CH 21- A Turn For The Worst
Theresa pushed her way through the hospital doors and ran down the hallway behind Gwen and Whitney. Her heart had been racing the entire ride there, as she prayed to god that Fox was all right. She would never forgive herself if something were to happen to him, especially if it were at the hands of her selfishness. If only she had listened to her friends and told Fox the truth. But instead she had let her emotions lead her and now things would never be the same between them.
As they turned the corner, they instantly saw Sam, Ivy, Sheridan, and Luis crowded around Dr. Russell. They were all trying to find out why she had called them to the hospital. As soon as Theresa saw Sheridan she ran up to her.
"Sheridan!" She yelled. "Oh my gosh, we got your call! Is everything alright? Where's Fox? Oh, God please tell me that he's ok!"
"Theresa, what are you talking about?" Sheridan looked at her confused.
"Gwen said that you called to tell us to hurry down to the hospital!" Theresa hysterically spoke. "Did Fox get into an accident? Where is he?"
Luis came over and placed a hand on his sister's shoulders.
"Theresa, calm down!" He looked into her eyes. "Fox is fine! Look, he's right over here."
When Luis moved aside, Theresa saw Fox standing before her. She was so ecstatic to see him, that she immediately threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"Oh Fox, thank god you're ok!" She exclaimed, still tightly embracing him. "I was so worried that something happened to you!"
"Why would you care?" He coldly responded.
It was then that Theresa realized that she did not feel his arms around her. In fact, his body was completely motionless. She looked up into his eyes, and almost gasped at the darkness that stared back at her.
"What?" She looked at him.
"Why would you care if I got hurt?" He repeated, his eyes never blinking. "You don't even love me anymore."
"Of course I do!" She blinked back tears.
"No you don't." He shook his head and brought her close to him, so he could whisper in her ear. "See because the last time I checked, you don't love someone and then turn around and sleep with their brother."
Theresa slowly pulled away from him and frighteningly looked into his eyes, feeling immediate chills run down her spine.
"Fox, that was an accident." She whispered. "I didn't know it was Ethan that I was making love to. I thought it was you!"
He raised his hand to stop her from continuing.
"Save it." He hatefully stared at her. "I don't want to hear anymore of your lies."
"But it's not a lie!" She cried. "I swear to god it's the truth! Fox, I love you!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't believe a word that comes out of your mouth."
He turned to walk away, but she tried to grab his arm.
"Fox, please—" She begged, but he tore his arm from her grip and walked back to the crowd.
Theresa stood staring at the wall for a few moments before she finally let out a small whimper. Whitney came over to her and placed a hand on her back.
"Honey, are you ok?" She looked into her tear-filled eyes.
"He hates me Whit." She painfully whispered. "He absolutely despises me, and it's all my fault!"
"I know that this is hard Theresa, but Fox just needs his space." She wrapped her arms around her. "He's in a lot of pain right now and he just needs to be left alone. You understand that don't you?"
Theresa slowly nodded and wiped a tear away from her eye.
"C'mon, let's go see why my mother wanted us all to come here." She placed a comforting hand around Theresa's shoulder and guided her back to the group.
"Alright everyone, as soon as you all calm down I will be happy to tell you why I called everybody here." Eve yelled over the commotion.
As soon as she got everyone's attention, she began.
"Well as you all know, it's been about three weeks since we started Ethan's treatment. So far, we've been monitoring his vitals very closely to see if there has been any change. But I regret to say that things aren't looking that good." She sadly looked at them.
"What do you mean Eve?" Ivy asked, growing concerned. "Are you saying that the treatment isn't working?"
"Well I'm not sure exactly what is wrong but according to the tests that we performed, Ethan's body is not reacting to the medicine that we gave him. By now, he should have shown at least some signs of progression. Even the smallest bit of reaction would have given me some hope, but right now—"
"Well then you have to try something else Dr Russell!" Theresa interrupted her.
"Honey, it's not that simple. If Ethan is not responding to this drug, he won't respond to anything else." Eve told her.
"So there's nothing else you can do?" Sam worriedly asked.
"No," She sadly shook her head. "It's out of my hands now. All we can do is pray for a miracle."
"No!" Theresa yelled. "We can't just give up! Dr. Russell, you have to save Ethan! I don't know what I'd do if I lost him!"
Fox suddenly shoved passed Luis in anger and left the area.
Theresa bit her tongue, as she realized the effect that her words had on him. She was about to run after him, but Gwen stopped her.
