Previous Disclaimers Apply
Chapter 2
"Jane, what the hell happened?" Olivia demanded.
Just as Jane was about to speak, Mallett came in. He was looking for Jane and Emma for their account of the accident.
"I'd like to hear that too." He interjects.
Jane recounts how she took Emma for ice cream. They had finished at the ice cream shop and left out the door hand in hand. They were headed to Jane's car when Emma spotted Natalia crossing the street. Emma broke from Jane's grip and started running towards Natalia. Jane said how she screamed at Emma to stop and that she was running after her. Then Emma was in the street with a car screeching to a stop as Natalia dove forward and pushed the little girl from the path of the oncoming car; taking the brunt of the impact.
No one said anything at first.
"How is Natalia?" Mallett asks.
"There is severe head trauma; that is what they are worried about most. She also had a dislocated shoulder, broken leg and several ribs broken. They are doing a procedure now to help alleviate the swelling of her brain." Olivia replies.
"Oh my God. Olivia, Rafe I pray she is going to be OK." Said Mallett.
They both barely manage a look of thanks. Mallett said he had enough for now and would come back later and then he left. Lillian had come by and said that it would still be a while yet before the procedure was done and Natalia moved to ICU; but that everyone could wait in the waiting room on the surgical floor. Rafe said he was going to the Chapel first; Frank and Buzz joined him. Olivia said that she would meet them there, she wanted to get Emma settled back at the Beacon first.
When she had returned and found the waiting room, Rafe, Frank and Buzz were there. Rafe glared at Olivia when she walked in. Frank noticed, he touched Rafe's arm and shook his head "no". Rafe listened. She sat on the other side of the room away from them. It was Buzz who came over to sit with her.
"You're taking a chance coming over to the enemy camp." She said.
"I'll risk it." Buzz said lovingly.
"You wouldn't if you knew the truth." Olivia said sarcastically.
"I might surprise you." He said leaning in closer.
She didn't reply. He leaned back in, took her hand and said "You're in love with Natalia, aren't you? And she feels the same; that's why she couldn't marry Frank."
"Frank told you?" Olivia asks.
"No, I knew something was up with you the night of the engagement party. I knew for sure what your feelings were on the day of the wedding when you were at the house. Then when I saw Natalia later that day before the wedding, I suspected she felt the same. It was confirmed when she sprinted back up the aisle." Explained Buzz.
"I'm sorry. We never meant to hurt anyone, especially Frank. Buzz it just happened. Neither one of us could deal with it. We both tried to push our feelings aside. I kept pushing her towards Frank and she kept going that way. We were both running. We just didn't realized until it was too late that we should have been running toward each other instead of away from it." Olivia said with tears now slowly falling.
Buzz reached over to the magazine table and pulled a few tissues from the box and gave them to Olivia.
"But you've found each other now. You are together, right?" Buzz asks.
"Well, we were on our way until Rafe found out before we had a chance to tell him. He didn't take it well."
"So that's why he moved in with Frank."
"Yeah. So I thought it best to keep my distance until Natalia and he could work things out. I haven't seen her in a week, Buzz. We've talked on the phone, but it is just so hard to not be with her, be there for her while she deals with this and now…"
"Sshh. Natalia is strong. She'll pull through this. I know you aren't the praying kind, Olivia; but you need to have faith." Buzz says gently.
Olivia gave him a "yeah right" look at his 'have faith' remark.
"Olivia, you need to have faith in Natalia, your love and that she will come back to you."
Tears started to flow again. Buzz pulled Olivia into an embrace. It was an embrace that Olivia so desperately needed right now. Other than Natalia, Buzz was the only other person that she ever let her guard down with. He knew her just about as well as Natalia does.
She wasn't sure how long he had held her; but it felt good to have someone there for her. Rick came into the waiting room, everyone got to the feet to hear what he had to say.
"The surgery went well. She is in recovery; it will be about 45 minutes, maybe an hour before she will be moved into ICU. Now, she will be in a sterile environment. There will be a plastic bubble, if you will, that will enclose her from the waist up. Her brain will be exposed and we have to keep any possible bacteria, virus or contaminant out. Anyone that wants to see her will have to take a blood test to make sure you aren't carrying anything that could be a potential hazard for her. You will also have to be sterilized just as a surgeon does before he enters the OR and you'll have to be dressed in sterile scrubs. For now, I am limiting her visitors to immediate family."
"So I'll be the only one who can see her?" Rafe asks.
"And Olivia. Oh, Olivia, I have some forms for you to sign. We need your consent for the procedure we did and anything else we may need to do." Rick replies.
"Why, she's not family. You said immediate family Dr. Bauer. What papers? I'm her next of kin, I should be signing papers! I'm over 18!" Rafe screams.
"Rafe, Rafe calm down, calm down." Frank says to Rafe as he finally settles down.
"I don't understand?" Frank replies to Rick.
Rick looks to Olivia. Olivia nods "yes" back to Rick.
"Natalia gave Olivia her Medical Power of Attorney several months ago as Olivia gave Natalia hers." Rick explains.
"What, I'm not following." Rafe says.
Olivia steps closer to Rafe, he looks away; but she continues anyway… "A couple of months ago I had a minor scare with my heart, the pacemaker, they had to replace the battery. After that happened, I realized that if something happened and I became incapacitated, that I wanted someone I trusted making my medical decisions for me. I couldn't ask Ava; she's not here. Your mom has been with me every step of my recovery and I trust her with my life. She's saved it enough times, it belongs to her. Your mom felt the same way. What if something happened to her? You were in prison; you wouldn't have been able to do anything. So we went to a lawyer and had the papers drawn up. The next time I had a check up with Rick, we told him that we had each others medical POA's."
"But I'm out now, I can make those decisions." Rafe begged.
