"From San Francisco?" Abby was incredulous at how surreal the situation was.

"Actually … I’ve been working at Rush for a few months. We thought County might need some backup. I figured that the staff must be pretty shaken."

Abby closed her eyes.

"That’s one hell of an understatement."

Kim thought about it for a moment and then decided that honesty might be the best approach.

"Dr. Weaver asked that I come by and see you."

Abby smiled a little.

"What?" Kim asked, pulling up a chair.

"That’s funny. There have been several times over the past few years that I wished you were around to talk to her."

Part of Kim wanted to ask ‘Why’, but this was definitely not the time.

"I’m here if you want to talk, Abby."

"I don’t."

"Okay," Kim replied and started to stand.

"But … you don’t have to go."

Kim sat with Abby, neither of them talking, until Luka came back a couple of hours later. As he approached, Kim gave him her chair and left the couple alone. She stood in the hallway feeling exhausted. Her stomach growled and she realized that it had been more than eight hours since she last ate.

She bit her lower lip as she tried to decide whether to leave or see if she could find Kerry. Kim knew how her former lover could be, holding in emotions while trying to get the job done. Even if she hadn’t been in the ER, Kerry’s protective nature when it came to her staff and this hospital would mean that she was carrying around a lot of anxiety while trying to keep the hospital running and look after the patients and her friends.

Before she realized what she was doing, Kim was walking towards the Chief-of-Staff’s office. She rode up in the elevator staring at the numbers even though she was alone.

The outer door to Kerry’s office was open and the inner was ajar. Kim knocked gently.

"Yes?" The voice on the other side sounded like it was hurrying to get something done.

Kim entered and saw Kerry pulling on her coat and grabbing her keys. It was at that moment that it hit her what had been wrong with the picture earlier. Kerry wasn’t using her crutch. She added that to the mental list of questions that she had been accumulating all day.

"Hi."

"Kim. Hi." Kerry stopped moving. "I thought you might have left already."

"I was in the ER for awhile. I set up camp in one of the suture rooms in case anybody wanted to talk. Then I went to see Abby."

"I was going to stop back in to see her before I left."

"Luka is with her. Kerry?"

"Yeah?"

"I’m starved. Do you want to grab something?"

"I really need to get home, Kim. Grab a shower, maybe a sandwich." She almost added ‘Hug my son,’ but didn’t want to have to explain anything right now. "Are you coming back tomorrow or some other time this week? I think that people will need the support more once the shock wears off."

"I’ll try to get back tomorrow afternoon."

"Good, then maybe we can have some coffee."

Kim smiled and moved out of the way as Kerry exited the office. Kerry turned back as she reached the outer door.

"It’s good to see you, Kim."