"That's great Jay, but you have to try holding it a little longer." Jay let out a defeated sigh, and dropped the spirometer device back down to his lap. The nurses brought it in after he woke up the second time and his brother had been preaching how important it was going to be to use it several times a day. It was going to help strengthen his lungs after such an invasive surgery.
"Hurts. Chest is tight." Jay said as he laid his head back on his pillow.
"Im sorry. It's going to feel that way until things heal over the next couple days. Plus you still have the chest tube. It'll help some once that's removed." Will picked up the device from Jay's lap and attempted to hand it to him again. Jay just looked at it and back at Will. " Later."
"Ok." Will gave in as he put the device on the table next to the bed. "I know it's uncomfortable now, but it will really help later."
Hailey was sitting on the left side of Jay's bed texting the team. They were all excited to hear Jay was awake and doing well. They so far had no new leads on Wyatt. They had been out questioning their CIs and so far had been coming up empty handed. She glanced up at Jay, who was stifling a yawn, as she put her phone back in her pocket. She reached over to adjust the blanket covering his lower half.
They had gotten some sleep through the night. Only waking one time when Jay woke up in pain around 6am. Will hit the nurses button, and they were quick to bring in relief. Everyone fell back asleep shortly after, totaling five hours of sleep, before the nurses returned to let them know Crockett would be in sometime that morning to do another ultrasound. Neither Will or Hailey slept in their given cots, both falling asleep in their chairs next to the bed. It was officially past the 24hr mark from surgery. They couldn't help but celebrate the little milestones.
"When can i go home?" They couldn't help but laugh. Will sat on the edge of the bed and just looked at his brother. His hair was a mess. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. The color was finally returning to his face, but the aches and pains were still showing in his face, despite pain medications being upped the last round.
"You're going to be here a few days Jay. Likely at least a week. You've only been out of surgery a day. It was a big operation. We almost lost you. " Will paused and watched as Jay's eyes dropped to the bed. "Dr. Marcell is coming by to do an ultrasound to check the artery in your leg. You'll be transferred to another room once the chest tube is out in a couple days. Hopefully you'll be cleared to start therapy and start getting up to move around. "
"Not with that." Jay glared between his brother and the catheter tube that was sneaking out from under the blanket and to a bag next to the bed. "Take it out. I don't need it."
"That's for your doctor to decide Jay. You haven't even been out of bed."
"You are a doctor." Jay insisted. Hoping his brother would take pity on him.
Will just laughed, shaking his head as he stood up from the bed. "He should be here soon."
Jay just sighed and looked over to Hailey, who hurried and raised her hands in defense. "Hey that's not up to me."
Hailey stood from her seat and leaned in to give Jay a kiss. She hovered there for a moment, running her right thumb across his cheek. "Love you." Jay grinned back as she leaned in for another kiss "Love you too."
Hailey returned to her seat next to the bed continuing to hold Jay's hand. It was hard to let go after everything they had been through. Will was busying himself tidying up the room. Three people in one room could cause a lot of clutter. As they waited for Crockett to come do the ultrasound, breakfast was brought in. Jay was not at all pleased with the liquid diet. The further he got out from surgery, and more testing was marked off in the coming days, that would change. Hailey took the lid from the chicken broth, and handed Jay a spoon, who just shook his head and complained about the smell. Will tried to reason with him, explaining he needed to eat something with the pain medication he was on. After a few spoons full and a lot of convincing, he moved on to the red jello and applesauce. Will couldn't complain. It was the first thing he ate since waking up, and it was better than nothing. Jay was starting to doze off when Crockett and a couple nurses came in to do the ultrasound.
"How are we feeling?" He asked Jay as he started pulling the blanket back from his leg.
"Tired." Jay yawned as he shifted in the bed, trying to sit up higher. The movement only caused the tightness in his side and his leg to start aching. Jay sank back slowly into his pillow as he winced, holding his breath until the pain went back down. Will hurried to push the buttons on the side of the bed to raise it to more of a sitting position.
Crockett was in the process of setting up the ultrasound machine, and putting gel on the end of the wand. "That's pretty normal at this point. Rest is good. What's the pain at?"
"Everything hurts." Jay responded between gritted teeth.
