Chapter 4 – Paging Dr. Steve Webber
"Dr. Hunter stop compressions...Time of death, 2:27 a.m…Elizabeth do you know where Lucky is?" asked Dr. Steve Webber.
"He is with Lulu….do you want me to tell him about Dante so you can break the news to Olivia?" asked Elizabeth.
No sooner than Elizabeth uttered those words a loud piercing beep emitted from the heart monitor enveloping the room. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Steve scanned the room; registering the expressions on the faces of those around him when he realized that alarm signaled life. Dante came back."Okay, people, Mr. Falconeri has decided to keep us on our toes, so let's show him what we've got."
Like a choreographed ballet, the GH medical staff moved in perfect harmony around Dante...checking machines, adjusting tubes and wires, changing bandages. He stepped away from the chaos back into the shadows of the room. The emotions of the last 2 days hit Dr. Steve Webber like a ton of bricks. He could see his Elizabeth's lips moving, but his mind was too busy trying to find the words to explain what happened to Olivia and Lucky that he could not even hear what she is saying. Steve thought, how did this happen? Steve knew that he had to be the one to tell Olivia and looking into Elizabeth's tearful eyes, he was certain she needed to tell Lucky. "Elizabeth, I think you are the only one Lucky would want to hear this from."
Steve had seen a great many traumas in his career as a surgeon, but nothing could have prepared him for what happened. Accidents happen every moment of the day in every place on the planet, but no family should have to go through the kind of pain these people...no...my family is enduring. Walking down the corridor, Steve paused at the nurse's station to ask Epiphany where Olivia Falconeri was.
"She stopped by here about 20 minutes ago and said she was going to the hospital chapel. You should find her there," replied Epiphany.
Steve nodded, thanked Epiphany and began the agonizing walk to the elevators. Pressing the elevator button, Steve realized he had 3 floors and 1 elevator ride to find the right words to tell Olivia that he almost let her son die.
The hospital scanner told them everything they needed to know. Six victims. The two most critical were being routed here to General Hospital. The remaining four victims were going to Mercy Hospital. Steve loved everything about being a trauma surgeon. The adrenaline rush and the fragility of life never made this job boring. When Steve got the call from Dr. Monica Quartermaine to return to General Hospital, he jumped at the chance to work where his grandparents and parents put in their blood, sweat and tears...helping to make this one of the premier hospitals on the east move and new job could not have happened at a better time. He had just ended a relationship and his life felt out of sync. Moving closer to family was just what he needed to center himself and establish some roots. Steve subscribed to the notion that all things happen for a reason. Coming to General Hospital put him squarely on the path to finally finding love...with Olivia Falconeri.
"What have we got?" Dr. Steve Webber shouted as the doors to the ambulance bay opened. The paramedic began to rattle off the litany of injuries, "27 year old male with blunt force trauma to the face and head, compound fractures of the right arm and left leg, punctured lung..." Steve interrupting said to Epiphany, "Bring him into trauma 2. Call radiology I want a CT Scan STAT. Get Dr. Drake down here for a neuro consult...which orthopedic surgeon is on call?"
Not waiting for anyone in particular to answer, Steve turned to the paramedic and said, "Do you know the name of the victim?" "Yes...Dante Falconeri...Doc...please do what you can...my partner and I have a great deal of respect for him...he's a great cop." Steve stunned by the identification of his patient said, "I will do my best." Steve's mind raced to Olivia...someone had to get her here. NOW.
"Why am I so nervous? It's not like I am meeting them for the first time," Steve asked Olivia.
Olivia reached up to smooth his collar as they rode the elevator to Dante and Lulu's loft and said, "Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it's because you are about to tell my son, my only child, that we are getting married."
Steve slightly turned, smiled, took Olivia's hand squeezing gently, and said, "The single best decision I have made in my life. I can't wait until you officially become my wife."
As the elevator doors opened, Steve and Olivia were locked in a passionate embrace. "Whoa...Ma...dessert is after the meal not before it," chided Dante.
Lulu playfully punched Dante in the arm and said, "Leave your mom alone. She is absolutely entitled to lock lips in our elevator. We've done that more than once."
Smiling, Lulu moved past Dante to greet Olivia with a hug. Olivia pulled back, slightly bent down and placed her hand tentatively on Lulu's expanding belly. "How's my grandbaby doing?"
Dante offered, "Lulu and I think the baby is going to be one hellava soccer player or a dancer...the baby has been kicking up a storm...poor Lulu has not been getting much sleep...and forget about it when music is playing...our genius child kicks in rhythm."
Olivia smiled and said to Steve, "The baby must get his or her rhythm from Lulu because Dante cannot dance to save his life."
Dante and Lulu shared a knowing glance. "Well then Nona, there is hope for our daughter," explained Dante.
Olivia faced lit up...grabbing Steve around the waist, resting her head on his shoulder and said, "Our first grandbaby is a girl!"
It was Lulu who heard it first. "Did you say our?" asked Lulu.
Olivia raised her left hand to show off the beautiful emerald cut diamond engagement ring that adorned her finger.
Dante offered Steve his hand to shake and said, "I am so grateful my mom has found love...congratulations...welcome to the family."
Steve touched by Dante's kind words shared, "Seeing the love that you and Lulu have for each other made me realize that I could not imagine a life without Olivia. So, thank you for sharing your mom with me. I promise to love and take care of her for the rest of our lives."
Dante moved closer to Lulu and drew her into his arms saying, "When love finds you, grab it with both hands and never let go. Hey enough of the sappy stuff. I'm starving. Let's eat."
The elevator doors opened allowing people to get on and move out. Steve stood at the back of the elevator deep in thought. The words and phrases in his mind were getting louder making it difficult to hear something that made sense.
"Multiple injuries, surgery only relieved the swelling of his brain temporarily, punctured lung...No...I can't reduce what I did to Dante down to medical jargon. Olivia deserved better than that from me. But how do I explain to a mother that I believed her son was dead? How do I tell the woman I love that I let almost let her son die? Dante is still here...for now...but, have I done everything humanly possible to keep him alive?
I should take comfort in the fact that he has lived longer than I knew in my heart he might. When they brought Dante into the ER, I doubted he would live. Never once in my career as a trauma surgeon had I seen anyone with the sheer number of injuries that Dante had...survive. But, I knew I needed to buy Dante time...time for Olivia...time for Lulu...and there was little precious time."
The chime of the elevator jarred Steve from his troubling thoughts. As the doors slowly opened, Steve exhaled loudly, exited the elevator in search of the hospital chapel knowing that each step brought him closer to changing Olivia's life forever.