A/N: Hey, there! So glad to be back! here it is, the sequel to State of Mind. This picks up right where that left off so you should definately read that first. I started to write this as just a 2 part series and it's develpoed into a 3 part! So, look out for that too. When it's more develpoed, I'll let you know. Ass you know, I don't own anyone. I wish I did, but I don't. Also, all of the opening quotes are Peace of Mind by Nonpoint. Thanx for all the reviews!

Lili: I liked how Carter replaced his stethoscope with Mark's, too. That was such a great scene.

Cartergal131: I'm trying to keep the updates coming as quick as possible, but it's a little hard to find episode synopsis' that are very detailed up to season 10. I've yet to find one.

LucyBethFan: Nope, never got a review from you until this point. No worries, I'm not bitter or mad. Not in me to hold grudges.

Chapter 23: Prolonged Agony

"Do what we have to
To get what we need
From whats left
For people like me
Batterd and bruised
From the chances I take
Its the impossible way that I think"

The day began slowly as Kerry called to say she'd be late while Deb thought she was developing a fever. Then, multiple MVAs came in, quickly followed by two children suffering from what appeared to be Smallpox. The staff panicked, but not as bad as the patients when a lockdown was ordered for the ER. The feverish Deb was quarantined with homeless Stan as Susan took charge as Kerry arrived and the police wouldn't let her in. The girl infected by Smallpox died and Pratt embarassed Carter in front of her parents. Carter noticed Pratt was sick as well and sent him to Deb's room, the two developing a more personal relationship. Jerry phoned the news and the patients began to riot, nearly using a gurney to break open the Emergency Bay doors. Control of the ER was relieved from Kerry by an Infection Specialist. The staff prepared to stay, still not having a confirmation on whether it was Smallpox or not, and the lockdown continued as a result. Lucy and Carter had been quarantined together and Lucy, frightened, confessed to him that she felt uneasy about their whole situation, and with everyone being quarantined leaving them unable to do their jobs. In an attempt to comfort her, the two shared a kiss effectively grossing out the kids that were with them.

"Hi. Dr. Chen." She said to a little boy with dark brown, edging on black, hair and brown eyes. He looked about eight or nine. "What's your name?"

"Kaveh Vahdat." The boys obvious mother said sitting next to him. She and her children, Kaveh and her daughter Allah, were of Persian origin. Chen had never seen a Persian family in America, they weren't that common. "He's still learning English."

"I see." She said smiling with a small nod. The small, frail boy just looked up and smiled at her. In all honesty, the child was a half starved little scarecrow, but he looked cute and sweet with his big brown eyes. "So, what seems to be the problem?" She asked the mother as she prepared to write on her chart.

"He says his chest hurts." She said clutching her sons hand tightly as his older sister, looking about 18 with waist long black hair and teh same brown eyes, sat down behind him, gently rubbing his back.

"Anything else?" She asked looking up for a moment. "Maybe some discomfort or heaviness?"

"Yes." She replied, worry never leaving her voice. "All around his chest."

"How about aching or burning?" She nodded and said he had that, too. "Does he have any alergies?"

"Yes, two: chocolate and rabbits." her daughter smiled a bit at this and so did Deb.

"Easter mustn't be too fun for him." She joked. The daughter got it, but the mother looked very confused. "Right, sorry." She quickly apologized and the girl hid her laughter behind her hand. "Is he taking any medication?" The mother shoke her head. "Has he ever been on any kind of medication?"

"Yes, antibiotics for an ear infection a few years ago." She said, gripping her chest, even more concerned. "About two or three, I think. I can't be sure."

"That's all right. Does your family have a history of illness? Maybe diabetes, cancer, stokes?" Deb asked waving her pen to the side a bit.

"My husband, God rest him, died of a heart attack last year." She said making a cross on her forehead and chest, eyes closed solemnly. "My daughter, Allah, has diabetes like my mother." She added touching her daughter's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Deb said quietly and respectfully before going on. "When was Kaveh's last meal?"

"Just before we came here we had lunch. Pilau, some mutton and kebab. I used hot peppers, black pepper, cloves, and a few other strong spices."

"All right, now I need to know about the events leading up to his chest pains. Any fevers, chills, night sweats or SOB?" When Ms. Vahdat asked what an SOB was, Deb politely informed her that it simply meant shortness of breath

"No, none of that." She siad shaking her head. "The pains started a week ago. He said his chest felt tight and sore."

"Pressure?" Another shaking head. "Do these pains travel anywhere else in his body? Arms, legs, neck?" She nodded and informed Deb that Kaveh had felt the same pain in his left shoulder, neck and jaw. "Well, it sounds like it might be a small case of indigestion but based on your families past illnesses, it could be something else." Hearing this sent the mother to start praying in Persian. "There's no need to worry, but I'm gonna have to order a few tests. Excuse me." Deb assured her and left the room, Connie close behind. "Connie, let's get a CBC, ABG, Chem 7, Chest X-Ray and a White Count. We've got an FLK."

"Hey, Deb." Lucy said coming up behind her. She'd been leaning on the wall across from where Deb's examination was going on.

"Hey, Lucy." She greeted as Connie went off behind Deb as she and Lucy went toward Admit. "How's it going?"

"Not bad." She said with a big grin which didn't go unnoticed by Deb. Lucy felt like she could walk on air from the moment her and Carter started dating. "Kerry just sent me over to assist you though."

"What?" Deb asked stopping dead in her tracks to face her. Both of them shrugged it off and they continued walking. Both of them knew that Kerry had it in for them. They always worked the night shifts and were always partnered together. "Okay, here's the chart." She sighed passing it to her and Lucy began to flip through it. "Ten-year-old male, Kaveh Vahdat. Allergic to chocolate and rabbits, taking no meds, eating and drinking normally. Was fine until he started complaining of chest pains a week ago. No fevers, chills, sweats and SOB, but the family has a history of heart disease and diabetes."

