Abby Lockhart
Encyclopedia
Dr. Abby Lockhart is a fictional medical doctor on the television
series ER
. She is portrayed by Maura Tierney
. Abby's full birth name is Abigail Marjorie Wyczenski.
, her first teacher, with whom she will experience a number of professional and personal relationship and who will become the most important character in her long-running story. Lockhart's first months in the ER prove challenging for her transitioning from OB nursing to the ER. In her first few months, she sees Carter stabbed and another medical student, Lucy Knight, killed by a schizophrenic patient, and also has to speak to superiors Kerry Weaver
and Mark Greene
about John Carter
's growing drug addiction. Although Carter is hostile at first, he and Abby become friends over the course of the next season.
Abby's medical training had gone into hiatus and she had become a full time obstetrics nurse to provide for her then-husband Richard Lockhart's medical school education, but once they divorce
she resumed her medical training. Later on, at the start of Abby's final year of medical school, Kerry Weaver
breaks the news to her that her registration for that quarter has been denied for lack of payment at the start of Season 7. Abby confronts her ex-husband to discover that he has stopped paying her tuition because he is bankrupt. She resumes her part-time OB nursing job, and soon Weaver offers her a full-time ER nursing position. Abby accepts the offer. After several generally rewarding years as a nurse, Abby got her ex-husband to sign off on a loan so she could finish medical school. While she failed her first exam to fully become a doctor, she passed on her second try, and she earned her MD in the Season 10 finale.
In the 2000–2001 season, Abby is visited by her mother, Maggie (Sally Field
), who suffers from bipolar disorder
. Abby's childhood is revealed to have been very difficult; she was forced to cope
with her mother's erratic behavior and long absences, and had to take care of her younger brother Eric (Tom Everett Scott
). Eric, who has been in the US Air Force but went AWOL, was introduced later. He, too, is showing signs of bipolar disorder, but refuses to accept it.
Abby's father, Eddie, left the family when Abby was a child, due at least in part to Maggie's uncontrollable behavior. Abby reunited with her father (Fred Ward
) in season 13, when he initially approached her under the guise of being a patient named Eddie Jackson before finally revealing his true identity to her.
She dates Dr. Kovač and then Dr. Carter but eventually returns to Kovač, with whom she has a son. They later marry. She has befriended many colleagues in the ER who have come and gone, particularly female co-workers such as Carol Hathaway
and Susan Lewis
, and later Elizabeth Corday
and Kerry Weaver
. Her closest friend is Dr. Neela Rasgotra
, who graduated medical school with her and lived with her during some of Neela's hard times. She and Luka Kovač
are the senior figures on the show until their departure in 2009.
Abby's next relationship is with Dr. John Carter. Abby discovers Carter shooting up on painkillers. She tells the doctors about it, and at their urging and with their help, Carter enters a rehab program. Once he returns, he sees Abby at an AA meeting. She tells him that she is a recovering alcoholic and had been sober for five years. She agrees to become his AA sponsor. Abby and Carter develop a very strong friendship. This strains her relationship with Luka.
Several months later, Abby has a particularly horrible birthday and starts drinking again. When Carter catches her having a beer, he confronts her, and she tells him not to worry about her. When Dr. Mark Greene passes away, Carter seeks solace in Abby. She returns to her AA meetings, telling Carter she did it for him, and they become a couple. Abby continues drinking, and Carter compulsively tries to "fix" her. At one point, Carter is ready to propose to Abby at a special dinner he's arranged for her, but at the last minute, he ends up putting the ring back in his pocket; although they discuss it briefly in a later episode, he never proposes again.
Their relationship is badly strained when Carter's grandmother (Frances Sternhagen
) dies, and Abby's brother, Eric, conclusively diagnosed with bipolar disorder, acts out at the funeral and falls into the grave. Soon after that, Carter flies to the Congo
and joins Luka, who is volunteering with Doctors Without Borders. When Carter goes to Africa
for the second time (presumably to recover the body of Luka, who, in a plot twist, has not actually died), he sends Abby a break-up letter, and their relationship finally ends. Just as with the end of Luka and Abby's relationship, Abby and Carter remain close friends after a period of distance between them.
