Thanks for the reviews and bear with me we're getting to a point (in the next few chapters) where there are lot of Derek & Lucy scenes. I realize some of the Stewart family stuff may seem a little distracting but it all ties together later. Additionally you will see some more familiar characters coming to visit soon.
Eventually Lucy did fall asleep and Cynthia even got almost 2 hours herself in her call room. The next morning she rounded with her colleague Dr. Tepper and then left the ICU. It was only 630 so she stopped at FITNESS PLUS, the health club their family belonged to and where Danielle and Kati had swim practice. As she swum in one of the outer lanes not reserved for swim practice she thought of Lucy. She also thought of Derek and realized that as distant as Lucy seemed to have become with her parents Derek had once been with them. She was glad those days were over.
Later as she drove Danielle and Kati home to eat breakfast and get ready for school they told her excitedly about the welcome home banner their dad had helped them make for Laurel. "When does she come home mommy?" Kati asked excitedly.
"Sometime this morning. She'll be home when you return home from soccer practice after school," Cynthia assured them.
Later that morning Cynthia was in the west wing laundry room doing laundry. Matt had headed to work, Kati, Danielle, Derek and Jenny had all headed to school. The phone rang and Cythia picked up the cordless phone. "Hello!"
"Hi Mom it's Kristin."
"Hello honey, how are you?"
"Tired, call was exhausting last night. Lots of procedures though so a good learning experience. 6 intubations, 3 lines and a chest tube. The sad thing is that each procedure represents a sick child." Kristin described her NICU night.
"I know honey, but as long as you remember that then I think you'll always be a compassionate physician."
"I hope so. Anyway I was calling because we finished rounding and I'm supposed to teach a water aerobics class at 10:30 but I could probably make the 12:10 train if someone could pick me up at the train station. Paul will likely be in the OR until at least 7 this evening and I was hoping to be home sooner."
"Well I'm sure your younger sisters would be thrilled to see you sooner. I'm not sure what time Laurel is being released today but we'll work around that somehow. Your train will arrive around 2?"
"Yes."
"I'll see you then Kristin. I love you."
"I love you too mom. Oh wait..."
"Yes?"
"How is Lucy? Paul and I have included her in our prayers this past week."
"She's doing much better. She's off the ventilator now."
"That's great!"
"Yes it is very encouraging," Cynthia agreed hanging up the phone.
Cynthia arrived at the train station just outside Pembroke a little before 2pm. In the station she noted that Kristin's train was on schedule and expected any moment. She heard the sound of the train pulling into the station and realized that Kristin had arrived.
She watched Kristin walk towards her on the platform, pulling a wheeled carryon behind her. Cynthia smiled at her daughter's inability to "travel light" but determination to follow her OB's no heavy lifting doctrine. She and Kristin hugged when Kristin reached her.
"How was the train?" Cynthia asked as they walked together through the station.
"It was alright. I slept most of the way."
"Good. You probably needed the rest. How are you feeling?"
"I'm ok. I guess more tired than anything else?"
"Are you still having fevers?" Cynthia opened the back hatch of her subaru outback and hoisted Kristin's suitcase inside.
"Not really," Kristin said opening the front passenger door of the car. "I've been taking diflucan. The blood culture isolate was sensitive to that and it's oral so it seemed like the best option. Plus I'm worried about how Amphotericin might affect the baby."
"It really hasn't been studied that much in pregnancy but I'm sure you've figured that out."
"Yeah, plus I've really felt awful when I've taken it in the past. I definitely empathize with Laurel about that. Will she really need to take this for 3 more weeks?"
"Perhaps even longer because although the transthoracic echocardiogram looked ok infectious disease has recommended possibly considering a transesophageal echo when she is more stable to ensure they don't need to treat for 6 weeks."
"Poor Laurel, that can't be fun."
"No I don't think it has been but I think being home will be better at least," Cynthia said turning into the south entrance to PEMBROKE REGIONAL HOSPITAL.
Cynthia and Kristin walked into Laurel's hospital room. Laurel lay quietly in bed her back to the door. Cynthia noted that Laurel's Amphotericin infusion was almost completed and that unfortunately Laurel still seemed to be pretty uncomfortable with the medication, judging by the chills and her movements. Unfortunately she also knew that if they didn't treat the infection Laurel was at a great risk for another overwhelming and possibly fatal fungal infection. Cynthia hoped that perhaps being home in a familiar and more comfortable bed would make at least a little difference.
Kristin sat gently on Laurel's bed and instinctively Laurel turned to her. "Kristin!" she cried excitedly and warmly accepted Kristin's embrace. Kristin held her while Cynthia went off in search of a nurse so that Laurel's PICC line could be flushed and then locked for discharge.
"Are you cold?" Kristin asked.
"Yeah," Laurel shivered and Kristin held her more tightly.
"I still get to go home right?" Laurel asked.
"Yes, I think mom's just making sure everything is ready for that. I think you'll feel more comfortable at home. We'll do the best we can to make you comfortable."
