Waiting
Disclaimer: I don't own In a Heartbeat, Disney, ABC, etc. etc. blah, blah, blah, blah, blah
Thanks for the replies.
Darkchilde: thanks for the names of Jamie's sister. I knew that someone else had used those names in a fic but I didn't know whom. I really like the names and I hope you don't mind that I used them.
Everyone, please read and review.
Chapter 5
Finding Out
Silence filled the waiting room as everyone waited for the Doctor to continue.
"James has bacterial meningitis. Meningitis is an immflamation of the lining around the brain. I am sorry I have to tell you these things but I think it is better to be honest with you. If the disease is treated early there is a big chance of recovery. Unfortunately, James was diagnosed very late in the illness. The seizures are a very bad sign. They often can cause brain damage. James has slipped into unconsciousness and there is no way of knowing when he will wake up. We have him on antibiotics to treat the disease. We won't know what kind of effects the disease will have until James wakes up."
Hank looked up to see that everyone was stunned into silence. He had some things he wanted to ask the doctor.
"What kind of things could happen to Jamie because of this?"
"Well, the only permanent affects would be deafness or brain damage. Deafness is somewhat rare but there is always a chance. Also, Jamie will experience the common after effects of meningitis, such as short-term memory loss, recurring headaches, aggressive behavior, tiredness, depression, and many other things. All these are common in the recovery of a meningitis patient and usually aren't something one need worry about too much."
Hank nodded his head in understanding. Mrs. Waite, Jade, Jasmine, and Val were crying. Catie seemed stunned into silence. She just sat there with her arms around Mrs. Waite and stared into oblivion. Crimson hadn't even heard the doctor. She was very involved in the coloring book Hank had given her. Hank wasn't crying because he never cried. He just wasn't comfortable crying in front of people. He looked over at Tyler and was slightly surprised to see tears slipping down his best friends' face. When he saw Tyler crying he couldn't stop a lone tear from falling. He jumped when Catie interrupted the silence.
"Can we see him?"
"In most cases of meningitis it would be too contagious to allow visitors but Jamie's illness has reached the stage where it is unlikely that anyone can catch it from him so yes you can visit him, but only one at a time and don't stay in there for too long."
Mrs. Waite was the first to visit her son. After about fifteen minutes she came out and Catie went in.
Catie quietly stepped into Jamie's room and shut the door behind her. She looked up and her breath caught in her throat. Jamie looked horrible. His dark hair contrasted starkly with the deathly paleness of his skin. There were tubes coming out of him everywhere, including one in his mouth to help him breath. The worst thing was the soft restraints that held Jamie to the bed. The doctor explained that those where to keep him safe if he had another seizure. Catie couldn't stand to see her handsome, strong friend strapped to a hospital bed. She felt so helpless. There was nothing she could do to help Jamie be better and she wanted so badly to do something. She slumped into the chair beside Jamie's bed, took his hand in hers and sobbed openly.
So, Good? Bad? What ya' think? Please review.
Disclaimer: I don't own In a Heartbeat, Disney, ABC, etc. etc. blah, blah, blah, blah, blah
Thanks for the replies.
Darkchilde: thanks for the names of Jamie's sister. I knew that someone else had used those names in a fic but I didn't know whom. I really like the names and I hope you don't mind that I used them.
Everyone, please read and review.
Chapter 5
Finding Out
Silence filled the waiting room as everyone waited for the Doctor to continue.
"James has bacterial meningitis. Meningitis is an immflamation of the lining around the brain. I am sorry I have to tell you these things but I think it is better to be honest with you. If the disease is treated early there is a big chance of recovery. Unfortunately, James was diagnosed very late in the illness. The seizures are a very bad sign. They often can cause brain damage. James has slipped into unconsciousness and there is no way of knowing when he will wake up. We have him on antibiotics to treat the disease. We won't know what kind of effects the disease will have until James wakes up."
Hank looked up to see that everyone was stunned into silence. He had some things he wanted to ask the doctor.
"What kind of things could happen to Jamie because of this?"
"Well, the only permanent affects would be deafness or brain damage. Deafness is somewhat rare but there is always a chance. Also, Jamie will experience the common after effects of meningitis, such as short-term memory loss, recurring headaches, aggressive behavior, tiredness, depression, and many other things. All these are common in the recovery of a meningitis patient and usually aren't something one need worry about too much."
Hank nodded his head in understanding. Mrs. Waite, Jade, Jasmine, and Val were crying. Catie seemed stunned into silence. She just sat there with her arms around Mrs. Waite and stared into oblivion. Crimson hadn't even heard the doctor. She was very involved in the coloring book Hank had given her. Hank wasn't crying because he never cried. He just wasn't comfortable crying in front of people. He looked over at Tyler and was slightly surprised to see tears slipping down his best friends' face. When he saw Tyler crying he couldn't stop a lone tear from falling. He jumped when Catie interrupted the silence.
"Can we see him?"
"In most cases of meningitis it would be too contagious to allow visitors but Jamie's illness has reached the stage where it is unlikely that anyone can catch it from him so yes you can visit him, but only one at a time and don't stay in there for too long."
Mrs. Waite was the first to visit her son. After about fifteen minutes she came out and Catie went in.
Catie quietly stepped into Jamie's room and shut the door behind her. She looked up and her breath caught in her throat. Jamie looked horrible. His dark hair contrasted starkly with the deathly paleness of his skin. There were tubes coming out of him everywhere, including one in his mouth to help him breath. The worst thing was the soft restraints that held Jamie to the bed. The doctor explained that those where to keep him safe if he had another seizure. Catie couldn't stand to see her handsome, strong friend strapped to a hospital bed. She felt so helpless. There was nothing she could do to help Jamie be better and she wanted so badly to do something. She slumped into the chair beside Jamie's bed, took his hand in hers and sobbed openly.
So, Good? Bad? What ya' think? Please review.