Chapter Two
Jesse gasped, then leaped off the steps of Mark's beach home, and sprinted to the street. The driver started to take off, slowly, and Steve sprinted after it, hand on his gun, so it wouldn't get far. Steve caught up with the driver, and arrested him. Meanwhile, Jesse had reached the crumpled form of Becca. Mark wasn't far behind. Jesse put two fingers on his nieces' neck, and then looked up at Mark, terror etched on his face.
"Mark! Her heart's stopped! No pulse!"
Jesse immediately started CPR, while Mark turned around and yelled to Amanda.
"Amanda! Call Community General! Have them send an ambulance out here! now!!"
Amanda turned around and ran in to call for an ambulance. While Amanda was on the phone, Jesse was trying to get his niece to breathe.
"Come on (push) Becca. (push) Don't (push) give up. (push)
Mark noticed Jesse was getting worried, so after Jesse gave Becca another breath of air, he tapped Jesse's shoulder. They young doctor looked up at Mark.
"Jess, let me."
Jesse nodded, and moved aside to let Mark in. Mark proceeded to try to get the 16-year-old's heart to start. After about a minute or so, Jesse let Mark take a break, and started CPR on his niece again. After one final plea of "Please Beck!", Jesse felt a faint breath coming from his niece. Slowly, Becca started breathing more regularly. Jesse collapsed against Mark's shoulder.
"It's okay, Jess. It's okay."
The ambulance pulled up, and Rebecca was loaded on to it. Mark and Jesse sat in the middle of the street, Jesse was shocked at how close he had come to loosing his niece.
"Come on Jesse. We need to get to the hospital. I'll drive."
The two went to Mark's car and headed off. Amanda climbed into her car, and left. Steve, who had handcuffed the drunk, and was watching the whole scene, took the drunk to his car and he drove to the police station. Meanwhile, the ambulance arrived at CGH, and the EMTs rushed in with Becca on the gurney. They went into the ER, where the operation began to save Becca's life. Mark, Jesse and Amanda all arrived, and they went to the doctor's lounge. A very scared Jesse, a concerned Mark, and a consoling Amanda took the walk there that seemed to last forever.
"Mark, is she going to die?"
I don't know Jesse. The surgeons will do their best, the rest will then be up Rebecca."
The trio sat in the lounge, waiting for some good news. After an hour and a half, James came in. James, a fairly new doctor, already had shown signs of becoming a great doctor.
"James, so, how'd it go?" Mark asked the doctor.
"Well, she made it through surgery. It took a while, because we actually almost lost her."
"What do you mean?" Jesse inquired.
"Well, we were operating, and all of the sudden, her heart monitor began to continuously beep, long and steady. We were able to get her back, though."
"Can I see her now?"
"Yes. She's in stable condition, but she's unconscious. She's in Room 403."
Jesse, Mark and Amanda made their way up to the fourth floor, and then to Beck's room. Jesse walked in first, and nearly choked at the sight of his niece. Rebecca had a cast on her left arm, and a bandage around her head, and you could see two bulges under the blanket from where casts were on both of her legs. The only noise in the room was the steady "bleep- bleep-bleep" of the heart monitor. Jesse slowly made his way over to the bed. He pulled a chair over and sat down. Mark and Amanda slowly turned around and left, leaving Jesse alone with Rebecca. Jesse didn't see them leave, but he took a big breath, and looked at Becca. He again choked, and had to fight to maintain composure.
"Oh, Becca, Becca! Why? Please don't give up! Fight Beck, fight."
Jesse stayed in her room for the next hour and a half, till Amanda came to tell him his shift was starting. Jesse couldn't bear to leave Becca's bedside.
"Jesse, I promise I'll page you if anything changes, whether it's good or not."
With that promise, Jesse left to do his rounds. Over the next few days, Rebecca's condition didn't change. Five days after she was brought in, Jesse went into her room after his shift was over. He pulled the chair over, and sat down.
