CHAPTER THREE
A/N: I really appreciate all of these reviews! Special thanks goes out to: NaomiP, tars, Melissa, joey, kate, alis, and dupton. You guys are great! =]
Hope you all enjoy this next part. I just wanted to clear something up though. I'm not planning on this fic turning into just your regular run of the mill pregnancy one. There will be a lot of different twists and turns planned for it, so please stick around and don't let the whole idea of the initial pregnancy turn you off.
xo; Mari
* * * *
Tuesday—April 27"MOM!"
Sam rested her head against the bathroom wall as Alex's piercing voice carried down the hallway. Her stomach seemed settled enough that she considered actually getting up, but knew better. She had tried that twenty minutes ago and couldn't even put one foot out of the door without her stomach flip-flopping.
"Alex, what?" He had been calling her name and asking for something for the past hour she had spent in the bathroom. Sam knew that Melissa would be at the apartment any minute honking the horn of her BMW to take Alex to school. At least she'd be able to puke in peace until her stomach decided to cooperate long enough so she could finish getting ready for work.
"Why are you still in the bathroom? You've been in there since I woke up! Someone named Kerry is on the phone, and Dad called fifteen minutes ago!"
Sam stood up shakily and splashed some cold water onto her face from the faucet. "Tell her I'm coming."
"She's coming."
Shit. Sam glanced at the digital clock next to her bed and saw that it was eight-twenty. She was going on twenty minutes late for her shift. Alex handed Sam the phone the minute she stepped into the hallway before running back into the living room.
"Kerry, I'm so sorry –"
"Sam, the department is not paying you for the hours spent at home with your son! We're already short three nurses today and they all called out with the stomach flu, so we really need you here as soon as possible."
"I know, it's just that—"
"I really don't want to hear any excuses. You know how busy we are down here all the time. I'm leaving at twelve, so god knows who will be running this place. Luka's not off until ten tonight, Carter's taking a half day, Morris is off in radiology, and goddammit Jerry—answer the phone! Look, just get here as soon as you can. Pratt! You're late!"
"Okay, I'm really sorry Kerry—"
Click.
Sam winced and pressed the 'off' button on her cordless phone. Usually she made a habit of trying to get along with Kerry pretty well and succeeded, but everyone knew that the Henry situation was adding another load of stress to Kerry's shoulders. "Alex? What did Steve want?"
"I dunno. He said he's in Santa Monica and he'd call us later."
"California?"
"I guess so. He said he's going to get an apartment or something in Los Angeles."
Sam knew there was no way Steve was going to be able to afford a decent apartment in Los Angeles without a job, but let it go. She didn't feel like upsetting herself over it and it definitely wasn't worth it at the current moment.
Alex peeked out of the front window and started for the door, backpack slung over his shoulder and skateboard in hand. "Mikey's here. See ya, Mom."
"Bye. Be good. Please, no more phone calls from your teachers this week, okay?" Sam begged Alex as she fixed the beanie hat on his head. "You need a haircut."
"No, I don't. It's cool. Bye."
"Bye," Sam answered. She walked into the kitchen and placed his orange juice glass in the dishwasher. She proceeded in cleaning up the kitchen a little bit more and starting the dishwasher before heading off to the bathroom. Her stomach seemed to have settled enough now, so she ran some gel through her curly hair and brushed the bad taste out of her mouth before rinsing with mouthwash.
The phone started ringing again, and since she had one foot practically out the door, Sam let the answering machine catch it.
"Samantha, it's your mother. I'll be in town in two weeks and I'd like to see you and Alex…"* * * *
Samantha eyed the area around the admit desk cautiously as she approached it. She was now forty-five minutes late for her eight o' clock shift, and knew that with Kerry on edge today, she'd easily be expected to work until ten or later. That just was how it was around County. You never were supposed to get off at the exact time your shift ended, especially if there had been heavy traumas coming in all day and night.
Once again, Morris was seated at admit, paging through the phone book. He paled at the sight of Sam and started looking a little uncomfortable.
"Hi…there, Sam." He plastered a fake smile onto his expression and shut the phone book loudly. "What's going on?"
