John walked out of the exam room, following a young woman to the front desk. "Okay, Mrs. Ramsey, you're discharged. Here's a prescription that I want you to get filled on your way home, all right? Take one every morning for the next ten days then follow up with your own physician first thing on Monday." He signed the chart and handed it to Frank.
"Thank you, Dr. Carter." The woman said.
John smiled as he saw Abby come in the bay door.
"You're very welcome." He gave her a pat on the shoulder and went to Abby.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, kissing her briefly.
Abby blushed. "Well, I figured you might be hungry." She held up a picnic basket. "I was hoping we could have lunch together." She smiled. John had already been on for 30 hours straight. Mark was gone and Gallant was playing the weekend warrior leaving them short handed. Abby couldn't think of a better way to spend her day off than having lunch with the man she loved and she was glad to see that John was happy to see her.
"Kerry, I need to take a break." He told his supervisor.
Kerry looked up from the computer, "Sure, Carter, why don't you take a few hours, we can page you if we need you. We'll be fine for a while and you've still got a long way to go."
" Hi, Abby." Kerry winked.
"Why don't we take a walk?" John suggested, thinking the lounge was the last place Abby would want to be.
"Sure." Abby smiled.
"Okay, give me a second." John kissed her quickly and went to take off his lab coat.
Kerry looked up at Abby. "He looks very happy."
"We both are, Dr. Weaver. It's so much more than I ever thought it could be," Abby admitted.
Kerry just smiled, "You two are good for each other. See if you can get him to rest for a while, will you? He did get a few hours early this morning but I don't think he's gotten much of a break since." Kerry said, much to Abby's surprise. Abby always knew that Kerry was overprotective of John and she just never expected to get her blessing.
"Frank, where the hell are my labs!" Kerry yelled, turning quickly back into Dr. Weaver.
John returned from the lounge, "You ready?" He asked.
Abby linked her arm in his, "Definitely." she chuckled.
Haleh looked on and smiled.
They walked silently, arm-in-arm to the park. Abby had worn a simple spring dress and sandals, which had caught John's eye one day when he was going through the closet soon after they had moved into the same room. He made a comment on how feminine the dress was and that he had only seen her in a dress on a very few special occasions. Abby had made a note to herself to try and wear it for him on an average day and today was just that.
"How's your shift going?" She asked as they reached their destination. Abby reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a small blanket.
"So far, so good." He smiled helping her spread the blanket. He'd been smiling since they'd left the hospital.
"You look awfully happy for a guy who's been working over 30 hours." She said, brushing her hair back.
"What's not to smile about? I'm in the middle of the park, about to have a picnic with the most beautiful woman out here," he said, getting comfortable. Abby knelt before him and began to take things out of the basket.
"I brought fruit, some roast beef and cheddar cheese sandwiches, some potato salad, a couple bottles of water and some of that pie we had the other night." She recited, pulling container after container out of the basket. John just laughed.
"You didn't have to go to all this trouble, Abby. Hamburgers would have been fine." He smiled, reaching for the plate she held out to him. She shook her head.
"Nope, I wanted to make sure you at least had one healthy meal in you during this never-ending shift. Go on, eat your sandwich." She urged, popping a grape in her own mouth. John obediently did as he was told.
As they ate, he told her about all the patients that had come in since she'd left that morning as well as follow up on a few she'd treated as well. Abby filled him in on all she'd gotten done around the house with cleaning and laundry, as well as picking up his dry cleaning. After they both finished eating, Abby convinced John to lay his head in her lap as they continued talking quietly, just enjoying their time together. It had been a while since they'd taken time outside the apartment, just enjoying each other as people. Soon, Abby could hear the change in his breathing as John slowly fell asleep under the afternoon sun. The day was breezy and Abby figured it was probably the best thing for him right now so she let him sleep.
Abby could not believe the love she felt for this man. As soon as she was able to admit that she felt something more than friendship, these powerful feelings of love and passion came boiling to the surface, surprising even her. She'd never felt this strongly about anyone or anything in her life previously and while it felt fantastic, it scared the hell out of her. Abby had thought that she'd been in love before. She had felt something for Richard and even for Luka but combined, they did not even compare to what she felt for John. As soon as they both broke down the walls they each had built up as protection, they discovered a deep, passionate, commitment type of love that neither had ever experienced at this level.
The best part of it all was the fact that she knew, really knew down in her heart that he felt the same for her. John Carter was totally head over heels in love with her, and it felt good to be loved. Abby knew she was the only one John saw. He was completely devoted to her and based on his past relationships, John would never do any of the things that Richard had done to her. If something were to happen to her, where for some reason they could no longer be together, John would not find the nearest blonde waitress and get her pregnant. John would never kill a man over her, or go beating anyone up. John would be the type that would be with her, supporting her through any troubled time. He wasn't someone who needed to prove his manhood or someone she needed to financially support. He could stand on his own two feet and she could be right beside him.
