Chapter 5
The hospital doors swung open automatically as the team with Tegan on the gurney entered the ER. This was Kate's domain and she immediately sprung into full Doctor mode "Okay guys we've got a P1 here – her vitals are all over the place" she yelled. A nurse grabbed Lindsey by the shoulders "I'm sorry mam but you can't go in there, let me take you to the waiting room please" Lindsey lost it "NO, no, no, I'm not leaving her, she's scared and I promised I won't leave her, I'm not leaving her!" Kate saw the commotion and nodded to the nurse "It's okay, let her come in" Lindsey pulled her arm away forcefully and followed the gurney. "Let's transfer on 3, one, two, lift" In one smooth motion the ER team lifted Tegan onto a bed. "Lindsey, give us room to treat her ok, just stay against the wall there" said Nancy. "We're going to need to rapidly cool her guys, temps spiking it's up to 104.8, I want a 12 lead ECG, let's stabilise and then get a head CT, chest CT and Xray, CBC, ABG enzymes, toxscreen" Kate rattled off a list of tests.
The team sprang into action, they cut off what was left of Tegan's shirt and removed her pants in one quick motion. Tegan was lying motionless and unconscious on the bed, exposed and vulnerable in only her underware. Her body was gleaming with sweat, her hair looked as if she just came out of the shower, she was completely drenched. They quickly attacked electrodes to her chest to monitor her heart and breathing. An arterial line was started to continuously monitor her blood pressure. Ice packs and and electronic cooling blanket and pads was placed over and under her.
"I'm going to need a central line and let's start a foley – l want to see if she's making urine, let's up that saline she extremely dehydrated" said Kate before Kate before performing the delicate procedure of attaching a central line into her neck with ease. After a few minutes of treatment Tegan's BP came up and her eyes fluttered open. She has never felt more confused, her head was pounding and there were so many people around her screaming orders looking panicked. She heard beeping and felt people poking and prodding her. "I need a chest X ray stat please" screamed somebody that sounded like Kate. Where am I? A hospital? 'Lindsey" …. She had a sudden adrenaline spurt which caused her heart to race again when she couldn't see her partner. Her chest still hurt so much and it seems to be getting worse. People were floating in and out of view and she seemed to be hallucinating seeing weird lights, music started to play… music? She felt completely baked! Tripping balls! "Lindsey…" she whispered, nobody noticed… "Lindsey…" she pleaded louder "Hey Tegan welcome back" said Kate "Linds…." Lindsey didn't care about orders right now and she sprung forward "I'm here baby, I'm right here Tegan, right here, you're OK, hang in there" she said stroking Tegan's cheek. Tegan smiled weakly looking content and closed her eyes again… she was pulled back by Lindsey's voice "Tegan! Stay with me!" Nancy shone the light into her pupils again "Pupils equal and reactive, sluggish tough" Tegan felt somebody removing her boy cut panties and open her legs gently, she felt a cold stinging sensation in her vagina as the nurse wiped it with betadine before inserting a tube into her urethra and pusing it up all the way to her bladder. It was sore and uncomfortable but everything happening felt uncomfortable. "Foley's in…. she's not making a lot of urine though, only 5ccs in the bag, and it's very dark" reported a nurse. Tegan could hear Kate's distinct voice "Chest X-ray's back, whoa, yup that's confirmation of pneumonia, let's try and suction her guys" Tegan felt somebody put something in her mouth "We're just putting an oral airway in your mouth Tegan, we just need to suction some of that gunk out of your lungs ok" said a friendly looking girl that looked like she could be an intern. Tegan was scared, she closed her eyes, her body was still shaking uncontrollably. She felt a tube go down her throat and felt her gag reflex kick in, she's always had an extremely sensitive gag reflex. She coughed a few times. Somebody must have given her some meds because she suddenly felt her throat relax. A machine started suctioning – things went black again.