Abby briefly dates a medical student named Jake in season 11, but their relationship eventually fizzles when Abby does not respond positively to Jake's desires to stay in Chicago
to be with her. She also begins to grow close to Susan Lewis and Kerry Weaver.
In Season 12, Abby rekindles her relationship with Luka in the episode "The Human Shield". Initially, they decide to remain friends, but soon become lovers. Three weeks into their relationship, it is revealed that Abby is pregnant. She and Luka decide to keep the baby. Luka proposes to Abby while she is pregnant, but Abby is not comfortable with the idea and was discouraged because of her past problems, and later claims she 'doesn't need a white dress' to prove she loves him. Their baby, a son named Joseph (after Luka's father), or Joe, for short (after Joe Frazier
, the boxer whom Abby's long-disappeared father was a fan of) is born by emergency C-section at the beginning of season 13. Abby also has to have an emergency hysterectomy
. Joe is premature and spends several weeks in the hospital's NICU, requiring surgery during his stay. Abby and Luka's relationship becomes strained during this period, but they appear much happier in later episodes, caring for their now healthy baby boy.
Throughout Season 13, Abby is shown growing into her role as Joe's mother, first by taking time off to be with her seriously ill baby, then by participating in classic maternal activities like Mommy and Baby classes and walks in the park, and then later by gradually reintroducing herself into the ER world. Mid-season tension develops between Abby and Luka, partly as the result of Luka's apparently paranoid behavior regarding Curtis Ames (Forest Whitaker
), a disgruntled former patient who has sued Luka due to a stroke he suffered that cost him the use of his arm. Ames eventually breaks into Abby and Luka's apartment, and demands to see Luka. Abby tries to bargain with him, telling him that she is a recovering alcoholic, and recounting an occasion where she felt as if she had hit 'rock bottom'. Luka is taken hostage, threatened and has his hand crushed by Ames, but survives his ordeal when Ames commits suicide
. In the next episode, an emotional Abby asks Luka to propose to her again. She says if they got through the shooting incident and the Curtis Ames nightmare, they can get through anything - he proposes and the couple get engaged. Later Luka realises that Abby is hesitant about planning the wedding, so he decides to prepare a surprise wedding for her. At first, she has her doubts and fears but eventually she agrees and asks one of her best friends, Neela Rasgotra
to be her maid of honor.
At the end of the thirteenth season, Abby and Luka plan to honeymoon in Hawaii
. However, the night before they are due to depart, Luka receives a phone call from Croatia
informing him that his father is ill, so the honeymoon is put on hold until Luka can return from his urgent trip abroad. After Luka's departure, Abby along with the ER staff has a tough time with the stern and poised new ER Chief Kevin Moretti, who plans to mold the department into a more efficient and professional work environment, but Moretti quickly tells Abby he is very impressed with her work. In Season 14, Abby is struggling to deal with Luka's absence, raise Joe and work at the ER; in "Gravity", Joe is injured after falling off a jungle gym at the playground and Abby ends up falling back into drinking at the episode's end. Her drinking problem continues to escalate, and Abby realizes how bad it is in "Blackout" when she shows up drunk to a "party" in honor of Pratt and Morris passing their boards. Abby finds herself waking up at 3am in Moretti's apartment, realizing later (after sobering up at the airport when trying to find a flight to Croatia to see Luka) she slept with him.
When Luka arrives back to Chicago, he soon gets news that his father has died. Abby tells Luka to take Joe to Croatia for the funeral while she seeks help for her alcoholism. Upon her return to the ER, Abby faces the reality of her situation; she must tell her co-workers the truth about her disease. The only negative reaction at work is from Sam (Linda Cardellini
), who displays disgust at Abby's weakness, but the two women mend fences when Sam tells Abby she was being harsh because of her own long history of being around alcoholics who refused to clean up their lives. Luka is angry that she cheated on him and put their son's life in danger, and decides to move out of the apartment. He decides to work at long-term care facility and soon has a change of heart about Abby's mistake. Abby and Luka embrace at the end of the 14th season. Abby tells Luka how much she loves him and they kiss. At the conclusion of the 14th season, it would appear that Abby and Luka are willing to continue to work on their marriage.
