Author's Note: I wanted to get something posted before Christmas, so here you go! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a safe and healthy start to 2017.
xxxx
Seconds felt far longer than the snippet of time they occupied. Nothing could make the moment feel longer, not even if time itself stopped and reality froze. Doctor Miller began to speak, and while Lauren listened to his words, she hardly heard a thing.
"Deep breath, Doctor Lewis. I know this is hard," Doctor Miller stated.
He paused, exhaling one loud breath before continuing.
"In the accident, Chief Dennis dislocated her shoulder. Her humerus sustained a compound break. It was near the head of the bone, and there was a shift too great to set it back in place without surgery. When we went in, we saw damage to the brachial plexus."
He paused again, this time making full eye contact with Lauren. She knew why he looked her in the eye, waiting for her reaction to his initial statement. The shock of the entire incident held her back from making any reaction though. No, Lauren didn't even blink. She stared at him; her voice not strong enough to urge him to continue on. She hoped her catatonic stare would tell him to please hurry up with the rest of his statement, because dragging it out any longer was surely enough to kill Doctor Lewis right there in the chair she occupied.
Looking for some type of reaction, Doctor Miller continued.
"With me so far?"
Lauren gulped, quickly replying with a question of her own.
"The damage…how severe?"
Doctor Miller leaned back in the chair, relaxing his shoulders as he went into medical explanation mode.
"Severe compression but fortunately no tear as far as we could tell. Enough damage that we will need to give it time to fully realize the extent. And the dislocation with the break caused an excessive amount of swelling, but as you're aware that will go down in a few days."
The medical persona was not only surrounding Doctor Miller, but Lauren as well. With her personal emotions completely hidden away, her questions continued.
"What else?"
Doctor Miller shook his head.
"That's it," he replied.
"That's it?" Lauren repeated quietly, her intonation at the end posing the statement more as a question.
"Yes, that's it. She's stable. She should be out of recovery and in her room shortly."
Lauren's eyes closed, taking a moment to absorb the details. She listened to her heart beat that seemed to echo inside her head. She felt her breathing speed up and then slow down, unsure of how to control it at an even tempo. She barely registered feeling in her own body, except for her hands that still held Charlotte in their grasp. In a desperate attempt to hold her sanity together, Lauren held back any outward reaction, fearing that neither her mind nor her body could handle it.
Mixed in with the sounds of her heartbeat, Lauren also heard sounds of relief echo in the hallway. Those individuals who stood closest to the doorway heard everything Doctor Miller had to say, immediately finding excitement in his statement of Bo's health. She heard the chatter grow louder as news spread further down the sterile hospital hall. Lauren bowed her head forward, still holding back her emotions as more questions came flooding out of her.
"What about burns? Any burn injuries?" Lauren asked as she opened her eyes again.
"No. Her gear protected her well."
"Any respiratory irregularities from the fire?"
"No. Lungs are healthy, although I'm sure she'll have a bit of a sore throat from being intubated during surgery, but that will pass relatively quickly."
Lauren nodded, the first outward recognition she gave that she understood what Doctor Miller was saying. The absence of burns and respiratory issues sent a wave of relief through Lauren, but her brilliant mind knew far too well that more could harm a patient that these two concerns.
"Upper back or neck trauma? Any swelling closer to the vertebrae or skull?"
Doctor Miller again shook his head. "No Doctor Lewis. Outside of the arm and brachial plexus, she's going to be okay."
Lauren's definition of "okay" was certainly different than Doctor Miller's, and while she wasn't quite ready to get into that conversation, she softened her voice slightly as she probed for further information about Bo's injury.
"The damage to her shoulder…8 week recovery?"
Doctor Miller nodded. Truthfully, Lauren didn't doubt her own medical expertise, but she wanted to confirm exactly what her mind questioned. The brachial plexus: Bo as a firefighter: The extent of that injury questionable. As much as Lauren hated to admit it, Bo was not out of the woods yet.
"Yes I'd say 8 weeks is a valid prognosis. But Lauren, the brachial plexus…"
"I know, Doctor Miller. I already know what you're going to say."
