Chapter 2
A/N: Hi. Okay so here is chapter two. Thank you guys so much for the reviews. So fanfiction was acting really weird and alot of you couldn't access my story including myself but I re-uploaded and it seems to have worked. Anyway I want you to know that Marie will not stay blind after all she does have a -wedding to plan:) Thanks (itzcheeseball, torontogirl12, JibbsGal1, and left my heart in paris, hslacer, fashiongirl97, bluemoon909) for reviewing you guys made my day:) Please continue to review and follow it means alot to me:)- Shy Chey
"Why can't I see? What's going on? Kate, Kelly help me out here." Marie asked trying her best not to panic but it was no use. She was full on panicing and the frantic beeping of the heart monitor only proved her theory more. What was going on?
When Gibbs heard Kate and Kelly's name he felt a pain go through him. Then he relized that it was probably because of them that she was back here with him, and he prayed a silent thank you and plea to help heal his daughter. He didn't know exactly what went down on the other side, but he was certain that this was definitely not planned.
He looked at Jenny and he could tell that she was thinking the same thing. Just as Gibbs started to call out for assistance from one of the doctors they came rushing in.
It was clear to them by the distress scene that something was definitely wrong. They immediatly went to check on Marie. He shined his light in her eyes to check for pupil reaction. But there was none, and he knew immediatly. She couldn't see, the question is why? He looked at his collegues and could see that they were coming to the same conclusion. One doctor reached for Marie's arm and all hell broke loose.
"Don't touch me! What the hell is going on. It's all black. Kate where are you? Kelly? Can somebody please answer me?" Marie was honestly about to start hyperventalating if she didn't get an explaination soon. Really soon.
Gibbs said something first after recovering from the shock that coursed through him at the insistance of Kate and Kelly.
"Marie you're in the hospital. You were in a coma. Do you remember what happened?'' Gibbs treaded lightly. He prayed to got that she remembered at least that would mean that she didn't have amnesia like he had all those years ago.
Marie sighed slightly ammoyed. It was clear to her that she was no longer able get guidance from Kate and Kelly. She was back in reality so she could face whatever was going to come that was "not her fault in anyway,"
She forced herself to nod as she remembered the courtroom and getting shot and the unforgetable pain that shot through her when it happened. She remembered falling and struggling to breathe. She had been so scared and she had to admit that she was just as scared now that she couldn't see. She was finally able to find her voice and respond to her dad's unanswered question.
"I was shot and now I'm here." She paused but before anybody could interrupt her she continued. " It is August 2012. My name is Marie Anne Sheperd and right now I can't see a thing, so can somebody please tell me what's going on?"
"You may have it your head Marie and that could be causing som e swelling in your brain that is pressing on the receptors in your eyes. We're going to do a CAT scan and an MRI to confirm our suspicions but right now we need you to try and stay calm. Your blood pressure is going through the roof and for someone who just woke up from a coma that is not good. The stress could send you right back so please if not for our sake then for your own sake calm down. We're going to fix this." The doctor said or that's who Marie assumed it was at least,
Marie layed back and took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down, but she was frustarted and their evasive answers were not helping. " Dad is everyone okay, team wise I mean?" Marie asked. She had passed out in the middle of the courtroom so she didn't really now if Josaf was in prison or not and that would definitely put the team on edge and that was the last thing that she wanted. She had watched as the sat in her room looking very sad and very tired and she wanted to make sure that they were taking it okay. She knew how close the team was, they really were a family and she wouldn't have it any other way.
"How long does this supposed brain injury induced blindness last because I really don't like it and I'm not sure I can take this much longer." Marie said honestly. She needed that visual connection with the world and she needed it now.
The doctor seemed to be taken back by her question a bit and to be honest he didn't really have an answer, none of them did. The brain was still very much a mystery to many doctors and to this day there was still new things to discover. " There really is no gaurenteed estimate on how long this could last. The brain is a very mysterious muscle and for some this blindness can be temporary or it can be permanent," The doctor paused seeing horrified expressions on not only Marie's face but also her parent's as well. "But," he said in a quick attempt to reassure them. " The possibility of that is highly unlikely. In the cases I've seen where it is infact caused by a fall or swelling of the brain most patients regain their sight within a couple days maybe a week. Before we jump to any conclusions though, lets make sure that this is in fact caused by swelling. I'm going to scheduele a CAT scan as quickly as possible, but for right now I need you to do as I asked earlier and relax." The doctor said in the most comforting tone that he could knowing that this had to be hard on the young heroic teenager.
