Disclaimers: ER belongs to Michael Crichton and NBC and all that jazz.

Other: PLEASE review.

"Dr. Weaver," it was Mearl, the latest of Kerry's secretaries, and hopefully one who would last longer than his predecessors, "you've got an urgent call, they refuse to leave a message, and won't give me a name," he continued as she stepped into her office, back from a short stop to check in on the ER.

She sat down in the chair and picked up the phone, wondering what exactly could be so urgent. "Dr. Weaver speaking," she said impatiently, whoever it was could at least have had the courtesy to identify himself previously.

"Missing anyone?" the deep voice came over the phone.

"Excuse me?" down in the ER, there'd been a bit of irritation toward Abby for having taken a break hours earlier and not yet having returned. She shook away a dozen possible scenarios that instantly popped into her mind.

"She's dying, your resident is staining the snow with her blood," he laughed, obviously having a good time taunting Weaver.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked less than politely, more like snarled actually, "if this is some sort of sick joke-"

"You can take it as a joke if you choose to do so, but I'm not so sure she can afford that luxury,"

"That still doesn't answer my question, who are..." she stopped when she realized that whoever was on the other end had hung up. Damn it. She wanted to believe that it was just a joke, then again.. Then again, the last time Abby had disappeared, everyone assumed she had just went off in a huff over an argument with Susan, but she'd been abducted by a couple of gangsters... Maybe years of seeing car wrecks and the fall out of murderous rampages had left her cynical and jaded, but was it worth risking Abby's life on the possibility that it was a prank call?

She picked up the phone, she could at least see if Abby had returned. "ER," Franks gruff voice answered.

"Frank, I need to speak with Susan," she briefly considered reprimanding him for his attitude, but deemed the task worthless as she knew he wouldn't listen.

"Lewis," she heard him scream, "Weaver, pronto," he handed the phone off.

"Hi Kerry," Susan said as she grabbed the phone from Frank and went back to glancing over one of the many charts piled on top of the counter.

"Susan, has Abby returned yet?" it would seem a very odd question, but she didn't really want to waste time explaining. If it was a prank, it was more wasted time, and if it was serious, time was of the essence.

"No, nobody's seen her, she's not answering her pager or her cell phone," she spoke somewhat frustrated, more worried though. The longer Abby was missing, the more concerned Susan grew. While Abby had her moments, needed her space, it usually didn't take her hours to get back to the ER.

"I'll be down in as soon as possible, if you've got anyone spare, round them up."

"Kerry? What are.." but she had already hung up, leaving Susan wondering what to do next. Well obviously, do as Kerry had ordered, round 'em up. Without hesitation, Susan hung up the phone and went to work, rounding up a posse just as Kerry had requested.

After a brief call to security, Kerry was on her way downstairs. After waiting a minute for the elevator, she assumed (correctly) that the thing was out of order (as it frequently was), and braved the stairs down to the ER.

"What is this about Lewis?" Pratt spoke as he stood impatiently at the admit desk, along with Neela, Ray, Luka and Sam.

"How the hell should I know? You know how Weaver gets when she gets into one of her moods," Susan grumbled. Neela looked at Pratt, worried, that was unlike Susan, something was very wrong.

Kerry decided to overlook the Susan's comment, but approached the ER chief from behind, "Susan-" she started, the blonde jumped.

"Kerry, what.." Susan was nervous, Kerry knew something.

She entertained the idea of asking the residents to step out for a moment, but decided against it, "How long has Abby been missing for?"

"Um," Susan looked down at her watch, trying to stay calm, trying to suppress the feeling that Abby was not alright. "she went out about two hours ago,"

"Did she say how long she was going to be gone for?"

"No, she just said she was going to grab something to eat," Susan looked at Kerry nervously, "what's wrong?" it was not a question as to if something was wrong, but rather what was.

"I received an anonymous phone call, a threat on her life," she knew it sounded crazy, like she was panicking over a prank call, but there was no better way to put it. The urgency of the situation began to dawn on the staff gathered around, Abby was not there, this was not a joke, or a misunderstanding. Nobody knew what to say. "I doubt the police would take much notice after this short of an absence, but if any ER staff who aren't busy are willing to help security try to locate her..."

"Where do we stat?" Pratt asked "Do we even know where she might be?"

"Probably near the hospital, out doors."

"Its freezing," Neela spoke, as she glanced outside, at the snow that continued to fall.

"That's why it'd be best if there are more people out looking for her," Pratt said, catching the train of thought a bit faster than the rest.

Without another word, the staff spread out, some immediately heading outside, others grabbing their own jackets before joining them. Susan and Kerry, watched as a security guard approached them, his coat covered with snow flakes, his expression showed that he was stressed, possibly because they had yet to find a missing ER doctor.

