Two's Company - part 3
Sequel to 'A Very Odd Couple'
Cast of Characters - Dave Malucci, Luka Kovac, Chris Malucci, Real Kerry.
Previously on ER.
Dave moved in with Luka and they became good friends.
After Dave was attacked, his sister Chris met Luka and they became even better friends
;-)
Chris came to visit Luka after being attacked by a patient at work. Dave - at Chris's request - made the excuse that he had to return some journals to Kerry and left them alone together. Chris told Luka that she was pregnant. Luka was delighted, but his happiness faded when Chris told him that she didn't think she wanted to have the baby. Meanwhile, Dave was looking for something to do to keep him occupied until it was safe to return home, and ended up going grocery shopping with Kerry.
Notes - I had called Luka's wife 'Maria' in the previous series before we found out her real name. I'm not changing it *now* g
---------------------------
Chris's eyes were swimming in tears as she allowed Luka to pull her towards him. Letting her head rest against his chest, she whispered, "I…I'm scared."
Luka wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair. "I know," he said softly, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "I know."
---------------------
Luka gently steered Chris into the living room and sat down on the couch with her. Pulling her close to him, he held her gently in his arms. Feeling how tense she was, he carefully started massaging her back.
Chris sighed heavily as she leaned against Luka. It felt so good knowing that he was there. Ever since she had found out that she was pregnant, she hadn't been able to relax as she had been dreading this confrontation. She knew that he wouldn't easily understand her reasons for not wishing to continue with this pregnancy…but she had to try and *make* him understand because more than anything she didn't want to lose him. But that could be dealt with later. For now, all she wanted to do was just forget about it for a little while.
Chris was almost asleep when Luka finally spoke. "Chris…we really need to talk about this."
Pushing away from him, Chris slid over to the end of the couch. Curling up defensively, she wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them close to her body. "So talk then," she said quietly.
Luka was distressed by the way Chris sought to distance herself from him, but he tried to hide it. He knew that she was obviously in a fragile emotional state at the moment, and the last thing he wanted to do was to say the wrong thing and upset her to such a degree that she would make a decision that he would be unable to talk her out of. The one point in his favor was that Chris was here…the fact that she hadn't simply gone ahead and terminated her pregnancy must mean that she was still uncertain about what she should do.
There was silence for a few minutes before Luka realized that he was going to have to lead this discussion. But where to begin, he wondered.
"Have you been seen by an OB yet?" he asked. Well, that was a reasonable enough question…after all, whether Chris was going through with this pregnancy or not, an OB visit was going to be her first stop.
Chris nodded. "Albert, my supervisor…he insisted that I get myself checked out. Managed to get one of the OB's on staff to squeeze me in."
"And?"
"And what?"
Luka felt like thumping the cushions in frustration. "And what did he say?"
Chris shrugged, "*She* said that I was pregnant. I told her that I didn't think I wanted to be." She stared at her knees, concentrating on every detail of the material covering them, simply to avoid looking at Luka. "She told me to go home and think about it for twenty-four hours, and then come back to her."
Luka reached out to take Chris's hand, but she pulled it away from him.
"Why do you not 'want this to be'?" asked Luka, slightly hurt by her gesture. "Did something wrong show up when the doctor examined you?"
Shaking her head, Chris said, "No…it's not that…"
"Then what?" Luka just couldn't understand it. Granted, he and Chris had never discussed the idea of having children together, but surely she had considered the option. Unless she believed that he would abandon her when she needed him.
"Because I'm a doctor, not a mother," snapped Chris. There was a note of anguish in her voice.
"You could be both."
"I'm a second year trauma resident," Chris tried to explain. "I barely have enough time to take care of myself…I don't have the time to be a proper parent *and* a doctor."
"I know it would be a struggle," said Luka, trying to absorb the impact of what she was saying. "But I have seen many residents who *were* able to juggle the responsibilities of medicine and a family. I was one of them, Chris. You are so smart, so focused that I do not doubt your ability to do the same."
"And how many of them were single women?" asked Chris, quietly.