"Don't honey," she held her hand. "Just let him go."
She sadly obeyed and turned back to Dr. Russell.
"How much longer does Ethan have?"
"I wouldn't give him more than two weeks." Eve frowned.
"Two weeks!" Ivy exclaimed. "So soon?"
"I'm afraid so. But you never know what can happen before then. We just have to stay positive." She gave them a weak smile.
"Well, how is he right now?" Luis inquired.
"Well that's the other bad news." Eve sadly looked at them. "Just a few hours ago, Ethan slipped into a coma."
"Oh my god!" Whitney cried. "Is he alright?"
"Right now, he's fine." She glanced back at his window. "You can still talk to him, but he just won't respond."
A loud beeping interrupted her, as she looked down at her beeper.
"I'm sorry everyone, I have to take this. But please feel free to visit with Ethan. The constant support could help him a great deal."
She left them to talk amongst them selves and visit Ethan one at a time. Soon everyone had gone home and Theresa was the only one left at the hospital. She had waited to be the last one to visit Ethan on purpose. There was something important that she had to tell him, and she didn't want anyone else to hear.
Finally she walked over to his room and slowly turned the doorknob, easing her way inside. She pulled a nearby chair to his bedside and took his hand in hers.
"Ethan?" She softly began. "It's me Theresa. I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes because there's something very important that I have to share with you."
Theresa was so concentrated on Ethan's motionless face, that she didn't even hear someone come to the door.
As she continued to talk to him, Fox stood at the doorway and watched her.
"Ethan, Dr. Russell told us that you're not doing so well. She says that you may not even make it." Her voice croaked as she struggled to continue. "But I'm not going to give up on you. I know that you are strong and that you will get through this. However, I need you to understand something. You not only have to get better for yourself. You also have to get well for your child."
She paused and placed his lifeless hand on her stomach.
"That's right Ethan, you have a child! I'm pregnant!" She smiled. "You're going to be a daddy, and I just know that you're going to be a fabulous one! But in order for that to happen, you have to get better. If you don't, I will have no one! There's no one who can help me right now. I'm pregnant with your child, and I'm completely alone! So Ethan, if you can hear me, I am begging you to please fight this! Please don't leave me alone!"
She closed her eyes and let out a whimper as the tears flowed down her face.
Fox stood at the doorway and swallowed back down the lump that had risen in his throat. He wiped the tear that he didn't even realize had fallen and let out a deep sigh.
"Why couldn't I have been the father of that baby?" He softly whispered. "Why did it have to be Ethan?"
As she slowly rose from the chair and made her way to the door, he quickly hid behind the corner.
Stepping out into the hallway, Theresa wrapped her arms around her body. She could feel herself trembling as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
"I'm just kidding myself!" She sobbed. "Ethan is not going to get better! I'm going to have to do this all by myself!"
"No you're not." Fox appeared behind her.
Theresa spun around and shockingly looked up at him.
"Fox?" She whispered. "I thought you left."
"I did, but I decided to come back." He calmly spoke. "Listen Theresa, you don't have to worry. You won't have to go through this alone."
She looked up at him and smiled, briefly catching a sparkle of compassion in his eyes.
"What do you mean Fox?"
"I'm going to be here for you through your pregnancy." He weakly smiled.
Theresa was about to throw her arms around him but he instantly stopped her.
"Wait!" He held her by her shoulders. "Before you get all excited, I just want you to know that I'm only doing this for the baby."
"What?" She asked confused. "I don't understand. Didn't you just say that you were going to be here for me?"
"Yes, but it's only for the well-being of that little one growing inside of you. With Ethan here in the hospital, you're not going have anyone to take you to lamas classes and to the doctor. That baby needs as much care as possible, and I'm going to make sure that it gets just that."
"So, does that mean that nothing has changed between us?" She sadly looked up at him.
"No, it hasn't." He assured her, the cold look returning to his eyes. "I'm still very much upset with you. It's just that I don't think an innocent baby should parish as a result of the way that I feel about you."
As she stood there and looked into his eyes, she finally realized just how much she had hurt him. He no longer looked at her with the love and admiration that he once had for her. The only thing that stared back at her was a lot of hate, pain and confusion. Fox was definitely not the same person, and it killed her to know that she played a big part in the reason for why he suddenly changed.
"I really am sorry Fox." She sincerely looked at him.
"I know." He softly said. "But it doesn't matter. What's done is done."
He painfully turned and walked away, leaving her standing in the dark deserted hallway.
