Xanadu
By: Olivia
"And all the roads we have to walk are winding/And all the lights that lead us there are blinding/There are many things that I would like to say to you but I don't know how/Cause maybe you're going to be the one that saves me/And after all, you're my wonderwall."-Oasis-"Wonderwall"
"So don't go away/Say what you say/Say that you'll stay forever and a day/In the time of my life/Cause I need more time/I need more time just to make things right...And with all my education/I can't find the words to say/With all the things caught in my mind."-Oasis-"Don't Go Away"
Chapter 1
"Declan!" said Peggy exasperated as she sneezed into a tissue. If her flu got any worse she was going to have to see a doctor.
Peggy looked up from her desk at Declan and Miranda. She liked working with Declan on his cases, but sometimes he got pushy. "You can't just barge into someone's life like that, especially..." said Peggy as she was getting up from her desk. She never did finish her sentence because as soon as she stood up and moved around her desk, she began to list. Instinctively, Peggy put her hand out to grab her desk in order to steady herself, but her hand missed and she started to fall to the floor.
Declan dove for Peggy. Under different circumstances, the sight would have been comical. But there was no one laughing right now. Declan reached Peggy just in time as her head and upper back hit his arms. He had saved her head from taking a serious blow. Declan gently lowered Peggy the rest of the way to the ground as Miranda raced to the other side of her.
"Peg...Peggy, can you hear me?" asked Declan the sound of worry echoing in every word. But Peggy was unconscious and she started shaking slightly. Declan looked up to see his worry mirrored in Miranda's face. "Miranda, go get a doctor!"
Miranda nodded once and flew into the hall and finding the first doctor got him to come into Peggy's office. Declan moved aside with Miranda while the doctor and a nurse quickly examined Peggy.
"She's got a bad case of the flu," said Declan trying to be helpful.
The doctor looked up at Declan, his face neutral. "This is something more than the flu. How much contact have you had with Dr. Fowler since she started showing these symptoms?"
Miranda and Declan exchanged a look and finally Declan answered. "This is the first we've seen her in a couple of days. We didn't know she was sick."
The doctor nodded as a stretcher was brought in. Declan moved to help them put Peggy on the stretcher but the doctor waved him away. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave this office right now."
Two orderlies got an unconscious Peggy on the stretcher as the nurse pushed Declan and Miranda out of the office before they could protest. The orderlies took Peggy away on a stretcher with the doctor and nurse following.
"Is she going to be okay? Can you tell me what's wrong?" asked Declan.
The doctor looked back once. "We'll know more once we run some tests," he said as he disappeared around a corner with Peggy.
Chapter 2
It seemed like eternity before the doctor, Dr. Jaspers, finally came out of the room where Peggy was being isolated. Declan and Miranda stood up.
"How's she doing, Doc?" asked Declan worriedly. Miranda said not a word and yet her face bore the same look of worry as Declan's.
Dr. Jaspers took a deep breath before speaking. "There was a patient here who died recently. Dr. Fowler had been working with the family and patient, counseling them. The patient died of meningitis and despite precautions it seems that Dr. Fowler has contracted it herself."
There was a pause while Declan and Miranda waited on the doctor to elaborate. When he didn't, fear set in.
"But she's going to be okay, right? You caught it in time," said Declan.
The doctor just looked at the two of them. "The truth is, we simply don't know. Right now it looks bad. If she makes it though the next twenty-four hours, there's a good chance."
"Is she awake? Can we see her?" asked Declan.
Dr. Jaspers thought about his answer before speaking. "I'd advise against it due to the risk of contracting the disease yourselves. It is highly contagious. But if you insist we can arrange for you to be put in protective clothing. Dr. Fowler is in and out of consciousness and she needs her rest. I wouldn't recommend staying with her for very long. And you should go in one at a time."
Declan just nodded. He was going in to see Peggy.
The doctor returned his nod. "Very well. I'll see a nurse about getting you suited up."
After the doctor left, Declan turned to Miranda. "I'm going to go in Miranda, but I'd feel better if you waited out here. It's safer. Just in case."
Miranda shook her head. "No way, Declan. After you, I'm going in to see her."
