Pins and Needles
This takes place on Friday the Eighth of May, the same day that Jason tried to ask Liz to prom.
Dr. Kevin Lindstrom frowned at the documents in his hand and the boy in the hospital bed in front of him.
The boy – he couldn't have been more than nineteen years old – was frowning back, and Kevin had to remind himself to never be anything but cheerful in front of his patients.
"Now – Jason, is that right?"
The boy nodded once, a look of apprehension darting through his piercing cerulean eyes.
"All right. Jason, can you go over what happened one more time for me, please?"
Jason sighed heavily, trying to situate himself in the uncomfortable hospital bed. General Hospital really needed to invest in some Sealy Posturepedic mattresses or something. "I've been getting these really weird cramps when I run, sometimes. I first started noticing them back in March. I couldn't run very long without my legs feeling like they were about to give out or something."
"Mm-hmm," Kevin nodded. "Go on."
"It just got really bad today, I guess. I was running on the track after school and it was like someone was stabbing my calves with a knife. But I kept running, and then it got to be too much. I took my next step and my legs just gave out and I fell. And that's when it really hit – I couldn't even move them, and they wouldn't stop hurting. The pain was excruciating."
Kevin nodded slowly. "I was afraid of that."
Jason didn't like the tone of his voice or the heavy set of his shoulders. "Afraid of what? Doc, what's wrong with me?"
Kevin rubbed his chin and continued squinting down at the forms in his clipboard, making a few notes here and there with his black pen. "Jason, I'm not an expert in this area, but I really don't think it's as simple as leg cramps. If that were the case, you'd eat a banana, and you'd be done with them." He shook his head. "No, this is something more."
Jason watched him flip to the front of his clipboard and stick his pen in the metal hold.
"I want you to just sit right here while I go check on the x-rays, okay?" he said, already making his way for the door.
"Where am I going?" Jason wondered aloud, scowling as he leaned back against the understuffed pillows.
"I'm sorry, honey," Amy Vining told the three worried teenagers before her. "But your friend can't have any visitors right now. He's still with the doctor."
"Do they know what's wrong with him?" the tall dark-haired boy asked. "Do they know anything?"
Amy glanced at his chart as it was displayed on her computer screen. "Not yet."
The boy sighed in thinly veiled agitation, and the longhaired brunette at his side offered Amy a tight smile.
"Thank you anyway."
Amy nodded and watched the two turn around and walk toward the waiting room. The shorter brunette remained at the counter as if she were going to say something, but snapped her mouth shut and followed her friends.
"Amy," came a voice over her shoulder. Spinning around, the blonde nurse came face-to-face with Dr. Lindstrom. "Could you page Dr. York for me, please?"
"Sure thing," she replied, already punching the numbers on the intercom. "Dr. York to the main desk, please. Dr. York to the main desk."
"Amy! Kevin!"
The blonde nurse watched the three youngsters loitering nearby perk up as Alan and Monica Morgan came bursting into view.
"The school just called us," Monica said breathlessly. "Jason-"
"Is he here?" Alan asked worriedly. "What happened?"
"Mr. Morgan," Sonny spoke up, relief washing over his stern features. "Hi, I'm so glad you're here-"
"Sonny!" Monica stared at the three students in surprise. "Brenda, Elizabeth, what are you doing here? What happened?"
Elizabeth was the first to speak. "We don't know," she replied truthfully. "And from what we're told, neither do the doctors."
Alan glared at Kevin, who shrugged helplessly as Monica urged the distraught brunette to continue.
"He was running on the track and all of a sudden, it was like his legs couldn't take his weight and he just fell."
"He was complaining of cramps earlier," Sonny added. "Said it killed to move his legs, even."
"We called the ambulance as soon as possible," Brenda supplied helpfully. "And we drove here and have been waiting since."
Alan exhaled slowly and was about to begin interrogating his colleague when Dr. James York appeared and shouldered his way over to Kevin.
"What's going on?" he asked, his green eyes traveling over each person as they stood clustered at the desk. "What can I do?"
"Take a look at these," Kevin directed, shoving several x-rays under his nose. "And tell me what you think."