Lauren's voice quivered, but her response was enough for Doctor Miller to know that Lauren had heard everything he said.
"Lauren…"
Doctor Miller paused. He rarely called her Lauren, and the use of her first name brought her focus completely to his next sentence.
"She doesn't know yet. I figured you'd want to tell her, but if not, I will take care of it."
Lauren nodded. "Yes thank you. I prefer to tell her myself."
Doctor Miller leaned forward slightly, his full attention directed at Lauren. He also softened his voice, the compassion of a colleague shining through despite his typical professional, neutral tone.
"Have me paged if you need anything. I'll send someone over with Chief Dennis' assigned room number."
Lauren nodded but kept her facial expressions minimal, still not quite ready to smile from the prognosis.
"Thank you, Doctor Miller. And thank you for everything you have done for Bo."
Doctor Miller returned to a standing position as he straightened his medical coat. He cast a friendly smile to Lauren, pausing before he spoke.
"No need to thank me. I'm afraid you have the hardest part to complete, but you already know that."
xxxx
Two hours later
The cramp in Lauren's neck had only worsened over the past two hours. The chair cushions were stiff, the only reprieve coming from the slight recline as she dozed off repeatedly despite her attempts to remain awake. Her chin drooped forward when her head rolled to one side or the other, each and every stretch irritating her tense muscles and the knot sitting squarely under her right ear. Nothing felt good about the few minutes of sleep she had managed to obtain in the hospital room. The woman she loved was still unconscious after surgery and the cast immobilizing a large portion of Bo's upper body would certainly hinder most of her movement when she finally did wake. Lauren knew Bo would demand someone remove it. It was another issue Lauren would personally address.
Lauren kept two watchful eyes on Bo while she slept, when she wasn't dozing off anyway. It was a constant struggle for those two long hours as the blonde's body had other plans to cure her exhaustion, her eyes fluttering closed repeatedly. When Lauren's head finally lulled forward enough to pull the tender muscle in her neck for the tenth or so time, Lauren decided she had enough. She leveraged her hands against the chair arms and pushed herself upright. The blood rushed through her legs. She wiggled her toes and instantly slid her hand over the most pained part of her neck. She gently kneaded the knot as she paced the hospital room. She stretched her other arm carefully, working the tension out of her neck with as much ease as possible.
No matter the direction Lauren walked, her eyes remained on Bo or the machines surrounding Bo's hospital bed. Lauren knew the meaning of every machine's beep or absence thereof. Those sounds melded with Bo's deep breathing, creating an otherwise calming soundtrack to the dramatic events of the early morning. A trickle of sweat beaded on Bo's forehead, just below her hair line. It triggered a question of Bo's body temperature to surface as Lauren stood present as not just Bo's partner but also a medical professional.
With a gentle hand, Lauren pressed the back of her hand to Bo's face. She was warm but not overly so. Lauren pulled one blanket off Bo, leaving just a thin white sheet in place.
The jostling of the blankets stirred Bo, her first movements since Lauren first laid eyes upon her since the accident. Bo's turned her head slightly, a wince of pain crossing her face. Her eyes remained closed when a sigh crossed her lips. She extracted her uninjured arm from under the sheet, rubbing her eyes as Lauren stood bedside and prepared for Bo to regain full consciousness.
Lauren touched Bo's hand, careful not to bump or shift it in any form that would hurt. Another sigh crossed Bo's lips, this time accompanied by a smile as she squeezed the hand now firmly in hers. That smile triggered the first sounds of happiness to escape Lauren's lips, who exhaled audibly upon witnessing Bo waking and smiling at her. Unfortunately the smile faded quickly when another wince crossed Bo's expression. It brought her eyes through rapid blinking motions and a sudden attempt to sit up as her eyes finally opened and remained open.
"Don't try to sit up, hon. Not yet, okay?"
Through a puzzled but pleasant stare, Bo obliged and relaxed into the pillow. Lauren traced her thumb methodically over Bo's hand, providing a consistent connection intended to soothe Bo as she became more and more alert of the surroundings.
