Tegan had a tough but successful and rewarding physical therapy session.
"I don't know what's taking her so long" said Tegan where she sat in the physical therapy centre watching Kate and Sara work. Their sessions started when she was almost done with her own.
"She's probably just caught up in traffic Tee. Relax and have your ice tea" said Sara grunting through a stretch.
"How was your session?" asked Kate.
"Piece of cake" Tegan joked.
"You guys want to go have lunch after this? Nowhere fancy, I'm sweaty" said Sara.
"Sure… let me try Linds again. I don't know why her phone is off. She must still be in her meeting" said Tegan dialling Lindsey's number.
-0-
Sax was sitting in the staff lounge playing chess with one of the male nurses when the call came in.
"We have incoming, multivehicle accident. One critical, two moderate expected in two minutes" a nurse said.
"Guess I'll let you think about getting out of that precarious position you find yourself in" Sax winked and jumped up. She pulled on gloves, a trauma gown and goggles.
"I'll take the critical in trauma 1" said Sax calmly.
A gurney came bursting through the sliding glass doors. "Female, roundabout 40, massive head injury, we intubated in the field. She was posturing in the rig, we lost her pulse about a minute ago. No other obvious injuries except a fractured arm and collar bone" said a medic pumping on somebody's chest.
"Okay, transfer on three" said somebody. "Get ready to shock after transfer please, one of epi stat" said Sax.
"Epi in" said a resident.
"Alright charge to 300…. and clear" said Sax. The shock coursed through the patient and lifted her body.
"Got her, that's sinus brady, pulse around 45. Get me a pressure reading" said Sax taking a penlight from a tray.
"Jesus…" she said with a gasp and instantly paled and pulled back.
"Dr Sinclair?"
The face on the stretcher was covered with blood, bandages tubes but Sax recognised her clearly.
Sax didn't answer, she shone the penlight into the patient's eyes. Again and again as if expecting to get another response.
"Pressure's high… 220 over 160" said somebody.
Sax closed the patient's eyelids and glanced away looking as if she was going to be sick. She clicked off the torch.
"Pupils are fixed and dilated… we've lost her" said Sax softly and bowed her head.
"Shit… I'll contact next of kin" said a nurse.
"No… I'll do it in a minute, let me just stabilise her. I want a stat head CT and an EEG to make sure."
"Should we call the organ donation co-ordinator?"
"Just give me a fucking moment" Sax snapped. She never swore at work although she by rights, should have about once a minute.
-0-
"Babe it's me. Where are you? Sara and Kate are almost done with PT, I'll probably just grab a ride home with them. Actually, call me, we were thinking of going out for lunch" said Tegan into her cell phone.
"Still no word?" Sara frowned. She knew that this was weird. Lindsey was usually on time, especially when it came to Tegan.
"No, maybe she went to pick up the kids first. Must have been a misunderstanding" said Tegan.
-0-
Sax walked out of the ER in a daze. She stopped and steadied herself against a wall.
"Fuck" she cursed under her breath.
"You okay Dr Sinclair?" she heard someone say.
"Uh huh" she grunted and started walking, fighting a wave of nausea.
Sax glanced up at the name above the door in front of her a few minutes later. She swallowed hard.
Kate's physical therapist walked past and Sax stopped her.
"I need a favour please"
-0-
Kate just finished slowly putting her shoes on when the physical therapist came back into the room and walked up to her. Sara and Tegan were having an animated discussion and laughing a few feet away. The therapist started talking in a very hushed tone, almost a whisper.
"Dr Sinclair would like you to step outside, alone for a minute please"
"Why? What's up?" Kate frowned.
"It's an emergency please"
Kate looked over at Tegan and suddenly her stomach just dropped. Kate's intuition was legendary and she hoped to hell that today she was wrong.
"Guys, finish up here I need to go with Joanne for a sec. I'll be back in a minute or two" said Kate trying not to look alarmed.
"Okay babe, hurry up, I'm hungry" said Sara lightly touching Kate's ass as she walked past.
Kate walked out the door and saw Sax standing in the hallway looking absolutely defeated. Her shoulders hung uncharacteristically and she looked pale and in shock.
"Sax? What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Kate… oh fuck" said Sax putting her hands over her mouth and nose.
"Sax what the fuck man? What's wrong? Sax?" asked Kate shaking Sax's shoulders. Sax was now bent over. Her hands on her knees trying to steady herself.
"Kate" said Sax straightening her back. She took a deep breath. "There's been an accident… EMT's brought Lindsey in a few minutes ago"
"Oh my god is she okay? What's her status?" asked Kate, all the blood suddenly drained from her face.
"Kate… she… um…" said Sax taking Kate's shoulder.
"She what Sax?" asked Kate loudly, her hands suddenly shaking.
"Kate, she's brain dead" said Sax softly.
"No… no hang on" said Kate stepping back and holding her hand up.