James, Alan, and Monica all took turns scrutinizing the images of Jason's gastrocnemius.
"Nothing ruptured," Alan murmured, trailing his fingers down the length of the calf muscle.
"Is it just me or does this area look inflamed?" Monica asked James who immediately looked to where her finger was pointing.
"It's not just you," the doctor said. "It does appear inflamed. But otherwise, everything's fine. He definitely hasn't broken anything or sprained anything."
"But these aren't regular cramps, are they?" Kevin pressed. "Not the common kind that disappear with a little potassium."
His colleague shook his head. "No."
"I didn't think so," Kevin sighed. "But I didn't know what to make of the x-rays. I still don't."
"Me neither," Alan muttered, still holding two images. "I don't think I've ever seen this before."
"Jim?" Monica asked hesitantly. "What do you think?"
"I've seen this once," the doctor replied softly. His emerald eyes darted from x-ray to x-ray, and the teens cloistered on the opposite side of the counter strained to hear him.
"A kid came in a few years ago – about the same age as your son – with the same x-rays. No one knew what it was, but at the time, Dr. Monroe from Johns Hopkins was visiting. He said it was a condition known as Lower Leg Exertional Compartment Syndrome."
"What?" Sonny sputtered. "What the hell is that?"
The doctor raised an eyebrow at the three teens, but Monica and Alan waved him on.
"Well, it's a lot like what it sounds like. During strenuous activity, pressure builds up underneath the fascia," he explained, pointing at the muscle in the middle of the photograph. "Fascia are the membranes that cover the muscles," he added for the benefit of the three kids before him.
They nodded and he continued. "Pressure builds up underneath and the muscle undergoes what one might call an overload. The pain is excruciating and often continues until all pressure has been relieved, which is usually long after the activity has ceased. Over time, the intensity of the activity that causes the buildup decreases, so that if the condition is ignored, even the most mild exercise – like walking – could trigger the aches."
"So what's the treatment?" Monica asked, her face taut with concern.
"Surgery," James replied without hesitation. "The only known treatment is to open up the calves and cut slits in the fascia to provide a means for the pressure to escape."
"There's no other way?" Alan wanted to know, the apprehension in his eyes matching his wife's.
James shook his head. "It's the only possible treatment. The recovery time is about a week in bed and two on crutches, and then the patient is fully recovered. It's a relatively simple procedure, but the equipment needed is exceptionally high-tech."
"What are you saying?" Kevin asked, placing one palm flat on the counter as he listened intently to his friend.
"I'm saying that General Hospital doesn't have the necessary equipment or the necessary specialist," the doctor sighed. "It can't be done here."
"Then where can it be done?" Alan demanded. "Do we have to take him down to the city?"
"Actually, no," James informed him. "Mercy received a government grant two years ago for new equipment, and they already have a specialist who's highly trained in matters like this. I'd recommend getting him to Mercy as soon as possible."
Monica considered his advice. "The procedure has to be done at once, that's what you're saying?"
James nodded. "If you opt to wait, simpler activities could trigger even more excruciating pain."
"So we'll send him to emergency in Mercy right away," Kevin decided. "I'm going to go talk to him."
"We're coming, too," Monica said. Turning to her husband, she tried to meet his worried gaze. "Do you think either of us will be able to get down to Mercy, Alan?"
He shook his head. "I doubt it. We're on call into the next morning. Damn."
"We can go down there with him," Brenda burst out, then blushed as the adults turned to stare at her as if they'd just remembered she was there. "Besides, that's where Beth's parents are."
Elizabeth nodded emphatically. "Yeah. I can call Mom and Dad now, and I'm sure they'll keep you posted.
Monica sighed. "I don't know if I would feel right about you kids driving all the way to Mercy…"
"It's fine, Mrs. Morgan," Sonny assured his best friend's mother. "Seriously – it's only a forty minute drive."
"And Sonny's driving," Elizabeth pointed out. "Out of all of us, he's the best driver."
"It's true," the boy asserted proudly. "You don't have to worry about it. We'll go down there and call you if anything happens."
Next to her, Alan shrugged. "Well, honey, it's the best that can possibly be done. We'd appreciate it, kids."
