The hits just keep on coming. ;) Amber
Chapter 12
Brooke came home and her body was tingling. She'd wanted him so badly by the end but knew that would be foolish without proper protection. She wished she could talk to her mother but that wasn't an option right now. She'd be doing better in a few weeks and she would talk to her then.
She was surprised to see her father. "Hi honey where did you go?"
Brooke fought the blush that threatened to creep up. She answered honestly. "To Ben's house. I needed to see him. It's been overwhelming you know. Who's with mom?"
Frank nodded. "Rick drove down. I know it's been overwhelming. I came to pack some things for myself and your mother."
Ford came walking up to Frank. "DA!"
Frank picked him up. "Hey buddy! Whatcha doing?"
"Pway?"
"I can't right now. I have to get back to the hospital. Is grandpa here?"
"Yes." He pointed down the hall.
Frank walked down and found his father sitting in the recliner clutching his chest. "Dad?"
"Just heartburn son."
Frank gave Ford to Brooke. His father was sweating profusely. He knew Joe was in the basement. "Brooke get Joe and tell him to bring his medical bag! Mom! Get in here!"
Laura was in the kitchen. "Honey what?" She saw her husband and rushed over to him. "Fenton?"
"Just some heartburn." He grimaced and started gasping.
Joe came rushing in. "What's wrong?"
Laura pulled her phone out of her pocket. "He's having chest pains."
Joe pulled out his stethoscope and listened to his father's heart. "Tachycardia. Are you having any pain in your arms, neck, or jaw?" He pulled out a blood pressure cuff and took his blood pressure. It was 210/104. He put on an pulse ox and read his O2 it was at 90%
Fenton winced. "My jaw hurts a bit and my left arm."
Joe soothed. "Okay try to relax."
Vanessa came up and saw what was happening. She paled. "Oh god!"
The medics came. Joe immediately said. "Do an EKG. Start a line and put him on a monitor and two liters of oxygen."
Joe opened his father's shirt and tore his t-shirt underneath open.
His father wasn't pleased. "Really son?"
Laura snapped. "Now is not the time to argue."
The medic put some leads on Fenton's chest and performed the EKG. Joe took the paper and nodded. "We need to load him in the ambulance. Dad, you're having a heart attack. Administer 1mg of lorazepam give him a dose of nitro, morphine, and five baby aspirin."
They put Fenton on the gurney. Joe climbed in the back of the ambulance with his father. He started the IV line himself.
Fenton said. "I don't need morphine."
Joe narrowed his eyes. "Don't argue with me, you need pain relief. You're getting enough strain on your heart as it is."
"Where's your mother?"
"With Frank they're following the ambulance." Joe could see Frank and his mother in the car behind the ambulance.
Joe gave the medic some more orders and they in turn gave Joe the meds to administer. "Flush. Call and give report."
The medic did just as instructed and three minutes later Fenton was wheeled into Trauma 2 of the ER. Joe barked orders. One of his nurses Brian was right there. He administered the meds that Joe said.
Joe then said. "Start a heparin drip."
Fenton moaned. "Son what are you giving me exactly?"
"Blood thinning medication. It's to help your heart pump better." The respiratory therapist came in and performed another EKG and she did an ABG.
Fenton winced as the respiratory therapist took blood out of his artery. "That hurts a lot."
The phlebotomist came in. He took more blood from Fenton's arm. Joe's colleague said. "Get those labs run stat this is a cardiac alert."
Laura and Frank came into the trauma room. Laura saw the monitors and saw his heart rate. She sucked in her breath. "You've been having some chest tightness off and on haven't you."
Fenton moaned. "Off and on but nothing major. Not like this."
X-ray came in and took a chest x-ray. Joe put in orders for his dad to go to the cath lab; his troponin level was at a .70. Laura kissed her husband as they wheeled him off. Frank took her hand. "He's going to be okay." Frank soothed.
"I know."
Frank went back up to ICU 22. His father was going to be moved to ICU 24. Now he had to tell Callie what was happening. She was sitting up watching TV. She turned and her face brightened when she saw him. "Hey. Did you bring me some clothes?"
Frank held up a large duffle. "I brought you everything you are going to need. I packed a small bag for myself."
Rick said. "She's doing better, they're going to move her to another room tomorrow."
Frank took Callie's hand. "Callie dad is in the emergency room. He's had a heart attack, they're doing a catherization right now."
Callie's eyes widened. "Oh my god! Frank! You should go be with your mother and Joe." She squeezed his hand. "I'm okay. Rick is here."
Frank pulled down the bed rail and hugged his wife. He lingered for a moment getting comfort in her embrace.
Callie soothed him. She stroked his hair. "He's tough. He'll be okay. I wish I could be with you."
"You are with me always...even when you aren't."
Callie kissed him. "Go. I'm okay."
Frank kissed her again and went back downstairs. Joe and Laura were sitting in trauma one waiting for Fenton to come back. Frank sat on the other side of his mother. He took her hand. Joe already had one. She looked at her boys and soothed. "He'll be alright."
The cath lab results came back. Fenton had a blockage that would require surgery. The heart surgeon was a friend of Joe's, his name was Dr. Morales. Fenton was now in ICU 24. Dr. Morales said. "I will be operating tomorrow morning. You're NPO as of now. I want you to stay as relaxed as possible. We're giving you medications to keep your blood pressure under control and your heart rate."
Joe said. "Thank you Pedro."
"Anytime."
Joe squeezed his father's hand. "They're going to be giving you valium at regular intervals to keep you relaxed. They'll operate tomorrow. Next time you start having intermittent chest pains tell me please."
"I will." His eyes focused on Frank. "How's Callie?"
Frank, who was standing at the foot of the bed, answered. "She's alright. Rick is with her right now. He drove down from New York to see her."
"How are the hallucinations?"
"Slowing down. They have been giving her Geodon in IM form. She will have a swallowing evaluation tomorrow. Hopefully she will be able to eat and swallow pills. Then she'll have more options for the psychosis. They're moving her to another room tomorrow as well."
Fenton yawned. He felt tired. "Good."
Frank saw how tired his father looked. "Rest now dad."
Sam Radley and his wife Ethel came in. Sam put his hands on his hips. "Didn't I tell you to get checked out last week?"
Fenton nodded. "You did. You know how stubborn I am."
Ethel shook her finger at him. "Yes well next time my husband is going to drag you by the ears to the doctor."
Laura chuckled. "It will be a race."
Joe nodded. "Truth!"
