Chapter 20 – Bad Coffee, Good Talk
Abby walked in to the lounge, her eyes are red and puffy from the crying. She only just noticed Luka is sitting at the table, tapping his pen against his chin in deep concentration. She opened her locker and pauses when she sees the packet of cigarettes on the top shelf. Abby closed her eyes, letting out a sigh and knows that she needs to quit for the baby's best interest. She slammed the door creating a loud clang that made Luka jump
"Going out for a smoke?" He asked looking over his shoulder.
"No I… I've erm… quit" She smiled clasping both her hands together.
"Really?" Luka chuckled at the surprise.
"Erm… yes I have" she replied uncomfortably trying to make an excuse to avoid telling the real reason. "Well you guys here gave me a second chance to live, so I thought I'd make the most of it"
"Wait until your mother turns up, then you will start smoking again!" The Croatian laughed out loud.
Abby laughed at Luka's comment, it brought back the memory when they were together and her mother turned up out of the blue. The stress had made her start smoking again. The brunette walked to the drinks counter, picked up a mug and poured herself a coffee from the pot. She turned round to lean back against the side, taking a sip of her drink.
"Uh! That tastes foul," Abby said, pulling her face in disgust.
"Not you as well, Sam was complaining about the coffee earlier" Luka got up and walked to Abby. He takes the coffee form her and sniffed it, drinks it "Tastes fine to me"
Abby poured the remaining coffee down the sink. She squatted down to the fridge to find a can. She spotted a can of Coke in the door and takes it.
"How things in general for you?" Abby asked opening her can.
"Crap" Luka replied sitting back down "I really don't understand her moods at times, Sam complains that I don't talk"
"Well… communication is probably the most vital part of the relationship"
"I do talk but its not enough for her"
"Luka, Sam is still trying to get to know you"
Luka shook his head and pursed his lips.
"You need to open up a bit more," Abby said, looking down at the can, fiddling with the ring pull.
"Yes she says that I keep things to myself" He said in his thick accent "Well she is keeping something to herself"
Abby frowned "Meaning?"
"I think she is pregnant"
"Oh?" Abby reacted surprised, pretending as if she doesn't know.
"Explain the moods, the sickness, the coffee," Luka said, waving his arms round in protest.
Abby lowered her head, hoping that her symptoms not that obvious, she walked to his side and puts her hand on his shoulder "Talk to her"
"Hey" Neela interrupted as she walked in. "Carter will be back on Christmas Eve"
Abby raised her brows and half smiled at the news.
"Good" Luka said getting up from his chair "About time, I fed up doing everything at the moment, I'll leave you ladies to it"
Neela looked on in admiration watching Luka leave the room. "He is gorgeous… You were mad to dump him"
"It was complicated" Abby replied
"Anyway how are you feeling? Have you…?"
"Yep" she replied and nodded gently. "It was positive"
"Oh dear" Neela said, giving a painful smile "Are you happy?"
"It's too early to say yet, I am still coming to terms with it"
"When are you going tell him?"
"When I'm ready," Abby said looking pitiful "I appreciate that you don't spread this to anyone"
"Of course not, you know me better"
A pager bleeps and they both look down to check who it's for.
"Mine" Abby sighed "I gotta go…"
A Helicopter is lowering to the land and it's rotor blades are spinning, circulating the freezing winter air. Abby, Sam and Luka standing about together on the rooftop, they are all clenching their teeth, shivering and their hair blowing all over the place. They are all wearing yellow disposable pull-off scrubs and protective glasses.
"Lets go!" They all push the gurney, crouching down to the helicopter, when it landed safely. The door opens and a flight nurse steps out pulling the patient out.
"31 year old male drunk driver, MVA, drove into a wall without seatbelt"
"My count on three… one, two, three!" Luka said. They lift the patient on to the gurney and push it towards the elevator
"Head and chest trauma, He had 4 liters, Pressure's 60 over 35, pulse 110 and thready" says the Flight Nurse
The elevator door closes and they go down. Luka prepares an IV, and Sam squeezes the air bag.
"Diminished breath sound, he's in fib!" Abby shouted listening through the stethoscope. She quickly climbed up on the gurney and straddled on to the patient. She clasped her hands together, placed them on the victim's chest and started to thrust the force of her arms.
"One, Two, Three, Four, Five…" She counted her reps.
The elevator doors opened again, they are on the ER and quickly push it down corridor. Abby still on top performing CPR.
"Put it in Trauma 3" Malik shouted
"Lower your head Abby!" Luka warned her, She dipped her head to prevent from cracking her head on the doorframe.
"Lets get the O Neg moving now! We'll need blood alcohol, tox screen and a CT"
The heart monitor continues bleeping out lethal rhythms.
"Give me the paddles!"
"Clear!"
"Turn it up to 300"
"Clear!"
"No pulse"
"320 Clear!"
"Nothing"
Abby noticed Sam looking unsettled and her rosy complexion started to drain to the whiter shade of pale.
"Excuse me, I'm gonna be sick!" Sam shouted and ran out of the trauma room.
"Uh! Don't… you'll set me off" Abby muttered to herself and swallowed some air to battle the queasiness
Luka looked at Abby raising his brows at her looking if he is saying I told you so.
"The vic's partner is here," Malik said, popping his head round the door.
"One more… 360, Clear!"
"Nothing"
"Pupils fixed and dilated," Abby said, leaning over, shining the light into the patient's eyes.
"Lets call it"
"Time of death 2.34 pm" She announced
"Abby will you break the news to the partner?" Luka asked
Abby nodded at the attending, she pulled of the disposable scrubs, throws it in the bin and snapped off her gloves. She walked out to the corridor and noticed a woman in mid 30's sitting down, waiting anxiously.
"Ms Blow? Hi I'm Dr Lockhart," Abby said, sitting down next to the woman introducing herself "Your partner was bought in with severe head and chest trauma, his heart stopped when he arrived here, we tried to resuscitate him, we use all our capabilities, but his injuries were too severe and he died, I am very sorry"
"That drunken bastard!" The woman shouted and broke down in tears. "I knew this would happen one day, he's an alcoholic"
Abby pulled out a tissue from her pocket and gave it to the sobbing woman.
"Thank you, can I go and see him?"
"Sure, I'll take you to him"
A wave of nausea came on for Abby, she started to pant and maybe panic. She spotted Malik coming out if the trauma room.
"Malik will you take Ms Blow to see her partner please" She asked and pointed the opposite direction "I've gotta go!"
Abby ran off to the nearest toilet with her hand over her mouth…