Bo blinked her eyes repeatedly, slowing making her way out of the haze of antiesthetic. She looked straight ahead during the first few blinks. Shifting her eyes to Lauren and then around the room, Bo appeared to be trying to figure out where she was. She then looked over her covered shoulder, the bulky cast dominating most of her upper half.
While Lauren had a medical diatribe poised to launch from the tip of her tongue, she withheld. Instead, she allowed silence to sit between them: Bo clearly waking and assessing her injuries with a curious eye and Lauren stuck floating between tears of joy and tears of sadness. Her nerves were shot from the anguish she experienced that morning, but seeing Bo's awake gave Lauren hope that everything would be somehow okay.
More silence followed until Bo took a deep breath and finally spoke.
"How bad is it?"
Bo's voice was raspy. Not sexy like when she would wake Lauren before the sunrise but closer resembling an irritated sore throat when she battled some type of upper respiratory infection. Despite the tone, Bo was calm, exhibiting nothing but patience while she shifted her eyes between the cast and Lauren.
Lauren had spent hours thinking about how to answer this question. She knew Bo would be direct, and the first thing Lauren replied was exactly what she had planned to do: be direct.
"It's moderate."
Bo squeezed Lauren's hand, bringing a smile to the doctor's face despite the wince that crossed Bo's expression again. Bo had used the hand on the injured side of her body, and even just the slightest flex of those muscles made it quite evident that Bo was in pain. She swallowed it quickly, attempting to hide the extent of what she was feeling.
It was typical Bo: never wanting to place burden on Lauren and always wanting to remain strong in the face of anything thrown her way. Over the years Bo had certainly shown Lauren her softer, sensitive and vulnerable side, but not today. No, today Bo gritted her teeth and held back expressing the physical pain coursing through her shoulder and upper body because the expression crossing Lauren's face told Bo the fear and emotional anguish Lauren had experienced while she was in surgery. The last thing Bo wanted to do was add to Lauren's worry.
Despite Bo's best attempt to hide the pain, Lauren saw right through it. The blonde's thumb continued to move back and forth across Bo's hand; a focal point to withhold her own tears. She had experienced the gamut of emotions that morning already. She was tired and frightened to near heartbreak yet tried to remain strong and composed.
Bo was always the strong one. She always held it together better than Lauren when they faced adversity. Lauren had done well so far, but the culmination of every thought and feeling had finally come to a head. The blonde squeezed her eyes shut but she couldn't stop it: the tears fell anyway. In a heart wrenching moment, Lauren's emotions collapsed. She finally allowed her feelings to flood out into the open, and the cries that followed were honest and heartfelt down to her very core.
Bo's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply. Seeing the sadness cross Lauren's face tore at her emotions.
"Awww baby, I'm okay. I promise, Lauren, I'm okay. Please don't cry."
Bo reached across her own body with her uninjured hand, grabbing Lauren's and pulling her into an embrace. Lauren folded onto Bo, unstoppable tears streaming down her face joined by an eruption of emotions.
"Shhhhhh, shhhhhhh, I'm okay hon. I'm okay."
Lauren shook her head despite it being buried in Bo's chest. She couldn't control her cries. The fears she held that entire morning were more than Lauren could bear to even admit. She couldn't possibly imagine losing Bo. It scared Lauren beyond anything she had ever expected. Through sobs and sniffles, Lauren tried to calm her emotions but continuously failed.
And through all of Lauren's tears, Bo comforted her as best she could.
"Baby, I'm okay. Don't cry. Please baby. It kills me to see you cry."
Bo soothed Lauren for several minutes, trying to calm her as best she could. Lauren's emotions were raw and exposed, flooding down her cheeks and soaking into the sheet covering her girlfriend. Bo never let go of Lauren's hand through it all. An unknown amount of time passed as Lauren cried, releasing all the pent up feelings she had accumulated all morning.
It took quite a while for Lauren to get it all out. The intensity of the sobs echoed through the small hospital room. Those sobs eventually shifted to cries and those cries eventually shifted to sniffles as Lauren wore herself out from sadness. It wasn't with focus or patience that Lauren was finally able to control her emotions, but she simply ran out of tears to cry as her exhaustion won out.
