Road Rage

Chapter fourteen

"He heard me!" Deaq glanced at the paramedics then looked back down at Van. "You heard me partner! I know you did!"

Kirk put his hand on Deaq's arm.

"I hope to God you're right … but it could just be an involuntary reaction. I'm sorry but you got to realize that."

Deaq shook his head, keeping his eyes on Van.

"I told him I was embarrassed to be his partner and he reacted to that … I hurt his feelings and he reacted." Deaq wasn't about to let anyone tell him his partner didn't hear him. He knew he had.

"Look, I just don't want you to get your hopes up. You're friend has a bad head injury, not to mention numerous other serious injuries. I'm worried he might not…"

"He's going to make it." Deaq cut him off. "You don't know him like I do. He's been shot, knifed, and even poisoned and he always pulled through. You'll see, this isn't going to stop him."

Kirk glanced at Juan and shook his head sadly. He knew Deaq was hanging onto any little thread of hope that his partner was going to be okay. He hoped Deaq was right, but he had seen too many people with fewer injuries then Van had die and he knew how devastating it could be to get your hopes up only to have them smashed.

Forty five minutes later they pulled into the hospital and Van was rushed into the emergency room. Billie quickly parked her car outside and ran in to be with Deaq. She quickly grabbed his arm when she saw him trying to fight his way into the examining room.

"Deaq, you got to let them do their job."

"But I got to be with him Billie. I got to make him hold on."

When Deaq turned toward her she visibly winced when she saw his shirt covered in his partner's blood.

"The doctors will do everything they can for him Deaq. You'll only be in the way." He left her pull him away as she led him into the nearby waiting room.

"Billie I can't lose him. Not like this. If it was the job that killed him I could handle it, I'd have to. When we're working there's always a chance one of us will buy it, but this…to die because of someone's road rage, that I can't deal with. It's just… senseless." He glanced back at the door Van had been taken through.

"I know Deaq, I know." Billie gently rubbed his back. "But Van's strong…"

"You didn't see him Billie. Blood was coming out of his ears, his nose…" Deaq face wrinkled with anguish and he turned away.

Billie took his hand and led him to a couch in the waiting room. She sat down and pulled him down next to her. She squeezed his hand trying to think of something to say but there wasn't anything. She felt a cold chill go up her spine. Van might die and neither of them could do anything but wait. Suddenly her emotions got the best of her and she put her head in her hands and began to sob. Deaq reached over and pulled her close to him. She put her head on his shoulder as he stroke her hair. Deaq's heart broke, he knew Billie was strong and tried to control her emotions. It must be ripping her apart inside thinking that Van might not make it. He knew they both had feelings for each other though neither one would take any action on them, each uncertain how the other felt.

"It'll be okay Billie." He said as he continued to gently stroke her hair. "Like you said Van's strong, he'll pull through this."

Deaq swallowed the lump in his throat as a variety of emotions ran through him. Hate toward the men who did this to his partner, fear that Van wouldn't make it, and a deep sympathy for Billie. He had never seen her this vulnerable before.

Two hours later

The doctor finally walked into the waiting room. Billie and Deaq both stood up, each keeping a tight grip on each other's hand. When the doctor didn't speak immediately but only shook his head sadly, Billie broke down.

"Oh my God no!" She sobbed bringing her hands up to cover her mouth.

Deaq could only stare at the doctor, tears in his eyes as his body turned to ice. He didn't want to hear the words…he couldn't deal with it…not yet.

"I did the best I could for him…" The doctor said looking back and forth between them.

Deaq took a deep breath then let it out slowly before speaking. He had to stay strong for Billie's sake.

"He's…?" Deaq couldn't get himself to say dead.

"No." The doctor quickly said realizing that they both thought Van had died. "But I won't know much more till we get him to the operating room. He has a lot of internal injuries but the two most serious injuries are his head, and his leg. Our main concern at the moment is his head injury. As far as we can tell he has a large clot on his brain which is causing the bleeding from his ears. We're giving him drugs to dissolve it but we don't know how much damage it might have already caused. If the clot cut off blood to other portions of his brain, well… he might have permanent brain damage. We're hoping the anti coagulant drugs the paramedics gave him on the way in thinned his blood enough to allow blood to pass through the vessels. I'm also very worried about his leg. He has a massive infection in his leg and we're treating him with antibiotics. But if we can't stop the infection we might have to amputate his leg to save his life. We won't make that decision until we know the full extent of his head injury. If his brain injury is extensive…well…we would leave it up to the next of kin whether they would want to amputate his leg in order to prolong his life, but…"

"What you're saying is why cut off his leg to save his life if his life isn't even worth saying." Deaq interrupted.

The doctor only nodded sadly.

"Can we see him?" Deaq asked.

"Yes, but keep it brief."

He stood back as Deaq took Billie's hand and they both entered the ER.

They both sucked in their breath as they looked at Van. He lay on the table naked except for a sheet drawn up to his chest. Tubes and wires ran in and out of him. A small trickle of blood dripped from his lip which was immediately blotted up by the attending nurse. He looked so pale and lifeless. Not at all like the Van they were use to. They stood on either side of him and both gently picked up one of his hands.

"You hang in there partner." Deaq said softly. "I need ya buddy." He glanced at Billie. "We both do." He added.

Billie could only lift his hand up to her face and gently kiss it. She said a brief silent prayer then turned to leave. Deaq put his hand on Van's shoulder and gently squeezed it before following Billie out of the room.

TBC