Bold and italics are Nathan's thoughts

General Hospital's Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 10: Awake or not

The nurses come running in. One of the nurses start to push them out and said, "Please leave, so we have room to work. They went to sit down and Lulu wraps her arms around Maxie while they wait. It took an hour before Bethanie exits the room and walks over to where they are sitting. Maxie jumps up and ask, "Why did the alarms go off again?"

"Just some minor problems, but nothing serious, his IV alarms went off because the last rotation of nurses didn't bother to check them to make sure they were full and one of his leads came off. While they are still in his room, he is getting a sponge bath and changing the tube from the ventilator. During this time you should either go home for a couple of hours or at least freshen up in one of the doctor's locker room showers. Dr. Lenney has made it possible for you to use them while the detective is unconscious."

"Doesn't it sounds like a good plan, Maxie? You look like you could use a hot shower?"

"I_ guess it couldn't hurt. Bethanie, you will come and get us if he regain consciousness, right?" Maxie questioned.

"You know I will, Maxie."

They left to freshen up. While they were gone Felicia and Mac looks for Maxie but doesn't see her with Nathan and they don't see her in the visitors' waiting room. They come back to the nurses' station when they see the head nurse Bethanie, "Hi Bethanie. We are looking for either Maxie or Lulu? Do you know where they are?"

"Yes, they should be still in the locker room freshing up. I got them to take a shower while the nurses were taking care of Nat. We got together and put a couple of cots in there so they will get some sleep while they wait. I don't want to overstep my boundaries but she isn't getting enough sleep and if she keeps it up, it would just be Nathan in the hospital, she'll be joining him. The doctor is on the verge of prescribing sleeping pills to Maxie if you her parents or friends don't get her to leave the hospital so she can get non interrupted sleep. She is wearing herself out with being here 24/7 and not sleeping."

Felicia speaks, "We have tried to get her to rest but every time she does, she wakes up to a nightmare and wants to rush back to make sure he is still alive. I think the only way to get Maxie to go home for a couple of days, is for that guy in there to fully regain consciousness and then maybe she would sleep."

Bethanie sees, the girls coming and quickly said, "I'll let the doctor know but try to get her to go home at night."

They nodded their heads in an agreement because the girls were almost upon them. "Any change?" They both said together.

"No, they are just finishing up some things and will be right out. You have until 5 pm to visit that young man in there and then its for everyone to go home for the next 24 to 48 hours and relax. Maxie and Lulu, its negotiable and the doctor will make it longer if you don't do what he asks. If his vitals change before the 48 hours are up, he will sent his personal driver to pick you up and bring you back here fast plus he is well known by the current police comissioner." Bethanie hints. She loved their reactions to that small piece of info., and even her parents didn't know that.

Peace_finally_Why are_they coming_telling me_ things_

Detctive of the _ police_of Port_Charles_I am _detec_of New York_PD_

When to_get out_dark room_

Anyone_

Maxie went to the visitor's lounge and grab a cup of coffee and headed towards her man's room. Felicia sees that she had another cup and take sit away. "Thank you," Maxie puts her hand on her waist in digust.. "You had enough coffee for the day and only have three hours until the doc is making you go home for the next 48 hours."

"BUT MOM!" Maxie said in a pouted tone

"No, honey, if you something to drink, Max will go and bring back a bottle of water. You don't need anymore caffeine when in... her mother looks at her watch, five hours you are going home for at the next 24 to 48 hours. You need some sleep if you are going to be in any shape to help him when he needs it. You need to be 100% well rested when he does wake up from the coma. He's going to need you then more than he needs you now. So go in and visit your man while you have the chance because 5 o clock will get here before you know it."

Felicia and Maxie enters

Not again_can't _leave_give break_

Maxie asks her mom how was being the new mayor going and whatt her plans were for the city. After a while they talked about this and that, all the while Maxie was touching and holding his weak hand. They were so into talking and just watching Nathan that they didn't realized that it was 5 oclock until a nurse quietly clearded her throat and said, "Maxie, Felicia, its time for you to say goodbye. We need to do some check and other things.'

Maxie didn't want to leave but she didn't have the choice in the matter. If she had to she would sneak out of the house and vsit him before the 48 hours were up, if she had nothing to say. She kissed him goodbye and dragged her feet as Felicia carefully takes her hand and leads her out of the room.

A group of nurses enter and they go about taking care of his needs.

Lulu and Dante along with Mac were waiting outside the room. Unison they asks, "How is he?" The same.

"Well, Why don't we all get out of here?" A tired Dante asks

Even though she misses her son, she sees that her friend needs her so she turns to Dante and asks, 'I miss our son but I thnk Maxie needs me more so it all right for me to go home with Maxie for at least a couple of hours?"

Dante looks at Maxie and nods.

"I will bring her home later, Dante." Mac chimes in.

"Come Maxie, Lulu appeals to her best friend, lets get out of here before they decide for them to change it from 48 to 72 hours. You could really use some sleep."

"Buut I?"

"They have your phone number on speed dail and on his chart and everywhere you have written it. They will call you if he has a complications or wakes up. Besides, if you don't leave, they might decide not to let you back in after the 48 are over. He isn't going to be alone, the doc has a nurse staying with him at all times. By the time you get here, the nurses will be very happy to have you back, they will give you as much time as you want with him because they'll be so tired of him asking when he can leave the hospital."

"All right, Lets go before I change my mind."

They went to the elevator and no one spoke as it carried them down to the main floor. When they got there they said their goodbyes and made sure that if the hospital called one, the other would call them and they would get back here as quickly as they could.

