Author's notes: Huge thanks to my beta reader Jen. You rock!
"Okay, what is going on?" Susan demanded of Abby one day during a lull in patients.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you and Dave."
"What about me and Dave?" Abby put a chart away and turned to her friend.
"Well you know I keep seeing you two together and naturally I'm wondering if there's something you're not telling me."
"You're right there is."
"I knew it."
"Dave and I are madly in love. In fact we got married last night. I'm pregnant with his love child. Sorry I didn't tell you but it's been a little busy lately." Abby said with a straight face as she and Susan walked down the hall.
"That's very funny Al."
"I thought so."
"Come on what's really going on?"
"Nothing. We're friends. That is it."
"I know Dave okay? He is not capable of just friends when it comes to the opposite sex."
"Well in this instance he is." Abby said opening the door to the locker room and going in. "In fact last night he took me and the girls to the pier for dinner. I hardly call that a date."
Susan had followed her. "So you're telling me that he's never even alluded to the possibility of romance between you two?"
"Not so much as a pat on the butt." Abby opened her locker, intending to get out some money and head across the street for something to eat. As she went to close it she noticed a strip of pictures on the door. She pulled them off and smiled. They were of Hope and Faith. Turning them over she had to giggle. Now you know why I suddenly needed cotton candy. ~Dave
"What's so funny?" Susan asked.
"We have any tape?"
"Uh yeah. It's in the desk drawer. What's that?"
"Just a little gift." Abby said as she taped the pictures back up on the door. "Do you know where Dave is?" she asked after closing her locker.
"Uh I think he's in one of the exam rooms doing charts. Why? Al what were those pictures?"
"Nothing." Abby smiled as she headed out of the lounge. "Hey Luka, your wife's in there." Abby motioned behind her, knowing that Luka would keep Susan occupied.
"Thanks Abby." Luka headed in and Abby headed off.
John smiled patiently as a woman told her of her problems. As he made a note he head the door behind him open. Knowing Dave was doing charts in the empty bed behind the curtain he didn't pay any attention till he heard a voice that was definitely female and very familiar.
"You are so sweet."
"So you found them?"
"Yes I did. How did you get them to sit still long enough to have them take four pictures?"
"I told them it was a gift for their mom."
John gritted his teeth as he heard Abby's giggle.
"You want to go get lunch?" She asked.
"Sure. Let's go."
He heard the door open again and silence reigned for a second before his patient started to chatter again. He half listened to her as his mind wandered. What exactly was going on between Dave and Abby?
"So Susan thinks we're dating?"
"She did but I set her straight."
"I wonder who else thinks we're dating."
"You mean you wonder if Chen thinks we're dating." Abby smirked.
"I'm beginning to wish I hadn't told you about that."
"I would've figured it out. It's so obvious."
"To everyone but her." Dave said with a wry grin. "So how are things fairing with the good Dr. Carter?"
"Well he hasn't made me feel incompetent lately. Does that count as pretty good?"
"Sure." Dave laughed. "Have you met my sister yet?"
"You mean Ava? No I haven't. But I did catch a glimpse of her picture last week. She's a blonde right?"
"Yep."
"Well at least she's not a teenager."
"Speaking of Rena, I saw her about three weeks ago."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She was up on the surgical floor visiting her husband for lunch."
"If you're going to tell me she's married to Romano don't cause I don't want to throw my lunch up."
"Nope. Not Romano. Did you ever meet Dale Edson?"
"No."
"You aren't missing much." Dave assured her. "Anyway, Dale is an old, shall we say, foe? of Carter's."
"Really? Does he know about them?"
"Oh yeah. Rena sent him a wedding invitation."
"Oh my God!"
"What?"
"I got a wedding invite yesterday. I totally forgot to tell Susan."
"A friend of yours I take it."
"Yeah this guy we both knew. A Marine."
"Really? So where-" Dave stopped talking when a beeper went off. He went to check his.
"It's me." Abby looked at hers. "All it says is get back to work."
"Let's go." Dave stood up. They both went to throw money on the counter.
"It's on me."
"I was always told never to let a lady pay."
"Too bad." Abby gave the money to the waitress. "Keep it." Then she headed out the door with Dave behind her.
"Randi? What's going on?"
"You have some visitors. Dave, Weaver wants you in Trauma two."
"Okay." Dave took off.
Abby came around the desk.
"Mommy!" Two voices shouted.
"Faith, Hope, what are you two doing here?"
"Your sitter's in Trauma two." Randi explained. "Doris caught a look at one of the pictures in your living room, recognized you and brought these two in."
"Thank God for Doris." Abby said. "How'd you two like riding in the ambulance?"
"It was fun Mommy." Faith said.
"And Randi let me answer the phone." Hope said.
"Hey I thought that was our secret." Randi said.
"Oops. I'm sorry Randi."
