Fandomweekly Challenge 42 - Everyone's doing fine

[m_findlow]

Title: Everyone's doing fine
Fandom: ER
Characters: Abby Lockhart, Archie Morris, Kerry Weaver, Frank, Neela, Malik, Greg Pratt, Susan Lewis
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 42 - White noise at fandomweekly
Summary: For Abby Lockhart, it's just another day at the office.
Disclaimer: I don't own them

7:08pm

Abby trudged through the snow piled up in the ambulance bay. The doors hissed open as the man stepped up into her personal space.

'Hey, how are ya? Ya doing fine?'

'Um, yeah. Good,' she replied, feeling awkward, knowing it was going to be one of those days. He didn't wait for her answer before turning and wandering away to accost someone else.

'Hey, how are ya? Ya doing fine?'

'You're late Abby,' came Weavers's brusque voice, the clacking of her crutch steaming past.

'There's six feet of... snow out there...' she trailed off, Weaver having already disappeared down the hall, not waiting to hear her excuse.

'Hey, how are ya? Ya doing fine?' came the question again.

'Frank,' she called out,' who's patient is this?'

'Pratt's. So don't ask me to babysit him.'

10:47pm

Abby picked up the chart at the end of the bed, quickly scanning it. 'Hello Maryann, I'm Doctor Abby Lockhart. Do you mind if I take a look at your arm?'

The young woman was tall but slight, with long chestnut hair. She clutched her arm close to her body. Abby reached out gently, and she finally offered it.

'How did you hurt it?' Abby said, gently feeling the tissues underneath the skin, searching for breaks.

'Clumsy.'

Clumsy. Code for abused. She gave Maryann her best smile. 'Okay, well, why don't we take a scan just to be sure nothing's broken.'

'It's fine, really,' she insisted. 'Steve will be wondering where I am.'

'Steve's your boyfriend?'

'Husband,' she said, helplessly holding up her hand to show off the ring.

1:28am

She slide the x-ray up onto the screen and flipped on the light, examining it. As she suspected, there were multiple healed fractures. Steve was using her as a punching bag.

'Hey, how are ya? Ya doing fine?'

She ignored the question, seeing Malik grab the man by the arms.

'Sorry, Abby. Come on Mr Childers, I hear they've got ham and cheese sandwiches back in Exam Three.'

2:51am

'Hey, how are ya? Ya doing fine?'

'Who's meant to be looking after the retard?' Morris asked, leaning over the nurses station.

'They're called patients, Morris,' Dr Lewis replied, rifling her way through the rack of patient charts. 'You might try treating one every now and then. Urgh, why is it always hernias and gangrenous body parts when I'm on shift?'

She turned and saw Abby approaching. 'Oh, hey Abby, have you seen Pratt?'

'Not since they sent that stabbing kid up to the OR.'

'His patient is driving me crazy. If I seriously have to listen to him any longer, I'm gonna lose it.'

'And it's not even Halloween yet,' Abby replied. 'Frank, can you call social services for a consult?'

'You think he's deranged?' Frank asked,

'Not him. I need someone to come down and talk to Maryann.'

'Do I look like your PA?'

'Fine,' she replied, grabbing the phone, and dialing herself.

The man came up and grinned at Frank.

'Hey, how are ya? Ya doing fine?'

Frank scowled. 'Peachy,' he replied.

3:40am

'Abby, can I get your opinion on my patient?'

Abby turned to find a slightly frazzled Neela looking at her, chart gripped tightly. 'Uh, who's the patient?'

'Malcolm Fairbanks. I'm concerned he might have a tear in his stomach lining.'

'Isn't that Pratt's patient?'

'I can't find him.'

'Hey, how are ya? Ya doing fine?'

Abby swatted away the face intervening between them. On the opposite side of the room, she could see Maryann looking nervous. 'Neela, I'm a little busy. Just find Pratt.'

4:02am

'Maryann, I thought we agreed you'd stay here until someone came to talk to you,' she said, watching the woman hurriedly dressing.

She shook, her long brown hair falling in her face. 'I can't. He could find me here. He always knows where I am. He'll be mad I came here.'

'You're safe here,' Abby tried to reassure her. 'He can't come in here. If he's hurting you, we can get you help, put you up somewhere safe, but you have to stay here and let us help.'

'Hey, how are ya? Ya doing fine?'

Maryann jumped at the sudden intrusion.

Abby sighed. 'Please, just stay a while longer,' she implored. 'Mr Childers, you have to go back to your bed,' she instructed him firmly, leading him out of the room.

'Pratt,' she said, finally spotting him. 'Your patient is hassling everyone.'

He huffed. 'Don't look at me like that. I'm waiting on results but the lab's backed up.'

'Just take him and tie him down somewhere, then,' she said, releasing him.

7:36am

'Abby, I'm scared,' Maryann said, the short blonde social services worker standing next to her as they finalized discharge papers. Abby breathed a slightly of relief that she'd be in a safe house by tomorrow night, away from her abusive husband.

'You'll be fine,' Abby reassured her.

She trawled down the hall, following the blonde woman, before turning back and giving Abby a little wave. She returned it.

'Hey, how are ya? Ya doing fine?' he said, accosting Doctor Weaver as she tried to get past, patient notes in her free hand.

'Why the hell is this guy still here?' Weaver barked.

'He's Pratt's patient,' Abby replied.

'And where the hell is Doctor Pratt? Someone find him and tell him he doesn't go home until he clears the board.'

9:22am

She slumped down into the chair. Her shift ended over an hour ago. Outside was a brand new day. Gone was the chatter in triage, the wheels of gurneys rolling down the halls, the beeping of monitors and ring of phones. It was quiet. Too quiet. Then she realised what was missing.

She looked over and spotted Mr Childers lying unconscious in a bed.

'I thought he was discharged?' she said, watching Lewis wrap her scarf tight around her neck.

'He was. He made it half a block before some guy punched him out.'

'I guess he wasn't doing so fine.'