In Her Eyes

Abby Lockhart walked slowly up the stairs to her apartment. Her day could not have been any worse. Two of her patients died and she couldn't save a kid getting abused by her father. She didn't know what else to do. She tried to tell Weaver, but she didn't listen to her. At least she was coming home and there was no one there. She needed some time alone. She got to her door and took out her key. She turned the key and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Abby sighed and walked into her dark apartment room. As soon as she walked through the door and had it closed, she leaned her back against it and dropped everything on the floor. She took the bridge of her nose in between her thumb and forefinger and sighed. A headache was forming. 'Great.' She thought. This day is just getting better. Sarcasm was her only weapon tonight. It was pitch dark in there and she felt around for the light switch. Suddenly someone grabbed her arm. Abby gasped and looked up to see her ex-husband Richard.

"Hello Abby." She could smell alcohol on his breath and she tried to break his grip.

"Richard, what are you doing here? I thought I told you not to come around here anymore. I'm over it okay? Don't you understand? I have had a bad day and it would be great if you would just leave me alone." Abby was getting more irritated by the second. Richard spoke again, slurring his words.

"Well I guess your day just got worse." There was a threatening tone in his voice. Abby's brows drew together and her eyes were wild.

"Richard, I think you should go home before you do something you will regret later." Abby's voice was soft and she was just realizing how much danger she was really in. Richard's grip got tighter and Abby tried to break loose.

"Abby, if you tell anyone about this, I will hurt everyone you care about. Especially your new boyfriend Luka." Abby swallowed and she braced herself as she saw the blow coming. Richard's fist was coming down so hard that Abby couldn't even see anything anymore. She felt the blows coming from every direction. She felt something sharp penetrate her side and she had a hard time not screaming in pain. With every punch, she felt new pain. It was like when you have a bad scrape and fall on the same spot again. There is always more pain the second time. When the pummeling finally stopped, she heard Richard's menacing voice in her ear.

"You fell down the stairs...I will see you later Abby. Don't forget what I have told you. And don't think I won't know if you break our little promise." Abby laid there on her floor unable to move and heard Richard leave, slamming the door behind him. All she could think about was his promise to see her later. There was going to be more. Abby tried to breathe, but found it difficult. Her breaths came in short bursts. She didn't know what to do. Should she go to County? She would tell them the story Richard told her to? The only problem with her plan, was that she couldn't move at the moment. She waited for a couple of minutes that turned into half an hour and then stiffly moved to the door. She grabbed the keys and headed downstairs. Every part of her ached and there was a stabbing pain in her side. She felt blood on her side and she wiped her face on her jacket. Blood was all over her jacket now. The cut to her side was still bleeding. She knew that she needed to stop the bleeding. She finally got to county and she parked by the ambulance bay. She saw an ambulance pulling in and she struggled to get out of the car.

As she walked, she felt her energy draining in the form of blood. Abby looked down and actually saw the cut. It was pretty deep. She didn't actually notice before. She staggered for a second and crossed the street. In a couple of seconds, she started to feel light-headed and she almost fell. Finally she was a few feet from the ambulance. Her eyes drooped and everything became blurry.

It seemed that whoever was in the ambulance had already been taken in and she quickly grabbed the handle to steady herself. She almost fell over again. Abby knew that all she had to do was walk through those doors and she would be okay. That was what drove her. Her legs felt like they didn't belong to her and her mind started to drift. She reached the doors and almost tripped through them. When she entered the final doors, she saw Sam. Abby called for her weakly to get her attention. Sam looked over to the direction of the call and she saw Abby. Her eyes widened and she spoke. "Abby!" Before she could get to her, Abby passed out.

Sam ran swiftly to Abby's side and checked her pulse. "Susan!" Sam called for the only doctor she could see. Susan saw Sam hovering over someone who had collapsed and she ran to help. "Susan, it's Abby." Once Susan was close enough she could see Abby.

"Oh my Gosh." She turned and saw Chen. "Chen! Get a gurney! Fast." She bent over Abby and checked her vitals. "What happened Sam?"

"I have no idea. She walked in through the bay and she called my name. Before I could get to her, she fell." Susan raised Abby's eyelid and shined a light into her eyes.

"Reactive, that's good." Susan was a little relieved, but there was a deep worry in her eyes. Pratt came with Chen and they lifted Abby on the gurney effortlessly. They rolled her into the trauma room with haste.

"Get her on the monitor! I need information." Susan was yelling orders and Sam was getting the supplies. The nurses managed to get her into a gown and they saw the deep cut to her side. "Ah. How deep is that Chen?" Chen looked at the cut and assessed.

"It's really deep. We might need a surgeon to look at this." Susan walked around the table and looked at Sam with meaning. Sam walked to the phone and paged Dr. Corday. Susan squinted as she looked the cut over. She gritted her teeth.

"Abby! Can you hear me? Come on, Abby." Susan pleaded with her. Abby seemed to have heard and her eyes fluttered open. Sam was at Abby's head in a flash. Worry was in Susan's eyes and she spoke urgently.

"Abby, do you know where you are?" Susan and Sam waited impatiently for Abby to respond.

"Hospital." She responded in a whisper.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Sam asked the question this time.

"Fell...down stairs." Abby looked around and tried to sit up. Susan looked to Sam skeptically and looked down again.

"Are you sure that's what happened Abby?" Pratt asked this one. He believed her story as much as Sam and Susan did. Abby nodded and tried getting off the table. Corday then walked through the door. Chen moved out of her way and left with Pratt to get the suturing materials in case that was Corday's decision.

"Abby! Are you okay?" Her accent was strong and she rushed over to help them lay her down. "Let me take a look, alright?" She bent down and assessed. "Alright. I think that stitches will do. It is a little deep though. What happened?"

Susan answered for her. "She fell down some stairs." Corday raised her eyebrows in disbelief but moved along. She was finishing off the stitches. Once she was okay, Abby sat up and spoke.

"I think I will stay here until my shift starts. I'll be in one of the open exam rooms." They didn't try to stop her.

"Anyone having a hard time believing her?" This was Sam who spoke first. They all exchanged looks and had to go on with their shift. Among their new problem, there were many others more urgent. Abby's problem would have to wait.

Please tell me what you think!!! R&R please. –soccergirlmich--