"Um, nothing? Just another day of working, Morris. You know, it's what everyone else seems to do around here besides you?" Sam glanced over Morris' shoulder and saw Luka come out of an exam room with X rays in his hand. He didn't seem to notice that she had come in and immediately headed upstairs with Haleh jogging next to him.
"Good…that's good. So how are…things with the lima bean?"
"What? Did anyone ever tell you you're a little weird?" Sam questioned him, shaking her head. She reached for a chart and scanned it. "Here, make yourself busy. Constipation in Curtain Three."
"Uh, thanks." Morris quickly grabbed the chart out of her hands and rushed away quickly.
'That was weird,' Sam thought to herself. She headed straight for the lounge and right for her locker, which she opened quickly. Chuny, Pratt, and Yosh were gathered around the table, putting the coffeemaker to good use. All three smiled and Chuny muttered something incoherent to Pratt, who grinned and eyed Sam, laughing. Yosh too aimed a smile and Sam's direction before helping himself to a bagel.
"Morning, Sam!" Chuny finally said, brightly. "You look great!"
"Oh, thanks," Sam nodded. "You too."
"If there's anything I can get you, just let me know," Yosh added. "I'll be up in radiology."
"…Okay?" Sam agreed before he could leave the room.
Pratt placed a hand on Sam's shoulder and picked up the chart he had been previously holding. "Good luck."
"What?" Sam called after him, but Pratt had already jogged out of the lounge. He hadn't heard her. Sighing, she shut her locker and slumped up against it, just as Kerry Weaver walked into the room.
"Morning, Sam. Any particular reason why you're late today?"
"I'm sorry, Kerry. I haven't felt that great since Monday and I guess I just caught whatever Alex had a few weeks back," Sam lied. She didn't feel up to spilling to her boss right now that there was a good chance that she was pregnant—most likely an excellent one. She just needed things to die down a little bit at home—with Alex, with Steve, her bills, everything—before going around telling anyone. She wanted to actually hear the heartbeat of her baby before saying anything to Kerry first. She just wanted to be sure, and didn't want to spread any more rumors around the gossip prone ER.
"Still, you should have called."
"If I'm ever late again I'll promise I'll call, Kerry."
"Great. Let me know if you feel any better by the end of the day." Kerry gave Sam a small smile before pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"Kerry, can I ask you something?"
"Sure." Kerry slid the coffeepot back on the maker and poured a sugar packet into the steaming cup.
"Is Dr. Coburn on today?"
Kerry nodded and sipped her coffee. "I'm pretty sure she's on from nine to seven. Actually, I just saw her down here a little while ago."
"Thanks."
"Let me know if you need to adjust your hours, Sam. I know how hard it is to get up in the morning and leave a son at home." Kerry smiled politely one more time before exiting the lounge and back into the busy ER.
Sam shut her eyes briefly and drew in a long breath. She spotted Abby passing by the lounge and immediately ran out and after her. "Hey, Abby!"
"Hey," Abby greeted. "Chuny, Mr. Cohen needs his bedpan changed in two."
"Thanks Abby," Chuny grumbled sarcastically as she brushed past Abby and Sam.
"I know I probably shouldn't be asking you this, but I need a huge favor."
"Sure. As long as it doesn't involve me holding anyone ransom or running to get Halloween candy, I'm all set."
Sam stared at Abby, not sure whether to laugh or say nothing. "What?" she smiled.
"Nothing," Abby smiled back. "Something a senile man was mumbling about this morning when I stitched his head lac. What do you need?"
"I need to run upstairs to Doctor Coburn for a minute. Can you cover for me? Or not cover, but—"
"Keep Kerry off of your back?" Abby laughed and nodded. "You got it."
"Thanks so much, Abby."
"Hey, by the way, what time are you off? Didn't you want to go out and get a drink last week or something?" Abby marked something down on her chart before glancing back at Sam.
"I was late this morning, so I'm not really sure. Probably around nine if I'm lucky. Maybe. I'll let you know?"
"Sure," Abby agreed. "I'll see you later. Don't worry about Weaver."