"Only a few of them," admitted Luka, before realizing what she was implying. "Surely you do not believe that I would let you fend for yourself? This is *my* child as well…and I am willing and eager to accept my responsibilities as its parent. This news…while I admit that it came as a bit of a shock, it is wonderful news. I want…no, I *need* to be there for you and our child."
Luka watched the expression on Chris's face change, and he was sure that he had hit upon the *real* reason for her fear. But finally she spoke again.
"I don't doubt that you'd be there for me every step of the way," she said with a note of sadness in her voice…but it's just not going to work…" She reached out to take Luka's hand, but it was his turn to pull away.
Standing abruptly, he walked to the far wall before turning to look at Chris. "I cannot let you do this to me," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "I will not lose another child."
-----------------------------
"So, do you get 'evicted' from your home on a regular basis?" teased Kerry as she maneuvered the car through the busy streets.
"What?" asked Dave, momentarily distracted. "Oh…nah, not that often." He grinned lazily. "Usually make myself scarce anyway when Chris shows up. Or I watch a DVD or something while they're in the other room. But tonight she specifically *asked* me to disappear." His grin faded and he frowned.
"Is something the matter?" asked Kerry, noticing his expression change.
Dave shrugged uneasily. "Nothing really…it's just." He was silent for a few seconds before continuing, "It's just that I kinda got the feeling that Chris had something pretty important to talk to Luka about…something that she didn't want me listening at the keyhole for."
"Do you have any idea what it is?"
Dave shifted uneasily in his seat. "I think she may be planning to break up with him," he said, a note of sadness in his tone.
Kerry looked at him in surprise. "Why would you think that? Have they been having problems in their relationship?" She found that hard to believe. After all, the last time she had seen Luka and Chris together, she had been struck by how 'right' they seemed.
Dave didn't answer her for a few seconds. Finally he said, "There's nothing concrete…I just thought Chris seemed…I don't know…a little edgy. Like she had something bad to say and wasn't sure how he was gonna take it. Guess I figured her splitting with him was about as bad as it could get. I know her better than anyone…and I *know* that something's up." He was silent for a few seconds before smiling wryly. "I'm probably just overreacting. Hell, Chris probably just wanted to jump Luka's bones in peace."
Kerry kept her own counsel on the matter as she deftly pulled the car into a parking lot.
Dave looked around him uneasily as he climbed out of the car. The lot was almost deserted, and a collection of broken lights had left large parts of it in shadows…shadows that could have been hiding any number of dangers.
"Dave?"
He pulled himself together with a start, when he heard Kerry calling his name. "Yeah Chief?"
"Are you all right?" asked Kerry, a note of concern in her voice as she saw the wary expression on Dave's face.
"Who me?" Yeah…I'm okay." Dave glanced quickly around him, making sure that there was nobody else around. Forcing a smile on his face, he said, "C'mon, let's get your cupboards restocked…Mother Hubbard."
Kerry grimaced, "They're not quite *that* bare, Malucci," she replied. "And if I'm 'Mother Hubbard', then that would make *you* my dog, right?"
"Woof woof," said Dave, a real smile appearing on his face.
Kerry rolled her eyes at him. "Oh grow up," she said, smiling involuntarily. "Behave yourself or I won't buy you an ice-cream."
"I'll be good," promised Dave with a grin.
-----------------------
"I cannot let you do this to yourself…to *us*," said Luka.
"You…you can't *stop* me…it's my decision, *mine*" replied Chris. Standing, she stumbled towards the door, only for Luka to move quickly and block her way.
"I…I can't do this," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "Please…don't stop me…it's the only way…the best way…I *have* to do this…I can't go through with this pregnancy."
Luka grabbed her by the arms as she tried to move past him. "I am not going to let you just walk out of here," he said, a note of anger in his voice. "Not until you have given me one good reason *why* you are doing this."
"I've already told you," said Chris, her voice raised. "I can't do this…I *won't* have my life turned upside down. I have plans…goals…that do *not* include children." She tried futilely to free herself from Luka's grip.
"I don't believe you," replied Luka, angrily, his hands squeezing Chris's arms tightly. "I know you love your work…but it cannot be that important to you that you would simply throw away this *gift* for it. Why do not want this baby? WHY?"
"Because of what happened last time," Chris screamed at him.