"No sweat," they assured him. Brenda and Sonny reached for their cell phones to inform their mothers that there had been a change in plans, and Alan and Monica turned to follow Kevin to their son's room.
"Come on, Beth," Sonny said as he grabbed her hand. "We'd better leave now if we want to make good time. It's almost rush hour and I have, like, no gas in the tank."
With that, the three friends stepped into the elevator and left the hospital.
At Mercy Hospital…
"So, Jeff," Dr. Anthony Mazzaferro got out around a mouthful of tuna. "How're the girls doing?"
"Fine, fine," Jeff sighed, sipping his orange juice. The cafeteria was nearly empty as he and his wife scarfed down a late lunch with one of their colleagues. "Sarah's doing well at Johns, and Elizabeth's going to go to Columbia next year. They're both doing fine."
"Sarah…" Anthony mused. "She still with that Clint kid?"
Jeff nodded. "Yeah. They're doing well. We'll be seeing him in a few months when the kids come home for the summer."
"And what about Beth?"
The blonde doctor's sigh was heavy with the weight of the world. "She's got a boyfriend, too."
"Ah."
"Yeah, it's painful."
"Oh, Jeff!" his wife clucked disapprovingly as she swatted his shoulder. "Hush, now. I like Jason."
"That's the problem," he confided in the grinning Italian. "They all do. I seem to be the odd man out here."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to him, Tony. Jason's a good kid." She glared at her husband when he huffed in disagreement. "He's smart, funny, and very polite. He always takes the time to talk to my parents about the weather and their garden and the Celtics, of course. And besides, he helps me carry the grocery in."
"That's just so that he can eat it while you try to put it away!" her husband burst out. "That kid wolfs down anything – you'd think his parents never fed him. And you know, I don't think we should either. If we continue to do so, he'll never be able to fend for himself when we release him into the wild."
"Boys his age have such strong appetites," Caroline mused absently as she polished off the last bite of her corned beef sandwich.
"And it's his appetites that I'm worried about," Jeff pointed out vehemently. Shaking his head at Anthony, the doctor's dismay was evident in his voice. "No one understands my perfectly legitimate concerns."
The Italian laughed heartily and was about to reply when he heard his name over the loudspeaker.
"Dr. Mazzaferro to Pediatrics immediately. Dr. Mazzaferro to Pediatrics."
Jeff watched his friend quickly stand up and throw away the remnants of his lunch. "I'll see you kids later," was all he said as he strode from the room.
Caroline glanced at her watch and gulped down the last of her tea. "I think we'd better call Elizabeth, dear, and tell her we'll be late tonight."
Jeff nodded and reached for his pocket, only to find it empty. "Oh, damn it. I left my cell in the lounge."
His wife shrugged. "That's okay – we'll call her later. Who knows if she's even home? The kids usually gather in one spot on Friday night. Maybe they're at the Barrett's."
Jeff sighed and dragged himself to his feet. "Well, I have to get going. I'm supposed to meet up with Cohen in cardiology." He bent and kissed his wife, who remained seated at the table. "See you later, honey."
"Bye," she called as he left the cafeteria.
Jeff sauntered down the corridor to the elevators, then decided against it when he saw how many people were waiting. He ducked into the stairwell and briskly climbed two flights to the floor he wanted. As long as he was meeting Cohen, he thought he might as well grab Dr. Union, another friend of theirs.
The female doctor was currently stationed in emergency, and Jeff found his way through the hallways to the makeshift lounge area for the frenzied doctors in this wing of Mercy.
The doors to most of the rooms were open, and one patient in particular caught his eye and had him spinning around to investigate.
"Jason?"
Jason looked up from the National Geographic magazine in his hands. "Dr. Webber. Hi."
Jeff stared at him, nonplused. It took the older man a minute to formulate his thoughts. "What in the devil are you doing here?"
Jason shrugged. "I'm supposed to be going in for surgery soon."
His calm answer threw Jeff for a loop. "What? What happened? What's wrong?"
Before the boy could answer, Jeff was already in the room and reaching for the medical charts. He flipped through the documents and then looked questioningly back up at Jason.