Declan was about to protest. He was out of his mind at the thought of losing one friend. As for his own life, he was heedless of the danger, but he wasn't about to take the chance of losing the other person whom he cared deeply about. But from look on Miranda's face, Declan could tell there was no point in arguing with her. Somewhere along the way, Peggy's friendship had come to mean as much to Miranda as it did to Declan.
"Okay," was all Declan could say.
Chapter 3
Declan walked into the room, fully clothed in hospitals scrubs and mask to cover his face. He even had gloves on his hands. But despite all the uncomfortable clothes, all he saw when he entered the room was Peggy lying there on the hospital bed. It was just he and Peggy in the room.
Declan walked up to the side of Peggy's bed. She just lay there with tubes connecting her to other instruments that were monitoring her vitals. Her eyes were closed, but she looked anything other than peaceful. That was when Declan realized that she was in pain. His eyes became watery and Declan blinked back the tears. Crying wasn't going to do Peggy any good.
Declan reached out and put his gloved hand over Peggy's hand that was closest to him. "Hi, Peg," he whispered not knowing whether she was aware of him. He wished her could take of his gloves and touch her for real.
"Declan," mumbled Peggy startling him. Peggy didn't open her eyes, the movement being too much, too painful for her, but the corners of her mouth turned upward in a quick attempt at a smile.
Declan smiled underneath his own mask. "How ya feeling, Peg?" Declan tried not to let any worry enter his words. He didn't want to scare Peggy about the seriousness of her situation.
"Been better," said Peggy drowsily.
"It's that right? We'll Peg, it's going to take a little bit of time, but soon you'll be back on your feet with Miranda and me. We've still got that investigation that's on going. Now I know what you're going to say, you're going to say that I barge into people's lives, but..." Declan suddenly realized that he had been rambling in all his nervousness.
"It's okay, Declan. I already know."
"Know what?" asked Declan trying to feign ignorance of the fact that Peggy might know that her life was in serious mortal danger. She couldn't die. Declan wouldn't allow it, not even the thought of it, to be spoken.
Peggy ignored the question. "I've been lying her thinking about my husband."
"Peg..." began Declan."
"I was thinking that when that car hit him, I was wondering, if he knew, if he knew that he was going to die, or if it was just instantaneous."
Declan couldn't stand it another minute he squeezed Peggy's hand. "Peg, listen to me. You are not going to die. You've got to stop thinking about things like that. You need to fight this. Remember when you and Miranda intervened and made me get my tumor taken out. You made me fight."
Peggy didn't say anything.
"Peg, you loved your husband, well Miranda and I, we love you. You're our third Musketeer."
"There were actually four Musketeers," interjected Peggy.
Declan choked out a half sob half laugh. "That's not the point. The point is you've become very special to us, to me, and I don't want to lose you."
A nurse opened the door. "Dr. Dunn you're time is up. Dr. Fowler needs to get her rest so you other friend can see her."
"I've gotta go now, Peg, but I'm going to be right down the hall, okay. I'm waiting there until its time for us to take you home."
Declan reluctantly let go of Peggy's hand and started to walk to the door when he heard Peggy mumble his name. When he turned back around he saw that Peggy had found enough strength to open her eyes and turn her head slightly to look at him. He saw pain in her eyes and a dullness that made his heart start to break. But then he saw something else there, just a glimmer, and a spark of Peggy's spirit.
"I'm sorry I said you barge into people's lives, Declan. You barge in because you want to help them. That's what I love about you. I'm glad you walked into my life," and with those words the exhausted Peggy fell back to sleep.
Declan stood there for a moment smiling at Peggy before the nurse hustled him out of the room. But by the time he was back in the hospital corridor the fear and worry that had been consuming him returned.
Chapter 4
"How's she doing?" asked Miranda as soon as she saw Declan.
Declan sat down beside her on the sofa and stared at the hospital floor. "Doesn't look good, Miranda. She was talking about her husband. I tried to talk with her. I thought maybe I had gotten through, but, oh, I don't know. It was like she was saying good-bye to me in there."
Miranda put her hand on Declan's that was next to her on the sofa. "Peggy's going to be just fine, Declan. She's strong. You'll see."