"Anything yet?" Kerry called to the approaching figure.

"Nothing, we haven't seen any trace of her," he shook his head, "I have everyone I can spare looking," he reassured, before speaking into his radio and heading back down the hall.

Kerry nodded and decided to try the courtyard, no one went near the area during inclement weather, someone ought to check. It was freezing, probably a degree or two below zero. As she approached, she saw something in the corner slowly being covered by the snow, she knew immediately what.. rather who it was. That the snow around it wasn't white, but more of a dilute red was not a comforting thing. And of course, nobody was over there, nobody had even searched. Kerry had found the missing intern. Praying someone was within shouting distance, she hollered as she rushed toward the seemingly unconscious form. Blood was everywhere, so much, to much. But as Kerry bent down she noticed that Abby appeared to be conscious. Barely.

"Can you hear me Abby?" Kerry asked urgently as she crouched down next to her. Abby, upon hearing a familiar voice, somehow forced her eyes open. "Hold on, going to get you help," Kerry said as she checked Abby's pulse, not good. She shouted toward the main building again, there was no way she could get there and back quickly enough to be of any use. She peeled off her jacket and wrapped it around Abby's shoulders bare shoulders. The only thing shielding her from the harsh Chicago weather was a bloodied blue hospital blanket.

"Kerry," Abby began, having to attempt to get a deep breath, "don't let..me die.." she pleaded. Her voice was barely above a whisper, she simply couldn't get the essential oxygen into her lungs. Kerry had never heard Abby plea for anything, now she was begging her boss to save her life.

"Stay with me Abby, you're going to be okay, going to be fine," she forced herself to show confidence she did not feel. Where the hell was everyone? Had they not heard her? Another shout, this time though, after a moment, someone started sprinting over.

Abby couldn't comprehend what was happening anymore, she knew she was outside, but why, she couldn't figure out. All she knew was that she was exhausted, so tired, she began to close her eyes just as a flashlight's bright beam illuminated the two figures. She heard another voice, calling her name, but couldn't answer, not anymore. She felt someone's fingers, probably Kerry's, on her neck, checking her pulse, ordering her to open her eyes to look at them. But soon the voice faded out, and then there was nothing.

"Kerry-" Luka started, but his jaw dropped once he saw Abby.

"No way a gurney can get through this snow, get a back board, collar, Susan and Pratt."

"Yeah," he nodded and took off, when he suddenly stopped, Morris was right there. "Morris, get a back board, collar, bring Lewis," he ordered and then went back to Kerry and Abby.

"I heard her before," Morris said caddishly, then turned white as a ghost when he saw Abby and turned away, sprinted off, fleeing more than anything else.

"Abby?" Luka spoke cautiously, as he, like Kerry had done, took of his lab coat and placed it over Abby. She didn't quite say anything to him, it was clear to all of them, she was fading fast. "Abby, come on," he grabbed her hand and squeezed, hoping for a response, but knowing he probably wouldn't get one. She squirmed a bit, but then she was out, still had a pulse, but her GCS took a significant hit.

"Kerry!" they heard Susan shout, obviously she couldn't see them, they would have to lead her by their voices.

"Over here," she waved an arm, wishing they'd hurry up with the damn backboard, Abby needed to be in a trauma room, not a heap of snow.

They finally arrived, Susan, Sam, Pratt and three security guards. "Fuck," Pratt swore as he saw Abby, and bent down next to her horrified by the damage that had been inflicted upon her body.

"The board," Kerry demanded of Pratt, who had been carrying the thing.

He set it down in the snow, then grabbed the collar, "Is she breathing?" one of the security guards asked, no longer seeing the rise and fall of Abby's chest.

Kerry nodded, "We'll need to tube her once we get to the trauma room, but for now, worry about getting her inside."

In record time, Luka and Pratt had transferred Abby onto the back board, their hands and clothes now covered in her blood. Pratt, Luka, Sam, and one of the guards took hold of the board and hoisted it up, the remaining two guards and Susan stayed close as they pushed through the snow toward the ER. Abby's plea kept playing in Kerry's head, how she had basically begged Kerry to save her life, not to let her die.

There wasn't much they could do on the march to the ER, but once Abby was inside, on a gurney, the doctors' work took an almost frantic pace. Letting Abby die was not an option, they refused to let that happen.

"Got at least eleven stab wounds," Pratt announced as they began to work.

"I've got at least three more here," Susan's voice was distinctly melancholy. It didn't look good.

"Damn it Abby," Pratt whispered, as the monitors began screaming even louder.

