Note to reader: Every chapter takes place after the previous chapter unless otherwise noted. This chapter takes place a month after The Test.
Luka locked his locker as Dave walked in. Dave glanced at Luka.
"Hey Kovac, you off?" He asked. Luka nodded.
"Yes. Abby and I are on our way home."
"Taking the El?" Dave asked. Luka nodded, "Cool. I'll come with you guys." Dave said closing his locker.
"Don't you have a bike?" Luka asked walking into the ER/
"Sure I do, but I didn't ride it today." Dave said following him to the ambulance bay where Abby was standing.
"I see." Luka said walking up behind Abby and wrapping his arms around her. "Ready to go home?"
"I was born ready." Abby snickered giving him a kiss.
"Good." Luka took her hand and walked over to the train station. Dave started to ramble on and on about a trauma that he had did that morning. Luka and Abby exchanged sighs and boarded the train.
"And then I just yanked out the pipe. Sure, Benton was pissed at me, but it was extremely cool." Dave smiled sitting down across from the couple. Abby wrinkled her nose.
"Thank you for that play by play grossness." Abby chuckled, nuzzling into Luka. A young blond woman sat next to Dave.
"Did I hear you right?" The woman asked, "You're a doctor?"
"Yeah." Dave smiled brightly, "Dr. Dave. I'm here to cure all your aches and pains."
"Cyndi. Good because I'm looking for a doctor." She winked. Abby groaned and looked at Luka.
"Less than two months." She said. Luka smiled at her.
"I know." He said. "I have a fitting next week for my tuxedo."
"Mmmm...I can't wait to see you in a tux." She snickered; "I have a fitting also next week. I can't wait for you to see the dress...it's so beautiful."
"Well, it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding." Luka said. Abby smacked him playfully.
"I know that Silly." She smiled. An elderly woman sat next them with a huge smile.
"Are you two getting married?" She asked. They both nodded.
"Yes, Ma'am." Luka smiled brightly.
"Well, that's terrific!" The woman smiled, "My name is Ruth Factors. My husband and I have been married for fifty years."
'Wow. Fifty years. That's great." Abby smiled at Ruth. "Any advice?"
"Oh Abby, don't bother Mrs. Factors.' Luka said. Ruth chuckled.
"It's no bother. I love talking. I started talking when I was one year old and seventy years later I haven't stopped." Ruth said. Luka and Abby chuckled, "the three things that have kept Harold and together are Communication, honesty, and great sex." Luka and Abby held back their laughter.
"Well, we have all that." Abby smiled.
"Then you guys will be all right." The next events happened so fast, Abby didn't know what was happening. An ear piercing sound echoed through the train car. Metal against metal. Abby's body lurched forward and she crashed into the opposite wall. People started to scream. She held onto the pole next to her tightly as the walls and ceiling seemed to spin around her.
"LUKA!!!" She screamed as something hit her head. A brown haze came over Abby and she lost conscious.
* * *
Luka slowly opened his eyes. Danjiela? He wasn't sure where he was. He looked about him. It was chaos. People crying. People bleeding. It took him a moment to remember what happened. The train had crashed.
"Abby??" His heart rose in his chest as he stood up. "Abby??" Luka looked around. He saw Dave getting up. "Malucci where is Abby??"
"I don't know..." He looked around him, 'Good."
"Abby??" Luka cried. Other people started to scream some out of pain. Some out of horror. Luka spotted his brunette fiance lying against the train's door. He ran over o her. "Abby!! Abby, wake up." He shook her gently. Her eyes opened up.
"Luka?" She mumbled looking around her, 'God...w-what happened?"
"The train...I think we crashed." I know we crashed. Luka looked at her, 'how are you?? Are you okay?"
"I think so." Abby said touching her head softly, "I just have a headache."
"We need to get you to county and get you a head CT." Luka said helping her up. Abby looked about her.
"I think there are a lot more people worse off than me here." Abby couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't believe what had happened. Dave walked up to them.
'The doors are stuck and we're in a tunnel.... Not the easiest way to be rescued." Dave said as his adrenalin began to pump. "A lot of these people need doctors." Luka nodded. Luka, where's Marko? He's dead. Don't move. How hurt are you?
"Luka." Abby stared at him, "Earth to Luka." He shook his head and looked at her.
"Yes...Um, let's find the most critical people." Luka said, "Abby...you're injured-"
"I'm not injured."
"You had a severe blow to the head." Luka said, "Try to find a way out or how to get help here. Malucci, you got this way. I'll go this way." Dave and Abby nodded. Luka took in a deep breath and walked further into the car. He bent down to a couple who had head lacerations, but they had the bleeding under control. Luka continued to walk when he saw Ruth propped up against the wall. "Ruth?" He bent down to her.
"Oh...hello Child." She gave him a limp smile. He took her hand in his and took her pulse. It was extremely weak.
"Are you hurt?" She nodded slightly. "Where?"
"My side." She motioned down and a large piece of glass was sticking out.
"God." Luka sighed. There's no doubt her liver is punctured, he thought glumly. Luka looked about him and motioned to a young man, "What's your name?"
"Ah...S-Sam." He stuttered.
"Sam, I'm Dr. Kovac from County General. I need your help." Luka said, "Can you help me take care of this woman?"
"I'll try."
"Good." Luka said, taking off his over shirt and handing it to Sam, "I'm going to take that glass out of her side, but there will be a good amount of blood so I need you to immediately put my shirt on it. Press hard and don't let go until help comes. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Doctor." Sam nodded. Luka looked at Ruth.
"Ruth, It's going to hurt."
"Child...I had seven children with no drugs....I can handle this." Luka forced out a smile and glanced at Sam.
