A/N: I promised a long one and I delivered. :D You guys rock my socks with your awesome reviews. You guys are great. Sorry, again, about the short chapter, but it just worked so well, for me anyway. As promised, a longer update – 6 pages according to my word doc. This will answer some questions and raise some others, so the fic's not over yet! I'm off to work on the next Black Sunday update (yeah, yeah, I know, you guys want more here too, but I gatta balance the time somehow ;D ). I wrote this initially around 8:00 pm last night, finished around 11 or so and beta-ed during lab time when I finished all I needed to do but had to stay to get credit for being in class :P. Enjoy the chapter! I look forward to seeing your wonderful reviews.
Chapter 27
There are moments in your life that time just flies away from you. Those precious moments when you want it to last forever and it only ended too soon. There's moments when time goes by at just the right pace and times when it passes by pain-stakingly slow. Right now, Time was passing by brutally slow. It seemed every time I glanced at a clock, only a millisecond had ticked off the clock. I paced, I sat restless, I tried to look at magazines and I was asked for an autograph by I can't count how many people. You'd think, after all that, it'd kill some time; at least make it go by faster, but no, life can never be that simple. Sometimes, time just makes you go crazy with its inconsistent ability to pass you by. That was my life right now.
"Mr. Quincy?" I heard a voice say and I snapped my head up to see an older man in a white lab coat looking apprehensively at me. He held a file in one hand and a pen in the other. I about leaped out of the chair and waited for the doctor to give me news about Jude. He had his head in his notes and read off of them, making me relatively irritated he couldn't remember his own diagnosis.
"Ms. Harrison was admitted just over an hour ago." He said, reading from his notes. I couldn't help but feel annoyed with that opening statement. I think I know how long I've been waiting to hear word on my gir-um, Jude.
"Her left wrist is broken in two places. We set the bone and fitted her with a cast." He explained looking up and then glancing back at the notes. I wanted to strangle the guy. Yeah, I know she has a broken wrist. But that didn't make her pass out. That didn't give her a high fever, now did it?
"And her illness?" I asked, not able to let the man talk at his own pace. What can I say, I was never one for patience and I was irritated. I wanted news and I had hoped I didn't have to see another hospital until my deathbed.
"She is still running a high grade fever. We ran some tests and found she has a pretty severe case of pneumonia."
"Pneumonia?"
"Yes, sir." He told me, looking up from his notes. I was confused. How could she have gotten…?
"But doesn't that take time to get serious?" I asked, not understanding completely what happened. I knew Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs. I know it's treatable and I didn't know there was such a situation as "serious pneumonia".
"In most cases it is a gradual occurance. Has Ms. Harrison complained about a sore throat?" I shook my head no. "Any shortness of breath?" He asked and I frowned at that one. Some, I'll admit, but that night I thought it was from…other activities.
"Um…I'm not sure." I responded. And the doctor made a few notes on the chart.
"Any coughing? Wheezing…?"
"No. She looked pale this morning and I thought maybe she had a fever but she didn't seem to be running a temperature." I explained and the doctor nodded and made more notes.
"Pneumonia can be a sudden onslaught, as it seems Ms. Harrison's case maybe. It has a variety of causes, the most common being bacterial and viral. We have to run more tests to make a conclusion to exactly which kind she has been infected with, but from what you're saying, it seems it's a bacterial, as we suspect. We have started her on a series of antibiotics and oxygen to help keep her oxygen levels normal. Her fever is still high and hasn't gone down." He explained to me, and I felt my head spinning with all the laymen's medical terms. I had enough of diagnosis and treatments and doctors trying to explain things. I sighed.
"But she'll be ok?" I asked, feeling apprehensive.
"I'm not going to lie to you, Mr. Quincy. Ms. Harrison's current condition is serious. The next 48 hours are going to be critical. First and foremost, we need to get her fever down and clear up her lungs."
This can't be happening. I thought, trying to keep myself together.
"Does she have any family in the area?" The Doctor asked me and I shook my head.
"No, she doesn't." I answered, running a hand through my hair.
"Do you know anything about Ms. Harrison's medical history?" He asked me and I shook my head no. The only thing I did know was she hadn't had so much as a cold in the last two years, but that didn't necessarily help the man. I watched helplessly as he made a few notations on Jude's file. "Is there anyone you can contact to get the information? We need to know if she's allergic to any medications or has had a previous history."
"Yeah, I'll get the information." The doctor nodded and handed me a few forms that he apparently wanted me to fill in.
"You can return those to the nurse's station once they're filled out." He told me and looked like he was about to leave.
"When can I see her?" I asked quickly, needing to see for myself that Jude was still, relatively, ok.
"We're getting her set up in a room now. I'll have one of the nurses let you know." He told me before turning away and going back through the doors.
I sighed heavily and sat down a moment, trying to process what had just happened. I shook my head to clear it. I couldn't brood now. I had a phone call to make.
I pulled out my cell and scrolled through my contact list, mentally pleading with myself that I didn't make a rash decision to delete the number. I closed my eyes in a mixture of pain and relief when I saw "Sadie" still programmed into my phone. My thumb hovered over the call button a moment, dreading making the call. I didn't want to do this, but it had to be done.
