Post by lubylubylu on Jul 4, 2006 12:23:48 GMT 10
Dr. Coburn rushed into Trauma One, a deep crease of worry running the length of her forehead.
“Did I hear right that this is Abby?” she asked as she gowned up. Susan nodded.
“Dear, God,” Coburn muttered as she strapped on her surgical gloves. She looked over at Luka who was standing rooted to the foot of the bed, unable to move, unable to breathe…unable to take his eyes off of Abby.
“Save them both,” he whispered.
Coburn glanced at Luka and looked back at Abby.
“I’m gonna do everything I can,” she said. “Alright, cut down tray.”
The rest of the trauma team continued prepping Abby, while Coburn selected a ten blade and prepared to make her first incision. Luka found himself holding his breath, the oxygen gurgling in his throat. He watched as Coburn cut across Abby’s stomach, the blood gushing out of the torn seam. She put the ten blade back on the tray and gingerly pulled Abby’s stomach apart, the skin stretching effortlessly under her experienced hands. More blood gushed out along with amniotic fluid, both of which splashed against the floor. Coburn reached in and began to coax the baby out.
“Come on, come on,” Coburn seemed to be saying as much to herself as the baby. She bore down and pulled the baby’s head free, which was covered in blood. Luka’s heart leapt at the site of his baby and he waited to hear it cry.
“He’s not crying,” Luka croaked then cleared his throat. “What--”
“Hold on Dr. Kovac,” she responded, deep in concentration as she continued to draw the baby away from Abby. She swiped a finger across the baby’s mouth and it let out a sputter before howling mightily. Luka closed his eyes and said a silent prayer in Croatian. Coburn held up the crying baby.
“Congratulations, doctor. You have a beautiful baby boy.” Would you like to cut the cord?"
Luka nodded feebly and slowly took the sccisors and severed the cord. He turned to Coburn.
“Can…can I hold him?” Luka said, grateful tears sliding down his face. Coburn nodded and gingerly, Luka held out his arms and she gently placed the screaming baby into them. Luka laughed through his tears.
“He’s got his mother’s lungs,” he said, still laughing from the ordeal.
“Let the nurses get him cleaned up and into an incubator,” Coburn said softly.
Reluctantly, Luka handed the baby over to Chuny and he focused his attention back on Abby. She was still unconscious. Coburn began to sew her back up and Luka went over and held her hand.
“Abby,” he whispered. “Abby, open your eyes. Look at our son.”
****************
It was dark. So incredibly dark. Her eyelids felt like there were lead weights on them and she struggled to get them open. A crack of light finally poked through and she slowly unglued them only to find everything out of focus. And…oh, God…she was intubated. Her hand flew to her mouth and she clawed for the tube. Suddenly Luka was by her side.
“Abby, Abby, hold on. Let me get that,” he said hoarsely as he removed the tape affixing the ambubag to her face. “Alright, count of three, blow out.” Abby coughed violently and Luka held a straw to her mouth, and she greedily sucked water through it. Luka gently pulled it away.
“Not too much,” he said as he placed the cup back down on the nightstand. She looked down at her stomach and she looked back up at Luka, panicked.
“Oh, God, Luka, the baby--”
“Abby, calm down--”
“I will not calm down! I want to know where my baby is!”
“He’s in the nursery and he weighs 6 pounds and 4 ounces.”
Abby’s eyes searched Luka’s wanting to be sure she had heard right.
“You mean…he’s ok, I mean you would tell me--”
“He’s beautiful,” Luka said, unable to stop smiling. “He’s perfect.”
Abby smothered her mouth in her hands, tears of joy coming full force.
“He’s here and he’s…he’s ok?” she repeated, laughing with relief.
Luka nodded, his own happiness overlapping with her own.
“Let’s go see him,” he said.
**************************
Luka wheeled Abby up to the nursery window. She surveyed the rows and rows of babies, when her eye fell upon one.
“That’s him, isn’t it? The one with his fist all balled up.”
“I can’t believe you could pick him out,” Luka chuckled.
Abby pressed her hand to the glass, her eyes glued to her son.
“Luka…that’s our son. He’s…ours.”
Luka wiped away the tears that just kept coming.
“I know. Can you believe it?”
Abby bit her bottom lip and shook her head.
“He’s, oh God, he’s so beautiful,” she cried as she clutched Luka’s hand.
They stood in silence at the window for a few moments, enraptured by their baby.
“He still needs a name,” Luka finally said.
“Josip,” Abby said without hesitation. “Josip Alexander Lockhart Kovac.” She looked up at him, tears still shining in her eyes. “I mean, if that’s ok with you.”
Luka bit his lip to keep from smiling. She hadn’t told him she wanted to give the baby part of his name.
“It’s…” Luka wiped away another tear. “It’s perfect.”