At the beginning of the 15th season, we learn that Abby has sought a position at a hospital in Boston where she and Luka plan to move with their son for a new start. In the third episode, Abby's secret that she has accepted the job and resigned from County is slowly revealed to the others in the ER, although Abby asks them to keep it secret because she doesn't want it to be a big deal. Long-serving nurse Haleh Adams shows the departing Abby a closet wall where all the past doctors and employees have put their locker name tags. Abby then adds both hers and Luka's tags to the wall.
Abby finally leaves, saying goodbye to most of the staff who are gathered in the ambulance bay. She is picked up by Luka who has arrived in his car with their son.
. Abby offers to stay with Carter. He is grateful, but tells her that it's not necessary. Abby goes on to graduate from medical school and finally becomes Dr. Abby Lockhart. By season 14, Abby is a fourth year resident. She applies for an Attending position at County when she becomes frustrated by the endless delays and interviews for a position at an upscale medical facility. She gets this position, but Dr. Pratt uses his pull to get County to offer her the Attending physician—which she accepts.
In the end, however, both Abby and Luka decide it is time for a clean start and quietly leave to take a position in Boston
.
Abby Lockhart's final appearance as a series regular was in the Season 15 episode 3 "The Book of Abby" when she left with Luka and her son Joe to start a new life in Boston.
Abby appears once more in Season 15 in episode 20, "Shifting Equilibrium", during a phone call with Neela, who needs Abby's encouragement to leave County. Abby is seen in her new home, looking after a group of children.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. She is portrayed by Maura Tierney
Maura Tierney
Maura Therese Tierney is an American film and television actress, who is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on NewsRadio and Abby Lockhart on the television medical drama ER.-Early life:...
. Abby's full birth name is Abigail Marjorie Wyczenski.
Beginnings
The character of Abby Lockhart first appears in season 6 of ER in the episode "Great Expectations", guest starring as Carol Hathaway's labor and delivery nurse. Three months later, she became a regular character in February 2000 as a third-year medical student beginning her ER rotation. On her first day, she meets Dr. Luka KovačLuka Kovac
Dr. Luka Kovač is a fictional character on the television series ER portrayed by Goran Visnjic. Visnjic's character was added to the cast at the beginning of Season 6 following the mid-season 5 departure of leading character Dr. Doug Ross, played by George Clooney.Luka Kovač is an emergency room...
, her first teacher, with whom she will experience a number of professional and personal relationship and who will become the most important character in her long-running story. Lockhart's first months in the ER prove challenging for her transitioning from OB nursing to the ER. In her first few months, she sees Carter stabbed and another medical student, Lucy Knight, killed by a schizophrenic patient, and also has to speak to superiors Kerry Weaver
Kerry Weaver
Dr. Kerry Weaver, portrayed by Laura Innes, was an fictional character on the NBC television series ER; she first appeared as a recurring character actor in season 2, and became a regular cast member in season 3. In January 2007, Innes left the show after 12 years and Kerry Weaver moved to...
and Mark Greene
Mark Greene
Dr. Mark Greene was a fictional medical doctor from the television series ER, portrayed by the actor Anthony Edwards. For most of his time on the series, Greene's role was that of a mediator and occasional authority figure, and he was considered the main character of the series for the first eight...
about John Carter
John Carter (ER)
Dr. John Truman Carter III, portrayed by Noah Wyle, is a fictional character from the television series ER. The character, called simply "Carter" by most other characters, was introduced in the pilot episode and appeared for eleven consecutive seasons. Wyle decided to leave the show as a regular...
's growing drug addiction. Although Carter is hostile at first, he and Abby become friends over the course of the next season.
Abby's medical training had gone into hiatus and she had become a full time obstetrics nurse to provide for her then-husband Richard Lockhart's medical school education, but once they divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
she resumed her medical training. Later on, at the start of Abby's final year of medical school, Kerry Weaver
Kerry Weaver
Dr. Kerry Weaver, portrayed by Laura Innes, was an fictional character on the NBC television series ER; she first appeared as a recurring character actor in season 2, and became a regular cast member in season 3. In January 2007, Innes left the show after 12 years and Kerry Weaver moved to...
breaks the news to her that her registration for that quarter has been denied for lack of payment at the start of Season 7. Abby confronts her ex-husband to discover that he has stopped paying her tuition because he is bankrupt. She resumes her part-time OB nursing job, and soon Weaver offers her a full-time ER nursing position. Abby accepts the offer. After several generally rewarding years as a nurse, Abby got her ex-husband to sign off on a loan so she could finish medical school. While she failed her first exam to fully become a doctor, she passed on her second try, and she earned her MD in the Season 10 finale.
