Chapter 4 On a day like this
Scene 1
It's the next day and Carter and Susan are at the desk. Susan is checking over same patients charts and Carter is writing on the board. Abby is in her apartment sitting on her bed with the covers pulled over her. She picks up the phone on the nightstand next to her bed and dials County. The phone rings.
Susan: (Looks up from the chart and calls out) Is anyone gonna get that? Where's Frank? This is his job.
Carter: (Turning around) I think he's on a break
Susan: We need more clerks. (Picks up the phone) hello County Dr Lewis here.
Abby: (In a croaky voice) Can you tell Weaver I won't be in today?
Susan: Abby?
Carter: (Is about to walk off but stops to listen when he hears Susan say Abby)
Abby: (In a croaky voice) Yeah
Susan: Are you all right? you sound horrible.
Abby: (In a croaky voice) Nothings all right anymore. (She hangs up)
Susan: (Hangs up the phone)
Carter: (Concern in his voice) Is she ok?
Susan: No (Walks off)
Scene 2
Carter, Weaver, Gallant and Chuney are in the middle of a trauma in trauma 2. Carter is doing compressions on the Patient's chest.
Carter: (Yells) Get me 2 more units of Lidocane.
Weaver: How long has it been?
Gallant: (Holding the bag) 45 minutes
Weaver: Call it
Carter: (Still doing compressions) Not yet. Ab, (realizes what he said) I mean Chuney, charge the paddles to 300
Chuney: (Takes the paddles and charges them) charging.
Carter: (Takes the paddles off Chuney) And clear. (Shocks the patient)
Gallant: (Checks the patients pulse) No pulse.
Carter: (Yells) Charge again. (Getting inpatient) hurry up.
Weaver: No Carter it's been too long, call it now.
Carter: Time of death 12:55 (Carter pulls off his gloves and throws them in the bin) I can't do this. (Storms out of the room)
(Weaver, Gallant and Chuney watch him walk off)
Weaver: Chuney find Miss Kenrals family and page me. I'm going to go talk to Carter. (Walks out of the room)
Scene 3
Abby is in her apartment sitting at the table drinking coffee. Susan is standing at the door to Abby's Apartment. She knocks on the door.
Abby: (Stands up and walks to the door) Who is it?
Susan: It's me Susan
Abby: (Opens the door) What do you want?
Susan: (Walks into Abby's apartment) I wanted to see how you were. You didn't sound too good on the phone this morning.
(They walk over to the table and sit down at it)
Abby: You didn't have to
Susan: You're my friend I wanted to.
Abby: (Concern in her voice) How’s John?
Carter: He misses you.
Abby: More like hates me.
Susan: He doesn't hate you.
Abby: (Looks down) I'd hate me if I were him.
Susan: He loves you. He’s just angry at the moment.
Abby: I should have told him. I wanted to tell him, I just couldn't.
Susan: You're been through so much together; he'll come around soon.
Abby: Do you really think so. 'Cause I don't.
Susan: (Looks at Abby) Yeah I do.
Scene 4
Carter is sitting at the table in the Doctor's lounge drinking coffee. Weaver comes into the room.
Carter: (Looks up)
Weaver: What was that all about.
Carter: I'm sorry. It's just one of those days.
Weaver: (Sitting down at the table) You know Abby probably feels really bad about having an abortion. But none of us really know what growing up with a bipolar Mother is like.
Carter: I know it was hard for her and I'm not as much angry that she had an abortion, then I am that she didn't tell me about it.
Weaver: Maybe it was too painful for her to talk about.
Carter: I know but I can't help feeling like she doesn't love me enough.
Weaver: I've seen her face when you walk into a room and I'm telling you John I've never seen anyone love someone as much as Abby loves you. Now all you have to do is ask yourself do you love her enough to forgive her. (Gets up from the table and walks out of the room).
Scene 5
Gallant walks past the door to the Doctors Lounge
Carter: (Calls out) Hey Gallant, can you get Abby in for me.
Gallant: What do I tell her?
Carter: Tell her there’s an emergency, but don’t tell her I asked you to call I want it to be a surprise.
