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Chapter 9: Something In Return
Dana hurried up to the second floor, where Dr. Jackson's office was located. She took a deep breath, then knocked on the door. "Come in." Dr. Jackson glanced up from the file he was reading. "Good morning, Dana. What can I do for you?"
"Bob, I'd like to move Lu to ICU."
"How is she doing?" Bob asked, concerned.
"Right now, not very well." Dana answered. "Last night she had a seizure. And she just had another one…and during the seizure she pulled out the IV and the breathing tube. Her lungs started filling up again. She has a temp of 104, which could have been the cause of the seizure. I've ordered an EEG, CT scan and an MRI. I want to get to the bottom of this. When she had the seizure last night, I thought it was a one time thing caused by no apparent reason. But now that she had another one, I'm not so sure." Dana took a deep breath, then continued. "I want to move her to ICU where she can be watched continuously."
"Under the circumstances, I think that would be best." Bob answered. "I will come down and see her later this morning." Dana smiled.
"I'm sure she would appreciate that. I'd better get back downstairs. I've got other patients to tend to." Dana opened the door to leave, then stopped and turned around to face Dr. Jackson. "Bob, I would like to allow Marc Delgado to stay with Lu." Bob raised his eyebrows.
"In ICU? Dana, you know that is against hospital regulations." Dana nodded.
"Yes, I am well aware of that. But under the circumstances, I feel that we should make an exception here." Bob sat down on the corner of his desk and removed his glasses. "Am I to understand that you, Dr. Dana Stowe, who always goes by the book, is asking me to break a rule?" Dana shook her head.
"Not break it, Bob. Just bend it a little."
"I don't know about that, Dana. I could get in trouble with the board, you know."
"Yes, I know. But what is Marc supposed to do? Just sit by and watch his mother get worse? I'm not sending him home to stay alone in that crummy neighborhood they live in." Dana said with determination.
"Can't he stay with his father?" Bob asked.
"I'm sure he could, but he wants to be with his mother."
"Dana, I understand that you…" Dana interrupted.
"No, Bob. I don't think you do understand. That boy feels guilty that he wasn't there to protect his mother the night she was raped. He feels guilty that he left her alone yesterday when she was so sick. Bob, Marc wants to be with his mother. He needs to be with his mother. And she needs him. Please, can't we make an exception here? Don't you think we owe it to Lu? Look at all she does around here….she gives the hospital and her patients everything she's got. Don't you think it's time we gave something back in return?" Dana took a deep breath as she concluded her long speech.
"Yes, Dana. I understand where you are coming from. Lu does do a lot for this hospital. But if I get into trouble, which I likely would, it would be your fault for talking me into allowing the boy to stay in ICU. Don't you understand that, Dana? You are going way out of line."
"I understand perfectly, Bob." Dana turned to leave.
"I'm sorry, Dana. My hands are tied." Bob said as she opened the door.
"Whatever." Dana said over her shoulder as she slammed the door shut behind her.
Later that afternoon, Dr. Jackson walked into ICU. He found young Marc Delgado sitting in the lobby. Marc glanced at him, but remained silent. Bob opened the door to Lu's room, where he found Dana inserting the IV into Lu's arm. He was taken aback by her appearance.
She was pale against the white sheets. An IV connected to her left arm gave her the antibiotic she needed to fight the disease that was trying to take over her body. A breathing tube had been inserted into her throat to drain the fluid that had filled her lungs. And an oxygen tube had been inserted into her nose. He looked up at Dana and tried to speak around the lump in his throat.
"I…I didn't realize she was this bad." He whispered. "She will be okay, Dr. Stowe?"
"I hope so, Bob." Dana answered. "I'm doing my best. We completed all the tests, but they won't be back until tomorrow."
"I'll come back later and check on her." Bob said. "You just do what you have to do to help her."
"Uh…Bob, can you do me a favor?" Dana asked. "Stay with her for a few minutes while I check on another patient?"
"Sure, Dana. I'll stay with her." Dana thanked him, then quickly left the room. Bob pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed. Lu slowly opened her eyes, and was surprised to see Dr Jackson.
"Hey…what…you…doing…here?" she questioned softly.
"Dana asked me to keep an eye on you until she returns." Bob answered. Lu closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
"Where's…Marc?"
"He's in the lobby." Bob replied. Lu closed her eyes again, making it clear to Dr. Jackson that she was in a great deal of pain.
"I…I need…to…see him."
"I'll ask him to come in." Bob hurried into the lobby, returning seconds later with Marc. Marc slowly approached his mother's side, gently taking her hand in his own. Lu opened her eyes again. "Hey…"she tried to smile, but her son could see her pain. "Hey, Mom."
"You…did…you call…your day?" Lu asked. Marc shook his head.
"No. I don't need to call him." Marc replied.
"But…you need…to stay…with him. Can't stay…don't want…you to…stay home…alone."
"But I don't want to stay with Dad, Mom. I want to stay with you."
"ICU…can't stay…rule. Call. Dad." Marc shook his head again.
"I'll sleep in the lobby then." Dr. Jackson, who had been listening to their conversation, gently placed a hand on Marc's shoulder.
"Nonsense, Marc. I'll have a cot brought in for you."
"But I thought there was a rule…"
"Sometimes we have to bend the rules a bit. I think you should stay with your mother."
"Thank you, Dr. Jackson." Dr. Jackson smiled at the boy who was trying so hard to be a man. He patted him on the back. "I'll be right back with that cot."
