Ch. 25
Jess waited till she heard his truck start before easing out of bed. Tired of being trapped inside, she cautiously headed out to her truck. She retrieved the lounge chair from the garage and placed it in the bed being careful to keep weight off her leg. She slowly climbed in the cab of the truck thankful it was her left leg that was messed up and not her right. Tomorrow was the appointment with Dr. Roberts; she needed to relax her worried mind. What better place than the beach? Since Mike wouldn't take her, she decided to take herself.
Breathing a sigh of contentment she lay back against the neon green chair and basked in the warm sun. Jess knew Mike would scold her for leaving the confines of the bed, but she didn't care. Sunshine always lifted her spirits; it was as if its beams penetrated deep in her soul chasing away the darkness. At sixty-eight degrees it was warm for January; that was the beauty of living in southern California. While the rest of the country battled freezing temperatures, LA basked in sunshine and warm weather. Watching the waves crash on the tan sand, she gazed out across the vast ocean. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the sounds of waves and seagulls. The warmth of the sun lulled her to a peaceful sleep.
E!
Mike arrived home an hour after he left; sacks of groceries filled his arms. He planned a surprise for dinner, something he hadn't made in a long time, spaghetti. It was one of Jesse's favorite dishes. He set the bags on the kitchen table as he called out.
"Jess, I'm home! Do you need anything?"
When he received no answer he headed down the dark hall puzzled.
Maybe she's asleep or maybe she's still mad at me.
Seeing the empty bed caused his heart to race. He frantically checked every room in the house as he yelled for her to answer. He became extremely panicked as he realized she wasn't in the house. He opened the door to the garage and his heart stopped; her truck was gone! He sprinted to the living room and quickly dialed John's number thinking she'd gone there. The phone rang for an eternity before John answered groggily.
"H-h-hello?"
"John, its Mike, I'm not interrupting anything am I?"
Hearing the panic in Mike's voice caused his eyes to fly open as he jumped out of bed. He quickly pulled on his jeans.
"No, it's just me here. Mike what's wrong? Is Jess ok? Are you ok?"
He could hear the anxiety in Mike's voice increasing as he pulled on a shirt. Something was wrong; never had he heard Mike so panicked.
"She…she's gone! Shit, I left for only an hour. I…I come home and she's gone!"
"Mike, calm down, have you checked on the patio? You know she loves to sit out there." John said using the same voice he used to calm distraught patients.
Mike only became more distraught. He ran his hand through his hair and down the side of his face.
"Fuck John, I've checked everywhere. She's not here, her truck is gone!"
"Ok, Mike, I'm sure she's fine. I'm on my way; call the guys have them meet at your house. Don't worry we'll find her."
E!
John scratched his chest with his middle finger as he looked with concern to Mike. "Can you think of anywhere she'd go, a favorite spot, a friend's house, anything?"
Sitting at the kitchen table, Mike placed his head in his hands. Shaking his head he answered," No, you guys are the only friends she has, and it's obvious she's not with you."
Cap moved from leaning against the refrigerator. He knew the couple was under a lot of stress.
"Pal, did you two have a fight?"
Mike ran a hand down his face. They had a slight disagreement that morning and there was the episode earlier in the week. Jess was tired of being in bed and still felt she was a burden to him. He tried to explain to her it wouldn't be much longer, but she kicked him out of the room. So he went to the supermarket to calm down and pick up the necessary items. He wasn't gone long; the longest part was waiting at the pharmacy for her medication.
"I wouldn't call it a fight; it was more like a disagreement. I caught her this morning walking down the hallway; she wanted to have breakfast at the table. I asked her to return to bed, she reluctantly obeyed, and proceeded to kicked me out of the room."
He scanned the room looking for any clue to her whereabouts. Pictures of them covered the wall; his eyes stopped on one of them at the beach. It was his favorite by far. The two of them stood silhouetted against the setting sun locked in a sweet kiss. The sun glinted off the tops of the waves casting a romantic glow. He didn't know the picture existed till he had the roll developed. Apparently some kid took the picture when they weren't paying attention. He remembered that day well. They went to Malibu to celebrate their six month anniversary. They spent two passion filled nights. She loved every minute of the time she spent there. He promised to bring her back, but life happened.
