Chapter Three.
Disclaimer I don't own Waterloo Road or any of its characters.
Christmas and New Year had been and gone, we enjoyed the holiday season and celebrated with family and friends, but despite her smiles and laughter, I could still see the sadness in Rachel's eyes.
The bug Rachel had picked up had really knocked it out of her, cold chills, sweating purposely, stomach cramps and vomiting.
I love that woman with every fibre in my being, but even I have to admit that she looked terrible, she'd had the by for 3 days now and didn't show any signs of getting any better.
"Rach, I really think you should go to the doctors," I tell her on New Year 's Day.
"The bug last 72 hours, if I'm not any better by tomorrow. I'll go." Rachel muttered from where her head under the pillow.
"Yeah, you will because I'm taking you," I told firmly, leaving no room for argument.
What shocked me even more, was that Rachel didn't even attempt to protest or argue back, my Rach was definitely sick.
I turned my head to find her sleeping, good, sleep is good for her.
I spent the afternoon working on my motorbike in the garage, getting peakish, I headed back inside to grab a quick sandwich.
As I came through the double patio doors, I heard the sound of smashing glass.
I ran into the kitchen to find Rachel having a seizure on the kitchen floor, in that second I froze.
Then the adrenaline kicked in, I put her in the recovery position and put a teaspoon in her mouth to stop her from choking to death on her tongue and then ran to the living room to grab my phone.
"Ambulance! I need an ambulance," I shouted to the poor despatch person on the other end of the line.
"My name is Mary Ellen, what is the patient's name? And are they breathing?" They asked, calmly.
"Yes, but slow and shallow. Please, it's my wife. She's having a seizure. Her name is Rachel" I explained frantically running back into the kitchen.
"Ok, my love just hold tight. An ambulance is on its way. What's your name? Has Rachel been unwell lately?" They asked.
"Eh? It's Adam. Yes. We're teachers and there's been a bug going around the school." I tell the operator as I kneel down next to Rachel.
"Please love, come on! Don't do this to me! You don't get to leave me." I whispered softly into her ear.
"Eh, sorry what was that?" I asked the operator.
"I asked if Rachel is on any medication?" Mary Ellen asked him.
"No, she's not. The seizure is starting to slow down." Adam told her.
"Good, that's good. Just keep talking to her. She knows you there." Mary Ellen reassured him.
"They're here. Thank you very much. Bye." Adam replied hanging up the phone.
"Hello, paramedics, anyone there?" The male paramedic called out.
"In the kitchen!" Adam called out over his shoulder.
"Hi I'm Cade and this is my partner Phoebe. What is her name?" Cade as he knelt down beside Rachel?
Cade checked her pulse and put an oxygen mask on Rachel's face.
"I was in the garage and I heard glass breaking and I came into finding her like this," Adam explained to him.
"How old is Rachel and is she on any medication at all?" Cade asked.
"39 and no she isn't," Adam replied as he stroked his wife's hair.
"Ok in going to give her some Phenytoin to stop the seizure," Cade told me, it astounds me how calm they are.
Once Cade injected the medication into Rachel's IV that Phoebe had put in without me even realizing it, the seizure began to slow and eventually stop.
"We're taking Rachel to Manchester Royal infirmary, are you coming with us?" Phoebe asked.
I shook my head yes and grabbed my phone and my keys.
Rachel remains unconscious the whole time it took us 20 minutes to reach the Manchester Royal infirmary, they rushed her straight through while I called my parents.
I found myself sobbing down the phone to mum, I felt like a little boy all over again and at that moment, all I needed was my mum.
"I'm coming, son. You just hang on in there. I and your dad are coming. You need to stay strong for your wife, do you hear me? Adam Benjamin Fleet, are you listening to me?" My mum reprimanded softly.
"Yeah, I'm listening." I choke out.
"Good, good boy. Half an hour. I love you, son." My mum whispered softly.
As I was about to reply to her a doctor tapped me on the shoulder.
I told my mum that I had to go and that I would see her when they got here.
"Sorry to interrupt, are you here for a Rachel Flee?" The woman in scrubs asked.
She was about 30, average high, brown hair with green eyes.
"Yes, I'm her husband, Adam. How is she?" I ramble off quickly.
"I'm doctor Renway, I'm the doctor that has been treating your wife, when she was brought in, your wife had a temperature of 104, that's what caused the seizure. She's dehydrated and exhausted. We've managed to bring the temperature down and have given her anti-nausea medication to with the big she's contracted. We are just waiting on bloods but Rachel should make a full recovery." Doctor Renway explained patiently.
"Thank you so much, really thank you. Can I see her?" I asked eagerly.
"Of course you can, she's in the third bay on the left, we are waiting on a bed becoming available on a ward as we are going to keep her in, just overnight. Rachel's awake and asking for you." Doctor Renway told me.
"Ok, thank you again," I reply as I make my way to the bay.
As I open the door, Rachel turns her head to see who it is, she gives a small smile upon realizing that it was me.