Declan simply nodded at Miranda's words as he continued to stare down at the floor. Had he actually looked at her, he would have noticed a certain puffiness and redness about the eyes that hadn't been there before.
Chapter 5
A few hours later, Miranda fully clothed in her own protective gear entered Peggy's hospital room. She was struck by how this vibrant, caring woman had been struck down so quickly by this disease. The disease didn't care that Peggy devoted her life to helping people cope through difficult times and get themselves back on their feet. Miranda could only think about how a few days ago her, Peggy, and Declan had spent a fun Saturday night having dinner and then watching a movie.
Miranda, despite a growing fear, got her feet moving towards Peggy's bed. Was she asleep?
"Peggy?" asked Miranda quietly.
"Hi, Miranda," whispered Peggy and again the same smile that had tried to make an appearance on Declan's arrival tried to make one here. But Peggy had grown weaker since Declan's visit.
There was silence. Miranda didn't know what to say. She didn't even realize that she had been crying into her mask until she sob out, "You're not going to die, Peggy."
Peggy finally gathered up enough strength to open up her eyes and look at Miranda. She moved her hand a bit, a simple gesture, and Miranda took it.
"Peggy, you've always been the strong one. Declan and I...we need you. I just wanted, I needed you to know, that I probably wasn't the nicest I could have been when I first met you...I just..."
"Miranda, you and I, we started out as friends of Declan, but I think now our friendship stands on its own as well."
Miranda nodded. Her heart was too full of emotion to organize any thoughts or words. Miranda always shied away from social situations and from letting people in. There was always too much confusion, too much hurt, the fear of rejection and ridicule. But she couldn't shy away now. Peggy was sort of like the older sister she never had. Peggy was always so poised and always knew exactly the right things to say and do. She was always helpful and caring. Miranda admired these things about her.
"Peggy, I'm not the easiest person to get to know, because I always keep people at such a distance. But you and Declan, you're my friends, my family. Please don't give up. You can't give up."
Peggy moved her lips in an attempt to speak when suddenly monitors started beeping crazily and Peggy's eyes closed.
"Peggy!" shouted Miranda as nurses and doctors came streaming in. A nurse pushed Miranda out into the hall and closed the door. Miranda simply stared at the door. And the prayers in her mind flew fast to heaven.
Chapter 7
The first rays of the morning sunrise were beaming though the hospital window onto a sofa where two visitors slept. Sometime during the night, between the pacing, and the worry, the drinks of coffee, and brief conversations, Declan and Miranda had fallen asleep on the sofa.
"Excuse me, Declan Dunn?" asked Dr. Jaspers who was studying the two sleeping figures amusingly.
Miranda and Declan both blinked their eyes struggling to come fully awake. When Miranda realized her head was resting on Declan's chest she quickly sat up. Her memory was fuzzy, but she hadn't remembered falling asleep that way. She must have accidentally moved that way in her sleep. But there was no time to dwell on those thoughts.
"How is she?" asked Miranda fearfully.
The doctor smiled at them. "She made it through the night. She's doing great. Of course it'll take her some rest, some time to get back on her feet, but she'll be just fine."
Miranda and Declan exchanged smiles.
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Doc. You have no idea how much this means," glowed Declan as he shook Dr. Jaspers hand.
Chapter 8
Peggy looked up from her notes on her desk at the sound of knocking. Her smile lit up her eyes when she saw who it was.
"What's up, Peg?" said Declan smiling as he and Miranda sauntered into her office.
"Hey, you two," said Peggy.
"Hope you haven't eaten anything because we are here to take you out to lunch. We've got to celebrate your first day back," said Declan exuberantly.
"That's sweet of you two, but it is my first day back, and I'm swamped..."
"C'mon, Peg," said Declan laughing. "Don't make us beg."
"We won't take `no' for an answer," chimed in Miranda.
Peggy shot them an exasperated look that they all knew wasn't serious. "Okay, okay, just let me get my coat."
"So how is your first day back going?" asked Declan as the three were leaving the hospital.
"Just perfect," said Peggy with a warm smile that let Declan and Miranda know that they were the ones that had made her first day back perfect.