These Questions
Chapter 27 - Freezing Waters, Part Seven
"Abby," he said, seeing her as she collapsed into the chair next to his. He went to her side, worried but not showing it. He took her hand and whispered near her hidden face in her hands, "Abby, are you having contractions?"
She shook her head immediately, violently.
"Yes," he said. "Yes you are. Do you really want to put your baby in jeopardy like this, Abby? You know its not good for him."
"A little longer won't do anything," she insisted.
"Abby," he argued gently, "you're a nurse. You can't be this stupid."
"Its just pain," she said. "Nothing more, nothing less."
He grabbed her shoulders as she began to sink into the cushion. He eased her against him and stood her up.
"Oh, my God," she said.
"What?"
"It just hurts," she said. "I knew it would, I just never thought it would hurt this much - "
It was stupid of her to hold on like this. "Abby, no one is going to ask for your help when you're like this. You've done enough work for today. Believe me, you did an amazing job today. Amazing."
She shrugged. "It isn't fair for him is it? The baby?" She didn't wait for his answer and started to the door, holding her back. "I know it isn't. I don't want him to get hurt."
He nodded and helped her out of the room.
"I'll call upstairs and book a room in the OB," she said, beginning toward the desk. "Wish me luck," she added with a laugh. She made her way cautiously to the telephone, wading through the mess in front of the desk.
"What? No, why I can't I go with you?"
"You don't wanna go," she laughed. "And they need you down here."
"Weaver's up," he pointed out. "They're fine. I want to be with you." He shook his head. "I want to be there for you."
She looked at him. Complete desire flooded his own eyes as he watched her breathe slowly.
"Okay," she said with a shy smile. "You don't mind?"
"I want to," he said. Of all moments, this was the time they were sharing that glance. The glance that had held them one too many times together. He suddenly felt awkward in the midst of the pleasure, and fished himself from it. "For your sake, I mean."
She shook her head. "They *need* you," she said. She picked up the phone at the desk and dialed the OB extension at once. She smiled at him, closed her eyes to deal with the pain and began speaking too quietly for him to hear. Her expression was a nervous one, and he knew that it was more of the situation at County then what was about the happen to her.
He just looked at the floor. He surveyed the collection of staff they had down in the ER now. Corday, Romano, Gallant, Pratt, a disturbing Weaver and a few more. They were secure here, right?
She hung up the phone. "Delivery room 206," she said with a suggestive smile. "See you later. Come by and visit us - "
"Abby," he said, "quit it. I'm going in there with you. Please?" He grabbed her arm gently, to reason with her. "Would you be uncomfortable or something - "
"No," she said. "Its just, um," she shook her head and pushed away. "Yeah, um, they need you down here."
"They're fine, Abby." He reached her again and pulled her around. He held her shoudlers and looked into her eyes to persuade her. "We've been floating nurses and gathered doctors from the ICU, OR and, like, everywhere else."
She breathed out and closed her eyes. "Okay," she said. "If you feel that you really want to do this - "
"I do," he interrupted her. "Let's go."
What should have been a minute's walk to the elevators had turned into a ten minute fight through ER's own mess of hell. The shouting of all patients, nurses, doctors and even heart monitors was overwhelming. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Abby to walk. He held her hand and at one point draped her arm around his shoulders to give her more support.
An explosion rocked the floor they stood on. Abby shook and almost fell against him, but like Carter, took her balance on a nearby gurney. Her head and his snapped around, to the main entrance near the desk.
There was a fire roaring from the doors. It had swallowed the entire opening in acute flames. He looked back to Abby and squeezed her shoulder before running off toward the doors.
"Carter!" she screamed.
Everyone around him was shouting ihs name, or shouting at one another. They had all noticed the sudden blaze, foreign standing in the doorway. He was rushing to it, as firefighters and paramedics already stationed inside pondered its appearance.
"Carter," Chuny shouted.
He saw in the midst of the fire a figure. Someone lying on the floor, between the set of doors. He searched the fire for nothing in particular. He swallowed, heard Abby's voice again behind him as he leapt into the flames.
"Carter!" she gasped.
It was a blur. A red-orange blur that stung his skin and burned his eyes. In one swift movement, he caught the apparent child on the ground and carried him roughly to the lobby.
The face was charred, as was his clothes, but the boy was a child. His clothes were blackened sadly, stained with gray. He squeezed his eyes together to relieve the heat from his body and the sharp, annoying pain in his eyes.
He placed the boy on the floor, a few safe meters away from the entrance. Abby rushed to his side, and hugged his neck, attempting to look into his eyes. But Carter was distracted by the boy in front of him.
"Carter," Abby said, "Oh, my God, Carter."
"What's going on?" Gallant said, running to them. "There was an explosion."
"This kid was in the doorway when it happened," Haleh said. She motioned over to the firefighters by the doors. "While they just stare at the fire," she rolled her eyes, "should we move the rest of the patients into the hallways, away from the fire?"
He nodded, checking the boy for any signs of life, which he highly doubted. "Get them over in the trauma hallways, there are still some openings in the exam romms over there. Curtain areas are bigger if we get rid of the curtains, Haleh." He became frustrated with the boy's shirt and ripped it open. He placed a hand under the top and onto his chest. Then to his neck.
"Whoa, wait a second," Carter said.
"What?" Abby asked, showing concern in her eyes.
"This kid's alive," he said. He listened closer to the child's face and nodded. "He's breathing. He's barely there, but he's breathing. We need to get this kid in a trauma!"
Abby nodded and waved to the nearest person. Pratt rushed to the child's side. Carter instructed him on the situation, although it was hardly necessary. Seeing as everyone had noticed Carter's heroic measures.
Pratt was listening to Carter's directions as Abby ran to his side. She grabbed his arm, to which he responded by giving her a questioning look. He demanded an answer to his behavior by the way he looked at her.
"That's a bomb, Carter!" she shouted. There was a gasp as she gestured to the belt on the boy's waist.
[Part 28]