Chapter 16

It was about 8:00 PM when Leah heard Justin her research assistant. "I've got it!"

"What?" They shouted as the lab staff rushed to his side.

"I've got it isolated! I really think this is it."

"Let me see." Leah sat down at the work desk and peered into the microscope in front of her. "Great job Justin! I think you are right! Way to go team. Angela, call Brad Wilson to come in. He is the best treatment specialist on staff to start working up a treatment for this thing. I will go and let Dr. Brackett know where we are at. Justin wait here until Brad gets here and get him set up, then the rest of you go home and get some well deserved rest and all of you take the day off tomorrow. I'm going to call in the backup staff. You all deserve it."

April could see in Leah's eyes that she was not feeling well. "You need to go home too! You look exhausted"

"I will just as soon as things are squared away here…I promise, it has just been a trying couple of days since the incident with Jeff yesterday.…" April gave her the 'I don't believe you look' but let it go when she insisted that she would go straight home after getting the lab settled. "Besides, I want to get home so I can call Roy and Johnny at the station with the good news. Their shift ends in the morning and maybe the four of us can go out and celebrate."

"Ok, I'll call you tomorrow then and we can make plans."

"Sounds good, good night April, gang." She called over her shoulder as she headed out the door to find not Dr. Bracket but Dixie sitting at the nurse's desk.

"Dixie! What in the world are you doing here?"

"Pulling a double shift and you?"

"We got it…confirmed just a few minutes ago…is Dr. Brackett still here?"

"Someone looking for me?"

"Yes, Dr. Brackett, we isolated the virus about 15 minutes ago and it has been confirmed."

"That's great…who is on it now?"

"I have called in Brad Wilson. He is the best anywhere around in treatment development. He should be here within the half hour."

"Good…then young lady you need to go home and get some rest." He reached out to touch her arm and she winced in pain when he did.

"What's this?"

"Oh it's nothing, I cut my hand yesterday and you know how stitches are they are just giving me a fit."

"I see…the swelling in that lip doesn't seem to be getting much better either. What'd you say we have a look at you before we send you home?"

"Dr. Brackett, I'm fine…you know…."

"Dixie will you set up Treatment Room One while our patient here finishes protesting…if you have forgotten young lady I am director of the ER Department but I am also Chief of Staff. In other words, your boss and as your boss I say we need to have a look at that hand."

"Yes….boss!"

They followed Dixie to room one and Leah herself was surprised when she removed her lab coat and sat the red swelling that had moved from her hand to above her wrist and she had been to busy to notice how much it was hurting her.

"Your fine huh? That looks like it is getting infected, Dix lets cut away these bandages and get a look at what is going on there."

"Right Kel."

They cut away the bandages to reveal an inflamed hand that was swollen and looked to have an ugly infection that was beginning to develop. "Leah, I am going to clean this out a little bit and give you a shot of antibiotic. Are you allergic to penicillin? No? Good…let's start you on about 500 mg penicillin twice a day and try to get this infection cleared up."

"Ok Dr. Brackett, I guess it is worse than I thought."

"And I don't want you working tomorrow! Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good girl, but I do want to see you back in here tomorrow and let me look at that hand again."

He took care of her hand, dispensed the medicine and injected the shot. Leah got up to go home but suddenly felt very dizzy. Dr. Brackett caught her…"Whoa, here sit back and lie down. Leah, tell me what's going on."

"I don't know, I just got up too fast I guess…it has been a long couple of weeks and I have been under a lot of stress…look Doc I'm ok, I'm just going to head home and get some rest and maybe take a couple of days off."

"I insist that you do, but I want to see you back here tomorrow."

Leah got her coat and her purse and made sure the staff was taken care of in the lab. She had the security guard walk her to her car and she headed to her apartment. 'I am tired, I just want to soak in a hot tub and crawl in the bed and sleep for about 12 hours…but I will call Roy first.' She thought about Roy, her new found love of her life as she drove home, she thought about Jeff too and it made a shiver go up and down her spine, but thankfully she was home.

She got out of her car and leaned against the door. Her legs felt heavy and weak and she hardly thought that she was going to make it to the door. She opened it with her key and locked the dead bolt behind her and went straight to her bedroom. She began to undress when she realized that she was not alone… "Jeff, how did you find me? How do you know where I live?"

"I followed you and that fireman the other night. Have a good time? I know that he stayed the night here, so I also know what that probably means…" he walked toward her as she backed away from him but he grabbed her and shoved her down hard on the bed. "Was it here, Leah, is this where he had his way with you?"

"Jeff please stop…just leave…nothing will happen if you just leave."

He had handfuls of her hair and pulled her head backwards to the bed… "If I have told you once I have told you many times that you belong to me…no one else but me…when are you going to learn?"

He reached back his hand into the air and Leah screamed "Jeff! No!" and as the room began to swim and she once again felt the blood pour from her mouth, the room went black. "Roy, I wish Roy were here."

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It was about 3:00 PM the next afternoon when the ring of April's phone made her jump and she snatched the receiver. "Leah?"

"Hey baby, no its Johnny…you ok?"

"No I am so worried…I just got a call from Dixie and Leah was supposed to come by there today for them to recheck the bandages on her hand, apparently it had gotten infected, I have been calling her apartment all day and I don't get an answer."

"She may just be out doing some shopping or something…"

"No Johnny, something is wrong. We talked before we left last night. She was going to rest today and then get with Roy to see if we could go out to celebrate the isolation of the virus."

"You all isolated the virus? That's great!"

