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Chapter 4: Serious Trouble For Lu
Dana rode in the ambulance with Lu against the wishes of the EMT's. When they arrived at Rittenhouse, Dana ran on ahead, almost colliding with Dr. Nick Biancavilla. "Hey Dana…" Nick started, but Dana interrupted.
"Don't ask questions, Nick. Just help me out here." At that moment, the EMT's came rushing in with Lu.
"Lu…Dana, what happened?" Nick asked.
"Nick, there's no time to explain now. Her lungs are full. We need to get a breathing tube in STAT!" Dana almost shouted at him. "Take her to exam room 8," Dana told the EMT's. Nick and Dana followed them. "Okay, on my count. 1,2, and…"Lu was transferred onto the examination table. With Nick's assistance, Dana inserted the breathing tube into her partner's throat. Lu gagged, and tried to pull the tube out. Dana gently pushed Lu's arms down.
"Lu, I know it's uncomfortable. But you have to have it so you can breathe easier. You know that. Please let us do this. Try to relax." Dana let go of Lu's arms as she felt her slowly begin to relax. "Good, Lu. Okay, I want a full chest x-ray immediately." Nick glanced at Lu, then looked at Dana.
"So what happened?"
"You spent several hours working with her yesterday in ER. Did you notice anything different?" Nick nodded.
"Yeah. She was sweating, coughing and seemed to have trouble catching her breath." Dana glared at him.
"Did it occur to you that maybe she was sick and shouldn't have spent all day down here?"
"I asked her if she was okay, and she said she was fine." Dana shook her head. "Sweating, coughing, and having trouble breathing. And you believed her?"
"Dana, what was I supposed to do? You know how Lu is. She wouldn't admit that anything was wrong, no matter what. I had told her earlier in the day that she should go home. But she wouldn't listen. I sure couldn't force her." Dana sighed.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry, Nick." Dana quickly told him how sick Lu had been earlier in the day, before spending the day in ER.
"She's been fighting a cold for a few weeks now. I guess it just got the best of her." Nick said. Dana nodded.
"This is more than a cold, Nick. If I hadn't decided to go check on her when she didn't show up for work…" Dana paused, not even wanting to think what may have happened if she hadn't shown up when she did. She glanced over at Lu, who was now resting quietly. "It's bad, Nick. Real bad." Nick nodded in understanding. "Yeah." Dana sighed.
"The breathing tube seems to be helping. Once the fluid drains from her lungs, we can move her to a room."
"Yeah, sure. Call me if you need anything." Dana smiled faintly.
"Thanks, Nick. I will. Might be a good idea to call the front desk and tell Lana what's going on." Nick nodded, then left the room.
Dana pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed. "You sure don't need this, Lu." Dana said softly. Lu had been through a rough time during the past month, and Dana felt that she very vulnerable.
As Dana glanced around the room, she suddenly realized that it had been just a month ago that she and Lu had once again been in this very room.
Chapter 4: Serious Trouble For Lu
Dana rode in the ambulance with Lu against the wishes of the EMT's. When they arrived at Rittenhouse, Dana ran on ahead, almost colliding with Dr. Nick Biancavilla. "Hey Dana…" Nick started, but Dana interrupted.
"Don't ask questions, Nick. Just help me out here." At that moment, the EMT's came rushing in with Lu.
"Lu…Dana, what happened?" Nick asked.
"Nick, there's no time to explain now. Her lungs are full. We need to get a breathing tube in STAT!" Dana almost shouted at him. "Take her to exam room 8," Dana told the EMT's. Nick and Dana followed them. "Okay, on my count. 1,2, and…"Lu was transferred onto the examination table. With Nick's assistance, Dana inserted the breathing tube into her partner's throat. Lu gagged, and tried to pull the tube out. Dana gently pushed Lu's arms down.
"Lu, I know it's uncomfortable. But you have to have it so you can breathe easier. You know that. Please let us do this. Try to relax." Dana let go of Lu's arms as she felt her slowly begin to relax. "Good, Lu. Okay, I want a full chest x-ray immediately." Nick glanced at Lu, then looked at Dana.
"So what happened?"
"You spent several hours working with her yesterday in ER. Did you notice anything different?" Nick nodded.
"Yeah. She was sweating, coughing and seemed to have trouble catching her breath." Dana glared at him.
"Did it occur to you that maybe she was sick and shouldn't have spent all day down here?"
"I asked her if she was okay, and she said she was fine." Dana shook her head. "Sweating, coughing, and having trouble breathing. And you believed her?"
"Dana, what was I supposed to do? You know how Lu is. She wouldn't admit that anything was wrong, no matter what. I had told her earlier in the day that she should go home. But she wouldn't listen. I sure couldn't force her." Dana sighed.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry, Nick." Dana quickly told him how sick Lu had been earlier in the day, before spending the day in ER.
"She's been fighting a cold for a few weeks now. I guess it just got the best of her." Nick said. Dana nodded.
"This is more than a cold, Nick. If I hadn't decided to go check on her when she didn't show up for work…" Dana paused, not even wanting to think what may have happened if she hadn't shown up when she did. She glanced over at Lu, who was now resting quietly. "It's bad, Nick. Real bad." Nick nodded in understanding. "Yeah." Dana sighed.
"The breathing tube seems to be helping. Once the fluid drains from her lungs, we can move her to a room."
"Yeah, sure. Call me if you need anything." Dana smiled faintly.
"Thanks, Nick. I will. Might be a good idea to call the front desk and tell Lana what's going on." Nick nodded, then left the room.
Dana pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed. "You sure don't need this, Lu." Dana said softly. Lu had been through a rough time during the past month, and Dana felt that she very vulnerable.
As Dana glanced around the room, she suddenly realized that it had been just a month ago that she and Lu had once again been in this very room.