"Scale of 1-10?"
"7 i guess."
"Ok how long until his next round of meds?" Crockett asked the nurse standing next to him. " He's due now." she said holding up a small cup with a couple pills.
"Go ahead and take that before we get started. We are switching over to these medications to keep you off the stronger stuff for now. That way you can get up and start moving around some, and to be able to let me know if anything starts to hurt more. Ideally I'd like for you to start working on getting out of bed a couple times a day. Just don't over do it. Maybe a short walk to the end of the hallway and back. The longer you stay in bed, the more stiff and uncomfortable you'll likely get. But with that being said if the pain gets too bad, let me know. And we'll go back to the stronger stuff through your IV."
Jay looked down at his hand and at the IV Crockett mentioned. It was no secret how much Jay loved needles. He started fidgeting with the tape, until Will reached over and grabbed his hand, shaking his head no. Before he could say anything, the nurse walked over and handed him his little medicine cup. Jay quickly accepted the medication. Will handed him his cup of water and he downed the medicine while Crockett started moving the ultrasound around on his thigh. He would gladly accept these pills if it meant getting these IVs out quicker. He laid his head back on his pillow, and watched while Crockett continued to move the wand around his thigh. Will and Hailey both looked on. Hailey not sure what she was looking at, and Will looking between the incision site and the screen. The site was still red. The incision started just below his hip line, centered right in the middle of his thigh, and was at least 4-5 inches long running down towards his knee. Typically the incision wouldn't be that long with these types of surgerys, but due to the type of injury and the complications during surgery, Will figured they would have had to open Jay's more. All of this just meant a longer healing time for his brother. As Crockett moved the wand to the more sensitive areas Jay would wince and try real hard not to jerk away from the pressure. Hailey placed a hand on his shoulder giving him a reassuring smile. Crockett would apologize and slowly move from that area.
"Everything looks great. We'll continue to do these once a day. Just to monitor things. How do you feel about getting up and moving around?"
"Hell ya." Jay responded before looking down at all the IVs and tubes protruding from under the blanket on the bed.
"We'll be removing one of the IVs. You're done with the transfusions. The one in the hand will have to stay for now. The chest tube has already slowed a lot after 24 hours. We'll see about removing it tomorrow. Since Will is here with you, he can help get you up. Small steps at first. Remember, try not to overdo it. If you guys need any help, just let her know." Crockett then turned to the nurse who had just rolled the ultrasound machine out of the room. "She'll remove the catheter and we'll see about getting you up and moving. "
"What about this?" Jay said pointing to the hospital gown.
"We'll be moving you to a normal room in the next couple days. You can change into some more comfortable clothes then."
Jay just nodded and shifted in bed. Dreading what was coming up. Crockett told everyone he'd be back later and left the room. Good news always left an excited buzz to the room. Will and Hailey exchanged excited smiles. The nurse was walking up to the bed putting on gloves as she reached to straighten out Jays right arm. His face scrunched up as she removed the tape from the IV in the crook of his arm.
"Do you need me to hold your hand?' Will joked from the end of the bed.
Jay just glared at him, not finding any of this funny. Hailey laughed and stepped forward to grab his hand. On the count of three the nurse pulled the IV from Jays arm, causing a dramatic wince from the patient. Will laughed and shook his head. The nurse put the cotton ball and bandaid in place before turning and looking between the 3 people in the room.
"Ready?" She asked, gesturing to the bed. Jay turned to give a knowing look to Will, who turned to Hailey "Come on. Let's go get something to eat. We'll be right back. 10 minutes tops."
Hailey quickly grabbed the backpack from her cot that was dropped off when the team visited. Even though she was thankful to Will for being able to get out of that dress, she was ready to get into her own clothes. She leaned in to give Jay a quick kiss, before heading to the door behind Will. She paused in the doorway, and watched as Jay looked at the nurse and smiled at something she told him. He glanced back at Hailey, giving a reassuring nod, before she left down the hallway with Will. Already anxious to get back to the room.
…..