"Interesting. Looks like indigestion from your notes, but with his diet it doesn't seem possible."

"My thoughts exactly." She nodded triumphantly as Lucy passed the chart back to Deb. "The pains could simply nothing or something more."

""Something more" seems more likely with his family history. Nice call on the tests." She complimented as they rounded into Admit. "Hey, what's an FLK?"

"Funny looking kid." Lucy looked shocked at how Deb said that bout that child. "Don't worry. It just means that the kid came in not looking quite right." Deb assured her and Lucy sighed happily with a small chuckle.


Three Traumas, a lunch break, about two hours and nine other patients later, Lucy and Deb had finally gotten the results back on littel Kaveh. The news wasn't good, that was for sure. As soon as they read the results, they new that they had been right about him not having indigestion. But they never expected him to have Angina. Now they had to deleiver the news to a grieving mother, sister and her non-English speaking son.

"Hello again, Mrs. Vahdat." Deb said as she came back into the room with Kaveh's chart and tests, Lucy in step. "We got the tests back and...I'm afraid the news isn't good." She immediately clutched her religion's cross and her children. "Mres. Vahdat, Kaveh has Angina."

"Angina?" She asked confused and frightened. "I'm sorry. I don't know what that is." Deb was about to speak up, but Lucy stepped up for her.

"Angina is a common symptom of Coronary Artery Disease. It's caused when blood flow to an area of the Heart has decreased, it impairs the delivery of oxygen and vital nutrients to the Heart Muscle Cells. When this happens, the Heart Muscle must use alternative, less efficient forms of fuel so that it can perform it's function of pumping blood to the body. The byproduct of using this less efficient fuel is a compound called Lactic Acid that builds up in the muscle and causes pain." Lucy stated and the mother simply cried out in pain. "It can be described as a discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing or smiply painful feelings, all of which Kaveh has described. Sometimes, it can be mistaken for indigestion."

"How do you know it is not that?" She asked panicking. "How can you be sure that he has a disease?"

"It's unlikely that it's indigestion because while it is, like Angina, usually felt in the chest, it's not felt in the left shoulder, arms, neck, throat, jaw or back. Three of which you told Kaveh has felt the pain." Deb noted. "Also, with your dietary rules and morals, it couldn't possibly indigestion. Based on the tests, we believe he has Unstable Angina.This may signal an impending heart attack." The poor mother grimaced once again, as did her daughter, while the boy looked lost and confused. "Unstable Angina is Angina pain that is either different from your regular Angina pain. The Angina may occur more frequently, more easily at rest, feel more severe, or last longer. Although this type of Angina can often be relieved with oral medications, it's unstable and may progress to a heart attack. Usually more intense medical treatment or a procedure is required."

"What kind of treatment?" Allah asked with fleeting hope, finally finding her voice, giving her mother support.

"The treatment he can receive depends on the severity of the underlying problem, namely the amount of damage to his Heart. For most people with mild Angina, a combination of medications and lifestyle changes can control the symptoms. Lifestyle changes include eating a heart-healthy diet, lowering cholesterol, getting regular exercise, quitting smoking and controlling diabetes and high blood pressure." Deb informed her solemnly.

"The last three he doesn't have to worry about." Lucy added.

"The medications used to treat Angina work by either increasing the amount of Oxygen delivered to the Heart Muscle or reducing the Heart's need for Oxygen. These medicines include Beta-blockers, Nitrates, Calcium channel blockers, Antiplatelet medications, Blood thinners or Anticoagulants." Deb told her and both of the woman had a glimmer of hope in their eyes. "Unfortunately, Kaveh's too young to take the medication needed. It's too strong for him." Their faces suddenly became crest fallen as they began to cry. "I'm sorry." She finished and left the room, Lucy following, as the mother and daughter told the poor child his fate.

"Will he live?" Lucy asked even though she already knew the anwser.

"No." Deb said shortly. "It's inoperable for two reasons. One, he's too young for the proper medication and, two, it's in his blood. His father died of the same thing and his sister might even get it." She added picking up another chart and the phone.

"I'm going on break." Lucy said quietly and Deb nodded as she left the Desk to go to another Exam room. Lucy went off to the bathroom just as a few random patients and nurses left.

Quickly walking over to the sink, she turned the faucet on and filled her hands with cold water. Lucy splashed her face until it was freezing, all the while she looked at her reflction and felt guilty. Not only that, she felt useless, helpless and empty. After everything that happened, after all the good that had been happening to her and the people she'd saved, she couldn't save this ten-year-old boy.

That was the last straw, she couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't keep going on with a smile each day when she had to tell people like them, imigrants with almost nothing at all, that they only had a few days left to live. It made her ill, physically ill and emotionally drained. She had to stop it, she had to end it all the pain. One thing came to mind to do just that: Opioids.

Lucy put her hand in her pocket, pulled them out and popped the bottle open. There they were, ten small white circular pills in the palm of her hand. I'm so sick of giving good people bad news. With that in mind, she swallowed all of the pills at once and quickly drank some watr from her hand. Placing the lid back on the bottle and placing the pills in her pocket, she headed for the door. Her handle was on the door when she suddenly felt dizzy and sick. Lucy ran to an open stall, got on her knees and began to throw up what seemed like everything she'd eaten but the pills. As she stood up, small tears in her eys, she lost her footing and collapsed, hitting her head on the tilot.

Chapter 24: Assumed for Dead

Preview: An unexpected operation occurs.