The team had about 4 suctioning sessions of 10 seconds each and they delivered results removing a lot of fluid from Tegan's lungs. "Sounding much better guys" said Kate as she listened to Tegan's lungs. Kate rubbed her knuckles over Tegan's sternum again – the pain pulled Tegan back to consciousness. Kate's face came into view "Hey can you tell me your full name?" Tegan stayed quiet for a few seconds, all eyes on her "uuhhhh... Tegan" she whispered "Yes Tegan and the rest? Full name Tee" asked Lindsey "mmmm …. T Tegan..." she repeated weakly. "Tegan do you know what day it is?" asked Kate "She's a rockstar, she never knows what day it is" said Lindsey looking puzzled. Kate smiled, "Ok do you know what year it is? Tegan?" Asked Kate calmly. Tegan's head felt like exploding and she really couldn't think straight …. She just made a whimpering sound "No? Tegan?... Tegan can you squeeze my hand buddy" asked Kate sounding a bit more panicked than before. She held Tegan's hand and shook it "come on Tegan squeeze my hand" Tegan seemed to snap out of it a bit and squeezed Kate's hand lightly. "There we go buddy" she said to Tegan "GCS is down to 12. She probably has a concussion but I don't think it's more than that, we need to make sure" . "Temps going down – 103.3" said a nurse. "Stay awake Tegan!" said Nancy. "Just until we get a picture of your head okay!" The team continued to give Tegan a variety of drugs through many IV lines and the oxygen mask. "Temps down to 102.5" said one of the interns sounding relieved after what felt like an eternity. Tegan's temperature didn't go down particularly fast for somebody covered in icepacks and cooling devices.
Sara suddenly came bursting into the room "Where is she? Tegan?" she called out "Tegan!" she exclaimed and put her hands over her mouth looking shocked to the core to see Tegan attached to all these tubes and wires. "Tegan I'm here okay" she said loudly. "Sara?" said Tegan weakly "Sar.." Sara jogged over to her bed and grabbed her hand. Tegan had a few less medical people milling around her now. "I'm right here sis, how're you doing" Tegan's eyes just fluttered closed again. "What's going on?" Sara asked looking scared "Kate, what's going on, is she ok?" Sara asked panicked. "Sara, we're just trying to stabilize her right now, we're taking her up for a CT shortly, we'll know better what we're dealing with after that ok" said Kate reassuringly. "But…. How… she's not stable yet? I don't understand…. I… I don't understand…. She was on stage an hour ago… what the fuck….how… I don't' understand" mumbled Sara, fear rising in her throat. "We're doing everything we can OK, hang in there we're taking care of her, we'll know more soon". Sara felt hot tears sting her eyes and roll down her cheek. She hastily wiped them away with the back of her hand. "Fuck…. Tegan please be OK, please, please, please…." She muttered. They started rolling Tegan out of the ER, it took quite a big team to move the equipment with her. Lindsey was still at her side… "Lindsey, you guys can meet us on the 4th floor ok, just ask for CT." said Kate. Lindsey was reluctant to leave Tegan but the lift was full of medical personnel, Sara took her hand and held her back "It's okay Linds, she's in good hands"
Tegan woke up again but was barely conscious when she was pushed into the CT machine…. She felt herself drift away again but was pulled back by Kate's voice through a speaker "Hey Teetee, just keep those eyes open ok, and keep really still ok" she said. Well that wouldn't be a problem, Tegan thought. She felt as if nothing could move, she was too weak. A whimpering sound came out of her mouth …. She felt so scared, so alone... Am I dying? It felt as if an elephant was standing on her chest, she struggled to breathe and as a result was breathing really shallow and fast, the oxygen mask offering little relief. A tear rolled down her face, that annoyed her. Tegan cried easily and she hated it. A sigh of relief left her lips as she heard a familiar voice over the speaker, it was Sara. "Hey Tee, you've always wanted to have your own spaceship when we were kids… well here ya go! Told you I'd get you one someday" Tegan chuckled weakly but couldn't speak. She could hear Sara's deep breathing over the speaker, from her breathing Tegan could tell that she was upset and it scared her. Sara spoke again: "They're taking good care of you Teetee, hang in there ok we're right outside, right outside…. You're okay!" Another soothing voice, Lindsey: "Baby, you're going to be fine ok, I love you so much, so, so, so much…" Tegan felt herself relax a bit, she didn't know if it was the medication or the sound of her 2 soul mate's voices in her ears.