Here's the next installment. enjoy and remember R&R!


'Mommy, can we go to the hospital again?" Maddie stood at in her mother's door way, sucking her thumb. Danny was behind her, holding Lara under arms whilst she kicked and wriggled vigorously.

"Sweetie, you can't. Uncle Luka and Auntie Sam don't have time."

"But you do." Danny pointed out, messing up Abby's plan to stay in bed all day.

"Okay, fine. One hour. We can go for one hour and that's it!"

The children bounced into the room and leapt into the large bed, giggling and tickling their mom and each other. Lara sat at the end of the bed, looking with distain at her family. Abby reached out and tickled her foot, making her break into a huge gummy smile.

"Good Morning." Luka laughed, popping his head around the door. "I thought I heard laughter. I knew it wasn't any of mine since laughing before 9am is banned." Abby looked up, shocked before noticing that twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah right, and sarcasm is banned totally in my world." Luka nodded and appeared completely, dressed in casual jeans and a thin wool jumper.

"What are you thinking of doing today?"

"These three wanted to go to the hospital again. Has Alex been near them too much?"

"Possibly."

"What are you all doing?"

"Well Sam is working from 8am til 9pm, I'm working 10am til 9pm and the kids are…probably going to day care."

"I can look after them if you want." Abby offered sincerely.

"What? No way-6 kids under the age of 6!"

"Oh can't be much worse than this lot! I won't go far and I can always just bring them back here and entertain them."

"Okay, if you're willing to try, that would be nice. Shall I tell Sam before she packs them off?" He returned a few minutes late smiling. "She says if you're willing to be eaten alive she's fine with that."

"Great, it gives me time to get to know them."

Abby was pretty confident everything would be fine…until Sam said her last goodbye, closed the front door and Lily burst into tears.

Which made Lara start crying,

Which set Maddie off,

Which started Ellie, Jay and Danny crying.

Which woke Alex up.

"Right, who wants breakfast?" She yelled above the screaming. Slowly Danny, Ellie, Jay and finally Maddie stopped crying and sat looking at Abby, while Lara was quietened by a pacifier and Alex told Abby that rocking Lily would help, which it did.

"Hurdle one completed." She joked, laying out eight bowls, the milk and two boxes of assorted cereals on the kitchen table. She was surprised when they all waited patiently to be given their cereal instead of squabbling over the packets and crying.

"Coco popth pleath." Lisped Jayko quietly. His 'bambi' eyes shone up at Abby, waiting for her to laugh at him but she nodded and handed him the bowl. "You didn't laugh." He said.

"Why should I laugh?"

"Cos of my…listhp." She could almost here the 'duh' that followed.

"So," Abby shrugged. "My brother had a lisp when he was little. He's fine now." Jayko grinned up at her and she laid a gentle hand on his mop of hair as she asked Alex what he wanted.

The minute the rabble were done eating she chivvied them into the bathroom to wipe all their faces and hands before deploying Alex to dress Jay, Ellie and Lily so she could dress her three.

"Right, Maddie please put the dress on-Dan, the socks go on your feet-How you getting on Alex?-Yes, Maddie, your body, not the floor-Change it then, do you know where the diapers are?-Yes Lara, diaper time-Danny! I'm warning you…-Maddie, one more chance."

"Abby, Ellie's just been sick." Alex appeared with a pale Ellie and a half-naked Lily. "It's on the bath though."

"Rinse it out, and get her some tap water. Send Jay in here to get ready, maybe he'll show Danny how it's done." Alex nodded and disappeared. Jay wandered in a few seconds later carrying a pair of jeans and a red sweater.

"I wanna get drethed."

"Okay, then will you help Danny?" Jay nodded and literally threw himself onto the bed to stand and get changed. Danny joined him and finally put his trousers on and Maddie felt left out and so clambered on, leaving the dress behind. Abby plopped Lara into her crib fully dressed then caught Maddie and pulled the pinafore over her curls.

"No!" Maddie screeched. But as soon as the dress was over her head she smiled. "All done mommy."

"Abby, Ellie's okay now. And Lily is diapered and clothed. Can I go to Perry's now?"

"Sure. Thanks for your help Alex." He half smiled and ran out the door.

"Oh, the double buggy is in the basement." He yelled as he shut the door. Abby sighed then turned to the kids, assembled on the bed.

"Right Jay, can you and Danny go choose a video to watch for a bit. Ellie and Maddie, can you comb each others hair and put on your socks and shoes. Babies, you're going in the play pen til I've got the buggy up." She left the girls to pull out hair ribbons and grips and barrettes and bands from the drawers, and popped the babies into the large play pen in the corner of the sitting room. Danny and Jay were lying belly down on the floor watching Barney do a dance so she took the chance to shoot down and retrieve the buggy from the basement. Dragging it up the stairs she was welcomed by the sight of all children still in their original positions and began to pull on various parts of the buggy until it sprang up and unfolded.

"Kids- ready to go?"

The 4 mobile children thundered into the hall way and the babies started squeaking so their presence wasn't forgotten. Abby scooped Lily up, straightened her clothes and tucked her deftly into a snowsuit- It was still quite cold outside. Sliding her into the rear seat Abby then zipped Lara into her coat and added mittens and a hat before putting her into the front seat.

