Abby rounded the admit desk and took a look at the patient board.
"Has Luka signed in yet?" she asked. Sam looked up from the computer.
"I don't think so," she said. "He didn't come in with you?"
"No, I spent the night at Neela's. I asked him to bring me some clothes this morning."
"How is Neela doing? I'm kind of worried about her. She doesn't say too much." Sam went back to the computer.
"Well, just between you and I, right about now I would say that she is moving a little slow and avoiding any loud noises."
"Ouch..." Sam grimaced. " A little too much to drink last night? That's not good." Abby nodded. She went through the charts on the counter and pulled one out.
"I've seen this guy before. What is he here for this time?" She opened the chart and scanned the admit notes. She looked up and smiled as Luka came through the ambulance bay doors. He had a hanger with her slacks and a shirt slung over his shoulder. Sam looked from one to the other and smiled a little as she quickly bent her head. She felt as if she were invading a very private moment. Those two had eyes only for one another.
"Good morning," Luka grinned and handed her the hanger. "Sleep well?"
"Ummm...not...really...," she sighed as she lifted her face for a kiss. "How about you?"
"No..." he chuckled and kissed her. "I missed your cold feet." She slapped her forehead.
"That's why I couldn't sleep!" Luka rolled his eyes. Abby grinned.
"I am going to go change." She batted her lashes at him and headed down the hall toward the call room. Luka hesitated a moment and then hurried after her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the small public bathroom and locked the door behind them.
"What are you doing?" she laughed as he pulled his tie off.
"You said you would make it up to me," he grinned and pulled her close to him.
"Here? Right now?" she giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"We could get into trouble."
"Have you signed in yet?" he asked. She shook her head. "Me neither." He kissed her. "So, we are...not...officially...on duty...yet." She giggled again and bit her lips as he nuzzled her neck and his hands roamed up under her shirt.
"Luka, this bathroom is kind of on the small side," she sighed as she fumbled for his belt and buttons. He lifted his head and looked around.
"Yeah?" he said and bent back to the task of undoing her bra. Abby laughed.
Out in the hall, Dori quickly caught up with a patient that was wandering toward the bathroom door.
"Mr. Phelps, you need to stay in your bed," she said with an exasperated sigh.
"But I have to go to the bathroom," the elderly man whined. Dori patted the half filled urine bag he held in his hand.
'You have a catheter, Mr. Phelps," she said as she gently turned him around. "You don't need to use the bathroom." She frowned as she noticed Malik leaning against the wall eyeing the bathroom door.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I think Dr, Kovac is in there with Abby," he said thoughtfully. "I think..." Dori laughed and glanced back at him as she guided Mr. Phelps back to his bed. When she came back out in the hall, Yosh and Haleh had joined Malik.
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time someone has used that bathroom for something like that," Haleh said quietly.
"Something like what?" Dori asked. Haleh rolled her eyes and Yosh snickered. Haleh laughed quietly and nudged Malik.
"Remember when Mark Greene kept hitting the call button?" she asked. Malik and Yosh chortled and slapped hands. Dori studied the closed door herself. Chuny hurried by, looked at the door they were watching and then stopped.
"What's going on?" she asked. Malik tipped his head toward the bathroom.
"Dr. Kovac and Abby...we think," he said. Chuny rolled her eyes.
"Is that all?" she scoffed. "Well, they're married, you guys. What do you expect?" Haleh's eyes widened and Malik, Dori and Yosh stopped laughing.
"What?" Yosh said. Chuny shook her head and put her hands on her hips.
"Oh please," she said," Don't tell me that I am the only one who noticed that they've both been wearing gold bands since they came back from Africa?"
"That doesn't mean that they got married," Malik said. "It could be some kind of...African ritual thing...or something." Chuny, Haleh and Dori laughed.
Inside the tiny bathroom Abby pulled a red bra out of the small plastic bag that had hung on the hanger.
"This isn't my bra," she said. Luka looked up from the floor where he was gathering her clothes into a pile.
"Uh...it is now," he said, his eyes wide. "I bought it for you last night." He shrugged. "Told you I couldn't sleep."
"So you found an all night lingerie shop?" she scoffed as she struggled with the clasp in the back.
"You would be amazed at what Chicago has to offer," Luka said as she turned around so he could help her. 'I wanted you to have something special to wear for me today." He handed her the expensive red silk panties from the bag and snickered as she grimaced. She slipped into her slacks and he pulled on the navy sweater he took off the hanger. She turned around and shook her hair loose. She laughed quietly and helped him button his shirt again. He redid his belt as she retied his tie and straightened the collar on his shirt. Luka picked up the pile of clothes from the floor and handed them to her.
"Okay," she said. "I am going to stick these in my locker and then go sign in. You wait in here for a few seconds before you come out." Luka frowned with a confused grin and nodded. Abby slowly opened the bathroom door and peeked out. Her eyes widened as all the talking stopped outside the door and she saw Malik, Yosh, Haleh, Chuny, Dori, Ray, Inez and Sam looking at her.
"Oh, my god," she said slowly and closed the door again. She pressed her forehead against the door as the sound of their laughter came through the door.
"What's wrong?" Luka asked. Abby stepped back and pushed him toward the door.
"You go first," she whispered sternly.
"What?" he said as he opened the door a crack. He peeked out and then grinned. They were all still there...waiting.
"Umm...uh...yeah," he stuttered, embarrassed, as he opened the door. "Umm..." He reached behind him and pulled Abby out of the bathroom with him.
"What we were wondering is...," Malik started.
"...are you two married now or not?" Chuny finished. Luka glanced down at Abby, tightened the hold on her hand and then looked back at the ER staff in front of him.
"We are," he said. "We got married in Croatia."
"I told you!" Chuny said as she walked away. "African ritual...puleeze." Malik shook his head and headed back to the admit desk. Inez and Sam meandered down the hall with a backward glance and grin at them. Ray winked at Abby and whistled as he straightened his shoulders and headed toward the lounge. Yosh nodded with a huge smile and followed him. Haleh was looking at them sternly, her arms crossed. She sighed heavily.
"I'll go give housekeeping a call," she said. "I imagine there is a fair amount of steam on the mirror in there." She turned on her heel and left them as she chuckled.
"Oh, man...I do NOT believe this!" Abby moaned as she pressed her face against his arm. Luka snickered and then laughed softly.
"Go put your clothes in your locker and then come and sign in," he said.
"Oh, man...," Abby moaned again as he gently pushed her toward the call room door. Abby swallowed and held her clothes against her. Kerry pulled the door open just as Abby was about to push it.
"Abby!" Kerry said with a smile. She looked at her friend and the smile faded. "You look...flushed. Are you feeling okay?" Abby slipped past her.
"Oh, man..." she said again as she headed for her locker. Luka was grinning as Kerry looked at him in confusion. He shrugged and headed toward the admit desk.