Sax looked up from the surgical field just in time to see Kate reach for a non-existing support.
"Kate you okay?"
Kate's knees didn't crumble, they didn't have time, she just fell straight back. Sax watched as Kate's head bounced on the OR floor.
"Shit! Morgan's down! Somebody help her!" Sax yelled, her hands still inside the patient.
A nurse and a resident kneeled next to Kate. The resident shook Kate's shoulders.
"Dr Morgan, wake up…. Dr Morgan!" he said loudly.
Kate didn't move.
"Come on Kate, wakey wakey" Kate's favourite scrub nurse Jennifer said and lightly slapped her cheek as the resident pulled off his gloves and put his fingers in Kate's neck to check her pulse.
"Talk to me" said Sax trying to finish the patient's surgery as fast as possible.
"Pulse is weak and tacky, she's breathing. Wake up Dr Morgan!"
"Okay Kate, it's time to wake up now" said Jennifer sounding scared. She rubbed her knuckles over Kate's sternum. Kate still did not move.
"Get the fucking mask off her guys, get her some air! Melissa can you get some oxygen over there. Someone call for a gurney." Sax barked.
Jennifer pulled the mask off Kate's face. "She's as white as a sheet Sax" she said sounding worried.
"I'm just finishing up here. Dr Evans can you close up please"
"Of course Dr Sinclair" said the eager resident.
"Get her to the TICU after post-op. Apparently the parents are on a plane on the way here. Page me when they arrive I'll go speak to them"
Sax pulled off her gloves and jogged over to where Kate lay sprawled out on the OR floor.
"Alright Kate, wake up bud" she said slapping Kate's cheeks. "Shit" she mumbled when Kate didn't respond. "Pick up her legs, her BP must be in her boots with her pulse as thready as it is" said Sax feeling Kate's pulse.
One of the OR techs picked up Kate's feet.
"Where's that gurney?" Sax yelled as a nurse put an oxygen mask on Kate's face. She jammed her fingers into Kate's neck to check her pulse again.
"She hit her head pretty hard when she went down" Sax said and pried Kate's eyelids open to check her pupils.
"Equal and reactive. Bit slow"
A gurney came crashing into the OR.
"I think we need a C-collar, just as a precaution"
A minute later somebody handed Sax a hard c-collar which she immediately put around Kate's neck. Jennifer was pulling off Kate's bloody gloves.
"Come on Kate wake up" said Sax rubbing her knuckles over Kate's sternum.
"Ok let's get her on the gurney and into the ER guys. I'm not liking this" said Sax urgently.
The team carefully moved Kate onto a gurney and rushed her out of the OR down the hall to the elevator. The team passed the chief of surgery on their way to the elevator. He happened to look down at the patient on the gurney.
"What the… Dr Morgan? Sinclair what's going on here?" Sax wished the elevator would arrive faster.
"She… well, she collapsed after surgery and she hasn't regained consciousness yet, I'm taking her down to the ER to evaluate her"
"What is she even doing here? Isn't it her day off?"
Sax just shrugged. "We got super slammed with that bus accident this morning sir" said a resident.
"I have to go into surgery but I want updates Sinclair! And as soon as she's stable and I'm out of surgery I want you in my office!"
"Yes sir" Sax nodded as the elevator doors opened.
"Out! Out right now, we need the elevator" she yelled to the startled occupants. People piled out.
"Thinks she's indestructible" the chief mumbled and threw his hands in the air as he walked away.
In the elevator Sax looked down at Kate. She was so pale. Her skin looked clammy. Her breathing was rapid and shallow.
"Come on Morgan, work with me here"
The elevator doors opened to the bustling ER.
"Get her into trauma one" Sax said. Sax's trauma team stood waiting as they wheeled Kate in. Somebody called from the OR to prepare them.
"Get her on a monitor. Full set of vitals please. 12 lead EKG, I want full bloods, start two wide bore lines. Hang a bag of saline. Book CT, she hit her head pretty hard and I want to see what's going on in her chest and abdo considering her medical history"
The team lifted Kate onto the bed. With that motion Kate came to. She blinked her eyes hard.
"Ugh, what happened?" she mumbled weakly as she pushed the oxygen mask away.
"Hey there you are! Welcome back" said Sax clicking a penlight on. She shone it and out of Kate's eyes.
"Can you tell me your name?"
"Uhm… Kate… Morgan"
"You know where you are right now Kate?" said Sax sounding calm.
"A hospital obviously" Kate mumbled sounding annoyed.
"Uh huh… you remember what happened?"
"I… I was in surgery. Felt a bit shaky… Nothing after that" said Kate.
A nurse started cutting Kate's operating gown off.
"What are you doing?" asked Kate sounding mad and confused, she turned her body away and held her arms over her chest to stop the nurse.
