Chapter 271

Tegan's eyes snapped open and she automatically squinted. The room was bright… too bright although in reality the lights were turned down low. Things were fuzzy. White… snow?

"There she is…. Heart rate is up to 115 and she's not fighting the vent" said Sax to a nurse.

"Tegan… sweetheart it's Lindsey" said Lindsey softly. "Everything's okay… you're okay. Just relax for me"

Tegan blinked hard a few times, she had no idea where she was. What happened?

Somebody shone a light into Tegan's eyes. It made her already throbbing head hurt even more.

It hurt… everything hurt. Why did it hurt so fucking much?

"Pupils equal and reactive, BP's holding" said a resident.

Tegan closed her eyes again trying to make sense of things. Last thing she remembered was playing with Sara in the snow. She picked her hand up to try and find whatever was in her throat. She coughed.

"Honey its mom… there's a tube in your throat. They'll remove it in a minute just relax" said Sonia taking Tegan's hand in hers.

Tegan frowned. Where the fuck was she… nothing made sense.

"I love you so much honey… I'm right here… You're going to be okay" said Lindsey stroking Tegan's hair.

Hang on…. I know you… who… Uhmmm…. Oh yeah…. It slowly started to come back to Tegan. Lindsey… Lindsey was somebody she loved…. Mom… she remembered Mom. People were poking and prodding her. Putting suction tubes into her mouth. She couldn't think with all this stuff going on so she didn't try any more. She just lay there waiting for the commotion to stop.

"She's quite calm" said Sax to a nurse sounding surprised.

"Tegan, we're going to remove the tube now okay. We're going to deflate the little balloon and it's going to make you want to cough. Keep coughing for me alright" said the respiratory therapist.

Tegan didn't give any indication that she heard him, she just stared into space.

"Alright here we go on three… one" as the guy started counting memory rushed over Tegan. Lindsey, Lindsey was her wife. Where's Sara?

"Two, three… and there we go… keep coughing if you need to. Let's get some O2 running" said the therapist.

Tegan coughed, and coughed some more. She couldn't stop. She was wheezing, red in the face in a few seconds. She felt lightheaded. Sax put a mask over her and forced air into her lungs.

"We may need to re-intubate" she said.

-0-

Little Sara woke up in the cold snow. Tegan was screaming being dragged away by a figure without a face. She was wheezing between screams.

Tegan… I'm coming…. Tegan wait… Tegan don't go…. Tegan!

-0-

Only two people were allowed with Tegan while she was waking up. Lindsey and Sonia were the obvious choices. Stephen and Bruce sat next to Sara's bed, each holding a hand. They could hear everything going on behind the curtain and it killed them not being able to be there and comfort their little girl.

"Jesus I hate this…" said Stephen through is tears.

"Yeah… me too" said Bruce.

-0-

Tegan eventually started breathing a bit better. Sax removed the ambubag and replaced it with an oxygen mask before listening to Tegan's heart and lungs with her stethoscope.

"Good breath sounds bilaterally" said Sax.

"Hey baby… you're okay. I love you so much" said Lindsey.

"Love you" Tegan mouthed under the mask. No sound came out.

"Sara…" she breathed softly when Sax lifted the mask an put it on it's side next to her mouth and nose to still deliver oxygen.

"Sara's okay… she's okay" said Sonia.

Tegan closed her eyes again as a nurse put the oxygen mask back.

A vision of trees flying fast below her invaded her consciousness. Then a crash. Then nothing. Tegan opened her eyes and frowned. She tried to move her injured arm but pain lanced through her shouder. If she could have screamed she would have but she just groaned.

Things were coming back fast now. She remembered Sara… Sara's leg… it was broken… Kate… Oh god… Kate was badly injured.

"K… Kate" Tegan whispered.

"Kate's alright sweetie. You're all going to be just fine" said Sonia.

"It's all over Tegan… you're safe now. They're taking good care of all of you" said Lindsey stroking Tegan's cheek.

"Hmmm alive" Tegan said in a slurred whisper.

"Yes baby… you're alive. You're alive!" said Lindsey.

Tegan closed her eyes and an image of Sara… not Sara as an adult but Sara as a kid flashed through her mind. They were sitting in front of their grandfather's fireplace roasting marshmallows. Tegan herself relax felt… it was strange…

Stephen stared at his daughter's sleeping face. Suddenly her eyelids moved. They were closed but it looked as if her eyeballs were moving under the lids. Sara moved her fingers.

"Holy shit Bruce, call a doctor she's moving" he said softly so nobody on the other side of the curtain could hear him.

Bruce jumped up and ran out of the room. Stephen looked at the monitor showing Sara's brain activity. Sure enough, it was picking up from what he could tell.

"Sara wake up, open your eyes!" said Stephen and squeezed her hand.

One of the doctors ran into the room seconds later. "Call neuro… stat" she said to a nurse.

"Can you hear me? Open your eyes" said the doctor.

-0-

"Can you tell me your name?" Sax asked Tegan.

Tegan opened her eyes. "Tegan" she whispered. Lindsey and Sonia were beaming.

"Good job. Follow my finger Tegan… that's it. Now squeeze my hands" said Sax.

Tegan did as instructed. It wasn't working so well. The fingers on her one hand weren't cooperating so well. She felt pins and needles in her hand and forearm. She felt tired and out of breath.

"Not a lot of strength on the left but she's moving... A little" said Sax softly to the resident.

"Her sats are dipping quite a bit. We're down to 88" said a nurse.

"Alright Tegan just take a few nice deep breaths for us" said Sax holding the oxygen mask over Tegan's face.

Tegan felt whoozy again.

"There we go… sats coming up nicely" said Sax listening to Tegan's lungs again.

Tegan thought of Sara again… and Kate. Her heart rate sped up again.

"You're doing great boo… just relax" said Lindsey and kissed Tegan's knuckles.

-0-

Sara opened her eyes and saw a guy hovering over her shining a light into her eyes. Annoyed and weak she tried to push his hand away. She didn't have a clue where she was.

"Sara it's Dad… I'm here munchkin. Everything is okay" said Stephen.

Sara grabbed the tube in her mouth and pulled.

"Whoaaa! Hang on, we'll get rid of that for you just relax" said the doctor.

A few seconds later the tube was out and Sara took a shuddering breath followed by a few coughs.

This man that just called himself dad looked familiar but she wasn't sure she knew him.

People were shining lights into her eyes. It was annoying as hell.

-0-

Sax put Tegan's oxygen mask to the side of her mouth again.

"Tegan… can you say something for us please"

Tegan weakly shook her head, her eyes drooping.

"No? Come on Tee I really want to hear that beautiful voice again. Let's make sure those vocal cords are okay" said Sax.

Tegan turned her head to Lindsey. "I love" she whispered.

"Louder" said Sax gently.

"Love… you" said Tegan using her voice.

"Good job" said Sax and made notes on a chart.

"I love you too honey… I'm so proud of you" said Lindsey and kissed Tegan's forehead again. Sonia squeezed her hand.

"I'll be right back" said Sax when she heard some commotion coming from behind the curtain.

A/N: Thanks for still reading and thanks for every comment! Keep it coming please!