Chapter 6 – Girls Night Out
Abby strode along the corridor muttering to herself with her head looking down at the clipboard. She is unaware that Jake was standing at the other end next to the nurse's station, finishing his conversation with the new chief resident Archie Morris and notices Abby heading towards the area.
"See you Morris," Jake nodded, swinging his rucksack onto his shoulders. He started walking towards Abby and he stepped aside purposely barging into her, almost knocking her off her feet.
"Ugh!" Abby yelped, winded by the impact. The clipboard in her hand goes flying up in the air and clattered when it hits the ground. "Jesus! Watch it!" The startled brunette winced when she rubbed her rib where he had hit her.
Jake looked up and down Abby, giving her a cold, disapproving looks and walked away forcefully nudging his shoulder against hers.
"Uh" Abby moaned, closing her eyes and clenched her teeth when her small frame stumbled off balance again. She stood there with her mouth slightly opened, narrowing her eyes watching him walk away, stunned at his behaviour. She shook her head thinking 'Jeez… what's the hell up with him?'
Abby squatted down to pick up the paper work scattered around on the floor.
"Let me help you with this" Neela said, bending over beside her "What was that about?"
"God knows Neela, sometimes I can't work men out"
"Hmm" Neela nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Abby"
"Yup" Abby turning her head looking at the young doctor.
"Are you doing anything after work?"
"Yes I am… I'm meeting Susan at Ike's"
"Oh…ok" Neela nodded, gave a disappointed look.
Abby carried on picking up the paper and cocked her head to look at Neela.
"Are things still that bad at Ray's?"
Neela nodded again
"Hey… why don't you join us? I'm sure Susan wouldn't mind"
"Really? Are you sure?" Her face brightened up. Abby nodded
"Great, I'll be there"
"You look like you're desperate to get away from the place!"
The two interns got up and headed to the admit desk. Susan, Kovac and Sam standing about discussing about a patient. Morris still gloating about his promotion to Pratt, who is shaking his head in disbelief and Jerry is frantically trying to answer all the phones.
"Jerry where's Frank?" Susan asked in a whiny voice.
"Code Brown Dr Lewis"
"What?" She replied giving a sour expression. Susan shook her head and walked over to the board checking the admissions. Susan glanced at Abby, who was waving the clipboard and placed it in the drugs tray. Susan walked over to the two interns, carrying a big wad of files under her arm and handed over them one each.
"Abby, there's a patient needs suturing in Treatment Room 3, bring Jane along with you and Neela, patient in curtain 4 – Hypertension"
----
Abby walked into the treatment room and froze on the spot after recognizing the patient. Jane bumped into her from behind.
It was the teenage boy involved in her abduction, which took place few months ago. He was laid on the gurney with laceration on his cheek. He looked on in her direction.
"How ya doin' bitch?"
Abby stood by his side, snapping on the surgical gloves and leaned over to examine the wound ignoring his greeting. "How this happen?"
"Some sucker slashed my face, ma'am" he replied, "You don't remember me do ya?"
Abby paused and pulled herself away from the gurney and turned to Jane. "Can you get me the suturing kit please?"
"Sure Dr Lockhart" the medical student replied. She walked out of the room.
Abby again turned to the boy and placed both hands on her hip looking assertive.
"How can I ever forget you?" She snapped, frowning and pouting her lips "You and your so called buddy put me through hell that night!"
"What ya expect bitch, you couldn't save my bro!"
"Your brother may still be alive now if you guys weren't so fking proud to bring him in!" Abby protested.
The teen snapped, "Back off you bitch!"
Abby flinched and shuts her eyes tight; the boy's voice gave her a flashback of that night. Flashback: Abby in the back of the SUV, in her scrubs, covered in blood… A young man with gunshot wounds bleeding to death, lying in front of her… She is exhausted, performing CPR for over an hour, trying her best to revive him… She fears they will kill her if he dies… The boy waved his gun at her…He yells at her "He ain't dying bitch!" Abby frantically giving chest reps…
Jane walked back in to the room with the suturing kit and arched her brows at the boy's attitude towards her supervisor.
"Here you are Dr Lockhart…"
Abby doesn't hear her.
"Dr Lockhart? Hello?"
Jane puts her hand on her shoulder to get her attention. Abby jumped out of her seat, as she is woken from the flashback.
"Oh yes…" Shaking her head and took in a deep breath, blew it out from her mouth. "Thank you"
"Oh damn, I've forgotten the local anaesthetic!" Jane slapped her forehead.
"It's ok Jane, I don't need it" Abby whispered, giving an evil smile. She knows its time to get even with him, by stitching his face without numbing the wounded area!
"Eh? What she say?" He asked, leaning forward screwing up this face.
"Nothing… I'm going to do some stitches on your face and you're a tough little guy, so you should stand a little pain…"
Abby leaned over to the patient again and started suturing the wound. The boy gritted his teeth trying to withhold the pain when she pierced his skin with the thread.
"Ow! You're hurting me bitch, you're hurting me!"
----
Abby made her entrance in to the lounge, walking to her locker, singing to herself and swinging her stethoscope.
"Another day, another dollar…" Susan quoted, sitting at a table applying on her make-up. "I see Neela coming with us"
"Ah yes… if you don't mind?" Abby pulled a bag out from the locker
"Of course not, more the merrier!" Susan chirped, applying on the lipstick. "I think the night out will do us all good!"
"Uh huh… Give me 10 minutes, I'm going for a shower and change" Abby said heading out the door. The door handle turned before she reached for it and stepped back.
