Abby sat next to the bed watching him sleep. Luka was stretched out on top of the sheets with his hand opened toward her. She smiled and fingered the bronze sculpture that she held in her lap. Tata's scuplture. The bronze bowl with the water lily settled inside. The cause of all of her worry and frustration for the past three days.
He'd filled her knapsack with water bottles and first aid supplies when he realized that he'd been left behind. He set out on the road with the other refugees but had been diverted to another camp to the south by fighting. It had taken another day to find them again and to convince someone to drive him to her.
She'd had to literally peel the socks off his feet. She looked at them now. There were oozing blisters everywhere. She'd cleaned them, soaked them and covered them with an antibiotic ointment. She'd also convinced him to let her run an IV with electrolytes for him. He was dehydrated. The water he carried hadn't lasted long with so many others needing it as well. She looked up as there was a light tapping on the door. It opened and Carter stepped inside. Their eyes met and she frowned slightly.
"How is he?" he asked quietly, ignoring her look.
"Dehydrated, " she said. "Whined like a baby when I put the IV in." Carter winced as he looked at the blisters on his feet.
"I've contacted the L'Alliance officials. They're making exit arrangements for the two of you." Abby nodded.
"Are you going to go right back to Chicago?" She shook her head.
"Croatia first," she said. "We have things to pick up, family to see again." It surprised her how desperately she wanted to see them...Tata...her brothers in law...their wives and children. Carter nodded and looked at her for a long moment.
"Abby," he cleared his throat. "I...uh..." She held up her hand to stop him as she looked at Luka. Carter's heart broke as she brushed a fly away from Luka's face and swept a finger through the hair on his forehead.
"Don't say it, John," she said quielty. "There's nothing you can say that will fix this."
"I'm not trying to fix anything," he said quietly. "I'm not going to apologize for loving you." Abby looked up at him with an angry fire burning in her brown eyes.
"You...are like a little boy who always wants the toys he can't have. Once you have it, you toss it away," she whispered. "I am not one of those toys. Now, please leave."
"Abby..."
"I have no intention of telling Luka about any of this. He has a lot of admiration and respect for you. I'm not going to ruin that. But, I want you to stay the hell away from me." Carter's eyes widened and then he frowned. He started to say something but then turned away and was gone. She sighed and then stood up and checked the nearly empty saline bag. Sheleft the room to get another one.
Luka's eyes opened carefully and he blinked. And to think that he'd been worried about her. He'd actually prayed that Carter would take care of her...keep her safe. He wasn't sure what had happened between the two of them but Abby could definitely take care of herself. Luka suppressed a happy grin as he chuckled softly. Definitely.