In the 2000–2001 season, Abby is visited by her mother, Maggie (Sally Field
Sally Field
Sally Margaret Field is an American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter. In each decade of her career, she has been known for major roles in American TV/film culture, including: in the 1960s, for Gidget or Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun ; in the 1970s, for Sybil , Smokey and...
), who suffers from bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. Abby's childhood is revealed to have been very difficult; she was forced to cope
Cope
The cope is a liturgical vestment, a very long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour....
with her mother's erratic behavior and long absences, and had to take care of her younger brother Eric (Tom Everett Scott
Tom Everett Scott
Thomas "Tom" Everett Scott is an American film, theatre and television actor. His film work includes a starring role as drummer Guy Patterson in the film That Thing You Do! .-Career:...
). Eric, who has been in the US Air Force but went AWOL, was introduced later. He, too, is showing signs of bipolar disorder, but refuses to accept it.
Abby's father, Eddie, left the family when Abby was a child, due at least in part to Maggie's uncontrollable behavior. Abby reunited with her father (Fred Ward
Fred Ward
Freddie Joe "Fred" Ward is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He is best known for his starring roles in the motion pictures Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts, The Right Stuff and Exit Speed...
) in season 13, when he initially approached her under the guise of being a patient named Eddie Jackson before finally revealing his true identity to her.
She dates Dr. Kovač and then Dr. Carter but eventually returns to Kovač, with whom she has a son. They later marry. She has befriended many colleagues in the ER who have come and gone, particularly female co-workers such as Carol Hathaway
Carol Hathaway
Nurse Carol Ross is a fictional character on the popular television show ER, portrayed by Julianna Margulies from 1994 to 2000. Julianna Margulies' removal from the main cast opening credits was in the final episode of season 6....
and Susan Lewis
Susan Lewis
Dr. Susan Lewis, played by Sherry Stringfield, is a fictional doctor on the television show ER between 1994–1996, and again from 2001-2005....
, and later Elizabeth Corday
Elizabeth Corday
Elizabeth Corday, MBChB, FRCS is a fictional surgeon on the television series ER. She was played by Alex Kingston and appeared from 1997 to 2004.-Background:...
and Kerry Weaver
Kerry Weaver
Dr. Kerry Weaver, portrayed by Laura Innes, was an fictional character on the NBC television series ER; she first appeared as a recurring character actor in season 2, and became a regular cast member in season 3. In January 2007, Innes left the show after 12 years and Kerry Weaver moved to...
. Her closest friend is Dr. Neela Rasgotra
Neela Rasgotra
Dr. Neela Rasgotra is a fictional character portrayed by Parminder Nagra on the television show ER. Following the departure of Goran Visnjic, Maura Tierney, and Mekhi Phifer this left Nagra as the longest term cast member on ER and it also made her character the show's main character so, in terms...
, who graduated medical school with her and lived with her during some of Neela's hard times. She and Luka Kovač
Luka Kovac
Dr. Luka Kovač is a fictional character on the television series ER portrayed by Goran Visnjic. Visnjic's character was added to the cast at the beginning of Season 6 following the mid-season 5 departure of leading character Dr. Doug Ross, played by George Clooney.Luka Kovač is an emergency room...
are the senior figures on the show until their departure in 2009.
Personal life
Soon after taking the position in the ER, Abby begins a relationship with Dr. Luka Kovač. The beginning of their relationship is overshadowed when they are attacked by a mugger on their first date, whom Luka kills in defense. She and Luka stay together for about a year, but their relationship becomes more strained after the arrival of Abby's mother and the increasing closeness between Abby and Dr. John Carter, and a heated argument leads to their breaking up at the beginning of the eighth season. Despite an initial period of awkwardness and jealousy after their romance ends, Luka and Abby become good friends again in fairly short order.Abby's next relationship is with Dr. John Carter. Abby discovers Carter shooting up on painkillers. She tells the doctors about it, and at their urging and with their help, Carter enters a rehab program. Once he returns, he sees Abby at an AA meeting. She tells him that she is a recovering alcoholic and had been sober for five years. She agrees to become his AA sponsor. Abby and Carter develop a very strong friendship. This strains her relationship with Luka.
