Disclaimer: I do not own these characters
Chapter 9: The Accident
"Morning, Lu." :Lana greeted Lu the next morning as she entered the clinic.
"Yeah, whatever." Lu answered as she rushed past the reception desk. "I'll be in my office." Lana watched in surprised silence as Lu went into her office, slamming the door with a loud bang.
"Was that Lu I just saw breeze by here?" Dana asked as she approached the reception desk.
"Yeah, that was Lu." Lana answered. "She seems to be a bit bugged this morning. I think seeing Kilner last night upset her more than she would like us to believe."
"I think you may be right, Lana." Dana agreed. "I have a few minutes before my first patient is due. I think I'll go talk to Lu...just to make sure she is okay."
Lu sighed as she sat down at her desk. Friday's at the clinic were always busy, so she knew she would have a busy day. But she was tired, as she hadn't slept well at all the night before. Only an hour after she had gone to sleep, she had been awakened by the nightmare...the same nightmare that had haunted her for weeks following her rape. For the rest of the night she had remained awake, afraid of having the nightmare again, afraid of seeing Kilner every time she closed her eyes.
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, fighting the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. There was a light knock on the door, then Dana stuck her head in.
"Got a minute, Lu?"
"Yeah, what's up?" Lu asked wearily as she opened her eyes and turned her chair so that she was facing Dana. Dana sat down on the couch.
"I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I know seeing Kilner last night wasn't..."
"I'm fine, Dana." Lu interrupted. Dana looked at her closely, noticing how tired she appeared.
"You sure? You look tired."
"I just didn't sleep last night, that's all." Lu answered. "I woke up from a dream and..."
"Was it the nightmare again?" Dana asked. Lu nodded.
"Yeah. I thought I was done with those. But I guess seeing Kilner..." Lu paused, closing her eyes again. "I'll be fine, Dana." Lu said with determination.
"So...you and Marc have any big plans for the weekend?"
"Nope. He's spending the weekend with his dad." Lu replied.
"He is? I thought you said you and Marc were going roller blading or something tomorrow." Lu shrugged. "Guess he changed his mind. When I got home last night, he said he was staying with Bill. Bill picked him up and that was it."
"That doesn't sound like Marc. He's never done that before, has he?" Lu shook her head.
"No. I don't know, Dana. Something has been bothering him for the past couple of days. Whatever it is, he won't talk to me about it. Maybe it's a guy thing and he would feel better talking to his dad."
"You don't believe that, do you Lu?" Lu shook her head again.
"No, I don't, really. I'm sure it has something to do with me, but I have no idea what it could be. He hasn't hardly talked to me at all. I asked him what was wrong, and he just said that it was nothing. He's always been open with me before. Why is he closing me out now?"
"Is there anything I can do?" Dana questioned. Lu sighed.
"Thanks, but I don't think so. If he won't talk to me, then whatever it is, he will have to work through on his own." Dana knew that her partner was trying hard to hide the fact that whatever was upsetting her son was bothering her deeply.
"I've got a patient coming in a few minutes, so I'd better go. But I want you to remember that I am here for you if you need to talk." Dana said as she stood to go. Lu nodded.
"Thanks, Dana. I appreciate it." As Dana closed the door behind her, Lu pulled out a bottle of tylenol from her desk drawer and poured herself a glass of water. She had a feeling this was going to be a very long day...she didn't realize just how long of a day it would be.
By 5:00 that afternoon, Lu was exhausted. There had been a constant flow of patients at the clinic, and whenever she had had a few moments to stop and catch her breath, she had been paged to the ER. She hadn't had time to eat lunch that afternoon, and knew she wouldn't be able to continue the fast pace if she didn't at least grab a quick supper. Most Friday nights she rarely left the clinic before 9:00pm, and she had a feeling that this Friday would be no different than any other...or would it?
"Hey, Lu." Lana greeted Lu a short time later as the tired doctor chose a candy bar from the vening machine in the lobby. "I'm on my way upstairs to grab a quick bite for supper. Wanna join me?" Lu sighed as she leaned against the machine.
