Chapter 112
Tegan shared a bit of her frustration and anxiety with Violet but wasn't ready to open up completely, not today. "I'm sorry about earlier... I... just..." said Tegan shaking her head. "It's okay Tegan... I'm here to listen to you... I'm going to help you work through this okay" said Violet. Tegan wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "Thank you... I guess I'll see you next week... if everything goes... um... okay... well there's that and the trial and... I don't know if..." Tegan trailed off. "You're going to be okay Tegan... whatever they find today... I'm going to call you and we're going to make time alright?" said Violet. Tegan nodded. "I wish we had more time together now but I have another appointment and I think they're almost ready for you" said Violet. "Okay... thank you again" said Tegan. "You're welcome Tegan. Good luck... stay strong" smiled Violet as she left the room.
Sara and Erin entered the room a second after Violet left. "Hey Tee... everything okay?" asked Sara looking at Tegan's red, swollen eyes. Tegan let out a cross between a sigh and a sob "Yeah... all good" she said and smiled. "Kate said they'll be taking you to pre-op in about 10 minutes" said Sara. Tegan nodded in silence. "Tee... we're going to be right outside okay... we're not going anywhere. They're going to take such good care of you my friend. Just hang in there... you're going to be okay" said Erin squeezing Tegan's hand. "Erin's right... Tegan... we love you... I want you to know that and I want you to take that in there with you" said Sara trying her best not to cry. Tegan pulled her mouth trying to keep her emotions inside. "I love you guys so much... take care... take care of Lindsey for me... and my kids... if... if anything..." she said breathing in deep. "Tegan... don't you dare say that... you're going to be fine and you're going to take care of them yourself okay" said Sara. "I'm not doing your dirty work" she joked, trying to make Tegan laugh. "Don't joke Sara... promise me" said Tegan seriously looking into Sara's eyes. Sara shook her head as tears started flowing over her cheeks. "I promise Tegan" she said and hugged her sister. "Thank you" whispered Tegan. "We'll be here when you wake up" said Sara. "I have somebody that wants to wish you good luck" said Sara dialing a number. "Hey... it's Sara... we only have a few minutes okay so keep it short... yeah okay, I'm putting her on" said Sara. Tegan closed her eyes as she heard the voice on the phone. "Hi mom... Yeah I'm okay... I'm ready" she said with a delicate voice. "yeah I wish you were here too... but I'm going to be fine mom... don't worry... Is dad coming over?... Oh good... open a bottle of wine okay, or maybe two or three" said Tegan laughing. "I love you too mom... tell dad and Bruce I love them too" said Tegan before saying goodbey. "We're going to give you some alone time with Lindsey before they come get you" said Sara. "See you soon sis... love you" she said and walked away so Tegan didn't have to see any more of her tears.
Lindsey sat next to Tegan's bed holding her hand with both of hers. She kissed it softly. "I'm here Tegan... I'll always be here for you okay" she said. "I love you so much Lindsey... I love you and I love our babies. Get some rest while I'm in there please" said Tegan. "Well... I don't think that's going to happen" smiled Lindsey. "At least just lie down or put your feet up" said Tegan. "Okay... You're going to be out of here in no time baby. We have an appointment with the realtor to look at some houses on Sunday! This is going to be over before you know it and you're going to be fine" said Lindsey as she stood up and put her forehead against Tegan's. "That's right..." is all that Tegan could get out. "I love you angel" whispered Lindsey. "You and me babe" whispered Tegan. "Me and you" smiled Lindsey. The door opened slowly. Tegan felt like a lamb being led to slaughter. "You ready Teebag!" said Kate. "As I'll ever be" said Tegan sounding scared. "Later boo" said Tegan as an orderly started pushing the bed towards the door. "Sweet dreams baby" said Lindsey holding Tegan's hand until just the tips of their fingers were touching and their contact finally broke.
Kate was scrubbing in for surgery trying to give herself a pep talk. She rinsed her hands and closed her eyes breathing in and out deeply a few times with her wet hands in the air. "You want me to do it?" said Dr Altman walking into the scrub room. "No... I'll do it. See you in there" said Kate.