Abby smiled and turned back to look at little Josip.
“I love you, Luka.”
Luka smiled.
To be continued…
“Did I hear right that this is Abby?” she asked as she gowned up. Susan nodded.
“Dear, God,” Coburn muttered as she strapped on her surgical gloves. She looked over at Luka who was standing rooted to the foot of the bed, unable to move, unable to breathe…unable to take his eyes off of Abby.
“Save them both,” he whispered.
Coburn glanced at Luka and looked back at Abby.
“I’m gonna do everything I can,” she said. “Alright, cut down tray.”
The rest of the trauma team continued prepping Abby, while Coburn selected a ten blade and prepared to make her first incision. Luka found himself holding his breath, the oxygen gurgling in his throat. He watched as Coburn cut across Abby’s stomach, the blood gushing out of the torn seam. She put the ten blade back on the tray and gingerly pulled Abby’s stomach apart, the skin stretching effortlessly under her experienced hands. More blood gushed out along with amniotic fluid, both of which splashed against the floor. Coburn reached in and began to coax the baby out.
“Come on, come on,” Coburn seemed to be saying as much to herself as the baby. She bore down and pulled the baby’s head free, which was covered in blood. Luka’s heart leapt at the site of his baby and he waited to hear it cry.
“He’s not crying,” Luka croaked then cleared his throat. “What--”
“Hold on Dr. Kovac,” she responded, deep in concentration as she continued to draw the baby away from Abby. She swiped a finger across the baby’s mouth and it let out a sputter before howling mightily. Luka closed his eyes and said a silent prayer in Croatian. Coburn held up the crying baby.
“Congratulations, doctor. You have a beautiful baby boy.” Would you like to cut the cord?"
Luka nodded feebly and slowly took the sccisors and severed the cord. He turned to Coburn.
“Can…can I hold him?” Luka said, grateful tears sliding down his face. Coburn nodded and gingerly, Luka held out his arms and she gently placed the screaming baby into them. Luka laughed through his tears.
“He’s got his mother’s lungs,” he said, still laughing from the ordeal.
“Let the nurses get him cleaned up and into an incubator,” Coburn said softly.
Reluctantly, Luka handed the baby over to Chuny and he focused his attention back on Abby. She was still unconscious. Coburn began to sew her back up and Luka went over and held her hand.
“Abby,” he whispered. “Abby, open your eyes. Look at our son.”
****************
It was dark. So incredibly dark. Her eyelids felt like there were lead weights on them and she struggled to get them open. A crack of light finally poked through and she slowly unglued them only to find everything out of focus. And…oh, God…she was intubated. Her hand flew to her mouth and she clawed for the tube. Suddenly Luka was by her side.
“Abby, Abby, hold on. Let me get that,” he said hoarsely as he removed the tape affixing the ambubag to her face. “Alright, count of three, blow out.” Abby coughed violently and Luka held a straw to her mouth, and she greedily sucked water through it. Luka gently pulled it away.
“Not too much,” he said as he placed the cup back down on the nightstand. She looked down at her stomach and she looked back up at Luka, panicked.
“Oh, God, Luka, the baby--”
“Abby, calm down--”
“I will not calm down! I want to know where my baby is!”
“He’s in the nursery and he weighs 6 pounds and 4 ounces.”
Abby’s eyes searched Luka’s wanting to be sure she had heard right.
“You mean…he’s ok, I mean you would tell me--”
“He’s beautiful,” Luka said, unable to stop smiling. “He’s perfect.”
Abby smothered her mouth in her hands, tears of joy coming full force.
“He’s here and he’s…he’s ok?” she repeated, laughing with relief.
Luka nodded, his own happiness overlapping with her own.
“Let’s go see him,” he said.
**************************
Luka wheeled Abby up to the nursery window. She surveyed the rows and rows of babies, when her eye fell upon one.
“That’s him, isn’t it? The one with his fist all balled up.”
“I can’t believe you could pick him out,” Luka chuckled.
Abby pressed her hand to the glass, her eyes glued to her son.
“Luka…that’s our son. He’s…ours.”
Luka wiped away the tears that just kept coming.
“I know. Can you believe it?”
Abby bit her bottom lip and shook her head.
“He’s, oh God, he’s so beautiful,” she cried as she clutched Luka’s hand.
They stood in silence at the window for a few moments, enraptured by their baby.
“He still needs a name,” Luka finally said.
“Josip,” Abby said without hesitation. “Josip Alexander Lockhart Kovac.” She looked up at him, tears still shining in her eyes. “I mean, if that’s ok with you.”
Luka bit his lip to keep from smiling. She hadn’t told him she wanted to give the baby part of his name.
“It’s…” Luka wiped away another tear. “It’s perfect.”
Abby smiled and turned back to look at little Josip.
“I love you, Luka.”
Luka smiled.
To be continued…