"Abby, It's Susan. Carol and I were wondering if you are up for some
shopping this afternoon?" Susan was on her cell phone.
"yeah sure. When you coming over?" Abby said as she wrapped the towel back around her body. Her eighth month body didn't like to hold towels up.
"We're almost at your house. We figured you'd say yes."
"Well when you get here just come straight in. The doors open. I'm just out the bath so I'll be a while getting ready."
"Okay. See you in a bit." Susan hung up the phone and turned to Carol. It really was great having her back. Her old best friend and her new best friend had become friends immediately so shopping was always fun. "She's up for it."
Entering the Carter house was strange. Susan didn't like just walking into people's houses but Abby had said to. "Abby, we're here." Susan called up the stairs.
"Susan." A strangulated cry came from Abby.
Susan took the stairs two at a time with Carol close on her heals. They went straight into the bedroom to find Abby doubled in pain. She had started to get dressed when she had gone into labour. The jeans she wore were soaking with her waters and tears streamed down her face. "Abby, what happened."
"I went into labour just after you called. My water broke about a minute ago. Susan, it's too early. This baby can't be born now. Susan I can't lose another." Abby's stare bore into her friends. "Please don't let me lose this one."
"I won't. How far apart are your contractions?" Susan tried to placate her friend.
"About five minutes." Abby gripped onto he edge of the bed as she felt another contraction hit.
"I'll drive you to the hospital." Carol piped in. "Ambulance would take too long." She ran back down the stairs to get the car ready.
Susan helped Abby out of her jeans and into dry trousers and a clean top. "You have to call John for me."
"I will don't panic. I'll do it from the car." They managed to get down the stairs before another contraction hit.
In the car Abby was trying to control her breathing while Susan tried to get the hospital. "County General ER, Frank speaking how can I help?"
"Frank, it's Susan Lewis here, Is Carter about?" Susan had been surprised to hear Frank speaking so politely.
"Yeah, give me a minute and I'll get him for you." Frank placed her on hold.
A minute later Carter picked up the phone. "Hey Sus what's the matter?"
"Well I'm on my way in with your wife."
"Why what's the matter?" John started to panic. Just at that Abby let out a scream. "Susan tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong Carter, she's gone into labour." Susan told him. "We are about five minutes away from the hospital and we will head straight up to OB. Can you get up there first?"
"How far apart are her contractions?"
"Now about every three minutes. Just let Coburn know and we'll see you in a bit." Susan hung up before he had the chance to ask her anything else.
Up in OB Carter had found Janet Coburn straight away and told her what was happening. "Kelly I need a neo-natal incubator and warming pads. Oxygen and testing kit." Janet looked over to the worried looking Carter. "It's all just a precaution. Don't worry so much."
"But this baby isn't due for another five weeks yet." Carter ran his hand through his hair as the elevator buzzed and the doors whooshed open to reveal Abby, Susan and Carol.
"John." Abby sounded exasperated. She was now contacting every minute. It was painful.
"It's going to be okay Abby. I promise you."
"John, please don't let this baby die. I can't go through that again."
"Nothing bad is going to happen." Susan heard him tell her as they were taken away to the delivery suite.
"Susan, what does she mean again?" Carol had a puzzled look on her face.
"Oh I forgot you don't know what happened before." Carol shook her head. "About a year before they got married Abby was pregnant. They hadn't told anyone at the hospital. She was treating a patient who got violent ad kicked her in the stomach making her lose the baby. It was really hard on them both."
"I see what she meant now." Carol said as they walked to the waiting area.
Inside the delivery room Abby was screaming out in pain. "Abby I need you to concentrate on your breathing for me." Janet told her. "The head is already crowning so it won't be long now."
"John, don't let our baby die." Abby pleaded with her husband. Her eyes were full of fear.
"Abby don't worry. Nothing bad is going to happen. Just concentrate and we will have our baby in just a minute." Carter held her hand as she pushed. The heard a tiny cry then nothing.
"What's happening, why isn't the baby crying?" Tears streamed down Abby's face. What had happened to her baby?
"Abby, John you have a little baby girl. She is needing a little help breathing at the moment but I don't see it lasting long. She's in an incubator and I'm going to take her away to the neo-natal unit and asses her okay."