"Jayko, is this your coat?" Abby held out a red duffel coat. Jay nodded and took it. She then handed Ellie her purple jacket, Maddie her pink coat and Danny his green parka. "All set." She said as she slid her arms into her jacket and opened the front door.

"Out. Wait by the front door, but do not go out the door! Okay?"

Four faces turned up to her and nodded. They all tore down the hall giggling as she manoeuvred the large buggy to the door.

"Okay, Maddie and Ellie- would you be my special girls and hold the sides of the buggy and help me push." The two little girls looked at each and grinned.

"Yeah!"

"And boys, I want you to walk four steps in front and check for bumps in the path or rocks. Keep us safe. You got it?" They nodded, solemn in their task.

So for the 15 minute journey to the hospital all the children stayed relatively quiet and intent on their tasks. There was only one accident when Jayko ran ahead to pick up a rock and fell over, grazing his knee. But after an 'examination' by 'Doctor Abby' he felt fine and would only need to lose his leg.

"Mommy! Look, it's Uncle Luka!" Squealed an excited Maddie, pointing to the hospital.

"Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy!"

"Little Eleinna, what have you been up to?"

"I had breakfast, and I got dressed and then I combed Maddie's hair, and put on my socks and shoes and I helped push the buggy all the way here." She hugged her father and smiled.

"And Jayko, my man what did you do coming here?" Luka pointed to the red knee.

"I wath thaving the buggy from hurting itthelf on a rock and I hurted mythelf."

"But you're better now? Cos I don't want to have to chop your leg off!"

"Uncle Luka, do you like my socks?" Maddie ran over and stood on Luka's shoe. He laughed and looked down at her feet.

"Oh Maddie- they're great! Are those tigers?" Maddie nodded and shuffled her feet.

"So they didn't play up?" Luka looked over at Abby.

"Nope, thanks to Alex they got ready very fast. I must warn you- Ellie was sick this morning."

"Oh okay. But you alright now squirt?" Ellie nodded and sat down to play with the bugs.

"Wanna go inside kids?" Four heads nodded, one head squeaked and the last head snuffled and went back to sleep. Abby hauled the buggy inside as Luka rounded up the others and ushered them in too.

"Oh, metal detectors…and security guards…better chairs…I leave and you get a better vending machine? Typical…where's Frank?"

"He sadly passed on…to retirement." Luka laughed at her shocked face. "He suffered a second heart attack and decided it was time to hand in his donuts."

Entering the staff room Abby got Lara and Lily out of the buggy and sat one on each hip.

"Tour time." She called. "Girls, hold hands and boys hold hands. No Danny, it's not disgusting it's perfectly normal."

"Good luck!" Luka laughed.

"Thanks Luka, great help you are! See you later." The rabble departed the lounge and made its way noisily from one room to the next, stopping every two seconds and one child fell over/ran off/spotted someone they knew.

"Seriously you lot, I'll just leave you right there and go to Ike's by my self!" Abby said, exasperated as Jay and Danny hit each other over the head with bandages and boxes of intubation tubing and Ellie tied a screaming Maddie to a door handle with the soft restraints.

"I do hope they're not all yours." Came a familiar voice. Abby spun round and nearly decapitated Danny as he raced past.

"Carter?" She squeaked.

"The one and only," He grinned. "Now I'm closer I recognise three of the screaming small things. So that must mean the remaining three are something to do with you." Abby nodded.

"The small screaming boy is Danny, my son. The even smaller, louder girl is my daughter Maddie and this quiet but tiny thing is Lara, my other daughter." She raised Lara slightly to indicate her and smiled.

"Wow, three kiddies and a husband. I'm glad you've fallen on your feet." He said, genuinely.

"Oh, I'm not married."

"But the ring…?"

"To ward off patients- You must know that old trick Carter."

"I made up that old trick." He laughed and reached out to touch Lara's outstretched hand. "You're like your mommy aren't you?"

"Are you saying I'm bald with one tooth?" Abby chuckled.

"No, but her eyes are like yours and she has your pout. So does Millie." Carter looked down at the little girl frowning by his left foot, a soft restraint dangling from her arm.

"Maddie," Abby corrected softly. Carter blushed. Suddenly Lily opened her mouth and began to scream. "Hold her quickly." Abby said, thrusting Lara into his arms and rocking the baby gently. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really." Carter answered, laughing. Abby pretended not to hear him and carried on calming Lily down. Soon her cries quietened and Abby regained her daughter.

"I think it's best if we go home. These two are tired and Maddie needs a nap too."

"Why are you back anyway?"

"Because Eric came here. He's up on psych having an assessment and they're keeping him for 3 days minimum." She sighed.

"Is he okay?"

"Not the best but he's doing fine."

"Well maybe I'll see you around then. Gotta go check on a patient." He turned and walked out as Abby stared after him.

His deep eyes hadn't changed a bit, still as soulful and searching as 5 years ago but his hair was darker and less boyish. He had filled out ever so slightly and no longer looked like a teenager, now he was a man and gently muscular as well. Abby felt her knees shake slightly at the memory of his soft hand grazing hers as she took back Lara and the smile he threw her way as he left.