AN: Hey guys here's the next part. Hope you like!
The doctor was a plump woman probably in her early forties. She had brown hair with silver streaks pulled back into a tight bun behind her head. Her face was round with rosey red cheeks that complimented her light brown eyes. She wasn't beautiful, but she was pretty. She had a green mask hanging around her neck that matched her green scrubs.
"I'm Doctor McDugan. Are you Richie Ryan?" She asked in a soft voice that fit her face.
Richie nodded. He and Duncan had decided that it would be safer to give Richie guardian rights in case anything were to happen to the highlander. This way one of them could always take care of her.
"How's Dri?" He asked, as Joe stood up next to him.
"She's got a tough time ahead of her I'm afraid." She stated almost sadly. "Audrina has appendicitis. We were on our way out here to have you sign the forms so that we could take her in for emergency surgery, but her appendix burst."
Joe winced at these words. He had wished he had been wrong.
"She's going to be all right though right?" Richie asked.
"She's healthy and strong," Dr. McDugan told him. "She's got a high fever, but we've got her on antibiotics. The first twenty four hours will be rough. She might even hallucinate a bit, but I believe that as long as there are no serious complications she should be fine."
"Complications? What do you mean complications?" Richie asked frantically.
"Calm down Mr. Ryan. I don't foresee anything happening. We just have to tell you that in case something out of the blue does happen."
Joe put a hand on Richie's shoulder. "Relax kid. The Doctors know what their doing."
"When can I see her?" Richie asked ignoring Joe's statement.
"As soon as we get her moved into a room I'll have a nurse come and get you. It'll probably be another twenty minutes or so, so if you want to go home and get anything for her, I'd suggest doing so now."
Richie nodded. "Thanks Doctor. Can I bring pajama's for her?"
Dr. McDugan smiled. "I think that would be fine. She'll probably be more comfortable in her own clothes. I'll let you know as soon as I have more information on her condition."
With that said she turned and walked back into the ER. Riche sighed and sat down in one of the chairs. Joe sat next to him.
"You okay?"
"I should have brought her sooner Joe, but I didn't want her to have to endure being in a hospital. She hates them."
"It's not your fault kid," Joe consoled. "You didn't know this would happen. Even Mac didn't know this would happen. Some times things just happen."
Richie stood up and Joe looked up at him. "Can I borrow your car to go and get some things for her? You don't know what to get, and I want one of us here in case anything happens."
Joe reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He handed them along with his cell phone to Richie.
"Take it in case I need to call you. I can always use the pay phone here."
Richie nodded. "Thanks Joe. I'll be back as soon as I can."
He turned and walked out of the hospital and went to the car. Richie had the radio blaring and was singing the lyrics to Metallica. He didn't want to think right now. He knew that Dri was in the hospital because of him. He knew it was all his fault despite what Joe said and he just didn't want to think about it.
Richie pulled up to the loft and went inside. He used the elevator and went upstairs. He threw up the grate with a loud boom and walked directly into Dri's room. He grabbed her blue overnight duffle bag and packed a pair of underwear, her blue, celestial pajama's, and her favorite pair of blue striped toe socks. He walked over to her bed and picked up the small, stuffed white tiger cub that he had bought for her.
They had gone to the zoo one weekend and Dri spent over an hour just staring at the white Bengal tigers. She had admitted that they were her favorite animal. Richie and Duncan let her stay, watching them lie lazily in the grass for as long as she wanted. They even enjoyed it themselves. She had a soft smile that told them she was content and happy. That made them happy.
Richie had bought the cub from the souvenier shop as they left. Dri loved it and had slept with it every night since then. She had even named it Richie Jr. She said she named it after her best friend and brother. That made Richie happier than he had been in a long time. He hadn't remembered being that happy since Tessa was alive.
Richie stuffed the tiger in the bag and zipped it up. He started to walk out and saw the spiral notebook sitting on the table. He sighed and picked it up. He didn't put it in the bag. He held on to it and left the loft, locking up tightly and getting into the car.