Tegan lay with spread out arms on the hard cold table staring at the operating lights coming out of the ceiling and listening to the beeps of her heart monitor biting her bottom lip. Somebody was attaching an central line in her neck because the veins in her arms were just too used to take any more, it was sore and uncomfortable. She felt a BP cuff being wrapped around her arm. Her heart was beating like a freight train but nothing she did slowed it down so she gave up trying. "You ready for us Superstar?" heard Tegan and she turned her head to see Kate wearing a scrub cap and a mask over her face. She nodded and stared into Kate's soft green eyes. "We've got this bud... Quin for the win! See you on the flipside" said Kate, her eyes smiling. She nodded at the nurse who put a mask over Tegan's face. "Just take nice deep breaths... there we go... count back down from one hundred" said Kate. Tegan started counting "one hundred... ninety nine... ninety eight" she felt the room start to tilt and the darkness creep in on her. "Ninety... seven... ninety... s..." she mumbled, the darkness swallowed her. "She's out... pulse slowing, BP is stable" reported the anesthesiologist. "Okay I'm going to intubate... prepare the scope" said Kate. She swiftly and skillfully inserted the tube down Tegan's throat and took the scope that was handed to her. "She guided the probe down part of the tube into the airway and into her lung. Kate closed her eyes for a few seconds, her hands were shaking, probably one of only two or three times in her career. "You alright Dr Morgan" asked Teddy. Kate didn't reply "let's get some more light in there" she said and continued the journey down Tegan's lung after her hands steadied. The anesthesiologist and a nurse were discussing the evening's football game and laughing, something not uncommon in the operating room. "Can you shut up please I'm trying to concentrate" barked Kate. She frowned while watching the images on a large screen. "The rest of her lung tissue is looking nice and healthy" said Teddy. "Yeah well that doesn't mean anything" said Kate. "You're almost there" said Teddy. The mask on Kate's face felt as if it was smothering her and she could feel sweat beads forming on her forhead. "Can we turn the air up please, it's boiling in here" she said annoyed. "Not really" mumbled a nurse but adjusted the room temp down. Kate felt a sweat bead roll down the side of her face. "I'm sweating like a glass of ice water in the Bahamas people" she said annoyed and a nurse blotted her forehead. "There's the first one" said Kate emotionless.
Sara sat with her head in her hand in Tegan's room. She felt her heart do double time in her chest. She took a sip of the coffee in front of her "ugh, cold" she shuddered. "I'll get you a fresh one... I need something to keep me busy" said Alex. Erin was pacing up and down with her arms folded over her expanding pregnant belly. She excused herself to go throw up in the bathroom again. Lindsey was staring out in front of her sitting in an uncomfortable chair. She hadn't eaten much that day and felt like crap. Anxiety and fear felt as if it was kicking her in the gut before squeezing her heart with an iron fist. "Linds... Come on... Sit in the recliner" said Sara softly taking Lindsey's hand. Lindsey got up wordlessly looking pale and tired. She grabbed Tegan's t-shirt out of the bag on the chair and put it to her face inhaling deeply. "Tegan" she whimpered. She held it to her chest as Sara guided her down into the large recliner and put a blanket over her. Lindsey breathed in Tegan's scent. "Please let her be okay... She's my everything" whispered Lindsey. Sara pulled her close and put her arms around her neck. "She'll stay afloat Linds... She'll be okay" she said softly. Dr Montgomery walked into the room looking worried. "I believe two of my patients are hiding out here" she smiled trying to lighten the mood. Alex came back with some food and drinks. "Eat something guys" he said. "I can't I'll just throw up again" said Erin. Addison pulled up her eyebrows while taking Lindsey's BP. "You two can either eat something now or you're getting a liquid diet in the form of an IV" she said. Erin and Lindsey reluctantly started eating. Sara just stared out of the window at the sun setting over LA as she sipped her coffee and flexed her problematic hand open and closed. "I'm gonna go get some air and take a walk. Call me if you hear anything" said Sara as she left the room. Sara paced around the atrium outside. Somehow none of this had hit social media yet and there were either no paps around or they were kept outside by Alex's security team. She sat down on a bench next to somebody but she was deep in thought that she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings. "Sara?" said a soft voice. Sara turned her head slowly. She looked at the girl in a hospital gown trying to place her. "Carmen?" she said looking at the girl she saved on the rooftop. "Oh my gosh... It's good to see you up and about! You look great" said Sara. Carmen nodded shyly. "How are you?" asked Sara. "I'm good... Really good... Thanks to you, Tegan and Erin" said Carmen. "I may get out of here tomorrow... Have to go testify in court, hoping they don't call me though" said Carmen. Sara swallowed hard, "so do we... But it's going to be fine... Lets not talk about that" she said. "Are you okay Sara? What are you doing here" asked Carmen. "Yeah! Um... A friend is... having surgery... Just hanging out waiting for that to be done" said Sara becoming emotional again. "Tegan?" Whispered Carmen. Sara looked down and nodded. "Oh Sara... I'm... I'm so sorry" said Carmen and put her hand on Sara's shoulder. Sara sighed and turned towards her. They hugged as Carmen tried to comfort Sara. "It's okay Sara" she whispered. Behind some bushes a photographer was clicking away merrily. "Payday" he mumbled to himself.
A/N: I've responded to some of the latest comments and answered some of your questions on Tumblr. Feel free to send more! The Sara playlist is also up. companyoffonstandby DOT tumblr DOT com