The trip to the hospital cafeteria was a quick one. Neither of them wanted to be away from Jay for too long. They also knew now that Crockett gave Jay a little bit of his freedom back, he would be ready to get out of that bed. If they didn't get back up there quick enough, they worried they'd miss the big moment. Just like a baby's first steps, they were ready to get back to some form of normalcy. Their guy had been through alot the last few days, and they were so proud of how far he had come.
Will left Hailey at the doctors lounge again for a quick shower and change, while he ran off to the cafeteria for food, since he had showered late yesterday while the team was visiting. Deciding they needed something quick they could carry back to the room, Will grabbed a couple slices of pizza and drinks. By the time he finished checking out and came back to the doctors lounge, Hailey was pulling her hair into a quick bun and grabbing her bookbag. They quickly ate their slice of pizza as they rode the elevator back up to the ICU, not wanting to eat in front of Jay since he was stuck on that awful liquid diet at least another day.
They rode the elevator with another couple and a small child. Both Will and Hailey just tried to keep themselves as small as possible and stayed in the back corner. Will had been trying to not ask about the case. It wasn't something he wanted to keep reliving. His sole focus had been just wanting to get Jay back to 100%. But as he looked over to Hailey who was looking at her phone, he let curiosity get the best of him.
"Have you heard anything yet from the team? Did they find the guy?"
Hailey quickly put the phone back into her pocket. " Nothing yet. It's like he doesn't exist."
"I'm sure they'll find a way. You guys always do." The elevator stopped as the small family got out of the elevator on a different floor.
"Ya. I just worry when Jay finds out Wyatts background, he's going to feel bad for him. Even though he's the one stuck in the hospital. Even with Angela, he had just woken up from surgery and worried about her instead of himself."
Will just laughed and shook his head. He knew she was right. His brother was always more worried about everyone else. The elevator dinged, letting them know they had reached the ICU floor. Will signaled for her to go ahead of him through the doors, as they made the short trek back to Jay's room at the end of the hall.
"So what do you think?" Will asked Hailey as they walked.
"About Wyatt?"
"Yeah."
Hailey just sighed and slowed her steps as they got close to Jay's door. "The man needs help. But there's no excuse for what he did."
Will nodded in agreement as they reached Jays door. Jay was awake, but clearly had been dozing off before they walked in. Will quickly threw the pizza boxes away into the trash can. Silently kicking himself for not throwing them away somewhere along the way.
"Must be nice." Jay smiled from the bed.
"Sorry man. As soon as you get to feeling better and approved for a normal diet, i'll get you whatever you want!" Will apologized as he walked up to the bed.
"It's cool." Jay responded. Looking blankly between the both of them. Hailey walked up to the bed and sat on the edge, running a hand up and down his arm.
"How are you feeling?" She asked as she wrapped her hand around his.
"Fine."
Hailey couldn't help but roll her eyes and laugh. Earning a smile from Jay.
"How's the pain?" Will chimed in from across the bed. "Better or worse with the new meds?"
Jay just shrugged. "It doesn't really go away. But i guess it's better than before. I don't want to sleep all day. The other stuff made me groggy."
"Well if it gets worse just say something. The quicker everything heals the quicker you'll get out of this hospital."
Jay attempted to laugh, which set off a couple deep coughs. He let out a pained wince as he wrapped his arm around his lower abdomen. He closed his eyes as he tried to slow his breathing. Will grabbed the cup from the side of the bed and handed it to Jay. Jay took a couple long drinks before handing it back to Will. "I want out of this bed," Jay huffed between breaths.
"Ok." Will said as he reached for the spirometer device again. "But first.." Will flashed a smile as he tried handing it to Jay. Jay just groaned.
"Can we do this later?"
"Absolutely not. It'll only take a minute. Come on." Will continued to wave it in Jay's face. Much to Jay's dislike he knew he wasn't winning this battle with his brother. He grabbed the device from Will and stuck it in his mouth.
"Remember to hold it as long as you can."
