"Majandra."
"No."
"Cheryl."
"No."
"Tobi."
"No."
"Scarlett."
"You've watched Gone With The Wind one to many times and no."
"Kirk."
"Kirk Kovac. Why don't I just pin a kick me sign on my uterus?" Susan rolled her eyes at Luka.
That raised some laughter from Abby and a withering look from Luka.
"Any other suggestions?" Susan said.
"Uh�. Lindsey."
Susan looked thoughtful. "I kinda like that." She looked at Luka. "What about you?"
"Lindsey Kovac. I like that."
"Well you've got a possible girl's name, now all you need is a boy's name." Abby said. She thought for a moment. "What about Lucas? You said Luka was Croatian for Luke, right?" She asked Luka.
"I think so, yeah."
"Lucas Kovac." Susan tried it out. "Hmmm."
"I think it sounds kind of dignified."
"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Susan smiled.
"And if you have a girl and she doesn't look like a Lindsey you can name her Chloe."
"No."
"Why not? Chloe named her baby Susan." Luka said.
"Maybe she's afraid of her sister being called Big Chloe. Is that it Big Susie?"
"Big Susie?" Luka asked.
"Who told you?"
Abby fought a giggle at the murderous look on Susan's face. "Doug."
"He's lying." Susan said simply.
That caused Abby's laughter to bubble over. "I think it's sweet."
"It's makes me sound like a stripper."
"Or a biker." Luka commented.
"Don't help honey."
"Okay, you won't name the baby Chloe. I think Lindsey's very pretty."
"Lindsey Abigail Kovac." Susan said.
"Really?" Abby smiled.
"Of course. She should be named after the person who will be her favorite baby-sitter."
"Very funny." Abby threw a crumpled straw wrapper at her friend.
"I thought so."
"So, if it's a boy, what middle name are you going to use?" Abby asked.
"Maybe Henry after my dad." Susan said.
"Or you could use Div." Abby wrinkled her nose.
"Who's Div?" Luka asked.
"You wanna go there? Fine. Maybe I'll use Richard."
"I know who he is, but who's Div?"
"Or Mark."
"Mark Greene?"
"Nick."
"Who's Nick?"
"Floyd."
"Who's Floyd?"
"Howie."
"Howie?"
Susan and Abby glared at each other before they both giggled.
"Sorry Luka." Susan said. "Abby and I are just having a little fun with each other."
"So who's Div?"
"Abby, can I get a hand in exam three?" Jing-Mei asked.
"It's not that S.H.O.G. is it?"
"No. At least I don't think so. She needs sutures."
"Cool. Let's go." Abby grabbed a chart and followed Jing-Mei.
"Abby?"
"Yeah?"
"What does S.H.O.G. mean?"
"Smelly Horny Old Guy." Abby said simply.
"Oh. Good thing Carol gave him to Malik."
"Yeah. Malik has less of a chance of getting groped."
Jing-Mei giggled as they went into the suture room. "Hi Mrs. T-"
"Call me Melinda. It's easier. Trust me." The dark-haired woman sitting on the gurney said.
"Okay. I'm Dr. Chen and this is Abby. We're gonna take care of your hand." Jing-Mei pulled up a stool while Abby positioned the overhead.
As Abby did this she looked down and saw Melinda's cut. She let out an involuntary hiss. "Sorry. That just looks bad."
"Well it doesn't feel too good." Melinda smiled.
"How'd you do this?" Jing-Mei asked.
"I was cutting some bread and my knife slipped."
"Ouch." Jing-Mei commented as she examined Melinda's hand. "I think we should get some x-rays. This looks pretty deep. I wanna make sure there's no tendon damage."
"Okay." Melinda nodded. "Can my husband come back when I'm done getting the x-ray? He and my daughter are in the waiting room."
"I'll get them." Abby said. "Then I'll call radiology."
"We'll be right back." Jing-Mei said.
Once they were in the hall Jing-Mei turned to Abby. "Can you get psych and D.C.F.S. too?"
"Sure. Everything okay?"
"The angle and depth of the wound suggest that she was stabbed in the hand."
"You think it was her husband?"
"Not really, based on her request."
"You think she tried to hurt herself?"
"I just don't want to rule it out."
"Okay. I'll go call radiology and page a social worker."
"Thanks Abby."
"So what did Adele say?" Abby asked Jing-Mei about an hour later.
"Well she and Dr. DeRaad both talked to Melinda's husband. It would seem that Melinda has been acting off for the last couple of weeks. Ever since the baby was born."
"Post-partum?"
