Author's Notes: Okay. So I'm sticking with Carter's perspective on this only because I always do Abby, and I think I need a change. I'm making him sort of too nice for a while, and then, well we'll see where everything goes. I'm not even that sure where this is going to go. I have an idea. But it's way too general, so I'm hoping to narrow it down slowly but surely. But while I do that, please continue to review!! It really does help me decide where the story along with the characters are going... So random questions of the chapter:: Do you like the way Abby is being portrayed? What about Kem and Carter? That's about all I have for you today. I promise either to update tonight again, or tomorrow. I'm sticking with trying to get at least one update up a day...

He walked into the exam room, Mrs. Johnson was already dilated 5 centimeters, and she was getting ready to deliver. He had called OB for the third time that day, and Dr. Cobourn was on her way. Or at least she had said that. Two hours ago. He watched the anesthesiologist administer the epidural, and he saw the instant relief on the woman's face. Now he only hoped OB would get down here before he had a labour on his hands. He checked the woman's vitals, writing them down on the chart. He felt the rush of air as the door swung open, and he looked up.

"Hi, I'm Abby Lockhart, I'm going to be your doctor for delivery."

He looked back down at his chart. She seemed like the complete opposite of the woman he had dated only a few weeks before. But it really had been months. Had he changed that much too?



He saw Abby giving the exam, and creating small talk with the woman, helping her through the contractions. He heard something about her calling the woman's husband, and telling him to get down here ASAP. He also heard something about going up to OB shortly. He watched her smile at the woman, and that instant bond was formed. He watched it happen. She walked near him, motioning him outside the door.

"She's only 5 centimeters in over 10 hours. Keep her down here until she reaches at least 9. We'll take her then."

He nodded his head in response to her. What was he supposed to say? She was in complete control. She wasn't the nurse anymore, she was the doctor. She knew what she was doing, hell, she was probably better than any of the med students up to date.

He saw her begin to turn around, and he just couldn't control himself.

"I'm sorry."

She just continued to walk off, meeting Luka at the end of the hallway. They stole another quick kiss before she headed off towards the stairs, back to OB. He wasn't jealous of them. He had no reason to be. They had given it a chance, and realized it wouldn't work out. He shook the thought out of his mind when he saw Kem walking toward him.

"You're still here?"

She reached him and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled. She was outstanding.

"Yes. I decided to walk around and see how a United States Hospital functioned."

He wanted to laugh. County wasn't exactly the best place to exhibit the US's fine hospital care.

"Watcha think so far?"

He watched her scrunch her nose together a bit, this cute little face she did from time to time.

"Your medical students are extremely rude."

He nodded his head. They got worse every year. And he had thought Pratt to be horrible. Pratt was actually considered nice lately.

"You heading home? Want me to call you a cab?"

He watched her run her hand through her hair, shaking her head.

"I already had the desk clerk call one for me."

He heard his name being called, and he knew he needed to get in there. It sounded urgent.

"I need to get back, I'll see you at home."

He kissed her again on the cheek and ran off toward Mrs. Johnson's room. As soon as he walked in, he saw that the baby didn't have a heart rate. And Mrs. Johnson had just passed out, but was breathing. He screamed something about 'get OB down here STAT' and grabbed the ultrasound from the med student, who looked scared enough to pass out.

A few second later he saw Abby come flying through the door.

"What the hell happened?"

He glanced quickly at her before going back to the monitor. What? Was she blaming this on him?

"We lost the baby's heart rate."

She looked at the monitor.

"And you're about to loose mom's too."

He looked at the monitor and realized her heart rate was slowly dropping. She wasn't getting enough oxygen.

"Don't just stand around, tube her!"

He shot her a look, that probably could have broken glass. Who did she think she was? She was only a med student, she needed to remember that. She was screaming orders at Haleh about getting Cobourn down here now, along with a baby warmer.

"What the hell do you think your doing?"

She rolled her eyes, and continued giving her orders.

"A C-section? Are you crazy?"

She just continued working, he couldn't exactly do anything. He was bagging the mother, the vent hadn't come down yet. He needed to keep the oxygen going or else she would be brain dead.

"Abby! Do you have any clue what your doing?"

She looked up at him, scorn written all over her face.

"Yes, I do. Sterile gloves."

He watched her drape the surgical sheet over the woman's stomach.

"Give the bagging to one of the nurses, get over here."

He responded quickly, not even realizing why or what he was doing. He was about to allow a fourth-year medical student to perform a C-section that could probably result in either life or death. His ass was on the line for this. He watched her make the incision.

"Retractors."

He put them in, and began to push the protective walls of the stomach away, exposing the baby. He watched her quickly scoop in, gently pulling the baby out. She handed it, a little boy actually, to him.

"Umbilical clamp."

He saw it magically appear in her hand and she quickly tied it off. He felt the baby being taken away by him.

"Take care of the mother."

He refocused his attention on the mother. She was doing better. Her heart rate was up, along with her pulse ox. They needed to get her some blood though. He requested the orders, and saw one of the nurses go running off for it. He walked over to Abby, who was working on bagging the baby boy.

"One minute APGAR?"

She looked up at the monitor she had just hooked him up to.

"Seven."

Seven wasn't bad. He was breathing on his own, she was only bagging him to get enough air to his lungs for the lack of it while in womb.

"How's mom?"

He glanced at the monitors, but everything seemed okay.

"She's okay."

He saw her nod her head. The blood was handed to him and he quickly placed it up. First unit was going in. Doctor Cobourn entered the room, looking at him first, then at Abby.

"APGAR?"

She looked at her watch.

"3 minutes, 10."

A sigh of relief escaped from Cobourn.

"Okay let's get both of them up, good job Abby."

He watched her give a small smile to the newly born baby boy and he was already squeezing her finger. She looked so happy.

The two were taken from the room, and he started to fill out the chart. He finished his section, and he handed it to Abby, who skimmed them, and signed off.

"Thanks."

She looked at him.

"You're welcome."

He watched her walk out of the room. She held her head high, and stopped for a little chit chat with Susan for a second. He couldn't get over how different she seemed. How different she actually was. It was so strange. She seemed so together, so alive, and he felt like he was falling apart, but he had no reason to be. He had Kem, who was beautiful, intelligent, sweet. And he was going to have a son. He had everything that anyone could possibly want. Yet something felt like it was missing. He disregarded this and headed back to the main desk.