Jay just looked over at Hailey, who gave a reassuring smile. Jay held his breath as long as he could, which was only a couple seconds, before exhaling and dropping the device to his lap. Will continued to encourage him to do it a few more times. Each time Hailey would squeeze his hand and offer her encouragement. Jay hated how tight his chest was. Each breath hurt and felt tight. Each exhale made him feel like another coughing fit was coming, but he fought the urge and kept going. Will had said it was normal, so he just prayed it would go away soon. He really wanted out of this bed, out of this room, if it meant he was going to get out of the hospital any time soon. After 5 times Jay handed it back to Will. Will took that as a win and turned to put it back on the table by the bed. While Hailey stood from the edge of the bed and turned to push her chair out of the way, Jay closed his eyes and let a pain filled expression cross his face while they weren't looking. The last thing he wanted to do was concern them and be put back on the stronger medication, and sleep the rest of the day. He was getting out of this room, even if it was just a few steps down the hall.
"Hey look what they left for you!" Will excitedly spun around from the table, flashing what appeared to be something very purple, in a clear package.
Jay raised his eyebrows looking at the package. " What is that?"
"Socks!" His brother was clearly more excited than he was. Jay looked down to his feet and at the white socks he had on.
"What's wrong with those?"
"Well, those don't have the rubber grips on the bottom like these do. To help keep you from falling. " Will responded as he tore the package open and walked down to Jay's feet, pulling out two purple socks. Will couldn't help but laugh. They must have been out of the white or blue, or the nurses just didn't pay attention when they brought them in. They stayed pretty busy on this floor.
"Great color choice." Hailey said standing next to the bed, fighting back the urge to smile.
Jay rolled his eyes and tried not to jump as Will pulled his sock off his right foot, putting on the purple one. "I'd wear hot pink right now if it meant getting out of this bed."
"I hear ya." Will said as he put on the left sock, and tossed the old ones in the trash. "How's the pain?"
"Will, it's still fine."
"Ok. Alright. So, where do you want to go first? To the chair?"
"Bathroom."
"Right! I almost forgot. Let's give it a go."
Will grabbed the walker from outside the door that the nurses left. It was the perfect kind you see that can be used as a walker, but also had a seat. Hailey came around to the right side of the bed, where Will was standing with the walker. He began unplugging the monitors that wouldn't be needed for their walk. After everything was unplugged and the drainage bag was hooked to the IV stand, Will lowered the bed side rail and hit the button for the bed to lower closer to the floor. Jay gladly removed the nasal cannula and handed it off to Will. Jay gave his brother an odd look as he pulled the walker closer to the bed, as Hailey began pulling back the blankets.
"I don't need that." Jay responded pointing to the walker.
"Yes you do. Jay you haven't walked in a couple days. Trust me. Now swing your legs towards me."
Jay did as told, and turned very gingerly to sit on the edge of the bed. Will was standing on one side, and Hailey on the other resting her hand on his shoulder. He still had the brace on his leg, which felt extremely heavy when you haven't moved in a couple days. Hailey reached behind Jay tying the strings of the hospital gown tightly behind him.
"Ready?" Will asked as he moved the walker directly in front of him. Jay turned to look at the bathroom and back at them. Luckily the walk to the bathroom wasn't all that far. ICU rooms were very small, barely enough room for the two cots and two chairs they had. Since Jay was a family member to a doctor at that hospital, they made an exception. It didn't interfere with any fire hazard protocols, so they let it slide for them. Jay nodded and reached for the handlebars of the walker. Will placed a hand under his arm, and Hailey stayed close by just in case her help was needed. On the count of three Jay let his feet touch the floor and slowly rose from the bed. He didn't realize just how weak he would feel. He was certainly more thankful now for the walker than he would admit.
"You good?" Will asked, waiting for Jay to let him know when he was ready. "If it gets to be too much, you can always sit down."
Jay nodded and started a couple small steps towards the bathroom. Each step got easier, as his balance came back and his body remembered what it felt like to be upright. Jay only paused once about half way, before reaching the bathroom door. The bathrooms in the ICU were small. Only things in them were a sink, small mirror and a toilet. Showers were in regular rooms, as most patients in the ICU were in dire need of help, and not needing them. There was just enough room for him to walk in with his walker and turn to the side.
"This is awkward." Jay said as he stared at the toilet. He knew he wasn't quite ready to let go of the walker, but he had made it this far.
"We can help." Hailey offered. Not really sure how.
"It will only take a minute. And we can stand right next to you." Will said. Jay just looked at him. "I wont look." Jay just sighed knowing he wouldn't be able to do it without help. Will was easily able to help Jay stand long enough to finish the task they came for, then he was ready for the trip back into the room.