Theresa pushed her way through the hospital doors and ran down the hallway behind Gwen and Whitney. Her heart had been racing the entire ride there, as she prayed to god that Fox was all right. She would never forgive herself if something were to happen to him, especially if it were at the hands of her selfishness. If only she had listened to her friends and told Fox the truth. But instead she had let her emotions lead her and now things would never be the same between them.
As they turned the corner, they instantly saw Sam, Ivy, Sheridan, and Luis crowded around Dr. Russell. They were all trying to find out why she had called them to the hospital. As soon as Theresa saw Sheridan she ran up to her.
"Sheridan!" She yelled. "Oh my gosh, we got your call! Is everything alright? Where's Fox? Oh, God please tell me that he's ok!"
"Theresa, what are you talking about?" Sheridan looked at her confused.
"Gwen said that you called to tell us to hurry down to the hospital!" Theresa hysterically spoke. "Did Fox get into an accident? Where is he?"
Luis came over and placed a hand on his sister's shoulders.
"Theresa, calm down!" He looked into her eyes. "Fox is fine! Look, he's right over here."
When Luis moved aside, Theresa saw Fox standing before her. She was so ecstatic to see him, that she immediately threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"Oh Fox, thank god you're ok!" She exclaimed, still tightly embracing him. "I was so worried that something happened to you!"
"Why would you care?" He coldly responded.
It was then that Theresa realized that she did not feel his arms around her. In fact, his body was completely motionless. She looked up into his eyes, and almost gasped at the darkness that stared back at her.
"What?" She looked at him.
"Why would you care if I got hurt?" He repeated, his eyes never blinking. "You don't even love me anymore."
"Of course I do!" She blinked back tears.
"No you don't." He shook his head and brought her close to him, so he could whisper in her ear. "See because the last time I checked, you don't love someone and then turn around and sleep with their brother."
Theresa slowly pulled away from him and frighteningly looked into his eyes, feeling immediate chills run down her spine.
"Fox, that was an accident." She whispered. "I didn't know it was Ethan that I was making love to. I thought it was you!"
He raised his hand to stop her from continuing.
"Save it." He hatefully stared at her. "I don't want to hear anymore of your lies."
"But it's not a lie!" She cried. "I swear to god it's the truth! Fox, I love you!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't believe a word that comes out of your mouth."
He turned to walk away, but she tried to grab his arm.
"Fox, please—" She begged, but he tore his arm from her grip and walked back to the crowd.
Theresa stood staring at the wall for a few moments before she finally let out a small whimper. Whitney came over to her and placed a hand on her back.
"Honey, are you ok?" She looked into her tear-filled eyes.
"He hates me Whit." She painfully whispered. "He absolutely despises me, and it's all my fault!"
"I know that this is hard Theresa, but Fox just needs his space." She wrapped her arms around her. "He's in a lot of pain right now and he just needs to be left alone. You understand that don't you?"
Theresa slowly nodded and wiped a tear away from her eye.
"C'mon, let's go see why my mother wanted us all to come here." She placed a comforting hand around Theresa's shoulder and guided her back to the group.
"Alright everyone, as soon as you all calm down I will be happy to tell you why I called everybody here." Eve yelled over the commotion.
As soon as she got everyone's attention, she began.
"Well as you all know, it's been about three weeks since we started Ethan's treatment. So far, we've been monitoring his vitals very closely to see if there has been any change. But I regret to say that things aren't looking that good." She sadly looked at them.
"What do you mean Eve?" Ivy asked, growing concerned. "Are you saying that the treatment isn't working?"
"Well I'm not sure exactly what is wrong but according to the tests that we performed, Ethan's body is not reacting to the medicine that we gave him. By now, he should have shown at least some signs of progression. Even the smallest bit of reaction would have given me some hope, but right now—"
"Well then you have to try something else Dr Russell!" Theresa interrupted her.
"Honey, it's not that simple. If Ethan is not responding to this drug, he won't respond to anything else." Eve told her.
"So there's nothing else you can do?" Sam worriedly asked.
"No," She sadly shook her head. "It's out of my hands now. All we can do is pray for a miracle."
"No!" Theresa yelled. "We can't just give up! Dr. Russell, you have to save Ethan! I don't know what I'd do if I lost him!"
Fox suddenly shoved passed Luis in anger and left the area.
Theresa bit her tongue, as she realized the effect that her words had on him. She was about to run after him, but Gwen stopped her.
