Chapter 10:
Memorial Hospital ER Waiting Room, shortly after midnight.
Margo and the paramedics were met at Memorial's ER by Dr. Samuels and two nurses, with Tom not far behind them. Margo was taken back right away to be examined because of the stomach pains she had been experiencing. Tom had to stay back in the waiting room. Dr. Samuels assured him that she would send a nurse to get him after she was finished examining Margo.
Tom, anxiously waiting for any word on his wife and unborn child or when he could go back to see her, is pacing around the waiting room. Even though Tom had grown up around Memorial—with his dad being a doctor, he still wasn't sure about being there. While he's pacing, he decides to call Casey to let him know what's going on.
"Hello?" Casey says after answering his cell phone.
"Case, it's me, Dad." Tom says. "Did I wake you?"
"No, I just got back here to the Lakeview after helping Grandpa Bob and Kim with some stuff after the reception. Where are you calling from?" Casey asks.
"I'm calling from Memorial." Tom says, "I came here with your mom. She was brought here by ambulance."
"What do you mean you're at Memorial with Mom? You said she's out of town. What's going on?" Casey asks, confused about what he had just heard.
"Case, I went over to the house. After you told me that you saw things packed up over there the other day, I had to go over and see for myself. Your mom walked through the front door just as I was coming downstairs." Tom informs his son.
"What happened? Did you guys talk at all?" Casey asks.
"Your mom and I were talking. I told her what happened in court with Jill—about her admitting to me that she lied to me about what she saw happen between your mom and Doc. I told her about the videotape and that I knew about the baby. While we were talking, your mom got up to walk over to the island near the kitchen and she started having a sharp pain in her stomach and collapsed. The pain was bad enough where she couldn't even stand up. I called for an ambulance and I am here at Memorial waiting for word on your mom and the baby. We've only been here for about 20 minutes—but it seems like an eternity." Tom says.
"Do you want me to come down there?" Casey asks, "Or bring you anything?"
"Not right now. I don't know what's going on with your mom right now. When I do find out, I'll let you know." Tom says.
"Dad, what if mom loses this baby?" Casey asks.
"Your mom's going to be fine. Don't assume the worst. I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything." Tom says. "I'm going to go and see if I can find anything out about your mom. I'll call you when I find something out."
"Okay." Casey softly replies.
"Everything's going to be okay with mom and the baby. I'll call you when I find something out. Take it easy and try to get some sleep in the meantime; it's been a long day for everybody." Tom says.
"Okay, I will. Bye Dad." Casey says then hangs up the phone and plops on the bed.
Tom hangs up with Casey and walks over to the nurse's desk.
"Can I help you?" the nurse at the desk asks.
"Yes, I'm Tom Hughes. My wife, Margo, was brought in about a half an hour ago and I am trying to find out if there's any word on her yet. She's pregnant and it's a high-risk pregnancy." Tom replies.
"What was she brought in for?" the nurse asks.
"She was brought in by ambulance because she was experiencing stomach pains." Tom informs her.
"Let me go back and see if I can find anything out for you, Mr. Hughes. I'll be back in a minute or two," the nurse states as she gets up to walk back toward the examination area.
"Thank you." Tom replies.
Tom rubs his hands through his hair, anxiously waiting to hear if there's any word on his wife.
"Mr. Hughes," the nurse calls as she comes back. "Dr. Samuels is waiting for some test results from the lab. She had a rush put on them. You can come back and see your wife. Please follow me."
Tom goes with the nurse to the exam room where Margo is.
"There she is, she's resting comfortably right now. Please let me know if she needs anything or if she has any pain again," the nurse states quietly as she turns to walk away.
"Thank you." Tom replies quietly.
Tom stands there at the doorway, seeing that Margo is asleep—or appears to be asleep. He quietly walks over to the gurney and pulls up a chair to sit by her. As he sits down, he takes her hand into his and gently pushes the strands of hair out of her face then kisses her forehead.
Dr. Samuels walks in a couple of minutes later.
"Tom, I have some results back from the lab." Dr. Samuels says quietly. "Can we step outside real quick?"
"Yeah, sure." Tom says as he gets up.
"I'll be right back." Tom whispers to his sleeping wife then kisses her forehead and walks out of the room to where Dr. Samuels is standing.
"How are she and the baby?" Tom asks.
