Chapter 9
Later that evening, Abby was relaxing on Luka's couch, reading a book. She had just taken a very long bubble bath, one in which was made possible by wrapping her broken leg in a plastic garbage bag to protect the cast. The pain in her leg was beginning to bother her but she ignored it and tried to imagine herself in a world with no troubles, only serenity.
She looked up from her book in surprise as she heard the unmistakable sound of breaking glass followed by a loud "Dammit!" coming from the kitchen.
"Luka, you okay? Do you need some help?" Abby looked in the general direction of the kitchen but was unable to see what in the world Luka was doing.
Suddenly, his tall figure appeared in her line of vision. "No! Stay right where you are. I just broke a plate. I think I'll scratch the nachos and make popcorn instead."
Abby chuckled, "Luka we just had dinner, I don't need anything."
"Abby, dinner was three hours ago. You need to keep your strength up for you and the baby."
Abby rolled her eyes, "You know Luka, nachos and popcorn don't really constitute as healthy food that will keep my energy level up."
"What do you mean? Nachos have cheese, which is calcium and popcorn is, um, uh, well, corn! Corn is a vegetable, which is good.
Abby laughed. Well in that case Dr. Kovac, pass the popcorn, with extra butter.
He laughed, "See I told you, its healthy."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Rocks were falling down all around her. She was running to get away, but no matter how fast she ran, the rocks were falling faster, and harder. It was becoming harder and harder for her to breathe but she couldn't stop running, she would die if she stopped. She pushed on at a relentless pace; her face and arms burning with pain from the cuts the rocks had created. A sudden shadow loomed above her and she struggled desperately to outrun the rock falling above her but she wasn't fast enough, the rock landed on her leg. She began to scream.
"Abby! Abby, wake up!"
"No," she moaned, "No. Oh my god, it hurts, please make it stop." Perspiration was coursing down her forehead, running onto the pillow beneath her head.
Luka was shaking her shoulder. "Abby, listen to me. Abby! Hang on okay, hang on! I've got some morphine here, just breath deep, through your nose. Here you go."
Abby cracked her eyes open a slit. She could just make out Luka in his pyjamas, starting an IV line in her left hand. He deftly injected a small amount of morphine into the port and took her pulse.
Almost immediately, Abby felt the pain dissipate in her leg from a burning, white-hot throbbing to a dull ache. She closed her eyes in relief, a lone tear etching its way down her cheek.
Luka wiped away the tear and brushed a strand of soaking wet hair off her forehead. "There, just relax now."
Abby felt him move off the bed and quickly she grasped onto his hand. "Luka, could you stay for a few minutes, please?"
Her voice was so quiet that Luka thought he had imagined the request, but her grip on his hand convinced him he hadn't. Without another word, he untangled his hand from hers and moved to the other side of the bed. He threw an extra blanket over Abby's now relaxed form and lay on the space beside her. Hoping he wasn't overstepping his bounds, he reached for her limp hand and traced the outline of her veins, resting his palm on her elbow.
She sighed in contentment and once he was sure she was resting peacefully, he closed his eyes and found his own slumber.
Later that evening, Abby was relaxing on Luka's couch, reading a book. She had just taken a very long bubble bath, one in which was made possible by wrapping her broken leg in a plastic garbage bag to protect the cast. The pain in her leg was beginning to bother her but she ignored it and tried to imagine herself in a world with no troubles, only serenity.
She looked up from her book in surprise as she heard the unmistakable sound of breaking glass followed by a loud "Dammit!" coming from the kitchen.
"Luka, you okay? Do you need some help?" Abby looked in the general direction of the kitchen but was unable to see what in the world Luka was doing.
Suddenly, his tall figure appeared in her line of vision. "No! Stay right where you are. I just broke a plate. I think I'll scratch the nachos and make popcorn instead."
Abby chuckled, "Luka we just had dinner, I don't need anything."
"Abby, dinner was three hours ago. You need to keep your strength up for you and the baby."
Abby rolled her eyes, "You know Luka, nachos and popcorn don't really constitute as healthy food that will keep my energy level up."
"What do you mean? Nachos have cheese, which is calcium and popcorn is, um, uh, well, corn! Corn is a vegetable, which is good.
Abby laughed. Well in that case Dr. Kovac, pass the popcorn, with extra butter.
He laughed, "See I told you, its healthy."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Rocks were falling down all around her. She was running to get away, but no matter how fast she ran, the rocks were falling faster, and harder. It was becoming harder and harder for her to breathe but she couldn't stop running, she would die if she stopped. She pushed on at a relentless pace; her face and arms burning with pain from the cuts the rocks had created. A sudden shadow loomed above her and she struggled desperately to outrun the rock falling above her but she wasn't fast enough, the rock landed on her leg. She began to scream.
"Abby! Abby, wake up!"
"No," she moaned, "No. Oh my god, it hurts, please make it stop." Perspiration was coursing down her forehead, running onto the pillow beneath her head.
Luka was shaking her shoulder. "Abby, listen to me. Abby! Hang on okay, hang on! I've got some morphine here, just breath deep, through your nose. Here you go."
Abby cracked her eyes open a slit. She could just make out Luka in his pyjamas, starting an IV line in her left hand. He deftly injected a small amount of morphine into the port and took her pulse.
Almost immediately, Abby felt the pain dissipate in her leg from a burning, white-hot throbbing to a dull ache. She closed her eyes in relief, a lone tear etching its way down her cheek.
Luka wiped away the tear and brushed a strand of soaking wet hair off her forehead. "There, just relax now."
Abby felt him move off the bed and quickly she grasped onto his hand. "Luka, could you stay for a few minutes, please?"
Her voice was so quiet that Luka thought he had imagined the request, but her grip on his hand convinced him he hadn't. Without another word, he untangled his hand from hers and moved to the other side of the bed. He threw an extra blanket over Abby's now relaxed form and lay on the space beside her. Hoping he wasn't overstepping his bounds, he reached for her limp hand and traced the outline of her veins, resting his palm on her elbow.
She sighed in contentment and once he was sure she was resting peacefully, he closed his eyes and found his own slumber.