"Kate, you collapsed in the OR. We just need to check you out alright. Just lie back and relax"
Kate remembered feeling terrible and light headed but that's it. She really needed to get out of there. She hated being a patient.
"No no, I'm okay, just tired" Kate mumbled slapped the nurse's hand away.
"Kate come on, we need to examine you" said Sax sternly.
"I'm fine, I'm going now" said Kate trying to sit up but a wave of dizziness overcame her, hindering her already uncoordinated attempts.
"Morgan! You were out for quite a while there. Your pulse is weak and racing. Please, just let us examine you and start you on some saline, you're severely dehydrated"
"Jesus… okay already. I'll lie down for a few minutes while I get my sea legs under me. That's all it is… just a bit dehydrated" Kate panted sounding weak and drunk. She didn't know why but she felt severely short of breath. She felt horrible but more than that she was scared.
"Can we call your wife for you Dr Morgan?" asked a nurse.
"NOOO, no don't call Sara" said Kate sounding panicked.
"You sure?" asked Sax.
"Don't call her… I don't want to worry her. I'll be home soon. You just need to stop faffing around me"
"Just let us examine you please, all I'm asking" said Sax and patted Kate's shoulder.
Kate was now trying to pull the Velcro straps of the cervical collar open.
"Get this off… off… can't breathe with this thing… off"
"Hang on! Let us x-ray it please. One minute I promise" said Sax pulling on a lead apron.
"Rays in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" said the x-ray tech. "Shooting" he boomed.
"Chest too plaese" said Sax calmly.
Someone picked her upper body up and they shoved an x-ray plate in behind ber back. "Rays in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Shooting"
Sax looked at the screen showing the x-rays of Kate's spine and chest. She studied it a while.
"Show me!" said Kate. Sax ignored her.
"Chest is clear, something else is up with that pulse ox though" said Sax.
"I'm going to take the collar off. X-ray looks okay but I just want to test your range of motion real quick"
"My neck is fine… my head… killing me" Kate groaned.
Sax felt around the back of Kate's neck and moved her head around in her hands.
"C-spine's clear" she said to the chief resident assisting her.
"Alright let's get this off" said Sax
"Take the over gown but you're not touching my scrubs" said Kate to the nurse coming closer to cut off her scrubs.
"Seriously?" said the ER nurse and shook her head with raised eyebrows.
"It's my favourite pair" said Kate sounding winded. She touched the back of her head. "Ouch, what the fuck did you do to me"
"Well last time I checked you did it to yourself. You banged your head pretty hard when you went down.
"I don't think I'm bleeding. I'm okay"
"Alright just relax please. Lie down, deep breaths" said Sax palpating the back of Kate's head.
"Pulse ox is in the high 80s. BPs 89 over 60" said the nurse sounding concerned.
"Get her on a 10 liters oxygen, non-rebreathing mask please"
Kate felt terrible but she was never going to admit it. Her head was spinning and it was increasingly difficult just to keep her eyes open. She grabbed the oxygen mask and held it to her face.
A nurse started attaching EKG leads to Kate's chest. "Can we just get you into a gown please doc?" she asked and started pulling Kate's top off.
"No no no, Kate mumbled. NO! I'm fine… just a little… tired" Kate was starting to sound confused.
"It's okay, we're going to take good care of you" said one of the interns sweetly, rubbing Kate's arm up and down. Kate couldn't stand her because she was the biggest suck up in the hospital and was always trying to impress Kate.
"I need to go now, I'm going now" said Kate sounding confused and agitated. She pulled the pulse ox probe off her finger and started pullingoff EKG leads.
"Kate, shhhhh. Listen to me" said Sax gently. She put her hands on Kate's shoulders.
"It's okay. Just take it easy. We're going to get some fluids into you, examine you and get a quick CT alright.
"No, no CT! Just, let me get out of here" said Kate again trying to get up in a very graceless and uncoordinated fashion. Two nurses pushed her back.
"Dr Sinclair, I'm sorry but can I grab you for one minute please. I just really need your signature on something" said the head ER nurse standing at the door.
"Alright Kate, just lie back and relax, breathe a bit of oxygen while they hook you up to that saline. Just get your bearings. It's all okay" said Sax deciding she had the luxury of giving Kate a couple of minutes to calm down. The annoying resident looked at her surprised. "But Dr Sinclair…"
"Stevens, go check on my post-op patients please"
"But…"
"Now please! Dr Jeffries, just give her a minute. Keep an eye on her sats and her pressure. I'll come put the EKG leads on myself in a minute"
"Yes Dr Sinclair. I'll be back soon if you need me" Stevens said to Kate.
Kate rolled her eyes.
"I'll be right back Kate. Hang tight okay"
Kate just nodded looking exhausted and put her head back and her arm over her eyes.