These Questions
"What do you think?"
He stood up and walked over to the coffee pot. "You know, it never bothered me before, but now - "
The door opened suddenly. Chuny walked inside proudly and said, "Carter you have visitors."
He nodded. He looked toward Susan and repeated the action. Chuny smiled and exited as Carter started toward the door. He glanced Susan's way once more, spotting her frowning at her feet. When her head came up, he waited for her to leave the room while he held the door open. When she had wheeled out, he left at once.
He saw Abby with her elbows on the desk, the baby's carrier on the counter. She was holding a bottle somewhere into it. He couldn't see the baby; it was facing the other way. Chuny had already taken a position near the pair, as well as some of the other nurses. He ran a hand through his hair and found himself smiling at the sight of them.
"Cute kid," Romano cut in front of him. "No exception to completely cease work in the ER, paralyze our nurse's senses, and let you coo over the sight of a splendid family, but cute kid." He shoved a chart at his chest. "Get back to work. Come on."
"What are you doing down here?"
"Weaver's still up in the ICU, so I get to dilly dally down here for a while." He glanced over something in his hands, another chart. "Eh, you can take it."
He started to give this to Carter, but he shook his head and pushed it back toward Romano. "I told her I'd be up to see her this afternoon. How is she doing?"
He shrugged. "I've only been there once myself to sample some good old hospital food." He glimpsed at the papers in his arms and sighed. "She's doing better than we all saw her last."
Carter nodded. "Excuse me." He walked over to the desk. He stood behind the crowd of nurses formed around Abby and the baby to watch them for a while. The other nurses were talking about how he looked so calm and quiet. But Abby didn't seem to hear anything. She was smiling, almost shyly to the baby in front of her while she fed it. She tilted her head a little dreamily and ran a finger down his chin.
He approached the crowd closer, walking through the lot of nurses. They all smiled and greeted him, gave him knowing looks and started to disseminate around the desk area. He came up behind Abby, his eyes focused on her as she assisted their son, and rested his folded arms onto the counter on the other side of the carrier.
"Hi," he said simply. He straightened the blanket's cover around the infant's body and smiled at his result.
"Hey," she said quietly. "He started to cool down after you called, but I'd figured you'd missed him anyway." She laughed softly.
He chuckled a little, wavering slightly. "Hey, buddy," he said gently, placing a heavy hand on top of the baby's head and rubbed his thumb over the small of fuzz that had taken its place. "I think he's already getting bigger." He continued to stroke his skin lovingly, watching him for any movement. Then he shifted his stare toward Abby, still housing the smile he had caught while standing in the doorway of the lounge.
"That's what some of the nurses were saying." She breathed out and looked back over to him. For a moment, they watched each other, the same parented smile on their lips, until she sighed again. "Could you hold this? I need to go use the restroom."
"Sure," he offered at once, breaking the lock between them reluctantly. He looked down at the baby and took the bottle from her hand. They shared another quick smile before she walked off, Carter's eyes following her for an instant.
His head turned back to the baby. He stubbornly moved his little body, clearly noting that he wasn't hungry. Carter laughed to himself and pulled the bottle from his lips. Setting it on the counter beside them, he took the blanket wrapped around him and dabbed the corner's of his mouth. The baby smacked his lips quietly and balled two fists. Opening his eyes he searched around the sides of his host.
Carter placed a hand on his head again and lulled him to sleep. When he finally closed his eyes, he caught Abby standing behind him again.
"Asleep already?" she asked, surprise.
He nodded. He looked up to her and recognized how heavy her eyes were. He had said it to himself a million times, but she looked so dark now.
"You look tired," he said kindly.
"Thanks," she answered, re-wrapping the cloth around him.
"I mean it," he reminded her, pulling her chin up. "We should get some help."
"If we can't do this with one of us at home," she pointed out, "then how are we going to do it while both of us are working?"
