Chapter 15

Earlier in the day….

Abby and Luka sat in the apartment. She was snuggled up against his chest taking in some quiet time. A rare at home moment for the two of them and it was something that Abby looked forward to when she could get it. They seemed to be getting further and further apart and she knew soon she'd be staying at home with their child and he'd be gone every day at the hospital.

"I'm worried." She said softly from her spot on his chest.

"What are you worried about?" Luka asked as he kissed the top of her head, his hands resting around her waist, secretly hoping to feel the baby move. "You can talk to be about anything Abby, you know that."

Abby shook her head. She laughed softly momentarily getting distracted feeling his hands move a little, "are you chasing the baby?" She moved her head just enough to look up at him.

"No," he grinned a little more, "why would I do that?" He couldn't lie all that well to her. But she had successfully for the moment changed the conversation away from what might have been bothering her.

"Because you spend more time kissing and talking to my belly than anyone else I know." She responded.

"There is someone else that has been doing that?" He asked giving her a rather concerned look, even though he was just teasing her.

"You know what I mean." She said poking him rather playfully, "you might as well give up. The baby knows your home and has decided to take a nap."

"How do you know?" He asked, "are you two in cahoots?"

"Oh heavens yes, you know that I told the baby too." She gave him her evil grin. Even though she knew he knew she was just playing with him.

"I see. Now stop changing the subject." Luka looked at her trying to gently get her back on what they had started to talk about.

"Who me, would I do that?" Her eyes radiating her innocence.

"Yes, you are a professional at it." Luka said, "what are you worried about? I believe that was what we were taking about." It was so easy for him to focus on Abby and the baby when he needed to and right now there were no other distractions to take him away from the two of them.

"Anna and Isabelle," she said answering his question. She couldn't help but sigh, as she thought about it a little more. "Neela called Max. She didn't get a hold of him but she left a message. What is going to happen if he shows up while Anna's out of it?"

"Mia's downstairs in the apartment isn't she?" Luka asked. He knew that Abby tended to worry about things and this was no exception. They both had become close to their friend that lived downstairs and worked with them.

"Yeah I was down there earlier making sure that they didn't need anything. That and I like spending time with Isabelle." Abby said softly. "Getting used to a baby and all since ours will be here soon."

"I don't know." Luka said, "I don't know if Max knows where Anna is staying."

"I think he does." Abby said, "Anna's mentioned it before. Part of the reason Mia and Isabelle don't go out that much. I mean even though there's several apartments here, she's really cautious."

"Do you blame her?" Luka asked.

"Not really. I mean I don't know Max. I never met him, but I don't think that I want to. She's had a hard time with everything, the last time that Max dropped by he said some pretty mean things to her." Abby said, "I can see why she doesn't want him around the baby."

"Yeah she's told me a little about it. Her reasons seem valid. Whether what she is doing is right or wrong, I respect her decision."

Abby looked up at him, "you have a pretty big heart you know that don't you." She leaned up a little so she could give him a kiss on the cheek just as the baby kicked.

Abby watched as Luka's eyes lit up and it made her smile. She loved how the baby made him so excited. It had been a hard decision to make but in the end she knew she'd made the right one. They both deserved this little bit of happiness. She loved him and she knew that he loved her and their unborn child.

"I can't imagine someone not wanting a child." Luka said with some sadness in his voice. "They truly are gifts from god to be cherished."

"They are." Abby said she knew where that sadness came from. How hard it had been on him to lose his own children like he had. "But there are some people in the world who are never meant to be parents…" She thought about her own family for a moment, "even if they want it."

Luka kissed the top of her head. He could read the hidden meaning in what she was saying and he understood more than that he knew that there was nothing to be said about it. A wise man knew when to keep his mouth shut about certain things. He would not say anything about the woman who was someday hopefully going to be his mother-in-law. "Anna knows that too." He changed the focus away from what they had been talking about to what they had started the entire conversation about. "She and Isabelle need all the support that they can get from us right now. I know you have a lot going on with getting ready for our baby and your work schedule, I didn't want to put any additional stress on you."

"With Anna in the hospital though and the thought of Max poking around, I don't want Mia, more importantly Isabelle exposed." Abby said. "We should do something Luka, we're her friends. If we can't help her then who can? There's not a lot of people that she has to turn too right now."

"I thought about having her come up here, but there really isn't enough room right now with the two of us. It would work for a little while but not for long. If Max did come by the apartment, there's that chance that he would still see her." Luka let out a long sigh, "I would hate for Mia to have to be worried all the time and we don't know how long Anna's going to be in the hospital."

"Is there anyone else that she trusts, who might also know about Isabelle?" Abby asked not sure just how much Anna had told Luka about the situation. "Somewhere Mia and the baby could go until Anna's out of the hospital and we know for sure that Max isn't going to be poking his nose around."

Luka just held onto her with the arm that was around Abby. He was honestly thinking about what they could do and where if there was such a place. Anna hadn't mentioned many people when they talked, and if Luka hadn't seen her with Isabelle one night after work odds are that even he wouldn't know about the baby. Anna didn't broadcast that she was a mother and looking at her you wouldn't have known that she had an infant daughter that she was trying so desperately to protect.

The silence went on longer than Abby thought it would, "there isn't anyone Luka?"

Luka looked down at her as he thought back to all the conversations that he and Anna had, had. There really weren't any names sticking out at him. "I don't know Abby, honestly." He thought for another couple of minutes back to a conversation that he and Anna had. "Wait there's someone." He was trying to think of the name that had been dropped. "Ross, something or other," Luka was trying really hard to come up with what it had been. "He worked here several years ago. Anna kept in touch with him; they kept bumping into each other at pediatric conferences."

Luka knew the man's name he had just tuned that part out when Anna started talking about him and Carol. He loved seeing pictures of Carol's daughters that Anna had. They had been little the last time that he had seen them. It had been right before Carol had taken off for Seattle.

Abby just shrugged her shoulders the name didn't seem all that familiar to him, "that must have been before I started working at County."

"Doug." Luka finally remembered the man's name. "I could call him. I haven't talked to Carol in years. She and Doug might be able to help Anna. And they are over on the west coast. Max would have a hard time finding them that way." It was a long shot right now but it was something. "You should go lay down before you have to go into work. I'll see what I can work out." He pulled his arm away from her now but not before leaning in to give her a soft kiss.

Abby shook her head, "yeah I probably should." She wasn't going to argue with him about taking a nap. She was pretty tired right now anyway. It was cute how he seemed to look out for her so much. "Let me know if you need any help." She stretched out on the couch as he got up.

"No worries." He said laughing as he watched her stretch the moment he got up. He reached down and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch covering her up so that she could sleep. He'd take care of what needed to be taken care of. Surely he could pull this one off and no one would have to worry about anything for awhile.