These Questions
Chapter 26 - Freezing Waters, Part Six
Dr. Carter," the walkie buzzed. It was Abby.
"Abby?"
"What do we do with out casualties?" she said.
-
"She's out," Abby said when he came near her. "We couldn't get her inside, so this is what happens. We *need* to get these people inside, Carter."
"I'm working on it," he said. He turned to the doors to see everyone pretty much working to follow his instructions. "Look at that!"
Abby turned to the door as well. "Thank God. Help me with some of these," she said.
They each took a gurney to their side and pulled it through the doors, then went back to get more.
Halfway on their third round, Abby stopped with a groan.
"Abby?"
Her eyes were closed, as she stooped over herself in the middle of the lot. She stood up, obviously uncomfortable and tried desperately to shrug it off. "Sorry - "
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she insisted. "Come on."
"Abby," he said, "the baby."
"I'm fine, Carter," she said. "Let's go."
She was ahead of him as he nodded. He picked up the walkie and held it to his mouth. "Are all of Sacred Heart's ambulances on their way?" he asked as he and Abby headed back to the ER with their gurneys in hand. There were only a few left now outside.
"Every one of them," the man on the other side shouted back. "But Mercy's dying."
"What?" he asked.
"I said," the man fuzzed through, "that Mercy? It's gone. Blew up four minutes ago. ER, ICU -"
Carter didn't listen to the rest. He saw Abby looking at him, not believing what she'd just heard. She focused her gaze on him a little while longer, until she became aware of the gurney behind her. She moved toward it to carry it to the ER, but on her way, she stopped to speak to Carter.
"We just had a few more casualties," she remarked, referring fiercely to the patients they'd sent to Mercy. "Who in the hell blows up hospitals?"
Carter shook his head in his hand. He helped Abby take the gurney to the doors, but again she stopped.
"Abby, what is it?
"Nothing," she stammered. "I tripped."
He looked at her, knowing it was a lie. But she nodded, indicating that he continue his work. They stormed through the ER with the last gurney.
It was a mess inside. Everything was being thrown around and people were shouting at every volume. It was impossible to hear anything anyone was saying. There were five nurses shouting into phones at the desk for more supplies.
Abby doubled over again and cried out.
Carter pulled Chuny over and told her where to go with the gurney quickly. He went over to Abby, but again, she held her hand in the air. "I'm fine, Carter. Must have been something I ate - "
"Oh, God, Abby," he said. "It wasn't something you ate. You can't be here."
"Yes," she said, straightening herself out. "I want to be here."
"You okay, Abby?" someone shouted.
"Yeah," she answered, to nobody. "Come on, Carter. Let's go."
The TV was on in the corner, distracting nobody for a second, but it caught Abby's eye. She pulled Carter's arm and pointed to the screen. Mercy was in flames with hundreds of people running around outside. Everyone there was crying, shouting, or going crazy. Literally.
"Carter," Jerry said from behind.
He turned around with Abby to see Jerry running toward them as fast as he could. "Jerry."
"Sacred Heart's gone, too," he said.
"What?" Carter screamed. "You aren't serious!"
Jerry nodded.
"What the hell," Abby began, but looked down to cut off her own thoughts.
"Oh, my God," Carter said. "Well, are they all coming here?"
Jerry shook his head. "DuPage Medical Center outside of Bloomingdale, a suburb."
He nodded. "Thank God." He looked down to the tile. All of the other times he stared at it, he'd focused on the yellowing spaces, and tonight he did the same. A cold hand ran down the back of his hair, and it took him a second to realize it was his.
The noise was starting to die down as things became more settled. While there were still ambulances arriving from Mercy, staff from other parts of the hospitals and even some survivors from a few of the other hospital staffs were helping out. Carter was excused along with a few nurses to "take a much needed break." Abby, however, even in her condition was assisting with incoming patients.
He'd walked to the lounge, where it was thankfully empty. He sighed aloud, and buried his face into his hands. The world was spinning, and he couldn't feel what he was standing on. Without witnessing the entrance, there was already a hand on his shoulder.
"Dr. Carter," she said.
"Hey, Chuny," he said, attempting to sound casual, but coming out too tensely. She smiled warmly toward him and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Crazy, isn't it?"
She nodded. "Insane," she said, looking into space. With his head hung, he knew she was watching him. She sighed and said, "Abby's pregnant; I don't know why they're making her work now. I'd be happy to swap my break with her if you want to be with her now."
"What?"
She shook her head as he looked up at her. She smiled and said, "I know there's something between you two. Don't care what you say, Carter, it's there. And it'll be there; you'll see." He just stared at her. "I'll go get her."
"Chuny," he said, standing, "thank you."
She nodded. "No problem."
The door swung shut and again he was waiting in silence. His feet pointed directly to nowhere and he was now aware of how sore they were. He bent down to them and pressed them, as if to release the pain through pressure. Again, he sighed and crossed his arms across his chest as he brought himself back to level.
"Hey," a soft voice sounded from the front of the room. She was smiling, with her hands resting on her round stomach. She looked down at it, then back to him. "How are you?"
"How do you think?" he laughed. But, again, the laugh was store-bought. It wasn't real. The only raw emotion in between them was the one they couldn't recognize. She frowned and nodded. "I'm sorry," he said, "I-I'll just be in a better mood when this is all over."
She nodded again. "Almost all of our patients are stable, and we're not getting anymore from Mercy," she sighed. "So every patient we have as of now all the patients we'll have. From this crisis so far."
"So far?" he asked, his head bowed. It was definite fear talking now. But, he was John Carter. Right now, every doctor, nurse and patient was looking to him right now in the ER.
She sat down on the couch and glided over to him. She rested a hand on his, then kpiled another onto the given heap. She sighed and reached up to take his face. He looked at her, and she stared right back. Faces inches from the other, she whispered, "We aren't next are we?"
It was like the moment of truth. But, the *truth* was that he had no idea. She knew it, but she was looking to him. He had to help her. And no matter what he said, it wouldn't work for anyone. But there was something about Abby. No matter what he said, he knew it would work for her.
"I don't know what's gonna happen with County," he said, with a sigh.
Still with her head an inch away, she bowed her head and closed her eyes. He quickly lifted it again and brought her stare to his. She looked at him with surprise and watched him hopefully.
With a brush of his thumb against her cheek affectionately, he said, "But we, me and you - we're gonna be fine."
She held her eyes to his, taking in everything in such a small amount of time. He wouldn't take his eyes away until she did. He vowed then.
With her eyes closed, she leaned into his chest. He didn't know what to do, and before he could realize it, he instinctively took his arm around her. He stroked her back and hugged her lightly.
[Part 27]