"Wait, Johnny you didn't know that?"

"No, why?"

"She was going to call Roy at the station and tell him the good news and let you two make celebration plans for us for tonight…did Roy not get a phone call."

Johnny knew that April was right and that something was wrong. "April I'm coming to pick you up, I'll call Roy and have him meet us at Leah's." and he hung up the phone.

He called Roy who was instantly concerned and left to meet up with Johnny at Leah's apartment. When they arrived her car was in the drive and the shades were all pulled on the window. The dead bolt on the door was turned on the lock. They knocked and called out to her but there was no answer.

"Roy, I have a crowbar in my truck."

"Get it…I don't think that we have any other choice."

They pried the door open and rushed the apartment looking for Leah.

"Johnny, Roy she is in here…"

They found her in the bedroom lying across the bed with dried blood covering the side of her face and still oozing from the re-opened split across her lips. She was drenched with sweat.

"Johnny she has a high fever. April call an ambulance."

They easily changed from concerned friend and lover to paramedics. They began to access her injuries and gather what items they could to examine her. Johnny got on the land line to Rampart and Dr. Early answered the phone.

"Rampart emergency this is Dr. Early speaking."

"Dr. Early this is John Gage, we are off duty with no equipment but have an emergency situation here."

"Go ahead Johnny."

"Doc it is Leah Chambers."

"Leah? Ok Johnny…hold on…Carol get Dr. Brackett...go ahead John."

"We don't have a blood pressure but respirations are 16 and labored, she has a pulse of about 110, she has a high fever and an injury to her head and mouth area, her arm is badly infected from the previous injury she suffered at the lab. Her pupils are equal and reactive but sluggish, she is unconscious."

"Johnny what is the temp?"

"Roy what's her temp? Rampart, her temp was 103 when we arrived but has climbed to 104 within the last 30 minutes."

"It sounds like it is possible that she has been infected with the virus, but it could be from the infection in her injuries. Do you know how she got the facial injuries?"

"No Doc, we found her this way; it looks like she has been beaten…"

"Have you called for an ambulance?"

"Yes and it is pulling up now."

"Ok, start with ice and immobilize that arm, and her head. Bring her in as quickly as you can."

"10-4 Rampart, we are on our way."

April grabbed all the ice that was in the freezer and gathered towels to wrap it in while Roy and Johnny tore the top sheet from her bed to tie her head to the back board and tie her arm so it wouldn't move.

"Be careful with her guys, she may have a concussion, Roy I'll ride in with her."

"No Johnny, I'm riding this time. I won't leave her."

Johnny decided not to argue with him even thought he knew it was not a good idea for him to ride with someone that he was so close to…someone he loved. He knew the pain Roy was feeling was from his love for Leah but also stirred emotions from others that he had loved and lost.

"Ok Roy, we'll follow you."

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"Here have some coffee." The female voice made Roy jump as he opened his eyes from the chair in the ICU waiting room where he sat.

It was April, standing there smiling with an out reaching hand with a brimming cup of hot coffee in her hands.

"Thanks…where's Johnny?"

"He went to get you something from the cafeteria."

"I don't want anything."

April chuckled a little and smiled "He said that you would say that."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes, more than anything."

"But do you love him enough to marry him and spend the rest of your life with him."

"Yes, Roy I do."

"How can you know for sure that it is love, it was so quick?"

"Your heart lets you know. I love his laugh and the adventuring spirit that he has, the crooked grin that he uses to try to get out of something when he knows that he has been caught. I love the way he looks at me with his eyes that are so dark and deep they make me feel as if I have fallen into them and I don't want to find my way out. I love the way he touches me, holds me and the way he kisses me…and…I love the way that he loves you…closer than a brother…he cares for you as if you are part of his own flesh. I saw that on the beach the night of our first date. That is when I truly learned who John Gage was and that I loved him and wanted to spend the rest of my life on an adventure with him."

"You're pretty special too."

"And so are you and Leah…Roy give love a true chance in your heart, give her a chance."

April leaned over and kissed Roy on the cheek and gave him a hug as Johnny turned the corner to find them embracing. "Hey, DeSoto…are you trying to move in on my girl?" He said playfully as April threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips. "Roy whatever you did for me to get this reaction, do it again."

"Sorry Junior, that's my secret and you are on your own."

The door to Leah's room opened and Dr. Bracket and Dr. Early came to the hallway where they were waiting instantly changing the atmosphere back to serious. "Doc how is she?"

"Critical but we have her stabilized right now...Roy she has the virus, plus the infection in her arm, and she has a concussion. What happened to cause the injuries to her head? "

Johnny spoke up, "We have a pretty good idea; I stopped by the lounge and called the police just a few minutes ago. We think it was Jeff Martin."

"Jeff Martin? From San Diego?"

"Yeah Doc, it's a long story."

"Doc can I see her."

"I would rather she is not bothered just now at least until…"

"Look Dr. Brackett, I know you are doing what you think is best for her, but she has no family and I love her. I wasn't there the last time I was in a situation like this, but I won't leave her alone and if she dies, I don't want her alone when it happens."

"Ok Roy…you can keep an eye on her and call me if there are any changes."

"Thanks Doc, Johnny, April."

"Roy we will be in the waiting area if you need us."

"Thanks Johnny, I might."

No once noticed the exchange that took place silently between Johnny and Roy, but they knew. They had given each other strength before in critical times…they were more than brothers, they were a part of each other and it was just as natural as breathing.

Protectively Johnny watched until Roy was out of sight in Leah's room.