CHAPTER 8
Detective Reese sat by Helena's cot alone. She was getting worse by the hour. Her body temperature was now 101.9 degrees. Her frail body was getting thinner with each passing hour. There was black under her eyes, something that Reese had never seen in his life. Seeing Helena in this condition was almost too much to bare.
He took hold of her right hand and it was cold to the touch. He held her hand between both of his, hoping to warm it up. There was no movement of her fingers to show that she was even alive. He put her hand down and put the palm of his hand on the side of her face. Her face was still sweaty. Helena swallowed as she began to stir when he placed his hand on the side of her face. "Water."
"I have some water here for you." Reese reached on the floor and picked up a glass of water. Reese gently lifted her head and brought the glass to her mouth so she could sip of the water. When she had stopped sipping the water, he placed the water back on the floor.
"Reese?" Helena's voice was extremely raw and raspy. It was very hard to hear her.
"I'm here, Helena. I'm not going to leave you."
Helena tilted her head towards him and her eyes barley opened to look at him. "Tell Barbara…to stop. Let me go."
"No, I will not let you give up like this, Helena. You fight this, do you hear me? Fight it!"
"I…I Can't. Too weak."
"Helena, you must not give up! I won't let you leave me like this. I love you Helena Kyle."
Helena had already slipped back into unconsciousness. Reese stayed there besides Helena, not leaving her side for the slightest moment. He sat back down in his chair and waited, hoping for another chance to talk to her again.
* * * *
It was three in the morning, and Barbara was still going full force in trying to find a cure for Helena. Richard came out of the guest room and saw that she was still working away. He wiped his eyes and walked up the platform. Barbara pounded on the desk wildly as hard as she could.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Richard ran to her and caught one of her wrists before she broke any bones in her hand.
Barbara's face was hidden by her hair, but he could swear he hear her sobbing. "I can't do it! Nothing I do will work! It's impossible!"
"You can't give up on Helena now. She needs your help, more than ever. There is still hope as long as she has breath."
Barbara looked up into his face, and her face was stained by the tears that have strolled down from her face. "I am loosing her, Richard. Helena is like a daughter to me, and there's nothing I can do to save her." Richard knelt down close enough to embrace Barbara in his arms and allow her to weep on his shoulder. "I can't loose her, Richard!"
Richard didn't know what to say, so he decided it was best not to say anything. Barbara continued to let her emotions flow. The stress and her weariness was taking it's toll on her. "Listen, you need some rest. I'll continue you research for the next couple hours. I want you to take a nap." Richard held Barbara's head between his hands, wiping the tears from her eyes with his thumb. "You've pushed yourself too long and too hard."
Barbara sniffled, as her hands were shaking involuntarily. Barbara knew he was right. She could even control her hands to take her glasses off. Richard leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "Go get some rest."
Eavesdropping from the second level was Dinah, who was in her nightgown as she knelt down. She had heard the whole conversation. Tears were strolling down her the sides of her face. She climbed onto her feet and ran into her room and closed the door behind her. Dinah ran and leaped into her bed, and covered her face in her pillow and cried. She felt like she was loosing an older sister. It wasn't fair that this had to happen to Helena. She doesn't deserve this kind of suffering. There, in her bed, she cried herself asleep, sleeping on her left side facing Helena's bed across the room from her. Her bed was empty as if it had not been slept in for a long time.
* * * *
Helena had survived the night, but her body was in bad shape. She had lost over thirty pounds. Her body looked frail and fragile. She no longer looked like the Helena everyone knew. Reese was by her side once again. He had spent the most time by her cot than anyone.
Barbara was once again working on trying to fight of this poison while Richard was asleep in the back room having awakened and been awake since three in the morning. Dinah was virtually sitting in a corner, unnoticed by anyone.
There was silence between everybody. Everyone had Helena's condition in mind. Her body temperature was up to 102.5 and her heart beat was slowing. What they had feared would happen, happened. Helena's body began to convulse. Bill was there, ready for this scenario and had his bag of medical equipment. He pulled out a tiny bottle of insulin.
Barbara stopped what she was doing and rushed over to help. Reese and Barbara held Helena's body down as Bill injected the syringe full of insulin into her upper left arm. In the back, Dinah was up on her feet, startled by the seizure. She was hiding in the shadow, as she watched helplessly the girl whom she thought of her sister, now convulsing.
It took a few minutes, but the convulsion slowly drifted away. Everyone began to relax as this seizer had passed. Barbara sighed. "It's going downhill quickly, and still no progress on how to fight this poison."
"And my medicine is doing minimal to lessen her suffering. This is beyond medical comprehension." Bill shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not doing a very good job on my end."
"You're doing all you can do, doctor, that's all we can ask from you," Reese said patting him on the back.