"Sorry, Lana. I don't have time. I've got about 5 minutes until my next patient."
"Come on, Kid. You gotta eat. Look at yourself. You can hardly stand up."
"Lana, I don't need a lecture right now, okay?" Lu snapped.
"Sure, whatever you say, Kid." As soon as the words were out, Lu regretted saying them.
"Look, Lana. I'm sorry. It's just that I'm tired and..." At that moment, Lu's pager beeped. She quickly glanced at it. "It's the ER. When my next patient gets here, tell her I'll be back as soon as I can." Without another word, Lu ran down the hall towards the ER, almost colliding with Dana. Dana glanced at the candy bar Lu still held in her hand.
"Is that your supper?" She questioned.
"Was." Lu said as she tossed it into the nearest trash can.
Paramedics Dave and Seth rushed into the ER, Seth shouting information regarding the patient that was lying unconscious on the gurney. "15 year old male riding a dirt bike, got hit by a car. Couldn't get an accurate reading on BP, pulse is slow, thready, and weak, respirations are shallow, severe trauma to the head, possible internal bleeding."
Within seconds Dr. Nick Biancavilla was there to help the paramedics transfer the victim onto the table. Nick stopped dead in his tracks, immediately recognizing the young boy.
"On my count...1,2 and..." Together, the three men transferred him, then Nick quickly surveyed the situation. "Start an IV...D5W immediatly. This kid has lost a great deal of blood."
In a flurry of activity, an IV was started and Nick began to examine the boy, checking his pupils, and for internal bleeding. "He has internal bleeding, and a severe head injury. We need to get him to surgery to stop the bleeding STAT!" At that moment the doors to the ER opened and Dana rushed in, followed closely by Lu.
"Who paged me?" they both asked in unison. Nick glanced at Lu, then at Dana.
"Dana, I need you over here now. Lu, guess we paged you by mistake."
"You're out of your mind." Lu said as she followed Dana towards the patient. Dana caught Nick's sudden nod to the patient and glanced down.
"Oh my god," she said softly, then quickly turned to face Lu. "Lu, wait." Lu stopped, confused by her partner's behavior...it sure wasn't like Dana to stop in the middle of attending to a patient in the ER. "Dana, what is your problem?" Lu pushed Dana out of her way and approached the table, stopping suddenly, a look of horror on her face. "Oh god, NO!" Lu screamed.
"Get him up to OR." Nick ordered. Lu suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded and reached out to Dana for support. "Grab her, Nick. She's gonna go down." Dana said, quickly realizing that Lu was on the verge of collapsing. Together, they eased her into a nearby chair. Lu sat there for a moment as if in shock, the struggled to stand. Dana and Nick gently pushed her back onto the chair. "Lu, you need to sit down for a moment before you collapse." Dana said softly.
"Marc..." Lu looked at them with horror filled eyes. "Marc...what happened? I ...I need to go to him."
"He's being prepped for surgery., Lu." Nick said gently. "You need to sit here and catch your breath."
"NO!" Lu shouted, bolting out of her chair. "I need to be with my son." And with that, Lu ran out of the ER. Nick sighed, glancing at Dana. "I'm worried about her, Dana. How much more can she take?" Dana shook her head.
"I don't know, Nick. What happened anyway?"
"Paramedics said he was riding a dirt bike and got hit by a car. I didn't know Lu allowed him to ride."
"She doesn't. He was staying with his dad. I'm going up to talk to Robert, then I'm going to check on Lu. I'll see you later." Dana said as she removed her latex gloves.
"Yeah, sure. Keep me posted on Marc's condition, okay?"
"Yeah." As Dana left the ER, she thought about the young boy who was upstairs fighting for his life. In the 2 1/2 years that she had known him, she had watched him become a kind, caring and sensitive young man...so much like his mother. His mother. Her partner. If he died, what would thid do to her? He was her whole life. If she lost him, Dana knew that it would destroy Lu.
"He won't die." Dana said with fierce determination. "I won't let him."