She held on to Bo for dear life: fearful for what could have been and grateful for what was. She tried not to think too much about it though, instead just sending thanks to some almighty being that saved Bo's life. And eventually, when Lauren's sniffles stopped and her breathing evened out, she finally leaned up off Bo and wiped her puffy eyes with her bare hand.
"There's my girl," Bo whispered.
Through foggy eyes and swollen eyelids, Lauren looked at Bo. The Fire Chief's hair was a mess and her eyes were half closed, but the faintest of smiles came through. It warmed Lauren's heart while simultaneously making the doctor feel awful for having a breakdown like that.
"God, I'm so sorry Bo. I should be comforting you, not the other way around."
It was then that Bo finally released her grasp on Lauren's hand, beckoning her closer with the curl of a finger. Lauren leaned closer, just enough that Bo reached out and brushed Lauren's hair behind her ear. It was a small gesture that was following quickly by Bo taking Lauren's hand into her own again.
"It sounds like I've given you quite a scare this morning," Bo whispered.
Lauren wiped her eyes with the back of her hand again.
"You could say that," she replied.
Bo smiled at her, but gone was the typical relaxed demeanor. A meld of pain and fear had infected her expression, bringing forth her crinkled forehead and removing all signs of that adorable dimple. She squeezed Lauren's hand harder than she realized, and her eyes asked Lauren for answers to the burning questions she had even yet to ask. Tightly her fingers curled around Lauren's, the tears escaping Bo's eyes silently.
"I remember being put in an ambulance, and I remember feeling like my arm had been ripped off."
Lauren nodded.
"Something fell on you in the building fire, a part of the building I guess. The guys pulled you out."
Bo looked to her arm again, recognizing it was completely immobilized. Just a fraction of movement in her hand made it sting all the way up her arm and that pain caused a bit of fear to ignite inside her.
"Tell me Lauren. Tell me how bad…"
Lauren's gaze locked on the cast covered shoulder, her grip on Bo's just as tight as the Fire Chief's. When Doctor Miller said Lauren had the hardest part, he wasn't kidding. How does one tell the woman she loves that the damage to her arm could be career ending? How does one choose the right words to explain the possibilities or the odds of recovering fully from such damage? Lauren wanted to be positive and optimistic, but she knew better than to sugar coat any of it.
"The swelling is putting pressure on a nerve, enough pressure that it could permanently damage the nerve."
Bo looked over the bulky cast again and nodded slowly.
"Okay so that's not too bad right? I mean, will it just make me lose a little feeling up there, right? Or…"
Lauren immediately interrupted Bo.
"You could lose motor skills, Bo. You could lose partial or even full use of your right arm. We don't know for sure yet, and there is a chance you will regain all movement and feeling, but it's just too soon to tell."
Not even a breath was heard in the moments that followed Lauren's abrupt statement. There Lauren stood, frozen in denial and fear, relief and exhaustion. Lauren's emotions had thrown her in so many directions already that day that she had started to feel numb. She felt cold in blurting it out in such medical terms, but inside her heart was screaming to say things like "I'll make it all better" and "I'll fix your arm no matter what." But Lauren never made false promises, and this could certainly not be an exception.
Bo, however, was far from numb. She was coming out of sedation, awakening to physical pain in her body and emotional anguish as she watched Lauren cry. And as she listened to Lauren's words, explaining the possibility that she could lose use of her arm, Bo's heart and mind fractured as dozens of thoughts and feelings overwhelmed her.
There was no delay in the fear overcoming Bo's expression. Widening eyes, a quivering lip, and fear that flashed a lifetime of unfinished work before her eyes. A sudden intake of air happened followed by another and then another.
Bo's wrinkled brow tightened. She shook her head from side to side as the words began to spew from her lips.
"But that…no, no I can't. I need both arms, Lauren. I can't lose use of…"
Bo's words faded as her mind delved into deep, dark places of possibility.
