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Chapter 15: If Anything Should Happen…
Dana took a deep breath as she walked into Lu's room later that afternoon, holding the folder containing her test results. Dana knew that her partner would have many questions as to why she didn't seem to be getting any better…questions that she didn't know the answers to.
'Hi Lu." Dana said upon entering the room. "Can we talk for a few minutes?" Lu nodded, as it still hurt to talk if it wasn't necessary. "What…is this…about, Dana? Lu asked softly.
"It's about your test results." Dana answered.
"And?" Lu said. Dana took another deep breath before answering.
"Lu, all of the tests came back normal. I don't know why you're not getting any better. I'm sorry, Lu. I don't have the answers." Dana said softly. Lu turned her head away from Dana for a moment, then turned to face her again, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Dana, if I ask…you something…will you give me…an honest answer?" Dana nodded.
"Yes, Lu. I will." Lu hesitated briefly, then spoke softly.
"Dana…am I going to…get better?"
"Lu, please believe me when I say that I am doing whatever it takes to see to it that you do get better. But until I can find out exactly what the problem is, I won't know the right treatment. The antibiotic you're getting from the IV is the one given for bacterial pneumonia. But there is obviously more going on than that. We just haven't found it yet."
"Have you…seen Marc?" Lu asked.
"I saw him a few minutes ago with Lana. Want me to get him for you?" Dana asked. Lu nodded. "I want him…to call his dad. But…he won't."
"I know, Lu. He doesn't want to stay with Bill. He wants to stay with you." Lu closed her eyes again, fighting the fresh tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. "He needs to…tell Bill…what is…going on. If anything…happens to me…he will have…to live with him. There…is no one else. I'm scared…Dana. I love Marc…more than anything…else in this world. And I…need to know…that he…will be okay."
"I'll go find him for you." Dana said. "I'll be back later."
Dana found Marc at the reception desk with Lana. "Hey Marc. Your mom would like to see you."
"Okay, Dr. Stowe. How is she?" Marc asked.
"Well, all of her tests came back normal, so that's the good news. However, it doesn't tell us what's wrong. I still don't know what caused the seizures or why she isn't getting any better. But don't worry, Marc. I am doing the best to find out." Marc nodded.
"I know, Dr. Stowe. It's just that I hate to see her so sick, ya know?" Dana smiled. "Yeah, Marc. I do know. Your mom is very lucky to have a son like you."
"And I'm lucky to have her." Marc said softly, then excused himself and headed down the hall to his mother's room.
Marc quietly entered Lu's room, then sat down on the bed beside her. Lu slowly opened her eyes.
"Hey Ma, how ya feeling?" Marc asked.
"Marc…I need to talk…to you about…something."
"What is it, Mom?" Marc questioned.
"I want…you to call…your dad. Please, Marc."
"No, Ma. I don't need to call him. Dr. Jackson gave me permission to stay here with you. And besides, this really isn't any of his business." Lu gently placed her hand on his. "Listen, Marc. You need…to call…your dad. If anything…happens to me…you will have…to…" Marc quickly understood what she was trying to tell him, and pulled away from her, standing as he did so. "No, Mom. Nothing is going to happen to you. You are going to pull through this. I know you are. I don't care what Dr. Stowe or anyone else says. You are going to make it. You are not going to die. I won't let you." As tears streamed down her son's cheeks, Lu's heart was breaking for the young boy. She was scared, and she knew he was also. But what could she say? What could anyone say? She knew that she needed to prepare him for what could happen.
Lu and Marc remained silent for a few minutes, then Marc said softly, realizing how important it was to her. "Mom, I'll call dad. I'll do it now." Marc kissed her on the cheek, then hurried from the room.
After Dana had finished with her last patient, she headed back to her office. She paused when she saw Marc talking on the phone. She realized immediately that he was talking to his dad.
Instead of going to her office, Dana turned and headed down the hall towards Lu's room, knowing that at that moment her partner might need someone to talk to.
When she reached the room, instead of walking right in, she knocked lightly on the door, then opened it. "Lu, can I come in?" Without waiting for an answer, Dana went in. "I just saw Marc talking on the phone."
"He's calling Bill." Lu said softly. "I told him that…he needs to…let Bill know…what is…going on…in case…" Lu paused, unable to continue.
"So how are you feeling, Lu?" Dana asked, changing the subject.
"I've been…better. This tube…" Dana smiled, then gently patted Lu's shoulder.
"Lu, we've been partners for what, two years now?" Lu nodded.
"Yeah." She answered.
"I know that during these two years we've had many conflicts and differences of opinions." Lu couldn't help but smile at her partners words. "That's…for sure."
"But Lu, there is something I would like to tell you, if it's okay."
"And…what might…that be?" Lu asked.
"Well, it was always obvious from the start that you and I have different ways of caring for our patients, wouldn't you agree?" Lu nodded again.
"Dana…just what…are you…getting at?" Dana took a deep breath, then continued. "I wanted to tell you this before, but for some reason I just never did. Lu, during the time you were on the leave of absence, I tried to do my best for your patients as well as my own. And I learned so much from them. All they could talk about was what a wonderful person you are. Not just as a doctor, but as a person." Dana paused to take a breath, then continued. "Your patients care about you, Lu. And through them, I learned to have more respect for you, and for the way you treat your patients." Lu was silent for a moment as she let Dana's kind words sink in. When she looked back up at Dana, she noticed tears welling up in her partner's eyes.
"Thank you…Dana. I really needed to…hear that. Thank you for being here…for me…through everything…the rape, the aftermath, the leave of…absence. I really do…appreciate…all you've done." Dana smiled.
"I know you do, Lu. I'm going to leave and let you get some rest. I'll be back later."
"Okay…Dana. And Thanks."
