Intake

The ER doors slammed open as Magnus, Ashley, and two EMTs came running in with Will on a gurney. Magnus was yelling medical information and demanding a "trauma surgery theatre" as they rushed through another set of double doors. A nurse waylaid Ashley, keeping her from following them any further. Guiding her back to the intake area, the nurse gave Ashley's shoulders a rub.

"There now, he'll be in good hands. Maybe you can help me. Can you tell me who that was they just brought in?"

Ashley wrapped her arms around her waist, tears running down her face.

"Miss? Miss, are you okay?"

"Yeah, 'm okay." Ashley choked out.

The nurse decided to give her a few minutes.

Ashley stared into space, not noticing the people around her nor hearing the conversations. She barely noticed the nurse who brought her a clipboard with intake forms to fill out; when she registered what it was, she burst into tears.

The nurses, however, had not failed to notice her. The first nurse had pointed out the blood on her hands, and her paleness, dazed state, and copious tears had them wondering if she was suffering from something like acute stress disorder. So one of them brought her a blanket and draped it around her, not entirely sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing when Ashley pulled it tight and then clutched at it. All the nurses made periodic checks on her, intending to have a doctor check her out even if she did think she mumble that she was fine every time they managed to get her attention.

Time passed, and Ashley continued in her funk. She didn't even notice when Henry came in with a little boy in his arms, crying and clinging to him like his life depended on it. She didn't notice the fuss Joshua put up when they tried to separate him from Henry, or Henry's sigh and questions to the cop next to him and the hospital personnel.

"Can I go with him into the exam room? Or can we wait with this until his mom gets here? This was supposed to be just a routine thing."

Ashley didn't even notice when Henry sat down right across from her with Joshua still in his arms. She neither heard nor answered when he proceeded to talk soothingly to her while rubbing Joshua's back. Even when Mariah came in, screamed, "Joshua!" and ran to him, sobbing and babbling in relief. She didn't notice the two of them being led away by an orderly or Henry getting up.

She was still there, sitting in one of the hard chairs with a tear punctuating every thought about the possibility of Will dying, when someone laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed before prying the clipboard out of her hand.

"Shh, Ash. Mom'll take good care of him. It'll be okay." Henry's voice might have sounded strained to anyone else, but Ashley just heard her big brother comforting her. She turned and buried her face in his neck, wrapped her arms around him and hiccupped.

"But there was so much blood. He was shocky, and pale, and he couldn't even answer me, and all I could think was that Will was dying right there, his blood all over my hands and I couldn't stop it, I couldn't do anything about it. I love him so much, and I couldn't do anything to save him!"

Henry rubbed her back with one hand and brushed her hair back with the other. "You did help him, Ash. You called Mom and got her to help. You let us know, so we could call an ambulance. And I'm sure you did everything you could until help got there."

"But what if it wasn't enough?" Ashley sobbed.

"Then it wasn't your fault. But don't worry, it'll be enough. Will'll be fine." He has to be. He has to be. I can't let myself think anything else, or I'll turn into a blubbering wreck like Ashley. And I can't do that right now, because she needs me to be strong. Just be positive. Mom's got him, Mom'll take care of him, he couldn't be in better hands. He'll be alright. He has to be.

Henry's internal monologue was cut off by Magnus coming through the doors into the waiting room. She sighed and sat heavily on the other side of Ashley, rubbing her back in tandem with Henry and meeting his gaze as she said, "He'll be fine."

Helen's voice appeared to be the catalyst Ashley needed, because she turned and embraced her mom, squeaking "Really?" as more tears poured down her face.

"Yes. It was touch and go there for a bit; the knife nicked the subclavian artery and vein as well as the outer edge of his lung." Ashley gasped at this recital of injuries, but her mother continued. "We've repaired the damage and he should heal just fine. A few weeks of laying about doing nothing, and he'll be good as new."

"Can I see him?"

"In a few minutes, after they've got him settled in his own room." Taking in her daughter's appearance, Magnus added, "Come on, why don't we get you cleaned up a bit, too. Wouldn't want the first thing Will sees when he wakes up to be a tear-stained face, would we?"

Comments? Suggestions? I'm no doctor, so if I've messed up the medical facts, please let me know so that I can correct them. BTW, I do know that it will take more than a couple weeks for Will to recover, I just thought Magnus might downplay that a bit for the moment.