"Ok," Laurel said sleepily. Her eyes shut and her thumb found it's way to her mouth.
Kristin watched her sleep for a few moments, realizing that Laurel seemed much younger than 13. The thumb sucking made quite an impression on Kristin since somehow neither she or any of her younger sisters been pacifier or thumb sucking children. Of course her father had always claimed they were happy babies and recent research had showed sucking to be a self soothing and pain relieving method for infants. Interestingly Kristin knew some pediatricians who performed circumcisions with only "pacifier analgesia" and although her mother always used dorsal blocks before the procedure when she was covering the nursery there was literature that suggested the pain relief with anesthesia was really not much better.
Yet, it was something more than sleeping with her thumb in mouth that made Kristin concerned. She thought about her father's work with substance addicted adolescents and his addictions research. With chemical addictions there was a theory that cognitive and emotional development was halted at the time the addiction started. Whether that theory could be applied to adolescents with eating disorders or who had been abused had been questioned but it seemed plausible to Kristin that perhaps it could be.
Kristin looked up as her mom came back in the room. "I think we're all set. Jane is going to come in and disconnect her PICC line and flush it. Oh she looks peaceful I almost hate to wake her to go home."
"Maybe we don't need to." Kristin suggested as the nurse came in and flushed Laurel's PICC line and then redressed it. As she was finishing Laurel started to stir in her sleep and move uncomfortably. She screamed out. "Ok on second thought I guess the peaceful part of sleep is over." Kristin decided.
Laurel's eyes snapped open and she sat up and then fell back against Kristin's chest exhausted. "Another bad dream sweetie?" Cynthia asked.
Laurel nodded.
"Why don't we go home?"
"Yes. Did you bring me clothes?"
"Yes I did," Cynthia said opening a duffle bag and taking out a pair of jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt, underwear, socks and a pair of penny loafers.
Kristin helped Laurel dress, as she was still rather weak, but finally by 4 pm they were leaving. As they were walking through the door to leave the adolescent unit they were almost assaulted by one of the hospital orderlies doing a little dangerous driving and pushing a patient on a hospital bed. Kristin was almost too busy getting out of the way to recognize the patient as Lucy.
'Beep Beep' Cynthia silenced her pager and made a face. It was after 4 and technically she was on call for pediatric gastroenterology over the weekend but she had been in vain hoping for a quiet weekend especially since Sunday was Kaitlin's 5th birthday. "Hold on just a second girls let me return this page," Cynthia said turning to go back into the adolescent unit to use the phone.
A quick call to the ER informed her that there was a 2 year old who had swallowed a battery that was in his esophagus. "If you want maybe we can admit them overnight and see if it passes," one of the ER physicians Dr. Harrison suggested.
Cynthia made a mental note to review Dr. Harrison's credential file and replied, "I think that would be a bad idea as the battery can do significant damage. Has the child eaten recently?"
"No, not since he ate the battery a few hours ago. They went to the hospital in Monroe first and then got sent here because they don't have a gastroenterologist on call"
"Yes I think that was probably wise on the part of the physician who saw the child there. Keep him NPO, get a chest x-ray if you haven't already. I'll talk to anesthesia and see if we have an OR available and then come down and talk to the parents," Cynthia said starting to page Dr. Dennis who she knew was on call.
Dr. Dennis quickly returned the page and said that they were finishing up 3 cases and that Dr. Clark was getting ready to do an appendectomy but that he thought they should have a room available around 430. Cynthia sighed and broke the bad news to Laurel and Kristin.
"We have two options at least. You can call your dad who should be done with court by 430 or so and have him collect you when he is. You can also just take my keys and go home and I'll call when I'm ready and you or your dad or someone can come get me."
"Why don't we call dad because I don't want to leave you stranded here mom."
"I wouldn't be stranded but if you are willing to do that it would be easier for me. Are you holding up ok Laurel?"
"I'm ok," Laurel lied.
"Ok, well I'm going down to the ER to see this kid. Page me if you have any problems. Ok?" Cynthia said hugging both girls before she left."
Jane, who had been Laurel's nurse most of her hospitalization on the adolescent unit returned to the front nurses station where Kristin was calling her father. "I thought you were busting out of here kiddo," she said to Laurel smiling.
"Well I guess when your mom is a really good doctor lot's of people need her help." Laurel said simply.
"That's true, and your mom is a good doctor but don't tell her I admitted that," Jane agreed.
Kristin smiled at their conversation. Jane was quite a character Kristin remembered her from some of her own admissions. She also noted how Laurel had described their mom, she took that as a good sign, she had noticed signs of bonding between them as well. She knew things would be more awkward with her father but she was confident that Laurel would become comfortable in their family.
Kristin hung up the phone. "Dad will be here in about 25 minutes or so," she said to Laurel.
"Can I finish watching the movie then?"
"What movie?" Kristin asked.
"Legally Blond," Laurel and Jane answered her at the same time.
"I don't see why not Laurel, I'll put it on in the lounge for you," Jane suggested.