"Leg cramps?"
The boy nodded miserably. "Yeah." It still unnerved him slightly that his girlfriend's father – the same one that once assaulted him with a gardening tool – was standing three feet away from him while he himself wore only a hospital garment.
Jeff continued skimming through the sheets. "How long have these been going on?"
"Since about March," Jason replied. "I thought it was just because I hadn't run for a while after state conferences – I never thought it was serious."
Jeff nodded and Jason expected him to launch into more medical questions. But the doctor snapped the clipboard back to the bed and stepped closer. "How long have you been waiting?"
"Not too long," he answered. "A nurse came in about fifteen minutes ago and said that they were prepping for surgery and getting whatever equipment they use set up and stuff. So I'm just killing time."
"And your parents – where are they?"
Jason looked away. "They couldn't come. They're still back at General Hospital. But they did say that Sonny, Brenda, and Elizabeth were coming."
"Oh?" Jeff made a mental note to keep an eye out for the threesome.
"Yeah," the boy continued. "But I haven't seen them."
"I'm sure they're on their way," the doctor assured him as hesitantly perched himself on the corner of the bed. "Either that, or they're being held off by Big Alice at the reception desk."
Jason snickered. An awkward silence passed between the two men, and the younger one took it upon himself to fill it.
"Dr. Webber?"
Jeff perked up. "Yes?"
"Have you – have you heard anything about the Exertional Syndrome I have? Do you know anything about it?"
Jeff considered the question. "I did some reading about it a while back. It's not really my area, though," he stressed. "I don't know if they already explained this to you, but it's when the pressure builds up in your muscles."
"So this surgery is basically going to cut up my muscles?"
"Well," Jeff replied slowly, trying to think of the best way to answer. It just wouldn't do to scare the kid, not when he was alone in an unfamiliar hospital and about to undergo a rare surgery. "Yes and no. All they have to do is cut the fascia a little. Think of it as slitting the skin of a hot dog in a couple of key locations."
"Do you think I'll be able to run afterwards, though?"
Jeff just looked at the boy, letting a moment pass between them before he answered. "You really love running, don't you, Jason?"
Surprised, it was all the boy could do to nod emphatically. "Oh, yeah. Always. It's hard to describe it – but I just get such a rush when I'm running. It's really soothing, too – helps me forget about all my problems."
Jeff nodded slowly, remembering his days back in high school. "I know what you mean. I used to play basketball back in school. Hell, that's not right – I used to play basketball during every free second of every day. My parents used to worry that I'd never do anything else and that I'd waste my life on it."
Jason smirked. "Basketball?"
Jeff glared at him. "Yes, basketball. What did you think – golf? Please. I played a real sport."
"I don't know," Jason disagreed. "Golf is pretty fun in its own right."
Jeff's eyebrows shot up. "You play?"
"My dad takes me sometimes," the boy replied. "It's fun – it's a change, you know?"
Jeff nodded. "Yeah. And everyone could use a change once in while…"
"You never answered my question," Jason reminded him. "Will I be able to run?"
"I don't see why not," Jeff replied. "You'll spend a bit less than a week in bed, about two weeks on crutches, if that, and then you'll be fine. From what I've read, patients that undergo this procedure are able to do everything they did before, but without the pain."
"Good," Jason sighed in relief. "That's what I thought. But it still kind of scared me."
Jeff remained silent for a moment. "Look, Jason, don't get an ulcer over this surgery, okay? I'm telling you completely honestly that it's a very simple procedure. You're in no danger whatsoever. Besides, we have some of the best specialists in the area here. You'll be in good hands."
Jason smiled slightly at him. "Thanks, Dr. Webber."
That was about all the bonding Jeff could take with the interloper. "Well," he said roughly, rising from the bed. "I'm going to go check with your doctors and see if we can't get this started. If I see the kids, I'll let them know what's going on. And don't worry, okay?"
"Okay."
"I'll have your parents on the line as soon as you come to afterwards, all right?"
"All right."
Jeff paused awkwardly at the doorway, unsure of how to excuse himself. He'd done his best to assure the boy that everything would be fine, and Jason did seem a bit more at ease.