"It's cool." Randi turned to Abby. "Dr. Ross said if you want they can stay in the pedes room till you're off."
"That would be so great. C'mon you two." She said taking a hand of each of the girls. "Let's go see Kate and Tess' dad."
"Yay. I like Doug, Mommy." Faith said.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah he's cute."
Randi snorted. "Better watch it Abby. She falls for a doctor now and there's no going back."
"Tell me about it." Abby tickled Faith before looking at Hope. "What about you Munchkin? You like doctors?"
"Just Dave." Hope said with a grin.
"Oiy." Abby rolled her eyes.
"Hi Carol." Abby greeted the other nurse.
"Hey. I heard about your sitter. Is she okay?"
"They admitted her and her son told me that he wants to take her and move her down to Florida where his sister, her daughter, is."
"So you need a new sitter."
"Exactly. Any ideas?"
"I'll let you know. What about the daycare here?"
"No luck till the fall. It's too crowded. For now I can have my neighbor sit. She's home from law school for the summer."
"A baby-sitting law student. Cool."
"I know."
"Hey can you do me a favor? Go to the drug lock up and get some haldol for the guy in three? Susan said she's been waiting on a psych consult for about an hour."
"I'll go sure." Abby said handing her an envelope. "That's for Dr. Finch's patient in curtain three."
"Okay I will go give it to her."
"Thank you." Abby said before heading off to the drug lock up. She grimaced at the condition it was in. God what a mess. She quickly located the haldol and passed it off to Malik who was walking by. Then she started to put things in a more orderly system. She'd just about finished when Dr. Weaver came in.
"Abby, I didn't expect to find you in here."
"I was getting some haldol for Dr. Lewis and I just started to straighten this place up."
"Then I owe you a thank you. It's been a while since anybody was able to straighten this place up."
"No problem. Did you want something?"
"Suture kit. I can't find one."
She pulled one down. "Here you go."
"Thanks. Oh I met your girls today."
"I hope it's okay that they're here. I didn't want to bail and leave you short handed and there was no where else for them to go."
"No it's fine. Faith looks a lot like you."
"Thanks." Abby smiled.
"I bet your mom loves being a grandmother." Weaver mused with a smile.
"Actually Dr. Weaver my mom died a couple of years ago." Abby said quietly.
"Oh." Dr. Weaver's voice was quiet as well. "I'm very sorry."
"It's okay. You couldn't have known." Abby told her. "Excuse me I have to go change an I.V. bag for Dr. Romano." Abby left the drug lock up with Dr. Weaver looking after her.
Carter dug around in the lost and found box behind admit. Just as he was about to straighten up he heard Susan speak.
"Hey weren't you off about twenty minutes ago?" Susan asked.
"Yeah. But Faith's asleep in the pedes room and I don't wanna wake her. I figure she won't sleep very long and when she wakes up we'll have dinner across the street before heading home." Abby's voice answered.
"Ah. You okay?"
"Me? Sure. Why?"
"I don't know. You look a little strange."
"Thanks Susan."
"You know what I mean. What's wrong?"
"When I was in the drug lock up before I ran into Weaver and she commented on meeting the girls. She said that my mom must love being a grandmother."
"Oh."
"Yeah. I should've expected it. Maggie made quite an impression when she was here."
"No one knows huh?"
"Except for you and Luka, no. Well now Weaver knows."
"Luka told me once that Carter knew Maggie pretty well. You didn't tell him?"
"Hasn't come up. We haven't really been on friendly terms lately."
"I'm off soon. I could join you and the girls for dinner if you wanted."
"Go home with Luka. If you feel like it, call Cookie."
Carter could hear Susan laugh a little.
"And you call me if you want to talk."
"I will." Abby said.
Carter listened for a moment before he cautiously straightened up. He subtly scans the room and sees Abby talking to Doug. She smiles and nods and then heads towards the lounge. He waits a minute before he follows her in there.
Abby was brushing her hair and humming when the door to the lounge opened. She didn't say anything when she saw Carter instead kept on with what she was doing. She debated for a moment and then decided to pull her hair back.
"I'm Still Standing." Carter said.
"What?" Abby looked at him in the mirror reflection.
"You were humming the song, I'm Still Standing."
"That's right I was." Abby said. She shut her locker. "Night." She headed for the door.
"I'm sorry about your mom." Carter blurted out.
Abby stopped. "Susan tell you?"
"No. Neither did Kerry."
She turned around. "So how did you find out?"
"I was behind the counter when you were talking to Susan."
"You mean you were eavesdropping."
"Yes." He admitted. "Maggie was a good person. I'm sorry you lost her."
"Thank you." Abby says before turning to go.
"Abby look if you ever want to talk about it-"
She turns back around. "Thank you for the offer John but I don't want to share my mother with you." She leaves without looking back.
John sat down on the couch. "He aims, he shoots, and he completely misses." He mutters to himself.