"I want to see her." Abby cried. She wasn't even getting to hold her baby. She wanted to hold her and breath for her. The nurse brought the incubator around so John and Abby could see their baby daughter before she was taken away. She was so small. "Hi baby girl. You be a good girl and I'll see you real soon." Abby was crying, so was Carter. He couldn't believe it. They finally had their family. He only hoped the little one would survive.
"So does she have a name yet?" One of he OB nurses asked the couple.
They were cuddled in one anothers arms crying. What if she didn't survive, what would they do then. Carter didn't think Abby would cope if this little one died. "Yes she has a name." Carter was first to speak. They had decided on a girls name and boys name that they both liked just the night before. "Her name is Hayden Eleanor Carter." He told the nurse as he kissed Abby.
"Abby, open your eyes for me. Abby." Janet shouted at Abby. John hadn't noticed that his wives eyes had closed and she had gone limp. "She's losing blood, hang another unit."
"Abby wake up baby. Come on baby wake up." Carter held onto her willing her to come back to him.
Around ten that evening Abby wearily opened her eyes. She tried to focus on something. "Hey mommy, want to meet your baby girl." Abby smiled when she realised what she had been trying to focus on was Carter holding their baby girl in his arms. He walked across to the bed and placed the little on into her arms.
"hi Hayden." Abby croaked. She looked up to Carter. "Is she okay?"
"She's perfect. She needed a little help breathing when she was first born but she's fine now." Carter climbed onto the bed beside Abby and let his hand stroke his daughters soft cheek.
Hayden opened her eyes and looked up to Abby. "John, she's beautiful."
"Just like her mom. There's a couple of very excited aunties waiting in the hall to see you two."
"Have they waited all this time." John nodded as he left the room as Abby returned her attention to her daughter.
"Hi." Susan and Carol peeked round the door. "ready for visitors?"
Abby nodded as they approached the bed. "Thank you for staying with me today. I don't know what I would have done if you guys hadn't appeared."
"don't worry about it. Just tell us your daughters name."
"Hayden Eleanor Carter." Abby said proudly as she tried to sit further up the bed. Carter came round to help her, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her.
"Oh wait I have to get the first family picture." Susan said sounding more excited than John or Abby.
And there it was taken the picture they never thought would be taken. The first Carter family picture with John, Abby and Hayden Carter.
"yeah sure. When you coming over?" Abby said as she wrapped the towel back around her body. Her eighth month body didn't like to hold towels up.
"We're almost at your house. We figured you'd say yes."
"Well when you get here just come straight in. The doors open. I'm just out the bath so I'll be a while getting ready."
"Okay. See you in a bit." Susan hung up the phone and turned to Carol. It really was great having her back. Her old best friend and her new best friend had become friends immediately so shopping was always fun. "She's up for it."
Entering the Carter house was strange. Susan didn't like just walking into people's houses but Abby had said to. "Abby, we're here." Susan called up the stairs.
"Susan." A strangulated cry came from Abby.
Susan took the stairs two at a time with Carol close on her heals. They went straight into the bedroom to find Abby doubled in pain. She had started to get dressed when she had gone into labour. The jeans she wore were soaking with her waters and tears streamed down her face. "Abby, what happened."
"I went into labour just after you called. My water broke about a minute ago. Susan, it's too early. This baby can't be born now. Susan I can't lose another." Abby's stare bore into her friends. "Please don't let me lose this one."
"I won't. How far apart are your contractions?" Susan tried to placate her friend.
"About five minutes." Abby gripped onto he edge of the bed as she felt another contraction hit.
"I'll drive you to the hospital." Carol piped in. "Ambulance would take too long." She ran back down the stairs to get the car ready.
Susan helped Abby out of her jeans and into dry trousers and a clean top. "You have to call John for me."
"I will don't panic. I'll do it from the car." They managed to get down the stairs before another contraction hit.
In the car Abby was trying to control her breathing while Susan tried to get the hospital. "County General ER, Frank speaking how can I help?"
"Frank, it's Susan Lewis here, Is Carter about?" Susan had been surprised to hear Frank speaking so politely.
"Yeah, give me a minute and I'll get him for you." Frank placed her on hold.
A minute later Carter picked up the phone. "Hey Sus what's the matter?"
"Well I'm on my way in with your wife."
"Why what's the matter?" John started to panic. Just at that Abby let out a scream. "Susan tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong Carter, she's gone into labour." Susan told him. "We are about five minutes away from the hospital and we will head straight up to OB. Can you get up there first?"
