Chapter 4
Later that evening, Abby sat on the couch beside Susan, counting the minutes on her VCR clock in agony. "I swear, this is the longest five minutes ever!" Abby sighed; Susan had gone to the pharmacy right away purchased a test. They were now waiting for the results.
"How late are you Abby?" Susan felt her stomach knotted in anxiety and couldn't believe that Abby looked so calm.
"About three weeks. I was so busy getting back into school and with Luka, that I didn't even think about it. I haven't been feeling so good in the last few days, yet I still didn't make that connection. Susan, what am I going to do?" Abby felt tears gathering involuntarily in her eyes. "Carter is half a world away and we aren't even together, and now this whole thing with Luka. How am I going to tell him?"
"Tell who, Carter or Luka?" Susan felt for her friend, this was certainly a complicated situation.
"Both of them." Abby buried her face in her hands. "I'll have to call Carter in Africa, if he is even by a phone, and tell him. But then I'll have to tell him about Luka and me. I don't even know where that is going yet. This is such a mess."
Susan put her hand on Abby's leg in a comforting gesture. "You know, you might not even be pregnant. Besides, both Carter and Luka are great guys and you are a wonderful woman, there will be a solution to all this. I'm here for you as well, it will be okay."
A tear fell from her eye as Abby looked up at Susan, "Thank you. You don't know how much you just being here is helping."
Susan hugged Abby just as the timer went off. "Well, lets go so if you are going to be a mommy. Do you want to look alone?"
Abby's had to remind herself to breathe. A sudden panic washed over her and she knew she wouldn't be able to look at the strip. "No, you look for me. I can't do it."
Susan silently rose from the couch and walked into the bathroom. A few seconds later she returned holding the test strip in her palm. "Its positive. Congratulations!"
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Yes, I need to get a hold of John Carter. Is he reachable by phone? Yes I'll hold." Abby cradled the phone by her ear, and fidgeted with a pen that was in her hand. The voice on the other end of the line came back. "He isn't? Do you know where he is? Matenda? Can I leave a message for him here at the headquarters in case he comes back there? Ok, tell him that Abby Lockhart in Chicago needs him to call her as soon as he gets back? Thank you very much."
Abby hung up the phone and tapped the pen she on the counter. She was startled out of her reverie by the ringing of the telephone. Carter couldn't possibly call back already, could he?
"Hello?" Abby glanced at her watch, 10:46 pm.
Luka's concerned voiced came through the receiver. "Hi Abby, how are you feeling? I called the hospital today and Frank said you were off sick."
"Hi Luka. Thanks for calling; I'm feeling much better. In fact, would you mind if I popped over to your place tonight? I need to talk to you." Abby held her breath. She was worried that he wouldn't want her to stop by so late.
"Sure you can. Are you okay Abby?" His voice was anxious.
"I will be, I just need to talk to you. I can be there in twenty minutes."
"Sure, I'll see you then. Bye."
"How the hell am I going to tell him?" Abby muttered as she searched for her shoes.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey." Luka was smiling as he opened the door, his features turning serious when he saw Abby's drawn face. He could tell she had been crying, dry tear tracks were evident on her pale cheeks. "What's going on Abby, are you okay?"
Abby found herself frozen, unable to utter a sound. She finally decided that there was no beating it around the bush, "Luka, I'm pregnant."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Here you go."
"Thanks." Abby took the steaming mug of lemon tea Luka handed her. He sank down into the couch beside her. "Have you called Kisangani to leave a message for Carter?" Luka put a comforting hand on her neck.
"Yes, I left a message at the headquarters, but I didn't tell them what it was about. I don't even know if he will call me."
Luka scratched his chin. "Well, if he is out in the field on a vaccine run, he won't be near a phone for a few days at least. Have you thought of what you will tell him?"
Abby sighed, "I have no idea. I didn't even know how to tell you." She looked up at Luka, her bloodshot eyes pleading with him. "I'm so sorry Luka."
He was taken aback, "Abby what are you sorry for? This isn't your fault, it's nobody's fault. I'll be here for you, as much as you want me to be." He wrapped her in a warm embrace and kissed her forehead. "No matter what happens Abby, you know I'll be here for you. And if you need to take a step back and re-evaluate, I understand."
Abby was touched by his kindness. "Thank you Luka, but Carter and I are not getting back together, it's just finding a way to deal with this situation like adults. I'm not sure how much he would want to be involved. I mean, what if he wants nothing to do with me or the baby??" Abby knew that it was a very small chance that Carter would boycott her or the baby, but she still couldn't suppress a tremor of fear at that thought.
"Abby, you know that Carter wouldn't do that. He still cares for you believe it or not and he wouldn't leave you high and dry with a child."
"I know. I'm sorry, it's just a worry."
Luka rubbed her hand in his, "Do you want to stay the night? I'll sleep on the couch and you take the bed. I can also drive you home if you like."
"Oh no Luka, I don't want to be a bother." She looked at her watch, "I can still catch the 11:45 EL trip back to my neighbourhood."
"It's really no bother Abby, I don't mind. You don't have a shift tomorrow, why don't you just stay the night? My bedroom is warm and I just changed the sheets like two hours ago. But my offer still stands to take you home."
Abby frowned, "Why don't I just sleep on the couch then? I don't mind."
"Forget it Abby, I'm sleeping on the couch."
He stood up, bringing Abby with him. To make his point, Luka dragged her to his bedroom, plopped her down on the bed and grabbed his sleeping bag from the cupboard. He paused in the doorway, "Have a good sleep. If you need anything, I'll just be in the living room."
Before Abby could answer, he left closing the door behind him. Sitting on his bed, Abby couldn't help but remember all the good times the two of them had spent on this bed.. together.