"Becca, it's me. Your Uncle Jesse. The hospital has been hairy recently. Yesterday, we had to operate on 25 survivors of a bus crash. Oh, Beck, please get better. You can't die!"
Jesse took her hand in his, put his head down, and quietly started to sob. Jesse suddenly looked at his hand. Becca was gently squeezing it. Jesse looked at her face, trying to detect any sign of life and/or movement. She started to ever so slightly move. Her eyes opened, and she turned her head toward her uncle.
"Don't cry" she quietly said, with pain in her voice.
Jesse was crying and laughing all at the same time.
"Becky!"
A little ways away, Mark and Amanda were talking, when Mark's pager went off. He looked at the message, and then up at Amanda's expecting face.
"That was Jesse. He said there's something he needs to show us in Becca's room." Mark told her.
The two went off, and soon arrived at Rebecca's door. Amanda knocked, and from inside the room, Jesse told them to come in. The two entered, and saw Jesse by Beck's bed. Looking closer at her face, they realized her eyes were open, and that she was awake and coherent. Becca looked up at the two shocked doctors, and smiled sweetly.
"Don't worry," she said slowly. "I'm not a ghost or anything like that."
"Well, Mark, Amanda, what do you have to say?" Jesse teased his two friends and colleagues.
The two made their way over to the bedside, and started congratulating Jesse. Meanwhile, Steve was at the police station questioning the drunk, who had turned out to be a multiple-time offender, no license, and more. Steve just didn't seem to be getting through to him, and he was finally about willing to give up, when his phone rang. It was his dad telling his that Becca had woken up. That gave Steve an idea, which he proceeded to tell his dad about. The two agreed, and hung up. Steve turned his attention back to the drunk, who wasn't drunk anymore.
"Come on. We're going for a ride." Steve told him.
Steve cuffed the man, and after telling a friend where he was going, went to his car and drove to Community General. He led the man to Room 403, where Jesse, Amanda and his dad were waiting. Steve opened the door, and led the man inside. Becca was on the bed, asleep. Steve looked at the man.
"You see what you've done? She was a healthy, fun-loving teenager. Until a few days ago. You got drunk, and hit her on her birthday! If she pulls through this, it will be a scar on her life forever."
The drunk glanced at Becca, but he didn't do anything else. Disgusted, Steve almost dragged his out of the room and back to the car. He drove back to the station, and put the man back in his cell. He called his dad.
"I thought this would work. This man certainly has a black heart." Steve told his dad.
"Well, you've just got to keep trying. When's the trial?"
"Two days from now."
"Well, we've got some time."
"Yeah. Well, I'd better go. See you later dad."
The two hung up. Back at the hospital, Rebecca was talking to her uncle.
"Please, Uncle Jesse. I want to go to the trial. I want this guy to pay."
"Becca, you're not strong enough. You just came out of the coma today. Maybe if you improve, I'll consider it, but not as of now."
"But Uncle Jesse..."
"Ah." he cut in. "No. I've got to do my rounds, and I don't want to hear any more about it. The only way you'll go is if you get better. See you later Becca."
Jesse walked out, leaving a very mad niece behind. Mark happened to walk by, and saw Rebecca was a bit angry. He walked in, and she looked up at him.
"Hello Dr. Sloan."
"Well, well, what's the matter? You're never this angry."
"Well, I want to go to the trial, to see that the drunk will pay for ruining my birthday, and injuring me so badly. But, he said I can't go till I get better."
"Well, he's right. You need your strength, okay? So, why don't you rest, and try to catch up on some sleep, so you can get your strength back? Okay? For me?"
"Okay, Dr. Sloan." The disappointment clear.
She turned over, and fell immediately asleep. Two days later, Amanda, Jesse, Steve and Mark were in a buzz. The trial was set for 11:00. Jesse and Amanda left the hospital at about 10:30. Steve was down at the station, getting the evidence ready, while Mark was at CGH, with Rebecca. He had just gotten some test results back, and his worst fear was confirmed. He had gone to Becca's room, to break the news to her.
"Rebecca, I'm afraid I have some bad news."