"How far apart are her contractions?"
"Now about every three minutes. Just let Coburn know and we'll see you in a bit." Susan hung up before he had the chance to ask her anything else.
Up in OB Carter had found Janet Coburn straight away and told her what was happening. "Kelly I need a neo-natal incubator and warming pads. Oxygen and testing kit." Janet looked over to the worried looking Carter. "It's all just a precaution. Don't worry so much."
"But this baby isn't due for another five weeks yet." Carter ran his hand through his hair as the elevator buzzed and the doors whooshed open to reveal Abby, Susan and Carol.
"John." Abby sounded exasperated. She was now contacting every minute. It was painful.
"It's going to be okay Abby. I promise you."
"John, please don't let this baby die. I can't go through that again."
"Nothing bad is going to happen." Susan heard him tell her as they were taken away to the delivery suite.
"Susan, what does she mean again?" Carol had a puzzled look on her face.
"Oh I forgot you don't know what happened before." Carol shook her head. "About a year before they got married Abby was pregnant. They hadn't told anyone at the hospital. She was treating a patient who got violent ad kicked her in the stomach making her lose the baby. It was really hard on them both."
"I see what she meant now." Carol said as they walked to the waiting area.
Inside the delivery room Abby was screaming out in pain. "Abby I need you to concentrate on your breathing for me." Janet told her. "The head is already crowning so it won't be long now."
"John, don't let our baby die." Abby pleaded with her husband. Her eyes were full of fear.
"Abby don't worry. Nothing bad is going to happen. Just concentrate and we will have our baby in just a minute." Carter held her hand as she pushed. The heard a tiny cry then nothing.
"What's happening, why isn't the baby crying?" Tears streamed down Abby's face. What had happened to her baby?
"Abby, John you have a little baby girl. She is needing a little help breathing at the moment but I don't see it lasting long. She's in an incubator and I'm going to take her away to the neo-natal unit and asses her okay."
"I want to see her." Abby cried. She wasn't even getting to hold her baby. She wanted to hold her and breath for her. The nurse brought the incubator around so John and Abby could see their baby daughter before she was taken away. She was so small. "Hi baby girl. You be a good girl and I'll see you real soon." Abby was crying, so was Carter. He couldn't believe it. They finally had their family. He only hoped the little one would survive.
"So does she have a name yet?" One of he OB nurses asked the couple.
They were cuddled in one anothers arms crying. What if she didn't survive, what would they do then. Carter didn't think Abby would cope if this little one died. "Yes she has a name." Carter was first to speak. They had decided on a girls name and boys name that they both liked just the night before. "Her name is Hayden Eleanor Carter." He told the nurse as he kissed Abby.
"Abby, open your eyes for me. Abby." Janet shouted at Abby. John hadn't noticed that his wives eyes had closed and she had gone limp. "She's losing blood, hang another unit."
"Abby wake up baby. Come on baby wake up." Carter held onto her willing her to come back to him.
Around ten that evening Abby wearily opened her eyes. She tried to focus on something. "Hey mommy, want to meet your baby girl." Abby smiled when she realised what she had been trying to focus on was Carter holding their baby girl in his arms. He walked across to the bed and placed the little on into her arms.
"hi Hayden." Abby croaked. She looked up to Carter. "Is she okay?"
"She's perfect. She needed a little help breathing when she was first born but she's fine now." Carter climbed onto the bed beside Abby and let his hand stroke his daughters soft cheek.
Hayden opened her eyes and looked up to Abby. "John, she's beautiful."
"Just like her mom. There's a couple of very excited aunties waiting in the hall to see you two."
"Have they waited all this time." John nodded as he left the room as Abby returned her attention to her daughter.
"Hi." Susan and Carol peeked round the door. "ready for visitors?"
Abby nodded as they approached the bed. "Thank you for staying with me today. I don't know what I would have done if you guys hadn't appeared."
"don't worry about it. Just tell us your daughters name."
"Hayden Eleanor Carter." Abby said proudly as she tried to sit further up the bed. Carter came round to help her, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her.
"Oh wait I have to get the first family picture." Susan said sounding more excited than John or Abby.
And there it was taken the picture they never thought would be taken. The first Carter family picture with John, Abby and Hayden Carter.