"The pain Margo was experiencing was from a urinary tract infection. It's common in the first 4-5 months of pregnancy because of the baby growing and pressing on the bladder. That can be treated with a safe antibiotic. Her blood pressure is slightly elevated and with this pregnancy being high risk, that is of some concern. The baby is fine, the heartbeat is steady. I am scheduling an ultrasound for in the morning. I am waiting right now for her liver function tests. The reason why I requested the liver function tests is that Margo's complaining of itching that has been bad at times and I am trying to find out if she has a condition called intrahepatic cholestasis. It's a particular form of jaundice some women develop during pregnancy—usually in the third trimester, but it can happen at any time. Women who have this condition while pregnant usually suffer from itching that can be severe and mild jaundice. It disappears by itself shortly before giving birth." Dr. Samuels states.
"What does that mean?" Tom asks.
"Considering Margo's medical history and the fact that this pregnancy is already a high- risk pregnancy, given her HCV status and her liver transplant. She is going to have to take it extremely easy for the remainder of this pregnancy. Margo is also now going to be monitored very closely. I will know more once I get her liver function tests back. From there, the determination of whether or not Margo will have to be on bed rest for most of this pregnancy will be made then." Dr. Samuels informs Tom.
"Can this be treated at all?" Tom asks.
"There are several treatment options. One is being UDCA. It's one of the most important courses of treatment because it helps with improving the liver function of the mother. Another course of treatment is Vitamin K therapy. In addition, it is recommended that Margo follows a low-fat diet, along with drinking plenty of water. The diet and the water consumption can help alleviate some of the itching Margo maybe experiencing. Using Sarna lotion will also help alleviate the itching. The big one is going to be the stress level. I am going to recommend that Margo takes a leave from her job starting immediately to avoid the high stress levels. Dr. Martinez will discuss the treatments with you further, once I have informed her and she's read everything. I'll be down to check on her in about an hour." Dr. Samuels states.
"Is she going to be able to go home tonight?" Tom asks.
"No, I am having her admitted for observation. A nurse should be in shortly to start the antibiotic treatment for the urinary tract infection." Dr. Samuels informs Tom then starts to walk away.
Tom walks back into the room where Margo is sleeping fitfully. He walks back over to the chair by her bed and reaches down to kiss her forehead. He watches her sleep for a couple of minutes.
"I'm back, honey. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere." Tom quietly tells her as he gently brushes the hair away from her face.
Margo opens her eyes and looks to see Tom sitting there.
"Hey there, how are you feeling? You gave me quite a scare at the house." Tom says.
"Um, still achy-I guess. I'm sorry." Margo says as she looks away.
"Sorry about what?" Tom asks.
"About the baby, about scaring you like that." Margo quietly replies.
"What do you mean about the baby?" Tom asks.
"For possibly losing the baby." Margo replies as she covers her eyes with her arm to hide the tears from Tom.
"Hey, Dr. Samuels just told me that the baby's okay. She told me what was causing the pain and that can be treated. She said a nurse would be in shortly to start the antibiotics for that. Dr. Samuels did tell me that she is going to advise you to take it extremely easy during the rest of this pregnancy. She told me that she's going to recommend that you go on maternity leave immediately because it's important that you avoid as much stress as possible. You and the baby are going to be fine." Tom says as he gently rubs her stomach.
"Great. Hal's not going to like this. I've already been gone for three weeks." Margo quietly replies.
"Hal will understand. You need to take it easy for the baby's sake." Tom says as a nurse walks in.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, Hi. I'm Anna Trenton. I am a nurse on the OB/GYN floor. I came down to let you know that a room opened for you, Mrs. Hughes, there. According to Dr. Samuels, she's admitting you for observation for a couple of days. We're going to get you moved up there. Once you're settled in, I'll get the antibiotic treatment started for the UTI. Dr. Samuels did inform me that she's scheduling you for an ultrasound in the morning. She also mentioned something about Dr. Martinez. Is Dr. Martinez your primary doctor?" Anna asks.
"No. Dr. Carter is my primary doctor. He's a friend of my father-in-law, Dr. Bob Hughes. Dr. Martinez is the liver specialist I've been seeing, and this is a high-risk pregnancy. I had a liver transplant two years ago because I have Hepatitis C." Margo quietly replies.