Jesse gasped, then leaped off the steps of Mark's beach home, and sprinted to the street. The driver started to take off, slowly, and Steve sprinted after it, hand on his gun, so it wouldn't get far. Steve caught up with the driver, and arrested him. Meanwhile, Jesse had reached the crumpled form of Becca. Mark wasn't far behind. Jesse put two fingers on his nieces' neck, and then looked up at Mark, terror etched on his face.
"Mark! Her heart's stopped! No pulse!"
Jesse immediately started CPR, while Mark turned around and yelled to Amanda.
"Amanda! Call Community General! Have them send an ambulance out here! now!!"
Amanda turned around and ran in to call for an ambulance. While Amanda was on the phone, Jesse was trying to get his niece to breathe.
"Come on (push) Becca. (push) Don't (push) give up. (push)
Mark noticed Jesse was getting worried, so after Jesse gave Becca another breath of air, he tapped Jesse's shoulder. They young doctor looked up at Mark.
"Jess, let me."
Jesse nodded, and moved aside to let Mark in. Mark proceeded to try to get the 16-year-old's heart to start. After about a minute or so, Jesse let Mark take a break, and started CPR on his niece again. After one final plea of "Please Beck!", Jesse felt a faint breath coming from his niece. Slowly, Becca started breathing more regularly. Jesse collapsed against Mark's shoulder.
"It's okay, Jess. It's okay."
The ambulance pulled up, and Rebecca was loaded on to it. Mark and Jesse sat in the middle of the street, Jesse was shocked at how close he had come to loosing his niece.
"Come on Jesse. We need to get to the hospital. I'll drive."
The two went to Mark's car and headed off. Amanda climbed into her car, and left. Steve, who had handcuffed the drunk, and was watching the whole scene, took the drunk to his car and he drove to the police station. Meanwhile, the ambulance arrived at CGH, and the EMTs rushed in with Becca on the gurney. They went into the ER, where the operation began to save Becca's life. Mark, Jesse and Amanda all arrived, and they went to the doctor's lounge. A very scared Jesse, a concerned Mark, and a consoling Amanda took the walk there that seemed to last forever.
"Mark, is she going to die?"
I don't know Jesse. The surgeons will do their best, the rest will then be up Rebecca."
The trio sat in the lounge, waiting for some good news. After an hour and a half, James came in. James, a fairly new doctor, already had shown signs of becoming a great doctor.
"James, so, how'd it go?" Mark asked the doctor.
"Well, she made it through surgery. It took a while, because we actually almost lost her."
"What do you mean?" Jesse inquired.
"Well, we were operating, and all of the sudden, her heart monitor began to continuously beep, long and steady. We were able to get her back, though."
"Can I see her now?"
"Yes. She's in stable condition, but she's unconscious. She's in Room 403."
Jesse, Mark and Amanda made their way up to the fourth floor, and then to Beck's room. Jesse walked in first, and nearly choked at the sight of his niece. Rebecca had a cast on her left arm, and a bandage around her head, and you could see two bulges under the blanket from where casts were on both of her legs. The only noise in the room was the steady "bleep- bleep-bleep" of the heart monitor. Jesse slowly made his way over to the bed. He pulled a chair over and sat down. Mark and Amanda slowly turned around and left, leaving Jesse alone with Rebecca. Jesse didn't see them leave, but he took a big breath, and looked at Becca. He again choked, and had to fight to maintain composure.
"Oh, Becca, Becca! Why? Please don't give up! Fight Beck, fight."
Jesse stayed in her room for the next hour and a half, till Amanda came to tell him his shift was starting. Jesse couldn't bear to leave Becca's bedside.
"Jesse, I promise I'll page you if anything changes, whether it's good or not."
With that promise, Jesse left to do his rounds. Over the next few days, Rebecca's condition didn't change. Five days after she was brought in, Jesse went into her room after his shift was over. He pulled the chair over, and sat down.
