A/N: I was going to write something melodramatic about how reviews sustain me or some lie like that, but I'm actually having a string of really good days (*hopes she hasn't jinxed herself*). So I'll just say that reviews are nice and I really do enjoy receiving them! Thanks to everyone reading, even if you don't review. :)
Tori had scarcely put the car into "park" before Jade was throwing the door open, grabbing the bag of Evie's things she'd packed at the house, and scrambling towards the Emergency Room doors. Tori turned off the car and got out, locking it with the remote as she hurried after Jade.
Inside the ER was bustling with medical personnel. Jade had a wild, panicked look on her face that Tori had never seen before, and it frightened her a little. Tori grabbed the first nurse she saw. "We're trying to find out about someone who was just admitted," she said.
"Information desk," the nurse said, pointing.
Tori took Jade by the elbow and steered her over to the information desk. "We're trying to find out about someone who was just admitted," Tori repeated.
"Method?"
"Excuse me?"
"Were they a walk-in or a ride-in?" the clerk asked.
Tori looked at Jade.
"I think they were a ride-in," Jade said slowly. "But I'm not sure."
The clerk took a big notebook from the wire rack on the counter and flipped through it. "Do you know the patient's primary doctor?"
"Um, Dr. Hastings."
"Patient's last name?"
"West."
More flipping. Finally the clerk said, "As far as I can tell they're still in triage. Why don't you have a seat in the waiting area and we'll page you if there's any news?"
"No, no, I have to find them," Jade said.
"Jade," Tori said quietly.
"Ma'am, there's really nothing else we can tell you," the clerk said firmly but not unkindly. "Until the patient is transferred to released there will be no more information."
"But she might be dying," Jade said. The words flew through the air without her consent and she wondered if she'd been thinking them for longer than the half-second they had taken to air. She clapped her hand to her mouth as though she could prevent them from reaching her ears, but it was too late. The effect was nearly immediate, and tears filled her eyes.
"Tell you what," the clerk said, seemingly having a change of heart. "I'll check with the charge nurse and give you an update."
She caught sight of an orderly. "Manny! I need you to check on the patient who came in on Rig Forty."
"Sure thing," the orderly said, and disappeared behind two swinging doors.
"He's one of our best," the clerk said.
"Thank you," Tori said.
In a moment Manny was back. "The patient's been taken up to the OR. Do you ladies know where the OR waiting room is?"
"We'll find it," Tori said.
"Head right up to the third floor and take a right," Manny said helpfully. "You can wait there until there's more news."
"Thanks," Tori said.
Gently she led Jade away from the information desk. Jade was having a hard time breathing; it felt like she was being stabbed in the chest. Tears were rolling down her face.
"Jade, I don't know what to say," Tori said. "I just…"
"Please don't say anything," Jade said. It seemed to take her an eternity to speak each word. "Please… just don't leave."
"I'm not going anywhere," Tori said, and the elevator dinged as it arrived. "Not even if you insult me."
Annie was in the OR waiting room with her head bowed, nearly touching her knees. Wordlessly Jade broke free from Tori's elbow-grasp, practically sprinting across the room. She fell to her knees in front of her mother, dropping Evie's suitcase on the floor, grabbing her mother's hands in her own.
"Oh, Jadey," Annie said in a strangled voice.
"Mom," Jade said. "Mom, I just want it to be over."
"Oh, me too, sweetie," Annie said. "Me too."
Some time later, Jade and Tori sat next to Annie, listlessly watching the comings and goings of families and OR personnel. Each time a nurse stepped into the waiting room they held their collective breath, waiting for the nurse who would call their name, the only name they were listening for. But each time it was not to be – for several hours there was no news.
Jade clung to her mother's hand and tried to think of things to say. She and Tori had spent some time sending text messages to each of their friends, letting them know the reason for their abrupt departure from school. Annie had attempted to get Kent on the phone; he had gone to Las Vegas for a business trip and seemed to be perpetually out of the range of his cell phone.
"What do you think they're doing?" Jade asked for the fifth or sixth time, after they had been in the waiting room for nearly five hours.