"I'm sorry… I… I don't think it was long Kate. She was gone when she got here"
"Fuck… fuck" said Kate steadying her back against a wall. She closed her eyes tight as she sunk to the floor.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"We did a scan, EEG, there's no upper brain activity. We're sure"
"And the… the rest of her?"
"Not too much, some cuts and bruises. Broken arm and collar bone. Organs are all fine and functioning okay under the circumstances. She was in cardiac arrest when she got here but we got her back fast. She's stable now"
"No… nooo... fuck" Kate said and started crying.
"I'm so sorry Kate" Sax tried to comfort her friend. Her beeper went off and she checked it quickly.
"I have to go. Will you bring her over… or should I come back"
"It's fine… I'll bring her" said Kate wiping her face with the back of her sleeve.
"I'm so sorry Kate. Bring her, I'll tell her" said Sax.
-0-
"You took your time. Let's bounce. Tee left Lindsey a message to meet us at the restaurant" said Sara.
Kate looked at Sara and then at Tegan. Her bottom lip started trembling.
"Tegan" said Kate stopping in front of her friend.
"What's up with you?" asked Tegan picking up her gym bag. Kate looked as if she was about to go down.
"You okay?" asked Tegan.
"Tee, sit down" said Kate.
"What the fuck… what's going on Kate? Are you okay?" asked Sara.
Kate looked up into Tegan's eyes. She took her hand in hers.
Tegan just stared at her.
"There's been an accident… Lindsey… she was brought in by EMTs about half an hour ago and…"
"What… what? Is she okay? Where is she? I need to see her" said Tegan and started to jog to the door.
Kate and Sara followed. Sara hobbled along as fast as she could still using a cane.
"Tegan just stop for a minute!" said Sara following Tegan who didn't seem to know where to go. She looked confused and lost.
"Tegan, stop. I'll take you to her" said Kate and put her arm around Tegan's shoulder.
"Kate… is she okay? The kids, were the kids with her? Are my children okay" asked Tegan almost shouting after stopping abruptly. She was frantic.
"The kids weren't with her no" said Kate gently.
"Where is she? Is she okay? I need to see her! She needs to be okay" Tegan yelled.
"Let's get to the ED Tegan, Sax will be able to tell you more"
"Sax is there? That's great… Sax will fix her, I mean… Isn't she like the best trauma surgeon in the country?"
"Let's get there and talk to her"
Sax was standing in the hallway outside the trauma bay waiting for them. She walked up to Tegan when she saw them approaching.
"Tegan, please come into the quite room for a minute" said Sax.
"Is she okay? You should be with her, treating her. Must mean that she's okay though right?" Tegan felt as if she was going to explode. She was seeing spots. It was hard to breath. Hard to think.
Sax just gently led Tegan into the quiet room with her hand on the small of her back. Sara and Kate followed her in.
Sara glanced at Kate for the first time since she had shared the news with Tegan. She was just so preoccupied with Tegan. She noticed immediately that Kate was upset, her eyes red, her face pale. Her stomach did a flip and emotion immediately bubbled up inside of her and threatened to spill over.
Sax sat down on the edge of a couch and Tegan followed wordlessly. Her legs felt like giving way so the seat was welcome. Her heart was hammering like a freight train and her ears were zinging. She felt lightheaded.
Sara sat down next to Tegan and put her arm around her sister's shoulders.
"Just talk to me Sax" said Tegan and started crying.
"Tegan, Lindsey has been in a very serious car accident. She was critically injured. She has a very bad head injury. Tegan…" said Sax squeezing Tegan's hand.
"Oh god… no… She's okay though right? You can fix this? Are you operating soon?"
"Tegan…"
"Just go help her"
"Tegan listen to me… Lindsey's gone… her injuries were just too severe. Lindsey's brain dead"
"Wha.." Tegan mumbled looking spooked as if she didn't understand what Sax just said. Her hearing seemed to come and go, she saw black spots in front of her. Tegan started wheezing.
"Noooo" Sara wailed loudly and broke down.
Tegan shook her head as if to shake something off. "No… you're lying. You're fucking lying!" she yelled and jumped up pointing at Sax.
"Tegan, I'm so sorry"
"Nooo… fuck you… you're lying!" Tegan yelled, now through sobs.
Sara was sobbing but she took her sister in her arms and held her. Kate put her arms around both of them.
"Noooo" Tegan wailed like a wounded animal.
"I need to see her… let me see her" she mumbled.
"Okay… come with me" said Sax and carefully led Tegan out the door towards the room where Lindsey was.
Tegan was shaking uncontrollably now, she put her inhaler to her lips for a few quick puffs.
"That's it, deep breaths" said Sax kindly.
"Kate… is she really…" asked Sara walking after Tegan holding on to Kate.
Kate just nodded looking pale.
"Oh god" said Sara under her breath and gave a loud sob.
A/N: I'm sorry, you all probably hate me right now. It had to be done for the future of the story.