Part 11.
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"Courage, my word, it didn't come, it doesn't matter. Courage, it
couldn't come at a worse time" -Courage. THE TRAGICALLY HIP.
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Dave lay in bed, half asleep. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw Paul
lurking in the shadows. Being awake and in pain was better than being asleep
and terrified, he finally ascertained as he lay in bed staring blankly
at the ceiling. Slowly Dave attempted to sit up, beads of sweat on his
brow as he dug his elbows into the mattress and dragged himself backwards
on the bed into a sitting position. "Ungh....huuuhhhhhh.." He panted aloud
as he heard somebody in the doorway.
�
"I guess you found her."
The young resident moved his gaze from his lifeless legs up to the deep chocolate worried hue of Carter's eyes. "Hey.. Yeah.. I.. I did.." Dave murmured back, sighing as he sat back in the pillows. "I.. Found her.. Not before Sobriki did.. Fuck..." Tears welled up in the man's eyes and he blinked them away.
"She's okay, Dave.. Elizabeth and Romano are working on her right now.." Carter said as he walked into the room, pulling up the highly uncomfortable chair that Anspaugh had been seated in a few hours earlier.
"She is?! She's going to make it??" Dave said worriedly.
Carter stared at the pale, sweaty bandaged doctor. Should he explain the full extent of Lucy's injuries and how serious they were? Or should he leave the man in the dark with the hope that Benton or Anspaugh would fill him in? "I don't know Dave.." He replied honestly. "She's still in surgery."
Dave stared at the man, his expression somber. "Is she going to die?"� Carter stood up and sighed, shaking his head.
"CHRIST! I don't know!" He yelled frantically. "I don't know anything! I just came up here to see if you were okay! I don't know anything about Lucy.. I know as much as you do, Dave.."
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"Robert.. I think she's thrown another clot.. Her rhythm's off.." Elizabeth murmured, glancing at the monitor.
"Run some heparin, Shirley.." Romano grunted as he tied off the spleen. Dammit.. He hated when Elizabeth insisted on showing off. He could have saved her spleen.. He was just doing it to please her.. It had no bearing on his surgical skills.
"I've already given her some, Dr.Romano." Shirley replied. "I can't give her anymore."
"Dammit Shirley.. Who's the doctor here!?" He glared at her, slamming the instruments down on the tray and advancing on the IV pole. "If you won't do it, then I will!"
"Robert!!" Elizabeth said worriedly. "Please.."
He sighed heavily, turning back to his suturing. "I mean it, Shirley. I didn't ask if you were giving her heparin already, I was telling you to give her more."
"Robert... I don't think that's wise.. We *did* just get her bleeding under control." Elizabeth said, coming to Shirley's defense.
Lucy's monitors blared and the surgeons glanced fearfully at the readouts. "She's thrown a clot! I'm telling you.. She's going to stroke out..." Elizabeth squawked tearfully.
"V-tach.. Dammit Robert! We should have put in a filter.. Didn't I tell you!? We should have put in a Gree-"
"SHUT UP! Shut up and hand me the paddles." Romano scowled at her as Shirley handed him the internal paddles. "Charge to 20.. Clear.."
The two women backed away from the gurney and stared at the monitor for a glimmer of hope.
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"Man... Can you find out for me though?? I.. I saw her laying there.. I.. I tried to go for help.. He.." Dave closed his eyes, shuddering as he relived the memories. "He.. He dragged me.. b-back in... Gutted me.." His hand travelled down his gown a finger grazing the fabric over his heavily bandaged abdomen.
Carter swallowed.. Man.. "I.. I know, Dave. We saw the marks.. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry we didn't hear anything."
"S'okay.." Dave murmured sleepily.. "Jus' find out for me kay?"
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"We got a weak rhythm, ladies.. Applaud for the Rocket.." Romano replied dryly as he slammed down the paddles.
"How.. How long was she down for?" Elizabeth stared sadly at the clock.
"Not long..." He replied, picking up his intruments again.
"ROBERT!!!" Everyone jumped in fright as Lucy's small body thrummed on the gurney as if electrified. "
She's seizing!! 30 of Ativan.." Romano barked as Shirley inserted it into the IV line.
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"It's not your fault, Carter.. I mean.. You didn't throw the party did you?? You didn't bring those awful heart shaped spinach things.. You didn't send Lucy into the arms of a killer. You did okay.. You're free and clear.." Dave muttered.
"Helouise made those spinach puffs.. I like them.." Carter muttered in response, staring at a tube that ran from Dave, draining one of his many wounds.
"Who in the hell is Helouise?" Dave cocked a brow, the taste of spinach still burning his tongue. He HATED spinach.
"Helouise is my Gamma's maid.. She heard we were having a little staff party and made spinach puffs and pigs in a blanket."
"Pigs in a blanket!? I didn't get any damn pigs in� blanket! All I got were those damn spinach things!" Dave grumbled, momentarily forgetting about his present condition. "I mean.. I come down after a little breather and I miss Pigs in a blanket.." He started to tremble, a line of drool ran down his chin as he turned a violent shade of green and vomited all over his blanket.. "I.. I miss good food.. I miss good food.. and I killed Lucy.."
"Dave.. I.."
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"She's stopped seizing.." Elizabeth murmured, rolling back one of Lucy's eye lids. "Pupils sluggish.. Reactive to light.. I guess.." She sighed.
"Let's close her up and hope she gets better in recovery.." Romano sighed.
"Better than brain damaged, Robert?" Elizabeth cocked a brow, shaking her head sadly.
"That's better than dead isn't it?" Her superior glared at her and returned to his sutures.
"I don't know... Is it?"
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