Er the Book of Abby "You Were Sloppy With My Baby's Penis"

Oh yes, Cinefaythe, you nailed some of the pertinent questions. I've been writing off and on all day. Then, since "The Book of Abby" was written by David Zabel, sit down and and take a read. This is going to take a while.

To brainstorm, a pocket-size observation. In that location was not a "previously on ER" segment this fourth dimension. I estimate there were so many references to past episodes there was no fashion to include them all. Or perhaps they needed the time for the script.

Once again, I want to start with the teaser that begins with a close upwards of Abby fingering some keys and so the camera pans to her confront - pensive, thinking. She's contemplating her life, the keys to her life. She tosses the keys in the air and catches them, so looks around.

It is Luka's empty apartment and I tin can't say I've ever seen information technology so well lit - sunshine pouring in the large windows, but strangely the corners are still night. But the low-cal is pouring in around Abby while the nighttime lurks. The low-cal and shadow create a wonderful and interesting dissimilarity.

Equally Abby stands in the shafts of light, her voice begins quotes from Chore 3, 20-26 (less 23). This comes at a point when Chore is cursing the day he was born, possibly wishing he had never been born, because of all the misery he has suffered. The director, Chulak, seems to accept fix the visuals to represent to the verses.

20 Why is light given to those in misery
and life to the bitter of soul,

The scene cuts to Abby walking into the ambulance bay as someone on a gurney is rolled by in front end of her. An ambulance rolls in behind Abby.

21 to those who long for decease that does non come,
who search for it more than for hidden treasure ,

A shut up of Abby's locker where there are hidden treasures. She opens it and the photographic camera pans to her lab glaze, again with her name prominent, "Abby Lockhart, Medico." We see Abby's reflection in a mirror, along with a photo of Luka on the door of the locker, above that ii shots of baby Joe. (Side note: someday I'll ponder the intentional naming of Abby Lockhart.)

22 who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they attain the grave?

Abby puts on her lab glaze, grabs her stethoscope and puts it in her pocket.

24 For sighing comes to me instead of food;
my groans pour out like water.

Abby grabs her ID and clips information technology to a pocket. She sees the bible in the tops of her locker and takes it out. The first page shows that Maggie's mother gave it to Maggie upon the nascence of Abigail (February 22, 1968), and and then Maggie gave information technology to Abby upon the nativity of Joe (September 9, 2006). Nosotros see the side of Abby's face, even more pensive.

25 What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.

Abby puts the Bible dorsum in her locker…

26 I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no remainder, only merely turmoil.

…and closes the door, cutting to her coming through the door into the turmoil of the waiting room.

"Faithlessness is the only natural disaster," proclaims the man with the sign, "The end is most. Saccharide is evil, cast away that pop," he continues. A large woman pounds at the window asking, "Rubber haven, right? That's what you said. Well, I left my baby hither and at present I want him dorsum!" The woman turns to the crowd, "You phone call this a safe haven?"

Mrs. Gaines stands with her cat, Purdy. Purdy can't slumber and they demand some more than Ambien. Abby promises quick attention.

A human'south manus comes into view - it has a boom through ii fingers, but Haleh takes him in. Abby looks over the waiting room - sees two immature boys. The EMT'due south flare-up through with a GSW to the chest, shot in his apartment. The human says, "some kids made a fault."

The sign guy says, "Repent sin, lest ye be stricken. For now is the fourth dimension of fire and brimstone raining down." Abby saves the victim: "Reidy you got to know that covering a penetrating chest wound creates a i-fashion valve .." The sign guy: a cycle of plagues and maladies never imagined. Abby continues, "… causing a tension pneumo." The sign guy, "Then the reckoning will commence! Welcome to the end of the globe. Today, everything changes." Abby looks at the sign guy, "Today? Really? I thought that was side by side week."

***
Wow, TPTB certainly are beingness funny with us - the end of the world is not at present, but next calendar week. Abby's departure from the ER is not the terminate of the world.

The empty flat bathed in shafts of light and darkness in the corners seems apt right now - Abby has known misery in her life, only at the moment, in dissimilarity to the Chore text, and based upon the concluding we knew of Abby -that she'd taken some days off to be with Luka, seems to be in the calorie-free. She'due south survived the turmoil, not merely the one facing her in the waiting room, but the turmoil of her life till at present and come through on the other side, or at least is seems to take done and then at this indicate in time.