By the time he got back to the hospital, Dri was already in a room and Joe was sitting with her. She was on 1 liter of oxygen and had several bags hanging next to her bed that ran into one IV in her right hand. She was pale and her hair was matted to her face.
"She's been asking for you," Joe told him as he walked in the room.
"She's awake?"
Joe shook his head. "No, she's talking in her sleep, but for some reason she keeps adding junior on to your name."
Richie smiled and set the bag down. He unzipped it and pulled out the cub. He walked over to the bed and put he stuffed toy in the crook of her left arm. Dri immediately embraced it with her free arm.
She squeezed her eyes and mumbled, "No more bad dreams."
Richie stroked her face gently. "Shh, it's okay. I'm here sweet heart. Just rest."
"Hurts," She mumbled.
"I know it hurts," He said soothingly. "Just rest."
"M'kay." She squeezed Richie Jr. and nuzzled her face into it.
Richie continued stroking her hair until he was sure she was sleeping more peacefully. Then he turned to Joe.
"You don't need to stay Joe. I can stay with her for the night."
"No way kid. I'll stay."
"No, I want to be with her alone."
Joe tilted his head and looked at him skeptically. He knew the kid was still blaming himself.
"I'll call if anything happens," He handed Joe his cell phone. "There's no point in both of us staying here and I'm not leaving."
Joe sighed. There was no point in arguing with the kid. "Fine, but I'll be back in the morning to relieve you so you can get some rest." He stood up. "Call me if there's any change."
Richie nodded. "You got it."
The watcher gave him another 'you're up to something look' and walked out. Richie walked back over to where he had dropped the stuff and picked up the notebook. He walked over and sat next the bed where Joe had been sitting. Then with another look at Dri, he began writing.
This time the words seemed to flow. Maybe it was his guilt, maybe not. Who knew. He just knew that he liked the way it was coming along this time.
TBC~~ Please Review!!
The doctor was a plump woman probably in her early forties. She had brown hair with silver streaks pulled back into a tight bun behind her head. Her face was round with rosey red cheeks that complimented her light brown eyes. She wasn't beautiful, but she was pretty. She had a green mask hanging around her neck that matched her green scrubs.
"I'm Doctor McDugan. Are you Richie Ryan?" She asked in a soft voice that fit her face.
Richie nodded. He and Duncan had decided that it would be safer to give Richie guardian rights in case anything were to happen to the highlander. This way one of them could always take care of her.
"How's Dri?" He asked, as Joe stood up next to him.
"She's got a tough time ahead of her I'm afraid." She stated almost sadly. "Audrina has appendicitis. We were on our way out here to have you sign the forms so that we could take her in for emergency surgery, but her appendix burst."
Joe winced at these words. He had wished he had been wrong.
"She's going to be all right though right?" Richie asked.
"She's healthy and strong," Dr. McDugan told him. "She's got a high fever, but we've got her on antibiotics. The first twenty four hours will be rough. She might even hallucinate a bit, but I believe that as long as there are no serious complications she should be fine."
"Complications? What do you mean complications?" Richie asked frantically.
"Calm down Mr. Ryan. I don't foresee anything happening. We just have to tell you that in case something out of the blue does happen."
Joe put a hand on Richie's shoulder. "Relax kid. The Doctors know what their doing."
"When can I see her?" Richie asked ignoring Joe's statement.
"As soon as we get her moved into a room I'll have a nurse come and get you. It'll probably be another twenty minutes or so, so if you want to go home and get anything for her, I'd suggest doing so now."
Richie nodded. "Thanks Doctor. Can I bring pajama's for her?"
Dr. McDugan smiled. "I think that would be fine. She'll probably be more comfortable in her own clothes. I'll let you know as soon as I have more information on her condition."
With that said she turned and walked back into the ER. Riche sighed and sat down in one of the chairs. Joe sat next to him.