Detective Reese sat by Helena's cot alone. She was getting worse by the hour. Her body temperature was now 101.9 degrees. Her frail body was getting thinner with each passing hour. There was black under her eyes, something that Reese had never seen in his life. Seeing Helena in this condition was almost too much to bare.
He took hold of her right hand and it was cold to the touch. He held her hand between both of his, hoping to warm it up. There was no movement of her fingers to show that she was even alive. He put her hand down and put the palm of his hand on the side of her face. Her face was still sweaty. Helena swallowed as she began to stir when he placed his hand on the side of her face. "Water."
"I have some water here for you." Reese reached on the floor and picked up a glass of water. Reese gently lifted her head and brought the glass to her mouth so she could sip of the water. When she had stopped sipping the water, he placed the water back on the floor.
"Reese?" Helena's voice was extremely raw and raspy. It was very hard to hear her.
"I'm here, Helena. I'm not going to leave you."
Helena tilted her head towards him and her eyes barley opened to look at him. "Tell Barbara…to stop. Let me go."
"No, I will not let you give up like this, Helena. You fight this, do you hear me? Fight it!"
"I…I Can't. Too weak."
"Helena, you must not give up! I won't let you leave me like this. I love you Helena Kyle."
Helena had already slipped back into unconsciousness. Reese stayed there besides Helena, not leaving her side for the slightest moment. He sat back down in his chair and waited, hoping for another chance to talk to her again.
* * * *
It was three in the morning, and Barbara was still going full force in trying to find a cure for Helena. Richard came out of the guest room and saw that she was still working away. He wiped his eyes and walked up the platform. Barbara pounded on the desk wildly as hard as she could.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Richard ran to her and caught one of her wrists before she broke any bones in her hand.
Barbara's face was hidden by her hair, but he could swear he hear her sobbing. "I can't do it! Nothing I do will work! It's impossible!"
"You can't give up on Helena now. She needs your help, more than ever. There is still hope as long as she has breath."
Barbara looked up into his face, and her face was stained by the tears that have strolled down from her face. "I am loosing her, Richard. Helena is like a daughter to me, and there's nothing I can do to save her." Richard knelt down close enough to embrace Barbara in his arms and allow her to weep on his shoulder. "I can't loose her, Richard!"
Richard didn't know what to say, so he decided it was best not to say anything. Barbara continued to let her emotions flow. The stress and her weariness was taking it's toll on her. "Listen, you need some rest. I'll continue you research for the next couple hours. I want you to take a nap." Richard held Barbara's head between his hands, wiping the tears from her eyes with his thumb. "You've pushed yourself too long and too hard."
Barbara sniffled, as her hands were shaking involuntarily. Barbara knew he was right. She could even control her hands to take her glasses off. Richard leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "Go get some rest."
Eavesdropping from the second level was Dinah, who was in her nightgown as she knelt down. She had heard the whole conversation. Tears were strolling down her the sides of her face. She climbed onto her feet and ran into her room and closed the door behind her. Dinah ran and leaped into her bed, and covered her face in her pillow and cried. She felt like she was loosing an older sister. It wasn't fair that this had to happen to Helena. She doesn't deserve this kind of suffering. There, in her bed, she cried herself asleep, sleeping on her left side facing Helena's bed across the room from her. Her bed was empty as if it had not been slept in for a long time.
* * * *
Helena had survived the night, but her body was in bad shape. She had lost over thirty pounds. Her body looked frail and fragile. She no longer looked like the Helena everyone knew. Reese was by her side once again. He had spent the most time by her cot than anyone.
Barbara was once again working on trying to fight of this poison while Richard was asleep in the back room having awakened and been awake since three in the morning. Dinah was virtually sitting in a corner, unnoticed by anyone.
There was silence between everybody. Everyone had Helena's condition in mind. Her body temperature was up to 102.5 and her heart beat was slowing. What they had feared would happen, happened. Helena's body began to convulse. Bill was there, ready for this scenario and had his bag of medical equipment. He pulled out a tiny bottle of insulin.
Barbara stopped what she was doing and rushed over to help. Reese and Barbara held Helena's body down as Bill injected the syringe full of insulin into her upper left arm. In the back, Dinah was up on her feet, startled by the seizure. She was hiding in the shadow, as she watched helplessly the girl whom she thought of her sister, now convulsing.
It took a few minutes, but the convulsion slowly drifted away. Everyone began to relax as this seizer had passed. Barbara sighed. "It's going downhill quickly, and still no progress on how to fight this poison."
"And my medicine is doing minimal to lessen her suffering. This is beyond medical comprehension." Bill shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not doing a very good job on my end."
"You're doing all you can do, doctor, that's all we can ask from you," Reese said patting him on the back.
