Susan rushed through the doors to the OB department. "Where's Abby
Lockhart?" She shouted to the first nurse she saw. Susan knew she would
never forgive herself if she wasn't there for Abby. The nurse pointed in
the direction of the room in front of her. Susan walked up to it and
peered round the door edge. Abby was lying on her side in bed. She didn't
look in too much pain; hopefully it would be an easy birth, although she
had sounded in pain on the phone. "Hey you." Susan said as she approached
the bed. "How are those contractions doing?" It was then Susan noticed
Abby was crying and shaking. She glanced around the room and realised that
she was hooked up to any machines either. "Abby what's wrong?" Susan's
voice was a little high pitched.
"She's in the NICU." Abby's voice was shaky as she told her friend what was going on.
"What?" Susan sounded shocked,
"My baby girl is in the NICU and they don't know if she'll survive." Tears flowed freely down Abby's cheeks. "She came so quickly and they said she was so tiny. I didn't even get to see her. The doctor has just left and he told me that she is having problems breathing. They had to intubate her. Susan this wasn't supposed to happen." Susan tried to approach Abby. But she shook her head. "I can't right now Susan, please I just want to be on my own." Abby lay shaking, not looking Susan in the eye.
Susan seemed to understand in a way and left the room. She stood outside and watched as her friend's heart broke. Abby couldn't contain her emotions any longer. Susan watched as deep, heart-wrenching sobs wracked through her tiny body. Susan had seen Abby upset before but never this much. It was truly breaking her heart to think her baby girl was lying in an incubator, not knowing whether she was going to live or not. Susan walked away from the room and made her way down to the NICU, hoping someone would give her answers.
At the NICU, Susan found the first doctor available. "Excuse me, I'm Abby Lockhart's best friend. I was wondering if you could give me any information on the baby she has just delivered?"
"I'm sorry but as you aren't family there is no way I can divulge that information." The doctor spoke to Susan as if she didn't exist.
"I don't think you understand, doctor. There is a woman lying in a hospital bed not that far away from here, breaking her heart because she doesn't know what is going on with her baby. And as for the way you spoke to me I believe that I have been a doctor much longer than you have." She pointed her finger at his chest.
The doctor reeled back. "I am so sorry. I didn't realise who you were. As for the baby, she is very small, weighed in at just under 4lbs. She isn't breathing on her own and the NICU consultant doesn't believe she is going to make it through the night. We were going to get someone to ask Miss Lockhart if she wanted the baby baptised." The young doctor bowed his head away from Susan's eye contact.
"Leave that to me. Is there any possible chance I can see the baby?" Susan silently pleaded with the doctor. He looked up and saw the look in her eyes.
"Okay, but only for a second, and be warned, she is hooked to a lot of machines." The doctor opened the door to the NICU and led Susan in. There was a hive of activity happening around all the incubators, but one stood alone against the back wall. Susan knew that this was Abby's baby. Susan walked up to see the baby lying inside. She truly was tiny and with the tube in her throat it made her seem even smaller. For what she could see the baby was beautiful, she had Abby's skin tone and Carter's nose.
"Thank you." Susan said to the doctor. "Could you point me in the direction of the nearest phone?" The doctor pointed out of the door and to the left. "Thanks again." Susan said before leaving the room to use the phone.
"Good evening Carter residence." The deep voice on the other end answered.
"Hi, may I speak to John please?" Susan asked politely.
"May I ask who is calling and what the subject matter is?"
"It's Susan Lewis and it's concerning Abby." Susan spoke quickly.
"Give me a second to locate him."
Susan waited for just a minute before the phone was picked up. "Hey Susan, what's up?"
John sounded way to cheery and wasn't going to like what Susan was about to tell him. "John, I'm at the hospital and I think you should get down here."
"Why?"
"Abby went into labour this afternoon and gave birth very quickly to your daughter. The baby isn't doing too well and frankly neither is Abby."
"But I just saw Abby a few hours ago. She seemed fine." John commented. Now Susan understood why Abby had gone into labour in the first place. The stress of seeing John must have brought on labour.
"Well, she isn't anymore. John I have never seen anyone's heart break like hers is right now. She is devastated and is about to be more so when I tell her what the doctor has just told me. I really didn't want to tell you this over the phone but the doctor's don't think your daughter will last the night."
John sighed deeply on the other end of the phone. "Oh my God!" He said. "I'll be there as quick as I can."
"Thanks." Susan said before hanging up the phone. She was about to go and deliver the worst news that she could ever imagine giving a parent.
