No word from Luka. He was gone. He'd totally disappeared from Abby's life. He wondered if that was what was bothering her lately. Maybe she really did love Luka. He was bothered by this fact, obviously, but there were worse things to take into consideration.
The fact that Abby would be left unhappy, for instance.
He was sitting at the admit desk at County when the idea came to him. He was still bothered by Luka, as always, but didn't let it stand in his way of anything he knew he should do.
"Carter," Kerry called, rounding the corner into Chairs. "We have three MVAs on the way. One DOA."
"Can you get someone else?" Carter asked, tossing the donut he had been munching on into the trash near his feet. He took a strong thumb and wiped the frosting from his lips, then dusted his hands on his upper legs. "I have to be somewhere now."
"Should have told me earlier," Kerry replied, coming near the desk now readying to answer a phone. "We barely have enough to cover two traumas."
"Are you sure?" he asked, making his way over to her before she picked up the receiver. "I really need to do something - "
"Come on, Carter," she said. "This should only take twenty minutes if it goes smoothly."
He grunted against his hand, out of her earshot. She had already been conversing with the party on the other line. He made his way to the lounge, to quickly change into scrubs. He didn't know why the decision had crossed his mind. Was a doctor more "doctorly" in scrubs? He'd always figured so.
Throwing the stethoscope, the all-too common tool, around his neck again, he made his way to the front of the lounge again. He turned as he adjusted the collar of his shirt to his comfort and saw Abby's name printed on the door of her locker. He smiled to himself as he stepped out of the door.
"MVAs, Carter," Susan said. "You ready?"
"Yeah," he said. "Let's go."
She nodded with a smile. "How's Abby?"
He looked down at her hands as she slipped him a pair of gloves. He mumbled a 'thanks' and continued. "Medically speaking, she's fine."
"Medically speaking?" Susan raised her eyebrow.
He pulled on the second glove expertly. Was it part of being a doctor? One of the many talents, perhaps. Pulling on gloves quickly. "Yeah. Otherwise, I'm not so sure."
Susan's eyes didn't dare meet his as they fell to the ground. Carter sensed her care to listen at once and followed it.
"I wish she wouldn't be so distant," he said, recognizing the same feeling that had rushed through his heart and mind every time he was around Abby. "I mean, she's my best friend. I don't know why she can't tell me what's wrong."
Susan nodded. "You think its something serious?"
"Could it be?" Carter asked, his face meeting hers. His eyes were deepened to a frown.
"Calm down," she assured. "I'm just saying it might be. Have you talked to Luka?"
"Luka doesn't talk, he assaults," he said, upset.
"But he wouldn't do that to Abby," she pointed out. "Because he loved her."
"How would you know that?"
"Everyone knows that Luka loves Abby and Carter loves Abby." She looked up at him with a smirk.
"Susan," he said, seriously, "do you think Luka could have really done something to her?"
She shrugged, setting aside her previous point. "It just doesn't seem like something he would do - "
"Why wouldn't he?" Carter said firmly. "He was upset because they broke up. She probably didn't even tell him that she was having his baby. I don't know what part I played in this, but he was also pissed at me."
"So," Susan said, piecing things together, "he's just upset that he isn't with her. He wanted to go out with a bang or something at the end of his stay in Chicago." She paused. "Why would he do that, though?"
"Because he's always been jealous of Abby and I together."
"But you've never been together," she corrected him.
"Yes," he said, "but there was always the possibility before, and he knew it. After they broke up." The thought stung him. There *had* been a possibility -
"Right," she reasoned. "So, you think he would just go after Abby then?"
He shrugged now. "I don't know."
They stood in silence outside for a minute. Carter hadn't even noticed their walking toward the ambulance bay until they were standing on the pavement.
"You think he raped her?"
Carter didn't hesitate to turn abruptly to her. His face was dimmed with a stinging frown as he questioned her with his eyes. Anger from out of nowhere ran through his veins and took control of his body, sending his conscience into a bitter state unknown.
"What?"
"Carter," she said gently, "I'm just suggesting. It might be something."
It could be something, he thought. That was what had been wrong with her! How could he have missed it?
"Do you think?"
"She's never been more damaged, Carter, according to you." She crossed her arms. "Is she bad?"
"Never seen her this bad," he stated, now turning to the ground for comfort. Comfort that he would never find, to be honest. Invisible serenity, if at all possible. "He raped her."
"Huh?"
"I knew it," he said, through his teeth. "He hurt her, he *raped* her, and he ruined her with this. Bastard!" He screamed this and kicked the ground.
"Whoa, Carter, you don't know anything - "
"What else could it be?" he asked, staring at her. "What else, Susan? The son of a bitch went and ruined everything that could have ever happened between us, but more importantly, he killed her Susan. He *killed* her!"
"Carter, please - "
The ambulance rolled into the bay, finally. The familiar shouts and sirens grew amongst the two and a few of the other staff as they raced to help. Their usual job.
Carter was still lost.
"He did it," he said, repeating his thoughts to himself. He shouted them aloud, causing everyone around him to flinch. He started to pull of his gloves. Just as quickly.
"What are you doing, Carter?" Susan shouted over the noise. "We need you! Where are you going?"
"Away from here," he said.
"Carter," she said again, "you can't be sure of anything."
He stopped in his tracks. She was right, maybe. Perhaps he couldn't be sure. Reluctantly, he would set this concept aside. Painfully, but he could manage for a while.
"You're right," he said. "But I still have to leave."
"Damn it Carter!" Susan shouted again, before turning into the ER .
He shot down the street. He ignored everything in those minutes. The sweat, the pain, the strain. His feet his the pavement with such force, he could barely feel them anymore. He didn't care, though, as he threw his head back and gritted his teeth together and only ran faster.
Dark haired man standing against the wall.
Carter stopped.
As soon as he saw him, they shared their showdown stares. Again.
"Luka," he said. "I thought you were leaving."
"Carter," Luka said, not taking the time to pull the newspaper away from his face.
Pathetic, Carter thought.
"What do you want?" Luka asked, bringing a danish to his mouth.
"I have a few questions to ask you," he said.
"No time." Luka went on, treating himself to more of the danish.
"I think you do," Carter said, pulling the newspaper down a bit to see his face as he came closer.
"Do you really want to mess with me, Carter?"
"Are you trying to scare me?"
Luka's lips were formed into a straight impression. "What in the hell do you want?"
Carter sighed and ran a hand through the back of his hair. "Abby's not the same."
"What do you mean?" he asked, bringing the paper back up. "Of course she isn't."
"Did you rape her?"
The question was sudden, and it hit Luka. He saw his face go tightly pale and then redden with anger.
"What kind of a question is that?" he stormed. He threw down the paper with the danish curled inside. "You think I would do that to her? I am not the damn devil, Carter. The only person I want to hurt here is you - "
"She's dead!" he screamed. "What you did to her killed her! She doesn't talk to me, and when she does, its nothing! She doesn't want to smile. She barely accepts a hug from me."
"Leave her alone, then," he said. He pushed Carter against the wall that he had been against. "Stay away from her."
"So you can go back to her?" he said, with a phony smile. It disappeared as he shoved Luka away furiously. "She needs me, and I need her. She's depending on me now. If anyone."
Luka didn't say anything. He was still upset, breathing heavily.
"I thought maybe you were what she needed," he said. "But I guess I was wrong."
"Screw you, Carter!" he shouted as Carter turned to walk away.
