Author's notes: Huge thanks to my beta reader Jen. You rock!
Abby sorted through the lab envelopes as she got off the elevator and headed for admit. "Hey Randi? These are the latest bunch of lab results for our valiant doctors."
"Great. Hey, are Dr. Romano's results on the guy in two in there?"
"Uh yeah. Why?"
"He wants them ASAP. He's in Trauma Two."
"Okay. I'll go give them to him." Abby said laying the other envelopes and headed down the hall. She pushed open the door. She jumped when everyone yelled "Surprise!"
"Oh my God." Abby laughed. "You guys are all crazy."
"We know." Susan gave her a hug.
"You did this didn't you?" Abby accused.
"Nope. Give credit where credit is due. It was all Chuni's idea." Susan motioned to the smiling nurse.
"You're terrible."
"Well you wouldn't let us say goodbye so we decided to say hello instead." Chuni said giving Abby a hug.
"And to make it a true surprise we waited." Carol said. "So?"
"Very surprised."
"Good." Carol said handing Abby a cup of punch. "I think I speak for everybody when I say it's good to have you back Abby."
"Here, here." The assembled group said.
Abby smiled. "It's good to be back."
"So were you really surprised?" Susan asked as she and Abby had lunch in the lounge.
"Oddly enough, yes I was. Although I should have known that Chuni would do something like this sooner or later. She's been bugging me ever since I got back about not letting them throw me a going away party."
"Why didn't you?"
"Oh yeah that would have been a fun party. Luka was still mad at me for sleeping with John and John was mad at me because I wasn't still sleeping with him. I think Jing-Mei was mad at me too but I can't be sure."
Susan giggled. "Why would she have been mad at you?"
"Uh she's John's best friend? I know he told her we slept together."
"Is that why you've been so formal with her?"
"What do you mean?"
"Except for Dr. Weaver, Carter, and Chen, you call everyone else by their first names. I understand Weaver and Carter but weren't you and Chen friends?"
"That was a long time ago."
Both women looked up when Jing-Mei came in. "Hi."
"Hi." They said sheepishly. When her back was turned they exchanged a panicked look. Had she heard them?
"Sorry I missed the festivities this morning." She commented.
"Yeah us too."
"Well I'll see you later." Jing-Mei said before leaving.
"Think she heard us?" Abby asked.
"I don't know." Susan replied.
Jing-Mei walked away from the door with a frown on her face. She didn't appreciate assumptions being made about her even if they were true.
"Okay Randi, these are for Dr. Weaver's patient is three. These are for Romano's in curtain one, and these are for Chen's in exam five." Abby said putting down the labs for Randi to distribute. "And that ladies and gentlemen is my last lab run of the day. I am officially outta here." She said walking over and punching out. "Thank God."
"Long day?" Dave said putting a chart away.
"You have no idea."
"Well I imagine it would be a long day. I've never seen someone so determined to avoid someone else." Dave commented as they both went into the lounge.
"I was not avoiding him." Abby protested.
"Who weren't you avoiding?" Dave grinned, knowing he had caught Abby.
"Shut up Dave."
"C'mon Abby, you've been back here for two weeks and in that time I think you've talked to Carter all of three times." Dave said as he put his stethoscope away and grabbed his keys.
"Well you know if you'd had the conversations I've had with him, you'd try and limit your interaction too." Abby said pulling her hair out of its ponytail and brushing it out before grabbing her keys as well. "The first time we talked I made the mistake of merely calling him Carter instead of Dr. Carter and he made sure I knew that it was in fact Dr. Carter and in that same conversation he made sure I knew to call everyone else doctor so and so. I tried it with Susan and she threatened to kick my ass."
"You and Dr. Lewis are pretty close huh?"
"Yeah we are." Abby said closing her locker. "Anyway by the end of that day I'd been told by Romano that is was okay to call him Michael and Doug that I should call him Doug."
"Dr. Ross is great like that." Dave agreed as the two left the lounge. "Hey Randi, is it still raining?"
"It was about ten minutes ago when they brought in the drunk from McCall's Bar." The clerk said.
"Damn the El's gonna be jammed."
"Where do you live?" Abby asked.
"The apartments on Hardie Street."
"That's on my way home. You want a ride?"
"You serious?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely." Dave agreed. "Thank you."
"No problem." Abby waved a goodbye to Randi. "Night Randi."
"Night." The brunette called as Dave and Abby walked towards the elevator.
"So do I get to know why you've volunteered for lab duty for the last three days?" Dave asked as he pressed the button for the elevator.
"No." Abby said. "Be good Dave or I am going to rescind my offer and make you take the El."
"Alright." Dave said with a sly grin. The doors opened and Dave rolled his eyes. Carter stepped out.
"Abby, there you are. I need you to do a-"
"Sorry Dr. Carter I am officially off duty. Go find someone else to be your scut puppy." Abby said as she stepped onto the elevator with Dave. "Night." She smiled sweetly as the doors closed.
John's face screwed into a grimace. Two weeks. She'd been back for two weeks and she'd already wormed her way back into ER life. He walked down the hall as he thought. Susan loved her and had made it clear that the only time Abby or Al, as she called her, was to call her Dr. Lewis was in front of higher ups like Romano or Anspaugh or in front of a patient.
All the nurses were half in love with her. She'd even made a play date for her girls with Carol's daughters and Chuni's little boy. Even Luka got along with her. Luka, who hadn't spoken to him for two months after Abby left, now thought she was heaven sent. He'd literally called her a godsend a week ago when she'd given him a cup of coffee after he'd been on for twenty-four hours straight.
All this welcoming Abby was getting was beginning to get to him.
"So doing anything good tonight?" Dave asked.
"Depends." Abby said as she pulled to a stop at a red light.
"On?"
"How you feel about hot dogs and macaroni and cheese along with Muppets from Space."
"I love it."
"Then yes I am doing something good tonight. What about you?"
"Nah. Probably eat some edible leftovers and crash."
"Sounds fun." Abby considered her next question for a beat and then asked. "Wanna join us?"
"What?"
"Do you want to join us?" Abby repeated slowly. "Unless you're totally committed to going home, eating something edible and crashing."
"Sure you don't mind the company?"
"No not at all."
"Alright then, yeah. Thanks."
"No problem." Abby smiled.