Disclaimer: I do not own Strong Medicine or the characters. They belong to Whoopi Goldberg, and Tammy Ader, and Lifetime TV.

All the medical terms are probably WAY off the mark... I am not a doctor, I am just guessing at the right words. :-)

Several Months Later

Philly's mid-July heat was smothering. And Marisa was still waking up, in the early hours of the morning, crying from dreams about her mom.

"I just don't know how to help her anymore, Andy. Nothing works." Lu was almost in tears herself.

The two doctors were in Lu's office, taking advantage of the rare calm that had settled over the RWHC. No patients needing to be seen... they knew it wouldn't last very long.

"What about the therapist?" Andy scooted her chair closer to the couch.

"She goes three times a week," Lu looked up from where she had stretched out on her office couch, "And this is the third therapist."

"Third therapist in three months!" a shocked expression crossed Andy's face.

"The first two made absolutely no progress with her." Lu rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.

"Is this one helping? Are Marisa's dreams any better?" Andy put her elbow on the armrest of the chair and propped her head up on her hand.

"Well, she doesn't have them every night anymore." Lu rested her arm across her forehead.

"That's good." Andy looked at the other doctor with concern, this was the first time she had ever seen her partner look so drained.

"Yeah," Lu slowly opened her eyes, "But they are still bad... at least four nights a week, and they still leave her shattered. She won't go back to sleep unless I lay down and hold her." Lu sighed and turned her head to look at her friend, "And once she is asleep again, no matter how careful I am getting up... she wakes up almost hysterical. So I spend the rest of the night in her room."

"Is Marc able to calm her any? Will she let..." Andy was interrupted by the opening of Lu's office door.

"Sorry ladies." Lana pointed to Andy, "Casey Meddlestone is waiting in the lobby, Dr. Campbell. She says it's important."

"Sorry..." Andy looked at her partner.

"No. it's ok," Lu waved her hand in a dismissive manner, "Go. We'll talk later."

"Lana's got work to do." Lana called over her shoulder as she headed back to the receptionist desk.

"Are you going to be ok?" Andy stood to leave.

"I'm fine. Really. You better not keep your patient waiting too long." Lu shifted on her couch to move the pillow out of the way.

Andy nodded and walked out the door. "Mrs. Meddlestone?" she looked into the lobby.

"Ok, I'll tell her," Lana hung up the phone and returned to Lu's office, "Lu... Lu," she opened the door again, "You're needed in the ER, they're bringing Sherry in."

Lu jumped up off the couch and hit the ground running, throwing her stethoscope around her neck as she ran.

Later that afternoon

Andy approached the receptionist's desk "Hawkins? A moment? Please?"

"Sure thing," Lana followed Andy into her office, "What's up Dr. Campbell?"

Andy sat behind her desk and motioned for Lana to sit as well. "Have you noticed how drained Delgado looks lately?"

"You bet I have!", Lana sat on the edge of the chair, "And I'm worried about her."

"I am too," Andy shoved some papers aside and put her arms on the desk, "What about Riggs? Has he said anything?"

"I don't think he has talked to Lu about it, but he has said plenty to Lana, if you know what I mean." Lana tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows.

"Lu! Lu! I need Lu!"

Andy and Lana ran to the lobby to see who was yelling.

"Lu! You better get out here!" Lana shouted as Lu ran out of her office.

"Bre? What is it?", she wrapped her arm around the wobbling girl's waist and grabbed her wrist, "What's wrong? Huh?" Lu held tight trying to steady her.

"I feel strange, really strange," her words began to slur, "What's happening to me?"

"I don't know Bre, but I'm gonna find out," Lu started moving her towards a chair, "When did this start?"

"Maybe twenty minutes ago." her head rolled to the side and she began to fall.

"She's going down!" Andy rushed over to help.

Still holding the unconscious girl by the waist, Lu dropped to the floor with her to soften her fall.

"Get a gurney!" Lu yelled across the lobby.

Andy knelt down and felt for a pulse.

"Breanne's diabetic." Lu shifted to get a better hold.

"Insulin shock." both doctors said in unison as their eyes met over her head.

"Let's roll!" Peter helped Lu lift her onto the gurney.

"Call the ER!" Lu called over her shoulder as she ran beside the gurney.

Andy grabbed the receptionist's phone and punched a few buttons. "Dr. Delgado is coming to you with Breanne Micheals. Twenty-five year old female, possible insulin shock. Normal saline, I.V. wide open. Crash cart standing by." she spoke hastily into the handset.

A few minutes later in the ER

"Let's get her leveled out, I want her admitted for observation." Lu checked Breanne's pupils with her light.

The ambulance bay doors burst open, two paramedics rushed in with another gurney.

"Female. Thirty- two. Multiple gun shot wounds to the chest and abdomen." One paramedic yelled to anyone listening.

"Stace!" Lu immediately recognized her patient.

"I've got this, Dr. Delgado. Go!" the ER doctor came up from behind and took Lu's place at Breanne's bedside.

"Bay Seven!" Lu shouted at the paramedics as she snapped off her rubber gloves and quickly pulled on a clean pair. "One hundred C.C.s dopamine. I.V. push. Two units A positive. Four entry wounds." Lu rolled her patient over on her side, "Only three exits. We've got to get this bullet out of her!" she gently lowered the young woman back over, "She's bleeding out! Notify the O.R. that we are bringing her up!" They began to roll the gurney to the exit doors. "Call her husband! Stacey Dearman, her chart's on file in the clinic." Lu barked orders to the nurses as she ran behind her patient.

Hours Later

Lu sat down at her desk with a mug of coffee. She picked up the phone and dialed her home number.

"Hi baby," she said when Marc answered, "I'm going to be a little late, I had back to back emergencies. I need to catch up on a couple of files and check on a few patients before I can leave.", she paused and listened, "I'll be home in an hour or hour and a half. Order Chinese for dinner, there's some money in the kitchen drawer, and I'll eat later.", she paused again as she listened to her son, "I'll be there soon. Tell Marisa that I will be home in time to read her a story and tuck her in." She listened as he passed the message to Marisa. "Marc? I love you both... Bye." She quietly lowered the phone back on its' cradle. She laid her head down on the desk and sighed.

"Lu?" she jumped at the knock and at Peter's sudden appearance in her office doorway.

"Yeah?" she raised her head and looked at him.

"The phones are turned over to the answering service and all is locked up. You going home?" Peter walked in the office, carrying his motorcycle helmet.

"Not yet, I've got a few things to do." she opened a patient file and began to write in it.

"You need to get some rest." Peter's voice was laced with worry.

"I'm not tired." she held back a yawn.

"I don't believe that for one minute," he stepped closer to her desk, "Come on Lu, you're exhausted. Let's go."

"Peter, I'm fine," she looked up, her annoyance beginning to show, "I'm going home in about an hour."

"But Lu..." he started to protest.

She walked around the desk and turned him towards the door.

"Goodnight Peter," she gave him a small push, "I'll see you in the morning."

Lu closed her office door and returned to her work, leaving Peter staring after her. Pity and concern were the last things she wanted. She had enough on her mind.