No one said anything as they drove to their perspective homes.

Ahhh_quiet

Maxie, Lulu, Mac and Felicia arrived at Mac and Felicia's. Mac went to the back seat and picked up Maxie who had falling asleep on the way home and carried her to her old bedroom. Felicia and Maxie went into the kitchen to put sme food together. They sat and talked until Lulu couldn't keep her eyes opened and Felicia tells her that she could have to other bed. She promised her that the mayor would call Dante to tell him that Mac would bring Lulu home after she woke up from her nap.

Lulu agreed and heads up to Maxie's room and so fell asleep.

Mac called Dante and they both agreed to leave Lulu where she was at. Later Dante would tell his son that his mommy was helping her best friend and would see her when she came home tomorrow. They hung up.

"Hi, little one,' Dante picks up his son. "Were you good for your grandma?"

"He was an angel. He did wake up from his nap crying but grandpa was over and he settled down once he saw his gramps." Olivia replies to the question. "Where is Lulu?"
"She went home with Maxie and her parents. She... We decided that her friend needed her. Maxie isn't doing to good at this moment."

"Why? Olivia asks. "I thought Nathan had woken up from the coma?"

"Yes and no. He is in what they are calling a 'Vegetative State', its a step up from being in coma but still unable to communication and no movement."

"Will he get better?" A worried Olivia asks

"They don't know when or if he will wake up. It could get to the point where they have to decide to transfer him to a long term facility or take him off of the ventilator. They also have kicked everyone out for the next 24 to 48 hours."

"Why?" Olivia questions

"Maxie. They are worried because his isn't awake and not showing signs like they want that Maxie will end up beside him. She is getting worn out and worried that she is and will lose him that she isn't taking care of herself."

"Where's Lulu?"

She is staying with Maxie because she thought it would help Maxie to sleep if her best friend was with her and she just needed to be around her friend. Mac will be bring her ba..." The phone rings.

"Yeah... Okay... Not problem... See her tomorrow... Bye"

"Who was that?"

"Mac. Lulu is sleeping and he didn't want to wake her up right now. So he was calling to let me know and that he would have her call me when she wakes up and that he would bring her home tomorrow." Dante responds to his mom's questions."

"Well, I got to go. Call me if you need me to watch this little guy. Hope your partner will get better and I'll might stop by to visit him when he can have visitors other than family. I'll pray 'Hail Marys'."

"Thanks, mom."

Mac, thank God she is sleeping, she desperately needs it."

"Yeah, she hasn't been getting enough sleep these past three months. It's taking a control of her life. He needs to wake up for her sake and his friends sake. I don't know how much more heartache my little girl can take." Felicia painfully realized.

"She has Lulu, Dante, Sam and us to help her through this. It's going to take everything we have to get her and Nathan through this," Mac added.

Nice sleep period._ Now its time_ to get_ out of_ dark room_ Okay_

Need to_back to_Why_ this_hard_maybelater_too tired_do anything_now

The nurses continuely watched their patient and hoping for his fiancee's sake he would wake up when she came back. They have seen lot of families conscientiously watched their loved ones, some have come through it and other have losted their loved ones. This family, they hope would beat the odds and he would come out of the coma sooner than not at all. During those hours where they saw that his eyes were opened, they would talk to him like he could understand what they were saying, but never did they ever turned towards them and followed. They would touch and move his arms and legs to keep the blood circulating through them. Making sure the monitors were doing what they are to do and nothing obstructing the tube of the ventilator for his breathing.

The 48 hours passed but everything remained the same. Lulu woke up the next afternoon and Mac took her home and Maxie didn't even stirred when she left. Maxie continued to sleep another 12 hours before she was even aware that her friend left and her mom and dad hourly checked on her.

"You must have been more tired than you thought,?" Felicia point out as her daughter slowly enters the kitchen. "Do you want some breaskfast."

"What?" The sleepy looking Maxie ask.

"I asked if you would like some food to eat?"

"How long have I been out?" A confused Maxie asks

"Oh... 25 hours and 55 minutes, Why do you ask?" Her mom asks

"What did you say?" A flabbergasted Maxie replies back. "It can't be that long? I just at the hospital not ten minutes ago."

"Sorry, honey, but we haven't been at the hospital for over 25 hours. You fell asleep on our way home from the hospital. Even Lulu has gone back home after she slept here for over 12 hours.

"Why didn't you wake me up? Nathan needs me there. Are you hiding omething from me, mother?" A very upset Maxie asks

"Calm down Maxie. Nathan is still alive and he hasn't had any more complications. Your father and I have called and have gone to check on him and the doctor has been to see him. He has also called us to check up on you and was very pleased that you were sleeping."

"But why did you let me sleep that long?"

"The doctor put up a restriction on us visiting him for 48 hours, if you recall and also he implied that he would give you a sedactive if you didn't come home to sleep and for eating something other than General Hospital's cafeteria foods."

"Oh," her daughter sighs. "well in that case, I will have some pasta and pancakes, please."

"Coming right up and honey. "Mac is at the hospital visiting Nathan so when you are done eating, you can call him to check up on your fiance."

They did small talk as Felicia make her request of foods.

What_ dammit_fell asleep again. I have_ got to get_out of this_now

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Liz and Bethanie were on shift, when they heard,

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

They looked at each other and ran to where the sound was coming from.

Buzzzzzzzzz beepbeeeeeeeeeepbeeeep beeeeeeeep