Chapter 71:
Anna was now dead on her feet. She could feel her body start to shut down. She had made it 12 hours that was 8 more than she thought she could. She walked into the locker room at Northwestern, she didn't want to drive anywhere right now but she pulled her stuff out and headed back. She found herself in front of her apartment and not Doug's house. Oh well, she walked up the stairs to her apartment and closed the door behind her. Her entire body ached. She walked into the kitchen and pulled out the half empty bottle of jack Daniels and flopped down on the couch. It burned as it went down her throat. She could feel her body going numb...that's what she wanted...forget...forget that she had just upped and walked out on everyone. Her eyes got heavy as she sank further down into the couch and passed out.
The doctors woke Doug up early. "Let's see what you can do ace." the pt nurse told him. After a long night of complaining he figured they were ready to be rid of him as soon as possible. The medicine he had gotten had worn off and the pain in his back almost brought tears to his eyes as he sat up. One by one he draped his legs over the side of the bed. He couldn't really feel much in them except for his mid thighs up. The pt nurse handing him the crutches and tried to help him up. "I got it" Doug said as he shrugged her off. He was determined to do this on his own. He pulled himself up with his arms and forced his legs to move. Stabbing pain shot through his back and he winced taking a step forward with the crutch. "ahhh." he said sitting back down. The nurse took the crutches from him and handed him a walker. Doug shot her an evil look as he tried it again, this time with more success. After a short walk down the hall and went back into his room and spoke with the doctor. "If i call my boss at the hospital and agree to do rehab there can i go?" he pleaded. The doctors were really getting annoyed with him and he knew it. "Call her." they told Doug. "And we'll see" Doug slid back on the bed and grabbed up the phone. He dialed county's number "Can I speak with Dr. Weaver please?" He voice was rough and ragged and he wasn't sure of what Kerry was going to do but he had to try.
Kerry came to the phone. She was shocked to hear about Doug's accident. But could understand how those doctors could be getting so frustrated with him. She knew Doug wasn't one who would take it easy and push himself as hard as he could. "We can do that." She finally said to the doctor on the other end of the phone. "Go ahead and come home."
Doug smiled as the doctors told him he could leave tonight. "We are going to have to load you up on medication. You nicked your liver so you really need to be careful. You have to watch your sides too, with your ribs being broken like they are...but most of all watch your back. Don't be an ass and do too much. Just because you can move things now doesn't mean if you twist wrong you won't be stuck in a wheelchair the rest of your life." Doug nodded. He was happier now knowing that he would be going home tonight. He would sit quietly until his flight came. It was a good thing he had made his flight home for Tuesday. It must have been fate. He found his address book and looked up Abby's number. He didn't have anything important to say but he would need a ride home from the airport and he wanted someone to talk to. He found her number and listened as the phone rang. Hopefully he wouldn't wake her up.
Abby sat down on the couch as her phone rang. Carter was sleeping the last time she checked on him, "Abby Lockhart," She said as she flipped the phone open hoping that it wasn't County calling her in to work.
"Hey Abs, its Doug." he said. After slowing down a little fatigue had set in. "how it going?"
"Hey stranger." She said he sounded tired on the phone, "it's going okay. I'm at Carter's right now. I got him all tucked in and off to sleep. I was beginning to think that you had fallen off the face of the earth. Last time I talked to you, you were on you're way to the airport, what happened, everything okay?"
Doug sighed. So much had happened since he talked to Abby last. "Well it was..." he started. "I caught Anna, a lot of good that did." he said under his breath. "The short of it is I had to come home to Kentucky. My mom died the other day...Anna came with me but last night...well, we got in a fight while i was driving. I was in a car accident. I'll be ok, the doctors and letting me come home tonight as long as i check into county when i get there i just, i need someone to drive me home." he said choking up a little. "I'm pretty messed up and i was hoping you could do me a favor and pick me up since Anna left after the accident. I don't think she was even at the hospital with me...she's back in Chicago somewhere but i can't deal with her right now."
Abby was fuming, "yeah Doug, I can pick you up." She said gritting her teeth as she scribbled a note for Carter letting him know that she was going to pick Doug up and that she would be back in a few hours. "I am sorry to hear about your mom, and the accident. But I will be at the airport to pick you up." She accidentally slammed the door behind her as she headed for the jeep. "What time is your flight getting in?