Lauren saw it in her face, choosing quickly to rub her thumb over Bo's hand with a more rapid pace trying to keep her grounded to their connection in hopes of slowing her mind from the worst possible thoughts.
"I know honey, I know. We're going to do everything we can to help it heal; to help you heal."
Lauren repeated the phrases dozens of time, so much that her words synched with a machine's beeping sound as Bo gasped for breath. On the verge of hyperventilating, Lauren soothed her in the only way she knew how, in the only way Bo was receptive. Lauren stood by her patiently, not changing her motions at all or offering too many words of encouragement. Any spoken thoughts about the power of positive thinking or a regimented physical therapy program would do nothing but incite Bo into a rage: a rage against the universe for putting her in this position. It was the topic of a late night conversation a few years ago that started with the phrase, "If I wasn't a firefighter, then I wouldn't know myself." Lauren realized the importance of Bo's career in her identity, and she did not take this injury lightly.
It was a lengthy time before Bo's breathing evened out. Quite possibly, the Fire Chief's own exhaustion could have helped hold back an emotional breakdown. To many, the silence may have felt awkward. But to Lauren, it was encouraging. She knew Bo was thinking; processing the information rather than jumping to any conclusions. The silent time they shared gave way to an eventual calm conversation that served a purpose to distract Bo from the heavy thoughts surrounding her injury.
Bo looked directly at Lauren as she spoke. She kept her voice quiet, a meld of concern and frustration coming through in her tone.
"Dammit. I need this arm, Lauren. I can't be a fire fighter without both arms. It just…"
Lauren squeezed Bo's hand, not releasing her hold in the slightest. While it soothed Bo just to maintain that connection, it also soothed Lauren as she continuously thanked the universe that Bo was alive.
"Let's give it some time to heal, okay? There's a very big possibility that you'll maintain full use. It's just going to take some time, babe. I'm going to ask you for patience, and I know that is a shitty thing to ask right now, but you give me some patience and time, and I'll give you an exact answer on how much you can heal."
"And what happens if it doesn't heal?" Bo asked quickly.
Lauren inhaled deeply but remained optimistic despite the feeling in her gut that made her want to vomit.
"And if not, then we'll cross that bridge together. But remember this: you are a fighter. You don't just fight against fires: you also fight for what you want. I'm going to be with you through this every step of the way. We just have to wait a little bit."
Lauren spoke confidently but her voice still quivered slightly.
Bo nodded her understanding, but the Fire Chief's impatience and worry was worn blatantly on her face. She was groggy, her stomach felt queasy and even the slightest movements made her body ache. Despite the horrendous fear of what could happen if she lost use of her arm, Bo smiled when she heard Lauren's statement spoken with such conviction. Such determination. It helped buoy Bo's fear with a bit of confidence.
Bo remained silent. She closed her eyes to hide her tears. The brunette held back as much as she could, but Lauren easily recognized the agony rolling through Bo's unsettled mind.
Lauren's emotions flooded through her chest as she witnessed Bo attempt to remain strong in the face of such uncertainty. Tears coated the doctor's cheeks at the pain Bo was feeling. Lauren was a doctor, but had absolutely no ability to help Bo right now. She could not fix her arm and make it better. She could not take away the pain she was feeling. But Lauren could help Bo feel comforted and supported. And with her words and actions, Lauren was bound to make sure Bo Dennis knew she had Lauren's love and a lot of people ready to help.
"Whatever it takes, Bo. I love you, and I'm here for you." Lauren whispered.
Lauren's words were strong. The Fire Chief opened her eyes and took a deep breath, all the while Lauren stood protectively at her partner's side. The silence was not awkward, but Lauren wanted to fill it with some positivity. There was still a chance that Bo would be okay, and while she would not alter the odds in Bo's mind, she was still going to be Bo's biggest cheerleader to have hope.
"You know, you're the toughest woman I know. So don't, even for a second, think you can't heal. Patience is going to be your biggest enemy, but you are strong and determined, and that makes you, Bo Dennis, the best Fire Chief in the city. And yes, this is a big challenge for you, but let's face it together."