"Don't honey," she held her hand. "Just let him go."
She sadly obeyed and turned back to Dr. Russell.
"How much longer does Ethan have?"
"I wouldn't give him more than two weeks." Eve frowned.
"Two weeks!" Ivy exclaimed. "So soon?"
"I'm afraid so. But you never know what can happen before then. We just have to stay positive." She gave them a weak smile.
"Well, how is he right now?" Luis inquired.
"Well that's the other bad news." Eve sadly looked at them. "Just a few hours ago, Ethan slipped into a coma."
"Oh my god!" Whitney cried. "Is he alright?"
"Right now, he's fine." She glanced back at his window. "You can still talk to him, but he just won't respond."
A loud beeping interrupted her, as she looked down at her beeper.
"I'm sorry everyone, I have to take this. But please feel free to visit with Ethan. The constant support could help him a great deal."
She left them to talk amongst them selves and visit Ethan one at a time. Soon everyone had gone home and Theresa was the only one left at the hospital. She had waited to be the last one to visit Ethan on purpose. There was something important that she had to tell him, and she didn't want anyone else to hear.
Finally she walked over to his room and slowly turned the doorknob, easing her way inside. She pulled a nearby chair to his bedside and took his hand in hers.
"Ethan?" She softly began. "It's me Theresa. I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes because there's something very important that I have to share with you."
Theresa was so concentrated on Ethan's motionless face, that she didn't even hear someone come to the door.
As she continued to talk to him, Fox stood at the doorway and watched her.
"Ethan, Dr. Russell told us that you're not doing so well. She says that you may not even make it." Her voice croaked as she struggled to continue. "But I'm not going to give up on you. I know that you are strong and that you will get through this. However, I need you to understand something. You not only have to get better for yourself. You also have to get well for your child."
She paused and placed his lifeless hand on her stomach.
"That's right Ethan, you have a child! I'm pregnant!" She smiled. "You're going to be a daddy, and I just know that you're going to be a fabulous one! But in order for that to happen, you have to get better. If you don't, I will have no one! There's no one who can help me right now. I'm pregnant with your child, and I'm completely alone! So Ethan, if you can hear me, I am begging you to please fight this! Please don't leave me alone!"
She closed her eyes and let out a whimper as the tears flowed down her face.
Fox stood at the doorway and swallowed back down the lump that had risen in his throat. He wiped the tear that he didn't even realize had fallen and let out a deep sigh.
"Why couldn't I have been the father of that baby?" He softly whispered. "Why did it have to be Ethan?"
As she slowly rose from the chair and made her way to the door, he quickly hid behind the corner.
Stepping out into the hallway, Theresa wrapped her arms around her body. She could feel herself trembling as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
"I'm just kidding myself!" She sobbed. "Ethan is not going to get better! I'm going to have to do this all by myself!"
"No you're not." Fox appeared behind her.
Theresa spun around and shockingly looked up at him.
"Fox?" She whispered. "I thought you left."
"I did, but I decided to come back." He calmly spoke. "Listen Theresa, you don't have to worry. You won't have to go through this alone."
She looked up at him and smiled, briefly catching a sparkle of compassion in his eyes.
"What do you mean Fox?"
"I'm going to be here for you through your pregnancy." He weakly smiled.
Theresa was about to throw her arms around him but he instantly stopped her.
"Wait!" He held her by her shoulders. "Before you get all excited, I just want you to know that I'm only doing this for the baby."
"What?" She asked confused. "I don't understand. Didn't you just say that you were going to be here for me?"
"Yes, but it's only for the well-being of that little one growing inside of you. With Ethan here in the hospital, you're not going have anyone to take you to lamas classes and to the doctor. That baby needs as much care as possible, and I'm going to make sure that it gets just that."
"So, does that mean that nothing has changed between us?" She sadly looked up at him.
"No, it hasn't." He assured her, the cold look returning to his eyes. "I'm still very much upset with you. It's just that I don't think an innocent baby should parish as a result of the way that I feel about you."
As she stood there and looked into his eyes, she finally realized just how much she had hurt him. He no longer looked at her with the love and admiration that he once had for her. The only thing that stared back at her was a lot of hate, pain and confusion. Fox was definitely not the same person, and it killed her to know that she played a big part in the reason for why he suddenly changed.
"I really am sorry Fox." She sincerely looked at him.
"I know." He softly said. "But it doesn't matter. What's done is done."
He painfully turned and walked away, leaving her standing in the dark deserted hallway.