Gallant: Do you think she'll come in?
Carter: I hope so; I need to fix things, besides it's our 2nd anniversary today. I had a big surprise planned before this all happened and there's no way I'm gonna lose Abby not after everything we've been through together.
Gallant: Good luck Dr Carter (Walks out of the room to go call Abby)
Scene 6
Gallant is in the hallway on the phone calling Abby. Carter is standing next to Gallant listening to him call Abby. Abby is in her apartment. She's just getting out of the shower when she hears the phone ring.
Abby: (Walks over to the phone and picks it up) Hello
Gallant: Hi Abby it's Gallant, can you came in.
Abby: Why? Do I have to?
Gallant: Please it's an emergency and we really need you to come in.
Abby: (Sighs) Ok I'll be there in 30 minutes I just have to get ready.
(They hang up the phones)
Carter: Is she coming in?
Gallant: Yeah in 30 minutes.
Carter: Thanks. (Races off to prepare his surprise)
Gallant: (Calls out) Your welcome (Walks off)
Scene 7
Abby comes into the ER. Frank is at the desk typing something at the computer.
Abby: Frank where's the emergency.
Frank: What emergency? We haven't had any rigs roll up here in a few hours.
Abby: Gallant called and said to come in.
Frank: I don't know anything about it. No one tells me anything.
Abby: (Is about to walk off to go home)
Frank: Hey Abby someone left this for you (Hands her a note with a dried red rose)
Abby: (Takes the note and rose off Frank and reads it to herself)
Frank: What does it say?
Abby: (Looks up) What? Oh it says meet me on the roof.
Scene 8
Abby goes to the roof. There's a table set up with a vase of dried flowers in the center of it with a bottle of Non alcoholic wine and two wine glasses. In one of the glasses in another red rose and a note.
Abby: (Picks up the note and reads it) This is for later, hope you like it but for now meet me at that old vacant lot near the river. (Walks to the vacant lot near the river)
Carter: (Is standing there in the middle of the lot wearing this best suit) Surprise beautiful.
Abby: (Surprised) John?
Carter: Who else?
Abby: It's not that. It's just I thought you'd never want to see me again, not after what happened last night.
Carter: I'm sorry about that. (Takes Abby's hand in his)
Abby: Why are you sorry? I'm the one who kept my abortion a secret from you.
Carter: I was angry and hurt last night. I was angry with you for not telling me and hurt when you didn't answer me when I asked if it was our baby if you'd get an abortion.
Abby: (Looks sad) I know and I didn't answer you because I didn't want to think about it. I wouldn't have had an abortion if it were our baby. Things were different with Richard. I couldn't trust him to be there if the baby had of being bipolar. That was one of the main reasons I had the abortion with you it's different.
Carter: (Puts his arms around Abby) You know I love you and this morning I realized that when I woke up and you weren’t lying next to me that I never want to wake up again with out you beside me.
Abby: I love you John.
Carter: (Taking his arms off Abby and reaching into his pocket) Now for why I brought you here. I had this planned for a while. You know how I told you when I went to see my Father that he wanted to meet me.
Abby: (Nodding) Yeah.
Carter: Well that's not totally true. It was me that asked him to meet me and this is why. (Hands Abby a piece of paper)
Abby: (Takes the paper off Carter and reads it) What's this?
Carter: It's your anniversary present.
Abby: (Smiling) It's a cheque from the Carter Family Foundation.
Carter: It's not just any cheque. It's for Abby house.
Abby: (Looking surprised) Abby house?
Carter: It's going to be a medical center for genetic deceases like bipolar. It's going to have special councilors for genetic deceases and a research facility. I know how much the bipolar decease has affected your life and I wanted to do something special for you that will help people with genetic diseases and their families. Do you like it?
Abby: (A tear rolling down her face) I love it John. It's the best present ever.
Carter: (Puts his hands in his pocket, pulls out a little box, then he gets down on one knee) You’re the love of my life and I can't imagine living my life without you.
Abby: (Smiling) And I only got you a watch. Oh course I'll marry you John.