Chapter 7
When Abby awoke, she was in a dimly lit hospital room, machines beeping softly all around her. She opened her eyes as much as she could, but the swelling on her face made it difficult. A dull pain radiated throughout her body, coming to rest in her left leg. She glanced down and saw it was encased in a white cast from toes to hip. She flexed her fingers, they seemed to be fine. Hesitantly, she placed a shaking hand on her abdomen. Was the baby still there? Her pulse quickened as anxiety regarding the health of the baby took hold of her withered, wrecked body.
She looked at all the machines hooked up to her. There were three IV lines, a cardiac monitor, a pulse ox cable and a....fetal monitor! Her eyes shined with tears as she saw the baby's heartbeat pumping strongly on the monitor. The baby was alive!
A sharp pain suddenly stabbed throughout her leg and she groaned. Almost instantly, a figure she didn't even know was in the room rushed over to her bed.
"Abby, hey! You're awake. Hang on, I'm going to get you some pain medication and call Dr. Romano to come take a look at your leg." Susan rushed out of the room and returned seconds later with a syringe full of morphine. "Hang on sweetie, this will take the edge off."
Susan deftly administered the drugs and almost immediately Abby felt some relief. She watched as Susan checked the IV bags and pulled up the easy chair close to the bedside. "How are you doing?"
Abby struggled to get words out of her dry throat, "Ok," she croaked, "how is the baby?"
"Holding its own," Susan looked uncomfortable. We thought originally that maybe the placenta was partially abrupting but you are so early in the pregnancy that would almost be impossible. To tell you the honest truth, sometimes we don't know why a baby's life becomes endangered after the mother sustains an injury such as yours. It is most likely the force of the blow injuring the baby within the placenta, but right now, Abby Jr. seems to be hanging on. The heartbeat is getting stronger and the baby is moving around more in there. We will just have to wait and see."
Abby nodded, "Thanks Susan."
"No problem. Carter is just outside, is it okay if I let him in?"
"Uh, sure." Abby wasn't sure she wanted to see him at that moment but knew he was just worried about the baby.
The door opened and a haggard-looking John Carter entered with a bouquet of yellow roses and a card. "Hi Abby, how are you doing? I, uh, brought you some flowers to brighten up this room a bit." Abby smiled a little, she was touched by his thoughtfulness. "Thank you Carter, they are beautiful. If I ever see a nurse, I tell her to grab a vase." She smiled, "Why don't you pull up a chair?"
"Oh, no I won't stay, you need your rest. I just came by to see if you were holding up okay and how the baby was doing." He looked nervously down at his shoes before landing his eyes on her face. "I really hope the baby will be okay, honestly I do."
"I know, so do I. Susan said that it was looking better than before so hopefully with rest she will be okay."
Carter raised his eyebrows in surprise, "I didn't think it was possible to determine the sex of the baby until at least 6 months."
"Oh, I just have a feeling. I don't know how to describe it, I just know." Abby smiled and stroked her stomach, which was beginning to bulge a little.
Carter smiled, "If you need anything Abby, please call me. I know I've been an ass but hope you will give me the opportunity to redeem myself." His eyes were somewhat pleading.
Abby looked at him carefully. "Carter, everyday of this child's life will be you redeeming yourself to me. You gave me this child, and for that I am forever grateful. I do not hate you Carter, I just cannot be with you any longer." Abby felt her eyes welling for the third time that day.
Carter's eyes also misted during Abby's last sentences, he was feeling huge relief. "I promise Abby, I will care for this child in the way I never cared for you; properly."
With that, he squeezed her hand and left the room leaving Abby to wonder about her relationship with Carter. She knew she didn't love him any longer and it wasn't just because of the other woman. She knew that she herself had become distant from him and let her family life interfere way too much with the relationship. Carter had the right to be happy, and while he shouldn't have looked elsewhere, Abby could understand the motives.
The door to her room opened and Dr. Romano marched through, the smug, tight- ass smirk perched predictably on his face. "Well Miss Lockhart, you certainly did a number on your leg." He rounded the bed and pulled the covers back from the bottom, exposing her plaster-encased leg. He fiddled with her toes, asking her if she could feel this, feel that.
"Ok, the operation was a success. Myself and the orthopaedic surgeon have inserted three pins into the bone to hold it in place. It is going to take five months before the cast can come off and almost a year before you will be able to walk normally, if at all. You may be the next doctor Weaver, limping around with a determined attitude." He looked at her, "Any questions?"
