"Charlie, you have to...sit...STILL," Abby begged, her voice growing louder as her patience dwindled. She struggled to get the little boy to let go of his mother's legs and hold out his arm so that she could take his blood pressure.
"I don't wanna!" Charlie screamed. Abby looked over at his mother, imploring her to do something about her monster of a son. Dealing with unruly children sent chills down Abby's spine at times. She had no idea how she would handle her child if it acted like that. Charlie's mother gave Abby a weak smile and shrug, as if to say, "there's nothing I can do about him." Abby fought the urge to roll her eyes and suggested that things might go more smoothly if Charlie's mother would detach herself from her son and leave the room. The mother obliged, leaving a screaming child behind for Abby to examine.
"Please, honey...I just need to take your blood pressure. It won't hurt. It'll just be a little squeeze on your arm..." Abby pleaded. The little boy relented and held his arm out for Abby. Abby took advantage of his sudden cooperation and put the cuff around his upper arm. She stretched his arm out straight, and it gently rested on her rounded belly. As he did, a vicious kick caused Abby's stomach to ripple. A startled Charlie looked at Abby for a second with wide eyes, and then let loose with an ear-piercing scream. .
"Get away from me! Get away from me!!!" he cried, and ran out of the exam room to his mother. She hugged him and he cowered against her shoulder.
"What on earth..." his mother began.
"That lady has a monster in her tummy! Get her away from me!!" Charlie cried.
"I'm sorry. I hope I didn't scare him too badly..." Abby began. Charlie's mother cut her off with a request for another nurse. Abby's face turned bright red, and she headed to the nurses' station to find someone to fill in.
After convincing Lily to relieve her, Abby decided to take a quick break from the craziness of the ER. She sat in the lounge with her head down on the table. She took deep breaths, trying to shake off the persistent fatigue, a result of her pregnancy. She looked up as the door opened. It was Carter.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"How am I always feeling?" she retorted, irritability creeping into her voice. She was just so sick and tired of being sick and tired.
"I know it's hard," Carter said sympathetically. Abby shook her head, hoping that in doing so she would shake off her bad attitude. She loved Carter, and she loved their child that was growing inside of her, but nursing was strenuous work. She constantly debated about taking fewer shifts but wanted to stick it out. Besides, the ER was understaffed as usual.
"I brought you something," Carter said, offering her a brown bag. She grabbed it from him and opened it, pleased to find a huge candy bar. Her mouth watered. She hadn't realized that she was hungry. She tore open the wrapper and took a huge bite, hoping that the extra sugar would give her the boost she needed to get through the rest of her shift.
"Thank you," she said through a giant mouth-full of chocolate. Carter smiled.
"Abby, we need you," Halleh said, pausing only long enough to pop her head in the lounge.
"I'm up," said Abby, and hoisted herself clumsily to her feet. She grabbed her candy bar and jammed the rest of it in her mouth. She chewed vigorously and swallowed it down.
"Abby..." Carter began. He motioned to his face. Abby had no time for charades.
"I have to run...I'll catch up with you later," she said hurriedly as she hustled to get to the trauma room. Carter called after her, but it was no use. She was off, speeding down the hall.
"Okay, what can I do?" Abby asked upon entering the trauma room. She was greeted with a variety of odd looks, and some muffled laughter.
"What?" she asked impatiently. Everyone looked around, too polite to want to point it out to her. Everyone, that is, except for Pratt.
"What the hell do you have all over your face?" he asked, grinning.
"Oh, crap," Abby said and reached up to her mouth. Her hands were met with a sticky sensation, and she looked at her fingers and saw a brown smear across them.
"It's chocolate," she said. Her face turned bright red, a nice contrast to the dark chocolate that was melted all over her mouth and cheeks. She mentally kicked herself for being such a slob, and then gave her attention to the patient in front of her.
"I don't wanna!" Charlie screamed. Abby looked over at his mother, imploring her to do something about her monster of a son. Dealing with unruly children sent chills down Abby's spine at times. She had no idea how she would handle her child if it acted like that. Charlie's mother gave Abby a weak smile and shrug, as if to say, "there's nothing I can do about him." Abby fought the urge to roll her eyes and suggested that things might go more smoothly if Charlie's mother would detach herself from her son and leave the room. The mother obliged, leaving a screaming child behind for Abby to examine.
"Please, honey...I just need to take your blood pressure. It won't hurt. It'll just be a little squeeze on your arm..." Abby pleaded. The little boy relented and held his arm out for Abby. Abby took advantage of his sudden cooperation and put the cuff around his upper arm. She stretched his arm out straight, and it gently rested on her rounded belly. As he did, a vicious kick caused Abby's stomach to ripple. A startled Charlie looked at Abby for a second with wide eyes, and then let loose with an ear-piercing scream. .
"Get away from me! Get away from me!!!" he cried, and ran out of the exam room to his mother. She hugged him and he cowered against her shoulder.
"What on earth..." his mother began.
"That lady has a monster in her tummy! Get her away from me!!" Charlie cried.
"I'm sorry. I hope I didn't scare him too badly..." Abby began. Charlie's mother cut her off with a request for another nurse. Abby's face turned bright red, and she headed to the nurses' station to find someone to fill in.
After convincing Lily to relieve her, Abby decided to take a quick break from the craziness of the ER. She sat in the lounge with her head down on the table. She took deep breaths, trying to shake off the persistent fatigue, a result of her pregnancy. She looked up as the door opened. It was Carter.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"How am I always feeling?" she retorted, irritability creeping into her voice. She was just so sick and tired of being sick and tired.
"I know it's hard," Carter said sympathetically. Abby shook her head, hoping that in doing so she would shake off her bad attitude. She loved Carter, and she loved their child that was growing inside of her, but nursing was strenuous work. She constantly debated about taking fewer shifts but wanted to stick it out. Besides, the ER was understaffed as usual.
"I brought you something," Carter said, offering her a brown bag. She grabbed it from him and opened it, pleased to find a huge candy bar. Her mouth watered. She hadn't realized that she was hungry. She tore open the wrapper and took a huge bite, hoping that the extra sugar would give her the boost she needed to get through the rest of her shift.
"Thank you," she said through a giant mouth-full of chocolate. Carter smiled.
"Abby, we need you," Halleh said, pausing only long enough to pop her head in the lounge.
"I'm up," said Abby, and hoisted herself clumsily to her feet. She grabbed her candy bar and jammed the rest of it in her mouth. She chewed vigorously and swallowed it down.
"Abby..." Carter began. He motioned to his face. Abby had no time for charades.
"I have to run...I'll catch up with you later," she said hurriedly as she hustled to get to the trauma room. Carter called after her, but it was no use. She was off, speeding down the hall.
"Okay, what can I do?" Abby asked upon entering the trauma room. She was greeted with a variety of odd looks, and some muffled laughter.
"What?" she asked impatiently. Everyone looked around, too polite to want to point it out to her. Everyone, that is, except for Pratt.
"What the hell do you have all over your face?" he asked, grinning.
"Oh, crap," Abby said and reached up to her mouth. Her hands were met with a sticky sensation, and she looked at her fingers and saw a brown smear across them.
"It's chocolate," she said. Her face turned bright red, a nice contrast to the dark chocolate that was melted all over her mouth and cheeks. She mentally kicked herself for being such a slob, and then gave her attention to the patient in front of her.