"Well, all right, then," was all he said as he tapped a palm to the threshold and ducked out of the room.
Some time later…
"Dad!" He heard her voice before he saw her, and he squinted through the wall of orderlies to see his daughter and her friends.
"Elizabeth," he called out. As he neared, he could see the tension in her eyes.
"Mr. Webber, Mrs. Webber," Sonny and Brenda greeted them. "Hello."
"Hi, kids," Caroline smiled, trying to make the best of a bad situation.
"Any news on Jason, Dad?" his youngest asked eagerly. She was still wearing the same clothes she had worn to school, and Jeff doubted that she or the others had eaten since then.
"Still in surgery, honey," he informed her. "Have you kids had anything to eat? Why don't you let us take you down to the cafeteria?"
"I'm not hungry, Mr. Webber, but thank you," Sonny replied politely as he dragged a hand through his unruly curls. Dressed in the comfort of his gym shorts, a school t-shirt, and his sneakers, the boy certainly did not look very comfortable.
"Me neither," Brenda added, slowly sinking back onto the lounge chair and fighting off a yawn. "I'm good, thanks."
"We're fine, Dad," Elizabeth tried to convince him.
But Jeff wasn't buying it. "I don't care what you kids say – you all need to eat something. And I won't take no for an answer," he added when he saw them protest. "Come on, get up, we're taking you down to the cafeteria. It's about time you got up from those uncomfortable chairs anyway."
"Let's go, kids," Caroline said as she coaxed them up and towards the elevator.
It didn't take long to get to the three teenagers seated in the cafeteria with a sandwich and cup of milk for each one. Despite his claims of not being hungry, Sonny quickly scarfed down his turkey and his chocolate milk. Next to him, Brenda was already halfway done with her salami and strawberry milk. Elizabeth, however, did little more than pick at her tuna in an unsuccessful attempt to convince her parents she was eating.
"Don't they know anything yet?" Sonny asked his friend's father. "Anything at all?"
Jeff shrugged. "Well, he's been in surgery for the past two hours. Personally, I think they should be wrapping it up now, right, honey?"
Caroline nodded. "It's not a long procedure. They should be finishing up. I think they'll just set him up in ICU and monitor him as the anesthesia wears off. And he'll be put to bedrest for at least the next five days."
Brenda nodded. "And then crutches, right?"
She nodded. "Yes, for about two weeks. He should be fine after that."
"Well, it looks like he's done for the season," Sonny sighed. "But he will get to run again, right?"
Jeff glanced at the Cuban. "You know, that's the same thing he asked me before surgery."
"Wait-" It was the first time Elizabeth had spoken during the entire meal. "You talked to him before he went in?"
Her father barely had time to nod before his youngest glared at him.
"What did you say to him, Dad?" she demanded. "Because I swear to God, if you threatened him a catheter or pulled that macho routine, I'll never talk to you again-"
"Calm down, calm down," Jeff scoffed. "I didn't do anything. And you have no business thinking about catheters, young lady."
Brenda hid her smirk as her best friend rolled her eyes.
"What did you say, Dad?" she asked again. "Because I hardly think you whiled away the minutes talking about the Mets."
Jeff sighed. "Doesn't anyone around here trust me?"
"No," his wife and daughter replied in unison.
"Fine thing," Jeff scowled. "So apparently you won't believe me when I say that all I did was try to cheer him up and tell him he'd be fine."
Elizabeth regarded her father skeptically. "Are you serious?"
Jeff glared at her. "Yes."
"Oh, honey," Caroline grinned, looping her arm over his shoulder and giving him a quick squeeze. "See, honey?" she asked her smiling daughter. "Now this is progress."
Sonny and Brenda tittered quietly across the table, but one rueful glare from Jeff silenced them both. While he tried to extricate himself from his wife's grip, Jeff's pager beeped and the doctor quickly pulled it out.
"Dr. Marsden," he said out loud to no one in particular before glancing at his wife. "I told him to page me when Jason was out."
"Oh, good," Elizabeth cried, springing up from her seat. "So let's go!"