----------------
To be continued
Sequel to 'A Very Odd Couple'
Cast of Characters - Dave Malucci, Luka Kovac, Chris Malucci, Real Kerry.
Previously on ER.
Dave moved in with Luka and they became good friends.
After Dave was attacked, his sister Chris met Luka and they became even better friends
;-)
Chris came to visit Luka after being attacked by a patient at work. Dave - at Chris's request - made the excuse that he had to return some journals to Kerry and left them alone together. Chris told Luka that she was pregnant. Luka was delighted, but his happiness faded when Chris told him that she didn't think she wanted to have the baby. Meanwhile, Dave was looking for something to do to keep him occupied until it was safe to return home, and ended up going grocery shopping with Kerry.
Notes - I had called Luka's wife 'Maria' in the previous series before we found out her real name. I'm not changing it *now* g
---------------------------
Chris's eyes were swimming in tears as she allowed Luka to pull her towards him. Letting her head rest against his chest, she whispered, "I…I'm scared."
Luka wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair. "I know," he said softly, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "I know."
---------------------
Luka gently steered Chris into the living room and sat down on the couch with her. Pulling her close to him, he held her gently in his arms. Feeling how tense she was, he carefully started massaging her back.
Chris sighed heavily as she leaned against Luka. It felt so good knowing that he was there. Ever since she had found out that she was pregnant, she hadn't been able to relax as she had been dreading this confrontation. She knew that he wouldn't easily understand her reasons for not wishing to continue with this pregnancy…but she had to try and *make* him understand because more than anything she didn't want to lose him. But that could be dealt with later. For now, all she wanted to do was just forget about it for a little while.
Chris was almost asleep when Luka finally spoke. "Chris…we really need to talk about this."
Pushing away from him, Chris slid over to the end of the couch. Curling up defensively, she wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them close to her body. "So talk then," she said quietly.
Luka was distressed by the way Chris sought to distance herself from him, but he tried to hide it. He knew that she was obviously in a fragile emotional state at the moment, and the last thing he wanted to do was to say the wrong thing and upset her to such a degree that she would make a decision that he would be unable to talk her out of. The one point in his favor was that Chris was here…the fact that she hadn't simply gone ahead and terminated her pregnancy must mean that she was still uncertain about what she should do.
There was silence for a few minutes before Luka realized that he was going to have to lead this discussion. But where to begin, he wondered.
"Have you been seen by an OB yet?" he asked. Well, that was a reasonable enough question…after all, whether Chris was going through with this pregnancy or not, an OB visit was going to be her first stop.
Chris nodded. "Albert, my supervisor…he insisted that I get myself checked out. Managed to get one of the OB's on staff to squeeze me in."
"And?"
"And what?"
Luka felt like thumping the cushions in frustration. "And what did he say?"
Chris shrugged, "*She* said that I was pregnant. I told her that I didn't think I wanted to be." She stared at her knees, concentrating on every detail of the material covering them, simply to avoid looking at Luka. "She told me to go home and think about it for twenty-four hours, and then come back to her."
Luka reached out to take Chris's hand, but she pulled it away from him.
"Why do you not 'want this to be'?" asked Luka, slightly hurt by her gesture. "Did something wrong show up when the doctor examined you?"
Shaking her head, Chris said, "No…it's not that…"
"Then what?" Luka just couldn't understand it. Granted, he and Chris had never discussed the idea of having children together, but surely she had considered the option. Unless she believed that he would abandon her when she needed him.
"Because I'm a doctor, not a mother," snapped Chris. There was a note of anguish in her voice.
"You could be both."
"I'm a second year trauma resident," Chris tried to explain. "I barely have enough time to take care of myself…I don't have the time to be a proper parent *and* a doctor."
"I know it would be a struggle," said Luka, trying to absorb the impact of what she was saying. "But I have seen many residents who *were* able to juggle the responsibilities of medicine and a family. I was one of them, Chris. You are so smart, so focused that I do not doubt your ability to do the same."
"And how many of them were single women?" asked Chris, quietly.
