Editing Abby Lockhart (section)

== Beginnings ==

The character Abby Lockhart first appears in season 6 of ''ER'' in the episode "Great Expectations", guest starring as [[Carol Hathaway]]'s ([[Julianna Margulies]]) labor and delivery nurse. Three months later, she became a regular character. She first made an appearance in February 2000 as a third-year medical student beginning her ER rotation. On her first day, she meets Dr. [[Luka Kovač]] ([[Goran Visnjic]]), her first teacher, with whom she will experience both a 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 that time, she sees Carter stabbed, and a medical student, [[Lucy Knight]] killed by a patient with [[schizophrenia]]. She also has had to speak to superiors [[Kerry Weaver]] ([[Laura Innes]]) and [[Mark Greene]] ([[Anthony Edwards (actor)|Anthony Edwards]]) about [[John Carter (ER)|John Carter]]'s ([[Noah Wyle]]) 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. Once they [[divorce]]d, she resumed her medical training. At the start of season 7, Weaver breaks the news that her registration for her final year of medical school has been denied due to lack of payment. Abby confronts her ex-husband, who has stopped paying her tuition because had become bankrupt. She resumes her part-time OB nursing job. Soon, Weaver offers her a full-time ER nursing position, which she accepts. After several rewarding years as a nurse, Abby gets her ex-husband to sign off on a loan so she can finish medical school. The loan defaults, but John Carter pays the deficit. After she fails her first board certification exam, she passes on her second try. This leads to the earning of her [[Medical Doctor|MD]] in the Season 10 finale. Abby's first day as a doctor begins when Pratt and Chen fall victim to a [[road rage]] incident. Abby is called in as a doctor to help save her friends' lives.

In the 2000&ndash;2001 season, Abby is visited by her mother, [[Maggie Wyczenski]] ([[Sally Field]]), who has [[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 is introduced in later episodes. He is in the [[US Air Force]] but goes [[AWOL]] and is showing signs of bipolar disorder. He refuses to accept it and clashes with both Abby and Maggie as a result.  Abby eventually reconciles with her mother during the beginning of Season 13 as Maggie is taking medications for her disorder regularly, and Abby is grateful for her support when her son Joe is born prematurely.

Abby's father, Eddie, left the family when Abby was a child, due at least in part to Maggie's uncontrollable behavior. Abby reunites with her father ([[Fred Ward]]) in season 13, when he initially approaches her under the guise of being a patient named Eddie Jackson before finally revealing his true identity to her. Abby tells him to stay away from her, although she later considers inviting him to her wedding.

Abby dates Dr. Kovač, Dr. Carter and Jake, a medical student, but eventually reunites with Kovač, with whom she has a son. They later marry. She befriends many colleagues in the ER throughout the series, co-workers such as [[Susan Lewis]], and [[Kerry Weaver]]. Her closest friend is Dr. [[Neela Rasgotra]], who graduates medical school with her and lives with her during some of Neela's hard times. As Carter is phased out of the show and Weaver departs midway through Season 13, Abby and [[Luka Kovač]] are the senior figures on the show until their departure in 2009.