"Not so fast, Elizabeth," her father said sternly. "Finish your sandwich, and then we'll go. They need to get him set up in his room and I don't need you passing out from starvation on the second floor."
"Fine," the girl grumbled as she set to work wolfing down her sandwich. In under ten minutes, she was finished and the small group was on its way upstairs.
Jeff pushed ahead to get them clearance and took the opportunity to talk to one of the operating doctors. Elizabeth watched the other man's facial expressions and guessed that he seemed pleased with his work.
When her father returned, her hunch was confirmed. "It went fine," he informed the group. "No complications at all, and Jason's resting in his room. The anesthesia should be wearing off."
"Can we go see him?" Sonny asked hesitantly.
Jeff nodded. "Yeah. You kids go ahead," he added, turning to his wife and taking her hand. "We're going to go call Alan and Monica."
The threesome waited until her parents had disappeared from view before nervously regarding each other.
"You know what?" Sonny finally said. "You go ahead first, Beth. Bren and I will just sit out here for a little while, and then we'll join you. Is that okay?" he asked his girlfriend.
Elizabeth watched as Brenda nodded. "Are you guys sure? We could go in together-"
Brenda shook her head. "You first, Beth. Go," she stressed when Elizabeth didn't move. The brunette nodded nervously and took off down the same hallway her parents had. It didn't take her long to find his room, and she knocked hesitantly before walking in.
"Jason?"
At first glance, her boyfriend appeared to be asleep in the bed, but she noticed him wiggle his toes under the sheets. Silently, Elizabeth crept toward the bed and pulled up a chair to sit right at his side.
The minutes passed slowly as he remained in his peaceful state of slumber, and Elizabeth took the time to study him. He was as gorgeous as ever when he slept, if not more so. Jason must have been dreaming or drifting slowly back into consciousness because his bottom lip puckered out in a sexy pout and he mumbled something to himself while turning on his side toward her.
Elizabeth held her breath, and when she was convinced he was still asleep, she slowly brought one hand up to his face and stroked the golden hairs at his temple. Her fingers floated over the shell of his ear and she let them trail softly down his neck to his collarbone.
Jason stirred at that moment, and Elizabeth leaned closer, outlining his pink lips with her thumb. The pad of her fifth digit was still pressed to the center of his lips when she felt a flutter underneath as he gently kissed it.
Her dazzling smile was waiting for him when he opened his eyes, and Jason's heart leapt up into his throat. He just lay there for a moment, gazing up at her, before it occurred to him that he'd better say something.
"Hey."
Her fingers trailed down his jaw from his ear to his chin. "Hey, yourself." He held his breath in anticipation as she leaned forward and brushed her lips sweetly against his. Jason immediately took the opportunity to snake a hand around to the nape of her neck and hold her close as he kissed her fully.
When she pulled back, her lips were pink and bee-stung. "How're you holding up?" she whispered, her voice low and sultry.
"Okay," he replied, stretching out on his side. "Still feel kind of out of it right now."
Her fingers stroked his golden wheat locks. "That's because the anesthesia's still wearing off."
Jason nodded. "How long have you been here?"
"We followed you to GH in Sonny's car," Elizabeth explained. "And then we came to Mercy as soon as we could."
"You've been waiting ever since then?" he asked in amazement. "Elizabeth, you didn't have to do that. I didn't want you to waste your time-"
She hushed him by pressing her lips to his before pulling back enough to look at him. "Sh. I wasn't wasting my time, Jason. You're here – where else would I be?"
"You've been waiting for hours-"
She shook her head. "It was worth it."
He remained silent as a smile tugged on his lips, then reached up to frame her face with his hands and pulled her down for a kiss. "I've got the greatest girl in the world."
Elizabeth laughed into his mouth and closed her eyes against the gentle pressure of his lips against hers. Completely focused on her boyfriend and not heeding anything else, Elizabeth didn't even notice her father as he passed by the room and peeked into the window.
The older man saw his daughter smiling down at the young man in the bed and looked away before calmly walking down the remaining stretch of the hallway where his wife and the two other kids waited.
"Well?" Caroline asked. "Did you check on them?"
Jeff nodded. "They're both fine."