"The beach!"
John leaned against the counter on his forearms. He feared Mike just lost his mind.
"Ooookaaay, what does the beach have to do with Jess running off?"
Mike quickly gathered his keys and a blanket off the couch. He ran for the door.
"The beach, she loves it there. That's where she likes to go to unwind."
E!
John rode with Mike to Malibu fearing Mike would be too rough on Jess. Mike pointed across the empty parking area to Jess's blue Chevrolet.
"She's here." He stated exasperated.
He pulled his truck next to hers and opened the door roughly. He was angry that Jess would risk hurting herself just to get out of the house. John grabbed the back of his shirt preventing him from exiting.
"Hey, take it easy on her ok. She just wanted out of the house; she's going stir crazy."
Mike and John found her asleep in the familiar neon green lounge chair. Mike crouched down next to her and gently stroked her cheek. She moaned softly as she stirred.
"Jesse, baby, wake up."
Cap ran to them breathless, stopping short on the loose sand.
"She ok?"
John waved his hand as he took her pulse and respirations.
"Yeah, Cap, pulse and respirations are normal. I believe the warmth of the sun caused her to fall asleep. I understand why she came here; it's a beautiful place to relax."
Jesse's eyes fluttered open; she was curious who woke her from her peaceful slumber. She pulled back startled at the sight of her brothers and Mike.
"What's wrong?"
Mike wrapped the blanket around her. "You scared me half to death that's what. Jess, we've looked everywhere for you. Why did you leave?"
"Michael, I'm tired of being stuck in the house confined to bed. I wanted some fresh air and sunshine. You wouldn't bring me so I brought myself."
He sighed loudly; sometimes Jess was too much of a free spirit for his liking. He placed her arm around his neck and carefully picked her up. She laid against him as he headed to his truck knowing she was in big trouble when they got home. John and Cap gathered the items left on the sand and carried them to the truck.
As Mike placed her in the cab Cap placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll take her truck back to the house. John said he'd drive you two home."
E!
The couple waited nervously in an uncomfortably small exam room for Dr. Roberts. Jess had many tests during her stay a week ago and was anxious about the results. Her eyes studied the bright photographs of flowers that hung on the wall across from her as she picked at her nails. Mike sensed her increasing anxiety and wrapped his arm securely around her. She snuggled against him.
"Baby, everything will be fine." He whispered in her ear as the dark door opened.
Dr. Roberts greeted them with a warm smile as he held out his hand. Mike shook it firmly as he introduced himself and Jess. Dr. Roberts was older than Dr. Nelson which offered Mike some comfort. The doctor slowly lowered himself on the nearby stool as he spread Jesse's file across the table. He adjusted his glasses as he studied his notes. He held one of the x-ray films to the light; his face turned grim as he studied the various shadows. After a few moments he pulled his glasses off and addressed the worried couple in front of him.
"I understand you two are anxious to hear the results of the testing I did while you were in the hospital. So I'll get down to the nitty-gritty as my father used to say."
Jesse adjusted her seating to relieve some pressure on her hip. She gave Mike a worried look causing him to hold her a little tighter.
"First of all, I want to apologize for the level of care you received from Dr. Nelson. There's no excuse for his negligence. What I've discovered should have been handled months ago. Now down to business; I won't give you a whole bunch of medical dictionary mumbo jumbo. Sometimes even I get confused by it. Jesse the tests show that your body is rejecting the cobalt-chromium-alloy rod used in repairing the fracture in your femur. It's rare; I've only seen one other patient reject an implant…"
Mike leaned forward. "Ok, so what's the next course of action? I mean is there an alternative?"
The possibility of losing her leg crossed her already stressed mind; Jesse's eyes filled with tears. She tried to wipe them away as they broke free and ran down her cheeks.
"Doc, am I going to lose my leg?!"
Dr. Roberts shook his head.
"Let's not jump to conclusions! There is something I'd like to try before we do something that drastic. What I would like to do is take her back into surgery, remove the current rod and replace it with one made of stainless steel. In addition to the rod I'd like to add a plate and screws along the main fracture. It's a tricky procedure given the amount of damage the current rod caused, but I believe that she will keep her leg. Don't worry we will do everything possible to avoid amputation. One thing to keep in mind though, I can't promise she will have the same amount of mobility she did before the damage of rejection occurred. Some days will be better than others, but the pain you experience will be drastically reduced."
