The family waiting room of the NICU had an eerie silence over it. It
had been that way for the last hour ever since Elizabeth had taken Holly
down to surgery. Everyone was in their own little world.
Abby had distanced herself from everyone. She was back in the dark corner John had found her in. She was looking out of the window at nothing in particular, although the stars were mesmerising. She was silently wishing on everyone of them to make her daughter better.
John was still sitting on the small sofa. His head had fallen into his hands. His mind was spinning with everything that had happened in the last few weeks. He went back to thinking about the last few weeks. He had come back from Africa with thought s of a new family life. He truly believed that Kem loved him and was pregnant with his child. He had began imagining life with her and their child. Walks in the park, teaching the child to ride a bike, watching the child walk into school on the first day. But it all changed, after being home for roughly a week things had gone haywire. Kem left him to go back to Africa telling him that she never loved him and that the child she was carrying wasn't his.
Another family had fallen straight into his lap. Abby, the love of his life had given birth to a true Carter. Baby Holly was only a week old but had already gone through so much. So had Abby. He didn't quite understand all she went through while he was in Africa but he knew it had been hard on her. And now they both had the agonising wait to see if their daughter would survive surgery and if she would be all right in the future.
John looked over to where Abby stood. He desperately wanted to take her into his arms and hold her, telling her that things were going to be all right. But even he didn't know that.
Susan watched her two best friends go through the impossible turmoil of waiting. Waiting to find out if their daughter was alive. The look of fear on both of their faces was intense. Susan had never seen two people more fearful in her whole career of medicine. No matter how bad the news that she delivered to a patient they all seemed to take it in their stride. But when it came to John and Abby, being told their daughter may not make it was excruciatingly painful for both.
Looking to Abby first she could see her best friend chewing on her fingers. She did that when she was nervous or scared. She looked so lost, so far away. John didn't look much better. He would constantly look between Abby and the clock, knowing that the longer they were in surgery the worse things were.
Sam sat with her arm around Alex's shoulder. Every so often giving it a small squeeze as if to remind herself he was still there. She could only imagine what her new best friend was going through. If anything had to happen to Alex, she knew she would be a mess. Alex had come into her life when she was so young but now she knew that she couldn't do without him. He could be a pain most of the time, but they were buddies. She was always there for him and he for her. It sounded strange saying that she relied on her son but she did. He meant so much to her and now looking back if she hadn't gone through with giving birth, who knows what she would have been like.
Alex was feeling really overwhelmed by what was going on. No-one had talked in a while and they were all acting really strange. He knew that what Holly was going through was tough and very serious but he thought that being Abby's daughter she would pull through. Abby was the strongest person, beside his mother that he knew. Looking at Abby now, she didn't seem all that strong.
The door to the waiting room opened and everyone turned their attention towards it. Luka walked in, looking around he nodded silently apologising for disturbing everyone. Abby immediately turned back to the window. Luka motioned to Sam. She walked across to him and he placed his arm around her shoulder, turning her away from everyone. In a hushed voice he spoke. "I was wondering if you wanted me to take Alex home?"
"Yeah, that would be great. Not sure that he will want to go but he has too." Sam turned and motioned to Alex. "Alex, Luka's going to take you home."
"No mom, I want to stay with Abby." Alex's voice wasn't quite as soft as Sam and Luka's. Abby turned to where the little boy stood. Alex turned to look at her. He could see the tears in her eyes. "Abby I want to stay with you and see if Holly's okay."
"Come here." Abby opened her arms and the little boy ran into them. "Alex, I'd love you to stay as well but you need to go home and get some rest. And do me a huge favour. I know you don't like to pray but say a little one for Holly. She needs it just now. DO you think you can do that?" Abby's voice sounded close to breaking. Alex took a minute to think and he slowly nodded. "Thank you. Now give me a big hug and I'll see you in the morning." Alex complied before heading back to Luka and his mom.
Sam and Luka hugged before he lifted Alex into his arms and left the room. Abby turned back to the window while Sam sat down beside Susan again. The room fell silent again. "I can't take this anymore." Abby's voice broke through the silence. She headed for the door.
John caught her arm. "Where are you going?" He said standing as if he was going with her.
"John, I need half an hour on my own out of here. It's doing my head in standing here not knowing what's happening or what I can do to make it better. Please just give me this." She shook his arm off her before running out the door heading towards the elevators.
John looked back to the rooms only residents. "John , give her time. I know that you are going through hell right now but, not to sound sexist, she did carry Holly for all that time. Try and understand?" Susan spoke to him.
