Chapter 51

Anna sat in Romano's office. Hiding from the PT people. She picked up his phone and called one of her older brothers. She convinced him to go down and pick up her belongings from her car. Which hopefully would still have enough clothes in it to get her a couple of days, until she could do some shopping in Huston. He seemed worried about her and it took everything she had in her to convince him that she had simply gotten a better job opportunity dropped in her lap, but she only had a short time to act on it or they would give it to someone else. He seemed to finally buy her story after a long conversation with him. When she called to let Chris know that she would be coming on rather short notice, he said that she could stay with him until she was able to find an apartment on her own. She really didn't feel like seeing anyone right now and since Carter was in her room, Romano's office while he was in surgery was the perfect place to hide from everyone. Kerry was the only one who knew that she was catching that flight to Huston tomorrow, but she hoped that she wouldn't say anything to anyone until she was gone. It would be one less thing she would have to deal with. Doug's words still stung. She could hear him saying them over and over. She found them almost hard to believe. She didn't think he could be so cold, but people change, maybe it was for the best right now. She picked at lunch not wanting them to keep her cause she wouldn't eat, but she really wasn't hungry. She stared at the clock, by this time tomorrow she would be off and on her way safe in Huston fresh city, fresh start. She moved over and curled up on the couch that was in Romano's office and as she watched the snowflakes tumbling to the ground once again drifted off to sleep.

Carter woke up again not sure what was going on, he the realized he was in a hospital room, and in his bed. He remembered Abby being in bed with him, but she was no longer there. He tried to move a little. but his bad arm was making it hard for him. He decided he needed to not ask for the pain meds. Not after the mistake he had made.

Anna woke up with a start and walked back to her room, she noticed that Carter was awake now so she went and sat down next to him, "hey there how are you doing?"

Carter smiled, it had been awhile since him and Anna had talk. "I ...could do better if my shoulder here was hurting"he said looking at his cast arm.

"You and me both buddy." Anna said sitting down on the bed next to him. She had run out with out an explanation to him before and she didn't want to do that again, "but hey even after dying and being brought back from the dead I get to get out of here soon. John, there's something that I need to tell you but you have to promise not to say anything to anyone about it."

"You what, you died Anna?" he asked her confused. "What's that you need to tell me?" He asked her. "And I promise that I won't tell anyone" he told her

"Yeah, odd to say, but I saw Weaver standing at the end of my tunnel and ran." She said feeling awkward talking to him, "I know you are Carol's friend, and what I did the other day really messed things up. I didn't mean to hurt her, I didn't mean to hurt Doug, or you or anyone else that got caught in the crossfire. What I'm saying is that I think everyone will be better off if I just get out of town again. Life can go back to normal with out me mudding the waters, besides I can't work with Doug. And being the only other peds doc here would mean that I would have to and I can't do that. I want to but let's just say my heart has taken all the beating that it can right now. Romano is signing my discharge papers in the morning and I am getting on a plane at ten am Carter. I just wanted to say thank you for being such a great friend. But I don't' want it to get back to Doug that I am leaving until after I am gone, you can't even tell Abby."

Carter couldn't believe what Anna was saying. "Anna a lot of this isn't your fault, and I wasn't mad at you. Your one of my good friends Anna, you didn't mess up..." he grimaced at the pain. "Listen to me, I don't want to lose contact with you, I want you to tell me or write to me to let me know how your really doing. The other day I was looking for you, not carol. I wanted to see if you were ok that day, and I won't tell Abby, this is between us" John said to her

"I'll be fine John," Anna said looking at him, "I'm going to Huston. A friend of mine from med school is the head of the peds department there and he's offered me a job and a roof over my head for now. Things are going to get messy for me for awhile. Max is pissed that I filed for divorce and that's what landed me back in this joint. So it might be awhile before you hear from me...I don't want him to know where I went, it's better that way, you know making a clean break. I knew what I was getting into with Doug." She paused for a minute, "you should at least let them give you some Advil for the pain. I'll let you get some more sleep. I'm going to go and face up to my PT. Since I've been hiding from them all morning."

"Will you call me when you do get things settled and that I know your ok" He told her. "Please promise when you feel safe to call me" He asked her. "I... can't take pain meds"he told her

"Yeah I'll call you." She said looking down at him, "Carter I live with a drug addict remember a little Advil is not going to send you back down that road. Don't try to be the big man and not take it. Get better Carter." Anna said as she started to get up off the bed. She wiped the tears from her eyes, "this is what I need to do right now. I'll miss this place again; it's always going to be home." She walked away slowly she reached into the bag of stuff that her brother had left for her. She was glad that she had missed seeing him. She didn't want a lecture. She threw her headphones on and put in a cd as she laid back and closed her eyes, screw the pt. She was tired.

Carter smiled at her. "I guess your right on the Advil thing" he told her. "Anna you have a friend here and that's me, so don't be an afraid to call if anything goes wrong" he told. He watched her leave and laid his head back on the pillow. He wonder where Abby had went off to.