Marie sighed. She wasn't really sure that she could relax but once again she would try. All she knew for sure is that this was going to be a long day or week if the doctor was in fact right.
She looked toward where she thought her parents were locateed and asked the obvious. "You two have been here this entire time haven't you?" She heard her mother laugh first and she was honestly relieved and even though it wasn't a very vibrant laugh it was still a laugh that had to count for something. She could hear the tiredness and tears in her mother's laugh and hoped that all of this would end soon so that they could be happy. It was about time that they had a happy ending now after everything that they have had to suffer through.
"Well Marie I wouldn't be anywhere else now would I? Besides do you honestly think that I would leave you here and be all by myself with your father?'' Jenny said doing her best to lighten up the mood. She was so glad to hear her daughter's voice and she honestly didn't care if her daughter was blind for the rest of her life at least she was with her and that was the most that she could ask for.
Marie laughed. Her mother had finally made a joke and for awhile there Jennt had Marie worried. "Well y'all were alone before I was born I mean after all that is how you made me right? Plus my birthday is approaching and I distinctly remember asking for one thing and that was a sibling and if y'all don't start now then then I won't get it. Y'all wasted 3 days when y'all could have been working together to get me the gift of my dreams." Marie said with a laugh. She glad that she was with her family and even though she couldn't see them she found comfort in their voices.
At thatpoint Gibbs had to laugh. She was correct everytime they got bored on assignment they did get busy as people say. He was so glad that Marie was able to hold on to her humor and ability to lighten the mood even in the darkest of times both figuratively and now physically. "You are way to smart for your own good Marie," Gibbs said with yet another small chuckle.
Marie followed the sound of his voice and stuck her tongue out in what she thought was his general direction. " He speaks? I was beginning to think I wasn't the only one in this family with with a medical problem. I honestly thought that you had gone mute. It's better to be smart then dumb and besides you know I'm right" Even though at the moment Marie was beyond frustrated she was glad that she was still able to do this. Somehow family always seemed to make things better.
"So what do you have to say for yourselves? Three days and you sat around watching a comatose girl when you should have been acting like must people do when they're engaged which is hump like bunnies." Marie heard her mother gasp and she laughed so hard that she thought she was going to cry and she wasn't the only one either. Her father was laughing just as hard. Marie didn't have to see her mother's face to know that she was probably as red as a tamato.
"Marie my God," Jenny started but decided not to finish because she too found herself unable to keep the laugh in. She knew deep down that Marie was right. They all did.
Their witty banter was interupted when the doctors returned and started prepping Marie for the scans. They taped Marie's eyes closed, afraid that she would inadvertantly open her eyes during one of the scans and cause even more harm to her already damaged eyes. Marie did not like this. The tape over her sensitive skin pulled and it wasn't exactly comfortable.
"Okay Marie we're going to move you to another bed so we can transfer you safely to the room. Now if this causes pain or you feel your stitches stretching you need to tell us okay? We will also have to reconnect your I.V. so just know that we are not trying to hurt you," The doctor said. Marie nodded and braced herself for the move. But nothing happened. Then she heard the doctor speak again. "By the way my name is Doctor Daniel Davidson and this is my team which is composed of some of the best pediatric doctors in the county that are extremely qualified in the field of brain injuries." She nodded and knew that this doctor was very could at his job by the sound of assurance in his voice.
Then they finally moved her and yes it did pull at her stitches a little but not enough to really cause her pain and Marie was happy about that. She knew that it was probably the drugs preventing her pain but she didn't really care.
Once they had moved her to the other bed and reconnected her I.V they rolled her to the MRI room she relaxed. They were going to figure this out.
When the test were finally done she was transfered back to her room to wait for the test results to come back and she along with just about the whole team prayed for positive results. Gibbs had informed the team about her injury. She was actually suprised that the team wasn't at the hospital by now. She had no doubt that they were given an order to get all ot their paperwork done before they could enter the hospital, and who knew how long that could take.
A couple of hours later Marie had finally convinced her parents to go get something to eat in an attempt to keep them alive and she was left alone to the quiet. She had tried to sleep but after 20 minutes she had given up hope. That's when she heard it the slow barely audible intake of breath that was not her own. Someone was in her room. She knew that it wasn't her mother or father because she had made sure that one of the nurses had told her that they had in fact left the building. So who the hell was in her room?
A/N: Who could it possibly be in her room? Please Review thanks:)- Shy Chey