Of course John had his problems, but so did she. He would be going to New York to continue his therapy with Veronica in just a few days but he recognized that he needed to deal with things in his past. He was beginning to allow himself to come to terms with the things that haunted him and he no longer blamed himself for Lucy's death. He was growing emotionally and for that, Abby was grateful. She was also in a growth period, realizing she was still vulnerable and needed the support of others. Abby needed to release some of the control she always felt she needed to have in her life and learn to hand it over to those she trusted. She needed to learn how to let someone take care of her for a change, not the way Luka tried to protect her but someone who saw her as an equal partner, someone like John.
Abby watched his face, eyelids fluttering as he slept. She stroked his face with feather light touches, causing him to smile unconsciously. Off in the distance, she heard the sounds of children playing, of water rippling and then she heard the ambulances. Praying silently, she didn't want them to end this moment, a moment where she felt completely at peace. Then she heard it.
John's hand reached down to his pager, bringing it up so he could read the display. 'Shit,' He thought to himself. He looked up at Abby.
"I know, you have to go," she said, knowing they needed him. At least he had gotten some rest.
John sat up and looked at all the remains of their perfect lunch.
"Let me at least help you with this stuff," he said, standing slowly. His back was sore from the long hours.
Abby waved him off. "Go ahead. I'm going to stay for a while before heading home. Go on. They need you." She reassured him. John knelt in front of her, taking her face in his hands and kissing her deeply.
"You made my day, Abby. I love you," he stated, looking her directly in the eyes.
"I love you too, John. Now go save a life." She kissed him quickly before shoving him away. "Go already," she giggled, seeing his hesitation. John could see all the ambulances pulling up and he was torn. Finally, the doctor won. He began to head quickly back to the hospital.
"Abby!" He called from the edge of the park, walking backwards, watching her.
"What?" She yelled back, shading her eyes from the sun.
"I love you!" He yelled, smiling. Then he almost tripped as the curb surprised him.
Abby couldn't help but laugh. "Go to work, Dr. Carter." She yelled back. "I love you too," she said to no one but herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Late that evening, Abby made a very important phone call. She curled up on the couch and dialed the number.
"Hello?" A male voice answered.
"Brandon, hi, it's Abby," she said.
"Well, hello, Sugar. How are you?" He said, happy to hear from her. He'd gotten to know Abby during their visit and he truly liked her. He liked the fact that she was so strong willed and opinionated.
"I'm doing fine, Brandon. Actually, I'm in heaven thanks to you two." She smiled.
"Well, we just did some nudging in the right direction. How's John? Veronica told me about the sessions after I left. Some pretty hard stuff, huh?" he said.
"Actually, that's why I was calling. John's working a really long shift and I don't know if he had a chance to call Veronica before he went to work. Is she there?" Abby asked.
"I do believe that she said something about him coming up on Monday but hold on and you can talk to her. Hang on." Brandon said. Abby listened to them talking quietly in the background.
"Hi, Hon." Veronica said, taking the phone.
"Hi." Abby said, feeling comfort by hearing both of their voices. She'd become very fond of the couple and missed them greatly. "I guess John already called you," she said, happy that he'd made this step on his own.
"He called me Tuesday morning. He said he had a few days off and didn't want too much time to go between sessions," she explained.
"He has been talking a lot lately about Lucy and has finally come to the realization that what happened was not his fault," Abby said.
"Really? When did this happen?" Veronica sounded almost excited.
"Uh, maybe Wednesday. We got in a fight and he admitted it when he was apologizing. See, he'd been up all night Tuesday night while I was at work, he says with images running through his head. He was a mess. Anyway, we made up and he told me that he realized that there was no way for him to know that something like that would happen and he can't continue blaming himself for everything that goes wrong. That's good, isn't it?" Abby said.
"As good as the first time he admitted he was an addict and really believed it. Oh, Abby, this is very good. That means he's going to be more open to healing. I knew it was good news when he called but this is great," Veronica rambled.
"Veronica, how long will he be there?" Abby asked, trying to sound happy.
"Well, he said he's off until Thursday. Why, Honey?" Veronica asked.
"Because I miss him," Abby said, finally giving in to the emptiness she felt, what she'd been feeling for hours.
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Veronica asked.
Abby laughed. "Yes, Veronica. I am so in love with him it hurts being away from him." She laughed at how silly she sounded. She'd never felt like this. "I see him at work every day and I can't stand not seeing him. He's working until Sunday and I can't be with him. If he goes to New York on Monday, Veronica, I'll miss him so much," Abby admitted.
"Would it help if I taped the sessions and sent them home with him?" She offered.
"I think so. I just don't want to miss a single second of his life," Abby said.
"And, I'll make him call you every night," Veronica continued.
"I'm still working nights. Have him call me during the day."
"Every day, Honey," Veronica replied.
"Listen to me, I sound like I'm sixteen." Abby laughed.
"No, you just sound like someone who's very much in love."
