Chapter 22: Goodbye
"Mom, give them back"
"No!"
"Mom!"
Tears formed on her eyes.
"They're mine now"
"No, they're not!"
"Oh guess what? You didn't want to show me them so I took them"
"You had no right!"
"And neither did you!"
"Sure I did! John and I decided that. We didn't want you to meet them. At least not now"
Abby approached to Maggie, but she grabs a gun from inside her pocket and points it to the babies. Abby abruptly stops and she and John freeze.
"Don't come closer! Or the worst will happen!"
"Ok Maggie" – John walked towards Abby and took her hand – "Give the babies back and we won't do anything"
"Carter! Right on time!"
John and Abby looked and saw Susan, Luka and Gallant.
"Susan, take care of Abby" – He turned to Maggie – "Please Maggie. Don't do anything to them. Give them back to us and we won't call the police"
"Mom… you're not taking the drugs. But I know you don't wanna hurt me"
Abby gets closer and Maggie shoots.
"Noooooooo!"
Abby fell on her knees and Susan and John run to her, while Luka and Gallant help the baby who was shot.
"I'm so sorry"
Susan tried to see if Abby responded, but she didn't move. She was in shock.
"Yeah, she's pretty bad"
"We have to go to the hospital"
Gallant walked towards John and handed him the other baby.
"How is she?" – John mentioned with his head to the baby on Luka's lap.
"Pretty bad. And Abby?"
"She worries me" – He looked at her – "Please, make everything you can to save her. Abby won't forgive herself if she loses her. And I won't either"
"Right. Let's take her to the hospital"
"Carter, Abby needs tests. Are you coming with us?"
John was lost on his thoughts. He was afraid of losing his daughter and the woman he loved. His heart hurt every time he thought in that possibility.
"Carter?"
"Yeah?"
"Sure. Go ahead. I'll take Abby later"
"You sure?"
"Yes"
"Ok, let's go"
The three of them headed to the hospital and John looked at Abby, who was sitting on the floor, with her knees against her chest and with her head over them. Her face was sad – preoccupied actually. He had never seen her like this. He got closer and kneeled down next to her.
"Abby…" – He gently caressed her face – "Abby? Look at me"
She didn't react and his heart hurt.
"It's gonna be ok. She will survive"
She slowly lifted her face.
"What if she won't?"
"Let's not think about this possibility"
He tried to comfort her but he knew there was this possibility.
"It's hard"
"I know sweetie. But let's try. I'm here to support you"
"I shouldn't have John. I shouldn't have left them"
"We didn't know"
"But still. I'm a horrible mother"
"You're not. You worried about them. Your mother is a horrible mother for not caring about your feelings"
"Yeah"
"Let's go to the hospital"
He offers her his hand and she takes it. He walks her to his car, his arm around her waist.
"How long?"
"30 minutes"
"Call it"
"No"
"Susan, stop. She's gone"
"How… how are we going to tell them?"
"We'll have to find a way. It's part of it"
"So it has to be now"
Luka looks and sees Abby and John walking towards them. The look in their face makes John freeze and he hugged Abby tighter.
"We're all very sorry"
"Yeah. We did the best we could"
"It's ok. You tried"
His eyes filled with water and Susan got concerned.
"Carter, you can cry if you want to. It's ok. It'll be ok"
"Thank you"
John sat Abby down on the couch and hugged Susan.
"I loved her so much!"
"I know. But you have another one. I'm sorry. Bad time to make jokes"
"I didn't think this could happen with me"
"But you need to get over it. It's part of life. Nobody wants to get through it"
"How am I going to tell Abby?"
"Well, if I were you, I'd say soon so I wouldn't let her more preoccupied. Want me to tell her?"
"No, no. Can I see her?"
"Sure"
Susan takes John to where the baby is.
"I'll leave you alone"
"Ok. Thanks"
He touched the face of his daughter and noticed how soft her skin was. Then he sat down and cried next to her. Susan watched him through the glass of the door.
"How is he?"
"Bad"
"It's a hard moment"
"Yeah. But this shouldn't have happened with them"
"We don't have the right to choose how's gonna go through it or who's not"
"I know"
"It's gonna be painful, but they'll get over it"
"I hope so"
John stands up and takes one more look on the child that is laying on the gurney before leaving.
"You have to get over it, Carter"
"I know. But it hurts"
He bit his lips for not to cry and walked towards Abby.
"Honey… she's gone. They tried, but they couldn't save her"
She shakes her head, showing she understood and a tear falls from her eye. Seeing that, John hugs her.
"It's ok. We're gonna be ok. We'll start a new life"
He helped her to get up and before leaving, he said to Susan, Luka and Gallant.
"We're leaving. Thanks for everything"
"Goodbye Carter. Abby"
"Goodbye"
He looked around and left with her.
"Abby, we're going away from here. Forever"
He felt a pain on his heart when he said the last word.
"Can we wait? I don't wanna go so fast"
"Sure. I don't either"
A month later… Abby took Phoebe to the hospital.
"Hey Chuny, have you seen John?"
"No. Is this your daughter? How pretty!"
"Thanks"
"She looks like you"
"Thanks"
"Oh, how's my niece?"
"Great"
"And you?"
"Still getting over it"
"Yeah, it must be hard"
"Yeah, have you seen John?"
"I think he's in the lounge"
"Thanks"
She walked to the lounge and walks in.
"Hey"
"Hey. Hi honey. Where's daddy's little girl?" – He said, kissing her and then kissing Abby – "Ready to go?"
"Actually, I came to talk about it"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes. I can't go"
"What?"
"I… can't go. I'm sorry"
"It's ok. I'll go alone"
"John…"
"I'm not staying here. Daddy loves you"
He handed the baby to her and left the room. She left after him.
"That's it? It's over?"
"If you want to stay and be history, yes"
He walked away from the ER for the last time. And from her life too. And she stood still, with their daughter in her arms. He had left. Forever. But she couldn't just go away with him. Everything was here. Her family, her friends, her job. She couldn't leave them. And she saw him leave. Her husband was gone. And she walked in the lounge again.
THE END.