Chapter 5
Four days had passed since they had learned the extent of Luka's illness. Dr. Barrows had him on the massive doses of Quinidine Gluconate, which seemed to be working. They were able to wean Luka off the ventilators and he hadn't suffered a seizure in three days. All that could be done now was to wait for him to wake up.
Abby breezed into the ICU, armed with shaving cream, a razor and a wet cloth. She decided that Luka needed a shave so she was going to do it for him. Pulling back the curtain, Abby was surprised to see a nurse and doctor standing around Luka's bed. Abby recognized the doctor as Dr. Barrows and he was asking Luka to squeeze his hand. She nearly dropped the shaving cream when she realized that Luka was squeezing his hand back!
"Oh my god!" Abby pushed to his side. "Luka, it's Abby. Can you hear me?" She picked up his left hand in her own. "Squeeze my hand." She couldn't help but smile when she felt his weak squeeze back. Abby looked to the doctor.
"He's slowly coming out of it. The nurses noticed his hands moving when they were changing his IV bag this afternoon. So far, he's responding to his name and simple commands. I suspect he should wake up soon." Dr. Barrows smiled, when he noticed the shaving cream in her hand, he said, "I'll leave you to it."
"Thank you so much doctor." Abby could barely contain her excitement.
"Thank Dr. Kovac, he did all the hard work. We just helped him along." Dr. Barrows smiled and left them alone.
Abby started talking to Luka as if he were awake. "I'm going to give you a shave Luka, you look like a lumberjack and believe me, it doesn't suit you. Just hold still and I'll try not to cut you."
Abby worked the cream into a thick lather and smeared it over Luka's growing beard. Carefully and with precision, Abby shaved the entire beard off. She wiped the cream away with the wet cloth and admired her handiwork. It was nice to see his entire face again despite the fact that it was very pale.
Abby sank down onto the cot, exhausted both mentally and physically by the last few days. She lay her head down on the pillow and closed her eyes.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The first thing Luka was aware of was the familiar humming and beeping of machines in the ICU. His mind raced. How did they get modern machines to the clinic in Matenda? Why did his eyes feel as if they had a ton of bricks holding them closed?
Suddenly he remembered being out in the jungle with all the refugees. Many of them were so sick with what he thought was malaria. He tried to help them all, running non-stop all day and night tending to the ill. He remembered that fateful morning when he himself felt the chills of fever and his head became light.
What had happened to them all? Why couldn't he wake up and help them?
He then remembered the unfamiliar voice of a man who knew his name, asking to squeeze his hand. He thought he heard Abby ask him the same and she said something about him being a lumberjack. Why couldn't he wake up? Was Abby sick too?
No, that couldn't be right. Abby wasn't there, only Carter. But Carter left. What was going on????
Luka gathered all the strength he could muster and tried to pry one eye open. Yes! It worked!
Luka opened his eyes a slit. The scene in front of him was not what he had imagined. There were no palm trees, no sick people, no guns and no fear. He was met with the sight of a modern hospital ICU. There was a beeping heart monitor to his right and an IV pole above his head. He scanned the room looking for some indication as to where he was.
Just then he realized he was at County. Turning his head all the way to the left, he made out a figure sleeping on a cot beside him. He squinted his eyes and realized that it was Abby and she was sound asleep. He reached his hand out and brushed a lock of hair off her face. She barely even stirred. He noticed how pale she was, like she hadn't slept in days.
He debated with himself if he should wake her or not. He decided he'd whisper quietly and if she was in a deep sleep, she wouldn't wake up.
"Abby? You awake?" Luka looked for any indication that she had heard.
Abby mumbled and rubbed her eyes. Suddenly it hit her; Luka had woken up!
She jumped off the cot, almost falling back down when all the blood rushed from her head. But she didn't pay attention to head rush, she was just so shocked to see Luka awake.
"Oh my god Luka, you're awake." She walked numbly to his bedside and took his hand. "I was so worried, we almost lost you."
Luka had no idea why he almost died and he was very interested to know, but the look on Abby's face told him be better wait a while to ask. Tears were welling in her eyes despite her efforts to wipe them away. "Oh god Luka, I thought I was going to lose you." She sat down beside him and gripped his hand tighter.
Luka squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I'm going to be fine Abby, you worry too much." He chuckled; obviously there was reason to be worried if he was laid up in the ICU.
Abby started to laugh but she ended up choking on tears instead. She leaned her head down on Luka's chest as sobs overtook her.
"Hey, hey. No need to cry, I know I can't tell a joke." She laughed a little through her tears and Luka rubbed her back tenderly.
"I'm sorry I'm falling apart on you Luka, that is the last thing you need right now." Abby lifted her head and reached for the box of tissues on the steel night table beside his bed.
He chuckled, "Hey don't worry about it, I bet I got more sleep than you in the last few days."
Abby laughed, "You could say that. I'll go get your doctor."
Luka protested, "No, wait a minute. I'll still be awake in fifteen minutes. Come here."
He motioned to Abby, who lay her head down on his chest again. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and felt her relax.
Abby felt his heart beating and the steady rise and fall of his chest was quickly pulling her back into slumber again. She gave in, closing her eyes and relishing the warmth of his body. Within minutes, Abby was asleep with Luka close behind her.
