Dreaming
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Life with Derek, if I did there would be a 'College with Derek' series.
Derek woke with a start, sweat beading on his forehead. A rush of loud noises and flashing lights overwhelmed his senses. He felt like he was spinning wildly out of control. He gagged and his flesh felt like it was on fire. He couldn't sit up, and he began to panic. Unnoticed by Derek a nurse rushed in and injected medicine into his IV line. He felt himself relax and fall back to sleep.
Across the world…
Casey laid on the plush king size bed in her well decorated hotel room, well luxury suite actually, when her iPhone rang. She sat up to answer it and shivered as she recognized the number.
"Ms. McDonald?"
The voice was familiar and dread filled Casey as she replied. "Yes."
Casey momentarily zoned out as she remembered a call from two months ago that started the same way.
Two months before…
Casey had stayed up late celebrating her birthday and was sound asleep in yet another hotel room, this one in London. It took her a minute to register the ringing of her private iPhone. Groggy and perplexed she answered even though she didn't recognize the number. Very few people had her personal cell number.
"Ms. McDonald?"
"Yes?"
"This is Dr. Kary Johnson, from White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles. You're listed as Derek Venturi's next of kin." The speaker was matter-of-fact.
There was a pause and Casey realized she was supposed to say something. "Yes."
"Ms. McDonald I'm calling to notify you that Mr. Venturi has been admitted here. Can you come down to speak with me?" Casey's stomach clenched and she felt like her heart had just be ripped out. She curled her legs to her chest swallowing repeatedly to stop herself from getting sick.
"I'm not in town at the moment." Her shaky voice replied.
Dr. Johnson interrupted Casey from speaking further. "It's imperative you come here and speak with me as soon as possible Ms. McDonald." The doctor's voice was harsh.
Casey trembled and she wrapped the comforter around her, gasping out her answer. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Thank you Ms. McDonald." Dr. Johnson gave Casey her direct office line and instructed her to call when she arrived.
Oh Derek. What is going on?
The present…
"Ms. McDonald are you there?" asked Dr. Johnson with concern in her voice.
"Oh, yes. Sorry. Is there news on Derek's condition?" Please, please, please don't say he died. Casey silently pleaded.
"Good news actually. He's woken up. However, he started to panic and we had to sedate him. Panic is common so it's nothing to worry about. We plan on monitoring his breathing, keeping him mildly sedated, and if he's able to breath on his own then we will remove the tube."
Casey felt relief wash over her and the tension shuddered out of her shoulders. "That is good news. Thank you for calling."
"I'll let you know how he makes out."
"Yes that would be wonderful."
Casey heard the hesitation in Dr. Johnson's voice. "Will you be coming out to see him?"
Casey froze and her words sounded chipped, "I'm still in Europe, but I'll come if I get a chance."
Casey heard the resignation in Dr. Johnson's voice. "Stop to see me if you are able to come by."
Casey swallowed hard but kept her voice bright. "Will do and thanks again for calling."
Casey collapsed on the bed and started to sob with both tears of happiness and concern. As an adult, most of the time she could keep herself together but when it came to Derek she always came undone. Just by thinking about him, he could transport her back into that shrill, hormonal teenager. She knew that even though it was good news that Derek had woken up, the reality was the doctor didn't know the extent of the permanent damage. Casey's stomach churned as she pondered the possible outcomes. She knew she tended to visualize the worse case scenario first but really wasn't it better to be prepared for the worse she reasoned. A knocked on the door interrupted Casey's thoughts.
"Ms. McDonald your limo will be here in ten minutes." Called her assistant.
"Thanks, Tom."
Casey took a deep breath and spent the next 5 minutes composing herself only leaving her 5 minutes to get ready. Thank goodness for wardrobe and makeup.
In the hospital…
Derek tossed in his sleep as nightmares invaded. He felt himself spinning out of control as his body was thrown around bruising him in every possible place. Loud bangs and crashes hurt his head worse than a bad rock concert. Bright lights assaulted his eyes. His heart raced as panic took over.
Dr. Johnson looked on as she considered giving him more sedative. She was afraid Derek's tossing would dislodge an IV or the breathing tube. However she wanted him to wake up and start recovering. She sighed. It was obvious he was in distress. She picked up the needle and inserted the medicine into his line. If he was breathing well tomorrow she would remove the breathing tube.
AN: Reviews and constructive comments appreciated. Thanks for reading.