I liked "the cease is nigh" guy. "Faithlessness is simply the natural disaster. Sugar is evil, cast away that pop. Repent sin, lest ye be stricken. For now is the time of fire and brimstone raining downwardly. A bike of plagues and maladies never imagined. Then the reckoning will embark. Welcome to the stop of the world. Today, everything changes." Oh Zabel, you are and so wry, telling us to have faith, to bandage abroad the popular and repent, considering later the plagues and maladies, the reckoning will commence, and that matter were irresolute, maybe today, maybe adjacent week. Perchance by the end of the terminal season.

The penetrating chest wound was a practiced teaching. I should never cover over such a wound considering it creates a one-manner valve and a tension pneumo - the air accumulating in the chest cavity has no where to go and builds upwards, putting pressure level on the heart, limiting blood flow. It is a good lesson to learn - yous cannot cover over a penetrating chest wound and the wound should be left exposed.

I've moved on from job to chore in my life and I empathise Abby'south mood here. The future may be bright, but in that location is a sadness in leaving a identify one called habitation for so long. Abby certainly never planned to leave Chicago, leave the ER that had been her home for x years 8.5 years in the ER and then presumably, 1.5 years as the nurse in Obstetrics - as she fought for the attending job not that many episodes ago in ER-time.

The contents of her locker told us why she is leaving - baby Joe, Luka. She would later tell Banfiled that likewise. It is an interesting dissimilarity to Carol - it seems that Doug wanted her to come up with her as he searched for a new life, merely she wanted to stay in Chicago, until she realized her folly and went to him. Here, Abby is non making that mistake, not wasting that fourth dimension, and going with Luka in spite of her … loving the place she was at.

Merely in the teaser, the unspoiled audience doesn't know Abby is leaving, just that she'due south gotten back from a few days off with Luka. Before that, nosotros knew from Haleh that Luka was doing an interview in Boston - just Abby said they were thinking about moving only she wasn't so sure later on Pratt'southward funeral, that was hard to retrieve virtually leaving this place.

And then the teaser was supposed to be instructive on several levels. The easiest, most superficial, was that Abby often felt depressed about her life, equally Task was, and that even the prediction that today was the end of the earth, Abby knew the misery would keep till at least next week.

The second level seems to be the hints that the sign guy was forecasting the end of the world today equally a hint to the audience that something was changing, something radical. Morris fifty-fifty echoes that feeling in Act I. Something is irresolute even in the middle of Abby's gloomy feeling that her life has been, is and volition exist turmoil.

The 3rd level, and then, for me is the one Zabel is the best at doing and few others achieve (or I'chiliad dense and miss it near of the fourth dimension). That is the contradictions and the ironic twists of language and of imagery - and of patient anvils. The sunlight streaming in the windows of the empty apartment is ane - bathing Abby in light despite the coming gloomy Task poetry - and the remaining night recesses of the room. The penetrating chest wound when covered over means death to the patient.

Even Abby's words that the end is next calendar week, not this week creates the possibility that turmoil will go along. It is also a play on the idea that Maura Tierney'south difference isn't the end of the earth for ER, at to the lowest degree TPTB promise so.

***
The flow of the episode through the 4 acts is well done, with one scene driving the theme of the next one.

Act I

This is Abby offset day every bit the new attending and she'south doing well. Morris is still working long hours so Abby agrees to take Larry and Curly. Simply "no Mo." LOL. No mo' Abby. But Mrs. Weddington and the two boys don't get it. In fact, Mrs. Weddington doesn't get much merely and then turns to Abby, asking her to answer the boy'south questions.

Neela also has questions about the rumor she heard. Abby answers with more questions and at outset seems to try and deny it all. But Neela cuts through the bull, is happy for them, but wishes Abby would accept told her. That is what friendship is. Abby says they'll always be friends. But this night'south departure surprises and saddens Neela. Abby doesn't desire anyone to know, that she'll figure out how to tell people later, and there will be no crying today.

Abby handles the Rabbi and Sheldon, the latter of grade feels the Rabbi did a poor job on the bris. "Y'all were sloppy with my baby'southward penis." The Rabbi is the one who married Luka and Abigail. Abby, actually, Abby. How'south the first year of married life? Ups and downs? The Rabbi takes that to mean it is Luka'due south error, and Abby glosses over it all. Oh, the anniversary was meshuga - crazy or foolish - and they are the one that last. The Rabbi promises it volition get easier - shalom to that.

Frank is practicing the tango - but says he tin can't go on his head upwards considering then he cannot run across his feet, see where he is going. (He can't look forrard while looking downwards.)

Abby takes the kids, Larry and Curly, to answer their questions, and with their names, one can only anticipate the consequence. Inquire anything? Their questions are not what she expected, and Abby fears she's existence punked. Heh.

