Chapter EightIt was early as Luka rested on his cot, swathed in a mosquito net. He’d dreamt about her again, like he did every night. It was the same dream.
He and Abby lie in bed, talking softly. A baby starts crying in another room. He follows her as she pads down the hallway to a nursery. She picks up the baby, crooning as the baby quiets down. He just watches from the doorway with a smile on his face.
“You don’t have to come every time.” Abby says.
“I know... I just like watching the two of you.” She looks up at him, shaking her head as she sits in the rocking chair. She begins nursing, all the while talking to the child in her arms. Luka walks over and kisses first the baby and then her. The dream reminded him of what he’s always longed for- a family. He wanted one with Abby. She didn’t want children though; her own family was crazy enough she didn’t want to deal with a bi- polar child. If she never changed her mind, he would find a way to deal with it.
He was working in the hospital later that day, doing what little he could. Some of them he could help, some he couldn’t. Too many were already half dead. They were in the middle of a war where civilian casualties were nothing. The women were raped and the men tortured. The threat of being captured or killed was very real. It was so far beyond what he was used to, it was surreal. Somehow he managed to avoid processing it all and just do what he knew best. He helped people.
“Hey Luka, can you come here a minute?” Gillian, a nurse from Quebec, asked him in French.
“Yeah, what’s the problem?” He made his way over to where she stood near a sickly woman and her two children.
“Will you examine her, please?” He nodded, and began an examination. It wasn’t malaria or AIDS- but it would still kill her. He walked away with a sigh, making a futile attempt to wipe the sweat off his face. The humidity was suffocating, even after dark. He spotted Carter, talking to a patient through one of the nurses. He’d adjusted well, using his money as well as his abilities as a doctor to make a difference. Just the other day, Carter received a large box of medical supplies from County- some costing more than Luka’s monthly salary back home.
They’d become friends in the last month and a half. Carter, in all of his bumbling American ways, was genuinely a nice guy. Something he’d never taken the time to see before.
Laughter filled the room that night at the bar. They’d all gathered there every night as a way to unwind. Alcohol flowed freely, and Luka drank more to relax than to forget. That much had changed. His problems seemed so very insignificant in comparison to those of the Congolese. It was all about perspective.
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Life dragged on for Abby. Without Luka around, things fell into a monotonous pattern. She missed him terribly. She snuck a peek at her calendar. She’d been counting the days, one week left. She got the odd email from him, he’d phoned once too. It was nice because she hadn’t expected anything.
She had been sober for two months now. Abby was proud of herself- it wasn’t anything spectacular, but it boosted confidence in herself.
She double checked the calendar, something catching her attention. She pursed her lips, thinking. Her eyes widened suddenly in comprehension.
“Impossible.” She mumbled to herself.
Barely paying attention to what she was doing, she grabbed her things and headed for work. On the El she ran into Susan.
“Hey Abby!” Susan greeted her cheerfully.
“You’re a morning person, aren’t you?” Abby asked, in quite the opposite mood.
“Most days, yes.” Abby shook her head. “So any news from Luka?”
“I got an email from him yesterday. Things are going well over there. He’s still planning on being back by the July tenth.”
“Are you looking forward to having him back?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I am.” Susan smiled knowingly.
“You just want him back so you can ravish him and make gorgeous little Croatian babies.” Abby laughed with Susan, the dates from earlier still fresh on her mind.
“I think we already have.” Abby said nervously, mixed feelings evident in her voice. Susan gave her a stunned look.
“You’re pregnant?” She asked.
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m late.”
“How late?”
“Two months, almost three.”
“Have you told Luka yet?” Abby shook her head. “Are you going to?”
“Depends on whether or not I keep it. There’s no point in talking about something if I’ve already made up my mind.”
“Abby, you can’t do that to him. It’s his baby- he’s going to want to know about it.” Susan said a little too loudly.
“Look, I don’t even know if I’m pregnant yet.” Abby whispered furiously.
“I’ll do a pregnancy test if you want.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” Abby said with a sigh, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Susan nodded.
“On one condition.”
“What?” She asked hesitantly.
“You have to tell Luka if it’s positive.” Abby closed her eyes briefly. The train lurched to a stop.
“Fine.” She agreed reluctantly. “Here’s our stop.” The two friends made their way off the subway.
The test was all Abby could think about the entire day. Susan insisted on waiting until Abby was done with her shift before giving her the results. Finally, she was ready to go home. She found Susan in the lounge.
“Are you going to tell me now?”
“I have the results right here.” Susan said, patting her lab coat pocket. Abby, exasperated, gestured for her to hurry up. Susan handed her a piece of paper. Abby’s hands shook as she took it. She let out a soft gasp as she read the paper. The words on the page swam before her eyes. She looked up and the room was spinning. The last thing she heard before she blacked out was Susan’s voice yelling her name.
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Abby woke up in a hospital bed.
“Hey honey, you feelin’ any better?” Chuny asked as she walked over.
“What happened?”
“You passed out for a few minutes. Congratulations by the way.” Abby fell back against the pillows, hand over her eyes.
“Susan told you?”
“Dr. Weaver wanted to know why you fainted. No one else knows but me, Dr. Lewis, and Dr. Weaver. Oh, and Jerry. He saw the lab report.”
“Oh wonderful,” Abby said sarcastically. “It won’t be long before everyone knows.” Chuny shrugged.
“Sorry Abby.” She said with a grin, not really meaning it at all. “Think you can manage to get up now? We need the bed.” Abby rolled her eyes.
“I’m going home. Is Susan still around?” Chuny shook her head.
“She left already. She had a date tonight or something.”
“Alright then. Night Chuny.”
“Night. Get some rest, eh?” Abby waved a hand at her and made an exit.
She was pregnant. The thought filled her with both dread and excitement. Luka would want to keep it. He loved kids, he was meant to have kids. A part of her, the maternal side perhaps, longed to experience that aspect of life. But then she thought about Maggie. She’d had one hell of a childhood. Her mother had been a handful on her own, she couldn’t imagine having a child like that. There was a very small chance her children would be bi- polar. The question was if it was small enough for her to risk it.
It was a question that kept her awake that night, tracing circles on her stomach. She would wait for Luka, she could hold out that long.
A/N: Hey guys- the end to the Luby separation is just around the corner, I swear! Hope you liked my little surprise. It was a surprise, right? Anyway, let me know what you think...