Chapter 4

Denny slowly woke up. Still with his eyes closed a smell reached his nose. He knew it just too well. It was the sterile smell of the intensive care unit. He let the acoustics settle in. He heard the beeping of the heart monitor just as the bubbling of the oxygen tank. He had no clothes on but the familiar hospital gown. Was he really back? Back at the place he never wanted to return to? Where he had lived through so many bad memories. Back at the place where he survived so much pain and humiliation? He opened his eyes. Yes he was. Panic overcame him. He didn't want to stay here. He had to leave. Right now. He was okay! Izzy sat by the bed, asleep. Denny reached for the oxygen mask on his face and pulled it off. He took a deep breath of what seemed fresh air. The monitor started to beep. No one noticed. He took off the clip from his finger now causing the monitor to send an alarm signal.

Izzy woke up. "Denny! What are you doing?"

He didn't take notice of her. He pulled out his Iv causing a lot of blood to spread on his sheets. He didn't care. The red, white and black EKG cables were pinned to his chest. He reached for them. Izzy wasn't able to move. Suddenly the room was very crowded. Three nurses and Dr. Burke were standing in the room. Denny freed himself from the cables as a steady 'beeeeeeeeeeeep' filled the room. The patient wasn't dead but he wasn't hooked to any monitors anymore but instead was spinning. Denny couldn't breathe but was nevertheless trying to get out of bed. Dr. Burke was at his side in an instant pinning him down on the bed holding him on his shoulders. Denny didn't give in. He was trying with all his strength to free himself.

"Get him back on the monitor. NOW!"

Denny was turning more blue with every second which made it hard for him to resist Dr. Burkes strong hands. They pinned the oximeter back on his finger. It showed a frightening 71% saturation.

"We need to intubate right now! Get the EKG going, dammit!"

The nurses were busy arranging all the medical needs for Denny. He still didn't seem to want them. Denny wasn't breathing for a few seconds now followed by a deep breath that resulted in a big coughing attack.

Izzy was overchallenged. She took his hand and kept saying: "Let them help you, please Denny, let them help."

The EKG was now working again. His heart was racing trying to compensate the little oxygen that was provided. A nurse had replaced Dr. Burke who was now getting everything ready for an intubation. But Denny still hadn't surrendered. One could wonder where he took all that strength and stamina. But everybody kept forgetting that he had a healthy heart now and a lot of adrenalin that was pushing him forward. He shook his head fiercely when Dr. Burke tried to place the tube in his mouth.

"Dr. Stevens, come over here now! You need to hold his head still so I can intubate!"

"But Dr. Burke, I can't…" Izzy was torn. She wanted him to get the medical care he needed but she didn't want to do it against his will. But she knew that behind all that fear, Denny just wanted to live. That was why he was giving so much resistance. He fought for life. But life for him wasn't lying in a hospital attached to multiple devices. This was only temporary though. And that's what Izzy tried to tell him as she held his face strong in her hands. He looked at her with teary eyes.

"Denny listen to me! You don't have to be scared alright? Your heart is fine. It's just the breathing and that's temporary! They will work as good as possible to get you home again fast!"

"I wanna go home now…" Denny whispered barely able to speak.

Izzy stroked his face. "We will, soon."

With that Dr. Burke opened Dennys mouth and forced the tube down his throat. "I'm sorry, Denny. We have to do this. You will be okay."

Dr. Burke said finishing the intubation. Denny didn't look at him, he didn't look at anyone but was staring at the ceiling. A nurse was still holding his arms down. He wanted to move.

"Mr. Duquette please, stop fighting." The nurse said. He felt very calm suddenly. Something cold rushed through his arms and he was getting tired. He was anyway but this tiredness he couldn't fight.

Some more chapters to go :) If youre reading the story please review, just curious!