It had been a few days since Holly's surgery and Abby hadn't moved
from the side of her incubator. From the second Elizabeth had taken Abby
and John to see Holly after her surgery, Abby had spent all of her time in
the chair by the incubator. She only left to use the bathroom or get
coffee. Sitting watching her daughter being kept alive by machines was
killing her slowly. She hadn't eaten for three days. She was keeping
herself going by drinking extremely strong coffee.
John was really worried about her, but unsure of what to do or how to get through to her. He couldn't sit by and watch her kill herself but he also didn't know the right words to say to let her know that he was there for her. He had told her often enough that he was there and would stay by her but it didn't seem to penetrate Abby's brain. She hadn't really spoken in three days either, only speaking to the doctors that surrounded the incubator every so often checking on their daughter.
It was on the fourth day after the surgery that Holly began to come too. Abby awoke to the feeling of her moving. "Doctor Neilson." Abby called out. The doctor came running over to the incubator. Noticing Holly's movements he listened to her heart and lungs
Looking up to Abby he smiled. "She seems to be coming out of it okay." HE smiled as he spoke. He was so glad that this case was finally turning out well. "If you give me a few minutes I am going to contact Doctor Corday and Doctor Phillips before I attempt to take any of the machines off her."
"I may be showing my ignorance here but who is Doctor Phillips again?" Abby rubbed her hand across her face. She couldn't believe what she was being told. Her daughter may get off the machines again and hopefully for longer this time.
"He is the paediatric heart surgeon." Abby nodded, her brain had turned to fuzz and she had seen so many doctors in the last few weeks she couldn't remember who everyone was.
Abby took a deep breath before looking down to her daughter again. Holly was beginning to open her eyes. "Hi baby." Abby was close to tears as she spoke to her baby. "You gave mommy a big scare but you're going to be all right." She stroked her daughter cheek before taking her little hand into her own. Abby thought about calling John but she wasn't sure. She had been really off to him recently and wasn't sure how he would react to her again. Then again his daughter was coming around. She caught a hold of the nearest nurse and asked her to page John.
In what seemed like only minutes John was by her side. Abby looked amazed he was there so quickly. "I was working downstairs when I got the page, what's wrong?"
"Look." Abby said pointing to Holly. John looked down and found himself looking straight into his daughters deep brown eyes.
"Oh my.......... When?" He asked taking Holly's other hand into his own.
"About twenty minutes ago. Doctor Neilson has gone to get Elizabeth and Doctor Phillips before he does anything. They'll be able to assess better." As she finished speaking Elizabeth appeared beside them.
"I hear someone decided to wake up." She smiled at John and Abby. They smiled back, nodding. "Can you give myself and Doctor Phillips a few minutes and then I'll come and speak to you."
"Sure." John replied placing his hand on Abby's back. "We'll be in the waiting room."
Abby looked reluctant about leaving her baby but she knew the doctor's had to work. She allowed John to lead her away. She knew she would have to talk to him as well, apologise for her behaviour over the last few days. Sitting down on the sofa she turned to John. "I have to apologise to you."
"What for?" John asked innocently.
"My behaviour over the last few days. John I realise how much I have shut people out but I could only focus on Holly. I honestly don't know what I would have done if we had lost her."
"Abby you have no need to apologise. You did what you felt was right. What worried me was the fact that you haven't eaten." John said wrapping his arm around her shoulder allowing her head to fall onto his shoulder.
"I'm fine, honest. Maybe a little tired but I won't rest till she is in my arms. I know that you are the same."
"Yeah. I suppose. How about after Elizabeth has spoken to us I take you out for dinner?"
"I know that I won't win this argument so I'll have to agree."
"That you will." He said pulling her closer to him and kissing her head.
A few hours later Susan and Chuck were heading out for dinner when Susan stopped walking. "What's wrong sweetheart?" Chuck asked her.
"Look." She told him pointing to the restaurant door. Chuck turned to see John and Abby exiting the restaurant hand in hand. Susan approached them. "Hi guys."
"Susan, there you are." Abby greeted her friend with a hug. "We've been trying to get a hold of you."
"What's happened?"
"Holly came round this afternoon. She's going to be all right." Abby almost burst as she told her friend the greatest news. Susan hugged both her friends.
"That's fantastic. Did they say when she'll get home?"
"They hope in the next couple of weeks, presuming she keeps up the good work."
"See, I told you she was a fighter." Susan said hugging her friend again.
"That you did." Abby replied leaning back into John. He held her tight, frightened to let go of her in case she ran again. This time he wanted to make sure he kept a good grip on her.