Abby stared at him in disgust. She didn't know how these doctors who had no concern for their patients emotional well-being ever made it anywhere. She knew that doctors like Susan, Luka and Carter were well-liked and respected by patients and peers simply because they had a good bedside manner. "I was wondering, do I have to be on bed rest for the duration of my pregnancy?"
"Oh yeah, I heard you got knocked up. Well, don't go out and run any marathons, stay in bed when you get so big you cannot see your toes any more. When you are about 8 months along, you will have the cast removed. Until that time, just take it easy, rest when you can and hope for the best. I'm assuming you won't be working until the leg is healed which will be after the baby is born. Maybe you could get a new hobby, crocheting or something?" He left leaving Abby staring at the swinging door as he pushed through it faster than a bat out of hell.
She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Not two seconds after she had relaxed, the door opened again, this time Luka stood in it's frame. He held a bouquet of orange lilies with white baby's breath and a get well balloon. "Hey Abby, you gave me quite a scare." He set the flowers down beside Carters and attached the helium balloon to the bed post. He sat down in the same blue chair that Susan had occupied earlier and took her hand.
Abby smiled at him, "Sorry, those guys running down the street sure gave me a scare as well." She chuckled, "I hope I didn't dent the Mercedes."
"They put it up in the intensive care unit, but I think its going to pull through." He coughed, "Abby, I wanted to talk to you about what I said during the trauma. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to slip out. I just care for you very deeply but I don't expect anything in return, I'm sorry."
Abby gripped his hand tighter, "Its okay Luka, really. I really appreciate you helping me so much. Right now, I can't see myself entering another relationship but I do care for you very much Luka. You have been such a wonderful friend, I mean it."
"I understand Abby, really I do. I just don't want anything to get weird between us. I want you to feel comfortable coming to me for help and not feeling like you owe me anything."
"Thank you Luka, I promise, you will be my go-to guy." She smiled at him, "Thank you for the flowers, they were beautiful."
Luka visibly relaxed, "You're welcome, I know how much you like these stinky things."
End of Chappie 7, should I go on or leave it here?
When Abby awoke, she was in a dimly lit hospital room, machines beeping softly all around her. She opened her eyes as much as she could, but the swelling on her face made it difficult. A dull pain radiated throughout her body, coming to rest in her left leg. She glanced down and saw it was encased in a white cast from toes to hip. She flexed her fingers, they seemed to be fine. Hesitantly, she placed a shaking hand on her abdomen. Was the baby still there? Her pulse quickened as anxiety regarding the health of the baby took hold of her withered, wrecked body.
She looked at all the machines hooked up to her. There were three IV lines, a cardiac monitor, a pulse ox cable and a....fetal monitor! Her eyes shined with tears as she saw the baby's heartbeat pumping strongly on the monitor. The baby was alive!
A sharp pain suddenly stabbed throughout her leg and she groaned. Almost instantly, a figure she didn't even know was in the room rushed over to her bed.
"Abby, hey! You're awake. Hang on, I'm going to get you some pain medication and call Dr. Romano to come take a look at your leg." Susan rushed out of the room and returned seconds later with a syringe full of morphine. "Hang on sweetie, this will take the edge off."
Susan deftly administered the drugs and almost immediately Abby felt some relief. She watched as Susan checked the IV bags and pulled up the easy chair close to the bedside. "How are you doing?"
Abby struggled to get words out of her dry throat, "Ok," she croaked, "how is the baby?"
"Holding its own," Susan looked uncomfortable. We thought originally that maybe the placenta was partially abrupting but you are so early in the pregnancy that would almost be impossible. To tell you the honest truth, sometimes we don't know why a baby's life becomes endangered after the mother sustains an injury such as yours. It is most likely the force of the blow injuring the baby within the placenta, but right now, Abby Jr. seems to be hanging on. The heartbeat is getting stronger and the baby is moving around more in there. We will just have to wait and see."
Abby nodded, "Thanks Susan."
"No problem. Carter is just outside, is it okay if I let him in?"
"Uh, sure." Abby wasn't sure she wanted to see him at that moment but knew he was just worried about the baby.
