"We need to find a copy of this first of all," Chris said as she
looked at Louis. "You don't have any idea of what it said?" How in the
world could he have signed something without reading it? She didn't think
that anyone besides Dr. James did that, which explained how Stegman ended
up as their co-worker.
"I know, I know I should have read it." Louis shook his head as he thought of it. Of course, even if he had read it, he probably would have thought nothing of it. After all, Lona had done it long before Elmer had developed his almost obsessive crush, no not crush but love, on her. And from a strict medical standpoint, he knew a living will was a good idea.
"Do you remember why Lona might have written something like this?"
Chris asked. She was eager to get back to the lab, to trying to find out something, anything that might be used to treat this blasted disease but she could see that the notion of the living will had Louis extremely upset.
No way could she just leave him like that. "Lona isn't really that old despite what she tries to tell Elmer."
Louis thought for a moment before speaking, wanting to make sure that he recalled all of the important details of the case. He closed his eyes as he thought of it and what he had signed. If he brought that living will in he was going to have to explain all of this to his son and.
Elmer would never understand, he knew that he wouldn't.
"It was a head trauma case. Severe brain injury. Patient ended up in a vegetative state and there was some sort of problem trying to locate the family to get permission to remove the life support. Lona was doing some of her sleep studies and she got permission from Jesse to use this patient in them. She got a pretty good look at what had happened and for some reason, it really disturbed her."
"Did she give you any idea of what she might have put in that living will?" Chris asked softly. She was starting to get a bit of a bad feeling about this.
"She didn't say specifically but I can remember what she talked about in reference to that patient. She said she didn't want to end up like that, on life support if there was no hope of recovery." Chris sighed softly when she heard that. No, that wouldn't apply in this case. There was still hope Lona could get well. If there wasn't, then that would mean there was no hope for Hook or Elmer either and she refused to let herself thing about that. She wasn't going to lose Hook now and as for Elmer,
losing him would kill Louis so.... No, there definitely had to be hope that they could beat this thing.
"She said something about the brain damage too, how she wouldn't want to be kept alive if there if she ever suffered that, if there was no chance for returning to a meaningful life." Louis shook his head as he thought of that. Why in the world had he ever signed that thing?
"That isn't very specific." Chris said with a shake of her head.
Okay, she had an idea of what Lona would consider a meaningful life but if it wasn't spelled out, it was open to interpretation.
"You know as well as I do what Lona would consider a meaningful life." Louis said slowly. "If she wasn't able to function as a doctor again, to do her sleep studies...." How was he ever going to explain this to Elmer? And since he witnessed the blasted thing, he was probably going to be forced to testify to what Lona would consider a meaningful life, to what she had been thinking of when she had written that blasted thing if she hadn't been totally explicit in her instructions. He shook his head as he thought of it. Why had he ever read that file? If he hadn't then.
If Hook had read it though, then Louis knew rationally that it would be his duty as a doctor to tell him all that he knew about it. How could he do something that he knew had such potential to devastate his son, though,
even if he had to violate every principle that he had held dear? Wasn't Elmer more important than principles?
"Louis?" Chris said quietly as she looked at the older doctor,
She reached out, gently wrapping an arm around his shoulders. She could tell that he was seriously hurting.
Louis shook his head, not able to speak at the moment. Elmer was sick. What if he ended up in the same condition as Lona, what if he.
He was barely able to hold back tears as he thought of it. He had already lost one son. Please, he couldn't lose Elmer too, he just couldn't!
Then there was Lona. She was his friend and she had trusted him when she had asked him to witness that thing, had trusted him to make sure that her wishes were carried out. How could he violate her trust and ever look himself in the face in the mirror again? But was this really a situation that called for the living will in the first place? He desperately tried to convince himself that he didn't need to say or do anything at this point. Lona had only been sick for a short time, after all, and they were all working on trying to find a treatment. Wasn't it premature to even be thinking about a living will at this point? Shouldn't they just be thinking about getting Lona better?
"Has Mobanga called back yet?" he asked Chris urgently. "Or has the lab found anything yet?" If Chris had some sort of news, maybe it would help him, give him an idea of what he should do.
"Nothing yet." Chris said softly. "They're running tests on Elmer's blood now, hoping to find out something new. The antibiotics seem to be slowing this but they just aren't knocking it out."
