Chapter Seven – Six Years Bad Luck
"It's going to be alright, buddy." Chris said holding his six year old son into the Hospital. "Hang in there Josh." Josh was unconscious, sweating furiously and burning to the touch. Chris ran into the Hospital Lobby which was practically empty. "HELP!" He yelled. Immediately two nurses came around the front desk and one bring a wheel chair.
"What's wrong?"
Asked one of the nurses.
"I thought it was a common cold, but
when I went to go wake him up from his nap, he wouldn't wake, he
was only slightly breathing. His doctor is Doctor Brown."
"You're in luck, she's on call tonight." Said the one nurse, "Joanna go page Kelly."
"I am on it." Said the other nurse. Immediately a doctor with light brown skin, and long reddish-brown hair, appeared.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Six year old passed out because of fever, possible infection." Said the nurse. Chris, the Nurse, and the Doctor rushed into the hospital room, and Chris lifted his son from the chair and onto the bed. The doctor grabbed a knife, from the table and cut off Josh's shirt.
"We need to get a temperature." The Doctor said, "Dad, What's his name?"
"Joshua." Chris said stepping back, as two more nurses rushed in, with a machine. "God help him." Chris said to himself.
"Well Dad, my name is Doctor Summers, I am Doctor Brown's intern, she'll be in here shortly." She said not looking at Chris. Doctor Summers put an I-V into Josh's arm, and the nurse took his temperature.
"103.1" The Nurse said.
"What! Get Doctor Brown in here now!" The nurse ran from the room, only mere seconds later with Doctor Brown with her. "What's wrong?"
"Oh please god." Chris said cupping his hands over his mouth.
"Six year old male, with a severe fever, throat swollen and pupils are dilated." Doctor Summers said lifting his eye lid.
"I know this boy." Doctor Brown said, "Is this Joshua Halliwell?" Doctor Brown said looking up, and between the Nurse taking off Josh's shorts and Doctor Summers, she saw Chris Halliwell standing back, praying. "Oh my god."
"We need to get this
kid some medicine," The Nurse said.
"Get him 40 CC's of
Kelflex and 10 CC's of Tylenol." Doctor Brown said to one of the
Nurses. The Nurse flew to the room next to them.
"Did you say
Halliwell?" Doctor Summers asked Doctor Brown.
"Yes, Joshua Halliwell." Doctor Brown replied, taking Josh's temperature again. 103.1 "If we don't get this temperature down, he's going to have brain damage. "WHERE'S THAT MEDICINE!"
Doctor Summers, stopped for a second, she half turned to look at Chris, but then Doctor Brown tore her attention towards Josh.
Chris walked
closer, he looked at his son laying on the table only in his
underwear. He was sweating and his body was very read. Then Josh
moved his head, he moaned, and moved his head again.
"Joshua?"
Doctor Brown said, "Josh can you hear me?"
The Nurse ran in
with the Medicine, she handed Doctor Brown the two plastic bottles.
Doctor Brown and checked them.
"Bianca, fill these." She
said.
Chris then stopped,
Bianca, he looked at Doctor Summers from the back, he knew he
had seen her somewhere before. But he couldn't place it. Before he
knew it the needles were full.
"Daddy!" Josh said, moving his
head and opening his eyes.
"Oh he's waking up
good," Doctor Brown said, "Joshua can you hear me?"
"Where's
Daddy?" He said, "I want my Daddy." He cried. Chris heard him,
and ran over to next to Doctor Brown.
"I am here buddy." Chris said, taking his son's hand. "Its okay."
"I want my Daddy."
He cried, then Josh went limp, and his body began to shake, and his
skin went pale white. Chris let go of his hand, the beep on the
monitor began to go hay-wire.
"He's going into Shock! GET ME
SOMETHING COLD NOW!" Doctor Brown screamed. Before Chris knew it,
two nurses brought in some ice packs, at least twenty. Josh shook,
shaking the bed and the things around it.
"No, please. God help him." Chris prayed as tears came to his eyes. "Bianca hold down his arm, we need to get this medicine into him!" Doctor Summers glanced at Chris, then she held down his arm, as the two other nurses held down Josh's body. Doctor Brown inserted the two medicines in a flash. Then Josh, stopped shaking, but he was coughing, and his color was returning to his body. Then without warning, he coughed, and vomit came from his mouth, one of the nurses grabbed a garbage pale and Doctor Brown lifted Josh's body as he threw up. The nurses placed the ice packs on his forehead, chest, and arms; one of the nurses was looking at the monitor which was beeping and she was recording the numbers.
"His temperature, is
102.4" Said Doctor Summers.
"Good Job." Doctor Brown
replied, she put her hand on Josh's head, and smiled. "Good job
Josh, you're doing great. Doctor Summers, Joanna, keep watch on
Josh, I need to speak with the father. If his temp spikes again, put
more Keflex in, and call me." Doctor Summers turned and pulled off
her gloves.
"Christopher," She smiled, "Walk with me." She turned and saw Chris who was almost as pale white Josh was, and he tears threaten to fall.
"No I want to stay here." Chris said.
"Not right now, let Doctor Summers and Joanna take some readings and you can-"
"No, I am staying here!" Chris said.
"Okay," Doctor Brown replied, admiring his courage and protection. "Tell me what happened."
Chris was dazed as he saw the two woman taking Josh's pulse and breathing rates and checking him up.
"Chris." Doctor
Brown said taking his hand. "He's going to be alright. But I need
to know what happened."