"Here goes nothing." I muttered to myself as I pressed the green call button and held my phone up to my ear, counting off the number of rings. I had no idea what I was going to say. I didn't know how to even tell her. I mean, I don't think "Hey Sadie, how are you? Oh, I'm good, by the way your sister is in the hospital" is going to cut it. Not even factoring in the she's probably not going to answer because she wants nothing to do with my, supposedly, cheating ass.
"Hello?" a male voice said and I froze a moment. Oh. My. God.
"Kwest?" I managed to say, my voice partially strangled from surprise.
"Uh…Hi Tom." My best friend greeted.
"Why are you answering Sadie's phone?" I asked as I heard a giggle in the background. Oh. That explains it. See, I'm not as slow as people think. I can add two and two and come out to four.
"We were just…um, hanging out." Kwest said, trying to sound casual but I knew otherwise. I wasn't that dumb.
"Dude, when were you going to tell me you're doing my ex?" I asked bluntly, not able to think of a more casual or suave way to say it.
"Dude, why are you calling your ex?" He challenged. Good point.
"Trust me, it's not something I'd do willingly." I stressed and sighed. "Just…give Sadie the phone." I told my friend and I heard a bit of shuffling before silence.
"Hello?" Sadie answered and I took a moment to collect my thoughts. Yeah, like reason ever works when Sadie is involved.
"Hey, Sades." I greeted and I could feel the resentment from the other end of the phone. Great, this was going to be fun.
"What the hell do you want?" She demanded.
"Sadie, you know I wouldn't call you willingly, so"
"What did you do to Jude?" She accused.
"Hey, I didn't do…" OK, so maybe I did do something. A lot of somethings, but I don't particularly want to think back on that right now.
"Tom, what did you do to my sister?" OK, maybe I can get this out without her killing me.
"She'sinthehospital." I said quickly and Sadie did not even pause a beat.
"SHE'S WHAT?!" She screeched into my ear and I winced at the volume. Stupidity for not knowing, or anticipating, that was coming. "What the hell did you do to my sister Quincy? So help me god, if you"
"Sadie!" I yelled over her to get her to shut up. "Will you let me explain."
"Why is my sister in the hospital?" She asked, her voice venomous.
"She's sick."
"Sick enough for the hospital?"
"She's got a severe pneumonia."
"How the hell did my sister get a pneumonia?" Sadie demanded.
"Like I'm a scientist!" I snapped back. Hell, I failed basic science in first grade, let alone what causes pneumonia or whatever. I can't even remember what the hell that even entailed, just that I failed and failed miserably. I sighed again and tried to get to the task at hand without losing it.
"Look, Jude…she's really sick. She collapsed earlier and was running a high fever. My sister and I brought her to the hospital and the doctor just came out and told me she had a case of pneumonia. I don't know much else. I only know that this morning, she looked a bit sick." I paused a moment, a frown coming over my face. "Wait, how did you know Jude was with me?" I asked her.
"Because Jude's done nothing but mope around since you left. I'm not that blonde Tom." She paused a moment. "Besides, she told me, sort of, before she left." Just what I needed; another reason for Sadie to be bitter.
"Look, Sadie, The doctor tells me Jude's not doing too well right now. He wants some information for forms and treatment or whatever and I don't know her history." I told her and Sadie sighed.
"Fine. I'll give you the information." She said, sounding put off. I sighed and I knew I'd regret my next words.
"Sadie, I think…for caution sake, you should come down here."
"Oh my god." Sadie said and I knew she was going to cry.
"Sadie, don't cry."
"My sister's in the hospital in another country and you're telling me that she's" Sadie said, her voice whining and becoming higher pitched.
"Sadie, she's not going to die!" I couldn't let that happen. "I just…she's probably going to want her sister when she's feeling like crap." I tried to explain and Sadie seemed to have calmed down…somewhat.
"I want to see her." She said, her voice pouty.
"I figured as much."
"I can't afford to fly to…"
"Montana." I finished.
"Montana." She repeated.
"Sadie, Expenses paid. Put it on your credit card, I'll pay you with interest." I informed her and I could picture the look on her face. "Just…don't go too overboard." I added with a wince. I could see her ordering first class with all the trimmings just to spite me.
With that, Sadie helped me fill in the records. After that she informed me she was coming down with Kwest and I told her I'd be sure to make sure someone got her from the airport as long as she called me back with flight information.
As I hung up my cell, I hoped that I didn't make a wrong decision in bringing Sadie into this. But I couldn't call her parents. And Jude…she needed her family.
I sighed and I got up and returned the forms to the nurse's desk and waited to be told I could see Jude. I needed her to make it through this. I hoped I didn't just lie to Sadie when I said she was going to be fine, but I had to believe it. I couldn't lose Jude. Not after everything we've been through. Not after we nearly made it.
"Mr. Quincy?" I heard a voice say and I looked up.
"You can see her now." The nurse told me, giving me a reassuring smile. I nodded and took a deep breath before I stood up. She smiled kindly at me and led me, silently, down the hall to Jude's room.