Chapter 15: If Anything Should Happen…
Dana took a deep breath as she walked into Lu's room later that afternoon, holding the folder containing her test results. Dana knew that her partner would have many questions as to why she didn't seem to be getting any better…questions that she didn't know the answers to.
'Hi Lu." Dana said upon entering the room. "Can we talk for a few minutes?" Lu nodded, as it still hurt to talk if it wasn't necessary. "What…is this…about, Dana? Lu asked softly.
"It's about your test results." Dana answered.
"And?" Lu said. Dana took another deep breath before answering.
"Lu, all of the tests came back normal. I don't know why you're not getting any better. I'm sorry, Lu. I don't have the answers." Dana said softly. Lu turned her head away from Dana for a moment, then turned to face her again, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Dana, if I ask…you something…will you give me…an honest answer?" Dana nodded.
"Yes, Lu. I will." Lu hesitated briefly, then spoke softly.
"Dana…am I going to…get better?"
"Lu, please believe me when I say that I am doing whatever it takes to see to it that you do get better. But until I can find out exactly what the problem is, I won't know the right treatment. The antibiotic you're getting from the IV is the one given for bacterial pneumonia. But there is obviously more going on than that. We just haven't found it yet."
"Have you…seen Marc?" Lu asked.
"I saw him a few minutes ago with Lana. Want me to get him for you?" Dana asked. Lu nodded. "I want him…to call his dad. But…he won't."
"I know, Lu. He doesn't want to stay with Bill. He wants to stay with you." Lu closed her eyes again, fighting the fresh tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. "He needs to…tell Bill…what is…going on. If anything…happens to me…he will have…to live with him. There…is no one else. I'm scared…Dana. I love Marc…more than anything…else in this world. And I…need to know…that he…will be okay."
"I'll go find him for you." Dana said. "I'll be back later."
Dana found Marc at the reception desk with Lana. "Hey Marc. Your mom would like to see you."
"Okay, Dr. Stowe. How is she?" Marc asked.
"Well, all of her tests came back normal, so that's the good news. However, it doesn't tell us what's wrong. I still don't know what caused the seizures or why she isn't getting any better. But don't worry, Marc. I am doing the best to find out." Marc nodded.
"I know, Dr. Stowe. It's just that I hate to see her so sick, ya know?" Dana smiled. "Yeah, Marc. I do know. Your mom is very lucky to have a son like you."
"And I'm lucky to have her." Marc said softly, then excused himself and headed down the hall to his mother's room.
Marc quietly entered Lu's room, then sat down on the bed beside her. Lu slowly opened her eyes.
"Hey Ma, how ya feeling?" Marc asked.
"Marc…I need to talk…to you about…something."
"What is it, Mom?" Marc questioned.
"I want…you to call…your dad. Please, Marc."
"No, Ma. I don't need to call him. Dr. Jackson gave me permission to stay here with you. And besides, this really isn't any of his business." Lu gently placed her hand on his. "Listen, Marc. You need…to call…your dad. If anything…happens to me…you will have…to…" Marc quickly understood what she was trying to tell him, and pulled away from her, standing as he did so. "No, Mom. Nothing is going to happen to you. You are going to pull through this. I know you are. I don't care what Dr. Stowe or anyone else says. You are going to make it. You are not going to die. I won't let you." As tears streamed down her son's cheeks, Lu's heart was breaking for the young boy. She was scared, and she knew he was also. But what could she say? What could anyone say? She knew that she needed to prepare him for what could happen.
Lu and Marc remained silent for a few minutes, then Marc said softly, realizing how important it was to her. "Mom, I'll call dad. I'll do it now." Marc kissed her on the cheek, then hurried from the room.
After Dana had finished with her last patient, she headed back to her office. She paused when she saw Marc talking on the phone. She realized immediately that he was talking to his dad.
Instead of going to her office, Dana turned and headed down the hall towards Lu's room, knowing that at that moment her partner might need someone to talk to.
When she reached the room, instead of walking right in, she knocked lightly on the door, then opened it. "Lu, can I come in?" Without waiting for an answer, Dana went in. "I just saw Marc talking on the phone."
"He's calling Bill." Lu said softly. "I told him that…he needs to…let Bill know…what is…going on…in case…" Lu paused, unable to continue.
"So how are you feeling, Lu?" Dana asked, changing the subject.
"I've been…better. This tube…" Dana smiled, then gently patted Lu's shoulder.
"Lu, we've been partners for what, two years now?" Lu nodded.
"Yeah." She answered.
"I know that during these two years we've had many conflicts and differences of opinions." Lu couldn't help but smile at her partners words. "That's…for sure."
"But Lu, there is something I would like to tell you, if it's okay."
"And…what might…that be?" Lu asked.
"Well, it was always obvious from the start that you and I have different ways of caring for our patients, wouldn't you agree?" Lu nodded again.
"Dana…just what…are you…getting at?" Dana took a deep breath, then continued. "I wanted to tell you this before, but for some reason I just never did. Lu, during the time you were on the leave of absence, I tried to do my best for your patients as well as my own. And I learned so much from them. All they could talk about was what a wonderful person you are. Not just as a doctor, but as a person." Dana paused to take a breath, then continued. "Your patients care about you, Lu. And through them, I learned to have more respect for you, and for the way you treat your patients." Lu was silent for a moment as she let Dana's kind words sink in. When she looked back up at Dana, she noticed tears welling up in her partner's eyes.
"Thank you…Dana. I really needed to…hear that. Thank you for being here…for me…through everything…the rape, the aftermath, the leave of…absence. I really do…appreciate…all you've done." Dana smiled.
"I know you do, Lu. I'm going to leave and let you get some rest. I'll be back later."
"Okay…Dana. And Thanks."