Chapter 3: Secrets and Lies
"Hey, sleeping beauty," Carter whispered to Kem who was fast asleep in their bed. It was morning, and he was getting dressed to go out. Kem slowly opened her eyes and smiled. He kissed her gently.
"When did you get in?" she asked.
"Around eight or so, but you were already asleep."
"I was so tired. Carrying your son around all day is exhausting," she said with a smile.
"Only a few weeks left," he tried to reassure her.
"Yeah, six...Where are you headed off to so early?"
"Umm, Abby was admitted to the hospital yesterday, and I want to go to her apartment and see how she's doing."
"Is she all right?"
"Yeah, she's just been over-doing it." Kem nodded in reply. Carter finished tying his shoes.
"I'll be back by 12 to take you to your appointment." Carter walked over to the bed, where she was still lying. "Go back to sleep and get some more rest if you need to," he said gently as he brushed a piece of hair off her face. "I don't want you to start over-doing it." He kissed her forehead gently.
"Yes, doctor," she answered with a smile. "I'll see you later.
* * *
As Carter arrived at Abby's door, he wondered if she was even awake yet. Maybe it isn't such a good idea to visit someone who was just hospitalized for exhaustion this early in the morning, he thought to himself. He knocked on the door softly, reasoning that she wouldn't hear it if she was still asleep, and he could leave and come back later then. He was just about to walk away when he heard the lock click and the door slowly open.
"Carter..." Abby said, half-questioning and a little surprised. She fixed her robe so it covered her better, silently laughing to herself, because they had definitely seen each other in a lot less than robes before.
"What?" he asked, noticing her silent laughter and her stifled smile.
Damn, she thought. I can't hide anything from him. "Nothing," she replied with a smile, but they both knew what the other was thinking without having to say a word.
"Did I wake you?" he asked.
"No, I've been up. I slept enough yesterday. Would you like to have some coffee?"
"Sure. I brought breakfast," he replied while holding up a bag.
"Checking up on me? Making sure I'm eating?"
Carter just smiled and followed her inside. "So, how are you feeling?" he asked as he set out two plates of eggs and toast and two cartons of orange juice.
"All right, I guess. That twelve-hour nap yesterday helped a lot, but it kind of made me more tired in a way, you know?"
"It will take you a couple of weeks to catch up on sleep, but you should start to feel better once you start taking better care of yourself..."
"I know. I just have been sort of throwing myself into work and losing track of reality lately..."
"Why?" Carter asked, genuinely curious.
"I, uh," Abby stammered, "It's hard to explain... I don't really want to talk about it right now."
"Sure. Umm, how's your mom doing?" he asked, hoping this was an okay subject. Her softened expression told him it was.
"Pretty good. Really good actually, I got a call from her last week. Everything seems to be going well. She sounded great. Eric's still staying with her, but he has a job and has been looking for his own place."
"That's great..."
There were a few moments of silence before Abby got up the courage to ask, "So, how's Kem?" Still she couldn't look at him when she said her name though. She took a sip of her orange juice instead.
"She's doing well. She has about six weeks to go...which reminds me..." He looked at his watch. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I have to go pick her up for her appointment and then I have to work."
"It's all right. Thanks for breakfast."
"And you take it easy...no wild parties" he commanded, looking her straight in the eye.
"Scout's honor," she said while making the Boy Scout sign.
* * *
"Everything seems to look good." Dr. Coburn commented as she glanced over the printout of the baby's heart rate. "You're right on track with your weight, the baby's heart rate looks good, there's just one thing..."
Carter's smile sharply changed to a look of concern. "What? What is it?" he asked.
"It's nothing serious really. It's just... Your blood work came back," she directed to Kem, who was looking worried as well. "and it seems that you're Rh negative, which means we'll need to give you a shot just in case the baby is Rh positive."
Carter's expression softened. "It's okay," he said. "I'm Rh negative, so the baby will be too." Carter saw Kem smile before he heard his pager beep. "Oh, that's the ER. It's a 911. I gotta go. You okay to wrap things up here?" Kem nodded. "Okay." He kissed her. "I'll see you later."
After Carter left the room, Dr. Coburn wiped the gel off Kem's belly that they had put on for the ultrasound.
"Dr. Coburn?" Kem asked after a few minutes of silence. Dr. Coburn looked up. "I think you had better give me that shot..."
***AUTHOR'S NOTE*** Thanks to all of you who reviewed; you really gave me confidence. I'm sorry for the wait, and I know I didn't give you much, but I've been so busy!! Hopefully the next chapter will be come in less time...