"That's what they're thinking but I don't know. Post-partum's usually aren't violent towards themselves."
"What are you thinking?"
"Depression, maybe."
"Dr. Chen?" A man came up carrying a baby.
"Hi Steve. Abby this is Melinda's husband and their daughter Mariah."
"Nice to meet you." Abby said. An awkward silence followed and Abby decided to make herself scarce. "I'm gonna go check on some labs for Dr. Romano."
"Thanks Abby." Jing-Mei said. "Steve? Was there something you wanted to tell me?"
"It's about my wife. You asked before if there was any family history of mental disorders and at the time I said no. I just got off the phone with her mother. Melinda's grandmother was bipolar."
"Oh." Jing-Mei said. "Does-" A crash interrupted their conversation. It came from the suture room.
"Get away from me!" Melinda shrieked.
Jing-Mei ran ahead and into the room.
"Melinda, please, no one wants to hurt you." Dr. DeRaad said soothingly.
"You want to take away my baby!"
"Mariah's right outside Melinda." Jing-Mei said quietly. "She's with Steven. Dr. DeRaad, may I speak with you outside for a minute?"
"Sure." He said and the two stepped into the hall.
"She's got a history of bipolar disease. Her grandmother."
"Well that certainly complies with everything Steven told me and everything I've seen today. Where is he?"
"Right there."
Carl DeRaad made his way towards Steven with a sigh. He really hated this part of his job.
"Carter, what are you doing here? You're not on till tomorrow." Randi said to the good-looking man.
He held something up. "Forgot this yesterday." He looked around and saw someone from housekeeping sweeping up some glass. "What happened?"
"A patient of Chen's turned out to be bipolar and when they were taking her up to psych she broke loose and threw an IV stand through the window."
"Everyone okay?"
"Yeah there wasn't anyone in the trauma rooms so no one was hurt."
John nodded. He looked around the ER discreetly. "Hey is Abby on?"
"She left a little while ago." Kerry said.
"Hey did she get that list I got for her?" Randi asked.
"What list?" Kerry asked.
"She said a patient of hers needed a list of AA meetings." Randi explained with a shrug of her shoulders. "I put it over there." She motioned.
John picked it up and looked it over casually. "Keep it out. Maybe her patient will pick up themselves." He told Randi. "See you guys tomorrow."
"Bye."
Abby sat in a metal chair in a large room. The AA meeting had been over for about twenty minutes but she wasn't ready to go home.
Today had been like looking into a warped version of what her life could have been or an awful glimpse of the future. The 'what if's' were resounding in her head.
Okay yeah, she was okay and if by some chance both Hope and Faith were okay what if when they had kids of their own one of them were bipolar? What if they were like Maggie and liked the manic feeling? She wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even her worst enemy.
"Coffee?"
She looked to the right of her. A steaming cup of coffee was a few inches from her face. She looked up. Then she smiled.
"Hey John." She took the coffee. "So what are you doing here?"
"Heard about today. I called your house and the sitter said you're going to be late. Then I saw the list of AA meetings on the desk at Admit. I picked out the one between your house and the hospital and I took a shot."
"Even though you'd knew it'd be over."
John nodded. "You okay?"
"Ever had your worst nightmare staring you right in the face?"
"Sometimes."
"Right."
"So, are you? Okay, I mean."
"Not sure. That woman today was everything I ever feared I'd turn into. Everything I still fear turning into."
"Abby, you're not bipolar."
"I know. I do. I guess my fear isn't for me anymore."
John nodded. "It's for the girls?"
"Yeah." She said quietly. "I guess I'll always be afraid for them. Whenever Hope goes from zero to sixty and back in a matter of minutes, I'll get scared. When Faith gives me these looks that just are so Maggie, I'll be terrified." She bit her lip. "Can I tell you something?"
"Always."
"I had an abortion when I was married to Richard. I never told him. I just didn't want to risk the possibility."
"But you didn't abort when I got you pregnant?"
"No. John, I knew they were yours. Some part of me just knew and I couldn't kill part of you. I don't know what it means but I knew I was having them and keeping them. I knew I was ready." She smiled at him. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"You don't know what having them did for me. I know it was selfish to keep them from you and I'm gonna try not to do that anymore because I owe that to them and to you. You gave them to me. You gave me the greatest gift in the world."
John nodded. "And now?"
"Now I think it's time to return the favor." Abby said. "Call me tomorrow and we'll start setting up meetings." She checked her watch. "I better go. See you tomorrow."
"Night." John said as Abby left. He smiled a little. "He shoots and he scores." he said quietly.