"Anyone want some coffee or something?" Liz asked, breaking the silence in the waiting room. Everybody stirred and looked up at her.
"I could use some." Alex replied. "Why don't I come with you." he then said and rose from his chair. "Anyone else want something?"
"Bring us all coffee." Max said. Alex nodded and he and Liz took off down the hall. The room went silent again.
"I wonder how she is." Liz said when she and Alex reached the vending machine.
"She's teflon babe, she'll pull through." Alex tried to smile.
"Yeah, teflon. She will pull through, right?"
"Of course! She is Maria. Maria DeLuca. She is strong. I know she will pull through." Alex tried to reassure her.
"She has to." Liz said and put some more money into the machine.
"I know she will, Liz. I have known Maria almost my whole life and there isn't a time when she has ever given up on anything."
"This is different Alex. This is something she can't control."
"We have to believe that she will be fine. She is a fighter!" Alex smiled a little at Liz.
"Yeah, she is." She paused a little. "Why haven't anyone told us anything? Don't they understand that we are worried? We have a right to know what is going on! " Liz felt tears run down her cheek. Alex wrapped his arms around her and she put her head on his shoulder.
"She will be ok. We love her Liz. All of us love her and she knows that." Alex kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.
"Coffee is here." Alex said when he and Liz came back to the waiting room. He handed Isabel and Max their coffees and Kyle came and took one for him and Tess too. Alex gave one to Michael and then went back to his chair to wait for someone to come and tell them how Maria was doing.
Everybody stood up when doctor Baker came in and anxiously waited to hear some news.
"We were able to stop the bleeding and stabilize her. She had a so-called "after shock". The bullet hit her lower abdomen had the time to make some damage before we could remove the bullet. What I am mostly worried about is if Maria will get some permanent complications after she wakes up."
"What kind of permanent complications?" Liz asked
"She could get amnesia or she could have some trouble walking. There isn't a big risk that she couldn't be able to walk normally though. I am more worried about amnesia."
"Amnesia? Is it temporary or lasting?" Isabel asked
"I'm afraid I can't answer that. We have to wait until Maria wakes up."
"But she is stabile?" Max looked at the doctor.
"Yes, we were able to stabilize her and she was brought back to her room." Dr. Baker replied.
"Can we go and see her?" Michael asked
"We don't usually let anyone go and see patients right after but allright."
"Thank you, doctor." Liz said and he nodded at her before he left. Kyle and Tess decided to go home and call Valenti and tell him what had happened while the others went to see Maria. They entered the room and Liz noticed right away how pale her best friend looked. She went to her and took her hand.
"Hey girl. You scared me, us." Alex walked up to Liz and put his hand on hers, which was holding Maria's hand.
"Hi Maria. We're all here just waiting for you to wake up."
Isabel, Max and Michael went to the other side of Maria's bed. Isabel took Maria's other hand and squeezed it lightly. They all waited.
"Where is she?! Where is my daughter?" Amy DeLuca came running into the waiting room where Kyle and Tess were. They had come back a while ago after a quick visit at the Valenti house. They both quicly stood up when Amy came in with Valenti behind her.
"Hey dad, Mrs DeLuca." Kyle said
"Where is she? How is she?" Amy asked franaticly
"Come with me." Tess said and started walking to Maria's room with the others in tow. When they entered the others in the room looked up when Tess came in with Amy, Kyle and Valenti. Amy rushed to Maria's side and Liz and Alex stepped aside.
"Sweetheart, it's mom." She whispered and took her hand while she brushed some hair from Maria's forehead.
"Do you want me to get the doctor, Mrs DeLuca?" Liz asked. Amy turned and looked at Liz.
"I would appreciate that, Liz." She said and smiled slightly at her. Liz nodded and went to look for the doctor.
"Thank you all for being here." Amy said
"Where else would we be?" Alex said and smiled. He went and hugged Amy then stood still beside her while Amy squeezed Maria's hand and kissed her forehead. Liz came back in with doctor Baker and everybody left the room except for Valenti who stayed with Amy while she talked with Maria's doctor.