"Where did you want to go now?" Will asked as they paused by the door.
"I want to sit in the chair a minute. I don't want to get back in the bed."
After a few more steps they were positioned by the chair Will had been sitting in. Will helped him turn, and placed a hand under his arm as he lowered into the chair. First steps were complete, and they couldn't be more excited and proud. Even for a short trip to the bathroom. Will grabbed for the nasal cannula and slowly worked it back around Jay's head, ignoring the glare from his brother. After connecting all the wires back to the correct monitors, Will grabbed Haileys chair from the other side of the room and brought it to sit next to Jay. Hailey crawled up on Jay's bed and sat facing them. They sat in silence for a few moments, just happy to see him out of bed. It didn't take long for Hailey to doze off. It was the first time being in anything close to a bed in days. Although they had their cots, they always fell asleep next to the bed in their chairs.
It was lunch time in the hospital, and a nurse brought in Jay's tray for lunch. Will got up to help move the bedside table towards Jay and lowered it to where he could reach. More jello, broth, juices and this time a pudding cup. Jay just huffed in annoyance.
"It'll get better soon." Will said as he picked up the spoon, pulling it out of the wrapper and handing it to Jay. Jay ate the jello and pudding before attempting the broth. It wasn't any better than breakfast, and after a couple spoonfuls he refused to eat anymore. He drank the juice and before long the nurses were back taking away the trash. Jay just watched as Hailey slept, smiling to himself. He didn't want to admit how much tighter his chest felt on that small walk. How each breath was turning into sharper pains. Stronger pains meant stronger medications, and he refused to be groggy and out the rest of the day. At least sitting didn't hurt as bad as laying down. The walk down the hall would have to be saved for later.
"Did you want to stay here, or get back in bed? Or did you want to try to go down the hall?" Will asked.
Jay blinked out of his daydream and just shook his head. "I'll stay here for a little while."
Jay sat back in his chair and leaned against Will. Will was busying himself with stuff on his phone. Checking for any important messages about patients he had before everything happened with Jay. Ethan and Natalie had offered to take them over, to give him time with Jay. Before long he felt pressure against his shoulder and turned to see Jay had fallen asleep. Will just leaned back, figuring a quick cat nap surely wouldn't hurt.
…..
Hailey was startled awake some time later by buzzing in her back pocket. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep. The last thing she remembered was watching the brothers talk. She glanced over to Will and Jay now, who were still kicked back, and asleep leaning against each other in their chairs. She felt bad for falling asleep in the bed, but looking at Jay now he looked so peaceful. She was so thankful she had put her phone on vibrate that morning. Pulling her phone from her back pocket she found a text from Kim. She would be stopping by in the next few hours to bring them something to eat, and wanted to know how Jay was doing. Hailey quickly responded with how well he was doing. She couldn't help but smile down at her phone as they talked about his progress. She noticed Kim didn't mention the case, so she figured there were no new leads.
She looked over to Jay as he started shifting in his seat. The nasal cannula shifted just right causing him to sneeze, waking up Will. Jay groaned and winced before leaning forward and gripping his abdomen. It had been a few hours since he took the medication, but they didn't help a whole lot against the sudden movements. The tightness in his chest was growing since he fell asleep, and it was getting a little harder to breathe. He chalked it up to the extremely uncomfortable chair he fell asleep in.
"Hey, how bad is it?" Will asked as he ran his hand through his ruffled hair.
Hailey got up from the bed and leaned over to give Jay a comforting hug, holding him a few moments until his breathing evened out. That was all the answer Will needed as he darted out of the room. Hailey sat in Will's empty seat and wrapped her fingers through Jays hand.
"You ok? How bad is it?"
Jay let out a deep breath before making eye contact with her. " I just don't want to sleep all day."
"Jay, you had a big surgery a couple days ago. You need the rest."
Jay did his best to nod, causing the cannula to wiggle again under his nose. Before it could cause another sneeze, Jay reached up and pulled it down from his face. "This isn't helping."
"I really don't think they will be happy about that. You need it."
