about, correct? You tell she cant do something, she goes and not only does it, but exceeds at it! She'll find a way Kerry!"

"I didn't tell her she couldn't. I told her that I'd get the paperwork, call a cab, even help her unhook the IV's if she needed me to."

"And what happens Kerry, when she makes it out?" Susan had no doubt in her mind, that somehow Abby would find a way.

"She can barely sit up, much less stand. She can't walk, can't get herself around. No amount of will power will change that right now."

Susan shook her head, "I don't believe this, we're setting her up for failure,"

"If you've got a better idea, the time was five minutes ago before I went in there, of course, if there's anything to gain by voicing it now, be my guest."

"A psyche hold!"

"Right now, there's no way you'd get it. She hasn't verbalized or enacted any sort of threat."

"And leaving in her condition isn't self destruction, self harm?"

"You think she can get herself out the door on her own two feet?"

"I don't know what she's capable of right now Kerry, that's what scaring me,"

"We can continue this conversation later. I need to get her the papers."

"Kerry!" Susan shouted down the hall, but she was ignored as Kerry went to get the papers.

Once she'd found the necessary forms, a clip board, and a pen, Kerry returned. Abby was still fighting with the IV, and apparently, still losing.

"You're sure you don't want a hand with that? It's never easy to get your own out. I think they may have actually designed them that way."

"I can get it, its just taking a while,"

"I have the papers, do you want me to call a cab for you?"

"Yes,"

"When should I tell them to arrive? Twenty minutes sound about right?"

"The sooner the better," finally, she got the first IV out, two more to go. Kerry went to the phone on the far wall, alas, cell phones weren't allowed in the ICU, and called to arrange for the cab.

"Thanks," Abby spoke once Kerry had hung up the phone.

"You're welcome."

The second IV was out, had come out much easier then the last., but the third one would be impossible to do on her own. "Can you..?"

"Okay," Kerry crossed back to Abby's side of the room and carefully removed the last IV. As she did, Abby was still thinking about it, she still didn't have a plan to get out of here.

"Did the nurse bring you a set of scrubs?"

"Yes," she nodded to the end of the bed where a pair of green scrubs was folded.

"I'll go so you can change, once you're done with that, we need to go over the paperwork. Standard wavers, you could probably recite them from memory, but it's policy."

"Okay," she nodded Kerry returned to the hallway, more than half expecting a thorough tongue lashing from Susan. But to her surprise, Susan was sitting down on the floor, her back to the wall, she didn't look up as she spoke to Kerry.

"She's on dialysis Kerry, she has an appointment this afternoon, this can not happen," Susan said through her tears.

"Susan, if she is physically able to leave, then she will, and trying for a psych hold we know we wouldn't get will only delay the inevitable."

"You don't get it Kerry, she'll go home and pretend she's fine, she wont take care of herself," she paused. "We'll lose her,"

"I think she's more likely to admit defeat if she doesn't feel like she has something to prove, or think that everyone's going to tell her that they told her so."

"That's the problem, she wont give up, she doesn't know when to stop,"

"Most people don't. They learn."

"Its not going to go well either way, if she fails its only going to make things ten times worse then they already are,"

"I don't see you trying anything."

"She wont let me in the room,"

"I don't think she'll toss you out if you go in."

"Your right, she'll refuse to even acknowledge my existence,"

"Maybe you're premature in that assessment. She needs to know you're her advocate, not her enemy."

"How can I advocate what she wants, when I know and so does about every other doctor in this hospital, that it wont go well,"

"That's for you to figure out."

"Kerry, please, talk her out of this," the tears came back again. "she wont listen to me right now,"

"She won't listen to anyone she thinks is against her."

"Which is everyone except you at the moment,"

"Would you rather I fight her?"

"I'd rather she'd stay here,"

"You tell her that, then."

Abby had somehow managed to change into the pair of scrubs, and had for the first time had seen the damage done to her body, bastard. The simple task had worn her out, but she wouldn't let them know that, she would never leave the hospital if she fell asleep. The scrubs felt wonderful, much better then the damn hospital gown, slowly she made her way back over to her bed, the five steps were exhausting. But she had done it!

Kerry stood outside the closed door and knocked.

"Come in,"

Kerry opened the door and entered, "Cab should be here by now."

"Alright, where do I sign,"

"Dotted line, just like anything else. First page states that you are voluntarily refusing treatment, second one states that you won't sue the hospital or staff should any harm befall you from leaving in your current condition."

"I know," she didn't hesitate as she signed her name.

"Working in a hospital as long as you have, I'd be worried if you didn't."

"Okay," she nodded, the cab was waiting, now all she had to do was simply walk out, simple right?

"Good luck."

"Thanks Kerry," she smiled and slowly stood up, her knees wobbly at first, she could do it, all she had to do was get to that cab.

"You're welcome," Another nod and she made her way to the door, the longest walk of her life, she knew Kerry would probably be following her, at least until she got to the cab. Kerry stayed a few steps behind, ready to at least try to catch Abby if she fell.

By the time she got to the elevator, she thought for sure she was about to collapse, but once she got inside she would be able to just stand there, rest for a second. Kerry was more than a bit amazed when Abby reached the elevator lobby, and allowed a little more distance while they waited for the lift to reach their floor.

It was when she stepped off the elevator, into the lobby, when she could actually see the cab, that her legs gave way. She caught the guard rail, just in time, maybe nobody had seen?

Of course, Kerry was at her side in an instant, and helped her to sit up against the wall, "You alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, and tried to stand up, but it was no use, her body was to worn out. "I'm fine," she kept saying, even as the tears came.

"Of course you are," Kerry's voice wasn't mocking or scornful, just present. Abby sat there, trying to gather her strength so she could indeed get out of the hospital, she figured she only had another thirty feet to go, she could do it…well if she didn't collapse from exhaustion on the way there.

"Do you need help getting up?"

"I can manage, I think," Abby mumbled, Kerry nodded, secretly doubting it. Kerry looked behind them, Susan was standing there, and a gurney just behind her, with a few nurses, ready just in case. Kerry watched Abby struggle to get to her feet, fighting the urge to scream at Susan and the entourage and tell them to rush her back to the ICU. And then just like that, she collapsed, passed out, Kerry catching her seconds before her head collided with the hard ground. At which point, she did shout to Susan and the nurses. They were there in a heart beat, as Kerry gently placed her down on the ground.

"Help me get her up onto the gurney," Kerry could keep Abby from falling, and if she were conscious, help her to her feet, but definitely couldn't lift her.

"Abby," Susan spoke as she and the nurses lifted Abby from the ground and gently placed her back on they gurney. "Come on Abby," she said reaching and checking her pulse. It was there, but rapid. Susan's panic was only slightly lessened. "Alright, lets get her back upstairs," Susan said softly.

Within an hour, the lines were back in, leads reattached, Abby was stable and safe in the ICU. Susan and Kerry stood right outside her door, waiting for her to regain consciences, waiting for the battle they were sure they about to fight.