But the autobus is failing but he doesn't blame Zeke, and he wants the other boys to know he doesn't blame Zeke. Abby meets Banfield and they clash immediately. Merely information technology was interesting how Abby punked Banfield by not telling her she was planning on leaving when Banfield threatened with "my way or the highway."

Act II

Work continues in Coach only Banfield pulls Abby out to run he board. Mrs. Gaines is at that place with her true cat, drawn to Abby. Abby tries to tell her that she won't ever be there, just Mrs. Gaines interprets that to mean Abby is doing to die, proverb she has a dark perspective, harkening dorsum to Job's lament that he would joyfully go to his grave.

Abby spies Morris in the trauma room still grieving Pratt'south death and worrying about his own chapters. He fees like he is at a crossroads but doesn't know what the change that is coming is. It will get easier, Abby promises. "If I were in trouble, Archie, I would phone call for you, I would trust you with annihilation." She hands him off to Roxanne Gaines, trusting him to always take care of Mrs. Gaines. She instructs Mrs. Gaines, "If ever I'm not here, ask for Dr. Morris."

Nice little counter twist in that location. Abby would trust him with anything and sets him upward with a echo flyer, admitting an innocent nuisance. Abby afterwards says that was a hint to him that she is leaving. He missed it. But Abby hands off a nuisance to Morris rather than anything substantial.

Abby learns from Sam what her troubles are. Sam really doesn't want to leave, not knowing that Abby doesn't want to either. Now it is substantial.

Abby goes back to the Coach with his film to learn Banfield is angry that Abby has non been running the board as instructed. Banfield sends Abby next door where the boys are fighting (conspicuously not following Coach's instructions to leave Zeke lone). Grady helps her interruption information technology up and Abby tries to help Zeke only he runs abroad.

In a overnice counterpoint, Dubenko shows up talking about how he could non walk away from the ER, could not imagine working any place else. The reversal continues every bit Abby admits that information technology would be difficult but for the correct reasons she might be able to walk away. Abby confesses she and Luka are moving to Boston, which surprises Dubenko. And then Grady wants communication and Abby tells him she is a brusque-timer, today even. He's upset, but Zeke is on the roof, even more upset.

Abby learns from Zeke what the trouble is. He took the Coach's key and let him some boys who have been hassling him, doing it to attempt to gain respect from these other boys. But clearly it backfired. The safe place was misused and ended upward not being safe at all. He couldn't stop the violence.

Abby's words are interesting, saying that these things usually don't work out the way we call back they will. He might injure some tourists. She promises to ready upwards the autobus, and in return gives him a syringe that will kill him with a fatal arrhymthia. She just knows how it feels to be out on a ledge. And yeah, she's nuts.

The kid comes back in and holds on to Abby for dear life, the person who is never certain things volition work out.

Human activity III

Grady is correct, just equally Abby had encouraged him in the terminal Act. Abby makes a courageous stand confronting Banfield, arguing that when she knows something, she knows information technology. Turns out Abby was correct to fight - she is able to fix the Omnibus'south haemorrhage trouble and she properly gives credit to Grady. The chest tube was in the spleen. But confidentially she told Neela she didn't know where the idea for the solution came from.

Abby offered hope to Zeke, hope that everything would turn out alright. She believed she was keeping her end of the bargain and that he had to keep telling himself that things would plow out alright. There's that promise again things volition turn out well.

Abby watches the surgery and encourage Dubenko and Neela to "bring this home for me." She apologizes to the surgery team for every bad things always said about them. So let's make this "one more for the road" alright? Neela finds the bullet, and it maybe Abby'south hope was answered.

Allow me inject hither "I for the Road," besides directed by Chulack (and written by Joe Sachs), and also notable for the light/dark contrasts. It was the first episode of Season 11 and Abby's first solar day as an intern, but as this one was her start day every bit an attending. Kem left Carter to render to Africa, Luka ran subsequently Sam and Alex, Pratt and Chen were saved from the river after running from a road rage incident. Morris running from work and Neela was running from her career.

Of course, "One More for the Road" (written by John Wells and directed by Christopher Chulack besides) was the season finale to Season 3, where "Mark, still recovering from the attack, vents his emotions in a fierce fit in the suspension room and buys a gun for protection. Carter decides his future lies in emergency medicine, not surgery, and tries to convince an irate Anspaugh too. In that location is friction betwixt Drs. Ross and Del Amico after Doug discharges one of Anna'south patients, but the two work together when a severely browbeaten Charlie is brought to the ER. Benton's son strengthens. Doug and Carol share a kiss. Jeanie and Al are back together."