Four days had passed since they had learned the extent of Luka's illness. Dr. Barrows had him on the massive doses of Quinidine Gluconate, which seemed to be working. They were able to wean Luka off the ventilators and he hadn't suffered a seizure in three days. All that could be done now was to wait for him to wake up.
Abby breezed into the ICU, armed with shaving cream, a razor and a wet cloth. She decided that Luka needed a shave so she was going to do it for him. Pulling back the curtain, Abby was surprised to see a nurse and doctor standing around Luka's bed. Abby recognized the doctor as Dr. Barrows and he was asking Luka to squeeze his hand. She nearly dropped the shaving cream when she realized that Luka was squeezing his hand back!
"Oh my god!" Abby pushed to his side. "Luka, it's Abby. Can you hear me?" She picked up his left hand in her own. "Squeeze my hand." She couldn't help but smile when she felt his weak squeeze back. Abby looked to the doctor.
"He's slowly coming out of it. The nurses noticed his hands moving when they were changing his IV bag this afternoon. So far, he's responding to his name and simple commands. I suspect he should wake up soon." Dr. Barrows smiled, when he noticed the shaving cream in her hand, he said, "I'll leave you to it."
"Thank you so much doctor." Abby could barely contain her excitement.
"Thank Dr. Kovac, he did all the hard work. We just helped him along." Dr. Barrows smiled and left them alone.
Abby started talking to Luka as if he were awake. "I'm going to give you a shave Luka, you look like a lumberjack and believe me, it doesn't suit you. Just hold still and I'll try not to cut you."
Abby worked the cream into a thick lather and smeared it over Luka's growing beard. Carefully and with precision, Abby shaved the entire beard off. She wiped the cream away with the wet cloth and admired her handiwork. It was nice to see his entire face again despite the fact that it was very pale.
Abby sank down onto the cot, exhausted both mentally and physically by the last few days. She lay her head down on the pillow and closed her eyes.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The first thing Luka was aware of was the familiar humming and beeping of machines in the ICU. His mind raced. How did they get modern machines to the clinic in Matenda? Why did his eyes feel as if they had a ton of bricks holding them closed?
Suddenly he remembered being out in the jungle with all the refugees. Many of them were so sick with what he thought was malaria. He tried to help them all, running non-stop all day and night tending to the ill. He remembered that fateful morning when he himself felt the chills of fever and his head became light.
What had happened to them all? Why couldn't he wake up and help them?
He then remembered the unfamiliar voice of a man who knew his name, asking to squeeze his hand. He thought he heard Abby ask him the same and she said something about him being a lumberjack. Why couldn't he wake up? Was Abby sick too?
No, that couldn't be right. Abby wasn't there, only Carter. But Carter left. What was going on????
Luka gathered all the strength he could muster and tried to pry one eye open. Yes! It worked!
Luka opened his eyes a slit. The scene in front of him was not what he had imagined. There were no palm trees, no sick people, no guns and no fear. He was met with the sight of a modern hospital ICU. There was a beeping heart monitor to his right and an IV pole above his head. He scanned the room looking for some indication as to where he was.
Just then he realized he was at County. Turning his head all the way to the left, he made out a figure sleeping on a cot beside him. He squinted his eyes and realized that it was Abby and she was sound asleep. He reached his hand out and brushed a lock of hair off her face. She barely even stirred. He noticed how pale she was, like she hadn't slept in days.
He debated with himself if he should wake her or not. He decided he'd whisper quietly and if she was in a deep sleep, she wouldn't wake up.
"Abby? You awake?" Luka looked for any indication that she had heard.
Abby mumbled and rubbed her eyes. Suddenly it hit her; Luka had woken up!
She jumped off the cot, almost falling back down when all the blood rushed from her head. But she didn't pay attention to head rush, she was just so shocked to see Luka awake.
"Oh my god Luka, you're awake." She walked numbly to his bedside and took his hand. "I was so worried, we almost lost you."
Luka had no idea why he almost died and he was very interested to know, but the look on Abby's face told him be better wait a while to ask. Tears were welling in her eyes despite her efforts to wipe them away. "Oh god Luka, I thought I was going to lose you." She sat down beside him and gripped his hand tighter.
Luka squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I'm going to be fine Abby, you worry too much." He chuckled; obviously there was reason to be worried if he was laid up in the ICU.
Abby started to laugh but she ended up choking on tears instead. She leaned her head down on Luka's chest as sobs overtook her.
"Hey, hey. No need to cry, I know I can't tell a joke." She laughed a little through her tears and Luka rubbed her back tenderly.
"I'm sorry I'm falling apart on you Luka, that is the last thing you need right now." Abby lifted her head and reached for the box of tissues on the steel night table beside his bed.
He chuckled, "Hey don't worry about it, I bet I got more sleep than you in the last few days."
Abby laughed, "You could say that. I'll go get your doctor."
Luka protested, "No, wait a minute. I'll still be awake in fifteen minutes. Come here."
He motioned to Abby, who lay her head down on his chest again. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and felt her relax.
Abby felt his heart beating and the steady rise and fall of his chest was quickly pulling her back into slumber again. She gave in, closing her eyes and relishing the warmth of his body. Within minutes, Abby was asleep with Luka close behind her.