Later that evening, Abby sat on the couch beside Susan, counting the minutes on her VCR clock in agony. "I swear, this is the longest five minutes ever!" Abby sighed; Susan had gone to the pharmacy right away purchased a test. They were now waiting for the results.
"How late are you Abby?" Susan felt her stomach knotted in anxiety and couldn't believe that Abby looked so calm.
"About three weeks. I was so busy getting back into school and with Luka, that I didn't even think about it. I haven't been feeling so good in the last few days, yet I still didn't make that connection. Susan, what am I going to do?" Abby felt tears gathering involuntarily in her eyes. "Carter is half a world away and we aren't even together, and now this whole thing with Luka. How am I going to tell him?"
"Tell who, Carter or Luka?" Susan felt for her friend, this was certainly a complicated situation.
"Both of them." Abby buried her face in her hands. "I'll have to call Carter in Africa, if he is even by a phone, and tell him. But then I'll have to tell him about Luka and me. I don't even know where that is going yet. This is such a mess."
Susan put her hand on Abby's leg in a comforting gesture. "You know, you might not even be pregnant. Besides, both Carter and Luka are great guys and you are a wonderful woman, there will be a solution to all this. I'm here for you as well, it will be okay."
A tear fell from her eye as Abby looked up at Susan, "Thank you. You don't know how much you just being here is helping."
Susan hugged Abby just as the timer went off. "Well, lets go so if you are going to be a mommy. Do you want to look alone?"
Abby's had to remind herself to breathe. A sudden panic washed over her and she knew she wouldn't be able to look at the strip. "No, you look for me. I can't do it."
Susan silently rose from the couch and walked into the bathroom. A few seconds later she returned holding the test strip in her palm. "Its positive. Congratulations!"
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Yes, I need to get a hold of John Carter. Is he reachable by phone? Yes I'll hold." Abby cradled the phone by her ear, and fidgeted with a pen that was in her hand. The voice on the other end of the line came back. "He isn't? Do you know where he is? Matenda? Can I leave a message for him here at the headquarters in case he comes back there? Ok, tell him that Abby Lockhart in Chicago needs him to call her as soon as he gets back? Thank you very much."
Abby hung up the phone and tapped the pen she on the counter. She was startled out of her reverie by the ringing of the telephone. Carter couldn't possibly call back already, could he?
"Hello?" Abby glanced at her watch, 10:46 pm.
Luka's concerned voiced came through the receiver. "Hi Abby, how are you feeling? I called the hospital today and Frank said you were off sick."
"Hi Luka. Thanks for calling; I'm feeling much better. In fact, would you mind if I popped over to your place tonight? I need to talk to you." Abby held her breath. She was worried that he wouldn't want her to stop by so late.
"Sure you can. Are you okay Abby?" His voice was anxious.
"I will be, I just need to talk to you. I can be there in twenty minutes."
"Sure, I'll see you then. Bye."
"How the hell am I going to tell him?" Abby muttered as she searched for her shoes.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey." Luka was smiling as he opened the door, his features turning serious when he saw Abby's drawn face. He could tell she had been crying, dry tear tracks were evident on her pale cheeks. "What's going on Abby, are you okay?"
Abby found herself frozen, unable to utter a sound. She finally decided that there was no beating it around the bush, "Luka, I'm pregnant."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Here you go."
"Thanks." Abby took the steaming mug of lemon tea Luka handed her. He sank down into the couch beside her. "Have you called Kisangani to leave a message for Carter?" Luka put a comforting hand on her neck.
"Yes, I left a message at the headquarters, but I didn't tell them what it was about. I don't even know if he will call me."
Luka scratched his chin. "Well, if he is out in the field on a vaccine run, he won't be near a phone for a few days at least. Have you thought of what you will tell him?"
Abby sighed, "I have no idea. I didn't even know how to tell you." She looked up at Luka, her bloodshot eyes pleading with him. "I'm so sorry Luka."
He was taken aback, "Abby what are you sorry for? This isn't your fault, it's nobody's fault. I'll be here for you, as much as you want me to be." He wrapped her in a warm embrace and kissed her forehead. "No matter what happens Abby, you know I'll be here for you. And if you need to take a step back and re-evaluate, I understand."
Abby was touched by his kindness. "Thank you Luka, but Carter and I are not getting back together, it's just finding a way to deal with this situation like adults. I'm not sure how much he would want to be involved. I mean, what if he wants nothing to do with me or the baby??" Abby knew that it was a very small chance that Carter would boycott her or the baby, but she still couldn't suppress a tremor of fear at that thought.
"Abby, you know that Carter wouldn't do that. He still cares for you believe it or not and he wouldn't leave you high and dry with a child."
"I know. I'm sorry, it's just a worry."
Luka rubbed her hand in his, "Do you want to stay the night? I'll sleep on the couch and you take the bed. I can also drive you home if you like."
"Oh no Luka, I don't want to be a bother." She looked at her watch, "I can still catch the 11:45 EL trip back to my neighbourhood."
"It's really no bother Abby, I don't mind. You don't have a shift tomorrow, why don't you just stay the night? My bedroom is warm and I just changed the sheets like two hours ago. But my offer still stands to take you home."
Abby frowned, "Why don't I just sleep on the couch then? I don't mind."
"Forget it Abby, I'm sleeping on the couch."
He stood up, bringing Abby with him. To make his point, Luka dragged her to his bedroom, plopped her down on the bed and grabbed his sleeping bag from the cupboard. He paused in the doorway, "Have a good sleep. If you need anything, I'll just be in the living room."
Before Abby could answer, he left closing the door behind him. Sitting on his bed, Abby couldn't help but remember all the good times the two of them had spent on this bed.. together.