Several months later, Abby has a particularly horrible birthday and starts drinking again. When Carter catches her having a beer, he confronts her, and she tells him not to worry about her. When Dr. Mark Greene passes away, Carter seeks solace in Abby. She returns to her AA meetings, telling Carter she did it for him, and they become a couple. Abby continues drinking, and Carter compulsively tries to "fix" her. At one point, Carter is ready to propose to Abby at a special dinner he's arranged for her, but at the last minute, he ends up putting the ring back in his pocket; although they discuss it briefly in a later episode, he never proposes again.
Their relationship is badly strained when Carter's grandmother (Frances Sternhagen
Frances Sternhagen
Frances Hussey Sternhagen is an American actress. Sternhagen has appeared on and off Broadway, in movies, and on TV since the 1950s.-Personal life:...
) dies, and Abby's brother, Eric, conclusively diagnosed with bipolar disorder, acts out at the funeral and falls into the grave. Soon after that, Carter flies to the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
and joins Luka, who is volunteering with Doctors Without Borders. When Carter goes to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
for the second time (presumably to recover the body of Luka, who, in a plot twist, has not actually died), he sends Abby a break-up letter, and their relationship finally ends. Just as with the end of Luka and Abby's relationship, Abby and Carter remain close friends after a period of distance between them.
Abby briefly dates a medical student named Jake in season 11, but their relationship eventually fizzles when Abby does not respond positively to Jake's desires to stay in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to be with her. She also begins to grow close to Susan Lewis and Kerry Weaver.
In Season 12, Abby rekindles her relationship with Luka in the episode "The Human Shield". Initially, they decide to remain friends, but soon become lovers. Three weeks into their relationship, it is revealed that Abby is pregnant. She and Luka decide to keep the baby. Luka proposes to Abby while she is pregnant, but Abby is not comfortable with the idea and was discouraged because of her past problems, and later claims she 'doesn't need a white dress' to prove she loves him. Their baby, a son named Joseph (after Luka's father), or Joe, for short (after Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
, the boxer whom Abby's long-disappeared father was a fan of) is born by emergency C-section at the beginning of season 13. Abby also has to have an emergency hysterectomy
Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total or partial...
. Joe is premature and spends several weeks in the hospital's NICU, requiring surgery during his stay. Abby and Luka's relationship becomes strained during this period, but they appear much happier in later episodes, caring for their now healthy baby boy.
Throughout Season 13, Abby is shown growing into her role as Joe's mother, first by taking time off to be with her seriously ill baby, then by participating in classic maternal activities like Mommy and Baby classes and walks in the park, and then later by gradually reintroducing herself into the ER world. Mid-season tension develops between Abby and Luka, partly as the result of Luka's apparently paranoid behavior regarding Curtis Ames (Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
), a disgruntled former patient who has sued Luka due to a stroke he suffered that cost him the use of his arm. Ames eventually breaks into Abby and Luka's apartment, and demands to see Luka. Abby tries to bargain with him, telling him that she is a recovering alcoholic, and recounting an occasion where she felt as if she had hit 'rock bottom'. Luka is taken hostage, threatened and has his hand crushed by Ames, but survives his ordeal when Ames commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. In the next episode, an emotional Abby asks Luka to propose to her again. She says if they got through the shooting incident and the Curtis Ames nightmare, they can get through anything - he proposes and the couple get engaged. Later Luka realises that Abby is hesitant about planning the wedding, so he decides to prepare a surprise wedding for her. At first, she has her doubts and fears but eventually she agrees and asks one of her best friends, Neela Rasgotra
Neela Rasgotra
Dr. Neela Rasgotra is a fictional character portrayed by Parminder Nagra on the television show ER. Following the departure of Goran Visnjic, Maura Tierney, and Mekhi Phifer this left Nagra as the longest term cast member on ER and it also made her character the show's main character so, in terms...
to be her maid of honor.
