"I'm going to breakfast. I mean if Luka's trying to kill me, I'd rather eat someplace else." Replied the irritable and starved doctor as he ignored the car that crept up on him at a slow crawl.
"Get in the car, Carter. You can't walk all the way into town.. It's too far John." Abby yelled at him from the back seat.
"With now knowing that *you* are in the car. It makes my decision much easier. I'd much rather walk, thank you." Carter replied coldly as he stomped off into the ditch to further himself from the vehicle.
"Cut the crap. You and I both know there's no IHOP in Zagreb.. No Denny's. Why torture yourself over a little death-threat!?" Mark grinned, sticking his head out the window like a stunned dog. "Come on! Come back to the house. Elizabeth is a whiz with the microwave.!"
Carter groaned, plopping down in the marshy grasses. "Dr.Greene.. Drizslav didn't own a microwave."
The older gentleman started to moan hysterically. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnooooooooooooooooo!! NOoooooo! Elizabeth cooking.. Without the aid of a microwave? That's.. It's... It's dangerous.."
Mark's histrionic moans were cut short by Elizabeth's swift hand upside his head. "OWwwww.. Beth! Ow! What was that for?!"
Carter snickered. "Yeah.. Well.. I know when I'm not wanted. You guys went on a road trip, didn't include me. I sleep through WW3 downstairs and now I'm going to breakfast by myself. If anyone has a problem with that.. Then tough."
"Carter!!!!!!!! Don't be an idiot! Get in the damned car!" Carol said worriedly. It had been over two years since the stabbing, but nobody ever really fully recovered from something like that. Nobody was ever 100% again and here he was intent on walking almost thirty miles in the scorching heat. Carter wasn't even in that fit to begin with, stabbing or not. He wasn't in shape enough to be walking alone on a dirt road in the middle of no-where.
"Even if I wanted to, which I don't. Where would I sit? Strapped to the roof? No way.. No thanks." He snapped angrily, stomping off.
"Carter.. Man. Get back into the car." Peter called after him as he looked back at Abby. "Take the car. Take them back to the farm. I'll get out here.. I'll go after him, bring him back." He sighed heavily, pulling the car onto the shoulder.
"No.. It's my fault.. I'll go." Abby replied, watching Carter disappear behind a hill.
"Well.. .SOMEBODY GO!" Elizabeth yelled angrily as Carter vanished over the horizon. Abby stumbled from the car and slammed the door behind her.
Scrambling to her feet, she ran down the road, hearing the car being put into gear and driving off the shoulder. What was Peter planning? Was he going to flatten her onto the road while he had the chance. "Carter! John, wait please! Don't walk away from me.. Stop please.." Abby called out, pleading with him.
"Why? Why did I even come? Might as well have stayed at home with the ER nursery brats.. What? The Ross kids?? The Greene kids?? You really wanted to stay home with Reese Benton? I don't think so.. Carla would have smothered you to death with those silicone blimps she has stuffed in her dress. Besides.. You *KNOW* that's why we left Cleo and Romano behind. They're not much good for anything else.. Although I don't know if I'd trust Cleo to watch *my* kids." Abby grinned.
Carter sighed, continuing to walk, a slower pace this time, but he was starting to think.. Starting to remember.. That scare.. the pregnancy test, Abby freaking out in the lounge.. Hoping that Luka wouldn't come in.. Having to hide the damn piss covered plastic stick in his locker when Kovac suddenly appeared. Her kids.. Her and Luka's damn kids.. It had been close.. But the test was negative.. The dot had been orange.. Not the destined colour of yes or no.. but it was definite enough for Abby to get hormonal and stomp up to OB and get a real test done. That one had been negative. He remembered the few months past with Abby and the 'pregnancy', Luka out cold on the floor from shock. He'd also chuckled at the time, but it was still apparent to himself that despite Kerry's 'talk' with him.. The assurance that albeit the number of fights the two of them had on a regular basis, that Luka and Abby were indeed a couple.
As the two of them walked, in unison, one foot after the other, they heard Peter peeling away in a cloud of dust. They turned, watching as the beat up station wagon disappeared behind a hill and vanished into the distance.
"Why does we head back John? It's getting hot and we're getting further from the farm." Abby said anxiously.
"That's the point, isn't it? To get away from it? I'm not going back. I don't want to go back. I don't even want to be walking with you.. I mean.. If you want to go back, go ahead. If he knew I was here with you, walking with you.. You know he wouldn't like it. So, go back to him. He probably thinks I'm trying to steal you away from him again.
Abby sighed, the remnants of memory flooding back. It seemed ages ago that Luka had nearly tied Carter in knots.. Literally. It seemed like years.. It was years, but it still surprised her, even now, that Luka had been so insecure with himself.