"Hey, sleeping beauty," Carter whispered to Kem who was fast asleep in their bed. It was morning, and he was getting dressed to go out. Kem slowly opened her eyes and smiled. He kissed her gently.
"When did you get in?" she asked.
"Around eight or so, but you were already asleep."
"I was so tired. Carrying your son around all day is exhausting," she said with a smile.
"Only a few weeks left," he tried to reassure her.
"Yeah, six...Where are you headed off to so early?"
"Umm, Abby was admitted to the hospital yesterday, and I want to go to her apartment and see how she's doing."
"Is she all right?"
"Yeah, she's just been over-doing it." Kem nodded in reply. Carter finished tying his shoes.
"I'll be back by 12 to take you to your appointment." Carter walked over to the bed, where she was still lying. "Go back to sleep and get some more rest if you need to," he said gently as he brushed a piece of hair off her face. "I don't want you to start over-doing it." He kissed her forehead gently.
"Yes, doctor," she answered with a smile. "I'll see you later.
* * *
As Carter arrived at Abby's door, he wondered if she was even awake yet. Maybe it isn't such a good idea to visit someone who was just hospitalized for exhaustion this early in the morning, he thought to himself. He knocked on the door softly, reasoning that she wouldn't hear it if she was still asleep, and he could leave and come back later then. He was just about to walk away when he heard the lock click and the door slowly open.
"Carter..." Abby said, half-questioning and a little surprised. She fixed her robe so it covered her better, silently laughing to herself, because they had definitely seen each other in a lot less than robes before.
"What?" he asked, noticing her silent laughter and her stifled smile.
Damn, she thought. I can't hide anything from him. "Nothing," she replied with a smile, but they both knew what the other was thinking without having to say a word.
"Did I wake you?" he asked.
"No, I've been up. I slept enough yesterday. Would you like to have some coffee?"
"Sure. I brought breakfast," he replied while holding up a bag.
"Checking up on me? Making sure I'm eating?"
Carter just smiled and followed her inside. "So, how are you feeling?" he asked as he set out two plates of eggs and toast and two cartons of orange juice.
"All right, I guess. That twelve-hour nap yesterday helped a lot, but it kind of made me more tired in a way, you know?"
"It will take you a couple of weeks to catch up on sleep, but you should start to feel better once you start taking better care of yourself..."
"I know. I just have been sort of throwing myself into work and losing track of reality lately..."
"Why?" Carter asked, genuinely curious.
"I, uh," Abby stammered, "It's hard to explain... I don't really want to talk about it right now."
"Sure. Umm, how's your mom doing?" he asked, hoping this was an okay subject. Her softened expression told him it was.
"Pretty good. Really good actually, I got a call from her last week. Everything seems to be going well. She sounded great. Eric's still staying with her, but he has a job and has been looking for his own place."
"That's great..."
There were a few moments of silence before Abby got up the courage to ask, "So, how's Kem?" Still she couldn't look at him when she said her name though. She took a sip of her orange juice instead.
"She's doing well. She has about six weeks to go...which reminds me..." He looked at his watch. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I have to go pick her up for her appointment and then I have to work."
"It's all right. Thanks for breakfast."
"And you take it easy...no wild parties" he commanded, looking her straight in the eye.
"Scout's honor," she said while making the Boy Scout sign.
* * *
"Everything seems to look good." Dr. Coburn commented as she glanced over the printout of the baby's heart rate. "You're right on track with your weight, the baby's heart rate looks good, there's just one thing..."
Carter's smile sharply changed to a look of concern. "What? What is it?" he asked.
"It's nothing serious really. It's just... Your blood work came back," she directed to Kem, who was looking worried as well. "and it seems that you're Rh negative, which means we'll need to give you a shot just in case the baby is Rh positive."
Carter's expression softened. "It's okay," he said. "I'm Rh negative, so the baby will be too." Carter saw Kem smile before he heard his pager beep. "Oh, that's the ER. It's a 911. I gotta go. You okay to wrap things up here?" Kem nodded. "Okay." He kissed her. "I'll see you later."
After Carter left the room, Dr. Coburn wiped the gel off Kem's belly that they had put on for the ultrasound.
"Dr. Coburn?" Kem asked after a few minutes of silence. Dr. Coburn looked up. "I think you had better give me that shot..."
***AUTHOR'S NOTE*** Thanks to all of you who reviewed; you really gave me confidence. I'm sorry for the wait, and I know I didn't give you much, but I've been so busy!! Hopefully the next chapter will be come in less time...