"I am trying." He whispered, placing his head back into his hands.
Abby had distanced herself from everyone. She was back in the dark corner John had found her in. She was looking out of the window at nothing in particular, although the stars were mesmerising. She was silently wishing on everyone of them to make her daughter better.
John was still sitting on the small sofa. His head had fallen into his hands. His mind was spinning with everything that had happened in the last few weeks. He went back to thinking about the last few weeks. He had come back from Africa with thought s of a new family life. He truly believed that Kem loved him and was pregnant with his child. He had began imagining life with her and their child. Walks in the park, teaching the child to ride a bike, watching the child walk into school on the first day. But it all changed, after being home for roughly a week things had gone haywire. Kem left him to go back to Africa telling him that she never loved him and that the child she was carrying wasn't his.
Another family had fallen straight into his lap. Abby, the love of his life had given birth to a true Carter. Baby Holly was only a week old but had already gone through so much. So had Abby. He didn't quite understand all she went through while he was in Africa but he knew it had been hard on her. And now they both had the agonising wait to see if their daughter would survive surgery and if she would be all right in the future.
John looked over to where Abby stood. He desperately wanted to take her into his arms and hold her, telling her that things were going to be all right. But even he didn't know that.
Susan watched her two best friends go through the impossible turmoil of waiting. Waiting to find out if their daughter was alive. The look of fear on both of their faces was intense. Susan had never seen two people more fearful in her whole career of medicine. No matter how bad the news that she delivered to a patient they all seemed to take it in their stride. But when it came to John and Abby, being told their daughter may not make it was excruciatingly painful for both.
Looking to Abby first she could see her best friend chewing on her fingers. She did that when she was nervous or scared. She looked so lost, so far away. John didn't look much better. He would constantly look between Abby and the clock, knowing that the longer they were in surgery the worse things were.
Sam sat with her arm around Alex's shoulder. Every so often giving it a small squeeze as if to remind herself he was still there. She could only imagine what her new best friend was going through. If anything had to happen to Alex, she knew she would be a mess. Alex had come into her life when she was so young but now she knew that she couldn't do without him. He could be a pain most of the time, but they were buddies. She was always there for him and he for her. It sounded strange saying that she relied on her son but she did. He meant so much to her and now looking back if she hadn't gone through with giving birth, who knows what she would have been like.
Alex was feeling really overwhelmed by what was going on. No-one had talked in a while and they were all acting really strange. He knew that what Holly was going through was tough and very serious but he thought that being Abby's daughter she would pull through. Abby was the strongest person, beside his mother that he knew. Looking at Abby now, she didn't seem all that strong.
The door to the waiting room opened and everyone turned their attention towards it. Luka walked in, looking around he nodded silently apologising for disturbing everyone. Abby immediately turned back to the window. Luka motioned to Sam. She walked across to him and he placed his arm around her shoulder, turning her away from everyone. In a hushed voice he spoke. "I was wondering if you wanted me to take Alex home?"
"Yeah, that would be great. Not sure that he will want to go but he has too." Sam turned and motioned to Alex. "Alex, Luka's going to take you home."
"No mom, I want to stay with Abby." Alex's voice wasn't quite as soft as Sam and Luka's. Abby turned to where the little boy stood. Alex turned to look at her. He could see the tears in her eyes. "Abby I want to stay with you and see if Holly's okay."
"Come here." Abby opened her arms and the little boy ran into them. "Alex, I'd love you to stay as well but you need to go home and get some rest. And do me a huge favour. I know you don't like to pray but say a little one for Holly. She needs it just now. DO you think you can do that?" Abby's voice sounded close to breaking. Alex took a minute to think and he slowly nodded. "Thank you. Now give me a big hug and I'll see you in the morning." Alex complied before heading back to Luka and his mom.
Sam and Luka hugged before he lifted Alex into his arms and left the room. Abby turned back to the window while Sam sat down beside Susan again. The room fell silent again. "I can't take this anymore." Abby's voice broke through the silence. She headed for the door.
John caught her arm. "Where are you going?" He said standing as if he was going with her.
"John, I need half an hour on my own out of here. It's doing my head in standing here not knowing what's happening or what I can do to make it better. Please just give me this." She shook his arm off her before running out the door heading towards the elevators.
John looked back to the rooms only residents. "John , give her time. I know that you are going through hell right now but, not to sound sexist, she did carry Holly for all that time. Try and understand?" Susan spoke to him.
"I am trying." He whispered, placing his head back into his hands.