She's right, he thought. He nodded again and scratched the back of his head. "So, you're saying that we'll get used to it?"
She smiled proudly, satisfied. "Exactly."
"I guess you're right," he sighed. He looked at her face again, closer this time. They were standing three inches apart, he guessed, when he traced the side of her face with his finger. "I wish you'd get more sleep, though."
She closed her eyes for a second. He wondered why. She opened them in a second and shook her head slightly. "But when you look at him, you get a sense that it's worth it."
He nodded, still captivated by the sight of her face. He wanted to get closer to her. She stepped closer to him before another thought entered his mind. However, *one* thought still lingered sharply, deeply. He waited for it to finalize.
The baby beside them began to whimper, and any thoughts from before were lifted. Abby stood in her same position as Carter looked over to the source.
"Malik," he whined. "He was just starting to go to sleep."
--
"You're a great mother."
She laughed. Shutting the refrigerator door, she moved toward the table where the two of them sat. "Where did that come from?"
He shrugged. "I don't know."
She watched him, almost suspiciously. "Thanks, though. It's good to hear. I didn't know what I'd be like after what I went through with my mother."
She frowned unto the baby's hold, playing leisurely with the blanket once more.
"Um," she started, "Haleh offered to watch her one night. If that was alright. I figured we could both use a break, you know. Not right away, maybe, but it was nice of her to suggest."
"Mmm-hmm," he nodded. "I think that would be okay. You?"
She laughed, "Sounds good to me. I have a feeling it'll be hard to tear myself away from him. I always thought it was funny that someone could want to be this close to a baby when they're known to be so exhausting, but he... he matters, you know?"
Carter nodded, these thoughts echoing his. "I know exactly what you mean."
Squinting, she cocked her head to the side. "Really? You feel that way."
"Sure I do," he reasoned, sliding closer to the two. "I can't believe it either."
"You can't believe it?"
"Yeah."
She adjusted her body in the chair, rather uncomfortably and propped her hands under her chin. "Can't believe what?"
He watched her do this all and shook his head. "Never mind."
She smiled, wider. "No, what did you say?"
He shrugged. "Never mind."
She watched him frown toward the table's surface for a minute or two before turning he glance the same. They sat together for a second, contemplating the wood's maze glaring back toward them. All the while, they exchanged uncomfortable glances back and forth, hoping the other wouldn't notice.
Abby breathed out awkwardly, splitting the cover of quiet at once. "He looks like you," she said. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She caressed one of the infant's soft, put cheeks before looking back at his father.
Carter, gladly accepting the break in the unsettled atmosphere, smile her way. "You think so?" He pretended to answer sincerely, but was caught off guard by something glittering in her eyes. Not like a tear, but a feeling. It drew him closer to her.
She seemed mesmorized by the same gleam his way. She nodded, never daring to depart from this mystic stare.
Without either of them coming to and realizing, they inched together. They were closing the gap between them, smiles slowly fading. In sync, each of their eyes began to seal shut as their breathing intensified. Neither felt any of the laughter and talking from the other side of the door. Stuck in the moment of the two alone, they breathed harder. With each breath, a million of unspoken, but long spoken emotions crashed together. Each with a wave of want, they spread to form a cloud about their bodies, furthering the need for the other. It pulled them yet closer together until it was fully wrapped.
Carter didn't want to open his eyes. He wasn't thinking of anything but Abby. He arched his neck slightly, slowly. Far away, he felt Abby's hand touch his as it rested on the table. Their lips would meet in less than a second.
The door burst open, tearig them apart instantly. Chuny came inside, informing them of a trauma just three minutes out. Multiple MVA. He nodded toward her as she stepped out of the room. He looked back at Abby, who was now glaring at her shoes. He stood and leaned into the baby's carrier. Giving him a simple kiss atop his head, he turned to Abby.
"I'll see you later."
She nodded. She smiled, funnily filled with half of an unknown emotion. "See you."
[Part 34]