"I just need a minute." Jay let out a wince, squeezing Haileys hand as another sharp pain came from his side. Maybe she was right. Of course she always was. He was tired and the new meds were only taking the edge off. He looked over at her, and she gave him a warm smile. He always loved that about her. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Will returned with a new cup of water, and followed by a nurse. She was a much older woman with silver hair, and wearing tweety bird converse. Jay noticed them immediately, because he was trying to avoid eye contact with his brother, trying to keep up his tough facade. The tough guy wall that Hailey was able to get through, immediately went back up with Will back in the room. Will instantly grabbed for the nasal cannula and pulled it back up under Jay's nose, pulling it tighter. Jay just groaned his disapproval.
"Hi sweetie. How are we feeling dear?" The nurse asked Jay as she grabbed for his chart.
"A little sore but im alright."
"Jay…." Jay looked up to see Hailey looking at him, eyebrows raised, begging him to tell the truth without saying it.
The nurse just smiled at their exchange as she put the chart away. " Do we want the stronger meds sweetie, or the same as this morning?"
Jay contemplated his answer for a moment, knowing Will and Hailey were watching him closely. With the obvious pain written on his face, he knew there was no use hiding it.
"Do i have to get it now? It makes me tired. I want out of this room first."
"Of course not. I can come back. But make sure you keep this on," she said as she pointed at the tube under Jays nose. Jay nodded once before instantly stopping, remembering why he had taken it off to begin with. "Just let me know when you're ready." They thanked her as she left from the room and everything went back to being quiet. Hailey was rubbing his back, and Will walked around in front of him and sat down on the bed.
"Don't think of taking meds as being a set back Jay. You really are doing great."
Jay gave his brother a smile. "I'm tired of being in this room."
Will tried not to laugh. It had only been a few days and Jay had been out for most of it. "I know. The more rest you get, the quicker you'll get to feeling better and get to go home." Jay perked up at that. "So where did you want to go?"
"Bathroom."
With that both Will and Hailey sprung up, unplugging everything again and taking off the oxygen for the short walk. Will grabbed the walker and brought it back over to Jay, who didnt even argue it this time. They helped him get to his feet, and were on their way to the bathroom. Hailey looked over to the clock on the wall, realizing Kim would be there soon.
"Kim should be here soon. She's stopping by to visit. Is there anything you wanted from home?" Jay smiled at the thought of home, their home.
"A toothbrush."
Will and Hailey both laughed at the random answer as they got to the bathroom. Will helped Jay get settled in the bathroom where he was comfortable to be left alone for a minute and Hailey went to search through the bookbag. She might have been a bit excited, and mentally thanked Kim for always being so thoughtful. She walked back over to the bathroom opening a box of toothpaste, and pulling a toothbrush from the pack of two. One was purple and one was pink.
"Well look what Kim brought. It'll match your socks." Hailey flashed Jay a bright smile as he walked over to the sink. "Unless you want the pink one?" Will laughed as he slipped the walker out of the way so Jay could stand by the sink. Jay laughed and shook his head. "Purple is fine."
A toothbrush with toothpaste was passed off to Jay. After teeth were brushed it was time for the next big step. Jay reassured that he was good to go and they started moving towards the door. With Jay being on the far end of the ICU his room was the last before a short hallway that led to a window with a bench, directly across from a storage closet. It was a short walk, perfect for a quick outing and Jays first time leaving his room. The hallway had several brightly colored paintings. With this floor being the floor a lot of patients and family members got bad news, they tried to keep things bright to boost the mood.
Hailey and Will walked closely next to Jay, one on each side, as he shuffled slowly down the hall. Now that he was halfway to the window, he was starting to question his decision on skipping out on the meds. He was still experiencing the tightness in his chest. The further he got the tighter it seemed to get. With the added pressure to his leg, it was starting to ache. They finally reached the window and he didn't hesitate to turn and gingerly sit down on the bench. The short walk was definitely draining for him. Both Will and Hailey sat with him along the bench and watched as Jay looked out the window. His room didn't have a window, so it was the first time being able to see outside since the night he came in. It was almost 6:00 in the evening. The window was situated on the same side of the hospital as the surgical waiting room, giving them a view of the tall buildings downtown. The skies were a very pretty orange and red as the sun began to go down behind the buildings. They sat for a few minutes just watching people go about their day outside the window. Jay covered his mouth as a coughing spell came. Letting out five deep coughs. Hailey winced at the sound, knowing how much it bothered him. Will stood from the far end of the bench and came to stand next to Jay and placed his hand on his back. Jay was rubbing at his chest, as his breaths started to come out in barely noticeable short wheezes. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the window. The cool glass did a lot to keep his mind off the sharp pains again in his chest.
