Hi - Thank you so so so much for your amazing reviews on the last chapter! Some of you said the nicest things and it really was inspiring seeing how everybody was affected by the scene. As I said, it was definitely one of my favorites, so it's comforting knowing that I'm not way off base...anyway, thanks so much. It meant a lot.
Here's the next part. I had to do some research for this chapter, so it came out a little technical, but hopefully, you'll follow it all. This is another one of my favorites--not quite as much as the last one, but it's up there. Hopefully you'll like it too! So without further ado...enjoy :-)
The lights in the hospital flickered against the stark white walls. The doctors and nurses shuffled quickly up and down the long corridors, while the high pitch ring of the phone repeatedly sounded throughout the nearly empty waiting room.
They all sat around in silence, waiting for news from the doctor. Without hesitation, the whole group had followed the ambulance straight to the hospital. Mrs. Harrison sat in the end seat, holding a tissue and quietly continuing to cry. Sadie leaned her head against Josh, who was thoughtlessly stroking her hair and looking out the window in contemplation. Georgia was seated next to EJ, both looking reflective and tired from their long night. Darius was pacing the end of the room, holding a cup of coffee and listening to the nurses talking behind the main desk. Speed, Wally, and Kyle were sitting with their feet up playing their Game Boys. And in the back, Kwest was flipping through a magazine aimlessly, not paying attention to any of the pages, while Tommy was tapping his foot and looking down at the cracks in the tiled floor, in his own world.
Suddenly the doors burst open and Stuart and Yvette stood in the entrance.
"What happened?" he exclaimed on his way in. Sadie immediately stood up and walked over to hug him, while Victoria remained seated and subtly rolled her eyes at their arrival.
"She collapsed. We're not sure why, the doctors are examining her now," Sadie explained, noting her father's alarm. "She's conscious now, but she was out for a few minutes after she collapsed."
"Is she going to be okay?" Yvette asked.
"I don't know, we haven't heard anything," Sadie uttered solemnly.
Stuart reached over and pulled Sadie in for a tight hug. He held her close for a few moments, not knowing what to say to make the situation better.
"It was kind of scary for awhile there," Sadie mumbled, still in the embrace. "I had this brief flash of her not waking up…"
"Don't even think about that," Stuart directed, pulling away and looking at his daughter. "That's only going to make you feel worse. We need to be positive—for Jude. It sounds like she was very lucky. How did they get her to snap out of it?"
Sadie sniffed a little, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I don't know exactly…Tommy was talking to her and then all of a sudden, her eyes opened."
"He was talking to her?" Stuart questioned.
"Yeah," she explained. "The doctor asked us to talk to her so she could hear familiar voices. So Mom talked to her and then Tommy. He probably spoke to her for a minute or two before she woke up."
Stuart nodded in understanding. "Interesting," he said quietly, looking past Sadie at Tommy, who wasn't budging or recognizing their conversation. "Well, I'm glad she woke up, regardless of how it happened."
Sadie nodded in agreement and went back to her seat next to Josh. Stuart and Yvette filed in and sat down too, joining the crowd to await the doctor's return.
About an hour later, they saw the same doctor who had been at the club emerge from a set of double doors. Victoria stood up as he approached, clutching her tissue in anticipation.
"Doctor—"
"Brown. It's Doctor Brown," he clarified.
"Doctor Brown," Victoria continued, "how is she?"
The group had gotten up to crowd around the doctor, waiting on every word.
He looked down at his chart and said, "Well, she's a very lucky girl, I can tell you that much."
"Is she going to be okay?" Sadie asked, standing next to her mom.
"Yes, I think so, but it might take a little time," he started. "We're still running some tests, but at this point, it looks like there are two diagnoses."
"Two?" Victoria questioned.
"Yes. One is anemia and the other is fatigue. It's a common but critical combination."
"Anemia? What does that mean?" Josh chimed in from behind.