"Get ready." Luka took hold of the glass and yanked it out. Ruth cried out in pain. Sam immediately pressed the shirt hard against the wound. "Sam, what ever you do, don't let go and don't let her fall asleep. I need to go to the others."
Abby banged hard on the door with a pipe. She couldn't get it open. God damn it...My phone. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She turned it on and dialed county's number, but the reception was bad and the signal couldn't leave the tunnel.
"Damn it!" Abby threw her phone across the train. She ran her hand through her hair flinching at her head wound. She was sure she needed a stitch or two. Abby began to walk down the length of the train trying to get to the conductor's compartment. She walked past injured people and it broke her heart. She had the knowledge to help all these people, but she didn't have the equipment she needed.
Abby stepped over a young mother and child and pushed open the door to the conductor's compartment. He laid there against the wall bleeding. Abby bent down and took his pulse. he had one but it was getting thready.
"Sir, can you hear me?" he opened his eyes. "Sir, My name is Abby Lockhart. I'm a RN at County General. We've been in an accident. is there anyway I can radio out?"
"Yes....over there." he pointed to a phone on the wall.
"Thanks." Abby got up and picked up the phone. The dial tone was very faint. She pressed the blue button on the receiver. She heard a faint voice on the other end, "I don't know if you can hear me, but there as been a train crash. We flipped over. There are a lot of people injured. We need medical attention here stat." She hung up the phone and turned to the conductor. :"What's your name?"
"P-Patrick....tell my wife.....I love her." he mumbled. Abby sighed heavily.
"You're not going to die, Patrick. We'll get an ambulance here soon and you'll be okay." She said touching his face. Blood was trickling down. God...don't let him die. I could save him if I had the medical supplies. Please don't let him die. Patrick began to cough uncontrollably.
"I...l-love....her." he said closing his eyes.
"Damn Patrick, you're not going to die." Abby cried. "P-Please don't die." She pleaded with him to hold on until medical help came. She took his hand and took his pulse. She could barely feel it. Shit...come on, Patrick, come on.
Dave and Luka kneeled over a young woman who thought she was going into labor.
"She's dilated....six centimeters." Dave said looked at Luka, "I haven't delivered a baby since med school."
"Hopefully, Abby has been able to get help and you don't have to." Luka said.
"Dr. Kovac!!" Sam yelled from where he and Ruth sat. Luka immediately stood up and ran over.
"What is it?"
"I think she's stopped breathing." Sam said. Luka noticed his shirt was soaked through and Sam had put his own jacket on the wound. It had also been soaked through. Luka stared at her. He saw Danjiela in her place. He saw his beautiful wife laying there bloody in their ambushed home. "Dr. Kovac...she isn't breathing." Luka came back to reality.
"All right." Luka took her pulse and found none. "Ruth. come on...come back to me...and Harold...Come on Ruth." Luka had begun to give her CPR. his heart raced wishing in every being in his body that she'd open her eyes. "Come on, Ruth." he pleaded with her in between breaths.
"Is she dead??" Sam cried wiping her blood off of him.
"No!" Luka snapped continuing the CPR. He continued this for ten minutes until Dave pulled him away.
"She's dead man." he said quietly. Luka shook his head, "Yes man..come on...there are others that need you." Dave helped Luka to his feet.
"H-How's the woman?" he asked.
"She's progressing...if someone doesn't come in the next twenty minutes we'll be delivering a baby." Dave said. Luka sighed glancing around them. Everyone had pretty much calmed down. A few were trying to open the doors. He took a deep breath in. He wanted to be home...in bed...with Abby in his arms. he wanted to get as far away from here as he could.
"Let's find Abby." Luka said.
Abby jumped up when she saw flashlights down the tunnel. She banged on the window.
"hurry up!!" She screamed as she saw Firemen and EMTs running towards them. A flood of relief washed over her. She stood back as the firemen opened up the train with the Jaws of Life. Paramedics started to pour in.
"Abby? Are you okay?" Doris the EMT came up to her.
"Luka is in there." Abby said looking back into the train.
"Come on, Abby. you're bleeding." Doris took hold of Abby and pulled her out of the wreckage.
"Luka and Dave are in there." Abby said, "People are hurt, Doris."
"I know. There are people here to help them." Doris said bringing Abby over to a gurney, "We need to get you to County and have tat head looked at." Abby didn't say anything, she just watched paramedics and firemen bring people out.
Luka rolled a young woman into the County 's emergency room. The ER was filled with people from the wreck.
"Luka, bring her over here." Kerry said pulling the gurney.
"Have you seen Abby?" he asked. She shook her head.
"We're a little bit busy around here if you haven't noticed." Kerry aid, "Lily get two pints of o-neg." Luka ran his hand through his hair looking around the ER.
"Mark, have you seen Abby?" He asked.
"Yeah." He said, "She's getting a head CT done right now."
"Is she okay?"
"As far as I can tell. She just needed a few stitches." Mark said, "but you know the CT is needed."
"I know." Luka said, "Thanks." He jogged up the stairs not waiting for the elevator. he spotted Lydia rolling a gurney with Abby on it. "Abby!" he cried running to her side.
"Hey.: She smiled.
"Are you okay?"
"Just a few stitches and a mild concision." She said taking his hand. "It's nothing serious."
"Just means you have to wait on her hand and foot." Lydia snickered. Abby smiled.
"Yes...You need to do that." She said. Luka smiled and kissed her forehead.
"I will." He said, "There's no need to worry." Abby and Luka both took in a deep breath. So much had happened in the past few hours. Their nerves were running a mile a minute. It felt good to sit there holding each other's hands with no worries.