Doug cleared his throat and tried to focus. He was really hurting now and tried hard not to sound like it. "Uhh two I think. I'm leaving here as soon as I get my medication's..." he stopped for a second. "Abby I really appreciate this; I know you have a busy day and things to do with Carter and all."
"Don't mention it." She said as she started the jeep. "I'll see you there." She said as she snapped her phone shut. She drove over to Anna's apartment and bounded up the stairs 2 at a time. She pounded on the door. Anna stirred from the couch her head was killing her and there was someone banging on her door. She walked over to it and looked thru the peephole. What was Abby doing here? She opened the door.
Abby bust inside, "tell me what the hell you were thinking."
"What are you yelling about Abby?" Anna said to her. "You just upped and left Doug in Kentucky. I just got a phone call from the hospital. Did you even make sure that he was okay before you left?"
Anna got silent for a minute, "what is he okay, they were supposed to call me."
"Like you care." Abby snapped at her. "What you told me that you loved him Anna. I sent him chasing after you because I thought that you both needed each other, was I wrong about that? Do you care that little you are one cold-hearted bitch?"
"Abby slow down. I was at the hospital with him. They said that they would call me if he woke up...I was going back tomorrow, I had a family emergency here that I had to take care of. I didn't just abandon him." She was losing her temper fast.
"You know what Anna just stay the hell away from him. He doesn't need you. I was wrong about you, so wrong and I never should have set him up for a fall like this."
"Don't get into my life Abby; you don't know the half of it. You weren't there. You have no idea what was going on." She yelled back at her.
"Yeah you're right I don't know the half of it. But the half I do know makes me almost hate you." Abby slammed the door behind her as she left Anna's apartment. She headed for the airport to get Doug.
Anna sat down on the couch putting her hands between her head. It took her a few minutes to get herself pulled together. She went in and took a shower before heading over to the hospital to check on Angel one more time. She found out that they were going to be discharging her in a couple of days. This made her feel better. She left Northwestern and headed for Doug's house. Maybe Abby was right, maybe she had better stay away from him for awhile. She parked his jeep in front of his house and walked inside. She headed into the bedroom to pick up her stuff that was scattered all over the place. She found herself picking up his shirt from the bed that he had left there before taking off for Kentucky. She held onto it and let the tears fall, what the hell had she done. This wasn't what she wanted...this wasn't supposed to be like this. She curled up on the bed and cried until she couldn't cry anymore.
Doug struggled through the airport. Even his loose workout pants he had on seemed 50 pounds heavy. Maybe leaving so early wasn't such a good idea. He managed to get to his gate just in time. It was hard but he had to ask for someone to help him to the gate in a wheelchair. He felt so stupid, this was mostly his fault. He finally lowered himself into his seat. He reached in his bag and took a few Demerol. He knew he shouldn't since he had problems with it before but his back hurt too badly. Doug closed his eyes for the short flight to Chicago. Finally the plane stopped at the gate. Doug waited for everyone to get off before he tried to get up. He still couldn't move his legs very well, especially his left one which was scraped up the worst. He slowly made it out with his foot dragging on the ground. Everyone was staring at him as he went through the airport. He knew it was for a good reason, he had stitches all round his right eye and road rash up his face and arms. He drug himself on the crutches to baggage claim where he could see Abby sitting down. He slowly made his way over to her, now almost exhausted. "Hey" he managed to get out.
Abby sighed when she saw him. She didn't know he had been hurt this badly. "Let's get you out of here you look like you need some sleep." She said. She looked at him as she slipped under his good side to give him someone to lean on as they headed for the jeep. "Damn it I should have kicked Anna's ass while I was yelling at her. I hope that she has half a brain to listen to me." Abby said as she opened the door to the jeep for him. "I might just have to finish what I started."
"What?" Doug asked as he sat down. He stuck the crutches in the back seat and put his bag in his lap. After Abby got in he asked her again. "What are you talking about..." he said in a tired voice."When did you see Anna?"
