A/N: Thank you for following me and this story!
Annabelle Adams scrubbed her hands profusely as she prepared to enter the OR. She had been paged and it was a 911- an urgent case that required her immediate attention. She was good, very good, but she was still young and learning everyday. Why the chief of the cardiovascular surgery had called her on this one was beyond her. She had been told earlier on that this patient, the one she had been paged for, was to be handled only by the head of the departments.
She knew the patient, by now the entire hospital did; everyone from the very top to the very bottom knew her name. They also knew not to speak it, not out where anyone could hear it. The hospital had screwed up royally earlier in the week, and failed to notify her family of a threat against the patient.
It was only later, through the grapevine that Annabell learned the true nature of this patient, about her unique case. And she had learned by accident just an hour before just how sick she truly was.
Adams had been the closest qualified doctor to the ICU when the code rang over the hospital, she had no choice but to rush to the room; and she did. And when she got there, she knew whatever was happening was not good. The room was overflowing with medical personnel, nurses doing their work to keep this patient alive until Adams could get to them.
"What happened?" She had rushed in, dawning the gear she knew she would need. And in the corner of her eye, she spotted two intimidating men, both standing and watching every move she made. They made sure, she saw their badges and guns- they wanted her to make sure she knew they were there.
"Spike a temp.." Molly, the charge nurse had informed her as she injected JJ with vital medication. "Shot up to 103.5"
Annabelle shook her head, she knew instantly what had gone wrong. "How long has she been on bypass?" The doctor asked, stepping up to the look at her patient, at the same time wondering when her chief would rush in.
"Molly." Anna took a deep breath and made the call, she just hoped it wouldn't cost her her job. "Page OR, let them know we are coming.." She knew she couldn't handle the surgery herself, but by the time they actually got JJ to the OR, a senior doctor would be there.
"Anna.." Molly shot her a warning glance, one that the two FBI agents did not miss.
"She doesn't have the time, Molly." Anna hissed back as she listened to her patient breathe. "We need to go, now." She nodded at the other nurses. Her word was final.
Anna watched as the nurses began preparing JJ for surgery, she would have to leave soon, meet her patient in the OR. "Agent Jareau." She bent down and whispered softly to the young woman. "My name is Anna, I am a cardiothoracic surgeon. We are taking you up to the OR right now, we are going to try and see if we can get your heart beating on it's own. We will do everything we can, but I need you to keep fighting for me, okay? I will work as hard as I can but this is your battle." She made sure the agents heard her voice, her words, wanted them to make sure that Anna had no intention of causing any more harm for the young agent. She looked up and nodded and the transport team, telling them to go and move JJ to the OR.
She headed out the door, just behind JJ when she stopped and turned towards the two men.
"I will do my best, I promised her and I will promise you." And with that, she had nodded and jogged out but was stopped by one of the nurses.
"Dr. Ortiz is already there, she is in good hands."
"Okay." Anna nodded and stopped her rush, something was telling her to stop, to turn around and talk, answer questions. To be more than just a doctor right then.
"I'm sorry." She walked back in and towards the two male agents. They looked stunned, tired, shocked, exhausted, confused. "My name is Annabelle Adams, I am one of the heart surgeons on staff." She wiped back a strand of red hair as she introduced herself.
"Is she.." One of them began.
"She's very sick, I want to be as honest and open as I can with you. She spiked a fever, which is an indication to us that we have to get her off bypass now. We are taking her to the OR."
"But removing the bypass.."
"Is dangerous, but keeping her on it, where we are now. The risks outweigh the benefits, we have to do this now." She paused and looked at both of them. "I meant what I told her, I will do everything I can, but a lot is up to her."
"Thank you." One of them nodded.
And with that, she walked out of the room and headed straight for the OR.
Twenty minutes later, Anna took in a deep breath and walked in to the OR, hoping that she would keep her promise and that somehow, Agent Jareau would make it back to her family.
"Dr. Adams, glad you could join us." She recognized the voice immediately, it was Dr. Ortiz.
"I was talking with her family.."
"Her family doesn't need you right now, she does."
"Sir?" Anna walked closer, nervous about what he was saying, what he was implying.
"You are going to do this." He handed her the instruments. "You need to learn how to do this," He paused and lowered his voice, looking Anna in the eyes. "You need to prepare what you are going to tell her family. Anna, she has virtually no chance of ever breathing on her own again, we all know that. I just want you to be aware of that as you begin the procedure."
Looking at the monitors, Anna closed her eyes, it wouldn't happen. Not without a miracle- an immediate miracle. She only wished she had been able to tell the agents to tell their friend goodbye.
And the thoughts ran through her mind as her carefully trained hands began disconnecting the life sustaining machine. What in the hell was she going to tell a group of FBI agents desperate for any word? How was she going to tell them that their friend didn't make it?
"Anna, you ready?" Ortiz asked, and Anna nodded, there was no turning back now.
And she did her job, she did what she had been trained to do, she pumped medicine into the body, watched as the staff performed internal CPR, sent more medicine into her body. She watched as the heart remained still, listened as the machines continued to wail, listened as Ortiz guided her through the procedure. More CPR, more medicine and still nothing.
"It's your call Anna, what do you want to do?" Ortiz looked to her and backed away from the table, signaling he was done.
Anna swallowed and looked at the clock, they had been trying for nearly an hour with no success. She had given countless rounds of highly powerful medication, her heart had been shocked close to eighty times- there was still nothing. She took a deep breath and made her call.