"It's a blood disorder that's fairly common in women. It basically means that her blood is not getting enough oxygen from her lungs to the rest of her body."
"Is it serious?" Stewart asked.
"It can be, depending on the source of it. In this case, it appears that it's an iron deficiency, which is one of the most common causes."
"And that can be treated?" Victoria questioned.
"Most likely, yes. We'll have to monitor her diet and give her an iron supplement to take daily, but in time, we should be able to get it under control. However, the anemia is actually not the diagnosis that I am most concerned about. It's the fatigue that worries me more."
"Fatigue? That just means she needs sleep, right?" EJ asked.
"Technically, yes. It means that her body is suffering from a lack of energy. However, fatigue is often a sign of something bigger, either physical or psychological."
"I don't understand…" Victoria started, looking confused.
"You see, fatigue is a symptom of many more serious diagnoses, such as thyroid disorders, lupus, or mononucleosis. Or it could be a sign of more serious psychological issues, like depression."
"Jude is not depressed, Doctor Brown," Victoria replied defensively.
"With all do respect, Mrs. Harrison, I wouldn't be so certain," Dr. Brown responded, closing his chart and looking up at her. "Anemia does tend to cause fatigue, but as I recall, someone had mentioned that she hadn't been eating or sleeping. If that is true, I believe there might be a psychological element to the diagnosis as well."
Everyone looked around at each other in dismay, trying to comprehend what the doctor was saying. No one spoke, just thought about his opinion.
"Can I see her?" Victoria asked quietly.
"Yes, but I must warn you that she is a little drowsy. When she collapsed, it appears that she bumped her head on the ground, which is why she was knocked out. So we have her on some mild pain medication to relieve her headache. Alongside the exhaustion and the anemia, I'd say this girl has had quite a night. Please try to keep her calm and not upset her."
Victoria nodded as Doctor Brown added, "And we're going to keep her here to run more tests. I want to make sure we can rule out those more serious physical disorders. And I want her to talk to psych in the morning."
"Alright," Victoria agreed quietly. She and Sadie quietly stepped away from the group and followed the doctor down the hallway, through the double doors.
Jude heard the door open and footsteps approach, groggily opening her eyes to only see the white of the walls and the bright lights.
"Jude?"
She squinted her eyes to make out the figures in front of her. "Mom?"
"Yes, honey, we're here," Victoria said, approaching the bed. "Do you know where you are?"
"Hospital," Jude replied, gazing around at her room.
"How do you feel?" Sadie asked.
Jude sighed and brought her eyes back on her sister and mom. "Tired."
"Okay, well, we'll make this quick then," her mom said.
"Is it just you two here?" Jude asked softly, rubbing her eyes to see them clearer.
"No, you've got a whole pep rally out there," Victoria said. "G-Major, family, friends, they're all out there."
Jude nodded, closing her eyes to picture the moment she had woken up on the floor of the club. Victoria and Sadie both watched her, thinking she was falling asleep, but her eyes fluttered back open and she quietly asked, "Is Tommy here?"
Sadie nodded and replied, "Yes, he's here. Do you want him to come in?"
Jude shook her head. "No. I don't want him to see me like this."
"Jude, I don't think he'll care—" Sadie started.
"Can you just give him a message for me?" Jude asked, to which Sadie nodded uncertainly. "Can you tell him I say thank you?"
Victoria shot a suspicious look at Sadie, to which she shrugged and turned back towards Jude. "Just thank you?"
"Yeah," Jude answered. "Thank you and I'll see him tomorrow."
"Okay," Sadie agreed, standing up from Jude's bedside and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I guess we'll all see you tomorrow then?"
"Sure," Jude said, settling into the bed and feeling her mom kiss her too.
"Good night, sweetie. We'll be here when you wake up," Victoria said, turning the light off above the bed. By the time they got to the door, they heard Jude's breathing become heavier and knew that she had already fallen asleep.