I honestly can't get a specific scene from 'The Rita Supremacy' out of my head- the moment when Ethan has to do a pericardiocentesis…I mean; he did seem really nervous and unsure. I thought it could have been down to two reasons. A) He was doing a life-saving procedure without Zoe or Connie there to guide him, or B) He remembered that Cal had to do the same thing to him to save his life.
To be fair, Ethan was unconscious when Cal did it to him- but, if that is what happened, then he could have just been thinking that he was in the same position as Cal was 6 months previously. Yep, I'm banking on reason B here.
So, I decided to write that scene a little differently, where Ethan isn't so 'unflappable'- as he puts it.
Just a little note (aside from the above(!)), I've never written in the present tense before, so I hope it is okay.
Remembering's a Curse
"Agghh." Ethan immediately knows something is wrong when Joey groans in pain after trying to move. He said it- over and over again- not to move, and this is the result. Ethan orders Joey's girlfriend and her mother out of RECUS…they were the stupid people that caused him to move.
"He's tachycardic." Robyn reports to Ethan shaking her head. He knows something is gravely wrong. His stats aren't good, and he can't breathe properly.
"The hematoma is a lot more pronounced." He tuts aloud, wishing he could just turn back the clock. Ethan pulls down the top of Joey's gown and hears Robyn state something else.
"His BP and stats are dropping…" All Ethan wants to do is swear at this moment. He was alone with Robyn. Usually Connie or Zoe would be by him, guiding him. Now he had to do this by himself- praying he won't get it wrong. "His pulse is 140." She continues.
"Right, we need to do a repeat 12-lead ECG," He states, while listening to Joey's chest using the stethoscope that previously occupied his neck, "and do a fast scan of his chest. Did anyone send off cardiac enzymes?" He questions the only nurse there. Robyn nods.
"They went up with the bloods." She confirms, wondering just what Ethan was thinking was wrong with Joey. She too wished Zoe or Connie was there to help them.
After a few seconds silence and the continued fast beeping in the background, Ethan makes a discovery. He had to run through everything out loud just to confirm it. He looks at the monitors, and pushes his glasses further up his nose- Robyn knows he only does this when he is really nervous. "Alright, I defiantly saw some non-specific changes on his ECG," he says, "he's got a badly fractured… sternum, no pneumothorax…but he's… becoming dyspneic … and tachycardic…" Then Robyn says the word Ethan really didn't want to hear.
"Tamponed?" She suggests. He knows she's right, he knows what he had to do. He just doesn't want to do it. Then he remembers Cal telling him what happened on the day of the crash. He is in Cal's position right now. It's a life-saving procedure, and Ethan had to do it. He'd only done it a couple of times before- and under the supervision of consultants. If he doesn't do this, Joey won't make it. But, he can't do it. He's tried to stay away from things like this since the crash. But, he needs to. He just does.
"I'm going to need to do a pericardiocentesis and... basically hope I'm right…" He tells her, still fiddling with his stethoscope round his next. Robyn glances worriedly at the young doctor, letting out a breath and lowering the bed.
A couple of minutes later, and Joey's prepped. "Okay, that should be going numb now." Ethan states as confidently as he can to Joey, who seems to be struggling to stay awake. "Joey, this is the needle I'll be using to drain off…what I think is…a collection of blood around your heart. Okay?" He tells him. On seeing Joey nod, he braces himself.
He can't do it. He can't do this. He just can't.
On seeing Ethan pause completely, Robyn starts to feel scared for him. "You okay?" She questions cautiously. Ethan knew he couldn't tell Robyn the real reason his heart seems to be stopping.
"Yes, I just need to…see it through in my head." He replies, only giving the nurse a quick glance and smile. Then he has to do it.
"Alright…" He lowers the needle to Joey's chest, then pauses. He pauses completely, not even sure if he was breathing. The whole world seems to stop around him. He imagines what happened 6 months previously. If he were Cal and the person lying on the bed was him. A life-saving procedure that saved his own life.
"Ethan…" Robyn treads cautiously, noticing how the doctor seems to be completely still, staring at the needle in hand. "Ethan!" She says louder this time. He seems to nearly jump out of his skin as he retracts the needle away from Joey and looks up at her- worry swimming around in his eyes, behind his glasses. "What's wrong?" She has an idea about what he could be thinking. She knows that this same procedure was done on Ethan a mere 6 months ago, and saved his life. Could he be thinking the same thing?
Ethan puts the needle down and backs away ever so slightly, staring at both the needle and the monitor continuously. "He's throwing off some Vs…" Robyn tells him, unsure whether that would do any good. "Ethan, you need to do this." She persists. "Dr. Hardy!" Robyn calls him by that name in the hopes it would snap him out of whatever trance he was stuck in. Nothing. He backs away further still, removing his gloves and throwing them where the needle was.
Joey is declining, but so is Ethan. He is declining from reality as all he can remember is the crash. His memory flooding with images of that day. He can't stop it. Robyn was now growing increasingly worried for Ethan, and she knows she has to get another doctor- but that means leaving Joey. Robyn then sees Tash on the other side of RECUS, and calles for her- telling her to get Dylan and Cal. She did just that.
"Ethan, it will be okay…" Robyn reassures the doctor, who seems to be staring at the needle and backing away even further. Shaking wracked his young frame and there was nothing but fear on his face. He reached the wall, but wanted to back away further- still not taking his eyes off of the needle. Robyn saw Dylan and Cal enter. "Dylan, I need you to do a pericardiocentesis," Dylan just looked confusingly at Ethan, before prepping himself to do the procedure. "Cal…" Robyn gestures towards Ethan, and mouthed, 'the crash'. Cal knew what she means, and rushes to Ethan's side. Ethan didn't even seem to register that Cal was there. He watched as Dylan picked up the needle…then there was Cal.
Cal stands in Ethan's line of sight- realising what he had his eyes fixed on. "Ethan, Ethan can you hear me?" He notices how Ethan had zoned out completely from his surroundings. No answer from his little brother, Cal decides to try again. "Ethan!" He shouted louder. That seems to snap Ethan out of his trance. Only now did Cal realise that Ethan's breathing had sped up, and he was pale and shaking. One phrase sprung to Cal's mind. Panic attack. Ethan hadn't had them since they were children, and he knew Robyn was right about the crash theory.
Cal grabbs Ethan's hand, in turn feeling his wrist for a pulse. It isn't surprising that his pulse is racing. He just knows he has to get Ethan to calm down, and quickly.
Chapter 2 shall be up, hopefully, tomorrow, and it should end in chapter 2. Please review?