Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own anything, not even the computer I am writing this on:O I know there are none in this chapter, but even so the words in italics and with central alignment are lyrics from Greenday – Give Me Novocaine. Sadly I didn't write them.

Oh and by the way, I realised that this could be potentially confusing 'cause I need to explain that the small sections of italics after speech are generally Luka's POV. Um. Yah. No wait. A few are Abby's too. Oh erm. The italics show the thoughts of the person who has just spoken! THAT'S IT! Hope that clears things up:S –x–

Dedication:As ever, this story is dedicated to Josefin, Alice, Elissa, Tani and Andy, you constantly support me and also my writing and you all make me smile. THANK YOU!


"Hello? Hello!" there was a slight pause, "I swear to god if you keep calling me in the middle of the night I'm gonna..."

Luka couldn't just stay silent. He would happily have sat there, soaking in her voice, but she'd obviously been plagued by some disgusting person who found some perverted pleasure in frightening her, and he could detect the hint of terror in her voice. It broke his heart. Again.

"Abby," he managed to blurt out, "It's me, it's Luka, from work, from the hospital," Smooth Luka, very smooth, good one! Luka shook his head and congratulated himself on his oh-so-very articulate sentence structure. He had never been one for phone conversations.

"Luka," she said, her tone instantly softening. He loved the way she pronounced his name; it was gentle, calm, beautiful… just like her. "What are you doing up now? It's 2:15am Luka, what's going on?"

Luka could hear her trying to shake the last traces of slumber from her mind and instantly felt terrible. What was he doing phoning her at such an unnatural hour? Only it wasn't unnatural. Well, not for him anyway. He'd seen 2:15, 3:15, 4:15… he'd seen them all; he saw them every night.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he said sincerely, clutching the receiver. Somehow just hearing her voice eased the pain slightly. But it also bought a sense of heaviness, like a weight crushing his chest, squashing his lungs, making even the simple task of breathing near to impossible. What was that feeling? Longing maybe? He was so close to her, and yet so far, and it was killing him. Still he couldn't stop; he had to speak to her.

"Don't be silly Luka," she replied, "I'm always here for you." Oops. Stop Abby, stop! Quick, make a joke, lighten the mood, change the subject!... Erm. "Idon't really need to sleep desperately anyway. It's not like I have been on night shifts for the last week and a half, have had literally no sleep whatsoever and can't push the niggling feeling that I may be on the verge of a nervous breakdown out of my mind, or anything!"

Luka detected a smile unfurling upon her face as she said it and couldn't help laughing throatily. She often had that effect on him. She could drag him from the deepest depths of despair with just one word, with just one look. In fact, one glance at her smiling face lifted Luka's heart.

Like everything else about him, Luka's laugh was contagious. No matter how hard Abby tried to fight it, she couldn't suppress a laugh. It had always been like that with Luka. No matter how hard Abby tried to forget what it was to be like with him, enveloped in his strong, muscular arms, she just couldn't. Here she was trying to fight her feelings, and yet despite her best intentions, here she was, falling for him all over again. Maybe she'd never really stopped falling for him.

"Are you okay? Has something happened?" Abby gushed, her tone suddenly becoming noticeably nervous. Something must be wrong! Why else would he be calling at this time? If something ever happened to Luka, her Luka… well no. Not her Luka, he was only hers in her head. If anything ever happened to him, she didn't think she could go on. In fact she knew she couldn't. She'd already lost him once before and it had almost… well perhaps it would be better not to talk about what almost happened. The only thing keeping her going was the chance, the hope that she could win him back.

Luka smiled a little despite himself, he knew it was wrong but he secretly liked the fact that she was worried about for him. Maybe that meant she still felt something for him?

"Abby." Luka what is wrong with you? Seriously, get to the point! All you have to say is… "Abby-I-need-you-to-come-over, no. I-want-you-to-come-over, I-can't-face-this-darkness-alone. You-give-me-strength, you-make-everything-feel-alright." Oh shit! Did you really say that! Yes, yes you did. Oh well done Luka.

Silence.

SHIT! Quick, say something, anything… "I'm scared Abby, I don't want to be alone. I want to be with you." Oh no no NO, not that, anything but that! "Abby I'm so sorry; I don't know what came over me, I… I…" Oh what's the point? You've said it now, you idiot. Congratulations Luka, she'll never speak to you again, she won't even look at you. It wouldn't have mattered if it were anyone else, no-one else mattered that much. No one mattered as much as Abby; She mattered more to Luka than anything, more than anyone.

Silence.

Then.

"Luka, I'm on my way."