Chapter 5:

It was cold as Carter fixed his tie and straightened his shirt. He was nervous about going back to work at County. While Carter loved medicine he'd spent several months at his sister's flat in London trying to recover from his injuries. Medicine after Africa hadn't been a high priority. He really had contemplated not going back and perhaps taking his place at the foundation was again. He could easily live off his inheritance comfortably until he died.

One last look at himself making sure he looked as good as he could. After all this was a new start for him again. County needed docs and deep down running through his veins was his loved of medicine. He hadn't worn a white coat in a long time let alone done shift work or even chart because of HMO and insurance regulations. Carter's diagnostic skills were top notch or used to be top notch. Today he was a bundle of nerves. Something had butterflies in the seasoned doctor's stomach.

He pulled on his long white lab coat glancing in the mirror once again. He brought his hand up to touch the embroidery, blue letters that spelled out John Carter, MD. Hopefully in a place where he had many memories and friends would still be warm and welcoming. He didn't know who all would even still be there. Residents came and go and surely things had changed.

The drive across town was shorter than he remembered. A small apartment was once again his humble abode. He parked his jeep in the garage before straightening himself once again feeling the nerves. His steps not only felt heavy but seemed to take more energy today. Across the parking garage he crossed and into the elevator where he could feel a small tightness forming in his chest as he waited to be deposited on the ground floor. The sound of the elevator reaching its destination before they slid open caused Carter to stand up straighter and pull on his tie, his bag slung over his shoulder. Carter key's jingled in his pocket. Seeing those double doors of the ER entrance brought back a flood of memories none of them horrible but there was just a tinge of sorrow that managed to creep into him.

Carter knew he needed to shake off the nervous feeling. He hadn't felt like this since 1994 when he first came to County in a short white lab coat. He softly smiled as the memory of that day crossed his mind. A soft sigh managed to escape now as he stood up straight and entered the ER. As he looked around the ER he hoped to catch a few familiar faces and as he did seeing those seemed to erase some of his nerves.

"Oh my god, the rumor is true, welcome back Dr. Carter." Haleh one of Carter's favorite nurses walked up and hugged him. "Good to have you back again. We've missed you."

Carter smiled for her, that boyish grin made his eyes nearly dance. "Ah I couldn't stay away, this place is home."

"Good to hear." She said smiling as she turned to walk away.

Carter just nodded. He eyes went down to the floor only coming up in response to a familiar voice.

"Welcome back Carter. It's good to see you." The voice was as soft as he brought his eyes up to see a very pregnant Abby standing there in front of him. That had been her that he had caught a glimpse of while he hugged Haleh. It didn't take him but another moment to recover from the shock.

"Hey it's good to see you too." Carter said as he returned her soft hug. "You look great Abby." Awkward just a little after the two years they had spent apart seeing her happy was a treat.

"Thanks John." Abby had long given up on calling him just Carter. "What brings you back to Chicago?"

"Long story," simple answer that he hoped appeased her. "I'm sure that your busy, this place is always busy."

Abby looked up at him and you could see on her face that she really wanted to say more.

"R3 like you, I'm sure your resident intern and other med students are driving you crazy." Carter jumped in to keep her from saying what ever that look on her face was attempting to say. "I'll catch you later and we can have coffee and pie." Carter shrugged his shoulders, "or pie and something."

She felt him start to hug her and his offer. You couldn't help but feel he was trying to quickly end the conversation for now as they both felt like this was making the other feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Sounds like a plan." Abby answered. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

Abby could sense how reluctant Carter was about everything. She brought her hand up to rest on his arm before he could walk away from her. "I'm still your friend John, no matter what you can always talk to me."

When Carter nodded his response Abby smiled she couldn't help it. Carter even after all that time still had the same demeanor which was a part of his chair, part of what made him a good doctor.

She watched him walk away from her towards the lounge. That was the first time that she had noticed it. Carter's walk wasn't the same. He limped and had a cane tucked tightly against his left side. Abby didn't know what had happened. The only thing she knew for sure was the Carter that had returned from overseas was not the same one that had left for Paris. That Carter was excited and she couldn't figure it out.

Abby watched Carter walking away and Luka walking up to him. She watched the two men interacting pats on the back. They appeared to be happy to see each other. They were two old friends who had shared a lot. She couldn't make out what the two men were saying to each other but the conversation seemed to stop while they walked into the lounge.

Part of her wanted to be nosy and follow but part of her knew that she needed to be respect Carter and he'd tell her when and what she needed to know. She turned to pick up a chart and go back to work. A very small part of her knowing that Luka would tell her if something bad had gone on. Abby had just assumed that Luka had told Carter that they were having a baby. But the look on Carter's face said something just a little bit different. Things had changed for everyone. Carter in her mind had Kem and well her and Luka had a fairly stable relationship, most importantly Abby was finally able to know what it felt like to be happy.

She picked up at chart and headed back to work. There wasn't much else that she could do right now. She would stay busy until one of the two men, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt which one of them would definitely crack with a little bit of Abby pressure.