"Thanks." Sam checked around admit for Kerry a final time and headed for OB and Gynecology.
* * * *
"Asystole, Dr. Kovac."
Luka sighed and stopped compressions on the elderly man, glancing at the clock in the trauma room. "How long?"
"Forty minutes."
Luka glanced up at Neela. "Call it."
Neela checked her watch. "Time of death, nine thirty-eight." She scribbled down the time on the man's chart and handed it to Luka. "Do you think there was anything else we could have done? An angioplasty, maybe? Dr. Kovac?"
But Luka wasn't listening. Instead he was starting off into admit somewhere, lost in his own thoughts.
"Luka. Dr. Kovac?"
"Yeah?" Luka asked, his eyes landing back on Neela once more.
"I said, do you think we could have done another angioplasty?"
"I uh, have you seen Sam today?"
"Taggart? No…" Neela sighed. "Never mind, Dr. Kovac." She walked out of the trauma room silently. Luka snapped out of the trance he was in and did the same, dropping his gloves into the trash.
"Abby."
Abby glanced up. "Yeah, Luka?"
"Have you seen Sam?"
"She's around somewhere."
"A better hint then somewhere would be great right about now," Luka grinned. "More specific?"
"She said she had to run upstairs for a little bit, so I'm supposed to be covering for her—shit! Don't tell Kerry I told you that. You didn't hear it from me."
"Okay," Luka replied, slightly puzzled. There were a number of places Sam could be, and the fact that he hadn't had a good chance to talk to her since Sunday wasn't helping matters any, especially with what Chuny had told him Sunday night still ringing through his head. "Thanks, Abby."
"No problem." Abby walked away, and Luka walked towards admit. Morris was sitting in a chair again, flipping through the same phone book from before.
"Man of the hour, Dr. Kovac. How's the lima bean?"
"What?" Luka eyed him oddly, and shook his head. "Don't you have work to be doing?"
"Uh, yeah," Morris replied sarcastically. "I'm doing something for a patient."
"Like what? By the way, you're on the Chinese take out page," Luka pointed out with a smirk.
"I'm looking for aquariums, Daddy."
Luka paused and sent a sharp look in Morris' direction. "What did you just call me?"
"Daddy? You know, congratulations? Sam's pregnant?"
"You know Morris, listening to rumors all the time and ordering Chinese food isn't going to help you become a better doctor. Neither is looking at porn or smoking marijuana in the bathroom."
"Hey, I was highly stressed out!"
"Look, just lay off, okay? It's Sam's personal business. I don't think anyone has a right to know what's going on until she's ready to say something."
"So she is!"
"I don't know. I didn't say that."
"So she isn't?"
Luka slammed down the chart and headed for the stairs. "I don't know!"
"Hey, which one is it?"
"I don't know!" Luka shouted back angrily over his shoulder as he jogged up the stairs.
Kerry slammed the phone book shut and piled a stack of six charts in front of Morris. "I've had enough of your sitting around. Stop antagonizing Dr. Kovac and Dr. Pratt. Get off your ass and hop to these charts. Now!"
"Uh, yes m'am, Dr. Weaver!" Morris stuttered, grabbing the charts and taking off to the nearest exam room.
* * * *
Sam pulled her hair back into a low ponytail, pocketing the appointment card she had gotten from Sharon, Dr. Coburn's secretary. After managing to speak with Janet Coburn for all of two minutes, Coburn had managed to squeeze Sam in Friday afternoon at two. She said it was the earliest she could manage, with emergency c-sections, scheduled inductions, and the regular deliveries that were coming in every day. Still, Sam had hoped she could have gotten the appointment a little sooner, but was glad that she at least had one now so she could confirm and know she was pregnant for sure.
A lot of things ran through her mind while she was upstairs in OB. How was she supposed to break it to Luka, and more importantly, to Alex? She didn't know how he would react to finding out he wasn't going to be an only child anymore. Would he be jealous, or totally accepting of the idea?
She and Luka hadn't even gotten around to talking about their ''relationship'' yet. Anytime they ever got close to talking, they solved their problems by getting carried away in the bedroom, which ultimately solved nothing. It just brought them back to where they had started from like a vicious cycle.