Jess sank back in her chair as relief flooded her. There's hope! Rolling her eyes she turned her attention to the elderly doctor sitting in front of her.
"So basically I'm stuck using these damn crutches for the rest of my life. When am I having surgery and will I be recovered enough for my wedding in July?"
Dr. Roberts flipped through the pages of her chart. He nodded his head as he made notations. Tapping his red pen against the table he turned to them.
"Your blood work shows the infection is gone. So how does tomorrow sound; will that give you enough time to take care of things?"
Mike was surprised that she would be going in so soon.
"Yeah, I'll have her here tomorrow. What time?" Mike asked as he leaned toward the doctor.
"Be in orthopedics at six in the morning, you'll need to stop by admitting to fill out the forms so arrive earlier. Jess, if everything goes well you will be ready for that wedding. We will do another round of physical therapy to see if we can undo some of the muscle atrophy, but like I mentioned before don't set your hopes too high. Once again I am sorry this wasn't caught sooner; if it had you'd been saved a lot of pain."
Mike stood and shook the doctor's hand. He loathed having to go through this again, but maybe with Jess's different attitude things will go better. He hoped that amputation would not be necessary. He helped Jess to her feet and handed her crutches to her. He studied her face; despite the news she seemed in good spirits.
As he helped her in the truck she grabbed his jacket to keep him from leaving. Thinking she was in pain he pulled the prescription bottle from his pocket.
"Michael, I don't need that. Is A-shift on today? I'd like to visit if they are."
He gave her a wide smile; it was the first time she asked to visit the station.
"Yeah, we can swing by, but we can't stay long. You're still under bed rest."
E!
Hearing John and Chet's bickering caused her to smile as she made her way slowly to the day room. She paused at the freshly polished engine; she hadn't seen it since the night of the accident. Fearing she would break down he started to deter her. Feeling a soft hand on his shoulder caused him to jump in surprise.
"Leave her be; she needs to make peace with it." Cap whispered.
Mike slowly nodded as he crossed his arms. Her coming to the station was long overdue. He watched as she lightly ran her hand down the side stopping when she reached her former seat. Tears filled her eyes as the events of that night flooded her mind.
She nodded and prepared to enter the last apartment. Taking her foot she tapped hard on the floor; it felt solid. She braced herself for the power of the nozzle as she gave him a quick nod signaling she was ready.
"Ok Chet open it."
Her eyes grew wide as she felt the floor shift.
"Chet, watch it!" She yelled.
Everything happened in slow motion. Chet opened the apartment door just as Jesse shoved him back to the south end of the hallway. Flames and embers exploded out of the apartment knocking her in the stairwell. She tumbled head over feet down the stairs. She hit her head and back hard against the wall at the bottom. The air tank drove hard into her back knocking the air from her lungs. She gasped for breath as she fell to one side. Her vision became blurry. Debris and embers rained on her as her sight went from grey to black.
Jesse leaned on her arm against the side of the Ward. Tears spotted the floor as she grieved the loss of a job she loved with a passion.
When Chet and John heard sobbing coming from the apparatus bay they came bolting out of the day room. Captain Stanley caught them using his forearm. The four men stood silently watching Jesse. Each of them wanted desperately to comfort her.
"Hey Cap what's going on?" Chet asked with worry covering his face.
"Jesse is finally making peace."
After several minutes Jess stood, wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her light grey shirt, and walked to the day room. Peace was made; the bitterness left her body via the tears that covered the bay floor. She stopped by Chet; reaching out with one arm she took him in an embrace. Unsure what to do Chet stood stunned and rigid.
"I'm glad you're ok" she whispered as she released him.
She turned to the men standing with her in the bay.
"What's for lunch? I'm starved!" she stated as she flashed a smile.
Mike shook his head. "That's my girl always hungry. John are you sure she's not related to you?"
John held up his hands. "I'm positive, but I agree. When's lunch?"
E!
