Disclaimer: I do not own ER or any of its characters. The only one that I own is Jessica "Jess" Graham! Yeah, she came out of my head :)

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Abby stood quiet for a moment while Jess just kept staring at her, waiting for some kind of reaction.

"How..." – Abby started – "I mean... Why... Sorry?"

"They're coming. In two weeks. Kem told me they could use some time off." – Jess let out an almost unaudible laugh while she remembered about her days at Africa.

"But... here?" – Abby asked – "I thought they would like to go to Paris and visit Kem's family if they had a time off... I mean, what do they have here?"

"Us" – Abby glared Jess, looking inquisitive – "You know, you, me, Luka, Susan... County." – Abby glared Jess again, this time like she was trying to convince Jess of something – "Okay, more like Carter Foundation and the Joshua Carter Center."

"I thought that it was all being taken care of"

"It is. But you know what they say... If you want something done right, do it yourself."

"Yeah well... It has been a year. They must need to check everything out once in a while."

"I suppose, yes." – Jess said, sliding down the couch and looking at the ceiling. – "But I know that there's something else going on. I know."

"Like what?" – Abby was suddenly more interested.

"I'm not sure" – Jess closed her eyes – "They are not like this you know? Impulsive. Kem and Carter wouldn't just leave the hospital and the HIV program in Kisangani because they want a time off."

"Yeah, Carter almost didn't get out of the hospital here because we were always swamped. I can only imagine what he is like there. He probably is working double shifts everyday." – Abby smiled a little, imagining how her friend would be like there.

"It is always like that. We used to work as many time as we could. Me, for example. I could never sleep, so I worked. I don't know how I stood there for 2 years without dying of exhaustion." – Jess smiled to Abby this time.

"I still think there's something behind their sudden interest in coming back. But I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Yeah, I guess." Abby said.

"Anyway" – Jess said, while getting up from the couch – "I have to go. I'm meeting Ray out of the hospital at nine."

"Really?" – Abby said, with a grin on her face.

"It' not what you're thinking." – Jess said and Abby just rolled her eyes – "I'm serious! He is a great friend. Just that."

"Thought you had a boyfriend, Jess" – Abby said – "Okay that Henry is always travelling and everything..."

"I do have a boyfriend. Do I need to say again that Ray is just a friend?" – Jess said again, a little louder this time. "He does have a crush on someone at the hospital and he said he needs my help." – Jess smiled while reaching for her coat.

"If you say so..." – Abby opened the door to Jess, who passed through it and looked back to Abby. "Just don't let Henry know about that friendship of yours."

"He can if he wants, because it's no big deal." – Jess smiled to her friend and started to walk down the hall. "Bye Abby!"

"See you tomorrow Jess!"

Abby smiled and closed the door. While heading to her bedroom her thoughts flew back to Carter and Kem. "Why on earth are they coming here?" Abby thought about all the places she would rather visit than Chicago, if she had a chance. She couldn't possibly think of a plausible reason for them to come for Chicago for vacation.

"It is such a cold and windy place. Not very vacation like." - Abby thought.

Anyway, she was too tired to think more about it and decided that, just like Jess and her other friends, she would have to wait and see.