"You okay?"
"I should have brought her sooner Joe, but I didn't want her to have to endure being in a hospital. She hates them."
"It's not your fault kid," Joe consoled. "You didn't know this would happen. Even Mac didn't know this would happen. Some times things just happen."
Richie stood up and Joe looked up at him. "Can I borrow your car to go and get some things for her? You don't know what to get, and I want one of us here in case anything happens."
Joe reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He handed them along with his cell phone to Richie.
"Take it in case I need to call you. I can always use the pay phone here."
Richie nodded. "Thanks Joe. I'll be back as soon as I can."
He turned and walked out of the hospital and went to the car. Richie had the radio blaring and was singing the lyrics to Metallica. He didn't want to think right now. He knew that Dri was in the hospital because of him. He knew it was all his fault despite what Joe said and he just didn't want to think about it.
Richie pulled up to the loft and went inside. He used the elevator and went upstairs. He threw up the grate with a loud boom and walked directly into Dri's room. He grabbed her blue overnight duffle bag and packed a pair of underwear, her blue, celestial pajama's, and her favorite pair of blue striped toe socks. He walked over to her bed and picked up the small, stuffed white tiger cub that he had bought for her.
They had gone to the zoo one weekend and Dri spent over an hour just staring at the white Bengal tigers. She had admitted that they were her favorite animal. Richie and Duncan let her stay, watching them lie lazily in the grass for as long as she wanted. They even enjoyed it themselves. She had a soft smile that told them she was content and happy. That made them happy.
Richie had bought the cub from the souvenier shop as they left. Dri loved it and had slept with it every night since then. She had even named it Richie Jr. She said she named it after her best friend and brother. That made Richie happier than he had been in a long time. He hadn't remembered being that happy since Tessa was alive.
Richie stuffed the tiger in the bag and zipped it up. He started to walk out and saw the spiral notebook sitting on the table. He sighed and picked it up. He didn't put it in the bag. He held on to it and left the loft, locking up tightly and getting into the car.
By the time he got back to the hospital, Dri was already in a room and Joe was sitting with her. She was on 1 liter of oxygen and had several bags hanging next to her bed that ran into one IV in her right hand. She was pale and her hair was matted to her face.
"She's been asking for you," Joe told him as he walked in the room.
"She's awake?"
Joe shook his head. "No, she's talking in her sleep, but for some reason she keeps adding junior on to your name."
Richie smiled and set the bag down. He unzipped it and pulled out the cub. He walked over to the bed and put he stuffed toy in the crook of her left arm. Dri immediately embraced it with her free arm.
She squeezed her eyes and mumbled, "No more bad dreams."
Richie stroked her face gently. "Shh, it's okay. I'm here sweet heart. Just rest."
"Hurts," She mumbled.
"I know it hurts," He said soothingly. "Just rest."
"M'kay." She squeezed Richie Jr. and nuzzled her face into it.
Richie continued stroking her hair until he was sure she was sleeping more peacefully. Then he turned to Joe.
"You don't need to stay Joe. I can stay with her for the night."
"No way kid. I'll stay."
"No, I want to be with her alone."
Joe tilted his head and looked at him skeptically. He knew the kid was still blaming himself.
"I'll call if anything happens," He handed Joe his cell phone. "There's no point in both of us staying here and I'm not leaving."
Joe sighed. There was no point in arguing with the kid. "Fine, but I'll be back in the morning to relieve you so you can get some rest." He stood up. "Call me if there's any change."
Richie nodded. "You got it."
The watcher gave him another 'you're up to something look' and walked out. Richie walked back over to where he had dropped the stuff and picked up the notebook. He walked over and sat next the bed where Joe had been sitting. Then with another look at Dri, he began writing.
This time the words seemed to flow. Maybe it was his guilt, maybe not. Who knew. He just knew that he liked the way it was coming along this time.
TBC~~ Please Review!!
