| Chapter 81 "Who's he calling?" Nick asked. "An ambulance," Lyn signed to him. Nick watched as Ted talked on the phone, then hung up and came back over. The pain in his ears was increasing, and he wanted to scream, but he knew if he did it would only frighten Lyn more than she already was. Ted pulled his light from his bag and said something to Lyn. "Nick, move your hands so he can look," she signed to him. Nick moved his hands from his ears, and with Lyn's help sat up so Ted could check. Lyn was supporting all of Nick's weight, he had absolutely no energy or strength whatsoever. She noticed that he was breathing fast, and she knew it had to be from the pain he was in. "Lyn, tell him to try and calm down," Ted said, "He's starting to hyperventilate." Lyn signed to him, and Nick nodded his head, but he couldn't calm down. Ted stopped looking at his ears, and helped Lyn lay him back down on the floor. "Nick, you need to calm down," he said. Nick shook his head and signed that he couldn't. "Lyn, go get a small paper bag and bring it here," Ted instructed. She got up and ran into the kitchen, found what she was looking for, and ran back. "Open it up and hold it over his mouth and nose," Ted said, as he was checking Nick's blood pressure. Lyn put the bag over Nick's face He tried to push it away. "Damn," Ted said. "What?" Lyn asked. "His blood pressure is low," Ted replied. Nick watched as Lyn and Ted talked to each other. He was trying his best to calm his breathing, but it wasn't working. Suddenly a flash of pain like no other he'd felt shot through his head. He screamed and threw his hands up to his ears, closing his eyes and praying for it to stop. "What the hell is going on?" Ted said, as he tried to pull Nick's hands from his ears. Nick opened his eyes, seeing the concern and fear on both their faces. He let Ted take his hand away, and was shocked to see blood on it. "That's.. not.. good," Nick said breathless. "Where the hell is that ambulance?" Lyn asked. Ted was looking at Nick's ear, trying to see where the blood was coming from. Nick's vision started to go white, and he knew he was about to pass out. He grabbed Lyn's hand and looked at her, "I.. love.. you." Lyn watched as his eyes rolled back in his head, and his grip on her relaxed. Lyn looked up at Ted, "What's happening?" "I don't' know, but it's not good," Ted said. They could hear the ambulance approaching the house. Lyn looked down at Nick, "Hang on." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nick was standing in the living room, watching as the paramedics got him prepped to go to the hospital. Tracy appeared next to him, and reached over and took his hand in hers. "Tracy, did I die?" he asked. "No honey, you were in so much pain, it was better to bring you here," she said. "Where's here?" Nick asked, confused. "This is a waiting place, it's in between the realm of heaven and earth," she said. "Do you know what's happening to me?" he asked. "Not exactly. I know you're really sick, and it's more than just your ears," she said. Nick looked at her, "Am I gonna be OK?" "I don't know yet," she said. They watched as the paramedics lifted him up and placed him on the gurney, strapping him in, and getting ready to take him out to the ambulance. Nick watched Lyn. She was trying to hold back her tears, but was losing the fight. "Tracy, I can't leave. I have to get better, for her," Nick said. Tracy smiled at him, "Come on." They walked together behind the paramedics, and got in the ambulance for the ride to the hospital. Nick could hear Ted telling them they were right behind them as they closed the doors and took off down the road. He watched as the paramedic in the back with him called in to the hospital and gave Nick's vitals. Nick looked over at Tracy, "How long am I gonna be here?" "Until you get better, or ....," she started. "Or what?" he asked. "Or you die," Tracy replied. Nick looked over at himself, laying lifeless on the gurney, blood still coming from his ear. "I have to get better, I just have to," he said. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lyn and Ted followed the ambulance in, and ran to the emergency room. Lyn stood outside the door, watching through the window, as Ted and a team of nurses, and the doctor on duty began working on Nick. They were hooking him up to monitors, taking blood, checking his vitals, and ordering a plethora of tests. Lyn moved as nurses, ran in and out of the room. She watched as some of the tests results came back, and Ted and the other doctor discussed what should be done next. The other doctor went to the phone and made a call, while Ted came out to talk to her. "What's going on?" she asked. "We're taking him up to surgery," Ted said. "What?! Why?" Lyn asked shocked, and scared. "Lyn, the infection is back in his blood stream, and he's had a blood vessel burst in his inner ear. We can't stop it from bleeding unless we go into surgery," Ted said. Lyn put her hand to her mouth, "Oh God." "Lyn, we may get in there and find something else. The symptoms he's having aren't fully explained by the virus, we think something else is wrong, but we won't know for sure until we get in there," Ted said. Just then the nurses came through the door, pushing Nick toward the surgery wing. Lyn followed for as long as she could, again watching through the windows as they continued down the hall and around the corner. She went to the waiting area and sat down, putting her head in her hands and letting her fear out through her tears. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Nick, we need to go down here," Tracy said, pulling on his arm. Nick was standing in the waiting area, watching Lyn. "I can't stand to see her cry," he said. "I know, but we need to go," Tracy said. Nick let her pull him down the hall, to where the nurses were prepping him for surgery. He watched as they stripped him of his clothes, shaved his head around his ear, and cleaned the area they were to perform the surgery. "I can't watch this," he said, turning around and looking at Tracy. "It's OK, you don't have to watch, you just have to be here," she said. The nurses finished what they were doing and wheeled him into the surgery room. Tracy and Nick watched as the doctors and nurses came in, and prepared to start. Nick was somewhat relieved to see that Ted had scrubbed in and was going to assist. He could hear the head surgeon instruct the nurse to start the clock, and then he began to make his incision. Nick turned around and stared at the wall. Tracy squeezed his hand, "I know this is hard for you to watch." He just nodded his head. They stood there for a long time, listening to the doctors and nurses talk. Nick still wouldn't turn around and look, but Tracy watched as they made their way to the problem vessel and began to repair it. "Are they almost done?" Nick asked. "I don't think so," she said. Nick couldn't stand it anymore, he turned around, just as the head surgeon found something he wasn't expecting. "Damn, how the hell did this happen?" he said. The nurses and Ted looked over, and Nick could tell by the look on their faces it wasn't good. "We're gonna be here awhile guys," the surgeon said. Nick looked over at Tracy, "I have to get better." She just smiled and squeezed his hand. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lyn cried until she had no more tears. She knew she should call Brian and Tara and let them know what was going on, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She looked out the window at the city. The city was beautiful at night, all lit up. People going here and there. She watched the traffic outside for a while, wondering how Nick could've gotten sick again, and praying that he would get better. God, why is this happening? Please help him through this. I don't care if he never hears again, just please help him get through this surgery and get better. I don't want to be without him, please God, she prayed. A nurse came around the corner, "Ms. Jackson?" Lyn turned around, "Yes." "They sent me to tell you that they've run into some complications and the surgery will take a few more hours," the nurse said. "What kind of complications?" Lyn asked. "Well, he wasn't just bleeding from the vessel in his ear. When they got in there they found that he was bleeding in the brain as well," she said. Lyn sat down, finding new tears to cry, "Is he gonna be OK?" "We don't know yet," she said, "but he has the best surgeon in the province, he will do everything he can to make sure he makes it through this. I need to get back now, but I'll come back in a while and let you know how things are going." "Thank you," Lyn managed to get out. The nurse walked back down the hall. Lyn sat there in shock for a few minutes, until she came to herself. She walked over to the phone and dialed the operator, "Yes, I need to make an international call." