During her eighth month, Abby was banned from working on major traumas. This was not a decision passed down by Weaver or any of the other "higher-ups". This was Carter's demand. Abby appreciated that he was looking out for her but was getting incredibly bored.
"Abby, we need a little help over here," Chuny said, snapping Abby out of a daydream. She was trying to corral a little old man who was determined to shuffle away from his bed in the exam room. Abby hopped off of her stool and started over to them, but stopped suddenly. An odd sensation was spreading through her body. She looked down and was shocked to see a pool of liquid collecting around her feet. Chuny gasped.
"Abby, your water just broke!"
"Oh, my God. I...I don't know what to do..." Abby stammered. All of her experience as an OB nurse completely flew out of the window. All of the experience in the world couldn't have prepared her for actually feeling the sensations in her own body. She knew the mechanics of labor and birth...she had helped countless other women through the process. But this time it wasn't happening to other women. This was happening to her. She felt like a frightened child. And an embarrassed child to boot. She tugged at her scrub top, trying unsuccessfully to cover the dark, wet spot on her light blue pants.
"I'll find Carter," Chuney offered. "Jerry, get over here with a wheel chair and get her upstairs," Chuney ordered. Jerry came running with the chair, and before Abby could tell him to watch his step, he slipped on the wet floor where Abby's water had broken and came crashing down on his back. Abby was mortified, but forgot her embarrassment as the first wave of labor pain washed over her.
*******
"Okay, Abby...we're almost there. I need you to push one more time," the doctor said.
"I can't...I can't" Abby wailed breathlessly.
"Yes you can, Abby," Carter answered. "You're the bravest person I know."
Abby gripped Carter's hand and took a deep breath, preparing to bear down. Everyone counted for her, encouraging her to be strong and finish this agonizing process.
As they reached the count of ten, the doctor shouted triumphantly, "We have a girl! Congratulations Mom and Dad!" The baby let out an angry wail, apparently not too happy at making her debut into the world.
"A girl," Abby cried. Carter could barely see his new daughter through the tears in his eyes. He wiped his face with his hands and took a closer look.
"Oh God, Abby...she's beautiful. She has your mouth," he said, voice wavering with emotion.
"Can I hold her?" an exhausted Abby asked. The baby was brought to her and laid on her chest. The exhaustion, the emotion, the turmoil and pure joy of the day caught up to Abby and she sobbed uncontrollably.
"I...love...you...so much," she said to her daughter, shoulders jerking, tears streaming down her face. "You're...the best person...I've ever met." Carter, unable to hold back any longer, buried his head in Abby's shoulder and sobbed along with her. Even the seasoned veteran doctor, who had seen a thousand births if she had seen one, felt her eyes welling up with tears. She apologetically broke up the family's first meeting by taking the newest Carter to be cleaned up and given the full battery of newborn examinations.
"What's her name?" the doctor asked quietly as she lifted the newborn. Carter and Abby looked at each other blankly.
"We were still arguing over that...we thought we'd have another month," Carter answered. He looked at Abby and could tell that she was trying to quickly rack her brain for a name for their daughter.
"Don't worry, take your time. You'll think of something," replied the doctor.
"You must think we're horrible parents, not having a name for our child," Abby said, shame creeping into her voice.
"Not at all," the doctor smiled. "Happens more often than you would think." She passed the newborn to the nurse and ushered them towards the door. As she reached for the knob...
"Eve," Abby said.
"What?" the doctor and Carter responded in unison.
"I think she's an Eve," Abby answered and smiled. Carter liked the sound of the name but was curious as to why Abby would have chosen it. He doubted it was for biblical reasons. He turned to Abby, and she saw the question in his eyes before he even asked it.
"Because it's short and sweet, and so is she," Abby answered matter-of-factly. Carter laughed out loud.
"Eve it is," he said.
"Eve it is," Abby echoed and closed her eyes.
"Abby, we need a little help over here," Chuny said, snapping Abby out of a daydream. She was trying to corral a little old man who was determined to shuffle away from his bed in the exam room. Abby hopped off of her stool and started over to them, but stopped suddenly. An odd sensation was spreading through her body. She looked down and was shocked to see a pool of liquid collecting around her feet. Chuny gasped.
"Abby, your water just broke!"
"Oh, my God. I...I don't know what to do..." Abby stammered. All of her experience as an OB nurse completely flew out of the window. All of the experience in the world couldn't have prepared her for actually feeling the sensations in her own body. She knew the mechanics of labor and birth...she had helped countless other women through the process. But this time it wasn't happening to other women. This was happening to her. She felt like a frightened child. And an embarrassed child to boot. She tugged at her scrub top, trying unsuccessfully to cover the dark, wet spot on her light blue pants.
"I'll find Carter," Chuney offered. "Jerry, get over here with a wheel chair and get her upstairs," Chuney ordered. Jerry came running with the chair, and before Abby could tell him to watch his step, he slipped on the wet floor where Abby's water had broken and came crashing down on his back. Abby was mortified, but forgot her embarrassment as the first wave of labor pain washed over her.
*******
"Okay, Abby...we're almost there. I need you to push one more time," the doctor said.
"I can't...I can't" Abby wailed breathlessly.
"Yes you can, Abby," Carter answered. "You're the bravest person I know."
Abby gripped Carter's hand and took a deep breath, preparing to bear down. Everyone counted for her, encouraging her to be strong and finish this agonizing process.
As they reached the count of ten, the doctor shouted triumphantly, "We have a girl! Congratulations Mom and Dad!" The baby let out an angry wail, apparently not too happy at making her debut into the world.
"A girl," Abby cried. Carter could barely see his new daughter through the tears in his eyes. He wiped his face with his hands and took a closer look.
"Oh God, Abby...she's beautiful. She has your mouth," he said, voice wavering with emotion.
"Can I hold her?" an exhausted Abby asked. The baby was brought to her and laid on her chest. The exhaustion, the emotion, the turmoil and pure joy of the day caught up to Abby and she sobbed uncontrollably.
"I...love...you...so much," she said to her daughter, shoulders jerking, tears streaming down her face. "You're...the best person...I've ever met." Carter, unable to hold back any longer, buried his head in Abby's shoulder and sobbed along with her. Even the seasoned veteran doctor, who had seen a thousand births if she had seen one, felt her eyes welling up with tears. She apologetically broke up the family's first meeting by taking the newest Carter to be cleaned up and given the full battery of newborn examinations.
"What's her name?" the doctor asked quietly as she lifted the newborn. Carter and Abby looked at each other blankly.
"We were still arguing over that...we thought we'd have another month," Carter answered. He looked at Abby and could tell that she was trying to quickly rack her brain for a name for their daughter.
"Don't worry, take your time. You'll think of something," replied the doctor.
"You must think we're horrible parents, not having a name for our child," Abby said, shame creeping into her voice.
"Not at all," the doctor smiled. "Happens more often than you would think." She passed the newborn to the nurse and ushered them towards the door. As she reached for the knob...
"Eve," Abby said.
"What?" the doctor and Carter responded in unison.
"I think she's an Eve," Abby answered and smiled. Carter liked the sound of the name but was curious as to why Abby would have chosen it. He doubted it was for biblical reasons. He turned to Abby, and she saw the question in his eyes before he even asked it.
"Because it's short and sweet, and so is she," Abby answered matter-of-factly. Carter laughed out loud.
"Eve it is," he said.
"Eve it is," Abby echoed and closed her eyes.