"I could use some." Alex replied. "Why don't I come with you." he then said and rose from his chair. "Anyone else want something?"
"Bring us all coffee." Max said. Alex nodded and he and Liz took off down the hall. The room went silent again.
"I wonder how she is." Liz said when she and Alex reached the vending machine.
"She's teflon babe, she'll pull through." Alex tried to smile.
"Yeah, teflon. She will pull through, right?"
"Of course! She is Maria. Maria DeLuca. She is strong. I know she will pull through." Alex tried to reassure her.
"She has to." Liz said and put some more money into the machine.
"I know she will, Liz. I have known Maria almost my whole life and there isn't a time when she has ever given up on anything."
"This is different Alex. This is something she can't control."
"We have to believe that she will be fine. She is a fighter!" Alex smiled a little at Liz.
"Yeah, she is." She paused a little. "Why haven't anyone told us anything? Don't they understand that we are worried? We have a right to know what is going on! " Liz felt tears run down her cheek. Alex wrapped his arms around her and she put her head on his shoulder.
"She will be ok. We love her Liz. All of us love her and she knows that." Alex kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.
"Coffee is here." Alex said when he and Liz came back to the waiting room. He handed Isabel and Max their coffees and Kyle came and took one for him and Tess too. Alex gave one to Michael and then went back to his chair to wait for someone to come and tell them how Maria was doing.
Everybody stood up when doctor Baker came in and anxiously waited to hear some news.
"We were able to stop the bleeding and stabilize her. She had a so-called "after shock". The bullet hit her lower abdomen had the time to make some damage before we could remove the bullet. What I am mostly worried about is if Maria will get some permanent complications after she wakes up."
"What kind of permanent complications?" Liz asked
"She could get amnesia or she could have some trouble walking. There isn't a big risk that she couldn't be able to walk normally though. I am more worried about amnesia."
"Amnesia? Is it temporary or lasting?" Isabel asked
"I'm afraid I can't answer that. We have to wait until Maria wakes up."
"But she is stabile?" Max looked at the doctor.
"Yes, we were able to stabilize her and she was brought back to her room." Dr. Baker replied.
"Can we go and see her?" Michael asked
"We don't usually let anyone go and see patients right after but allright."
"Thank you, doctor." Liz said and he nodded at her before he left. Kyle and Tess decided to go home and call Valenti and tell him what had happened while the others went to see Maria. They entered the room and Liz noticed right away how pale her best friend looked. She went to her and took her hand.
"Hey girl. You scared me, us." Alex walked up to Liz and put his hand on hers, which was holding Maria's hand.
"Hi Maria. We're all here just waiting for you to wake up."
Isabel, Max and Michael went to the other side of Maria's bed. Isabel took Maria's other hand and squeezed it lightly. They all waited.
"Where is she?! Where is my daughter?" Amy DeLuca came running into the waiting room where Kyle and Tess were. They had come back a while ago after a quick visit at the Valenti house. They both quicly stood up when Amy came in with Valenti behind her.
"Hey dad, Mrs DeLuca." Kyle said
"Where is she? How is she?" Amy asked franaticly
"Come with me." Tess said and started walking to Maria's room with the others in tow. When they entered the others in the room looked up when Tess came in with Amy, Kyle and Valenti. Amy rushed to Maria's side and Liz and Alex stepped aside.
"Sweetheart, it's mom." She whispered and took her hand while she brushed some hair from Maria's forehead.
"Do you want me to get the doctor, Mrs DeLuca?" Liz asked. Amy turned and looked at Liz.
"I would appreciate that, Liz." She said and smiled slightly at her. Liz nodded and went to look for the doctor.
"Thank you all for being here." Amy said
"Where else would we be?" Alex said and smiled. He went and hugged Amy then stood still beside her while Amy squeezed Maria's hand and kissed her forehead. Liz came back in with doctor Baker and everybody left the room except for Valenti who stayed with Amy while she talked with Maria's doctor.