"Hey! I'm running late, can I meet up with you guys in Ike's?" Neela asked popping her head round the door.
"Sure" Susan replied. "Abby…"
"Yes Susan?" Abby stood half way out of the door.
"I haven't bothered telling Weaver about you and Jake"
"Oh?" Abby raised her brows in surprise. "Thanks!"
Susan nodded and smiled at her.
----
Abby and Susan, both walk across the road heading towards Ike's. A voice shouted from behind.
"Wait up you two!" Neela shouted, running across the road trying to catch up with them.
"Well I guess we go to the other bar then…unless you both want to start here?" Susan asked
Abby and Neela both shook their heads "Nah!"
The three women stroll along the busy street, laughing and chattering heading to the next bar.
"So Neela, have you found another place to live yet?" Susan asked
"Nope… I'm not paying $1000 a month for one-bedroom apartments"
"Jeez… a thousand dollars!" Abby winced at the hefty price." I don't even pay half that for my place"
"Hey Luka!" Susan shouted as she saw him walking towards them.
"Hey" Luka smiled at them, rubbing his hands together.
"Isn't your home that way?" Abby said sarcastically, pointed the opposite direction.
"I left my wallet at work"
"Ah! That's when you realised you couldn't get on the EL!" Abby laughed.
He chuckled with embarrassment and he then made eye contact with Abby, she gave him a little smile. "I came in the car, I need to get some gas, I guess I'll let you girls go and have fun"
"You bet!" Neela shouted
They arrive at the bar; the music was so loud they couldn't hear themselves think. Heavy Metal music was selected on the jukebox. The whole bar was pulsating with screeching guitars riffs.
"I'll get the drinks!" Susan shouted, "What you want?"
"I'll have a light beer!" Abby replied
"What?" Susan mouthed unable to hear her.
"A LIGHT BEER!" She yelled at the top of her voice.
"Neela?"
"Same Again!"
They got their drinks and walked to a table in the corner by the windows.
The music stopped after a crash of drums.
"Jeez… thank god for that!" Susan probing her finger in her ear.
The other two both laughed at her.
"Don't you like Heavy Metal Susan?" Abby asked, taking a swig of her beer
"No… I like Bon Jovi, Mmm he's sooo hot!"
"Bon Jovi is a rock band!" Neela laughed, "Talking of rock band, Benny's at the bar, I'll be back" She got up and headed to her friend.
"So Abby… what's it like having getting it on with Luka again?" Susan asked out of curiosity.
Abby almost choked on her drink "Sorry?"
"You heard me"
"Oh erm... ok" She grinned.
"Is that all you can say?"
"Susan!" Abby shouted looking shocked.
"I think it would be great if you two got back together"
Abby tried to ignore Susan's comment by watching Neela walking back to their table.
"That was Benny, Ray's friend"
"Oh is he in his band?" Susan asked
"Oh yes… I think he's cute!"
"I'm off to the ladies room." Abby rose up on her feet and headed to her destination.
Abby walked along the lobby to the ladies room. She felt a firm grip on her arm, then a hard yank that forced her whole body to be slammed against the wall. She lets out a yelp.
"What the f…!"
"You bitch! He knew there were something going on between you two" His hand still firmly gripping her arms.
"Eddie?" Abby gasped, she was shocked seeing it was Jake's brother; she met him at the Scanlon family christening. Her eyes were wide and staring.
"He knows why you've been avoiding him…"
Abby shook her head in confusion.
"What do you know? Has he been running to you crying cos I didn't give him 5 minutes of satisfaction?" She said in a sarcastic tone.
"He saw you kissing that son of the bitch!" Eddie snarled angrily.
Abby opened her mouth in exasperation. Eddie puts his face close to hers. His breath reeked of bourbon. Abby pulled her face in disgust and gritted her teeth trying to free her wrists pinned against the wall.
"Let go of me!" She begged, "Are you crazy? Jake and I not together anymore, why is he making a such a big deal about it, he needs to get a life!"
"I'll give you a big deal!" He threatened her and lets go one of her wrist. Eddie swung the back of his hand across her face.
"Ugh!" she yelped with her face looking away, wincing at the throbbing sensation on her jaw. She turned her face grimaced with pain to look at him "Bastard!"
Eddie hits her again. This time his ring on his hand catches the side of her mouth causing it to bleed. The stinging pain from the cut on her lip has made her eyes well up.
Abby cried. "Please let me go… I'll call the cops…"
Eddie backed off by letting go of her wrists. She was trembling with fear of not knowing what the drunken man would do next. He watched Abby rush off.
Abby entered the ladies room, stepped into a stall. Shuts the door behind her quickly and locked it. She leaned her back against it and tilted her head back closing her eyes. She relieved herself by blowing out air from her mouth and broke down in tears. After a few minutes Abby came out of the toilet, wiping her nose and walked to the wash area. She looked at herself in the mirror and leaned forward to inspect her wounds. She pulled down her bottom lip to see the deep cut where it had impacted against her teeth.
"Shit!" She opened her handbag and started to rummage inside it to get her make-up out. Abby pulled out a cigarette; her hand is shaking and struggled to light up. She saw herself again in the mirror and started cursing.
"Shit!" She put her hand on her forehead then slammed the palm of her hand on the mirror, the humiliation made her cry again.
Abby walked back to the bar. She stood on her toes to look over the crowd, to see if her friends still sat at the same place. As she makes her way to them, she nervously looked around for Eddie, no sign of him; he must have left…
"You want another drink?" Neela asked shouting over the loud music.
"Please" Abby nodded. "A brandy…" She was surprised they haven't noticed her face…