Author's notes: Huge thanks to my beta reader Jen. You rock!
Abby looked up when the door to the lounge opened. It was Susan and Luka.
"Good. You're both here." Abby said closing her locker and turning to face her friends.
"Yes we are Al. We work here."
"Susan, I really need to tell you both something."
"What's wrong Abby?" Luka asked as he put away his bag and jacket.
"If I were either of you I'd avoid John today."
"Why?" Susan asked.
"Cause he knows."
"Knows?" Susan asked. "Knows what?"
"Knows that he's the father of my children." Abby said quietly.
"How'd he find out?" Luka asked.
"I don't know but he did make it clear that the news didn't come from either of you."
"Oh God. Carter is going to kill me." Susan said sitting down on the sofa. "Either that or he's never going to speak to me again."
"Susan, I am so sorry I got you involved in this." Abby said.
"You didn't hold a gun to my head. I agreed all on my own."
"Luka?" Abby said looking at her ex-boyfriend. "You okay?"
"Just glad that Carter's no longer in surgery. I don't want to think what he'd do to me with a scalpel."
Abby giggled a little. "I just wanted to warn you guys before you saw John."
"Thanks. Is he here yet?"
"I don't know. I'm kinda afraid to go in there." Abby admitted.
"C'mon Lockhart. You can't hide in here all day."
"Why not?" Abby whined.
"Cause sooner or later Weaver would notice." Luka said as he and Susan gently pushed Abby out into the ER. "Here we go."
"Last man standing buys dinner. Agreed?" Abby said.
"Agreed." Susan and Luka said together.
Abby made a note on a chart before tucking her hair behind her ear. She checked to make sure the chart had been signed before filing it away.
"Someone page me?" Peter Benton said as he walked to the desk.
Abby handed him a chart. "Exam 2. Dr. Romano wants you for a rule out appy."
"Thank you." He started to walk away.
"Oh Dr. Benton."
"Yeah?" He turned around.
"Your brother-in-law is a mechanic right?"
"Walt? Yeah. Why?"
"My car is old. Very old. It doesn't have shoulder straps. I have two three-year-olds. Would he be able to put in shoulder straps? Or does he know someone who could?"
"Got a piece of paper?"
"Uh yeah." Abby gave him a piece of paper while he took a pen from his own pocket. He wrote something down and gave it back to her.
"He should be able to do it himself but if he can't he'll recommend someone to do it for you."
"Thanks Dr. Benton." Abby said putting the number into the pocket of her scrubs.
"No problem." Peter walked away.
Abby turned around and started for the admit desk but stopped when she noticed John standing behind it. He was looking through a chart and hadn't seen her yet. Just as she turned to walk the other way the ambulance bay doors opened up.
"Can I get some help here?" One of the paramedics shouted.
Abby ran over followed by Chuny. John was a step behind her.
"Gimme the bullet."
"Forty-four year old male, history of hypertension found passed out in the bathroom. Name's Bryan Flynn. BP's 140 over 80 and pulse is 45. Stopped breathing about five minutes enroute. We had to tube him and give him an amp of epi." They rolled him into a trauma room while Weaver and Haleh joined the fray.
"How long ago?"
"Ten minutes."
"On my count." Kerry said. "One, two, three and lift."
"Get a blood gas, chem 7, cardiac enzymes, CBC, and dip a urine." Carter ordered. "Abby, call upstairs and page a cardiologist. Chuny get the portable chest in here. Haleh set up two units on the rapid infuser. Type and cross for four."
"Cardiology is on their way down." Abby said. She took a needle from the tray and drew some more blood. "Amp of epi?"
"Yeah." Weaver took it and administered it.
"Dr. Carter?" Chuny said. "Patient's coming around."
"Mr. Flynn? Can you tell me if anything hurts?"
"Chest feels like an ele-elephant sat on it." He rasped out.
"We're gonna see what we can do about that." Kerry said. "Craig, nice to see you." She said to the entering cardiologist.
Dr. Craig Peterson nodded at Kerry. "Kerry. What have we here?"
"Forty-four year old male, history of hypertension found passed out in the bathroom." Carter rattled off. "Name's Bryan Flynn."
"Mr. Flynn we're gonna take you upstairs and see if we can't do something to help you feel better. Kerry mind if I borrow one of your nurses to help me keep bagging the patient?"
"No just return her in one piece. Haleh since you're already doing it why don't you go?"
Haleh nodded her consent and followed Dr. Peterson, his two interns, and the gurney out of the room.
"Let's call housekeeping and get this cleaned up."
"Dr. Weaver I'll do it." Abby said.
"You're a nurse Abby, not the janitor. Besides you need to help Carter."
"I do?"
"There's an agitated four-year-old in curtain two. Ross and Finch have their hands full with immunization shots in the Pedes room. I want you to take the four-year-old Carter. Abby can help you."
Abby nodded and followed John into the hall. "I'll go make sure he's in a gown while you get the chart." She said making a quick exit.
John walked into curtain two expecting a bad mannered child with a long-suffering mother. Instead he heard giggling. Peeking around the curtain he saw Abby sitting on the edge of the bed with some cards in her hand. The child, a little boy, sat across from her with some cards.
"I'm amazed. He hates the hospital." A woman, presumably, his mother, said.