"Oh God, I thought I'd lost you, don't you ever dare do anything like that to me ever again." I gently reprimand, pulling her into my arms.
Rachel lets herself sink into my embrace, as I hold on to her for dear life, never wanting to let her go ever again.
"I'm sorry, I only came downstairs for a glass of water. That's all I remember." Rachel whispered softly.
"You had a seizure love, it was caused by extremely high temperature and the bug you've got," I tell her, as I stroke her cheek.
"A seizure? Oh, my God, no wonder my head hurts." Rachel whispered shocked she'd been through all of that.
"The doctor said that you'll make a full recovery, they are just waiting on bloods. Mum and dad are on there way. They are stopping by the house to get you some things because I'm not leaving your side." I tell her firmly.
"Honey you can't stay, you have to go work," Rachel replies.
"Watch me and sod work, you're more important," I reply, looking Rachel dead in the eye.
Not long after mum and dad turned up.
"Oh, Rachel I was so worried about you. Don't ever do anything like that again, I've aged about ten years." Mum fretted, pulling Rache into a hug.
"Your Mother has never condoned speeding but I think she made me break every speeding law known to man." My dad told us, causing us to laugh, easing the slight atmosphere in the room.
"I've brought you pyjamas, toiletries, your chargers, laptop and some magazines," Mum told us as she took everything out of the bag.
"Thank you, Caroline, you didn't have to do that," Rachel tells her.
"Oh, nonsense dear, I don't mind," Mum replies.
"What have the doctors said?" Dad asked.
"The seizure was due to the bug and dehydration. We are waiting on some bloods, but all being well, I can go home tomorrow." Rachel tells them.
"Oh, love, that's good news, I bet you can't wait to get home?" Mum smiles at her.
"Oh like you wouldn't believe." Rachel smiles.
"I don't know about you but I could use a coffee, come on son. You can help me." My dad tells me, giving me the look that tells me that I better not dare argue with him.
Once we had left, that was the straw that broke the camels back for Rachel.
"Oh Caroline I have never been so scared I
In my life, I really thought that was going to be it." Rachel cries, letting out all the pent up emotions of the day.
"Oh, sweetheart, come here. Now you have a good old cry, that's it, you let it all out." Min soothes, gently rocking her back and forth.
Rachel really needed that moment and by the time I and dad had gotten back, it was like nothing had happened.
Rachel knew that she could go to mum with anything and she'd never tell a living soul.
A while after that mum and dad had to go, once the hits and kisses were delved out and mum and dad left. Doctor Renway knocked on Rachel's hospital door.
"Hi, Rachel, how are you feeling?" She asked standing at the end of her bed.
"A lot better than I was, thank you," Rachel replies as she sinks her head into the pillows while searching for my hand to which I willingly give.
"That's good to hear, any headaches? Nausea?" She asked as she writes something down on Rachel's medical chart.
"A bit of both, but nothing that I can't handle," Rachel tells her.
"Ok Rachel I'm going to get straight to the point, we have had your blood work and there's a problem." Doctor Renway replies bluntly but not unlikely.
"What sort of problem?" I asked as I feel Rachel grip my hand tighter, she was scared.
"You were given a drug called Phenytoin at the scene to stop your seizure, now that's normal protocol. But with you being pregnant that's dangerous." I cut her off abruptly.
"What did you just say?" I asked her in shock, this wasn't meant to happen to us.
"She said dangerous, you said that the medication was dangerous, what did you mean?" Rachel asked, gasping for air.
"Breath! Rachel, breath!" I tell her as I take her face in my hands.
"I'm so sorry I assumed that you knew." Doctor Renway tries to apologize
"Clearly." I hiss, furious that this wasn't checked.
"What did you by dangerous?" I glared at her, my anger wasn't directed at her, but I needed to get it out.
"Phenytoin is a drug that interferes with the development of a fetus. The affected child often develops similar symptoms regardless of the associated drug, particularly symptoms affecting the head and face region (craniofacial abnormalities). Studies have indicated that fetal valproate syndrome is associated with greater risk of neurological and cognitive abnormalities than other anti-seizure medications. NORD has a separate report on fetal valproate syndrome." Doctor Remway explains.
I could feel and hear my heart slamming painfully against my ribcage as my wife's sobs slice it into pieces and there wasn't a damn thing that I could do about it.
"What happens now?" I whispered, badly able to find my voice as Rachel was in no fit to do anything let alone form a sentence.
"We're gonna run some more tests and perform an emergency scan in the next hour and we'll take it from there. Again, I am so sorry." Doctor Renway apologize before leaving us to digest the news.
After an hour of soothing my crying wife to sleep, I needed to get out of that room
The next thing I knew I was sobbing down the phone to my parents.
"Mummy, I...we...I...cant...we need you." I sobbed, before sinking to my knees, dropping the phone, as the painful sobs overcome mem and I fell to pieces.
A/N There is chapter three, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you truly, everyone, for the kindness and support. PPM me if you have any questions ease review! X