Bo squeezed Lauren's hand in return, whispering the only words she could say without crying.
"I love you Lauren."
Lauren leaned over and kissed Bo on the forehead.
"I love you too Bo. And Charlotte loves you too. I know it's hard, but stay strong baby. We'll get through this," Lauren stated.
Bo smiled a little, sniffling a little as she spoke. "I'm gonna try babe."
"Good," Lauren replied.
"Where is that little peanut of ours?" Bo asked as she looked around the small room.
Lauren nodded toward the door.
"With Cassie or Kenzi or Evony or any number of fire fighters, probably somewhere between the waiting room, the cafeteria or in my office."
"They're all here?" Bo asked.
Lauren nodded in the affirmative. Bo took another deep breath, helping her calm remain for a bit longer than she anticipated.
"They came here immediately after the fire, and none of them have left," Lauren replied.
Bo smiled as the feeling of support already began to take hold.
"Wow, that's awesome."
"We all love you, babe," Lauren replied.
"Thanks Laur. Do you think I can see Charlotte," Bo whispered.
"If you're ready, yes. I can go get her." Lauren replied quietly.
Bo widened her eyes momentarily. "Wait. With the cast and all, do you think it will scare her?" Bo asked.
Honestly, Lauren had no idea if it would scare her or not, but she knew it would be good for Bo to see their little girl. Lauren tugged the sheet covering Bo's body just a bit to cover the side of her leg. She paused just a moment before replying.
"Well, I think your crying would scare her more than the cast. You know how upset she gets when either of us are upset."
Bo nodded, sniffling back her runny nose.
"No crying then," Bo replied. "I'll shut it down."
Lauren could tell Bo was serious. In that instant, the fire chief's tone had shifted. Her fear was muted and her stronger tone had returned. While Lauren never wanted Bo to bottle up her emotions, a visit from Charlotte could prove just the right distraction to allow Bo a little time before over-analyzing her injury.
Lauren nodded. "Okay hon, I'll go get her. Do you want me to get you anything?"
"Thanks babe. Maybe something to drink? My throat is super sore."
"From the breathing tube," Lauren added. "I'll be back with Charlotte and some water."
While Bo had her emotions under control, Lauren's were still teetering on the edge. She slowly released her hold on Bo's hand and took hold of the hospital issued oversized plastic mug with the oversized plastic straw sticking out of the top. She smiled at Bo before leaning over and placing another gentle kiss to Bo's forehead.
"Be right back," Lauren stated.
Lauren shuffled out of the hospital room and pulled the door closed behind her. She halted her steps upon seeing the members of Station 55 all crowded in the hallway. Not one of Bo's crew had left the hospital. Each and every face staring at her waited for Lauren to say something. She looked at Ryan Lambert and Hale, Sanders, Brown and Jones, Evony, Kenzi and Cassie. Her eyes fell upon Charlotte and Lauren immediately smiled. She nodded toward the closed door and held up the standard hospital issued plastic mug.
"She wants to see Charlotte and she wants something to drink," Lauren announced.
That simple short sentence put smiles on every face nearby. It was a quiet celebration between family and friends and colleagues. Evony took the mug from Lauren's hand and walked away to have it filled. Kenzi climbed out of the chair and walked to Lauren with arms extended outward. Lauren pulled Kenzi into the warmest hug.
"She's awake?" Kenzi whispered.
"Yes," Lauren replied.
Kenzi squeezed tighter, extending their embrace a moment longer.
"Does she know about the possible nerve damage?"
"Yes, but don't bring it up. Just go see her. Can you take Charlotte in to see her?" Lauren voiced.
"No problem doc," Kenzi replied.
Kenzi released her grip on Lauren and motioned for Cassie to follow. They stepped around Lauren and entered the room, leaving the door open so that they all heard Bo's voice when she saw their daughter.
"There's my little peanut!"
A quiet laugh followed from those who heard Bo's statement. Lauren looked around once more, offering a gracious smile to all those in her presence.
"Thank you all for staying. I'm sure she wants to see each and every one of you."