It wasn't that she didn't care about Luka--Sam knew that she did. There were just a lot of things that were getting in the way lately. First it had just been a fling that was bordering on the potential of becoming something more until his French girlfriend from the Congo, Gillian, had showed up. Sam knew that now Gillian and Luka were no longer together, and had been that way ever since Gillian had left, but it did make Sam feel used in a way. She just wished that Luka had told her that he was involved with someone before showing up on his doorstep like an idiot that night. What a surprise that had been. Plus, his infamous reputation as a womanizer kept her on her guard for those first few months she had worked with him, until she had actually had a good conversation with him and realized that he had a good heart and soul.
Luka was a person she could easily see herself being with in the next few years. Whether or not they wanted to admit it, they both had more in common then was obvious. Granted, there were things that Sam didn't know about Luka's past and things that Luka didn't know about Sam's, but right now, Sam knew that they both just needed to focus on what they both wanted out of a potential relationship together. Ultimately, Sam needed to know for sure if she was pregnant—and if she could count on Luka being there for her though out the pregnancy. She didn't want to find out six months later that he wanted no part in it. Sam wanted Luka by her and Alex's side every step of the way or not at all.
"Sam!"
Sam turned around near the elevators and saw Luka jogging towards her. He approached her and took a look around. She was a little embarrassed—she hadn't wanted him to find out this way. They both were too aware of what floor they were now on.
"Abby said you might be up around here."
"Yeah," Sam nodded. "I just had something I needed to take care of."
Take care of? Luka thought back on Nicole, and how she had gotten an abortion without letting him know. Would Sam do that to him like Nicole had? Wait, was Sam even pregnant, or was what everyone was saying just a rumor? "Everything okay?"
"Uh, yeah." Sam tapped the elevator button again two times and scratched her neck, waiting impatiently for the elevator. The doors opened and Luka and Sam stepped on.
"Sam."
"What?" she spat out. It had come out a lot more angrily then she intended.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing," she lied.
Luka sighed and rested his head against the back of the elevator wall. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No."
"Okay, then what? You've been short with me ever since Sunday."
"Nothing. Just drop it, Luka, okay?"
"Are you pregnant?"
The elevator doors opened onto the ER, and Sam stepped out angrily. She mumbled something softly and shrugged her shoulders, heading towards admit. Surprisingly, Morris wasn't there sitting down.
"Sam, don't do this," Luka replied, trying to keep his voice low enough so no one else could hear what was going on. "Talk to me. Don't shut me out."
"Maybe I am, okay?" Sam shouted loudly. "It came back on my test results."
A few people sitting in chairs, waiting to be admitted, looked up curiously. Chuny and Haleh stepped out of an exam room and surveyed what was going on. Morris and Pratt were heading towards admit, shuffling papers around.
"Shh, okay," Luka said softly.
"All you have to say is okay?" Sam added, just as loudly, if not more so than before. "How can you just say okay? Things aren't that simple, Luka!"
"Sam, let's do this outside—"
"No! Look how backed up we are! I haven't even worked since I got here this morning! I have a nine-year-old son to take care of, and bills to pay! I can't afford to 'take this outside' right now Luka!" Sam didn't know why she was getting so angry with Luka right now. She didn't know where the hell all the energy was coming from. She was just so frustrated with everything and not knowing anything at all.
"Take it somewhere else, Luka and Sam," Kerry warned as she came out of Curtain One.
"Sam please," Luka begged. "Come outside with me for a minute."
"I'm pregnant. There. I said it. Thanks Morris, for informing the whole ER and reading my test results to the entire staff." She looked around at everyone. "I'm glad you all are getting such a huge kick out of this. I'm really thrilled that I was the gossip highlight of the entire week." Sam brushed past Luka, headed straight towards the ambulance bay with tears in her eyes. Luka turned and ran after her without a minute's hesitation.
Kerry shot an angry glare towards Morris. "Morris, my office in ten minutes. Everyone else, back to work."
* * * *
Reviews would be appreciated! =]