Chapter 270

A few minutes later Sax had a sandwich and a cup of hot chocolate in her belly as she sat down on the bed in the on call room and scrubbed her hands over her face. She picked up her phone and placed a call to the chief resident in the TICU.

"It's Sinclair. I'll be in my on call room if you need me. Call me, page me… whatever….

Yes, I know you'll take good care of them I'm just saying… I'm here if you need me… thanks"

Sax plugged her phone in to charge and fell onto her side still wearing her scrubs and shoes. When Jude came in from the bathroom a minute later she found her like this. She gently picked up her feet and removed her shoes. She put her feet on the bed and covered her partner with a blanket. She carefully lay down next to Sax and put her arm around her waist.

"You're so phenomenal… I love you so much" she whispered but Sax was sleeping, really sleeping soundly for the first time in days.

-0-

Lindsey couldn't sleep so she just stared at Tegan with her chin on her arms on the bed. She really wanted and needed to see her awake.

"I love you baby" she whispered and kissed Tegan's forehead softly. A resident came in and listened to Tegan's heart and lungs and checked the information on the monitors.

"Everything okay?" asked Lindsey sounding nervous.

"Yup… all good" the resident smiled and moved on to Sara after adjusting one of Tegan's IVs.

"Lindsey… go get some sleep in the family room. You need it. I'll call you if there's change" said Bruce.

"I don't want to leave her" said Lindsey.

"We'll stay with her. You need some rest… they're going to wake her up tomorrow and you know she's going to flip out if she sees you with these dark circles"

Lindsey laughed. "You have a point. Okay. Please call me if there's change, with any of them" said Lindsey.

Lindsey said goodnight to all three patients and walked out to the family room.

"Let me know how she does alright. That was a tough field intubation and she almost arrested" Lindsey heard Cameron's voice from around a corner talking about the patient she just brought in on the helicopter. The next moment Cam rushed around the corner bumped right into her and dropped the pile of paperwork she was holding.

"Oh shit… sorry" she mumbled. "You okay?"

"Yeah no problem" said Lindsey kneeling to help her pick up papers.

"You don't have to do that" said Cam.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it"

"Everything okay… in ICU?" Cam asked tentatively.

"That's what they tell me" Lindsey shrugged.

"Good to hear"

Cam stood up holding an arm full of paper.

"Well, I better go get this mess sorted out" she grinned.

Lindsey spotted a large, red stain on Cameron's blue flight suit.

"Oh my god… are you okay? Are you bleeding?" asked Lindsey.

"Huh? Oh… no no… it's… not mine" Cam blushed.

Lindsey looked pale and was breathing fast.

"Hey…. It's okay… I'm alright" said Cam softly touching Lindsey's forearm.

"Sorry, I'm a bit… on edge. Haven't slept in days" said Lindsey.

"Let me get one of doctors to prescribe something… please. You need to sleep Lindsey"

Lindsey sighed and looked up at Cam.

"I don't know… I want to be awake when she needs me"

"You will be… they'll give you a mild sedative"

"Okay… my brain feels fried… They're waking Tegan up in the morning"

"All the more reason to be well rested then" said Cam and led Lindsey to the family room by the elbow.

-0-

Lindsey slept like the dead after the shot Dr Smith gave her. She woke up six hours later and yawned. She quickly sat up and checked her cell phone. No missed calls, no messages. That had to mean that Tegan was stable and doing fine.

She pulled herself through a warm shower and headed straight for the ICU.

"Was just about to bring you some breakfast in bed. Big day!" said Sonia and handed Lindsey a cup of coffee.

"Thanks, I was just headed to ICU"

"Sit down, have your breakfast. It's bath time in ICU and after that they're going to CT" said Sonia.

"Did they have a good night? Everything okay?" asked Lindsey as she wolfed down the muffin and coffee.

"Absolutely. It was beautiful, didn't hear a single alarm go off last night"

"You should get some sleep Sonia"

"I did get some sleep last night in the recliner. I'm fine. Did you?" said Sonia.

"I finally allowed a doctor to give me a sedative. Slept like a baby for the first time in days" said Lindsey.

-0-

Later that morning Sax was filling out charts in the ICU room. She stopped and looked up at Lindsey and Sonia.

"Okay… Tegan's turn to wake up. After that we'll probably wake up Kate. Keep talking to Sara. She could hear you. She's not sedated any more so she could wake up at any time. Although… I don't want you to get your hopes up just yet. As I said, we just don't know. Remember, I'm going to try and extubate Tegan. If I'm successful I want you to talk to her and keep her calm. Now as you saw with both Sara and Kate that probably won't be an easy task" said Sax.

"Yeah, and she hates hospitals! You sure her lungs are up for this?" asked Lindsey.

"I'm sure, don't worry. We'll take good care of her"

-0-

"Sara! Hey Sara! Check it out" Tegan yelled and watched a 5 year old Sara come and go in front of the swing in their grandparent's back yard. Snow lay thick and white on the ground.

"Tegan get off" Sara yelled.

"No, it's fun"

"Tegan, you'll get hurt… Tegan!"

"Come on Sara… get on you can do it" Tegan yelled and went even higher. She laughed out loud.

Sara got onto the other swing and reluctantly started swinging.

"Whooo hoooo" Tegan yelled. Sara started laughing, swinging higher and higher.

The next second Sara fell from the swing on her back and stayed still.

Tegan skidded to an abrupt halt with her feet in the snow.

"Sara… Hey… wake up" she said softly.

Little Tegan was suddenly freezing cold. Shaking uncontrollably.

"Tegan! Come inside" somebody yelled from the porch.

"Sara wake up!" said Tegan loudly.

"Tegan! Get inside right now!"

"Mom… Sara isn't waking up"

"Get inside Tegan"

Something was pulling Tegan inside, further and further away from Sara. She thrashed around kicking and screaming. "Sara! Sara wake up!"