I don't know that it means annihilation except a overnice shout out to Chulack who directed this. But Abby was in S11-1, 1 for the Road, with the parallel equally her first day every bit an intern, 4 years ago.

Act IV

Things are looking upward for Bus and Abby is relieved. She compliments the surgical team and and so notes the new observation deck. Then Abby steps into uncomfortable territory by observing how well Dubenko and Neela work together, like yin and yang. She wonders if they ever thought most dating. Information technology doesn't go over well. And then Abby says goodbye to Neela. Be skilful.

I guess Neela never told Abby about the times when it seemed clear Dubenko was sweetness on Neela. And during those times, particularly when Neela was hurt at the end of S13 in the riot, Abby never picked up on that. Hmm.

Abby returns to the ER, says goodbye to Banfield and they come to terms. Joe is a piddling over 2 - and I missed another of Joe's birthdays.

Abby takes her syringe back from Zeke considering Omnibus is okay. In one of those speeches where the character is besides speaking for themselves, Abby notes that Zeke (herself) is not a bad person, he (she) just did a bad thing. Don't make the same mistake again. But Abby confesses that she had not thought that far ahead, that is, would she accept permit Zeke employ the syringe if Coach had died.

Abby doesn't recollect ahead, only she instinctively acts, and most of the time it turns out well. Here, it turned out okay, for Coach every bit she instinctively knew how to relieve him once Grady identified the problem. And it was instinctively correct to make a deal with Zeke to become him off the ledge of the roof.

Abby encounters Mrs. Gaines again, assuring Mrs. Gaines that she (Abby) is non sick, that nada bad is going to happen. Merely Mrs. Gaines wanted to know if she would see Abby again. Not a directly respond, Abby tells her to enquire for Dr. Morris equally Abby moves off quickly to bargain with Sam's issue. Mrs. Gaines is left flummoxed, not knowing exactly what that all means. Me neither.

Abby storms into the disciplinary meeting and makes her speech, explaining how the ER staff really does not have the luxury of constant by the rules because they are the condom cyberspace for the rest of the infirmary. She pleads, "we have so many things working against us, don't exist one of them." (I can hear John Wells telling TPTB the same thing in arguing for one more flavour after 14 was interrupted past the writers strike.)

And so, Abby cleans out her locker as we hear her voice read from Job 38, where God is speaking to Job, telling him, peradventure almost rebuking him, that Job has no idea about the depth and latitude of God's world. And once again, Chulack is able to match the words to the visual.

xvi Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Haleh shows Abby the recesses of some deep cupboard in the ER where she has kept the proper noun plates of those who accept gone before. Some Haleh had to place there herself - similar Greene and Pratt. (Haleh could have also mentioned Knight, Romano and Gallant.)

But Abby gets to put upwardly not but hers, but Luka's too. (How is information technology that Haleh did not get Luka to exercise his own??? Tin't say I'k happy about that.)

Abby notices that Carter's name plate is not at that place. (How interesting that she would notice.) Haleh notes Carter would not do information technology, maxim it was defacing authorities holding. Haleh is going to miss her.

17 Have the gates of death been shown to y'all? (Not read was the 2d line to this stanza, "Take yous seen the gates of the shadow of decease?")

Abby meets Sam and learns her turned out well, but a weeks pause. Nurses stick together.

nineteen What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside? (the stanza is out of lodge)

Abby first passes by a happy family in an exam room and so a trauma room where they are performing CPR on a patient. Abby comes upon Frank, still practicing the tango. She notes that the tango is passion, and intensity, a story of immigrants stuck between two worlds. (In fact, the tango was called the music of the immigrants in Argentina.)

Abby helps Frank hold upwardly his caput when she dances with him (information technology takes two to tango). And Frank dances. And the music gets to me. Abby somehow gives Frank some dignity, some role beside buffoon and information technology was amazing. As she says goodbye to Frank, Abby takes the stapler from the desk. "Tell that big Croat to bring you back for a visit," Frank says. I agree.

Abby finds the residue in the bay: Grady, Chuny. Gates, Sam and Morris who didn't know she was leaving. Abby says it was a great decade as the police lights are turning in the background, casting a bluish drape on everything.

Morris didn't get information technology, fifty-fifty though Abby thought he got the idea. Abby notes, with some irony, that Morris had been able to make hear leaving all almost Morris. (Is this passing the curtain to Morris, again. It too leads to the joke in the early days of Abby'southward story when the stories were "always near Abby.") Abby says, she is going to miss them, and that they will exist thinking nearly them. So long. Adieu Abby.

