Ovarian Grievance
Pairing: Sara and Nick
Sara is diagnosed with a benign ovarian tumor.
A/N: This is based loosely on what happened to me the past three months.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sara, Nick or any other CSI character. I only own my original characters and this story plot.
The Diagnosis
Sara was lying impatiently in the hospital bed in the ER. Nick was sitting on the chair next the bed. They were both waiting for the results of some tests the doctor performed on her to find out what's wrong with her.
"Whatever the doctor says," Nick said gently stroking her hair. "I'll be here for you."
"I know you will," Sara gave him a small smile. "Where is that damn doctor?"
"She's still tending to another patient," he told her. "Just relax and she'll be here soon."
"I hate emergency rooms," she hissed. "It seems like they take too long."
"I hate them as much as you do," he sighed. "I don't want to be reminded of the last time I was in one. Damn that Walter Gordon!"
The medication that kept Sara calm for her abdominal and pelvic CT Scans had made her sleepy so she drifted off to a slumber. As she slept, the doctor approached Nick with a blank look on her face.
"Dr. Chamberlain, what's wrong with my fiancée?" Nick asked with agitation in his voice.
"Mr. Stokes, may I have a word outside the room?" Dr. Chamberlain asked softly.
"Sara is asleep," Nick told her. "Whatever you have to tell me, you can tell me here."
"Okay, I'll tell you," she said. "Ms. Sidle has an ovarian teratoma and it looks like it's a huge one."
"Whoa, are you saying my fiancée has ovarian cancer?" he asked anxiously.
"She has a tumor or a dermoid cyst," she replied. "However, 999 out of 1,000 times, it's benign."
"Are you going to admit her?" he asked.
"I would rather she follow up with her gynecologist as soon as possible," she replied.
"So, you are telling me she can go home and wait for her doctor to decide what to do next," he shrugged.
"Those are the instructions," she replied. "Does she have her appointment with her gynecologist scheduled within the next few days? She needs to see him or her right away."
"She seeing her tomorrow afternoon," he said.
"I am going to print out the information and a prescription for a pain reliever," she said. "As soon as she wakes up from the sedative, tell her what she has."
Nick nodded and Dr. Chamberlain left to finish the visit. He slumped back on the chair next to Sara's bed and put his hands on his face in frustration.
Flashback
Greg, Warrick and Sara were at Dr. Robbins autopsy room meeting with the medical examiner about the body found in the fountains of the Bellagio. It was a male in his late teens and appeared to be wealthy.
"He didn't drown," Dr. Robbins said bluntly. "There wasn't any water in his lungs. He was killed elsewhere."
"What about the cause of death?" Sara asked as she clutched her right side.
Warrick and Greg looked at Sara with concern. She had been doing that since the start of shift and they wondered if Nick knew about this. She had also been feeling gassy and dismissed it as something she ate that made her feel that way. At least she didn't contaminate their crime scene. That was a great comfort for her partners of the night and that Ecklie wouldn't chew her out again.
"This poor fellow suffered terribly," Dr. Robbins reported. "He was bludgeoned by a blunt object, asphyxiated, and strangled. There might be some other factors contributing to his death. I sent a sample of his blood to toxicology for analysis."
"There were some unknown fibers that Trace is looking at as we are here," Greg added.
"I'll visit Hodges to see what he has for us," Sara offered.
"Sara, let me take care of that," Warrick insisted. "You are going to the break room and sit on the couch. You have been holding on to your right side on-again and off-again. I had seen you at times rubbing the middle of your back on the right side. I am surprised Nick didn't stop you from coming to work."
"Nick doesn't know," she hissed. "I am okay and I am going to talk with Hodges."
Just when Sara was about to take a step out of autopsy room, Greg grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the break room.
"Greg, I am going to kick your ass and Nick will help me!" Sara snapped as she already was in the break room.
"Hey Sara, didn't Warrick tell you we will take care of everything?" Greg asked. "Just sit or lie down and relax. If I see Nick, I'll send him to you. He is still with Grissom and Catherine processing that 419 at Caesar's Palace."
Sara didn't realize how long she was napping on the break room couch until she heard an unfocused voice belonging to a certain Texan. She felt herself being gently shaken, but didn't open her eyes yet.
"Wake up, Sweetie!" the voice said clearer.
She fluttered her eyes open and saw it was Nick gingerly attempting to wake her up.
"Greggo told me I would find you here," Nick smiled and turned serious when he saw her clutching on to her right side. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"I started feeling pains around here at the beginning of shift," Sara explained. "It was more like a gassy type pain. I could also feel it radiating in the middle of my back on the right side. It's worse when I sit or lay down."
"I am going to speak with Doc Robbins to ask him to give you a brief exam and see what he wants you to do next," he said. "I'll be right back ASAP. Don't get up! Just relax!"
Fifteen minutes later, Nick returned to the break room with Dr. Robbins in tow.
"Nick was telling me about your symptoms," Dr. Robbins said. "I am just going to touch your abdominal area. If there's any area that gives you any discomfort, let me know. Don't be Ms. Stoic or Ms. Tough Woman. You can scream if you'd want."
Sara nodded as Dr. Robbins felt around her abdomen with some pressure. She loudly groaned when he touched the lower right area.
"Nick, you need to take Sara to Desert Palm Hospital immediately," Dr. Robbins told the younger man. "She could have appendicitis."
"I'll go tell Grissom that I am taking her to Desert Palm," Nick said.
"Shift is almost over anyway," Sara said. "You could take me there anyway."
"No, I have to tell him anyway," Nick smirked. "I'll be right back."