"You really shouldn't be off the oxygen. Let me go run and grab a small tank." Will said as he turned and went up the hallway towards the nurses station. Hailey just watched Jay's face as she rubbed his leg.
"Hey. You ok?"
Jay slowly peeled his eyes open to look back at her. "Yeah. Maybe I should have just taken the meds."
"Uh huh," she said while nodding. Hailey didn't want to rub it in when he was already feeling bad. Her phone began to buzz again in her back pocket, Kims name showing on the screen. Hailey answered and gave quick directions to Jay's room. After a few minutes she told Kim she'd see her soon and put her phone back in her pocket. Hailey was watching Will at the nurses station, when she turned to see Jay watching her.
"Did they find him?" She was honestly hoping he wouldn't ask.
"Um…..not the last i heard."
"Who was he?"
"His name was Wyatt Johnson." She was fidgeting with the button on her shirt. Hoping that would be enough to satisfy his curious mind for now. Maybe when Kim got there, she could fill him in on the rest. But when she looked up at him, she met his eyes, clearly waiting for her to continue.
"He's ex military. Discharged apparently a couple years ago from the army after being injured overseas. " She paused to watch Jay's reaction. He had gone back to staring out the window. "He has been hooked on Oxy and other pain meds I guess."
"I wonder what happened. Why the army didn't help him."
Hailey just shook her head. She didn't have that answer, and she knew where his mind was headed. Luckily Will returned with the nasal cannula and a small portable oxygen tank that clipped to his walker. Jay reluctantly turned to face him, ready to get back to his bed, but not at all excited to have the contraption back tickling his nose.
"I don't like it. It makes me sneeze."
"Sorry man. I'll make sure it's good and tight this time so it doesn't move." Will adjusted the tubing back under his nose, and did as promised making sure everything was good and tight. Jay couldn't deny that the flow of oxygen back under his nose did help.
"Kim is here. She should be up here any time." Hailey said from beside Jay.
Will looked back to Jay. "Ready to head back? The nurse is getting your meds and it's almost time for dinner."
Jay nodded and rose from the bench and they started the short walk back to his room.
"I'm not hungry."
"You've got to eat something with the meds Jay. Or they can make you sick."
They made it back to the room, and after another trip into the bathroom, they were getting Jay back in bed when his meal arrived. If that's even what a normal person would call a liquid diet. Of course Jay didn't see it as one. He loved getting out of the room, and especially being able to see life outside the hospital, but he was starting to feel just like the recovering patient that he was. His whole body hurt, he was exhausted, starting to feel nauseous and he was starting to wheeze with each breath. Will was hooking everything back up to monitors and getting him switched from the portable oxygen tank, to the one in the room. Jay just laid his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes, willing the aches and pains to go away.
The nurse with the tweety bird shoes entered the room with the vial of medication and started twisting it into Jays IV line. "These should kick in soon sweetheart." She pulled out his chart after administering the meds, and documented the time, before looking back up to the monitors. She turned to Will and whispered as he was getting Jays food set up on his tray. "His O2 stats dropped a little on the walk. Probably just over doing it a little maybe?"
Will stopped what he was doing to look up at the monitors. They had dropped down 3 numbers since they left the room. Will was a little concerned but it was the most exercise Jay had gotten since he woke up from surgery. It had only been 2 days and Jay had been doing so well. Next time they'd definitely bring the portable tank with them. Jay had not complained to him about any issues with his breathing, so he just assumed it was from the walk and overdoing it a little, but he'd definitely ask Crockett about it and keep an eye on it through the night. The nurse just smiled at Will and told him she'd put it in Jay's chart for his doctor to review before turning to leave the room. Will continued to watch the monitor for a moment, thankful to see it rise back up one number. He turned to Jay and saw his eyes were still closed.
