"Miss Lockhart." A young nurse interrupted Abby's thoughts as she
watched the snow fall outside the window. Abby turned and looked at her.
"The doctors want to try and take Holly of the ventilator. He wondered if
you wanted to be there."
"Of course I would. Can I call a few people first?" The young nurse nodded. Abby lifted the telephone and dialled the all too familiar number. "May I speak to John please?" She asked as soon as Algiers had picked up on the other end.
"Hello." John voice seemed to be in sing song mode this morning.
"John, it's Abby, can you come down to the hospital?"
"Why is something wrong?" He sounded panicky.
"No, the doctor wants to try Holly off the vent. Can you come?" She pleaded with him. She didn't think she could cope on her own if her daughter had to be placed back on.
"I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Anything else?" He asked, his voice relaxing somewhat.
"No, it's all right, I'm going to call Susan as well. I feel she has to be here too. Wait maybe you could call Sam for me and update her."
"Sure, see you in a bit."
Abby walked along the corridor to the NICU. She had a twisted knot in her stomach, this time through excitement not fear. She could possibly be holding her daughter in he matter of thirty minutes. The one thing that had kept her going throughout the whole pregnancy, holding the baby. She walked up to Holly incubator. "Hi baby girl. It's mommy. The doctors say your getting stronger and they are hoping that you can breath without that big tube in your throat. They are going to take it out in a bit so be a brave girl for me and let them. Everyone loves you Holly and want you to live so hopefully you can do without it." Abby placed her hand inside the incubator and stroked her tiny daughters tummy.
Doctor Neilson walked up to Abby. "Miss Lockhart are we ready for this?" He asked with a smile on his face.
"That we are doctor Neilson, although can you wait just a few more minutes. Holly's father is on his way. He wants to be here for this." Abby said turning her attention from the doctor back to her daughter.
"Certainly, I'll be back when he arrives." The doctor walked away again leaving Abby alone with her daughter.
Carter and Susan arrived at the same time. "You ready for this?" Susan asked him. He looked so nervous. He could only nod. "Everything will be okay. Just you wait and see."
They walked into the NICU and up to Abby, who stood by Holly's incubator. "Hi." Her voice sounded so small and meek. She sounded so afraid. John could tell by looking at her just how frightened she was. She was biting on her finger, something she had a habit of doing when nervous. He smiled at her and gently touched her arm. She smiled up at him.
"Abby, John, we are going to turn the ventilator off first. You know the procedure, we wait and if she is making attempts to breath on her own, we will remove the tube." Doctor Neilson explained to them. He knew that they both knew what was happening but he still felt the need to tell them.
The nurse slowly turned the ventilator off. The noise whizzing down till there was no noise at all. Susan looked to Abby and John. Abby stood with her hands in a praying position beside hr mouth. Her lips were moving as if she was saying something but Susan couldn't make it out. John placed his hand on Abby's back just to let her know he was there. Abby glanced up at him, removing her hands from her lips. She attempted a smile but it didn't come. She turned back to their daughter and continued to watch as her little chest rose and fell. She was breathing on her own but could she sustain it for five minutes.
"Five minutes doctor." The nurse said in a whisper. John and Abby seemed to hold their own breaths waiting for the doctors evaluation.
"I want to try and remove the tube. She held her own for five minutes, removing the tube is the next big test." Doctor Neilson reached into the incubator and gently removed the tube. Holly made a little coughing sound as it was removed, Abby gasped as she did this, hoping it would lead to something new. Holly went quiet again, but still her chest rose and fell. Abby had gone back to chewing on her finger. John gently rubbed her back. After a minute Holly coughed again. Doctor Neilson listened to her chest. He turned to Abby and John. "Things are sounding good in there."
Abby couldn't help but smile. "Really?"
"Yes, would you like to listen for yourselves. Your daughter has a very healthy sounding pair of lungs." The doctor handed Abby his stethoscope. She listened to her daughters lungs before allowing John to listen. "I'm about to ask you the question that I already know the answer too, would you like to hold her?"
Abby's eyes lit up. Tears sprung into her eyes. "Can I?" Doctor Neilson nodded as he unhooked the last of the machines attached to Holly's tiny body.
"Would you like to sit?" He asked.
Abby shook her head. "I know that this might sound strange but I'd like to stand. John, will you stand behind me and hold her too. I want the first time holding her to be together." Carter smiled at her. Of course he wanted to hold his daughter and he couldn't think of a better way to do it for the first time. He edged himself in behind Abby and wrapped his arms around her waist. He felt her lean back against him. Doctor Neilson held Holly out to Abby. Abby's arms went out immediately for her, cradling her in her arms. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. There they were standing like a normal family. John's arms came up to encircle Abby's. The both held their beautiful baby girl without having to say a word. Nothing needed to be said. They were both too happy with what was happening. John leaned in a kissed Abby's head as she did the same to Holly. Little did they know they had a photographed clicking away at the most precious moments they had ever experienced.
