Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even the plot… all I can do is dream… and IF I owned ER there wouldn't be so much shit going on in the seasons 10-12!
Authors note: Well this is just my idea of what's going on in the episode Chaos Theory. I know there's not so much that is of my own creation in this chapter, but I'll make it up to you in the next ones (if you do want me to continue with it, that is)
Day 1:
"Do you think we could get them to move a tv in here?" John stood behind a huge screen in one of County's many exam rooms and tried to form a shadow image with his hands.
"I think you should catch up on your reading," Abby Lockhart turned her head towards him periodically, before turning her attention back to the people at the admit desk.
"I don't read after midnight," John answered, as he kept on moving his hands around, trying to create the image he wanted.
"There! That's a wolf. That looked like a wolf, didn't it?" he said, the triumph being present in his voice.
Once again, Abby stared in his direction.
"A wolf with leprosy, maybe," she answered him.
"You don't appreciate the difficulty of this, even without a rash," he kidded at her, but stopped as she sent him a telling glare. "Kidding, just kidding," he said, holding his hand up in mock defence. Abby couldn't help but to smile at him. He looked so cute, trying to keep a conversation up and running.
For a moment she allowed mind to drift away, to a certain moment two hours previously, to when she'd been kissing this amazing and gorgeous guy, who was at the moment standing behind a white screen and making a fool of himself. Abbys heart skipped a beat. After being in love with him for more than a year this finally happened!
Abby turned her head back, to follow the talk at admit.
"This doesn't look good," she said to Carter, who was now standing behind her. She could see the people ending the conversation and Susan moving towards the exam room that they were in.
"Maybe we're getting an early parole," he answered her, facing Susan, who were now talking to them through a phone.
"Are you feeling OK?" she asked them in a concerned tone, glaring at them through the glass.
"What is it?" Abby demanded
"We need to evacuate," she informed them.
"The ER," John wanted to know.
"The entire hospital," Susan said. She sighed before continuing: "Everyone but you."
At her words Abby couldn't help but to stare at her in shock. She could also feel John tighten his grip around her shoulders, a gesture that felt strangely comforting.
"Why?" he asked in a giving-in kind of way
Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala
A little while later, Abby was giving John the smallpox-vaccine, which had been handed out to everyone in the hospital.
"Make sure you don't touch that," Susan's voice was yet again heard over the phone.
"Where are they taking them?" John asked, gesturing towards the little boy with smallpox, he'd been treating and his parents.
"Upstairs. Respiratory isolation," Susan replied.
"And why do we have to stay here?" Abby asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Prolonged exposure, whatever that means," Susan said, rolling her eyes.
"Did you find out for how long?" John asked as he watched Abby put a band aid on where she'd just been vaccinating him.
"The virus is an unknown plague," Susan said. She didn't sound happy at all.
"You said it was monkey pox," Abby informed her.
"It's a variant of monkey pox, that's the problem," Susan said, still avoiding the original question.
"How long!" John almost yelled at her.
"Two weeks…" Susan said with an apologizing look on her face.
"No! No, no, no, no, no," Abby said, waving her hands in disbelief.
"They promise that the public-health nurse will watch you around the clock," Susan tried to soften them up.
"Why two weeks? What aren't they telling us?" John asked, slightly nervous.
"I don't know, I think they're just being extra cautious." Susan answered.
John moved his focus away from Susan, and his attention was caught by the boy who suffered the pox, Adam's, father.
"I'm sorry about all this," the dad said to John as Adam was wheeled out of the trauma room.
"Me too," John answered him. Then Adam's dad nodded and went to follow his son.
Slowly John turned around, and saw that he was once again all alone with Abby.
"Well… that was certainly the way to make my day," John sat down on a gurney, just staring into space.
Abby didn't say anything. She just sat down next to him, placing an arm on his shoulder.
"You told me we were gonna be OK," she reminded him quietly. He turned around to look at her.
"I'm not so sure anymore," he said in a quiet tone. Abby looked into his eyes and saw the despair she felt for herself.
This time she was the one to kiss him. It wasn't as short and trying as the other ones, but it was slow and loving all the same. Eventually they parted and smiled at each other.
"I love you, Abigail Lockhart," Carter said with a voice, hoarse from emotion.
Abby just smiled at him. Those three words meant more to her than he'd ever know. She couldn't say it back. Not yet. It'd mean too much. Instead she wrapped herself around him and hugged him tight.
They sat there for a while, just holding each other. Eventually they parted from the embrace and once more, Carter broke the silence.
"God, I'm tired," he said, draping a hand over his eyes.
Abby smiled at him. She knew exactly how he felt.
"Should we try to find some kind of bed?" she asked trying. She didn't really know if it was a good idea, but if they were to be quarantined for two weeks, they could just as well try to settle in a bit.
"Yea… that's probably a good idea," John said, looking around for something useful. Eventually his eyes fell on a couple of spare gurneys.
"We can use these two," he said, as he started to pull the two gurneys together.
"That's great. I'll just check the cupboards for some sheets, that must be enough in this heat," Abby said, referring to the fact that the air conditioning had been shot of to prevent the unknown virus to spread.
Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala
Ten minutes later, Abby was lying on her gurney, next to John. Her body was exhausted, but yet she couldn't find rest. Her head was working over-time. Mostly was it the image of John kissing her flying through her head, but also the whole chaotic day.
Slowly she turned over and shut her eyes a bit tighter, trying to think of nothing…
A/N: Well, I wouldn't wanna make it too long, so the last conversation that John and Abby have (the one right after Romarno's arm is cut of) is moved to the night of day two… well hope you liked it and please review.