"Hey man. You have to eat something." Jay didn't respond. It was apparent that the medicine was already kicking in, but he didn't want Jay to wake up sick. Hailey reached over and gently shook his shoulder, receiving a grunt and one eye to open.
"I know you're tired Jay but you have to eat something." Will said holding up the jello cup to show him. Jay just shook his head. "Ok then at least eat this pudding. And drink something." Will was now holding the vanilla pudding and apple juice box in his hands. Jay looked between both before reaching for the juice and drinking it, and handing the empty box back to Will. Will then put a spoon in his hand and handed him the pudding cup. It took a few minutes, and a couple more shakes of his shoulder when his eyes would droop closed, before he finished the pudding. Will had to take that as a win. His brother was exhausted and there was no use fighting him. Hailey leaned in to give him a quick kiss on his forehead before he fell asleep.
Kim finally arrived carrying several bags. A couple bags with some Italian pasta dishes from an Italian restaurant near the hospital, and a few more with bottle drinks and snacks. Enough snacks to last them a couple days easy. Kim walked up to the bed and rubbed Jay's shoulder, letting him know the team was thinking about him. Jay thanked her and was out before Kim could get situated at the end of the bed.
She ate with them while Jay slept. They gave her updates on Jays day and his first walk out of the room. She looked over to him and smiled. She was hoping to spend more time with him tonight, but was thankful to hear all the good news. She couldn't wait to get back to the district and let the others know how he was doing. As they expected there were no new updates from her side. Wyatt had not been seen in that area around the restaurant since that night. Hailey was losing hope that they'd ever see him again. With Jay being asleep they were able to eat and not feel bad eating in front of him. Kim stayed about two hours before leaving. She could tell they were getting tired too and she was looking forward to getting home herself after a long day of searching for a mystery man. She promised to call if she heard anything new, and said she'd come back by the next day.
Will turned down the lights in the room as Hailey crawled into her cot. They were more than ready for some sleep. Will walked over to the bed and watched as Jay slept, and glanced over to the monitors. After a few minutes he was content with what he saw, and crawled into his cot. He looked up to the clock and saw it was almost 930. He couldn't wait to finally get some much needed rest. He pulled his blanket up and adjusted his pillow and before long they were all asleep.
…..
Will was in a deep sleep when the beeping started. At first it was just annoying, interrupting his much needed sleep. When it didn't stop he began to wonder if it was part of his dream. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in a quiet room, so the added noise just didn't fit into a half asleep mind. Will was facing away from the bed, and slowly rolled over to glance around the room. It was still dark, and it took a moment for everything to register. The beeping was slow, a beep every 20 seconds or so. The more awake he became, the more his mind started registering new sounds. He heard alot of weezing, and a groan from the bed. As the next round of beeping started he noticed the heart monitors start to speed up next to Jay's bed. Finally everything started to register and Will jumped up from his bed looking over to Hailey who was still sound asleep, and then over to his brother.
Jay was asleep, but his breaths were coming in short wheezes. He looked anything but peaceful like he was when Will fell asleep. His cheeks were red, and his forehead almost looked glossy. Will reached over and placed his hand on Jay's forehead, and was shocked at how warm it was. He quickly looked over to the monitors and saw now what was causing the beeping. His O2 stats had dropped again, and he had a fever of 103, causing his heart rate to rise. Will didn't understand what was happening. The doctor's side of his mind was out the window, leaving the worried brother to fend for himself. He looked back to Jay and tried to wake him up calling his name. All that did was wake Hailey, all he got was more wheezing from Jay. Hailey was now standing next to the bed looking at Will for answers. Will just shook his head as he rubbed Jay's shoulder a little harder than he anticipated, but knowing Jay was running a high fever he needed to wake him up. With all the beeping and commotion two nurses came into the room and turned on the lights.
"Dr. Halstead what's going on?" They asked as they looked at his monitors and back to Will as he continued to try and wake Jay up. Hailey was running her hands through his sticky hair calling his name.
"He spiked a high fever. He must have an infection. Page Dr. Marcel." Will looked over to Hailey, who was just as concerned as he was. "Come on Jay wake up."