"Of course I would. Can I call a few people first?" The young nurse nodded. Abby lifted the telephone and dialled the all too familiar number. "May I speak to John please?" She asked as soon as Algiers had picked up on the other end.
"Hello." John voice seemed to be in sing song mode this morning.
"John, it's Abby, can you come down to the hospital?"
"Why is something wrong?" He sounded panicky.
"No, the doctor wants to try Holly off the vent. Can you come?" She pleaded with him. She didn't think she could cope on her own if her daughter had to be placed back on.
"I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Anything else?" He asked, his voice relaxing somewhat.
"No, it's all right, I'm going to call Susan as well. I feel she has to be here too. Wait maybe you could call Sam for me and update her."
"Sure, see you in a bit."
Abby walked along the corridor to the NICU. She had a twisted knot in her stomach, this time through excitement not fear. She could possibly be holding her daughter in he matter of thirty minutes. The one thing that had kept her going throughout the whole pregnancy, holding the baby. She walked up to Holly incubator. "Hi baby girl. It's mommy. The doctors say your getting stronger and they are hoping that you can breath without that big tube in your throat. They are going to take it out in a bit so be a brave girl for me and let them. Everyone loves you Holly and want you to live so hopefully you can do without it." Abby placed her hand inside the incubator and stroked her tiny daughters tummy.
Doctor Neilson walked up to Abby. "Miss Lockhart are we ready for this?" He asked with a smile on his face.
"That we are doctor Neilson, although can you wait just a few more minutes. Holly's father is on his way. He wants to be here for this." Abby said turning her attention from the doctor back to her daughter.
"Certainly, I'll be back when he arrives." The doctor walked away again leaving Abby alone with her daughter.
Carter and Susan arrived at the same time. "You ready for this?" Susan asked him. He looked so nervous. He could only nod. "Everything will be okay. Just you wait and see."
They walked into the NICU and up to Abby, who stood by Holly's incubator. "Hi." Her voice sounded so small and meek. She sounded so afraid. John could tell by looking at her just how frightened she was. She was biting on her finger, something she had a habit of doing when nervous. He smiled at her and gently touched her arm. She smiled up at him.
"Abby, John, we are going to turn the ventilator off first. You know the procedure, we wait and if she is making attempts to breath on her own, we will remove the tube." Doctor Neilson explained to them. He knew that they both knew what was happening but he still felt the need to tell them.
The nurse slowly turned the ventilator off. The noise whizzing down till there was no noise at all. Susan looked to Abby and John. Abby stood with her hands in a praying position beside hr mouth. Her lips were moving as if she was saying something but Susan couldn't make it out. John placed his hand on Abby's back just to let her know he was there. Abby glanced up at him, removing her hands from her lips. She attempted a smile but it didn't come. She turned back to their daughter and continued to watch as her little chest rose and fell. She was breathing on her own but could she sustain it for five minutes.
"Five minutes doctor." The nurse said in a whisper. John and Abby seemed to hold their own breaths waiting for the doctors evaluation.
"I want to try and remove the tube. She held her own for five minutes, removing the tube is the next big test." Doctor Neilson reached into the incubator and gently removed the tube. Holly made a little coughing sound as it was removed, Abby gasped as she did this, hoping it would lead to something new. Holly went quiet again, but still her chest rose and fell. Abby had gone back to chewing on her finger. John gently rubbed her back. After a minute Holly coughed again. Doctor Neilson listened to her chest. He turned to Abby and John. "Things are sounding good in there."
Abby couldn't help but smile. "Really?"
"Yes, would you like to listen for yourselves. Your daughter has a very healthy sounding pair of lungs." The doctor handed Abby his stethoscope. She listened to her daughters lungs before allowing John to listen. "I'm about to ask you the question that I already know the answer too, would you like to hold her?"
Abby's eyes lit up. Tears sprung into her eyes. "Can I?" Doctor Neilson nodded as he unhooked the last of the machines attached to Holly's tiny body.
"Would you like to sit?" He asked.
Abby shook her head. "I know that this might sound strange but I'd like to stand. John, will you stand behind me and hold her too. I want the first time holding her to be together." Carter smiled at her. Of course he wanted to hold his daughter and he couldn't think of a better way to do it for the first time. He edged himself in behind Abby and wrapped his arms around her waist. He felt her lean back against him. Doctor Neilson held Holly out to Abby. Abby's arms went out immediately for her, cradling her in her arms. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. There they were standing like a normal family. John's arms came up to encircle Abby's. The both held their beautiful baby girl without having to say a word. Nothing needed to be said. They were both too happy with what was happening. John leaned in a kissed Abby's head as she did the same to Holly. Little did they know they had a photographed clicking away at the most precious moments they had ever experienced.