Susan opened Abby's bedroom door. Abby hadn't moved from Susan's last visit, although the heavy sobs had stopped. "Abby, sweetie, how are you?" Susan knew she sounded pathetic but she couldn't think of anything else to ask her. Abby could only nod her head, not willing herself to speak, for she knew if she did then she would be in tears again. "Abby the doctor asked me to come and speak to you. They let me see your daughter and believe me Abby she is beautiful, just like you." Abby's eyes lit up at this fact. "But she is a very sick little girl. Abby they don't think she'll last the night."
Abby's face fell. "No." She paused. "No. NO NO NO." Tears flowed from her eyes again as Susan wrapped her into her arms. "NO." She repeated over and over again. She couldn't believe that after all she had gone through, that she may lose her baby now.
"The doctor's are wondering if you would like her baptised. They have a priest standing by if you want." Susan rubbed circles in her friends back. She could feel Abby nod against her and mumble something. "What did you say?"
Abby leaned up. "Can I see her?" Tears clouding her view.
"Of course, come on lets go see her." Susan helped Abby out of bed and into the awaiting wheelchair. She pushed her along the corridor and into the NICU. The room seemed quiet now, whatever the doctor's had been working on was now calm. "She's up the back." Susan pointed to the incubator at he back of the NICU. The doctor Susan had spoken to was standing by the baby.
"Miss Lockhart." He began. "I know that this is a hard time for you but did your friend explain what was happening."
"She told me basic's. I really don't want to know the whole story right now, I just want to see my baby." Abby said strongly as she pushed herself out of the wheelchair and walked tentatively up to the incubator. Her daughter lay as still as can be, with the tube breathing for her. Abby brought her hand up to her chest. "Oh baby, you can do this you can pull through. Mommy's here and not going anywhere."
"SO is daddy." The deep voice from behind startled Abby. She turned to see Carter standing a foot behind her. Seeing his face made her crumble again and in seconds he had her in his arms rocking her backwards and forwards. "Everything's going to be okay. We're going to be okay." He told her, whispering it to her hair.
Susan stood back watching the scene unfold in front of her. The young doctor standing beside her asked. "Why wasn't I informed before of the father?"
"Because it's a long story." Was all Susan committed to.
The priest walked up to Abby and Carter. "Do you wish your child baptised?"
Abby looked up to Carter and nodded, he nodded back. "Yes." Her voice was quiet.
"Do you have a name for your child?"
"I do." She said, again looking to Carter. "I name her Holly Susan Wysenski Carter." Carter smiled and nodded. The short service lasted only minutes but was heartfelt and meaningful. When it was finished Abby took up post by baby Holly's incubator and vowed she wouldn't move for anything.
A.N So sorry that this has taken me so long to get up. I have had this chapter in my head for so long but was unsure of how to execute it hope I have done a good job please let me know.
"She's in the NICU." Abby's voice was shaky as she told her friend what was going on.
"What?" Susan sounded shocked,
"My baby girl is in the NICU and they don't know if she'll survive." Tears flowed freely down Abby's cheeks. "She came so quickly and they said she was so tiny. I didn't even get to see her. The doctor has just left and he told me that she is having problems breathing. They had to intubate her. Susan this wasn't supposed to happen." Susan tried to approach Abby. But she shook her head. "I can't right now Susan, please I just want to be on my own." Abby lay shaking, not looking Susan in the eye.
Susan seemed to understand in a way and left the room. She stood outside and watched as her friend's heart broke. Abby couldn't contain her emotions any longer. Susan watched as deep, heart-wrenching sobs wracked through her tiny body. Susan had seen Abby upset before but never this much. It was truly breaking her heart to think her baby girl was lying in an incubator, not knowing whether she was going to live or not. Susan walked away from the room and made her way down to the NICU, hoping someone would give her answers.
At the NICU, Susan found the first doctor available. "Excuse me, I'm Abby Lockhart's best friend. I was wondering if you could give me any information on the baby she has just delivered?"
"I'm sorry but as you aren't family there is no way I can divulge that information." The doctor spoke to Susan as if she didn't exist.
"I don't think you understand, doctor. There is a woman lying in a hospital bed not that far away from here, breaking her heart because she doesn't know what is going on with her baby. And as for the way you spoke to me I believe that I have been a doctor much longer than you have." She pointed her finger at his chest.
The doctor reeled back. "I am so sorry. I didn't realise who you were. As for the baby, she is very small, weighed in at just under 4lbs. She isn't breathing on her own and the NICU consultant doesn't believe she is going to make it through the night. We were going to get someone to ask Miss Lockhart if she wanted the baby baptised." The young doctor bowed his head away from Susan's eye contact.
"Leave that to me. Is there any possible chance I can see the baby?" Susan silently pleaded with the doctor. He looked up and saw the look in her eyes.