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The phone rang several times before Brian woke up enough to answer it. "Hello," he said sleepily. "Brian, it's Lyn," she said. Brian could tell something was wrong by the sound of her voice. "Lyn, what's wrong?" Tara sat up and looked at Brian, concerned. "It's Nick. He's had some sort of relapse, and he's in surgery right now," she said. "Surgery? What for?" Brian asked, fear creeping up his spine. "He had a blood vessel burst in his ear, but when they got in there they found that he was bleeding from is brain also," Lyn said, fighting her tears. "Oh God," Brian said. Lyn could hear Tara ask what was going on, and Brian telling her. "Lyn, we can be there....," Brian started. "Brian, don't come yet," Lyn said. "Why not?" he asked. "He's not out of surgery yet, it's gonna be several more hours,........and...um...I don't think they're sure he's gonna make it out of surgery," she said. Brian closed his eyes as the tears trailed down his cheeks, "OK, we'll stay here until you call." "I'll call as soon as I know something," Lyn said. "OK, we'll be praying for you both," Brian said, and hung up the phone. "Why aren't we going?" Tara asked. "Because they aren't sure he's gonna make it through the surgery," he answered. Tara looked angry, shocked, and scared to death, "How did this happen, and why didn't I feel it?" "I don't know," Brian said, getting up and putting on some jeans and a T-shirt. "I'm gonna go call everyone," he said heading down to his office. Tara sat in bed, afraid to move. God, please be with him. Please give him the strength he needs, and please be with Lyn too, she prayed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nick and Tracy followed the nurses pushing Nick into the recovery room. The surgery had taken nine and a half hours. It was already morning. Nick looked at himself, he had a huge scar that ran from the back of his ear around to the top of his head. "I look like Frankinstine," he said. Tracy smiled at him, "I'm sure you're gonna feel like him for a while too." "So, I'm gonna be OK now?" he asked. Tracy looked at him for a long time before she answered, "Nick, I'm not sure yet." He nodded his head, and looked back, just as Lyn was coming in the room. He could see the shock on her face when she looked at him. He watched as she sat down next to him, and held his hand, telling him that he was going to be OK. Nick walked over to her, staring at her face. He could see the tears in her eyes, and wished that he could wipe them away for her. "Tracy, when do I go back?" he asked. "Not yet," she said. "Why? I'm out of surgery. Why not now?" he said. "Nick, you need to stay here for a while longer. You aren't strong enough to go back yet, if you did, it might be to much for you," she said. He looked at her, "So I could still die?" She nodded her head. Nick looked back at Lyn, "I can't, I won't." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian and Kevin were pacing the floor. Howie and Kira sat on the couch, while Tara and Kristin sat in the chairs. Everyone had come over when Brian called, thinking it might be better if they were together when Lyn called back. "It's been what, eleven hours now?" Kevin asked. "Yeah," Brian said. "God, why is it taking so long?" Kevin asked to no one in particular. Just then the phone rang and everyone jumped. Brian ran to it, "Hello?" "Brian," Lyn said. "How is he?" Brian asked. "He's out of surgery, and in recovery right now. They managed to get the bleeding stopped, but he's still critical," she said. "How long before they move him from recovery?" Brian asked. "I'm not sure, they're watching his vitals closely. When he gets up to a point they're happy with, maybe they will move him to ICU," she said. "Do you want us to come?" Brian asked. "I can't tell you not to, just be prepared when you get here," she said. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Well, he looks pretty rough, and they aren't sure what he's gonna be like when he wakes up,...if he wakes up," she said. "OK, we're on our way, and we all have our cells with us if something changes before we get there," Brian said. "OK, be careful," Lyn said. "We will, see you in a few hours," Brian said, and hung up. "Well?" Kevin asked. "He's in recovery, but still in critical condition. Lyn said they got the bleeding stopped but they're not sure that if he wakes up, what he will be like," Brian said. "What do you mean if he wakes up?" Kristin asked, "He's gonna wake up, right?" "They don't know,.... he could still die," Brian said almost in a whisper. Tara got up and grabbed her bag, "OK, let's go." Howie dialed his cell on the way out the door to tell A.J., while Brian called Leighanne. They went through airport security, and on to the private plane they had rented. They all settled in for the long flight ahead of them. Brian looked over at Tara, she was staring out the window, "You OK?" "I'm just worried. I don't feel him anymore like I used to, and haven't since before Lyn called," she said. Brian squeezed her hand, "Maybe you don't need to anymore." Tara looked at him, worry in her eyes, "Or maybe he's not here." Chapter 82 |