THE END
Chapter 9: The Accident
"Morning, Lu." :Lana greeted Lu the next morning as she entered the clinic.
"Yeah, whatever." Lu answered as she rushed past the reception desk. "I'll be in my office." Lana watched in surprised silence as Lu went into her office, slamming the door with a loud bang.
"Was that Lu I just saw breeze by here?" Dana asked as she approached the reception desk.
"Yeah, that was Lu." Lana answered. "She seems to be a bit bugged this morning. I think seeing Kilner last night upset her more than she would like us to believe."
"I think you may be right, Lana." Dana agreed. "I have a few minutes before my first patient is due. I think I'll go talk to Lu...just to make sure she is okay."
Lu sighed as she sat down at her desk. Friday's at the clinic were always busy, so she knew she would have a busy day. But she was tired, as she hadn't slept well at all the night before. Only an hour after she had gone to sleep, she had been awakened by the nightmare...the same nightmare that had haunted her for weeks following her rape. For the rest of the night she had remained awake, afraid of having the nightmare again, afraid of seeing Kilner every time she closed her eyes.
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, fighting the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. There was a light knock on the door, then Dana stuck her head in.
"Got a minute, Lu?"
"Yeah, what's up?" Lu asked wearily as she opened her eyes and turned her chair so that she was facing Dana. Dana sat down on the couch.
"I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I know seeing Kilner last night wasn't..."
"I'm fine, Dana." Lu interrupted. Dana looked at her closely, noticing how tired she appeared.
"You sure? You look tired."
"I just didn't sleep last night, that's all." Lu answered. "I woke up from a dream and..."
"Was it the nightmare again?" Dana asked. Lu nodded.
"Yeah. I thought I was done with those. But I guess seeing Kilner..." Lu paused, closing her eyes again. "I'll be fine, Dana." Lu said with determination.
"So...you and Marc have any big plans for the weekend?"
"Nope. He's spending the weekend with his dad." Lu replied.
"He is? I thought you said you and Marc were going roller blading or something tomorrow." Lu shrugged. "Guess he changed his mind. When I got home last night, he said he was staying with Bill. Bill picked him up and that was it."
"That doesn't sound like Marc. He's never done that before, has he?" Lu shook her head.
"No. I don't know, Dana. Something has been bothering him for the past couple of days. Whatever it is, he won't talk to me about it. Maybe it's a guy thing and he would feel better talking to his dad."
"You don't believe that, do you Lu?" Lu shook her head again.
"No, I don't, really. I'm sure it has something to do with me, but I have no idea what it could be. He hasn't hardly talked to me at all. I asked him what was wrong, and he just said that it was nothing. He's always been open with me before. Why is he closing me out now?"
"Is there anything I can do?" Dana questioned. Lu sighed.
"Thanks, but I don't think so. If he won't talk to me, then whatever it is, he will have to work through on his own." Dana knew that her partner was trying hard to hide the fact that whatever was upsetting her son was bothering her deeply.
"I've got a patient coming in a few minutes, so I'd better go. But I want you to remember that I am here for you if you need to talk." Dana said as she stood to go. Lu nodded.
"Thanks, Dana. I appreciate it." As Dana closed the door behind her, Lu pulled out a bottle of tylenol from her desk drawer and poured herself a glass of water. She had a feeling this was going to be a very long day...she didn't realize just how long of a day it would be.
By 5:00 that afternoon, Lu was exhausted. There had been a constant flow of patients at the clinic, and whenever she had had a few moments to stop and catch her breath, she had been paged to the ER. She hadn't had time to eat lunch that afternoon, and knew she wouldn't be able to continue the fast pace if she didn't at least grab a quick supper. Most Friday nights she rarely left the clinic before 9:00pm, and she had a feeling that this Friday would be no different than any other...or would it?
"Hey, Lu." Lana greeted Lu a short time later as the tired doctor chose a candy bar from the vening machine in the lobby. "I'm on my way upstairs to grab a quick bite for supper. Wanna join me?" Lu sighed as she leaned against the machine.