"Okay, but only for a second, and be warned, she is hooked to a lot of machines." The doctor opened the door to the NICU and led Susan in. There was a hive of activity happening around all the incubators, but one stood alone against the back wall. Susan knew that this was Abby's baby. Susan walked up to see the baby lying inside. She truly was tiny and with the tube in her throat it made her seem even smaller. For what she could see the baby was beautiful, she had Abby's skin tone and Carter's nose.
"Thank you." Susan said to the doctor. "Could you point me in the direction of the nearest phone?" The doctor pointed out of the door and to the left. "Thanks again." Susan said before leaving the room to use the phone.
"Good evening Carter residence." The deep voice on the other end answered.
"Hi, may I speak to John please?" Susan asked politely.
"May I ask who is calling and what the subject matter is?"
"It's Susan Lewis and it's concerning Abby." Susan spoke quickly.
"Give me a second to locate him."
Susan waited for just a minute before the phone was picked up. "Hey Susan, what's up?"
John sounded way to cheery and wasn't going to like what Susan was about to tell him. "John, I'm at the hospital and I think you should get down here."
"Why?"
"Abby went into labour this afternoon and gave birth very quickly to your daughter. The baby isn't doing too well and frankly neither is Abby."
"But I just saw Abby a few hours ago. She seemed fine." John commented. Now Susan understood why Abby had gone into labour in the first place. The stress of seeing John must have brought on labour.
"Well, she isn't anymore. John I have never seen anyone's heart break like hers is right now. She is devastated and is about to be more so when I tell her what the doctor has just told me. I really didn't want to tell you this over the phone but the doctor's don't think your daughter will last the night."
John sighed deeply on the other end of the phone. "Oh my God!" He said. "I'll be there as quick as I can."
"Thanks." Susan said before hanging up the phone. She was about to go and deliver the worst news that she could ever imagine giving a parent.
Susan opened Abby's bedroom door. Abby hadn't moved from Susan's last visit, although the heavy sobs had stopped. "Abby, sweetie, how are you?" Susan knew she sounded pathetic but she couldn't think of anything else to ask her. Abby could only nod her head, not willing herself to speak, for she knew if she did then she would be in tears again. "Abby the doctor asked me to come and speak to you. They let me see your daughter and believe me Abby she is beautiful, just like you." Abby's eyes lit up at this fact. "But she is a very sick little girl. Abby they don't think she'll last the night."
Abby's face fell. "No." She paused. "No. NO NO NO." Tears flowed from her eyes again as Susan wrapped her into her arms. "NO." She repeated over and over again. She couldn't believe that after all she had gone through, that she may lose her baby now.
"The doctor's are wondering if you would like her baptised. They have a priest standing by if you want." Susan rubbed circles in her friends back. She could feel Abby nod against her and mumble something. "What did you say?"
Abby leaned up. "Can I see her?" Tears clouding her view.
"Of course, come on lets go see her." Susan helped Abby out of bed and into the awaiting wheelchair. She pushed her along the corridor and into the NICU. The room seemed quiet now, whatever the doctor's had been working on was now calm. "She's up the back." Susan pointed to the incubator at he back of the NICU. The doctor Susan had spoken to was standing by the baby.
"Miss Lockhart." He began. "I know that this is a hard time for you but did your friend explain what was happening."
"She told me basic's. I really don't want to know the whole story right now, I just want to see my baby." Abby said strongly as she pushed herself out of the wheelchair and walked tentatively up to the incubator. Her daughter lay as still as can be, with the tube breathing for her. Abby brought her hand up to her chest. "Oh baby, you can do this you can pull through. Mommy's here and not going anywhere."
"SO is daddy." The deep voice from behind startled Abby. She turned to see Carter standing a foot behind her. Seeing his face made her crumble again and in seconds he had her in his arms rocking her backwards and forwards. "Everything's going to be okay. We're going to be okay." He told her, whispering it to her hair.
Susan stood back watching the scene unfold in front of her. The young doctor standing beside her asked. "Why wasn't I informed before of the father?"
"Because it's a long story." Was all Susan committed to.
The priest walked up to Abby and Carter. "Do you wish your child baptised?"
Abby looked up to Carter and nodded, he nodded back. "Yes." Her voice was quiet.
"Do you have a name for your child?"
"I do." She said, again looking to Carter. "I name her Holly Susan Wysenski Carter." Carter smiled and nodded. The short service lasted only minutes but was heartfelt and meaningful. When it was finished Abby took up post by baby Holly's incubator and vowed she wouldn't move for anything.
A.N So sorry that this has taken me so long to get up. I have had this chapter in my head for so long but was unsure of how to execute it hope I have done a good job please let me know.