"Everyone does. It's an unwritten law."
"Hey it's your turn." The little boy said.
"Oh. Right." Abby wrinkled her nose. "Do you have any three's?"
"Go Fish." He giggled.
"Sorry to interrupt." John said. "Hi Billy. I'm Dr. Carter. I heard you weren't feeling very well."
Billy shook his head. "No, but Abby says you're gonna help me."
"I'm sure gonna try." John turned to Billy's mom. "He's been coughing?"
"And had an upset stomach and he hasn't been sleeping."
"Well let's draw some blood and see what's going on." John said. "Billy, Abby's gonna take some blood and we're gonna test it."
"I know. She told me. She said that the needle would hurt and if I cried that was okay but I won't."
Abby smiled. "Okay Billy. I'll take some blood and then we'll play some cards while we wait, alright?"
He nodded.
John wrote down his orders while Abby got the needle ready.
"Billy the best thing to do is not to even look at the needle. Look at your mom." Abby advised.
"Do you have kids?" Billy asked while he looked at his mom.
"Yes I do. I have two girls."
"What about you Dr. Cart?" Billy asked.
Abby looked at John.
"Yeah, yeah I do." He took the vial of blood from Abby. "Your results should be back in a little bit okay?"
"Okay."
John walked away.
"He's nice." Billy said.
"Yeah he is."
Abby was stocking blood gas kits in Trauma Two near the end of her shift when Dave came in.
"Abby? When are you off?"
The brunette checked her watch. "Twenty minutes. Why?"
"Feel like grabbing a burger?"
"Sorry, I made plans with Susan and Luka already." She glanced over her shoulder. "You can join us if you want."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. It'll keep me from feeling like a third wheel. I think Susan said something about McGuire's. They have great burgers."
"Okay. I just gotta go sign out a patient."
"Meet you out there in a few. I just gotta finish stacking these kits."
"See you soon."
Abby heard the swing of the door as Dave left. She smiled to herself when she heard it a few minutes later. "What did you forget?"
"Abby Lockhart?" A voice that was decidedly female and definitely not Dave's said.
"Yes I'm Abby." She said as she turned. It was Ava Carter.
"You're Abby?" The blonde asked incredulously.
"Al's a nickname from when I worked overseas." Abby said quietly.
"I see. Well, forgive me for not being more surprised but given the way my life has been going the last few months this surprise doesn't rank high on the Richter scale."
Abby nodded. "I assume you're here because of the conversation I had with John last night."
"No, I'm here because of the conversation I had with John last night. It was rather shocking to have my husband come home and announce that a woman he'd once been very close to had claimed that he was the father of two little girls he's never even met before." Ava leveled her gaze at Abby.
"Claimed?" Abby had to work to control her emotions.
"You wouldn't be the first to try and pull one over on a family with money and social standing and I'm sure you won't be the last but to try and pass your bastards off as John's daughters is really pathetic."
"Don't you ever call my daughters bastards. You don't know me so don't you dare accuse me of saying something that's not true. You may have the name Carter but you don't speak for John. If he has any doubts about their paternity he can tell me and I will be more then willing to submit to a DNA test." Abby said very calmly. It wasn't an easy thing to do especially since she kept picturing Ava on the floor after being given a roundhouse to the jaw.
"You're really that sure. I mean, I did hear you were seeing Dr. Kovac back then. It might be difficult for a woman to keep track-"
"That's enough Ava." Dave's voice said from behind her.
"Butt out Dave."
"No." Dave crossed the room and stood next to Abby. "This isn't gonna happen. You aren't going to come down here and harass one of the nurses."
"Dave you don't know-"
"I know all about it."
Ava stared at her brother. "You knew? Since when?"
"Last night."
"Last night? You've known since last night and you didn't come and see me? Whose side are you on?"
"Abby's." Dave said without missing a beat. Then he looked at Abby. "I think you're off."
"Yeah I am."
"Let's go then." The two pushed past the stunned psychiatrist and into the hall. "You okay?" Dave asked.
"I think Luka's paying for dinner." Abby said. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."
"She had to know whose side I was on sooner or later."
"Wonder what Carter's gonna say."
"I'm not sure exactly but I'm pretty sure cursing will be involved." Dave grinned.
Abby giggled and the two pushed into the lounge.
Ava was still standing in Trauma Two when John found her.
"Ava? What are you doing here?" John asked as he came through the door.
"I was talking to my brother's new best friend."
"You were talking to Abby? Why?"
"I wanted to clear the air only Dave came in and cleared the air between him and me."
"What do you mean?"
"He informed me, in no uncertain terms, that he is on Abby's side."
"I see." John nodded.
"You don't seem surprised."
"I'm not really."
"Well that makes one of us." Ava said.
"So what else did you and Dave say to each other?"
"Nothing. He interrupted my talk with Abby."
"What did you and Abby say to each other?"
"Nothing you have to worry about."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Don't worry John. It was just a little girl talk." Ava smiled. "I gotta go. See you at home later."
"Right. Bye." John watched his wife leave. Something was off about her. Ava didn't engage in idle chitchat with someone she saw as a threat and after last night she would definitely perceive Abby as a threat. He frowned. He had a bad feeling about this.