"Becca, it's me. Your Uncle Jesse. The hospital has been hairy recently. Yesterday, we had to operate on 25 survivors of a bus crash. Oh, Beck, please get better. You can't die!"
Jesse took her hand in his, put his head down, and quietly started to sob. Jesse suddenly looked at his hand. Becca was gently squeezing it. Jesse looked at her face, trying to detect any sign of life and/or movement. She started to ever so slightly move. Her eyes opened, and she turned her head toward her uncle.
"Don't cry" she quietly said, with pain in her voice.
Jesse was crying and laughing all at the same time.
"Becky!"
A little ways away, Mark and Amanda were talking, when Mark's pager went off. He looked at the message, and then up at Amanda's expecting face.
"That was Jesse. He said there's something he needs to show us in Becca's room." Mark told her.
The two went off, and soon arrived at Rebecca's door. Amanda knocked, and from inside the room, Jesse told them to come in. The two entered, and saw Jesse by Beck's bed. Looking closer at her face, they realized her eyes were open, and that she was awake and coherent. Becca looked up at the two shocked doctors, and smiled sweetly.
"Don't worry," she said slowly. "I'm not a ghost or anything like that."
"Well, Mark, Amanda, what do you have to say?" Jesse teased his two friends and colleagues.
The two made their way over to the bedside, and started congratulating Jesse. Meanwhile, Steve was at the police station questioning the drunk, who had turned out to be a multiple-time offender, no license, and more. Steve just didn't seem to be getting through to him, and he was finally about willing to give up, when his phone rang. It was his dad telling his that Becca had woken up. That gave Steve an idea, which he proceeded to tell his dad about. The two agreed, and hung up. Steve turned his attention back to the drunk, who wasn't drunk anymore.
"Come on. We're going for a ride." Steve told him.
Steve cuffed the man, and after telling a friend where he was going, went to his car and drove to Community General. He led the man to Room 403, where Jesse, Amanda and his dad were waiting. Steve opened the door, and led the man inside. Becca was on the bed, asleep. Steve looked at the man.
"You see what you've done? She was a healthy, fun-loving teenager. Until a few days ago. You got drunk, and hit her on her birthday! If she pulls through this, it will be a scar on her life forever."
The drunk glanced at Becca, but he didn't do anything else. Disgusted, Steve almost dragged his out of the room and back to the car. He drove back to the station, and put the man back in his cell. He called his dad.
"I thought this would work. This man certainly has a black heart." Steve told his dad.
"Well, you've just got to keep trying. When's the trial?"
"Two days from now."
"Well, we've got some time."
"Yeah. Well, I'd better go. See you later dad."
The two hung up. Back at the hospital, Rebecca was talking to her uncle.
"Please, Uncle Jesse. I want to go to the trial. I want this guy to pay."
"Becca, you're not strong enough. You just came out of the coma today. Maybe if you improve, I'll consider it, but not as of now."
"But Uncle Jesse..."
"Ah." he cut in. "No. I've got to do my rounds, and I don't want to hear any more about it. The only way you'll go is if you get better. See you later Becca."
Jesse walked out, leaving a very mad niece behind. Mark happened to walk by, and saw Rebecca was a bit angry. He walked in, and she looked up at him.
"Hello Dr. Sloan."
"Well, well, what's the matter? You're never this angry."
"Well, I want to go to the trial, to see that the drunk will pay for ruining my birthday, and injuring me so badly. But, he said I can't go till I get better."
"Well, he's right. You need your strength, okay? So, why don't you rest, and try to catch up on some sleep, so you can get your strength back? Okay? For me?"
"Okay, Dr. Sloan." The disappointment clear.
She turned over, and fell immediately asleep. Two days later, Amanda, Jesse, Steve and Mark were in a buzz. The trial was set for 11:00. Jesse and Amanda left the hospital at about 10:30. Steve was down at the station, getting the evidence ready, while Mark was at CGH, with Rebecca. He had just gotten some test results back, and his worst fear was confirmed. He had gone to Becca's room, to break the news to her.
"Rebecca, I'm afraid I have some bad news."