A few minutes later Nick returned to the break room and found Sara fully awake and sitting on the couch.
"Hey, I spoke with Grissom," Nick said. "I told him what happened and that I am taking you to the hospital."
"What did he say?" Sara asked.
"He told me that it was fine with him," he replied. "Shift is over and that we could leave. However, he wants to know if it's appendicitis or not."
"We'll tell everyone as soon as we know," she sighed. "They need to know what it's going on with me."
"Here, let me help you," he smiled as he gently pulled her up from the couch.
As soon as they left the lab, they were in Nick's Tahoe. He let Sara play her favorite CD. The ride to Desert Palm was mostly in silence since Sara was looking out the window. She looked at Nick when she started to feel a little pain.
"Can we stop over at the urgent care center?" Sara asked with a whine.
"No, I've been ordered to take you to Desert Palm," Nick replied sternly.
Sara whimpered loudly.
"Okay, I'll make a deal with you," he reluctantly relented. "We'll go to Urgent Care. However, if the doctor there says you have to go to the ER, you are going whether you like it or not. Do we have a deal?"
"Sure, just take me to Urgent Care," she hissed.
As soon as they arrived at Urgent Care, Sara was able to see a doctor right away. She was given an examination in which she screamed when the doctor touch lower right quadrant. The doctor ordered a CBC test and had Sara wait in the exam room. Nick was there with her to calm her down during the wait.
"Ms. Sidle, I have the results of your blood test," the doctor said. "Your white blood cell count is slightly elevated. I would like to give you a CT scan to rule out appendicitis, but our machine is undergoing maintenance at the moment. I am sending you to the ER of Desert Palm Hospital."
"I don't think I have appendicitis," Sara gasped. "You told me my temperature was normal."
"Yes, but the pain in the right lower quadrant," the doctor replied. "That tells me it could be appendicitis."
Sara just sat on a chair just taking in the preliminary diagnosis.
"It looks like you are going to the ER after all," Nick said.
"Shut up, Nick!" Sara hissed.
"Mr. Stokes, is your fiancée always this stubborn?" the doctor whispered to Nick.
"Yes, she is," Nick whispered back. "I love her very much anyway."
The doctor left to contact Desert Palm about Sara, but not before telling her and Nick can wait in the waiting area. It was just to let the hospital know that a patient would be arriving soon and her information was faxed. The doctor told them that the ER is waiting for Sara.
"Tell them that you are going in for a CT scan," the doctor told Sara. "I know it indicates that in the fax, but they occasionally get clueless when it comes to our patients here. Get better soon."
"Thank you," Sara replied as she and Nick left the facility.
Sara got a bed after checking in, waiting about an hour and Nick's protest. She had been through the ringer with a few tests. She had to endure drinking some nasty tasting solution before getting that CT scan. The nurse gave her some medicine to keep her calm during the procedure. After she had the CT scan done, she was taken back to her room and she dozed off three times.
End of Flashback
"Nick, what time is it?" Sara asked as she slowly woke up. "When do I get to go home?"
"It's about 2 in the afternoon," Nick smiled. "We are going home as soon as Dr. Chamberlain gives you your discharge papers and prescriptions."
"They aren't going to admit me?" she asked.
"The good news is that you don't have appendicitis," he replied. "The bad news is that you have an ovarian teratoma."
"What's that?" she asked. "Is that cancerous?"
"It's a tumor," he calmly explained. "It's mostly benign. Dr. Chamberlain will explain to you as soon as she returns."
As if on cue, Dr. Chamberlain returned to the room carrying a few papers.
"Ms. Sidle, here are your discharge papers," Dr. Chamberlain smiled. "I am giving you a prescription for a painkiller. Take it is you need it. Follow up with Dr. Rogers soon."
"Can you explain to me what an ovarian teratoma is?" Sara asked not allowing the doctor to finish.
"It's another name for a dermoid cyst," Dr. Chamberlain said. "These rascals are benign 999 out of 1,000 times. I know you are afraid about have that one that's cancerous, but I doubt that. Just sign these and here's a copy for your records. When you get home, just get some rest. The nurse will be here to remove the IV and you can change back to your street clothes. I hope you feel better."
"Thank you," Sara said as she read and signed the papers.
Sara's nurse came by to remove the IV and put a small bandage on her hand. Both Dr. Chamberlain and the nurse left to allow Sara to change. Nick left with the doctor's copy of the papers to give to her and allowed Sara some privacy as she changed. When he returned to her room, she was dressed. She took her purse while Nick took the patient's copy of the discharge papers and the prescription. They walked out of the ER and into the parking lot when Nick's cell phone started to ring.
"Stokes," he answered the phone.
"Hey Nicky, this is Catherine," a woman's voice on the other end said. "Grissom and Dr. Robbins told me about Sara. How is she doing?"
"She has an ovarian teratoma or dermoid cyst," he said.
"Is it cancerous?" she asked.
"Most of the time it's benign," he explained. "Catherine, I have to go. Sara and I are both tired and we'd like to go home soon."
"I'll let you go," she said. "Grissom told me to tell you that you have the next two days off. He's pulling two people from Days to cover you. I have to ask Dr. Robbins about ovarian teratomas and dermoid cysts or look them up on the internet. Get home safely and rest. Let me know if you need anything. I'll see you later."
"Thanks, Catherine and we'll see you later," he said and they hung up.
After they arrived at home, they ate some leftover baked ziti with a salad. They went to sleep about two hours later. Nick had a protective arm around Sara's waist as they slept a somewhat anxious sleep.
TBC