"Eight ET tube, straight blade," Kerry asked of a near by nurse. Among other problems, Abby's pulse ox was in the low seventies. It was instantly in her hands, Kerry focused on the task at hand, as everyone else went about connecting wires, inserting lines, anything they could do at the moment. Surprisingly, the tube slid into place easily, a bit of air into the balloon, and Abby was ready to be hooked up to a vent, or oxygen. Maybe she wasn't as bad as they originally thought, maybe it was just the shock? Or at least they hoped. A look at the monitors painted a bleaker picture though, and a look at the patient bordered on nauseating, and that was without factoring in the bit where it was Abby on the gurney.

"Dubenko's on his way down," Sam hung up the phone and rushed back over, needing to start another IV. It wasn't a question is surgery was going to be needed, but how soon could they get Abby into the OR.

"Good," Dubenko was perhaps the most gifted surgeon at the hospital, and the best with traumas especially, not that anyone would say it ,for fear of Ansphaugh getting wind.

"Dr. Weaver…" Sam's eyes were glued to the heart monitor, the nurse had seen whatever she had seen well before anyone else.

Kerry glanced up, but before her eyes fixed on anything, she heard the monitor loudly declare asystole. She glanced back down at Abby's chest, a mess of penetrating stab wounds. "Thorocotomy tray." Everyone was silent as the equipment was set up. Someone squirted betadine over Abby's chest. Kerry made the incision, then took the saw. Susan had to turn away as the saw came close to her best friends chest, this was not happening, it was just a horrible dream. Years of practice meant the action was swift, but there was no way it could be over soon enough for anyone in the room. The sound of the saw was horrible enough, but then add to the idea that it was currently cutting through their colleagues chest in an effort to save her life, just made it even worse. Doubtless anyone who'd been present on Valentine's Day several years earlier was flashing back to that wretched night, but everyone had to do their best to focus on the present. More blood was pouring out, even as she continued to cut through, not good, they didn't need the monitor to tell them that. And then the saw was handed off, Kerry had successfully cut though her chest.

A lot of questions were answered after Abby's ribs were spread, though a newer nurse whose name no one could recall had to flee from the sickening sound. Left ventricle, ascending aorta, and the left lung were in desperate need of repair. A new question was raised though- should they even try? They had to, yes, but for their own selfish reasons, they wanted Abby with them! But what would the consequences be? What would Abby be like if she made it? Would she even want this? Kerry made a temporary closure of the wound to Abby's heart, then tried cardiac massage to bring the organ back to life. as it filled with blood, it began to beat, weakly, but better than nothing.

"Where the hell is surgery?" Pratt screamed as he continued to assist Kerry.

"Right here, no need to shout Dr. Pratt," Dubenko said calmly as he stepped into the trauma room.

"Took you long enough," he had to take his anger about this present situation out on someone, Duebenko was handy. He suddenly jumped back a little from the gurney, to keep even more of Abby's blood form spilling over onto his already blood stained shoes.

"I was in the middle of postoperative rounds."

"Well Abby needs you now," Pratt said through his teeth, the reaction on Dubenko's part spoke volumes, he obviously had not known who the patient was.

"Lockhart?"

"Yes, its Abby," Luka spoke over the monitors. Dubenko didn't say a word, just looked the scene over.

"Will she even make it up?" Pratt asked after a moment of silence and after seeing Dubenko's expression over Abby's condition. They had all watched as Duenko examined the injuries, all hoping that he would say yes they were repairable, that he could do something for Abby.

"Don't know. How many units in?" he asked, trying to distance himself from the situation, an impossible task.

"Three O-neg, type specific," Sam replied quickly.

"Right, do what you can, then we'll see how quickly we can get her to an OR."

"Kerry, her temps at 90.0" yet another issue to address, hypothermia.

"So put her on a warming blanket in the OR. If she needs bypass," which actually might not be necessary, after a second look. Kerry's stitching looked like it would suffice, and was in a sort of fiber that would break down with time, as the wound healed, "the hypothermia could be to your advantage."

"We can't wait much longer," Dubenko spoke as he kept his gaze on the monitors.

"Fine, send her up now then, just don't let her crash in the lift," Pratt said authoritatively.

"I'll do what I can, but…" he shook his head, hopefully they would get what he was saying.

"We know, now go, and take good care of her," Pratt was sick of the waiting around.

Susan squeezed Abby's hand, knowing that she would probably never see her friend breathing again. And as the gurney was rushed out, she couldn't control the tears anymore. While several of the nurses left, no one made a move to clean the trauma room. Pratt, Luka, Kerry, Susan and Sam all just stood there, silent, not knowing what to say or do next. All they could do was hope, hope that she made it though, and if she didn't, hope that Abby didn't suffer.