Louis stopped when he entered the room, seeing Lona sitting there
at his son's side. He struggled, trying to force down his first impulse to
yell at her, to tell her how this entire thing was her fault and if she had
really wanted to she would have done something to help his son, ended his
crush on her. That stupid, stupid crush. Now look at what had happened to
Elmer because of it.
"Louis," Chris said softly. She could definitely understand why he was feeling the way he was, knew that it was normal to want to lash out at someone, but she also knew that with how badly Lona was taking this, any harsh words could push her over the edge. If Elmer would just wake up.
That would fix this entire problem. Once Lona and Louis both saw that he was okay....
Louis slowly walked across the room taking another chair at Elmer's bedside, nodding his head slightly to let Chris know that he understood and wouldn't say anything to Lona no matter how much he wanted to. He didn't trust himself to speak now, didn't trust himself not to say something that would hurt her. Louis knew rationally that this wasn't Lona's fault and that if Elmer ever found out that he had blamed her, his son would be furious. He couldn't help his instinctive reaction, though, the desire to lash out at something for what had happened to his son. Hadn't losing his first son been enough? Now to have Elmer endangered as well.... What had he done that was so wrong that he deserved this? He struggled to hold back tears as he thought of the son that he had lost, of the son that he had been so frightened that he could have lost today. He reached out, gently touching Elmer's face. If he would just wake up now.
"He's going to be fine," Hook said quietly to the room in general.
He looked with concern at Lona sitting there sobbing softly as she clung to Elmer's hand and Louis just sitting there silently and trying not to look at her. There was so much guilt flying around the room that it was almost suffocating. 'Bet you didn't expect that something like this would happen, did you, Elmer?' Hook thought as he moved away from the doorway to stand at Chris's side. He knew that Elmer had always though that his father didn't care much for him, had preferred his brother to him and then with how Lona continually rejected him....
Hook shook his head slightly before continuing to speak. "He's just sleeping off the anesthetic right now. He'll probably be out of it until morning. Sort of a good thing, actually. Ought to let him sleep off most of the headache. If you want to, you can go home and rest or...."
"I'm not leaving him." Louis whispered, barely able to keep tears back the longer that he looked at his son and those bandages. Common sense was telling him that he was making a big deal out of nothing, but panic won out. No, there was no way that he could leave his son's bedside. Not until he saw for himself that Elmer really was okay.
Lona looked rapidly back and forth between Elmer, the door and Louis. She couldn't stand to see him like this, to know that she was to blame for his injuries but all the same she couldn't make herself move from his side either. Although Chris's guilt trip had been what had gotten her into the room now something more, something she wasn't entirely sure of,
was making her want to stay. If she was just going to hurt Louis though..... Before she could make up her mind what to do, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She tried to grab the armrests of the chair but it was no use. She was no longer in control of her body as she felt herself slipping to the floor and into blackness.
Chris and Hook were at her side in an instant, followed a second later by Louis, doctorly instincts and concern for his friend overriding his anger at her.
"What happened?" he asked, a bit of anxiousness in his voice.
Okay, he had been upset with Lona but he also knew that she would understand and that they would be able to work things out later once Elmer was feeling better and back to normal. If something had happened to her.... And how would he ever tell his son if something happened to Lona?
"I think the sedative might have kicked in fully." Chris said as she looked up from Lona. "Her breathing and pulse seem good anyway. Hook,
can you help me get her down to the sleep lab?"
"No, don't do that." Louis said with a shake of his head. The alarm he had felt at seeing Lona crumpling to the floor had for the moment overridden any anger he was still feeling towards her. "I'll go and see if they can bring a cot in here for her." When he noticed Chris and Louis staring at him, he continued. "Just because I'm mad at her doesn't mean that she suddenly isn't my friend. And I definately don't want to have to try to explain this to Elmer if he wakes up and she isn't here. I'll be right back."
"Louis," Chris said softly. She could definitely understand why he was feeling the way he was, knew that it was normal to want to lash out at someone, but she also knew that with how badly Lona was taking this, any harsh words could push her over the edge. If Elmer would just wake up.
That would fix this entire problem. Once Lona and Louis both saw that he was okay....
Louis slowly walked across the room taking another chair at Elmer's bedside, nodding his head slightly to let Chris know that he understood and wouldn't say anything to Lona no matter how much he wanted to. He didn't trust himself to speak now, didn't trust himself not to say something that would hurt her. Louis knew rationally that this wasn't Lona's fault and that if Elmer ever found out that he had blamed her, his son would be furious. He couldn't help his instinctive reaction, though, the desire to lash out at something for what had happened to his son. Hadn't losing his first son been enough? Now to have Elmer endangered as well.... What had he done that was so wrong that he deserved this? He struggled to hold back tears as he thought of the son that he had lost, of the son that he had been so frightened that he could have lost today. He reached out, gently touching Elmer's face. If he would just wake up now.
"He's going to be fine," Hook said quietly to the room in general.
He looked with concern at Lona sitting there sobbing softly as she clung to Elmer's hand and Louis just sitting there silently and trying not to look at her. There was so much guilt flying around the room that it was almost suffocating. 'Bet you didn't expect that something like this would happen, did you, Elmer?' Hook thought as he moved away from the doorway to stand at Chris's side. He knew that Elmer had always though that his father didn't care much for him, had preferred his brother to him and then with how Lona continually rejected him....
Hook shook his head slightly before continuing to speak. "He's just sleeping off the anesthetic right now. He'll probably be out of it until morning. Sort of a good thing, actually. Ought to let him sleep off most of the headache. If you want to, you can go home and rest or...."
"I'm not leaving him." Louis whispered, barely able to keep tears back the longer that he looked at his son and those bandages. Common sense was telling him that he was making a big deal out of nothing, but panic won out. No, there was no way that he could leave his son's bedside. Not until he saw for himself that Elmer really was okay.
Lona looked rapidly back and forth between Elmer, the door and Louis. She couldn't stand to see him like this, to know that she was to blame for his injuries but all the same she couldn't make herself move from his side either. Although Chris's guilt trip had been what had gotten her into the room now something more, something she wasn't entirely sure of,
was making her want to stay. If she was just going to hurt Louis though..... Before she could make up her mind what to do, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She tried to grab the armrests of the chair but it was no use. She was no longer in control of her body as she felt herself slipping to the floor and into blackness.
Chris and Hook were at her side in an instant, followed a second later by Louis, doctorly instincts and concern for his friend overriding his anger at her.
"What happened?" he asked, a bit of anxiousness in his voice.
Okay, he had been upset with Lona but he also knew that she would understand and that they would be able to work things out later once Elmer was feeling better and back to normal. If something had happened to her.... And how would he ever tell his son if something happened to Lona?
"I think the sedative might have kicked in fully." Chris said as she looked up from Lona. "Her breathing and pulse seem good anyway. Hook,
can you help me get her down to the sleep lab?"
"No, don't do that." Louis said with a shake of his head. The alarm he had felt at seeing Lona crumpling to the floor had for the moment overridden any anger he was still feeling towards her. "I'll go and see if they can bring a cot in here for her." When he noticed Chris and Louis staring at him, he continued. "Just because I'm mad at her doesn't mean that she suddenly isn't my friend. And I definately don't want to have to try to explain this to Elmer if he wakes up and she isn't here. I'll be right back."