After Laurel was settled with her movie Kristin decided to go see if she could visit with Lucy for a little while. "I'm going to go see someone will you be ok here for a few minutes?"
"Yes," Laurel said intently watching Reese Witherspoon on the screen.
Cautiously Kristin opened Lucy's door a crack, she wasn't sure if Lucy wanted visitors or not. "Luce, it's Kristin,"she called
"Oh hi," Lucy called. "Come in," she tried to sound enthusiastic.
Kristin entered and crossed the room to stand by Lucy's bed. "I'm glad to see you are feeling better."
"Yeah but I guess I'm going to be stuck here for awhile."
"I'm sorry. I know the hospital can be a drag but sometimes it's exactly where you need to be."
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked. She thought back to the anonymous teddy bear and numbers for doctors she had received in the mail. She had suspected it was from Kristin and part of her had longed to tell Derek about it and ask for Kristin's phone number so she could thank her and maybe because it meant Kristin would help her. But the larger part of her was just more leary around Kristin and desperate for her to not know her secret.
"I know sometimes it's hard to ask for help but I think we need to realize we're vulnerable in our own ways. We all have our own struggles."
"I'm scared!"
"I know, life can be pretty scary sometimes. It's a lot less scary when you have support."
"This is all so easy for you! Do you even know what it means to struggle? You're beautiful and smart. You breezed through college and finished medical school when you were 22. People adore you. You have parents and a husband who worship you. It isn't so easy for me!" Lucy retorted.
Kristin was silent for a moment trying to choose her words carefully. She was uncertain what to say and decided that pointing out to Lucy she had finished medical school at 21 not 22 would not be the place to start. She reached for Lucy's hand, "What can I do to make things easier for you?"
Lucy cried. She longed to answer Kristin honestly but instead she said "Convince them to let me go back to school so failing out of college isn't another thing I must add to my list of." Lucy stopped abruptly and Kristin followed her eyes to see her father standing in the doorway.
"Hello Lucy."
"Uh hi," Lucy mumbled.
"Kristin whenever you are ready we can leave. Laurel is watching the end of her movie but I promised her that we could rent the movie if we didn't have it at home and she didn't get to see the end of it."
"We have it at home. It's the one where Reese Witherspoon goes to law school," Kristin explained.
"Legally Blond?" Lucy guessed.
"Yes."
"That was kind of cute. I should rest. Thank you for visiting Kristin." Lucy said.
"Do you need anything before we go?" Kristin offered.
"No."
As she followed her father back to the lounge where Laurel was getting ready to leave he pulled her into a hug. "We've missed you sweetheart!"
"I've missed you guys too. I always love coming home, I know things are crazy but somehow I always feel this peace," Kristin said as they joined Laurel. After leaving the hospital they stopped to pick up first Kati at one of her last soccer practices of the season. Danielle had gone with her highschool varsity soccer team to the State Tournament 1.5 hours away in Madsen. They played in a semifinal game at 6pm and then perhaps in the finals at noon. Kati also had a soccer game on Saturday at 9 so it would be tight making it Danielle's game on time but that was the goal.
Meanwhile Cynthia's afternoon had improved significantly. Promptly at 430 she had gotten into the OR and she easily removed 2 button batteries from little Michael Warren's esophagus. The mucosa looked red and ulcerated but there wasn't evidence of perforation. While the anesthesiologists were recovering him she quickly dictated an admit note and a procedure note and wrote some orders. She then went out to talk to his mother on her way home. She found herself pulling into the driveway moments after her husband.
Kati scampered happily from the back seat of her dad's SUV and started towards the house. Laurel instead turned to Kristin while her dad was unloading their stuff. "I don't feel good!" she cried.
Kristin patted her head, " I know Laurel. It's going to get easier you just have to keep working at it. Come on I'll help you inside."
That evening after dinner, and after Kati was asleep, Danielle called to give them the good news that her team had won their soccer game and would be playing in the finals of the state soccer tournament. Kristin was just getting off the phone with her when Paul arrived.
Meanwhile Derek had gone to the hospital to visit Lucy. He had to admit that her being out of the ICU made him much more comfortable. As far as he was concerned the ICU was a scary and unpleasant place. It had always been hard to visit Jenny when she had been in the ICU, and although he hated to admit it he hadn't visited Lucy as much as he felt he should have.
Lucy's eyes were closed as he entered her room and Derek stood silently by her bed for a few moments. He didn't want to disturb her but at the same time he was anxious to talk to her. Lucy's eyes blinked and then opened, "Derek!"
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Derek asked sitting down in the chair by her bed and taking her hand.
"I'm ok, now that you're here" Lucy said sitting up and falling into Derek's arms. He held her for a few moments, enjoying the closeness as Lucy melted into his embrace. She tilted her chin back to look into his eyes and they began to kiss.
They were still kissing when the nurse came in to give Lucy's next dose of antibiotic. "I love you!" Derek said as they were forced to terminate their embrace.
"I love you too," Lucy said dreamily.