Chapter One-
July 2005
Here we go round and round and round
And back and forth you know
Everybody goes through it sometime
And that's just the way it flows
So we go up and down and up
And in and out the door
Even though you know you've been through it before
For every argument that we've experienced
It's nice to know that you've remained composed
And I wanna thank you for the chill in you
Especially for you being so cool
This for the cool in you
Cool in you, cool in
This for the chill in you
"Thanks for the dance Sam," Abby says to Dr. Sam Lennox as the song on the jukebox ends.
"No problem Al," the good looking man replies using the nickname she'd picked up, a play on her initials. "We're gonna miss you around here." They sit at table in the corner of the officer's club where her "Going Back to the World of Civilians" party was being held.
"I'll miss you guys too." Abby looks carefully over the club until she finds what she was looking for and smiles. Faith and Hope are being entertained by some of the nurses and having a great time.
"Well I won't risk your wrath by recommending boarding school. I'm not as dumb as Nick is," he remarks, referring to Nick Malone, another doctor at the army hospital in Chechnya that Abby had worked for the last year.
"Nick's not dumb, he's just a little bit obnoxious when it comes to making things go his way," Abby says. "I guess he's not coming tonight."
"He's working. He traded with Ben last night."
"Figures." She checks her watch. "It's getting late and we have to get up early tomorrow."
"I'll go get the girls and walk you guys home before going home myself."
"Thanks Sam." Abby smiles and watches him walk over to where Faith and Hope were holding court.
She'd never been more surprised in her life when she'd found out she was having twins. She'd also never been happier and even though they weren't identical they were still very close. They'd been born April of her first year in AI and had recently celebrated their third birthday two days after Abby had put in her resignation. She wanted to take the girls back to the States and a timely phone call from Susan Lewis, a former co-worker, had provided her all the motivation she needed.
Of course, the job Susan offered was in the ER of Cook County Hospital but Abby was actually looking forward to going back to Chicago.
Susan had worked with her at a Bosnian hospital for two years before going back to Chicago. They'd started talking one day soon after her arrival and found that they had more in common then they realized. When Susan had gone back to the States they'd kept in touch by email. It stung a little to hear that Susan had married Luka but it had hurt more to hear that John had gotten married.
She glances across the club again at Faith and Hope and wonders if John and his wife have any children. Guess she'd find out soon enough.
Susan Lewis smiles at Randy as she comes on for the night shift.
"What's going on Randy?" she asks as she slips into her lab coat and digs in her pocket for a pen. Randy hangs up the phone and points to the board.
"There's a guy in Exam Three complaining of chest pains. Drs. Malucci and Chen are both tied up and Carter is in the lounge arguing with his lawyer."
Susan checks her watch. "It's nine at night. He's arguing with his lawyer now?"
"Ava wants alimony."
"You have got to be kidding me. They've barely been married a year." Susan shakes her head, knowing it's not her place to gossip. "Do you know where Dr. Kovac is?"
"Suture room. He has to stitch up someone's leg. Oh Carol was looking for you before. She's in Curtain Area 1."
"Thanks Randy. If she comes looking for me again tell her I'm in Exam Three."
"Gotcha."
Susan heads off with chart firmly grasped in her hand to find her patient.
"Susan, there you are," Carol Hathaway says as she walks into the lounge and sees Susan pouring over a pile of charts.
"Sorry Carol. Randy told me you were looking for me but it's been a long shift," Susan answers as she reaches for a cup with coffee.
"I know the feeling. I just got word from administration about the new nurse." Carol shuts the door to the lounge and looks at her friend.
"You mean Al- I mean Abby?"
"You do know that she used to work here, right?"
"Yeah. She told me when I mentioned that I'd taken a leave of absence from here to work for A.I. Is there a problem?"
"No, well not for me." Carol takes a deep breath before releasing. "She's a great nurse. She helped in delivering Kate and Tess. I worked with her as a medical student. Professionally, there aren't any problems with her."
Susan finally understands the subtlety of what Carol was saying. "Luka knows all about it and he's looking forward to seeing Abby again."
"Good," Carol says gently. "Does anyone else know?"
"No. Abby said she wanted to keep it low key. I'm picking her and her girls up later today."
"Her girls?" Carol looked slightly confused. "She's married?"
"No."
"Oh. Are they Luka's?" Carol asks as she reaches for her own coffee before checking her watch. Doug would be dropping the twins off at daycare in a few minutes on his way into work.
"No." Susan said without a hint of anger or annoyance. After all that had been her first thought too. Then she'd met them. Faith Lucille, older by twenty minutes, looked exactly like her mother while Hope Elisabeth, had the lighter features of her father. Of course Hope didn't know that and Abby had said once that she didn't know if Hope would ever know that.
Abby would be back in Chicago in mere hours and Hope just might get to know which of her parents she did look like.
John runs a hand through his hair after washing his hands. He is officially off-duty but the last thing he wants to do is go back to his grandmother's home. But the only other option was a hotel and that wasn't to enticing either. Walking out of the bathroom he walked straight into Luka Kovac.
"Sorry John. I didn't see you."
"It's okay. I wasn't paying much attention either," John answers honestly.
"Are you off?"
"Yep. I'm heading out. What about you?"
"I'm off too but I'm waiting across the street for Susan." Luka smiled. "Would you like to join me?"
"No. I think I'm just going head home and get some sleep."
"I'll walk out with you. Did you hear we're getting a new nurse?"
"Really? Great. Maybe this one will last longer then two weeks." John remarked, referring to the problem they'd had keeping a nurse after Lydia retired.
"I think she will. Susan found her."
"Great." John said as they walked out the double doors of the ER. "I guess I'll see you later Luka."
"Bye." Luka said. He watched John walk away and was suddenly very glad he hadn't mentioned Abby's name in their conversation.