Chapter 9: Something In Return
Dana hurried up to the second floor, where Dr. Jackson's office was located. She took a deep breath, then knocked on the door. "Come in." Dr. Jackson glanced up from the file he was reading. "Good morning, Dana. What can I do for you?"
"Bob, I'd like to move Lu to ICU."
"How is she doing?" Bob asked, concerned.
"Right now, not very well." Dana answered. "Last night she had a seizure. And she just had another one…and during the seizure she pulled out the IV and the breathing tube. Her lungs started filling up again. She has a temp of 104, which could have been the cause of the seizure. I've ordered an EEG, CT scan and an MRI. I want to get to the bottom of this. When she had the seizure last night, I thought it was a one time thing caused by no apparent reason. But now that she had another one, I'm not so sure." Dana took a deep breath, then continued. "I want to move her to ICU where she can be watched continuously."
"Under the circumstances, I think that would be best." Bob answered. "I will come down and see her later this morning." Dana smiled.
"I'm sure she would appreciate that. I'd better get back downstairs. I've got other patients to tend to." Dana opened the door to leave, then stopped and turned around to face Dr. Jackson. "Bob, I would like to allow Marc Delgado to stay with Lu." Bob raised his eyebrows.
"In ICU? Dana, you know that is against hospital regulations." Dana nodded.
"Yes, I am well aware of that. But under the circumstances, I feel that we should make an exception here." Bob sat down on the corner of his desk and removed his glasses. "Am I to understand that you, Dr. Dana Stowe, who always goes by the book, is asking me to break a rule?" Dana shook her head.
"Not break it, Bob. Just bend it a little."
"I don't know about that, Dana. I could get in trouble with the board, you know."
"Yes, I know. But what is Marc supposed to do? Just sit by and watch his mother get worse? I'm not sending him home to stay alone in that crummy neighborhood they live in." Dana said with determination.
"Can't he stay with his father?" Bob asked.
"I'm sure he could, but he wants to be with his mother."
"Dana, I understand that you…" Dana interrupted.
"No, Bob. I don't think you do understand. That boy feels guilty that he wasn't there to protect his mother the night she was raped. He feels guilty that he left her alone yesterday when she was so sick. Bob, Marc wants to be with his mother. He needs to be with his mother. And she needs him. Please, can't we make an exception here? Don't you think we owe it to Lu? Look at all she does around here….she gives the hospital and her patients everything she's got. Don't you think it's time we gave something back in return?" Dana took a deep breath as she concluded her long speech.
"Yes, Dana. I understand where you are coming from. Lu does do a lot for this hospital. But if I get into trouble, which I likely would, it would be your fault for talking me into allowing the boy to stay in ICU. Don't you understand that, Dana? You are going way out of line."
"I understand perfectly, Bob." Dana turned to leave.
"I'm sorry, Dana. My hands are tied." Bob said as she opened the door.
"Whatever." Dana said over her shoulder as she slammed the door shut behind her.
Later that afternoon, Dr. Jackson walked into ICU. He found young Marc Delgado sitting in the lobby. Marc glanced at him, but remained silent. Bob opened the door to Lu's room, where he found Dana inserting the IV into Lu's arm. He was taken aback by her appearance.
She was pale against the white sheets. An IV connected to her left arm gave her the antibiotic she needed to fight the disease that was trying to take over her body. A breathing tube had been inserted into her throat to drain the fluid that had filled her lungs. And an oxygen tube had been inserted into her nose. He looked up at Dana and tried to speak around the lump in his throat.
"I…I didn't realize she was this bad." He whispered. "She will be okay, Dr. Stowe?"
"I hope so, Bob." Dana answered. "I'm doing my best. We completed all the tests, but they won't be back until tomorrow."
"I'll come back later and check on her." Bob said. "You just do what you have to do to help her."
"Uh…Bob, can you do me a favor?" Dana asked. "Stay with her for a few minutes while I check on another patient?"
"Sure, Dana. I'll stay with her." Dana thanked him, then quickly left the room. Bob pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed. Lu slowly opened her eyes, and was surprised to see Dr Jackson.
"Hey…what…you…doing…here?" she questioned softly.
"Dana asked me to keep an eye on you until she returns." Bob answered. Lu closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
"Where's…Marc?"
"He's in the lobby." Bob replied. Lu closed her eyes again, making it clear to Dr. Jackson that she was in a great deal of pain.
"I…I need…to…see him."
"I'll ask him to come in." Bob hurried into the lobby, returning seconds later with Marc. Marc slowly approached his mother's side, gently taking her hand in his own. Lu opened her eyes again. "Hey…"she tried to smile, but her son could see her pain. "Hey, Mom."
"You…did…you call…your day?" Lu asked. Marc shook his head.
"No. I don't need to call him." Marc replied.
"But…you need…to stay…with him. Can't stay…don't want…you to…stay home…alone."
"But I don't want to stay with Dad, Mom. I want to stay with you."
"ICU…can't stay…rule. Call. Dad." Marc shook his head again.
"I'll sleep in the lobby then." Dr. Jackson, who had been listening to their conversation, gently placed a hand on Marc's shoulder.
"Nonsense, Marc. I'll have a cot brought in for you."
"But I thought there was a rule…"
"Sometimes we have to bend the rules a bit. I think you should stay with your mother."
"Thank you, Dr. Jackson." Dr. Jackson smiled at the boy who was trying so hard to be a man. He patted him on the back. "I'll be right back with that cot."