She walks out to find Luka waiting next to the car. He takes the box and we come across Joe in the auto. A kiss between them then Luka too looks at everyone in the bay. No moving ridge from him, no wave from them. I guess they said their goodbyes already. Abby gets in the car.

xviii Have yous comprehended the vast expanses of the world?
Tell me, if yous know all this.

They drive off with Abby leaning out the window, looking back.

***

In the teaser, the women left her baby at the hospital because it was a rubber haven. Zeke thought Jitney's place would be a condom oasis and it was not. Perhaps Abby viewed working in the ER as a condom haven likewise - she knew everybody, knew the routine, knew her job. Past leaving, Abby was leaving that safe haven to go in to a new world. Would it bring her the rest from misery that she longs for, or will it be, as her life seems to take been, more of the same turmoil.

That leads to Frank'south story of learning the tango, and equally I said above, he could not exercise it while he was looking downward rather than out. The importance and loveliness of Frank successfully doing the tango with Abby as he stops looking at his feet and looks forwards seems important as Abby lifts her head from her ain sense of doom in the teaser to a more than positive outlook as the leaves the ER. But to me Zabel threw a twist in as Abby leans out the car window looking backwards, non forwards, as Luka drives her off to a new life. Is she leaving her safe oasis to a successful tango, or is she looking dorsum too much, and finds the ER was her simply safe haven?

But I'chiliad still thinking about the penetrating chest wound, and how simply covering over it creates a deathly situation. As I wrote in "The Chicago Way," I still wonder if the conclusion by Luka and Abby to go away, a determination made without really talking about some underlying issues, was just covering over those issues. Again, I'yard given a reminder that maybe some old problems will return.

This story begins and ends with the Book of Job. In the teaser, Job is lamenting the day he was born considering he has had such suffering in his life. It ends with God reminding Job that Job cannot understand the larger movie, and because of that, Job cannot understand how things will turn out.

And so it is true, nosotros can lament the current situation but we have no idea how it will turn out. Sometimes it turns out well, equally with Coach where Abby didn't know how it would turn out when she promised Zeke, nor understood where the knowledge came to relieve him when Autobus was bleeding out.

Nor did Abby know that her speech to the disciplinary board would turn out well for Sam, just she just acted on her desire to defend Sam. In contrast, however, Sam's earlier actions of letting the patient exit with an IV in him was done with the best of intentions, only turned out non the style Sam had hoped. Abby acknowledges that sometimes, things don't work out, but they all practise their all-time. And then is Abby.

This was a very well washed episode in that it was instructive and consistent in showing for Abby'southward temperament. She doesn't oftentimes think ahead but is very grounded in the moment. Thinking well-nigh the time to come, talking almost the hereafter is very difficult for Abby. I think about the times Luka asked her to ally him and she would not, unable to see the hereafter through her view of the present. And in that location were too many other examples to mention.

So Abby can't tell Neela she is leaving. To do so would require that talking, would require that Abby somehow speculate about the futurity. Too many times, things have not turned out similar she idea they would, and then of late, she has avoided dreaming. It is as if Abby sees the time to come as more turmoil, by and large, and would rather just deal with the turmoil of the moment.

But an additional theme here, about of the time done with a comedic touch, is that in that location were questions that Zabel had Abby deliberately not answer - both from Larry and Curly, as well as from Mrs. Gaines. In this instance, those questions were non hard ones and could have answered. But to answer would have taken time, or revealed words Abby did not want to say (that she was leaving) and then instead Abby turned away from those questions without respond. She knew the answers but would not say them.

Job had plenty of questions for God, but God only answered with more questions of his own. And then TPTB accept left more than questions for me with no answers. When did Luka take his good day with all these people left at County? Why did Haleh not have Luka put upwardly his own name plate? How is Luka taking Pratt'due south expiry - after all Pratt was Luka'south best human at the wedding to Abby? Is that all at that place is for Luka? Will he never work with Carter again? So many questions.

But TPTB take their ways, just every bit God does. Zabel copies God's words, "tell me if yous know all this." I don't know. And so I'll wait for the answer. It may or may not turn out similar I hope it will. Simply Zabel's theme seems to be that things don't e'er plow out as you think they will considering there is a larger, chaotic universe out in that location of which we take niggling understanding. That understanding, and the answers, would just be in Zabel's and et. al.'due south imagination. That's skilful enough for me.

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Source: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/theerexchange/s15-3-the-book-of-abby-t987.html

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