"I don't know," Annie said.
"Bronchs don't take this long," Jade said. "Even if they decided to do her sinuses while she was under, they don't take this long."
"Sweetie, I can't tell you," Annie said. "I've been sitting here just like you have."
From the depths of the suitcase Jade had brought to the hospital, a phone beeped. Jade and Tori looked at each other, confused, attempting to place the sound. At last Jade recognized Evie's text message notification sound, and she rummaged around in the bag, looking for the phone.
"It's from Halley," Jade said as she flipped open the phone.
Quickly she read Halley's text message and sent back one: This is Evie's sister Jade. Evie is back at Greer and she's in the OR right now. We haven't heard anything in about five hours. I'll let you know as soon as we find out what's going on.
The message flew across space and time, and shortly thereafter there was a response. I am inpatient at Greer in the step-down onc unit. I will come down to OR waiting and sit with you.
You don't have to do that.
I know I don't.
Ten minutes later, the elevator dinged and its doors opened, admitting Halley to the OR waiting room. She was dressed casually in yoga pants and a blue T-shirt, with a matching bandanna covering her bald head. She rolled an IV stand alongside her and wore a bright blue mask over her mouth and nose. Immediately she found Jade and hurried over. "Did you hear anything yet?" she asked, her voice a little muffled by the mask.
"Not yet," Jade said. "Mom, this is Halley. She and Evie met last time Evie was inpatient."
"Oh, hello," Annie said, a little distractedly.
"And this is Tori," Jade said. "We both go to school with Evie."
Before Halley could reply, a nurse in Mickey Mouse scrubs stepped into the waiting room. "West?" she called.
Annie and Jade were out of their seats so fast that Halley nearly fell over. Tori held out a stabilizing arm, and Halley took a seat in Jade's vacated chair.
"We're here," Annie said, and the nurse came over.
"Okay," she said, flipping pages on her clipboard. "In about ten minutes your patient will be up in recovery. She's being transferred to PICU as soon as a bed's available for her. Dr. Hastings and Dr. Clarence will be up in recovery to talk to you about her case."
"How is she?" Annie asked, reaching out to hold onto the nurse's arm.
"Says she's stable," the nurse said, reading the answer from her chart.
"But that could mean anything," Annie said. "Realistically, I mean. She has CF. Stable could mean that she's breathing on her own, or…"
The nurse looked up from the clipboard, her eyes filled with compassion. "I was just up there," she said. "Your daughter is on a ventilator and we're letting the vent do the work for her. She's had a rough time and she crashed twice during the bronch. Right now she's on broad-spectrum antibiotics and a hefty dose of painkillers. Dr. Hastings has also recommended that we start the IPV. Are you familiar with that?"
"Yes," Annie said.
"Is that the machine that does the percussion therapy while she's on the vent?" Jade asked.
"Mm-hmm," Annie said.
"Dr. Hastings has a lot to talk to you about," the nurse said. "I have to get back up to recovery, but I wanted to let you know how things were going."
"Thank you," Annie said.
The nurse gave them a small smile and a nod, and then left the waiting room.
Annie turned to Jade and put her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "What's our family motto?" she asked.
"'Fun-size candy is fine and dandy'?" Jade replied.
"Well, okay, that's one of our mottoes," Annie said, giving Jade a smile. "But I was thinking of another one."
And Jade found herself returning the smile, though she could think of nothing to smile about at the moment.
"CF is rough but we are tough," Jade said to her mother.
"Damn straight," Annie said, and she took a deep breath. "Let's get Evie's stuff and regroup. While I'm blabbering with the doctors, you can go in and make our girl comfortable."
"Okay," Jade said. "Hey, Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever get tired of being tough?"
"Oh, sweetie," Annie said with a sigh. "I'd give anything, anything… just to have one day where I can be weak and girly. But you know the enemy. We have to be Evie's army for when she can't fight."
"Okay," Jade said again. "Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"I wish our enemy was the kind we could fire bullets at."
"Me too. The entire state of California would be out of bullets. And bomb-making materials…"