At the end of the thirteenth season, Abby and Luka plan to honeymoon in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. However, the night before they are due to depart, Luka receives a phone call from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
informing him that his father is ill, so the honeymoon is put on hold until Luka can return from his urgent trip abroad. After Luka's departure, Abby along with the ER staff has a tough time with the stern and poised new ER Chief Kevin Moretti, who plans to mold the department into a more efficient and professional work environment, but Moretti quickly tells Abby he is very impressed with her work. In Season 14, Abby is struggling to deal with Luka's absence, raise Joe and work at the ER; in "Gravity", Joe is injured after falling off a jungle gym at the playground and Abby ends up falling back into drinking at the episode's end. Her drinking problem continues to escalate, and Abby realizes how bad it is in "Blackout" when she shows up drunk to a "party" in honor of Pratt and Morris passing their boards. Abby finds herself waking up at 3am in Moretti's apartment, realizing later (after sobering up at the airport when trying to find a flight to Croatia to see Luka) she slept with him.
When Luka arrives back to Chicago, he soon gets news that his father has died. Abby tells Luka to take Joe to Croatia for the funeral while she seeks help for her alcoholism. Upon her return to the ER, Abby faces the reality of her situation; she must tell her co-workers the truth about her disease. The only negative reaction at work is from Sam (Linda Cardellini
Linda Cardellini
Linda Edna Cardellini is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her roles as high school student Lindsay Weir on Freaks and Geeks, as Velma Dinkley in the live-action Scooby-Doo films, and as Samantha Taggart on ER.- Early life :Cardellini was born in Redwood City,...
), who displays disgust at Abby's weakness, but the two women mend fences when Sam tells Abby she was being harsh because of her own long history of being around alcoholics who refused to clean up their lives. Luka is angry that she cheated on him and put their son's life in danger, and decides to move out of the apartment. He decides to work at long-term care facility and soon has a change of heart about Abby's mistake. Abby and Luka embrace at the end of the 14th season. Abby tells Luka how much she loves him and they kiss. At the conclusion of the 14th season, it would appear that Abby and Luka are willing to continue to work on their marriage.
At the beginning of the 15th season, we learn that Abby has sought a position at a hospital in Boston where she and Luka plan to move with their son for a new start. In the third episode, Abby's secret that she has accepted the job and resigned from County is slowly revealed to the others in the ER, although Abby asks them to keep it secret because she doesn't want it to be a big deal. Long-serving nurse Haleh Adams shows the departing Abby a closet wall where all the past doctors and employees have put their locker name tags. Abby then adds both hers and Luka's tags to the wall.
Abby finally leaves, saying goodbye to most of the staff who are gathered in the ambulance bay. She is picked up by Luka who has arrived in his car with their son.
Career as a doctor
In 2003, Abby starts her final year of medical school as newcomer Samantha Taggart replaces her as the central nurse character on the show. Towards the end of the quarter, she is told that someone has anonymously paid off the balance on her tuition. She later discovers it was Carter. On graduation day, Abby finds out that Carter's girlfriend, Kem, has suffered a stillbirthStillbirth
A stillbirth occurs when a fetus has died in the uterus. The Australian definition specifies that fetal death is termed a stillbirth after 20 weeks gestation or the fetus weighs more than . Once the fetus has died the mother still has contractions and remains undelivered. The term is often used in...
. Abby offers to stay with Carter. He is grateful, but tells her that it's not necessary. Abby goes on to graduate from medical school and finally becomes Dr. Abby Lockhart. By season 14, Abby is a fourth year resident. She applies for an Attending position at County when she becomes frustrated by the endless delays and interviews for a position at an upscale medical facility. She gets this position, but Dr. Pratt uses his pull to get County to offer her the Attending physician—which she accepts.
In the end, however, both Abby and Luka decide it is time for a clean start and quietly leave to take a position in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Abby Lockhart's final appearance as a series regular was in the Season 15 episode 3 "The Book of Abby" when she left with Luka and her son Joe to start a new life in Boston.
Abby appears once more in Season 15 in episode 20, "Shifting Equilibrium", during a phone call with Neela, who needs Abby's encouragement to leave County. Abby is seen in her new home, looking after a group of children.