Louis stared down at his son, slowly shaking his head. He just
couldn't believe it. Here Elmer was facing possible death and yet his only
thought was for Lona. He wasn't sure if that would count as very brave
behavior or very stupid behavior.
"Son?" Louis said softly as he approached Elmer, reaching out and drawing his son up into an embrace. If only he didn't have to wear the blasted protective suit. This might be one of the last times that he could be with his son and to have this barrier between them almost drove him crazy. "Son, how are you feeling?" Elmer didn't look sick. Wasn't that a good sign? Okay, he knew it hadn't been long enough since Elmer had been exposed to tell if he had been infected but Louis clutched at any bit of hope that he could find. He couldn't lose his son, he couldn't!
"Scared," Elmer whispered, letting himself sink into his dad's embrace a little. "She wasn't breathing and I couldn't find a pulse and now she won't wake up." Elmer could feel tears starting to form once more and he had to fight to keep them from falling. He didn't want Lona to hear him crying if she was able to hear in her condition. He didn't want to frighten her. He was just so scared though. What if he didn't find her in time? What if.... "Dad, do they know what's wrong with her yet?" They had pretty much drained all of Lona's blood. Shouldn't they know what was wrong with her already with how much blood they had taken?
Louis looked at his son, fighting so hard to control his sobs but fear apparent on his face. Bravery or stupidity? He wasn't sure which one it was but.... He shook his head slightly once more. It was obvious that there was no way that he would get his son to move from Lona's bedside at this point, even if it might save his own life. He looked over at Lona,
fear washing over him seeing her lying there like that. Not only fear for his son ending up in that condition though, but fear for her as well. Lona had been a very good friend over the years and it would break his heart to lose her. He slowly approached the bed, easing Elmer back into the chair he had been occupying before reaching out and gently taking Lona's hand for just a moment. He closed his eyes as he lowered her hand back to the bed once more after several minutes. He wasn't sure what it was but there was something different, something that he vaguely felt wen he held her hand.
Like some part of her was missing, perhaps. He shook his head as he backed towards the door, motioning for Hook to follow him. He had had that same vague feeling before with some of his patients and it had never been a good sign.
"How bad is it, really?" he asked quietly, glad that his son seemed to be wrapped up in fussing over Lona once more and didn't seem like he was paying attention to what he and Hook were discussing.
Hook paused for a moment, looking over at Lona and Elmer. He didn't want to say this, but he supposed Louis deserved to know what they were dealing with. "It's bad." he said slowly, keeping his voice low as well. "She hasn't shown any response ever since she was revived, hasn't tried to breathe on her own. It's bad."
"Brain damage?" Louis asked. He felt the suit starting to fog up slightly as a tear slipped from his eyes despite his best efforts to shove his emotions down. He wasn't sure what would hurt Elmer the most, to have Lona die cleanly or to have her live but not be the woman he cared for any longer.
"I'm getting an EEG to run some tests but we can't rule it out considering we have no idea how long she might have been in cardiac arrest before Elmer found her. She responded quickly but...." Hook shook his head, knowing that there really wasn't much more that he could say, that Louis would understand exactly what the situation was and what it meant.
Louis slowly nodded. "Just make sure that she isn't in any pain,
Hook." He ordered. If there wasn't anything that could be done to save Lona, at least he could do that much for her, to spare her pain at the end.
He looked sadly at his son once more. Would Elmer survive if Lona died?
"Elmer, I have to go now and take a look at one of Hook's patients but I'll be back, alright?" Louis said as he approached the bed again,
reaching out and hugging his son to him. He had to struggle to keep the fear out of his voice as he spoke.
Elmer slowly nodded. "Dad, just please, please talk to them. Make sure that they're doing everything they can to help Lona." Elmer pleaded as his father headed towards the door.
"Louis?" Chris said gently once they were outside the room and out of the protective suits. The older doctor slumped to the floor much like she had earlier and a moment latter she joined him.
"He loves her. He really, truely loves her," Louis whispered with a shake of his head. He had always been afraid that it was true and now it had been confirmed. His son really did love Lona and if she didn't survive.... He slowly shook his head. he didn't want to loose his son.