"Only a few of them," admitted Luka, before realizing what she was implying. "Surely you do not believe that I would let you fend for yourself? This is *my* child as well…and I am willing and eager to accept my responsibilities as its parent. This news…while I admit that it came as a bit of a shock, it is wonderful news. I want…no, I *need* to be there for you and our child."
Luka watched the expression on Chris's face change, and he was sure that he had hit upon the *real* reason for her fear. But finally she spoke again.
"I don't doubt that you'd be there for me every step of the way," she said with a note of sadness in her voice…but it's just not going to work…" She reached out to take Luka's hand, but it was his turn to pull away.
Standing abruptly, he walked to the far wall before turning to look at Chris. "I cannot let you do this to me," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "I will not lose another child."
-----------------------------
"So, do you get 'evicted' from your home on a regular basis?" teased Kerry as she maneuvered the car through the busy streets.
"What?" asked Dave, momentarily distracted. "Oh…nah, not that often." He grinned lazily. "Usually make myself scarce anyway when Chris shows up. Or I watch a DVD or something while they're in the other room. But tonight she specifically *asked* me to disappear." His grin faded and he frowned.
"Is something the matter?" asked Kerry, noticing his expression change.
Dave shrugged uneasily. "Nothing really…it's just." He was silent for a few seconds before continuing, "It's just that I kinda got the feeling that Chris had something pretty important to talk to Luka about…something that she didn't want me listening at the keyhole for."
"Do you have any idea what it is?"
Dave shifted uneasily in his seat. "I think she may be planning to break up with him," he said, a note of sadness in his tone.
Kerry looked at him in surprise. "Why would you think that? Have they been having problems in their relationship?" She found that hard to believe. After all, the last time she had seen Luka and Chris together, she had been struck by how 'right' they seemed.
Dave didn't answer her for a few seconds. Finally he said, "There's nothing concrete…I just thought Chris seemed…I don't know…a little edgy. Like she had something bad to say and wasn't sure how he was gonna take it. Guess I figured her splitting with him was about as bad as it could get. I know her better than anyone…and I *know* that something's up." He was silent for a few seconds before smiling wryly. "I'm probably just overreacting. Hell, Chris probably just wanted to jump Luka's bones in peace."
Kerry kept her own counsel on the matter as she deftly pulled the car into a parking lot.
Dave looked around him uneasily as he climbed out of the car. The lot was almost deserted, and a collection of broken lights had left large parts of it in shadows…shadows that could have been hiding any number of dangers.
"Dave?"
He pulled himself together with a start, when he heard Kerry calling his name. "Yeah Chief?"
"Are you all right?" asked Kerry, a note of concern in her voice as she saw the wary expression on Dave's face.
"Who me?" Yeah…I'm okay." Dave glanced quickly around him, making sure that there was nobody else around. Forcing a smile on his face, he said, "C'mon, let's get your cupboards restocked…Mother Hubbard."
Kerry grimaced, "They're not quite *that* bare, Malucci," she replied. "And if I'm 'Mother Hubbard', then that would make *you* my dog, right?"
"Woof woof," said Dave, a real smile appearing on his face.
Kerry rolled her eyes at him. "Oh grow up," she said, smiling involuntarily. "Behave yourself or I won't buy you an ice-cream."
"I'll be good," promised Dave with a grin.
-----------------------
"I cannot let you do this to yourself…to *us*," said Luka.
"You…you can't *stop* me…it's my decision, *mine*" replied Chris. Standing, she stumbled towards the door, only for Luka to move quickly and block her way.
"I…I can't do this," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "Please…don't stop me…it's the only way…the best way…I *have* to do this…I can't go through with this pregnancy."
Luka grabbed her by the arms as she tried to move past him. "I am not going to let you just walk out of here," he said, a note of anger in his voice. "Not until you have given me one good reason *why* you are doing this."
"I've already told you," said Chris, her voice raised. "I can't do this…I *won't* have my life turned upside down. I have plans…goals…that do *not* include children." She tried futilely to free herself from Luka's grip.
"I don't believe you," replied Luka, angrily, his hands squeezing Chris's arms tightly. "I know you love your work…but it cannot be that important to you that you would simply throw away this *gift* for it. Why do not want this baby? WHY?"
"Because of what happened last time," Chris screamed at him.
----------------
To be continued