| The next day after she had talked Joyce into leaving Brian, Abby was walking out of her apartment on the way to the hospital when she had an encounter with Brian. Although it was very short, Abby was shaking when she got to the hospital. �What�s wrong?� Carter asked when he met up with her in the lounge. �Uch, I hate a run in with my neighbor. He asked me where his wife is.� �Why would you know?� �She�s staying at my apartment until she leaves him.� Abby admitted. �Is that a good idea?� John asked worriedly. �I can�t let her get the crap beaten out of her until someone else finally steps in.� Abby said. �I�m just saying you need to be careful.� �I am.� Abby said confidently, shutting her locker. Four hours later Abby came home and sighed as she shut her door. Miraculously, even after she had been injured, Joyce had managed to get into a woman�s shelter and was finally safe from her husband. She got out of her clothes and got in the shower. As she got out several minutes later, she slipped on her robe and decided to make some tea and order in food. She pulled out the kettle and filled it with water and set it on the stove. Her phone rang as she walked into the other room so she went back into the kitchen and grabbed it. After talking to Joyce for a few minutes the buzzer rang and the delivery man called up. Abby let him in and then continued to talk to Joyce. Someone knocking on her door made her hang up with Joyce and she opened it, thinking it was the delivery man. She was horrified to see it was Brian instead. As he walked into the apartment with her food, she picked up the phone and almost called 911. Thinking he would be gone soon though, she let it go. After he finally left, Abby breathed a sigh of relief. However this was short lasted as the knocking on her door started again. This time she did dial 911 though and she opened the chain. She saw those hideous eyes staring back at her though and didn�t have time to think before the door was broken open and she was thrown across the room and lost consciousness as her head hit the floor. When she woke up, she was laying on the ground and the first thing she noticed was the blood that was covering her face. As she rolled over and stood up she swore and tried to wipe some of it away. Then she noticed that the door was still open and the food that Brian had delivered was still sitting on her coffee table. She quickly went into the bathroom and shut and locked the door. She caught sight of herself in the mirror and nearly had a heart attack. Sirens cut through her thoughts though and she knew it was going to be a long night.She had tried to convince the paramedics that she really was okay, there was just a lot of blood, but they insisted on taking her to the hospital anyway, and she reluctantly gave in. They cleaned off most of the blood on the way in to Cook County General and as the ambulance doors opened and Susan Lewis� sympathetic face looked back at her, she leaned back and shut her eyes. They brought her into an exam room and Susan started her preliminary examination. �Okay, it looks like your nose is broken and there�s some bruising.� Susan said after a few minutes. �Um, there�s also a cut on your upper thigh. Do you think you could have been raped?� �No. I was unconscious, not in a coma.� Abby said stubbornly. �At least I don�t think so.� �Well I think we should do a rape exam just to make sure.� �No.� Abby said quickly. Susan gave her a quizzical look. �Abby, really. I can get someone else to do it if you�re uncomfortable with me...� �No it�s not that. I�I�m pregnant.� Abby explained and leaned back and closed her eyes. �Oh. I see. How far along?� �Seven weeks.� �Have you had intercourse in the past 72 hours?� Susan asked slowly. �No.� Abby said softly. �Well I can do a minimal exam. And we should probably get an ultrasound to make sure your baby is alright.� Susan offered. �Fine.� Abby sighed. �Well the baby seems to be doing just fine. Would you like to know the sex?� Susan asked twenty minutes later. �Huh?� Abby asked look up towards the monitor. �We have a perfect position here. Do you want to know the sex?� Susan repeated. Abby nodded, trying not to cry. �It�s a�.boy. Congratulations!� Susan smiled. Abby returned the smile and took another look at the monitor. �Okay, I�m going to discharge you. You should take a few days off though and give the bruises a little time to go down. Do you want me to call anyone? You shouldn�t go home by yourself.� �I�ll be fine. Really. I can take the El.� �Why don�t you at least let me drive you home? I don�t mind.� Susan offered one last time. |