"Son?" Louis said softly as he approached Elmer, reaching out and drawing his son up into an embrace. If only he didn't have to wear the blasted protective suit. This might be one of the last times that he could be with his son and to have this barrier between them almost drove him crazy. "Son, how are you feeling?" Elmer didn't look sick. Wasn't that a good sign? Okay, he knew it hadn't been long enough since Elmer had been exposed to tell if he had been infected but Louis clutched at any bit of hope that he could find. He couldn't lose his son, he couldn't!
"Scared," Elmer whispered, letting himself sink into his dad's embrace a little. "She wasn't breathing and I couldn't find a pulse and now she won't wake up." Elmer could feel tears starting to form once more and he had to fight to keep them from falling. He didn't want Lona to hear him crying if she was able to hear in her condition. He didn't want to frighten her. He was just so scared though. What if he didn't find her in time? What if.... "Dad, do they know what's wrong with her yet?" They had pretty much drained all of Lona's blood. Shouldn't they know what was wrong with her already with how much blood they had taken?
Louis looked at his son, fighting so hard to control his sobs but fear apparent on his face. Bravery or stupidity? He wasn't sure which one it was but.... He shook his head slightly once more. It was obvious that there was no way that he would get his son to move from Lona's bedside at this point, even if it might save his own life. He looked over at Lona,
fear washing over him seeing her lying there like that. Not only fear for his son ending up in that condition though, but fear for her as well. Lona had been a very good friend over the years and it would break his heart to lose her. He slowly approached the bed, easing Elmer back into the chair he had been occupying before reaching out and gently taking Lona's hand for just a moment. He closed his eyes as he lowered her hand back to the bed once more after several minutes. He wasn't sure what it was but there was something different, something that he vaguely felt wen he held her hand.
Like some part of her was missing, perhaps. He shook his head as he backed towards the door, motioning for Hook to follow him. He had had that same vague feeling before with some of his patients and it had never been a good sign.
"How bad is it, really?" he asked quietly, glad that his son seemed to be wrapped up in fussing over Lona once more and didn't seem like he was paying attention to what he and Hook were discussing.
Hook paused for a moment, looking over at Lona and Elmer. He didn't want to say this, but he supposed Louis deserved to know what they were dealing with. "It's bad." he said slowly, keeping his voice low as well. "She hasn't shown any response ever since she was revived, hasn't tried to breathe on her own. It's bad."
"Brain damage?" Louis asked. He felt the suit starting to fog up slightly as a tear slipped from his eyes despite his best efforts to shove his emotions down. He wasn't sure what would hurt Elmer the most, to have Lona die cleanly or to have her live but not be the woman he cared for any longer.
"I'm getting an EEG to run some tests but we can't rule it out considering we have no idea how long she might have been in cardiac arrest before Elmer found her. She responded quickly but...." Hook shook his head, knowing that there really wasn't much more that he could say, that Louis would understand exactly what the situation was and what it meant.
Louis slowly nodded. "Just make sure that she isn't in any pain,
Hook." He ordered. If there wasn't anything that could be done to save Lona, at least he could do that much for her, to spare her pain at the end.
He looked sadly at his son once more. Would Elmer survive if Lona died?
"Elmer, I have to go now and take a look at one of Hook's patients but I'll be back, alright?" Louis said as he approached the bed again,
reaching out and hugging his son to him. He had to struggle to keep the fear out of his voice as he spoke.
Elmer slowly nodded. "Dad, just please, please talk to them. Make sure that they're doing everything they can to help Lona." Elmer pleaded as his father headed towards the door.
"Louis?" Chris said gently once they were outside the room and out of the protective suits. The older doctor slumped to the floor much like she had earlier and a moment latter she joined him.
"He loves her. He really, truely loves her," Louis whispered with a shake of his head. He had always been afraid that it was true and now it had been confirmed. His son really did love Lona and if she didn't survive.... He slowly shook his head. he didn't want to loose his son.