Abby started Carter's jeep and pulled out into traffic, "about an hour ago. She was at her apartment and I kind of went and yelled at her. She tried to give me some song and dance about being there when you were admitted and that they were suppose to call her, but that she had some family emergency. I told her that she needed to stay the hell away from you."
Doug closed his eyes. That would be yet another thing he would have to deal with now. He leaned into the soft seat, He didn't want to deal with anything right now, and he just wanted to be alone. Doug stayed silent until he could see his house down the street.
"Is that your jeep?" Abby asked as she pulled up behind it. She parked Carter's jeep and walked around to help Doug get up into the house. "I'll get you inside and into bed, I'm sure you could use some sleep."
"Yeah." he answered wondering how it got at his house. 'Maybe Anna dropped it off for me' he thought to himself. Doug grabbed his crutches and worked on getting out of the car. As much as he needed help he didn't want it. "Could you get my stuff?" he asked as he leaned against the car. He was going to wait for Abby to open his house door for him before he tried to make it up the stairs.
"Yeah," She said taking his bag. She let him work his way up the stairs, Abby thought it was odd that the door was unlocked. She took a few steps inside as she held the door opened for him.
Anna stirred in the bedroom she thought that she heard voices. She picked up her stuff as she stood came almost face to face with Abby. "What the..."
"Don't listen do you." Abby hissed as she waited for Doug to come up the stairs, "I told you to stay the hell away."
Anna took two steps back. She was almost scared by the tone in Abby's voice. "I needed my stuff and to drop his jeep off..." She stopped her sentenced when she saw Doug making his way into the house. Her heart broke seeing him so battered and bruised knowing that she was the one who had done it. He looked so tired and exhausted why was he there and not still in Kentucky in the hospital. After everything the doctor had said to her she didn't expect him to get on a plane and fly home the next day.
Doug made his way up the stairs and his heart stopped when he heard raised voices. Doug used his crutches to get into his living room and saw Abby and Anna in each others faces. "What's going on?" he asked
Anna was still taken a back by seeing him standing there. "You're okay." She said letting her breath out.
Abby crossed the room standing between Anna and Doug. "Get out of here." She kept her voice low and even. "I don't want you to upset him. He's tired."
Anna looked at Abby, "not yet."
Abby snapped...as she brought her hand up across Anna's face as hard as she could. "Bitch."
Doug's mouth dropped as he watched them fight. The was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now. "OUT!" he yelled looking at them. "Both of you." he said a little softer. "I can't...handle this right now. Abby thanks for the ride I'll see you at work, Anna..."his eyes started to tear as he looked at her. "We'll talk about this later." he stared at them as they didn't move. "Ok?" he asked harshly.
Carter opened his eyes and read the note from Abby she had gone to pick up Doug from the airport. He to was injured, that wasn't good. Maybe he could offer to have Doug stay with them. He dialed Abby's phone number to let her know he got the message. He waited for her to pick up.
Anna fought back the tears as she picked up the bags that she had dropped when Abby had hit her. "Yeah," she said softly, muttering under her breath as she walked past Abby, 'if superbitch here will let me." She raised her voice as she headed for the door. "I have to go to work anyway."
Abby looked at Doug, "sorry. I'll talk to you later." She pushed by Anna knocking her into the wall as hard as she could.
When Abby got outside her phone was ringing. She answered it as she got into Carter's jeep. "Abby Lockhart," she snapped into it. She was still upset with Anna and the tone came across in her voice.
Sorry, "John said to her. "I was just calling to see if you were ok, "he said "If you want to talk, let me know."
Doug dropped his head as they both walked out. What a mess. It took him a second but he made it to his couch. He didn't want to be alone tonight but it seemed like all his friends were more interested in fighting then being a friend. He sat down and popped some more medicine into his mouth. "What a mess" he said again. He thought about carter and realized he didn't know if he was doing alright. "Ill call him later" he told himself. An unemotional person would be good to talk to.
"I'm fine John, I'll be home in just a little bit. I just dropped Doug off at his house." She said as she pulled out from her parking spot. "20 minutes top."
Carter nodded. "Its ok Abby, I see you in a few" he told her. He then hung up and thought of Doug. He hadn't seen him in awhile, but he did owe Doug his life. So he dialed Doug's number