Categories: Television

E.R.’s Luka Kovac and Abby Lockhart

E.R.’s Luka and Abby together finally, might be leaving County General for good.It has been quite the long road for these two doctors to finally find their way into each others arms. The fan’s have followed them since they came to County General, and will be sad to see them go.

We got to know Abby through all her troubles and heartaches, that molded her into the woman, mother, wife, and doctor that she is today. We have cried for her, cheered for her, shook our heads in amazement for her, and sometimes even called her a few names. At least I know I did. Abby came in the season 6 episode “Great Expectations,” in which Carol Hathaway was giving birth to her twins fathered by former doctor, Doug Ross. Abby was her obstetrics nurse and helped her through the delivery of her second daughter as her first was delivered in the emergency room. Luka had actually carried Carol all the way to the E.R. from the ell during a major snowstorm, when she went into labor and eventually passed out. He did what he could for Carol, but since he wasn’t the father of the babies or the birthing coach, he did not accompany her to the delivery room. Just 3 months later, Abby would return to the E.R. as third year medical student starting her emergency room rotation.

One of her biggest troubles were trying to deal with her mother’s Bi-Polar Disease. Details came slowly throughout the years that she had a rough adolescence due to her mothers illness and even was forced to care for her younger brother Eric during her many long absences from the family for treatment. Eric makes some brief appearances in the show while he was leaving the Air Force. Eventually he started showing symptoms of the disease, and she tried to help him but he pushed her away. Ultimately her mother would be the one to care for Eric as he saw that she knew better than anyone how to help him. Her father even made a brief appearance but eventually she discovered that he had been lying to her about his identity and she wanted nothing to do with him.

Shortly after coming to the E.R. for her rotation, she meets Dr. Luka Kovach, and agrees to go out on a date with him. While out on their first date, they are mugged and Luka kills the man in the struggle. They stayed together for about a year, eventually breaking up due to tensions of Abby’s mother’s visit. They continued to remain close friends.

Her relationship wasn’t much better with Dr. John Carter who had pined for her for some time. She discovered him shooting up pain killers a few months following his stabbing which he and Lucy Knight were victim. Lucy expired in the attack. And although she told on him to the administrators, he was persuaded to going to rehab. Once he returned he became a really strong friend for her. Abby started drinking for a while, and Carter was very persistent and persuaded her to go back to A.A. and he planned on proposing to her but changed his mind at the last minute. Then Carter’s grandmother passed away and things didn’t get any better from that point. He was alone at the time of her death and clearly felt that he had been wronged by Abby at that time. When she went to the cemetery to support him, she left Eric in the limo. That turned out to be a huge mistake. During the services, he got out of the limo, as he approached graveside, he misstepped, and fell into her open grave. It was at this point he felt that they needed a break from each other and he went to Conga with Luka on a volunteer mission with Doctors without Borders. He did return to County but not for long. He returned a couple of months later to recover Luka whom they assumed ha been killed. While he was on this particular mission, he sent her a letter telling her he thought it was better that they both moved on. But they too remained friends.

She briefly dated medical student Jake but it went no where and quick. During season 12 Abby and Luka found their way back into each others arms. Just three weeks into their reunion, she discovers that she is pregnant. They spent plenty of time debating on whether to keep the baby but decided to, despite the risk of the baby inheriting the bi-polar disease her mother and brother have. He proposed to her during her pregnancy, but she turned him down saying that she didn’t need a white dress to show she loved him. Their son Joseph was born at the beginning of season 13 due to emergency Cesarean section. He was very ill at the beginning, but finally gets the clean bill of health and sent home. Mom, Dad, and Joe make the transition nicely, and mother and son bond through activities that she can include him in. Eventually even returning to work. One night coming home from work to find a crazed ex-patient of Luka’s who had sued him and lost for malpractice. He made Abby call Luka home, and when he arrived was taken hostage by Ames and tortured for hours, ultimately shooting himself in the head.

Luka made his debut in season 6. He came just as another favorite doctor was making a quiet exit. Not a lot was known about this foreign born doctor. Throughout the years we learn that he had a family back in Croatia, a wife Danijella, daughter Jasna, and a son Marko. All whom had been killed when a mortar shell struck his apartment building while he was out running an errand. All of them perished in the attack, and he was heartbroken and felt guilty for not doing more to save them. He eventually found himself moving to the United States to start a new life, but kept in contact with his brother and father. During this time is when they slid him in to replace Dr. Doug Ross who left for Washington some months previously. He too made his way around the block a few times. A few hookers here and there, medical student Erin Harkins, Chuney Marquez, a patients mother in another room, and even Sam Taggert. She turned into a regular in his life for nearly two years, even moving in together, until he decides he would like to have more children. Then she decides it is time that they go their separate ways and she and Alex move out.

The latest love, which happened to also be one of his first on the show, kept us on the edge of our seats. Luka and Abby seem completely happy together and are growing closer every day. Luka is very proud and protective of his family that he and Abby have created with Joseph. Luka is the biggest bad-ass she has been with thus far, and he showed that he would go to great lengths to protect them no matter the cost. In the beginning with Joe it was a little difficult, but he was supportive, and gave Abby space when she needed it. Their relationship continued to grow as the months passed, and although she had turned him down for marriage he wasn’t going to give up. And eventually she asked him to propose again. He did and she accepted. They started to make plans but agreed to keep it secret at least for the time being. Although Hope and Archie found out about it. Abby couldn’t get things just the way she wanted them and continued to look through magazines and such. Eventually Luka decided if he waited for her to make everything perfect they may never get married. So he recruited Hope and planned a wedding for her as a surprise. It was a beautiful wedding, there were roses everywhere, friends, dancing, everything was beautiful. Little Joe even donned a tuxedo for his parents special day, including the cummerbund, and bow tie. The E.R. was being closed down temporarily due to repairs that needed to be taken care of, and it was at that time Luka decided to step down as chief. He told everyone to attend a department party, and that was the setting for their wedding. She had asked Neela who had been a close friend to her for some time, to stand up for her at her ceremony. And she gladly accepted. They said their own vows, and once pronounced, the party began. Although there was some drama between some other E.R. physicians at the wedding, they were none the wiser, and the party went on.