***
"Y-you stay away from her! Stay away from Abby.. She is mine.. Your intentions are not honourable. She does not want to see you any more!!" Luka growled angrily, grabbing Carter by the front collar and slamming him up against the rough brick of the outside County walls. "STAY AWAY!"
"L-Luka... She's a friend. That's all.. We're just friends." Carter winced as the fist slammed into his mouth. Licking his lips, and tasting the blood, he ducked as the fist came at him again, hands grabbing him around the neck and pinning him to the wall.
"FRIENDS!?" Luka said crazily. "Carol and *I* were friends. My intentions were NOT honourable. I'm going to have to-" He growled, enraged.
"Easy there Killer.." Romano said mockingly, as he appeared, sliding himself in between the two men. "Go back inside Kovac. Your shift starts in five minutes. I don't want to have to fire you for being late."
Sullenly, Luka let go of Carter's shirt and stomped back inside through the ambulance bay, leaving Carter with Romano.
"T-thanks.." Carter said shakily. "He was going to-"
"Rip you a new asshole?" Romano queried. "I know. I watched the whole thing.. I tried to utilize the rules of documentary.. and let nature run it's course, but to see your pretty face in jeopardy. That was pretty careless of you, don't you think? Isn't he unstable?"
"Unstable?!" Carter scoffed. "Something like that. Thanks again, Dr.Romano."
***
Abby sighed, Romano had shoved that in her face, every chance he got. "Hey... Crabby.. Did I tell you I caught Loverboy trying to kill one of my residents?" - "Hey.. Lockfart.. Is Lucky still trying to go around killing people? He should really learn to cut down. He's already raise the mortality rate for all of my Trauma Rooms. I don't need it in my staff rooms. Tell Dr.Death to chill out. Love not War." The Chief of Staff hooted with laughter, leaving her standing there, mouth gaping and her mind unable to calculate a proper response.
How dare he make these sorts of remarks. He didn't know Luka. He didn't know what the man had been through. Neither did I. Abby reasoned to herself. At least not back then.. Now.. Now a couple months in Croatia had opened her eyes. The ripped photo of Daniejla still safe in her purse, the baby picture of Luka's son, tucked neatly and protectively in his wallet, beside the picture of his daughter. Not to mention the reconciliation of Nikola and Luka.
Finding Dave and Kerry in bed had certainly been a shocking experience. To find them together was a bit of a shock to everyone's system, but not entirely surprising. Kerry had spent the last few years in her own little fog, closed off with everyone. She'd taken the break up between her and Kim quite hard. It was months before she was seen at work again with a pleasant expression. Dave had bought her a bouquet as a birthday present. After getting ribbed by Malik and the gang, Dave insisted it was just kissing ass, just getting flowers for the boss. It wasn't until a few months later that the shit hit the fan when Mark didn't get flowers for *his* birthday.
"Abby!?" Carter stopped on the road and stared back at her as she day dreamed. "Abby are you coming or not!?"
She looked up from the dry pack of dirt, she'd spaced out on. "Carter, can I ask you something?"
He winced. This wasn't good. Even by her tone, the way she averted her eyes from his... Something was fishy. "Ask away.."
"Why'd you come, John? You know Luka and I.. he wants to get serious.
He wants to get close, but feels threatened by you. He doesn't think you
can be trusted. Furthermore, money .. if Luka knew I was alone out here,
with you." Abby sighed. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad. You are the
one who pushed me when I wanted to quit. You're what makes me different
from Hathaway. I'm not just a nurse anymore.. I'm an intern.. You
did that, John. I'm not a 'wanna-be' anymore... I'm a doctor.. You're the
reason I have Dr. on my nametag now. Thank you, Carter.
*******
"Look, 'Lizbeth! COWS!!!!!!!!! Mark shrieked excitedly, as they turned down the road to the farm, passing field after field.
"How much did they give him at the hospital again?" Carol said worriedly
as she watched Doug mash his face against the car window
and start to lick it.
"I'm pretty sure he wasn't given anything stronger than aspirin for pain." Peter snickered, turning the car down the winding roads towards Drizslav's farm. "I think Doug probably just has some sort of vitamin deficiency. Don't worry.."
Doug grunted angrily, pouncing onto his wife in the moving vehicle and attacking her with a sexual vigor. "Rawrmmmm.. *slurp*"
"AUGH!!! DOUG! CUT IT Ooout...*giggle*" Carol batted him half-heartedly, pushing him off. "Can't we hit them over the head again??"
"Look Lith!!! SHEEPS!!!!!!" Mark giggled and Doug laughed.. "Not Sheeps you idiot.. They're walking sweaters!!"
Peter rolled his eyes.. "Okay.. Let's get Laurel and Hardy home before they start doing the Who's on First sketch."