"I have never felt like this before, Veronica. I mean, how can I feel this totally in love so soon?" Abby questioned.
"Soon?" Veronica exclaimed. "From what I understand, it's been building over a few years now. Sounds like he's talking more, too," Veronica observed.
"He is. He even let me make love to him the other day, you know, like Brandon does." Abby blushed even though no one could see her.
"Really? Oh, my, do tell, Dear," Veronica cooed.
"Well, it's a long story. Let John tell you, he has my permission. I don't want his relationship with you two to change just because of me, I mean, if it comes up. Man, listen to me, I'm babbling. Veronica, what I'm trying to say is that John needs you and Brandon and he needs the relationship you had. Don't let me change that, all right? I can't give him what you two can and he still needs that." Abby said nervously.
"You gave John permission to have sex with my husband?" Veronica teased.
"Well, not 'permission'." Abby laughed, embarrassed. "I just want him to know that it's okay if it's you two. I mean, I hope we don't lose that between us." Abby admitted.
"That does include you, I hope?" Veronica said seductively.
"I hope so." Abby smiled. "Maybe the next time I'm off, we can all get together," she changed the subject.
"Abby, we'll take good care of John, I promise."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abby arrived a few hours early for her shift Saturday night, hoping to spend some time with John. When she walked in, the whole place was quiet.
"Hey, Abby, you're early." Yosh said, seeing the bewildered look on her face.
"Where is everyone?" She asked, looking at the board.
"It's the lull after the storm. It's been crazy all day. We just cleared out an hour ago. I just hope it stays this way for you," he said, replenishing a supply cart.
"Uh, do you know where John is?" She asked. He pointed towards one of the exam rooms.
"Trying to sleep, he's totally wiped out. I don't think he's had a minute to stop all day. Luka finally told him to get some sleep. He sent him in there almost an hour ago." He explained.
"Thanks." Abby smiled.
After putting her stuff away in her locker, Abby stood outside the door to the exam room reading the note hanging on the door.
'By order of the Health Department. Do not wake. Precarious doctor inside!' was written on the note and she could tell it was Luka's handwriting. She smiled.
Abby quickly shut and locked the door behind her, the light causing the sleeping figure to stir. She let her eyes adjust to the darkness and slowly moved towards the sleeping body. Carefully, she sat on the edge of the bed, not wanting to startle him. She leaned in close, kissing his ear.
"John, it's me, Abby," she whispered. He stirred slightly. "Hey, Sweetie, I'm a little early and I'm going to crawl up beside you, okay?" She said, touching him on the shoulder. He scooted over a bit, letting Abby know he was slightly awake. She lay next to him as he cuddled her in his arms and kissed her with half open eyes.
"I thought it was just a dream," he mumbled sleepily.
"I hear you've been a grump," she smiled, brushing his eyes closed.
He shook his head. "Not a grump. An ogre," he smiled, nodding. "Not anymore. Now I'm all better," he said, nuzzling into her neck.
Abby smiled and felt him fall back asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Abby?" Yosh whispered loudly as he tapped gently on the door. Abby looked up.
"What?" She said, realizing she'd fallen asleep in John's arms. He was still soundly unconscious.
"Your shift starts in ten minutes. Don't want you to be late," he said.
"Thank you." Abby said, thinking it was just like Yosh to warn her. "I'll be right out." Abby turned to John's face and kissed him gently. He didn't even flinch so she carefully crawled out from his embrace and straightened her clothes. Right now, he needed sleep. They'd have plenty of time to share later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Carter!" Haleh called from the door, "Carter, get up!" She said a bit more forcefully. "Doctor Carter you need to wake up!"
Instantly awake, "What's up?" He asked sitting up rubbing his face.
"You're turn to play mobile doc. Got an explosion in a nightclub. You and Deb, on the roof, now!" She informed. John was up and running towards the elevator as everyone was preparing to receive mass casualties. Abby ran after him.
"John, here," She handed him his flight jacket and a supply box as Deb also carried supplies.
"Thanks," He bent in and gave her a quick kiss. She didn't know how he did it, to go from sound asleep to totally alert as he ran.
"Be careful, you two," Abby said as the elevator door closed.
"She was talking to you," Deb teased, buttoning up her jacket and smiling.
"I'm sure she meant you, too," he smiled, fastening his jacket. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his body, alerting every sense. The elevator came to a stop and they ran to the roof door. "Let's do this." He said, slamming open the doors, running behind Deb, his hand protectively on her back as they loaded up on the helicopter.
John fastened the seat belt, reached into him pocket, pulled out a roll of breath mints and popped one into him mouth.
Deb giggled at John's disheveled appearance as she strapped herself in next to John. She reached over and patted down a few stray hairs on his head.
"How bad does it sound?" Deb yelled to the medic on board.
"Ever seen alcohol and explosions mix well?" The pilot called back.
Deb and John braced themselves. This was going to be a long night.
To be continued……………
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