These Questions
Chapter 21 - Freezing Waters, Part One
"John," she said. Her voice lifted from the other room and reached him with impact. He was awaken from a sudden state of being held against.
"Abby," he said, his eyes still focused on the screen of the pager. They couldn't move. Paralyzed for an instant, he couldn't process anything but her voice. Then he shook himself and repeated, "Abby."
She came toward him, in a hurry. Her hair was gently lifting about her shoulders with the rhythm of her run. "What does yours say?"
He shook his head and looked up. "Emergency." He realized the fulfillment of the situation and said again, louder, "Emergency."
She nodded, worriedly. "Mine, too."
For a while, they sat there. They glanced to the pagers, then back up to the other's face. The room was still dark, traced by any anonymous luminescent glint of light, escaping through the windows around them. The light was suddenly flooded with a brighter light. He looked up to see her next to the switch by the door. She went to her room.
He fished around near the bed in the his recently allocated room for more of his clothes. He pulled on a cleaner shirt and snatched the pager from the nightstand.
"You think its something serious?"
He looked out over the view from the window. The streets were pale with the faint light of anything from the street. Silence, and eerie silence, blanketed the entire scene. Not a single figure walked the streets now. It was all a dream, it looked. His face was caught in a bare contrast. His skin glowed in the dark of the room. Hastily, he breathed out and clasped his hands together. Cold ran through his body, causing him to shudder.
"John?"
"Yeah," he said quickly, snapping back into reality. His eyes, frozen for a second, fell out of place as he turned to see her standing in the doorway. She had pulled on a quick ensemble, and was now adjusting her coat over her shoulders.
"Do you think," she said, "its something seriosu?"
He smiled goofily and looked out among the window's hold again. "I doubt it - "
"John," she said with her own phony smile. "Why would they call both of us this early?"
"It's not that early," he said, completely aware of the fact that it was indeed *that* early.
With a steady finger, she thrust her hand toward the clock on the nighstand. "See for yourself." She sighed and began to bring herself from the room. He didn't need to look. He followed her out into the room.
"Where's my coat?" he asked, searching the room frantically. His eyes were wide open.
"Chair," she said. Her voice was cautious. He knew she was in the same state he was. He didn't know why he was acting so oddly. Never before had he been so aroused by an event in the ER. This was different though. He felt something as soon as he read the label on the pager, a chill ran through him. Something else. This time was different than all of the others.
As he took his coat from the chair, her head came into view, appearing suddenly in front of him.
"Something's different about this one," she said, as if reading his thoughts. His hand covered his mouth and then slid it past his face. He breathed out and looked at her. Her face was eager for an explanation. She was depending on him right now. Whatever he said would be the truth to her.
"I think so," he said. His voice had a slight quiver, but he was careful to let it show. He was afraid to scare her. "It's unhealthy to get so little sleep in your condition." He was desperate to change the mood, so unsettled.
"It's my job," she said with a shrug. Her smile was swift, and stiff. It didn't last for long, though and soon she was near the door. He looked down to his feet and nodded as he began toward the door.
As soon as they were out the door, the cold hit them. It was the hallway, and then the outside, finally, that awakened them yet again. Neither of them talked as they made there way through a blank street's side. Their walk caught up with them before their minds. You could hear the whistle of traffic in the distance, but *they* couldn't hear anything but the sound of their breaths in the cold.
"I don't know why we're fretting," he said, but interrupted himself with a quick, shuddering sigh.
"Something's wrong," she insisted.
"Obviously - "
"No," she said, suggestively. Her eyes were openly darting around. "Something is wrong."
A burst of noise. The all too familiar scream of a siren near them. It was coming from somewhere. Somewhere close. It was leaning toward them, the feeling they always felt when it approached. But it was different, yet again. They whirred around together, in unison, to see the trail of vehicles streaming down the street.
He stared open-mouthed as they ran by them. Abby reached for his hand and turned him around abruptly.
"What the hell is going on?" Her voice was shaken.
He shook his head. He wanted to run to County. It wouldn't have taken a moment's thought if it hadn't been for Abby's condition. The cold was already enough for her.
"We're gonna find out," he said. "We need a cab. The L's too far away."
She nodded in agreement, biting her lip and running ahead to hail a cab. She beat the pavement with a frustrated foot. He joined her and held up his hand to gather attention from the drivers. One of the cars halted in front of them.
"County General Hospital," he shouted to the driver. He scooted Abby inside with one hand hurriedly, but gently. She didn't waste time getting in, and soon he joined her inside.
"The Mercy?" the man questioned. His voice was thick with a foreign accent. Exactly like nearly every other driver in Chicago.
"County, now!" he shouted. "Damn it, come on!"
Abby's look wasn't disagreeing with anything he was saying. She sat forward as did he, and waited for the hospital to come into view. The driver was carefully making his way through slow traffic.
"It's an emergency!" Abby shouted, speaking as close as she could to his head.
"Woman," he said, "are you having a baby or something?"
Carter rolled his eyes, subconsciously, but wasted no time in reality. "Just get there, damnit!" he cried. He pounded his fist on the divider and shrank back into his original position. He put his face into his hands and sighed before pounding on it again. "Come on!"
"I'm going as fast I can," he said.
"Get over there!" Abby yelled, referring to an opening in the thick mess of midnight streets.
"Go!" Carter agreed.
"Do you wanna drive?" the driver shouted, beating the wheel with a threatening fist.
He shook his head and grabbed Abby's hand. She looked up at him. "Forget it," he said. "Stop here." The driver agreed without thinking and cursed under his breath as Carter pulled Abby from the cab.
"What are you doing?" she yelled. "Are you insane? We can't get there - "
"Come on," he said through his teeth again. The snow was pouring through the sky now. Abby shivered, her hand acting alike within his.
"What are we going to do, John?"
He threw his hand to his face and wiped sweat from his forehead. "Just follow me."
He began to run, but stopped when he heard her, trying to catch up with her breaths. He bent down to her. "Should I carry you?"
She shrugged him off with a quick roll of her eyes. She walked over to the side of the street and put her eyes on a man coming toward his car. He opened his door, and looked up as Abby grabbed his hand.
"You have to take us to the hospital," she demanded with stern eyes.
"Excuse me?" the man said. "Do I know you?"
She shook her head violently and Carter came to her side. "There's an emergency."
The traffic was still visibly thick with the company of, literally, a dozen ambulances. He gestured toward the crowd of them, casting the red-blue glow about the scene.
"Who are you?" the man said.
"We need to get to the hospital."
The man rolled his eyes, swallowed and crossed his arms. "What are you a doctor or something?"
"Yes!" Carter shouted. The air was still, but shaken with the sound of his voice. "Now, come on! We need to be there."
The man shook his head, but proceeded to open the back door on their side for them. Abby mumbled a "thanks," and the man climbed into the door.