The door opened and a haggard-looking John Carter entered with a bouquet of yellow roses and a card. "Hi Abby, how are you doing? I, uh, brought you some flowers to brighten up this room a bit." Abby smiled a little, she was touched by his thoughtfulness. "Thank you Carter, they are beautiful. If I ever see a nurse, I tell her to grab a vase." She smiled, "Why don't you pull up a chair?"
"Oh, no I won't stay, you need your rest. I just came by to see if you were holding up okay and how the baby was doing." He looked nervously down at his shoes before landing his eyes on her face. "I really hope the baby will be okay, honestly I do."
"I know, so do I. Susan said that it was looking better than before so hopefully with rest she will be okay."
Carter raised his eyebrows in surprise, "I didn't think it was possible to determine the sex of the baby until at least 6 months."
"Oh, I just have a feeling. I don't know how to describe it, I just know." Abby smiled and stroked her stomach, which was beginning to bulge a little.
Carter smiled, "If you need anything Abby, please call me. I know I've been an ass but hope you will give me the opportunity to redeem myself." His eyes were somewhat pleading.
Abby looked at him carefully. "Carter, everyday of this child's life will be you redeeming yourself to me. You gave me this child, and for that I am forever grateful. I do not hate you Carter, I just cannot be with you any longer." Abby felt her eyes welling for the third time that day.
Carter's eyes also misted during Abby's last sentences, he was feeling huge relief. "I promise Abby, I will care for this child in the way I never cared for you; properly."
With that, he squeezed her hand and left the room leaving Abby to wonder about her relationship with Carter. She knew she didn't love him any longer and it wasn't just because of the other woman. She knew that she herself had become distant from him and let her family life interfere way too much with the relationship. Carter had the right to be happy, and while he shouldn't have looked elsewhere, Abby could understand the motives.
The door to her room opened and Dr. Romano marched through, the smug, tight- ass smirk perched predictably on his face. "Well Miss Lockhart, you certainly did a number on your leg." He rounded the bed and pulled the covers back from the bottom, exposing her plaster-encased leg. He fiddled with her toes, asking her if she could feel this, feel that.
"Ok, the operation was a success. Myself and the orthopaedic surgeon have inserted three pins into the bone to hold it in place. It is going to take five months before the cast can come off and almost a year before you will be able to walk normally, if at all. You may be the next doctor Weaver, limping around with a determined attitude." He looked at her, "Any questions?"
Abby stared at him in disgust. She didn't know how these doctors who had no concern for their patients emotional well-being ever made it anywhere. She knew that doctors like Susan, Luka and Carter were well-liked and respected by patients and peers simply because they had a good bedside manner. "I was wondering, do I have to be on bed rest for the duration of my pregnancy?"
"Oh yeah, I heard you got knocked up. Well, don't go out and run any marathons, stay in bed when you get so big you cannot see your toes any more. When you are about 8 months along, you will have the cast removed. Until that time, just take it easy, rest when you can and hope for the best. I'm assuming you won't be working until the leg is healed which will be after the baby is born. Maybe you could get a new hobby, crocheting or something?" He left leaving Abby staring at the swinging door as he pushed through it faster than a bat out of hell.
She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Not two seconds after she had relaxed, the door opened again, this time Luka stood in it's frame. He held a bouquet of orange lilies with white baby's breath and a get well balloon. "Hey Abby, you gave me quite a scare." He set the flowers down beside Carters and attached the helium balloon to the bed post. He sat down in the same blue chair that Susan had occupied earlier and took her hand.
Abby smiled at him, "Sorry, those guys running down the street sure gave me a scare as well." She chuckled, "I hope I didn't dent the Mercedes."
"They put it up in the intensive care unit, but I think its going to pull through." He coughed, "Abby, I wanted to talk to you about what I said during the trauma. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to slip out. I just care for you very deeply but I don't expect anything in return, I'm sorry."
Abby gripped his hand tighter, "Its okay Luka, really. I really appreciate you helping me so much. Right now, I can't see myself entering another relationship but I do care for you very much Luka. You have been such a wonderful friend, I mean it."
"I understand Abby, really I do. I just don't want anything to get weird between us. I want you to feel comfortable coming to me for help and not feeling like you owe me anything."
"Thank you Luka, I promise, you will be my go-to guy." She smiled at him, "Thank you for the flowers, they were beautiful."
Luka visibly relaxed, "You're welcome, I know how much you like these stinky things."
End of Chappie 7, should I go on or leave it here?