Nods and smiles all around, the firefighters of Station 55 remained quiet but appeared quite happy that their chief was awake. Lauren glanced to each of them offering her own exhausted smile. She was grateful for their presence and the strength they provided to both her and Bo. The entire squad was an extension of their family, and having them here in such a difficult time lifted Lauren's spirit. She knew it would do the same for Bo.
The rising volume of fast approaching footsteps pulled Lauren's attention away from the firefighters toward the hallway behind her. Lauren knew that sound all too well: the sound when a hospital employee was jogging through the halls of the building. She immediately saw Tara coming toward her, who slowed her pace only upon reaching Lauren's side.
In between heaving breaths, Tara uttered, "Doctor Lewis, your patient Vex. He's demanding to see you."
That statement got Lauren's heart pumping. He had not fully regained consciousness since prior to the surgery and Lauren had no idea when, or if, he would wake.
"Vex? He's awake?"
Lauren's mind dove into a tailspin. Every moment of the surgery flashed through her mind. Dozens of questions sat on the tip of her tongue but she refrained from voicing any of them aloud as Tara continued.
"Yes, doctor. He's awake and making demands," Tara replied.
"Demands? The man has been unconscious."
Tara nodded. "I know Doctor Lewis, but I'm not exaggerating when I say demands."
Lauren wasted no time dwelling on what type of demands he was making. She was curious about her patient, but timing of his request to see Lauren was not ideal. Bo was her priority.
"Can you get another doctor on call? Page Doctor Miller maybe? This is just not a good time, Tara."
Tara nodded again. She leaned in closer as to avoid others from hearing her future words.
"I know, but he told all the other doctors to "bugger off" while also strategically using several choice expletives. My only other option is to call security. I know how you prefer to try everything else first."
Lauren exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes. It was true that she hated to get security involved with patients unless necessary. As a compassionate individual, Lauren knew patients were emotional. Hospitals certainly had that effect on people. And while the rare occurrence of a combative patient did require extreme measures, she knew very little about this patient yet or to what extreme his demands had become. The only way to know for sure was to visit the patient herself.
Lauren glanced toward the doorway to Bo's hospital room before looking back to Tara.
"Okay. Let me tell Bo I'll be gone for a few minutes and I'll meet you outside his room."
xxxx
Weary and running on empty, Lauren showed no signs of slowing. Her quick paces led directly to the fourth floor where Vex had been since she last saw him. As Lauren approached, she caught the stares of Tara and Darcy lingering outside the closed patient room door. Both women were rolling their eyes with each thud echoing from inside the room. Each thud grew louder as Lauren approached. She had never heard any sound like that before.
"What in the hell is that noise?"
She directed the question to both Darcy and Tara.
"Your patient has taken to tossing a tennis ball against the wall until you get here."
Lauren scrunched her brow. The answer sounded more like a temper tantrum than anything to her. In fact, it was more childish than anything Charlotte had done thus far in her life, and Lauren wondered how on earth an adult could be behaving so badly.
"Oh for crying out loud…"
With her own eye roll and impatience, Lauren grabbed the door handle and shoved the door wide open. Lauren typically only wanted to approach patients in the utmost professional moments, but this moment proved very different. Lauren didn't care that she was dressed in typical civilian clothes or that her eyes were puffy from crying and carried dark circles under them from lack of sleep. As if she were dressed in her typical medical attire and at the top of her game, Lauren marched right into the room and snagged the tennis ball from mid-air as it soared toward the wall for yet another toss.
She surprised herself with the one handed catch she made. Gripping the ball harder as she held it, Lauren glared at her patient with a mix of curiosity and frustration. She had one hell of a morning, and while this man knew nothing of the sort, Lauren still wanted to make this visit as efficient and as brief as possible.
Vex stared at her with a brilliant smile. It wasn't fake nor cocky at all, but simply expressed his happiness at her presence.
"Well hello. And who might you be?"
"I am Doctor Lauren Lewis. I hear you have been asking for me."
Vex raised on eye brow, glanced to the doorway and the back to Lauren.