Chris tore his sight from there and
turned to Doctor Brown. "I picked him up from kindergarten around 2
o'clock, and as usual I took him to work with me, just for a few
hours. He was sitting in the back with one my employees reading and
then he said he wasn't feeling good, so I took him home. He wasn't
hungry so I gave him some ice water to sip,"
"Good." Doctor Brown replied.
"And then I read him a story and he fell asleep." Chris watched the Doctors again. "But he didn't wake up," Tears flooded his eyes, "and about five minutes ago I went to wake him up, but he didn't wake, and he was sweating like crazy, and that's when I brought him here. I am so sorry I thought he just had the flu or something, nothing serious."
"Any health risk is a
serious, Christopher." Doctor Brown said with a smile, "But it's
okay. I think he did get an infection, and he was also low on sugar
and that's why he went into shock. His sugar level was forty."
"I am so sorry, he doesn't eat a lot of sweets. Is he
diabetic?"
"No he's not diabetic, but Doctor Summers has given him some sugar, but he'll be okay."
"I am so sorry." Chris said, "I didn't think it was that bad."
"Josh is going to be
fine. I want to keep him here over night, I'll stick around."
"Thank you." Chris said, the one Nurse by Josh left, and she
and Doctor Brown left the room. Doctor Summers, was touching Josh's
hand, and had one hand over her mouth. Chris walked up slowly with
his hands crossed, looking at Josh. Josh was still sweating, and only
the one ice pack on his forehead was left. There was an I-V in his
arm and oxygen tubes in his nose; Chris' worst nightmare had come
true. He didn't need to look at the woman, he already knew who she
was.
"My parents told me he died in child birth." She started, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Chris didn't say anything for a while, he took his sons hand, and sat down on a stool by the bed. He then moved his gaze from Josh to Doctor Summers, Bianca. She looked exactly like she did when he last saw her, only six years older.
"You're parents, filed a restraining order on me to not contact you at any time." Chris said, "they said you were to deliver the baby and I was to take care of it, that was the deal."
"I can't believe them." She said. She then looked at Chris, who was looking at her.
"You graduate from Harvard already?" He asked
"Last year," She smiled, "Top of my class for my masters, I am in the process of getting my Ph.D."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you, but if I knew, I would have traded it all for him." She replied. "My father was killed three years ago in a car accident."
"I am sorry."
"I am not." She replied, "I don't think I can love my parents for what they did to me, how they could have kept this secret from me. Did they keep in contact with you?"
"No. Personally I think your dad wanted to take off my head."
Bianca laughed, "Yeah he did."
Chris then looked next to him, and picked up his cut up shirt and shorts from the floor, and looked at his son. "My worst fear you know, when he started going into Shock; I thought he was going to die."
"Low blood sugar." Bianca said.
"I've never seen him do that before, its one of those things that's like forever in your head you know."
"Yep." She replied.
"He'll be okay, I promise you that."
"Thank you."
Chris felt his sons
grip tighten in his hand, and Josh moved his leg and head. His face
was looking in the opposite direction.
"Daddy?" He asked
"I am right here buddy." Chris replied, Josh turned and saw his father.
"Where am I?"
"You're in the
hospital." Chris said, trying hold his emotions back.
"You got
sick."
"Oh – am I better?"
"You will be, go back to sleep."
"I am hot." Josh said, "Can I have some water please."
"Can he?" Chris said looking at Bianca.
"Sure, I'll be right back." Bianca walked from the room, Chris heard her sniffle. Chris then looked back over his son, who was still looking at him. "Who was that?"
"That was the doctor,"
"Okay."
Moments later Bianca came into the room, with a cold bottle of water, and a tiny cup. She poured it into it, and gave the cup to Chris, Josh sat up, and drank the cold water. He replied with "More please." Many times, until he drank the entire bottle, Josh then laid back down and Bianca got out a sheet and placed it over Josh. Then Bianca left the room, giving them some time to be together. But when Chris was going to leave for the bathroom, Josh wouldn't let him.
"No." He said
"I'll be right back." Chris replied.
"I am scared, don't go." He said holding onto his thumb.
"Okay I am staying here." And a few moments later, Josh was asleep.
Doctor Brown walked in ten minutes later after Josh feel asleep, in a soft low voice she asked how he was. Chris explained that he was sleeping and fine, Doctor Brown gave Chris two prescriptions and he was told to stay on them for at least three weeks. Chris then asked Doctor Brown to watch Josh as he sneaked out to the bathroom. When he came back, he found Bianca in the room.
"She got paged." Bianca whispered, "So I came in."
"Thank you."
"So what have you been up too?" She asked.
"Well, Josh and I moved into Hollows Hill about a year and half ago, and I now manage the restaurant, Spell Caster, there. I hope to own it one day."
"Oh very good, did you ever graduate High School?"
"Yes, I got my GED (General Education Degree) three years ago, and I've been taking Business Classes at the community college, but when I moved, between Josh and the restaurant not enough time for school."
"Understandable." Bianca replied. "I live in Boston now, I am looking at locations in Hartford."
"Boston, that's an hour and half drive from here?"
"Yes, I know. But as a part of my residency I have to practice here."
"Oh okay."
"You did a great job, Christopher." Bianca said smiling, "He's a beautiful boy. I have to go, but I'll be back from time to time. Can I get you anything?"
"No I am fine." He replied.
Bianca smiled and left
the room.
"Bianca." Chris said.
"Yes?" She turned around smiling.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Bianca left the room and walked down the
hall. She walked into the employee bathroom, and reached into her
pocket. Out she pulled a syringe full of Josh's Blood. "I hope
this works." And she shimmered away.
