At seven months pregnant Abby was getting more and more tired as her
shifts wore on. Carter tried to get her to cut back but she was so
stubborn. Her maternity leave was due to start in two weeks but after the
day she was about to have she would soon change her mind.
An hour into her shift Abby was working with a five year old little girl called Samantha. Samantha had fallen at school and split her head open. Abby was suturing her up while listening to the little girl chat about anything and everything.
"Are you having a baby?" the little girl inquired while staring at Abby's small stomach.
"I am yes. Would you like to feel?" Samantha nodded wide-eyed. Abby took the little girls hand and laid it on her bump. As if the baby knew, he or she started to kick.
"Wow. My mommy never let me touch her tummy when she was pregnant all those times."
"Your mommy has a new baby?" Abby looked into the little girls eyes. They were so full of sadness.
"Yes just the other week. That's another one, Granny had said." Samantha laughed as continued to feel Abby's baby move about.
"How many live in your house?"
"Lots. My mommy and Mike, me, Harrison, Elise, Mitchell, Jackson, Delaney, Presley and Jade."
"Are you the oldest?" The little girl nodded. "Does your mommy get any help?"
"Yes, me. Mike sleeps all day he says cause Jade screams all night." The little girl started to sound tired.
"Samantha can you wait here for a minute, I'm going to get a friend of mine who can maybe help you okay." Abby touched the little girls shoulder before leaving her to find Carter. "John, do you know if Adele is working today?"
"Think I saw her up stairs. Why?" Carter asked as he kissed her head.
"I have a five year old little girl over there whose mom has eight kids under five and no help."
"Aren't you glad we're just having the one." Abby smiled as she picked up the phone and dialled Adele's extension number.
Later in the afternoon Abby was standing at the admit desk with Jing- Mei and Malik telling them all about Samantha.
"Abby."
Abby froze. It was a voice she knew all too well, but hadn't heard I eighteen months. Abby turned to the source of the voice and sure enough there was Maggie, her mother. "Mom." Abby was stunned, the woman knew exactly when to show up.
"Hi sweetie. How are you?"
God, did she really think she was going to get back into her life with some simple one liners. Well where should she start. Should she tell her everything or tell her nothing. "Maggie you can't just walk back into my life after all this time without so much as a phonecall and expect me to be all sweetness and light. You are not on. You are going to have to leave." Abby didn't move from the spot where she stood.
"Abby please, you have to let me explain." Maggie moved closer to the desk, pleading with her daughter.
"You don't have to explain anything to me. You walked out on me eighteen months ago telling me that you and Eric no longer needed me. So now the tables have turned and I no longer need you. I have my own life and I am happy. Now please leave or I'll get someone else to remove you."
"Abby please don't do this."
Abby was no longer listening to Maggie,. She turned and walked away from the desk. Maggie now saw Abby's swollen stomach. "Abby your pregnant. I am so pleased for you. Oh Abby. Abby. ABBY!!!" Maggie screamed after her daughter who continued to walk.
Carter heard Abby being called on and thought he recognised the voice. He stepped out of the suture room where he could see her walking towards him tears streaming down her face. he could see Maggie in the background being escorted out by security officers. Carter held open his arms and let her fall into them. "It's all right baby. I'm here." He whispered into her hair as he kissed her. "I'm here."
An hour into her shift Abby was working with a five year old little girl called Samantha. Samantha had fallen at school and split her head open. Abby was suturing her up while listening to the little girl chat about anything and everything.
"Are you having a baby?" the little girl inquired while staring at Abby's small stomach.
"I am yes. Would you like to feel?" Samantha nodded wide-eyed. Abby took the little girls hand and laid it on her bump. As if the baby knew, he or she started to kick.
"Wow. My mommy never let me touch her tummy when she was pregnant all those times."
"Your mommy has a new baby?" Abby looked into the little girls eyes. They were so full of sadness.
"Yes just the other week. That's another one, Granny had said." Samantha laughed as continued to feel Abby's baby move about.
"How many live in your house?"
"Lots. My mommy and Mike, me, Harrison, Elise, Mitchell, Jackson, Delaney, Presley and Jade."
"Are you the oldest?" The little girl nodded. "Does your mommy get any help?"
"Yes, me. Mike sleeps all day he says cause Jade screams all night." The little girl started to sound tired.
"Samantha can you wait here for a minute, I'm going to get a friend of mine who can maybe help you okay." Abby touched the little girls shoulder before leaving her to find Carter. "John, do you know if Adele is working today?"
"Think I saw her up stairs. Why?" Carter asked as he kissed her head.
"I have a five year old little girl over there whose mom has eight kids under five and no help."
"Aren't you glad we're just having the one." Abby smiled as she picked up the phone and dialled Adele's extension number.
Later in the afternoon Abby was standing at the admit desk with Jing- Mei and Malik telling them all about Samantha.
"Abby."
Abby froze. It was a voice she knew all too well, but hadn't heard I eighteen months. Abby turned to the source of the voice and sure enough there was Maggie, her mother. "Mom." Abby was stunned, the woman knew exactly when to show up.
"Hi sweetie. How are you?"
God, did she really think she was going to get back into her life with some simple one liners. Well where should she start. Should she tell her everything or tell her nothing. "Maggie you can't just walk back into my life after all this time without so much as a phonecall and expect me to be all sweetness and light. You are not on. You are going to have to leave." Abby didn't move from the spot where she stood.
"Abby please, you have to let me explain." Maggie moved closer to the desk, pleading with her daughter.
"You don't have to explain anything to me. You walked out on me eighteen months ago telling me that you and Eric no longer needed me. So now the tables have turned and I no longer need you. I have my own life and I am happy. Now please leave or I'll get someone else to remove you."
"Abby please don't do this."
Abby was no longer listening to Maggie,. She turned and walked away from the desk. Maggie now saw Abby's swollen stomach. "Abby your pregnant. I am so pleased for you. Oh Abby. Abby. ABBY!!!" Maggie screamed after her daughter who continued to walk.
Carter heard Abby being called on and thought he recognised the voice. He stepped out of the suture room where he could see her walking towards him tears streaming down her face. he could see Maggie in the background being escorted out by security officers. Carter held open his arms and let her fall into them. "It's all right baby. I'm here." He whispered into her hair as he kissed her. "I'm here."