Mike sat anxiously in the waiting room of Rampart. He wrung his hands as he shook his leg uncontrollably. It was a bad habit that only reared its head when he was extremely stressed. Jess went to surgery a little over an hour ago, an hour that passed slower that molasses on a cold winter's day. He stood and began to pace the floor.
"Hey, man, you're going to wear out the floor if you keep doing that." John said as he approached.
Mike looked up in surprise.
"You don't have to come. I'm sure you have other things to do."
Chet and Cap joined them.
"Nope, Pal my wife insisted I be here. Chet here well, let's just say he's developed a soft spot for Jess."
John sat in a hard plastic chair. "How long has she been in?"
Mike placed his hands on his hips. "A little over an hour, Doc said that it could take up to three or four depending on what he has to do."
Cap nodded as he lowered his tall frame in a chair beside John. Chet joined Mike in pacing the floor. Slowly the hours passed as they waited for word on Jess.
E!
When he saw Dr. Roberts, Mike stood quickly. Dr. Roberts removed his green scrub hat as he approached the trio. His scrubs sweat soaked his scrubs and he looked extremely tired.
"Doc, how is she?" Mike asked anxiously.
"She's in recovery; we are easing her off the anesthesia. You'll be able to visit her soon. The surgery went well; I was able to replace the femoral rod with few complications. I did have to add a couple of plates to stabilize the main fracture. I did notice a significant amount of damage to the ball of the femur; it's probably caused by arthritis. There's not much I can do for that, but I will prescribe an anti-inflammatory to reduce her pain; I'd like to keep her on tramadol as well."
Mike rubbed the back of his neck as he processed the information. He wondered if she'd regain her previous mobility.
"So, Doc, how much will her mobility be affected? Will she still have to use the crutches?"
Dr. Roberts nodded, "I am afraid they will be a part of her life from now on. Physical therapy, as you know, will help strengthen her muscles, but she sustained a lot of damage from the failed rod. I'm sure she will adjust fine; she seems like a headstrong woman. Would you like to see her? I am afraid your friends will have to wait until she's settled in a room."
Cap stood as he motioned for John and Chet to follow him.
"No problem, we will go get something to eat. Mike, Pal, can I bring you anything?"
"Yeah, I am a little hungry; just bring me whatever. Thanks for waiting with me."
John gave Mike a brotherly hug. "Hey, that's what family's for. Tell Jess she's going to have a party when she gets settled."
E!
Jess rubbed her eyes attempting to shake the effects of the anesthesia. She glanced around the room and smiled when her eyes landed on the man she loved.
"Hey, there's my favorite engineer."
"I'd better be!" He replied as he gently swept the bangs from her face. "How do you feel?"
She sat up a little taller as she stretched her arms out. She was happy to see that her leg was still there. She carefully pulled at the bandages that ran from her hip down to her knee. Mike slapped her hand.
"Leave those alone. They are there for a reason."
She scowled at him; she was only curious. She playfully shoved him.
"I'm still sleepy. I am extremely glad to see a certain appendage is still attached. I can't wait to start therapy and get the hell out of here!"
Mike held her hand tenderly. He didn't want to crush her spirit, but she had a right to know about the arthritis that set in.
"Baby, I don't know how to say this, so I will just say it. Do you remember Dr. Nelson talking about arthritis setting in?"
She nodded slowly; she didn't like where this was going.
"Well, Jess, Dr. Roberts discovered some significant damage to the ball part of your hip. Unfortunately there's nothing he can do now to repair it; so he's giving you an anti-inflammatory and some tramadol to make you more comfortable."
Jess crossed her arms angrily across her chest.
"Damn it! Michael, I'm not going down without a fight. I'm tired of this dictating what I can and cannot do! What about hip replacement?"
He sat in silence; he didn't know whether to admire her new tenacity or remind her to not get her hopes up. He'd asked the same question. Dr. Roberts stated it was now not an option. He decided on the truth.
"Jess, I'm proud of you for not giving up, but please, baby, don't set your hopes too high. Hip replacement may or may not be an option. Let's take it one step at a time, ok?"
She picked at the hem of the white sheet covering her. She knew he was right, but she was tired of being defined by her disability.
"Fine, one step at a time, but know this I'm working my ass off in therapy."
Mike gave a wide smile as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."