"I will note that on the chart. How are you feeling otherwise, Mrs. Hughes?" Anna asks.
"Please, call me Margo. I'm still a little achy." Margo replies as two orderlies walk in.
"Margo, this is Jake, and this is Rory. Jake and Rory are going to get you moved up to the OB/GYN floor. They'll take good care of you during transport and I'll see you in your room in about 15 to 20 minutes." Anna states as she walks over to Jake and Rory, "Hey guys, Margo's saying that she's a little achy. Can you guys take a little more precaution with her because she's dealing with a high-risk pregnancy?"
"Sure, not a problem. We'll transport her using the gurney she's on now so we don't have to worry about moving her to another gurney." Jake says.
"Hi Margo, are you all set to move?" Rory asks.
"I guess so." Margo quietly replies.
"Don't worry about a thing. Rory and I are usually the two the nurses call when transporting a patient dealing with a high-risk pregnancy." Jake states.
"Do one of you have the room number to where she's being taken to?" Tom asks. "I promised our son that I would call him when I found out anything."
"Sure, Mr. Hughes. She's being moved to room 1521 on the OB/GYN floor. It's a private room. It's been noted that you're related to the Chief of Staff. We'll take good care of her." Jake replies.
"Thank you, guys." Tom says as he stands up from the chair.
"I'll meet you up there. I promised Casey I would call him to let him know when I found out anything. He knows you're here." Tom says.
"Why did you bother him with this? He's not going to come." Margo quietly says.
"He's worried about you too. He also knows about everything that happened. Casey feels bad about what he told you. I promised him I would call him to let him know when I found something out. I'll be up to your room in a few minutes." Tom states as he takes her hand into his and gives it a gentle squeeze.
Jake and Rory begin to prepare Margo for being moved up to the private room on the OB/GYN floor. Tom leaves the room in the ER and heads towards the waiting room just as Bob walks over to him.
"Son, how is Margo?" Bob asks.
"Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you would be at home. Margo has a UTI and her blood pressure's a little elevated. That's what Dr. Samuels knows right now. She's waiting for the results of the liver function tests to see if Margo has this condition that causes severe itching and mild jaundice. It's called intrahep-something." Tom replies.
"Casey called me right after he spoke with you. I came down here to see how she's doing. You're thinking of intrahepatic cholestasis. I take it Margo's being admitted." Bob says.
"Yeah, she is. Dr. Samuels wants to keep her for observation for a couple of days. Margo doesn't like the fact that Dr. Samuels wants her to take immediate leave from the station, basically starting her maternity leave. I told her Hal will understand and I told her that it's important that she takes it easy for the sake of the baby. She's not going to like hearing that there's a possibility that she might have to be on bed rest for the rest of this pregnancy." Tom states.
"With Intrahepatic Cholestasis, stress can be a trigger for symptoms such as the itching and stress can also make the mild jaundice worse. When did you run into Margo, son?" Bob asks.
"I was at the house. You know how I told you that Casey told me about when he and Chris went over to the house and that Casey discovered that everything that had to do with him, myself, anything with our family had been packed up. I went over there to see for myself, Dad. Margo had packed all that away—Casey's stuff, Daniel's stuff, even my stuff. The pictures, the mementos, everything—she packed up. I even found a box she had packed with the gifts I have given her over the years, Dad. When I came downstairs to leave, Margo walked through the front door." Tom states.
"Did you have a chance to talk at all?" Bob asks.
"Yes, we did." Tom says as he turns his back to his dad.
"What were you able to talk about before Margo was brought here?" Bob asks.
"Where do I want to start? I told her that I know about the baby. She told me she couldn't bring herself to tell me that she's pregnant because of what I did to her the last time when she was pregnant and the horrible reminders of that miscarriage because of my being with Emily that night. She told me how she overheard me tell Jessica how the thought of my being in the same room with her made me sick. Margo concluded then that I don't want anything to do with this baby. She brought up the rape and how for two weeks afterwards, she couldn't even sleep because of the nightmares and that they were just as bad this time around as when she first had them. She even brought up Bart." Tom replies.
"Bart? Her former step-father?" Bob asks, "She hasn't seen him in years. Why Bart?"
