Disclaimer: All characters belong to the Disney Channel.
A/N: Wow, I'm surprised so many people read this. I feel so loved! I'm not sure where I want to take this story yet (the million dollar question: Do I kill Troy or not?) so your reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank you! Chad isn't in this chapter, it's mostly Troy's parents with some Gabriella. There will be lots more Chad in the next chapter.
Without further ado, chapter 2!
"It's time to take him upstairs," Dr. Whitman's voice broke into Gabriella's thoughts. Troy's hand was still clasped in hers, the pale fingers lifeless in her grip. She nodded, leaning forward to brush her lips over his forehead.
"I love you, Troy," she whispered, tenderly brushing her free hand through his hair. "Please don't leave me."
Gabriella straightened up, squeezing Troy's hand one last time before breaking the grip. The doctor smiled supportively at her, holding open the door for her as they walked out. Troy's parents were sitting in the chairs against the wall, both looking like they had seen better days.
"We're ready to take Troy up to the ICU," Dr. Whitman said, as Gabriella went to stand next to Mrs. Bolton. "I've arranged for Dr. Andrews, our head trauma specialist, to meet you there. She can answer any questions you have about Troy's condition."
Troy's parents nodded, and Coach Bolton reached out to shake the doctor's hand. "Thank you for taking care of our son," he said, wrapping his arm around his wife. Dr. Whitman nodded.
"You're welcome. You three can follow him up in the elevator, Dr. Andrews is going to want to speak with you as soon as Troy is settled in."
Gabriella stood outside Troy's ICU room, gazing sadly though the window. Troy's mother was sitting by the bed, grasping Troy's hand as she watched his face for any signs of life. Sighing, Gabriella turned away, coming face to face with Coach Bolton.
"Here," he told her, pushing a cup of coffee into her hand and smiling at her.
"Thank you," she whispered, gratefully sipping the coffee.
"Does your mother know where you are?"
Gabriella shook her head. "I have to call her, she's probably worried sick."
"There's a phone on the wall," he told her, pointing her in the right direction.
"Thanks, Coach Bolton," Gabriella replied, digging in her purse for change.
"Please, call me Jack," he told her, handing her the right amount of change.
"Thanks," Gabriella nodded, turning and walking slowly to the pay phone. Depositing the change in the slot, she picked up the receiver and dialed her home number. After two rings, her mother picked up.
"Gabriella? Is that you?"
"Hi, Mom," Gabriella said, her voice tired.
"Where are you, I've been so worried."
"Mom, I'm at the hospital. Troy-"
"The hospital? What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you-"
"It's Troy. He's hurt."
"Oh, Gabi, I'm so sorry," Ms. Montez breathed, sparking more tears from Gabriella. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know. He's in the ICU, but we're waiting for his doctor to tell us what's going on. I'm here with his parents."
"Do you want me to come over there? I can be there in ten minutes."
Gabriella turned, looking at Troy's father. He was sitting in a chair against the wall, his head in his hands as he tiredly rubbed his eyes. The tears welling in her eyes started to spill over, choking her voice as she replied. "Yes."
"I'm leaving right now, okay? I'll be right there, baby," Ms. Montez said, as Gabriella sobbed into the phone.
"Thanks, mom," Gabriella whispered, hanging the phone back on the hook. She walked back to the room, wiping her eyes as she went. Troy's father looked up at her.
"Did you get your mother?"
Gabriella nodded. "She's coming here in a little bit."
The coach nodded, but his reply was cut off when a young blonde woman walked up. She was dressed in black slacks and a light purple top, hidden beneath a white lab coat. The name tag on her pocket read Dr. Rachel Andrews.
"Are you Troy Bolton's father?" she asked, looking at the chart in her hands. He nodded, standing up.
"My wife's inside, and this is Troy's girlfriend, Gabriella," he offered, watching the doctor.
"My name is Dr. Andrews, I'm a neurologist, specializing in head trauma. I'm going to be treating Troy." Coach Bolton nodded, reaching out to shake the doctor's hand.
"Should I get my wife?" Dr. Andrews nodded. Jack knocked on the window to the room, catching his wife's attention. He motioned for her to come out. She nodded, then leaned forward, kissing Troy's forehead before standing up and walking out.
"This is Dr. Andrews, she's Troy's doctor," the coach said, introducing his wife to the doctor.
"Why don't we go to my office, and I'll discuss his treatment with you. You're free to come, Gabriella," Dr. Andrews said, addressing the teen. Gabriella shook her head.
"I want to stay here, my mom's coming." Dr. Andrews nodded.
"We won't be more than half an hour. You can sit with Troy if you like."
Gabriella nodded, shaking the doctor's hand before she walked in to the room, taking Mrs. Bolton's recently vacated seat and picking up Troy's hand.
Dr. Andrews led Troy's parents into her office, motioning for them to sit in front of her desk as she took the chair behind it. She opened Troy's chart and set it in front of her, flipping through the pages.
"What did the ER tell you about Troy's condition?" she began, looking up from her papers.
"They said that he had a severe head injury, and that he was still unconscious," Jack said, clearing his throat. Dr. Andrews closed her eyes for a moment, pressing her hands against them. Taking a deep breath, she looked up again.
"Troy has indeed sustained a severe injury. We had hoped that it was merely a concussion, but his CT scan showed something much more serious." Here she paused, pulling out the scan and putting it on the lightboard behind her desk, using her pen to point out the injury to Troy's parents. "This is what we call a hemorrhage," she said, pointing to a certain area on the scan. "What that means is that a blood vessel in Troy's brain has ruptured, and is bleeding into his skull, putting pressure on his brain. It is causing Troy to remain comatose."
Mrs. Bolton gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Her husband's fists were clenched as he struggled to keep control.
"But you can fix it, right?" he asked, his voice strained.
Dr. Andrews sighed. "Troy is going to require emergency surgery, during which we'll go in and use incisions to drain the blood, attempting to relieve the pressure. However, there are risks involved with the surgery, risks you need to know."
"What kind of risks?" Mrs. Bolton asked, her face pale.
"There is a 10 percent chance that the surgery won't work, and that the pressure on Troy's brain will continue to increase. Eventually this would compress the blood flow from his brain to the rest of his body, causing his organs to shut down slowly."
Mrs. Bolton's face had gotten even whiter, if that was possible. She gripped her husband's hand possessively, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"There is also the possibility that even if it works, Troy could remain comatose. He could also suffer memory loss, personality changes, or paralysis. Unfortunately, we don't have much of a choice. Without the surgery, Troy's condition will deteriorate rapidly, until his body starts to shut down."
Troy's parents looked shell-shocked, as Dr. Andrews flipped through her papers. Pulling one out, she pushed it across the desk.
"I know this is a lot of information for you to swallow right now, and I know that you are worried about Troy. But I need you to sign this consent form now so we can take him up to surgery," she stated, placing a pen on top of the paper.
Mrs. Bolton nodded, taking the pen without hesitation and scribbling her name on the line that Dr. Andrews pointed to. Her husband took the pen next, quickly scanning the form before signing it and pushing it back to Dr. Andrews.
"Great," she said, filing the form back in the chart. "The surgery should take about 2 hours, and then Troy will be moved back into the ICU. We'll know by tomorrow how effective the operation was."
A/N: Well, that was a lot of info. I'm not sure how much of it is medically accurate but that's not really important in the long run. Please review!
Coming in Chapter 3: Troy's surgery-does it work? Does he live? Why am I asking you this whenI already know?