Louis nodded slowly. So nothing new, nothing to help him decide what decision to make. What in the world was he going to do now?
"I know, I know I should have read it." Louis shook his head as he thought of it. Of course, even if he had read it, he probably would have thought nothing of it. After all, Lona had done it long before Elmer had developed his almost obsessive crush, no not crush but love, on her. And from a strict medical standpoint, he knew a living will was a good idea.
"Do you remember why Lona might have written something like this?"
Chris asked. She was eager to get back to the lab, to trying to find out something, anything that might be used to treat this blasted disease but she could see that the notion of the living will had Louis extremely upset.
No way could she just leave him like that. "Lona isn't really that old despite what she tries to tell Elmer."
Louis thought for a moment before speaking, wanting to make sure that he recalled all of the important details of the case. He closed his eyes as he thought of it and what he had signed. If he brought that living will in he was going to have to explain all of this to his son and.
Elmer would never understand, he knew that he wouldn't.
"It was a head trauma case. Severe brain injury. Patient ended up in a vegetative state and there was some sort of problem trying to locate the family to get permission to remove the life support. Lona was doing some of her sleep studies and she got permission from Jesse to use this patient in them. She got a pretty good look at what had happened and for some reason, it really disturbed her."
"Did she give you any idea of what she might have put in that living will?" Chris asked softly. She was starting to get a bit of a bad feeling about this.
"She didn't say specifically but I can remember what she talked about in reference to that patient. She said she didn't want to end up like that, on life support if there was no hope of recovery." Chris sighed softly when she heard that. No, that wouldn't apply in this case. There was still hope Lona could get well. If there wasn't, then that would mean there was no hope for Hook or Elmer either and she refused to let herself thing about that. She wasn't going to lose Hook now and as for Elmer,
losing him would kill Louis so.... No, there definitely had to be hope that they could beat this thing.
"She said something about the brain damage too, how she wouldn't want to be kept alive if there if she ever suffered that, if there was no chance for returning to a meaningful life." Louis shook his head as he thought of that. Why in the world had he ever signed that thing?
"That isn't very specific." Chris said with a shake of her head.
Okay, she had an idea of what Lona would consider a meaningful life but if it wasn't spelled out, it was open to interpretation.
"You know as well as I do what Lona would consider a meaningful life." Louis said slowly. "If she wasn't able to function as a doctor again, to do her sleep studies...." How was he ever going to explain this to Elmer? And since he witnessed the blasted thing, he was probably going to be forced to testify to what Lona would consider a meaningful life, to what she had been thinking of when she had written that blasted thing if she hadn't been totally explicit in her instructions. He shook his head as he thought of it. Why had he ever read that file? If he hadn't then.
If Hook had read it though, then Louis knew rationally that it would be his duty as a doctor to tell him all that he knew about it. How could he do something that he knew had such potential to devastate his son, though,
even if he had to violate every principle that he had held dear? Wasn't Elmer more important than principles?
"Louis?" Chris said quietly as she looked at the older doctor,
She reached out, gently wrapping an arm around his shoulders. She could tell that he was seriously hurting.
Louis shook his head, not able to speak at the moment. Elmer was sick. What if he ended up in the same condition as Lona, what if he.
He was barely able to hold back tears as he thought of it. He had already lost one son. Please, he couldn't lose Elmer too, he just couldn't!
Then there was Lona. She was his friend and she had trusted him when she had asked him to witness that thing, had trusted him to make sure that her wishes were carried out. How could he violate her trust and ever look himself in the face in the mirror again? But was this really a situation that called for the living will in the first place? He desperately tried to convince himself that he didn't need to say or do anything at this point. Lona had only been sick for a short time, after all, and they were all working on trying to find a treatment. Wasn't it premature to even be thinking about a living will at this point? Shouldn't they just be thinking about getting Lona better?
"Has Mobanga called back yet?" he asked Chris urgently. "Or has the lab found anything yet?" If Chris had some sort of news, maybe it would help him, give him an idea of what he should do.
"Nothing yet." Chris said softly. "They're running tests on Elmer's blood now, hoping to find out something new. The antibiotics seem to be slowing this but they just aren't knocking it out."
Louis nodded slowly. So nothing new, nothing to help him decide what decision to make. What in the world was he going to do now?