"Sorry, Lana. I don't have time. I've got about 5 minutes until my next patient."
"Come on, Kid. You gotta eat. Look at yourself. You can hardly stand up."
"Lana, I don't need a lecture right now, okay?" Lu snapped.
"Sure, whatever you say, Kid." As soon as the words were out, Lu regretted saying them.
"Look, Lana. I'm sorry. It's just that I'm tired and..." At that moment, Lu's pager beeped. She quickly glanced at it. "It's the ER. When my next patient gets here, tell her I'll be back as soon as I can." Without another word, Lu ran down the hall towards the ER, almost colliding with Dana. Dana glanced at the candy bar Lu still held in her hand.
"Is that your supper?" She questioned.
"Was." Lu said as she tossed it into the nearest trash can.
Paramedics Dave and Seth rushed into the ER, Seth shouting information regarding the patient that was lying unconscious on the gurney. "15 year old male riding a dirt bike, got hit by a car. Couldn't get an accurate reading on BP, pulse is slow, thready, and weak, respirations are shallow, severe trauma to the head, possible internal bleeding."
Within seconds Dr. Nick Biancavilla was there to help the paramedics transfer the victim onto the table. Nick stopped dead in his tracks, immediately recognizing the young boy.
"On my count...1,2 and..." Together, the three men transferred him, then Nick quickly surveyed the situation. "Start an IV...D5W immediatly. This kid has lost a great deal of blood."
In a flurry of activity, an IV was started and Nick began to examine the boy, checking his pupils, and for internal bleeding. "He has internal bleeding, and a severe head injury. We need to get him to surgery to stop the bleeding STAT!" At that moment the doors to the ER opened and Dana rushed in, followed closely by Lu.
"Who paged me?" they both asked in unison. Nick glanced at Lu, then at Dana.
"Dana, I need you over here now. Lu, guess we paged you by mistake."
"You're out of your mind." Lu said as she followed Dana towards the patient. Dana caught Nick's sudden nod to the patient and glanced down.
"Oh my god," she said softly, then quickly turned to face Lu. "Lu, wait." Lu stopped, confused by her partner's behavior...it sure wasn't like Dana to stop in the middle of attending to a patient in the ER. "Dana, what is your problem?" Lu pushed Dana out of her way and approached the table, stopping suddenly, a look of horror on her face. "Oh god, NO!" Lu screamed.
"Get him up to OR." Nick ordered. Lu suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded and reached out to Dana for support. "Grab her, Nick. She's gonna go down." Dana said, quickly realizing that Lu was on the verge of collapsing. Together, they eased her into a nearby chair. Lu sat there for a moment as if in shock, the struggled to stand. Dana and Nick gently pushed her back onto the chair. "Lu, you need to sit down for a moment before you collapse." Dana said softly.
"Marc..." Lu looked at them with horror filled eyes. "Marc...what happened? I ...I need to go to him."
"He's being prepped for surgery., Lu." Nick said gently. "You need to sit here and catch your breath."
"NO!" Lu shouted, bolting out of her chair. "I need to be with my son." And with that, Lu ran out of the ER. Nick sighed, glancing at Dana. "I'm worried about her, Dana. How much more can she take?" Dana shook her head.
"I don't know, Nick. What happened anyway?"
"Paramedics said he was riding a dirt bike and got hit by a car. I didn't know Lu allowed him to ride."
"She doesn't. He was staying with his dad. I'm going up to talk to Robert, then I'm going to check on Lu. I'll see you later." Dana said as she removed her latex gloves.
"Yeah, sure. Keep me posted on Marc's condition, okay?"
"Yeah." As Dana left the ER, she thought about the young boy who was upstairs fighting for his life. In the 2 1/2 years that she had known him, she had watched him become a kind, caring and sensitive young man...so much like his mother. His mother. Her partner. If he died, what would thid do to her? He was her whole life. If she lost him, Dana knew that it would destroy Lu.
"He won't die." Dana said with fierce determination. "I won't let him."
THE END