Abby fought off fatigue as she dressed for her shift. She fiddled with the draw string on her scrub pants, trying to undo the knot. Lately, she found herself leaving the top buttons of her pants undone, pulling zippers only halfway up, and shopping for pants with elastic waste bands. She needed to give herself a little extra room in her scrub pants as well.
Carter emerged from the steaming shower, wet-headed and smelling fresh.
"Good morning," he said, and beamed at Abby. He crossed over to her and pulled her in for a hug. He then knelt down and kissed the swollen little bump of her belly. Carter rested his head on her stomach for a second as Abby stroked his hair. He looked up at her and asked,
"When are we going to break the news to everyone at work?" Abby groaned.
"Can we give it just one more week?"
"Abby, people are going to start wondering. You're starting to show a little, you know..."
"I know, don't remind me," she replied. "Maybe I can just let them think I'm getting fat." Carter shook his head, stood up and began dressing for work.
"Just give me one more week. I'm not ready for balloons and flowers and baby showers quite yet." Carter begrudgingly agreed to keep their big news under wraps for one more week.
They walked into the ER together and headed for the lounge. They put their stuff in their lockers and braced themselves for the long day ahead. After a couple of hours of trying to get the board under control, Carter caught up with Abby.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Not up to working, that's for sure,"
"Take a sick day. I can try to find someone to cover for you."
"No...I'll be fine. I just need to work through it."
"Okay, but if you need to go home, let me know. I'll work something out."
"Thanks Carter," Abby said and gave him a quick kiss. They headed back to work before having to face the wrath of Weaver.
Lunchtime rolled around, and Carter again caught up with Abby.
"Can you spare some time to get some lunch with me?"
"Sure, I'm starving. Give me 10 minutes..."
They walked hand in hand up to the admit desk.
"Frank, we're headed out to lunch...we won't be long," Carter said.
"Define 'won't be long'. Things are starting to get busy around here," Frank griped. Abby rolled her eyes.
"Twenty minutes, tops," she replied impatiently. Her stomach growled at her, demanding food.
"We'll need a half an hour at least, Abby. You're eating for two, remember?" Carter answered. As soon as the words left his mouth, the hustle and bustle of the ER seemed to come to a dead stand still, besides Abby shooting daggers at Carter with her eyes.
"Abby?" Chuney said, looking at her incredulously. Susan, Frank, Gallant, and several others looked at her expectantly. Abby knew that their secret was out.
"Yes, I'm pregnant. Fine, now everyone around here will know in 10 minutes flat, I'm sure," Abby said grumpily. She blushed with embarrassment...she wasn't quite ready yet for everyone to know the big news.
The group gathered around her and enveloped her in a big hug. Abby shifted uncomfortably and said, " I need to get out of here. I'm starving."
"Take your time," Chuney called after them. "I'll cover for you."
"Hey, Carter" Frank called after them. They turned around.
"You're the father, right?" They shot him a look of disgust and left for lunch.
And when they returned, a big bouquet of pink and blue balloons were waiting for Abby at the admit desk.
Carter emerged from the steaming shower, wet-headed and smelling fresh.
"Good morning," he said, and beamed at Abby. He crossed over to her and pulled her in for a hug. He then knelt down and kissed the swollen little bump of her belly. Carter rested his head on her stomach for a second as Abby stroked his hair. He looked up at her and asked,
"When are we going to break the news to everyone at work?" Abby groaned.
"Can we give it just one more week?"
"Abby, people are going to start wondering. You're starting to show a little, you know..."
"I know, don't remind me," she replied. "Maybe I can just let them think I'm getting fat." Carter shook his head, stood up and began dressing for work.
"Just give me one more week. I'm not ready for balloons and flowers and baby showers quite yet." Carter begrudgingly agreed to keep their big news under wraps for one more week.
They walked into the ER together and headed for the lounge. They put their stuff in their lockers and braced themselves for the long day ahead. After a couple of hours of trying to get the board under control, Carter caught up with Abby.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Not up to working, that's for sure,"
"Take a sick day. I can try to find someone to cover for you."
"No...I'll be fine. I just need to work through it."
"Okay, but if you need to go home, let me know. I'll work something out."
"Thanks Carter," Abby said and gave him a quick kiss. They headed back to work before having to face the wrath of Weaver.
Lunchtime rolled around, and Carter again caught up with Abby.
"Can you spare some time to get some lunch with me?"
"Sure, I'm starving. Give me 10 minutes..."
They walked hand in hand up to the admit desk.
"Frank, we're headed out to lunch...we won't be long," Carter said.
"Define 'won't be long'. Things are starting to get busy around here," Frank griped. Abby rolled her eyes.
"Twenty minutes, tops," she replied impatiently. Her stomach growled at her, demanding food.
"We'll need a half an hour at least, Abby. You're eating for two, remember?" Carter answered. As soon as the words left his mouth, the hustle and bustle of the ER seemed to come to a dead stand still, besides Abby shooting daggers at Carter with her eyes.
"Abby?" Chuney said, looking at her incredulously. Susan, Frank, Gallant, and several others looked at her expectantly. Abby knew that their secret was out.
"Yes, I'm pregnant. Fine, now everyone around here will know in 10 minutes flat, I'm sure," Abby said grumpily. She blushed with embarrassment...she wasn't quite ready yet for everyone to know the big news.
The group gathered around her and enveloped her in a big hug. Abby shifted uncomfortably and said, " I need to get out of here. I'm starving."
"Take your time," Chuney called after them. "I'll cover for you."
"Hey, Carter" Frank called after them. They turned around.
"You're the father, right?" They shot him a look of disgust and left for lunch.
And when they returned, a big bouquet of pink and blue balloons were waiting for Abby at the admit desk.