August 17, 2001 Week 20

Abby slowly walked into the ER. It had been a couple of weeks since she had been here and then she was on a gurney.

"Hey Abby." Chuny walked up to her, "looking good."

"Thanks." Abby rolled her eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I swallowed two watermelons. I'm only twenty weeks and my back is done in, my feet are swollen, and i'm getting strange cravings." Chuny chuckled softly.

"It comes with the territory I think." She smiled.

"Yeah I guess so." Abby walked up to the Admit desk, "Almira, is my husband off yet?"

"He is and he isn't." She said hanging up the phone; "He just got a trauma on his way out." Abby sighed.

"Okay. Can I sit down?" Abby asked.

"Be my guest. " Abby walked behind the desk and sat down. She moaned loudly as she got comfortable.

"Moans are like angels singing to my ears." Romano said walking up to the desk. Abby sighed. "What are you doing here, Lockhart? Aren't you an OB nurse now?"

"It's Kovac." Abby said.

"What? Oh yeah that's right...you took the plunge.... Again." Robert smiled slightly. Abby narrowed her eyes. "How is it this time around? Oh wait, I don't care."

"Dr. Romano, why don't you go pick on someone else?" Abby said trying to ignore him. Robert smiled.

"Why? Are your pregnancy hormones going to make you cry?" He chuckled softly leaning onto the desk, "is it true? Twins?" Why even answer him? You'll give him ammo.

"Yes." Abby mumbled, "A boy and a girl."

"How sweet!!" Robert rolled his eyes; "the world is over populated enough and you decide to add two more sniffling runny nosed kids to it. I just don't understand some people."

"Same here." Abby said staring at him.

"Aren't you afraid?" Robert asked her.

"Afraid of what?" Abby crossed her arms.

"Your mother is Bipolar isn't yes?" Robert asked. Abby sighed heavily.

"Don't you have work to do, Dr. Romano?" Robert snickered at her.

"But bothering you is so much more fun." He said.

"You're not bothering me, Dr. Romano, because I could careless what you say or do because I hate you." Abby snapped. Robert stared at her.

"I should have you fired for that." He said.

"You can't fire me because I have an opinion." Abby said, "and if you do, I will talk to the board of trustees or whomever."

"Getting a little feisty now are you?" Robert smiled as Luka walked up, "Dr. Kovac, you should tame this woman of yours. She has a mouth on her. Now if you'll excuse me, some of us I have work." Robert turned around and walked away. Abby growled loudly laying her head on Luka's Chest.

"God I hate that man." She moaned. Luka kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry baby." He said, "But let's go. We have our first class don't we?"

"Yup." Abby smiled standing up. "It should be fun."

"I'd like to welcome all the parents here. Some of you I've seen before. Some of you I haven't." Melinda Carsel, the parenting teacher, stood in front of the group of expecting parents. "This class is just a class to try to prepare you for some things of labor and parenting, since children don't come with manuals. The first two weeks will be a general introduction to see where all of you are at. Then the three weeks after that will be the birth, breathing exercising, everything along those lines. First off, let's test your diapering skills. In the front, are the baby dolls. Grab one and in the case of the Kovacs, they grab two."

"Yay us." Abby smiled grabbing a baby. "Look. It's Sasha." Luka chuckled softly picking up a baby boy doll.

"They don't look like us much." He smiled.

"Oh well."

"All right parents. Take your babies to the table and station yourself in front of a diaper." Melinda said, "I will give your thirty seconds to diaper your child. Do it gently. On your marks get set...go." Abby quickly laid out the diaper and laid the baby on it. She grabbed one of the tape edges and pinned the diaper to the baby. She pulled the tape tightly and it snapped.

"Shit." She cursed and glanced over at Luka who already his baby diapered.

"Times up." Melinda said glancing at everyone's babies. "Oh Abby. Next time maybe you'll do better."

"Sure." Abby mumbled glancing at Luka's baby. "You did it better than me."

"I used to do it everyday. I have had my practice." He said. Abby sighed.

"I...I forgot." She said quietly as Melinda told them all to sit down. Luka smiled slightly. Abby sat down in one of the rows as Melinda started talking about the stereotypes parents have. Luka sat down next to Abby and put his arm around her. She pulled away from him and dropped her pretend baby.

"Oh Mrs. Kovac, be careful there." Melinda said, "You could have given your baby brain damage.' A few parents snickered. Abby grabbed the baby feeling like an idiot.

"S-Sorry." Abby mumbled. For the next, forty-five minutes, Abby sat there watching Luka do everything right. He did all the projects correctly. He answered all the questions right. Whereas Abby did everything wrong.

"Well, I hope to see most of you next week. We'll be learning about the different birthing options." Melinda smiled. Abby quickly stood up and passed the baby in. "Abby, don't worry. Next week you'll do better. Everyone has an off day."

"Sure. Whatever." Abby mumbled. Luka thanked Melinda and ran and caught up with Abby.

"Abby, are you okay?" Luka asked. She turned to him with tears streaming down her face.

"I c-can't do this Luka." Abby cried, "I just can't."

"Can't do what?" Luka asked not liking seeing her cry.

"This whole motherhood thing. I j-just can't. You saw me in there. I can't do it." Abby said, "I'm going to mess up and you'll be disappointed in me." Luka shook his head.

"Stop that, Abby, right now. Number one, stop saying you can't because you can. You can do whatever you set your mind to. That's one reason I love you." Luka said, "number two; there's no bone in me that could ever be disappointed in you. Everyone makes mistakes. Every parent makes mistakes, but you learn as you go along. You shouldn't be like this. You handle babies everyday of your life. You know how to bathe them, diaper them, feed them.."

"But it's different when it's your own kids, Luka." Abby said, "I don't...."

"You don't what Abby?" Abby bit her lip, not wanting to look at Luka.

"I.... I don't want to be like Maggie." She said quietly.

"That is what this is all about? Maggie?" Luka asked. Abby nodded slowly.

"I...I want to give James and Sasha the best lives possible, b-but what if I freak out. What if I turn out to be like Maggie?" Abby cried. Luka wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"You will give James and Sasha the best life possible. You're not doing this alone. You have me." Luka spoke softly, "You're not Maggie nor will you ever be. You're Abby. You're my wife. You're the mother of my children and I love you. Don't worry about loosing it or whatever because parenthood is very over whelming, but you have me."

"I-I know." Abby said quietly.

"Good." He said smoothing back her hair. Luka looked at her, "How does grilled chicken and ice cream sound?" Abby smiled slightly.

"Sounds wonderful." She said.

"Good, because that's what I'm making for dinner, well not the ice cream...you know what I mean." Luka smiled. Abby wiped away her drying tears.

"I'm sorry for being such a dork."

"You're not a dork; you're just pregnant." Luka laughed.

"Hey!" Abby playfully slapped him.

"Come on Sweety." He put his arm around her shoulders, "Let's go home."