"I told her about how angry and hurt I was when Barbara left me at the altar for James. I told her how that night I snapped at her how those feelings of anger and hurt just overcame me. Margo said that when she saw how angry I was that night, it was like Bart was right there. She said that I gave her the same angry stare he would give her before he would lay into her about how she wasn't good enough, how she didn't deserve to be happy or loved, and that she was nothing but a mistake. I reminded Margo of him. She told me that every bad memory she's had basically resurfaced for her. I really screwed up here big time, Dad, and I don't know how or where to start to try to make things right with her. I just don't know." Tom states as he rubs his hands through his hair.
"Staying with her while she's here would be a good start." Bob suggests.
"That's what I was planning to do. I told her that I want this baby with her and that she shouldn't have to go through this pregnancy by herself, especially with this being a high- risk pregnancy. I told her that I want to be there for her and the baby. After I told her that, she got up and didn't even make it over to the island when she felt the pain in her stomach." Tom states.
"Where's Margo now?" Bob asks.
"They were transporting her to a private room on the OB floor. I told Margo I was going to call Casey to let him know what was going on and to let him know that she's going to be here for a couple of days." Tom replies.
"Why don't I go up to the OB floor with you? You can check to see if Margo's settled in her room and I'll take care of calling Casey and letting him know what's going on. Do you want him to come? I was thinking about asking him to at least bring you a change of clothes at least so you can change out of that tux." Bob says.
"If he's still awake. If he's not, leave him a message to come in the morning. A change of clothes might be nice so I can get out of this tux that I've been in all day." Tom states.
A few minutes later, Tom and Bob walk out of the elevator when it stops at the OB/GYN floor and walk over towards the nurses' station.
"Hello, Dr. Hughes. Nobody was expecting you to come in tonight." Anna says as she looks up from the chart she was updating.
"Hi, Anna. I wasn't planning on coming her tonight. Margo Hughes is my daughter-in-law and she was brought here tonight. My grandson called me to let me know that she was here. Anna, have you met my son, Tom? He's Margo's husband." Bob states.
"Yes, we met in the exam room down in emergency. Mr. Hughes, I started the IV antibiotics for your wife's infection about fifteen minutes ago. She is settled in her room and she's resting comfortably. Margo is hooked up to a fetal monitor tonight so we can monitor the baby's heart rate. When I went into her room to check on her and start the antibiotics, she was complaining of some itching that was pretty bad. I gave her some hydrocortisone cream to put on the spots. I called Dr. Samuels and she informed me that she is going to have the pharmacy check to see if they have any Sarna lotion available to be brought up for her. She also informed me that she is going to prescribe that lotion for Margo for the rest of her pregnancy. If you would like, I can see about a cot brought to her room for you, Mr. Hughes. I'll be in to check her blood pressure again in about an hour, hour and a half." Anna states.
"Yes, that would be great. Thank you." Tom replies.
"I'll try to get a hold of someone in housekeeping and see what can be done tonight, Mr. Hughes." Anna states.
"Is there anything that you need, Dr. Hughes?" Anna asks.
"Not right now. Thank you, Anna. Tom, I'm going to call Casey. Why don't you go see Margo?" Bob asks.
"I will. Thanks Dad." Tom states. "By the way, can you not let everybody know that Margo's back in town until we know what's going on?"
"Sure, I can do that. Remember, you and Margo will work things out. You have to believe it. It may take some time, but go slowly with this so Margo doesn't get all stressed out about this. You both should really take this opportunity to really talk with each other and you'll get through this. You both have something to look forward to with this baby. Remember that." Bob says as he walks towards the other phone at the nurses' station to call Casey.
"I will, Dad." Tom says then walks over to the door for room 1521,
Tom quietly opens the door and sees Margo laying there asleep. He quietly walks over to the bed and sits down on the bed next to her carefully so not to wake her up. He places his hand on Margo's stomach and starts to gently rub it, trying not to interfere with the fetal monitor.
"Do you know how long we've been waiting for you?" Tom whispers as he leans down towards Margo's stomach.
"Mommy and Daddy have been waiting for you to come along for a long time. We love you very much." Tom whispers as he kisses Margo's stomach, causing her to stir slightly.
Tom gets up from the bed and walks over to the chair to pick it up to bring it by Margo's bed. Once he does, he puts the chair down and turns to Margo and gently kisses her forehead.
"Good night." Tom quietly whispers to her then takes off his tux coat and sits down in the chair and watches her sleep until he can't fight falling asleep anymore.