Chris allowed herself a sigh of relief as Elmer and Lona finally appeared at the ledge of the roof. It felt like it had taken forever to pull them up the short distance to safety and she had feared several times that the makeshift rope was going to give way on them before Lona and Elmer were safe.
"Here," Hook reached out a hand, tugging Elmer and Lona over the ledge and onto the roof, his arms burning with the slight strain. As soon as they were on stable ground once more, he dropped to his knees next to them. Lona looked okay but Elmer.... His eyes had a rather alarming glazed look and he didn't seem to be focusing on them properly. "Elmer?"
He called the younger doctor's name watching carefully for a response. How long had Elmer been up here before they found him and what had caused him to fall off the roof? He reached out, touching Elmer as gently as he could, feeling for any obvious injuries to his head.
"Elmer, it's okay. It's just Hook. Just let him check you, okay?" Lona murmured in a reassuring tone as Elmer flinched at the touch. Okay, something definately wasn't right with that. Lona reached out, adjusting the hospital gown slightly. The back was almost ripped out and gapped open even more than normal.
"I'll get some blankets," Chris said as she started towards the door. "Hook do you want me to call anyone?"
Before Hook could respond, Lona spoke, looking up from Elmer for a moment to her friend. "No, don't call anyone up here whatever you do!" Okay, she knew that Elmer hadn't tried to hurt himself and she was sure that Chris and Hook knew that this was simply an accident but if anyone else found out, she was sure that there would be those who would jump to the conclusion that Elmer had attempted suicide like his brother. She wasn't about to put him through being the subject of vicious gossip like that if she could avoid it at all.
Hook wasn't all together sure that they didn't need extra help up there but he was willing to go along with Lona's decision for the moment, understanding the reasoning behind it. He reached out to try to check Elmer again, stopping when he cringed once more. "Lona, he's okay for you.
Can you tell if he's hurt anywhere?"
"It's okay, Elmer. It's okay," Lona whispered as she cuddled him against her like one would hold a baby, gently touching his head and neck, feeling for any injuries. A moment later, she sighed in relief when she didn't find anything. A head injury was the last thing that Elmer needed considering his current frightened condition. She wouldn't even want to try getting him into the MRI scanner right now.
"Is he okay?" Chris asked anxiously as she came back carrying a pile of blankets. Okay, Elmer was a bit odd to begin with but she could definately tell that there was something even odder going on with him than usual. His eyes just looked so funny. Chris felt a shiver run through her as the wind started up again, whipping the cold air around her. Wait a minute. She was shivering and Hook and Lona were too. Why wasn't Elmer?
"We need to get him inside and warmed up." Hook said quietly to Lona. He had noticed the lack of shivering on Elmer's part as well, not a good sign. How long had he been out here?
"I know," Lona murmured as she continued to hold Elmer tightly against her as she drapped the blankets around him as best she could with one hand. He was almost like a block of ice and yet his heart was pounding rapidly, so hard that Lona silently worried that it might explode at any moment. "Elmer?" She called his name, trying to get his attention.
"I didn't try to hurt myself." Elmer's voice was anxious as he looked at Lona and then over at Chris and Hook as well. "Please don't call my dad. I didn't try to hurt myself and he'll think I did and lock me up and everyone will feel really sorry for him because both of his sons went nuts and I'm not crazy, I swear I'm not crazy!" His babbling grew more despirate with each word although he knew that in his current state he wasn't really able to do much to convince them that he was perfectly sane.
"Elmer. we know you didn't try to hurt yourself. Let's just get you inside now, okay? Do you think you can walk?" Hook asked in a gentle tone. The last thing they needed now was for Elmer to panic on them.
"It's okay, Elmer. I'm right here. We're all your friends. We're not going to let anything happen to you." Lona hugged him close as between her and Hook they got Elmer to his feet and started to stear him in the direction of the door. They had to get him into a warm bed and rewarmed quickly.
"Here," Hook reached out a hand, tugging Elmer and Lona over the ledge and onto the roof, his arms burning with the slight strain. As soon as they were on stable ground once more, he dropped to his knees next to them. Lona looked okay but Elmer.... His eyes had a rather alarming glazed look and he didn't seem to be focusing on them properly. "Elmer?"
He called the younger doctor's name watching carefully for a response. How long had Elmer been up here before they found him and what had caused him to fall off the roof? He reached out, touching Elmer as gently as he could, feeling for any obvious injuries to his head.
"Elmer, it's okay. It's just Hook. Just let him check you, okay?" Lona murmured in a reassuring tone as Elmer flinched at the touch. Okay, something definately wasn't right with that. Lona reached out, adjusting the hospital gown slightly. The back was almost ripped out and gapped open even more than normal.
"I'll get some blankets," Chris said as she started towards the door. "Hook do you want me to call anyone?"
Before Hook could respond, Lona spoke, looking up from Elmer for a moment to her friend. "No, don't call anyone up here whatever you do!" Okay, she knew that Elmer hadn't tried to hurt himself and she was sure that Chris and Hook knew that this was simply an accident but if anyone else found out, she was sure that there would be those who would jump to the conclusion that Elmer had attempted suicide like his brother. She wasn't about to put him through being the subject of vicious gossip like that if she could avoid it at all.
Hook wasn't all together sure that they didn't need extra help up there but he was willing to go along with Lona's decision for the moment, understanding the reasoning behind it. He reached out to try to check Elmer again, stopping when he cringed once more. "Lona, he's okay for you.
Can you tell if he's hurt anywhere?"
"It's okay, Elmer. It's okay," Lona whispered as she cuddled him against her like one would hold a baby, gently touching his head and neck, feeling for any injuries. A moment later, she sighed in relief when she didn't find anything. A head injury was the last thing that Elmer needed considering his current frightened condition. She wouldn't even want to try getting him into the MRI scanner right now.
"Is he okay?" Chris asked anxiously as she came back carrying a pile of blankets. Okay, Elmer was a bit odd to begin with but she could definately tell that there was something even odder going on with him than usual. His eyes just looked so funny. Chris felt a shiver run through her as the wind started up again, whipping the cold air around her. Wait a minute. She was shivering and Hook and Lona were too. Why wasn't Elmer?
"We need to get him inside and warmed up." Hook said quietly to Lona. He had noticed the lack of shivering on Elmer's part as well, not a good sign. How long had he been out here?
"I know," Lona murmured as she continued to hold Elmer tightly against her as she drapped the blankets around him as best she could with one hand. He was almost like a block of ice and yet his heart was pounding rapidly, so hard that Lona silently worried that it might explode at any moment. "Elmer?" She called his name, trying to get his attention.
"I didn't try to hurt myself." Elmer's voice was anxious as he looked at Lona and then over at Chris and Hook as well. "Please don't call my dad. I didn't try to hurt myself and he'll think I did and lock me up and everyone will feel really sorry for him because both of his sons went nuts and I'm not crazy, I swear I'm not crazy!" His babbling grew more despirate with each word although he knew that in his current state he wasn't really able to do much to convince them that he was perfectly sane.
"Elmer. we know you didn't try to hurt yourself. Let's just get you inside now, okay? Do you think you can walk?" Hook asked in a gentle tone. The last thing they needed now was for Elmer to panic on them.
"It's okay, Elmer. I'm right here. We're all your friends. We're not going to let anything happen to you." Lona hugged him close as between her and Hook they got Elmer to his feet and started to stear him in the direction of the door. They had to get him into a warm bed and rewarmed quickly.