Sorry for the long wait folks, I've been busy.

verse one from "Letting the Cables Sleep" by Bush

verse two from "How Sweet it is to be Loved by You" by the Temptations

verse three from "Are You Lonesome Tonight" by Elvis Presley

Chapter Fifteen: Letting the Cables Sleep

Abby loosened her grip on Luka's hand, the contraction over with. They were getting weaker and farther apart, a sign that the medication was doing its job. She was relieved, and could see that Luka was too. He kissed her hand.

"You realize this means bed rest, right?" Abby closed her eyes, collapsing against the pillows.

"Yeah, I know, for up to 12 weeks." She groaned. "I can't believe this! I've seen hundreds of pregnancies go fine, why can't mine be like that. Normal, no complications…"

"Abby." Luka said, his tone telling her he thought she was being ridiculous. "The baby is still fine; we've just had a few bumps. We're okay."

"I know." Hormones took over and tears spilled over onto her cheeks.

"Hey, Abby, it's okay." He dabbed at her tears with a tissue.

"I'm being silly, I'm sorry."

"No, you aren't. It's okay to be worried, but don't let it get to you; especially when things are going so well." Luka kissed her cheek. He stayed with her until she was calmer and then moved to leave. "I'm going to find Kerry, see if we can go home. The contractions have all but stopped and I can watch you at home."

"Won't they want me to stay the night, for observation?" Abby was a bit distracted as she spotted Neela heading for them. Luka winked.

"I'll see what I can do about that." Abby smiled and closed her eyes briefly, listening to Luka's footsteps as he left the room. "Hey Neela."

"Hi Luka." Her voice was tight and oddly quiet. Abby opened her eyes again as Neela walked up to the bed.

"You okay?" Up close, she could see the red eyes and the tear tracks. Her concern and curiosity instantly turned into panic and fear. "Neela?"

"It still doesn't feel real to me. I was talking to him last week. Michael's dead. Two soldiers from the army stopped by today, one a casualty officer and the other a chaplain. Roadside bomb and like that he's gone. Gone, Abby. And here I am… sleeping with Ray." Abby held her close as the tears started fresh. She shut her eyes against her own tears; not so much for Gallant, but for Neela. She couldn't begin to imagine the guilt and pain. She stroked her friend's hair, hoping to offer some kind of comfort. It wasn't much, but it was all she had to give. Luka entered the room again, giving Abby a perplexed look. She motioned for him to leave. Neela quieted. She collected herself again and stood up. Abby saw the change in Neela. Her face and her whole body language went from grieving to emotionless in two seconds.

"You in the dark, you in the pain, you on the run.
Living a hell, living your ghost, living your end."

"I have a lot to do. I still need to call Michael's parents and there are funeral arrangements to be ma-"

"Neela. It's okay to take some time to grieve. You may be in love with Ray, but Michael was your husband for six months."

"Someone needs to take care of everything." Neela gave Abby a smile and a quick squeeze to her hand. "I'll be by later to check on you." Abby waved a hand at Neela.

"Don't worry about me, I've got Luka. Just give yourself time Neela, and call me if you need me. I'm here for you, and Ray too. Don't try and do this alone." Neela didn't really hear Abby, she just left. Luka walked in after Neela left.

"What's going on?" Abby licked at her bottom lip, still in a bit of a shock and still worried about Neela.

"Gallant's been killed over in Iraq." Luka let out a breath and sat down heavily into a nearby chair.

"Is she okay?"

"No, not at all. At least she's crying, that's a good sign. It just worries me that she's diving straight into the funeral. Things are more than a bit complicated for her right now." Abby shook her head. "What did Weaver say?" Luka took a moment to refocus.

"She said I can take you home, but to get you back here if the contractions start again. We're free to go as soon as your meds are done." They looked at the empty bag and took it as a sign to leave. In the wake of her baby scare and then Neela, Abby had completely forgotten about Maggie.

"Where's my mom?" Abby asked as Luka helped her get dressed.

"At the house. She was getting tired, so I told her everything was fine and sent her home. I said we'd call if anything happened, which it didn't." He shrugged. Abby nodded, glad she didn't have to deal with her mother for at least another day. Luka, her angel, to the rescue again. There was something about the way that Luka stepped in that she didn't mind. It had always been a control issue with Carter. He wanted to rescue her, but in exchange wanted to have the reigns to her life. Her punishment for not listening to him? His stony silence and quiet condemnation. He'd gotten over his addiction, why couldn't she?

With Luka, it was more of his genuine desire to be there for her. He didn't judge, didn't push her. Luka… Luka understood her boundaries and had bothered to learn how to read her. They both had learned to deal with her family, but Luka never threw it in her face behind closed doors. And mot importantly, he recognized her faults and didn't try to fix. Instead Luka loved her all the more for them and trusted Abby to love him for his own faults.

"I needed the shelter of someone's arms and there you were
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs and there you were
With sweet love and devotion
I just want to stop and thank you baby"

Carter had always been perfect- no faults, no defects.

Abby tried not to compare the two men, but the differences caught her attention in this moment. Things had been over with Carter for awhile and they had long since made amends; but she was struck by how different they really were. Both in personality and their treatment of her.

"Okay. Ready to get outta here? I don't want to be a patient at County again until I actually give birth. And you wondered why I never wanted kids." There was a sparkle in Abby's eyes that Luka had missed in the last couple of days. She was under a lot of stress with work and the pressures of the pregnancy. It was almost over. He was enjoying it, watching her blossom under the gentle hands of motherhood. He found her absolutely stunning.

She complained about the backache and her ankles, but it would all be forgotten as soon as she met her baby daughter. It was an amazing experience and he was overjoyed to be doing it with the woman he loved, planned or not. Luka only hoped to get her through it in one piece. Although mother and baby were fine for now, they'd had two scares (both he blamed himself for) and he wasn't about to take any more risks. He couldn't handle losing another family.

They had arrived at the hospital around nine and it was now nearly midnight as he prepared to take Abby home. Considering this was County, they weren't doing too badly.

xxxxxxxx

It had been a couple days since she received news of Michael. Neela was still an emotional wreck. She had been given leave from work; Kerry had been kind when she told her not to even think of coming to work until she was ready. The Gallants had been called and were in town to put on one last show as a married couple for the funeral. They had never even told him about the divorce. It was just as well. The telephone rang, but she ignored. It was probably Ray, calling for the hundredth time. She understood he was worried, but she couldn't bring herself to talk to him. She needed time to sort things out and prepare for the funeral. Not that she really had any part in the funeral plans- it had been easier to let the Gallants take care of it than to deal with all their 'requests.' The message machine beeped as Ray left his message.

"Hey Neela, it's Ray. Umm… I know I'm making a nuisance of myself. I just want to let you know that I'm still here if you… ah… need me. Anytime. You shouldn't have to go through this alone." There was a pause and then he continued, softer than before. "I love you Neela." Click.

Neela put down Michael's letter… the one he had given to her "in case something happens." The final sentence, 'I love you Neela.' She let herself cry all over again.

"Are you lonesome tonight,
do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?"