Chapter 22
"Tara," Myles moaned softly when he finally saw her again.
He was unable to hide his alarm when he saw she had been intubated. He was hardly aware that his feet were taking him closer until he reached out to take her hand in his.
"We'll be taking her up to surgery shortly, Mr. Leland," the nurse at Tara's beside explained as she continued to make notes in the chart.
"Why?" Myles questioned. "What's going on?"
"Of course you already know Ms. Williams has a broken collarbone and her lungs were bruised in the accident," she paused waiting for some kind of confirmation from him. When he nodded briefly, his eyes never leaving the pale face of her patient, she continued, "However, she's since developed pneumonia and empyema…"
"Empyema?" Myles asked, his eyes meeting the nurse's for the first time since he came in the room.
"Empyema is caused by an infection that spreads from the lung and leads to an accumulation of pus in the cavity between the lung and the membrane that surrounds it," the nurse explained. "The empyema occurred when some of the infection from her lungs collected," she continued. "While her body attempted to fight off the infection, a cavity formed filled with pus and dead tissue."
"Why is she on a ventilator?" Myles inquired, struggling to grasp what he was being told.
Not one to ever show his emotions, he fought with the fear and anxiety building up inside him. Gazing at her pale face, his eyes were drawn to the tube protruding from her delicate mouth as he brushed her blonde hair back from her hot forehead.
"We needed to stabilize her for surgery to drain the cavity," the nurse came around to place a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "We've already started her on strong IV antibiotics, but there is a possibility the infection is in her blood stream as well."
It's my fault, Myles took a deep breath. I should have gotten her to the hospital sooner. He barely felt the hand on his shoulder as his mind was on the woman in the bed as well as what she'd come to mean to him in the last couple of days.
I can't lose her, he thought quietly not seeing anything but Tara. The only sound in the room came from the beeping of the heart monitor and the hissing of the respirator attached to the petite woman.
"The prognosis is still good, however," the nurse said quietly, seeing the worry on the man's face. He must really care for her, she thought. Seeing the OR team at the door, she told him softly, "It's time to take her upstairs. I'll get someone to take you to your room."
"I'm going with her," Myles demanded ,gripping his hand tighter.
"Mr. Leland, you're wobbling on your feet right now because of what you've been through," she stated firmly. "You can't help Ms. Williams if you don't take care of yourself."
"We'll take good care of her, sir," one of the nurses that had come to take her to the OR maintained. "I will come and get you personally when she is in recovery, okay?" she offered.
Myles closed his eyes, reluctantly nodding his acceptance. Leaning down, he brushed his lips across her forehead, caressing her cheek lightly with his fingertips.
With a heavy heart, he watched Tara being slowly wheeled out of the room, the door swinging shut behind her with a whoosh. He didn't want to breathe; he didn't want to move until she came back to him.