A.N I know a bit of a rubbish end to this chapter but I couldn't think of anything better. Next chapter should be better. Should only be a few more chapters till it ends. I want to thank you all for the reviews it's been fantastic to receive them.
John was really worried about her, but unsure of what to do or how to get through to her. He couldn't sit by and watch her kill herself but he also didn't know the right words to say to let her know that he was there for her. He had told her often enough that he was there and would stay by her but it didn't seem to penetrate Abby's brain. She hadn't really spoken in three days either, only speaking to the doctors that surrounded the incubator every so often checking on their daughter.
It was on the fourth day after the surgery that Holly began to come too. Abby awoke to the feeling of her moving. "Doctor Neilson." Abby called out. The doctor came running over to the incubator. Noticing Holly's movements he listened to her heart and lungs
Looking up to Abby he smiled. "She seems to be coming out of it okay." HE smiled as he spoke. He was so glad that this case was finally turning out well. "If you give me a few minutes I am going to contact Doctor Corday and Doctor Phillips before I attempt to take any of the machines off her."
"I may be showing my ignorance here but who is Doctor Phillips again?" Abby rubbed her hand across her face. She couldn't believe what she was being told. Her daughter may get off the machines again and hopefully for longer this time.
"He is the paediatric heart surgeon." Abby nodded, her brain had turned to fuzz and she had seen so many doctors in the last few weeks she couldn't remember who everyone was.
Abby took a deep breath before looking down to her daughter again. Holly was beginning to open her eyes. "Hi baby." Abby was close to tears as she spoke to her baby. "You gave mommy a big scare but you're going to be all right." She stroked her daughter cheek before taking her little hand into her own. Abby thought about calling John but she wasn't sure. She had been really off to him recently and wasn't sure how he would react to her again. Then again his daughter was coming around. She caught a hold of the nearest nurse and asked her to page John.
In what seemed like only minutes John was by her side. Abby looked amazed he was there so quickly. "I was working downstairs when I got the page, what's wrong?"
"Look." Abby said pointing to Holly. John looked down and found himself looking straight into his daughters deep brown eyes.
"Oh my.......... When?" He asked taking Holly's other hand into his own.
"About twenty minutes ago. Doctor Neilson has gone to get Elizabeth and Doctor Phillips before he does anything. They'll be able to assess better." As she finished speaking Elizabeth appeared beside them.
"I hear someone decided to wake up." She smiled at John and Abby. They smiled back, nodding. "Can you give myself and Doctor Phillips a few minutes and then I'll come and speak to you."
"Sure." John replied placing his hand on Abby's back. "We'll be in the waiting room."
Abby looked reluctant about leaving her baby but she knew the doctor's had to work. She allowed John to lead her away. She knew she would have to talk to him as well, apologise for her behaviour over the last few days. Sitting down on the sofa she turned to John. "I have to apologise to you."
"What for?" John asked innocently.
"My behaviour over the last few days. John I realise how much I have shut people out but I could only focus on Holly. I honestly don't know what I would have done if we had lost her."
"Abby you have no need to apologise. You did what you felt was right. What worried me was the fact that you haven't eaten." John said wrapping his arm around her shoulder allowing her head to fall onto his shoulder.
"I'm fine, honest. Maybe a little tired but I won't rest till she is in my arms. I know that you are the same."
"Yeah. I suppose. How about after Elizabeth has spoken to us I take you out for dinner?"
"I know that I won't win this argument so I'll have to agree."
"That you will." He said pulling her closer to him and kissing her head.
A few hours later Susan and Chuck were heading out for dinner when Susan stopped walking. "What's wrong sweetheart?" Chuck asked her.
"Look." She told him pointing to the restaurant door. Chuck turned to see John and Abby exiting the restaurant hand in hand. Susan approached them. "Hi guys."
"Susan, there you are." Abby greeted her friend with a hug. "We've been trying to get a hold of you."
"What's happened?"
"Holly came round this afternoon. She's going to be all right." Abby almost burst as she told her friend the greatest news. Susan hugged both her friends.
"That's fantastic. Did they say when she'll get home?"
"They hope in the next couple of weeks, presuming she keeps up the good work."
"See, I told you she was a fighter." Susan said hugging her friend again.
"That you did." Abby replied leaning back into John. He held her tight, frightened to let go of her in case she ran again. This time he wanted to make sure he kept a good grip on her.
A.N I know a bit of a rubbish end to this chapter but I couldn't think of anything better. Next chapter should be better. Should only be a few more chapters till it ends. I want to thank you all for the reviews it's been fantastic to receive them.