"It doesn't work that way Rafe. If there is a medical POA on file that takes precedent over immediately family." Rick informed him.
"Olivia, come with me, please." Rick asks
She followed Rick out of the room. She was glad to leave the room. She did not want to witness Rafe break down any further. He was hurting so badly right now, first the tension with his mom finding out about her and Olivia, now the accident. All she wanted to do was comfort him the way Natalia has comforted Emma so many times. But he wouldn't accept it, so there's no point in trying. She signed the necessary papers and then decided to make a few phone calls, some business, some personal. She then returned to the waiting room.
Buzz returned to sit with her. Not much time had passed when the door to the waiting room opened. It was Phillip. He walked over to Olivia and Buzz. Buzz stood and stepped in front of Olivia, instinctively protecting her from Phillip.
"Not now, Phillip." Buzz said holding his hand up.
"Buzz, it's alright, I called him." Olivia said gently.
"You're sure?" Buzz asks.
"Yes." Olivia replied.
"Emma? She's OK?" Phillip asks.
"Yes, she has some abrasions on her arms and hands. She'll probably be sore tomorrow from the impact when she hit the ground and I suspect that we will see some bruising." Olivia explains.
"And Natalia?" He asks.
"Severe head injury, possible brain damage. They had to do a procedure to help alleviate brain swelling. She also has a dislocated shoulder, broken leg and ribs." Said Olivia.
"Oh my… Is there anything I can do? Specialist, anything, Olivia. You name it, it's yours." Phillip says.
"They had to put Natalia into a medically induced coma. It may be a few weeks, maybe longer before we know anything. I need to be here Phillip, I can't leave her. I need you to take care of Emma. I am trusting you here. There are very few people that I trust with her. If you do anything that hurts my child or if you try to take off with her again, Phillip, I promise you here and now, I will hunt you down and make you wish that you were never born! Do you understand?" Olivia demands of Phillip with such a determined look in her eye. Something that Phillip has never seen before and hopes to never see again.
"Olivia, please. I will do what ever you want. You are making the rules here." Phillip begs of his ex-wife.
"That's good, because I do have a few."
"First, you have to stay at the Beacon. I'll have you put into the suite next to mine. That way should Emma need anything she can go next door for it. I don't want her at the mansion or anywhere near your father more than she already has to be."
"OK, done."
"Second, she needs to be your priority. She feels guilty about the accident that it is her fault that Natalia is hurt."
"OK."
Third, when I call, you best answer the phone on the first ring!"
"Got it. Olivia, I promise, you won't regret this. I wasn't there for her growing up, but I can be there for her now. And for you. You just focus on Natalia."
"Alright, here's Jane's contact info. She is pretty much available when you need her. I've already called her and let her know you are coming and that you will be taking care of Emma. I've already got your room ready, #5408. Here's two room keys. Phillip, this is me trusting you."
"I know, Olivia. And you can. I will prove that too you. I will keep good thoughts for Natalia."
"Thank you."
Phillip stepped forward toward Olivia. He hesitated, then continued. He reached his hand to the back of Olivia's head and gave her a slight kiss on the forward. Then slowly walked away and exited the room.
A few minutes later, Lillian returned.
"Rafe, Olivia. Come with me and I will draw your blood so we can get that out of the way." She said.
In silence, they both went with the nurse. Rafe returned first, then Olivia. When she entered the waiting room, Jeffrey was there on the other side of the room talking to Buzz.
She walked toward him; he opened his arms to hug her.
"Ava, called you?" She asked.
"Yes. She wanted me to check on you. She is trying to arrange some time off. She wants to be here for you and Emma."
"Emma is OK; she's with Phillip."
"What? OK. You and I hadn't talked about him in a while. I guess things are better?"
"For now. We'll see. He knows this is a test."
"I'm sorry to hear about Natalia. She's strong, she'll be OK."
"Thanks. She has to come back to me."
Just then the doors open again and Rick returns.
"She is in ICU now. Rafe we have your test results and you are clear. Olivia, we are still waiting on yours. Rafe come with me and I'll show you what you need to do before you can see your mom."
Rafe followed Rick out the door.
A short time later, he was ready to see his Ma. He slowly entered the room, followed by Rick. Thankfully the plastic sheeting blurred the vision of his mother's open head. With the surgical gloves on, he was allowed to hold her hand; but that was about the extent of the contact that he was allowed. He barely said "hey" to his Ma. The rest of the time, he sat there in silent prayer and had a very long overdue conversation with God about his life, his mother's life and what brought them to this point in time.
He didn't notice someone entering the room until he felt the hand on his shoulder. Rick said that it was Olivia's turn to visit. He got up without protest and left, not looking at Olivia as he passed her in the hallway.
Rick brought her in. She started to cry and felt her knees weaken. Rick steadied her.
"Hold it together Spencer. She needs you to be strong now. Sit. You can hold her hand, but nothing more. Talk to her Olivia. Let her know you're here, that you love her and miss her. She needs to hear that."
"Thanks Rick, for everything." Olivia said as she turned back to face Natalia. She heard the door close.
Olivia rolled the stool closer to Natalia. She reached for her hand and took it in hers. Being able to feel the warmth through the surgical glove, gave Olivia such a calming affect.
"Hey you. Emma's OK. A few scrapes. She more worried about you. Rick is taking good care of you. But you have to fight too. You have to come back to us, Rafe, Emma and me. I can't live without you Natalia, I just can't. I love you. We've just found each other and I won't lose you now. You are strong, you're a freakin' superhero. You can pull through this. I have faith in you and in us."
Olivia leaned down to Natalia's hand and through the surgical mask, she kisses the back of her hand. She decided then and there, she was not leaving Natalia's side ever.
TBC