"Uhhh, you're Doctor Lewis? The doctor that operated on me?"
Lauren heard the concern in his voice. With her one empty hand, she smoothed out her somewhat wrinkled shirt and stood a little taller, realizing she probably looked as bad, it not worse, than when she first rolled into Kenzi's hospital room all those years ago and the young lady had quite a similar reaction.
"Yes, I am the Doctor Lewis that operated on you. I..."
Vex cut her off, casting no judgment toward her and immediately moving past her appearance.
"Doctor Lewis, thank the stars you're here!"
He pushed himself further into a sitting position on the bed, careful of his splinted and bandaged arm. His voice was strong for someone who had just regained consciousness, and his overall demeanor came across quite positive.
Lauren placed the tennis ball on a chair out of Vex's reach and walked to his bedside.
"Hello Vex. It's nice to formally meet you. I hear you have been rather persistent in seeing me this morning."
Her tone was pleasant but firm. Vex raised his uninjured arm in surrender.
"Guilty. I'm rather sorry about that, but no one around here seems to listen to a bloody word I say. I do appreciate you coming by so quickly."
Lauren nodded. "Well I am here, so what is it that you needed to speak with me about?"
With a proud smile, Vex raised his bandaged arm off the bed carefully. He winced slightly, but he held his hand palm forward toward Lauren. With a very slow movement, Vex curled his fingers into his palm and made a fist. It was a loose fist, but the motion still exhibited use of all his fingers.
"Look at this. I can move all of my fingers."
Lauren widened her eyes. The range of his motion already was rather impressive considering he had just had surgery a few days prior. The ability to move all his fingers was promising, and Lauren hoped that only meant full use of his arm once fully recovered.
Lauren took hold of his hand and had him tighten his grip around her hand. It was a weak grasp but still a full fisted grasp nonetheless. She directed him to pinch his index finger to this thumb before walking him through a full range of several other finger motions. He never failed at one of her tests. She gently lowered his arm back to a resting position on the blankets.
"Well Vex I'd say this all looks very promising, but don't overdo it. Your arm still needs time to heal."
With his uninjured hand, Vex reached for Lauren and squeezed her hand. He held it tight, still wearing a smile that rivaled that of Charlotte when riding on the lawn mower with Bo.
"Doc, don't you see what this means?"
Lauren stared at him blankly.
"It means I won't lose my arm and it means I'll still be able to teach martial arts! You've given me an extended lease on my career. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you, really."
The ironic parallels between Bo and Vex sat in the forefront of Lauren's mind. Both individuals relied on their hands and arms for their chosen careers. Both had sustained various injuries to an arm. Both were currently in the hospital. And while she was the one to save Vex from a future absent of martial arts, she had no control over saving Bo from a future absent of fighting fires. While it was still too early to tell what fate Bo's future held, her position of little power over helping Bo stung.
She was a doctor. Her career revolved around saving lives. Not just saving them from death, but saving the lives that people loved to have. If that meant being a martial arts instructor or fire fighter, or runner or musician, Lauren always strived to provide patients with a life as similar to what they had prior to an accident as she possibly could. It didn't always work out that way, but her meticulous attention to detail with each and every patient aided her far more frequently than it did otherwise. The hardest part of all of this, however, was that she wasn't there to help Bo. She wasn't the doctor who addressed Bo's injuries, nor would she have been able to even if she had been at work. It still didn't hurt any less knowing that Bo's career dangled in the balance while the brunette laid in a bed downstairs.
Lauren held back her emotions, patting Vex on the back of his hand as she slowly pulled her hand from his grip.
"I think you have a good prognosis once we get you through some physical therapy. And I'll be sure to set up some regular appointments with you to follow up, but the other doctors here will be able to help you while I'm absent, okay?"
Vex's smile faded. He looked over Lauren and immediately noticed her civilian clothing.
"Absent? Are you not going to be my doctor for a while then?"
Lauren took a deep breath.
"I will be, but I'm taking a few days off to tend to a personal matter. I promise the other doctors here are very good." She smiled and whispered, "They may not be named Doctor Lauren Lewis, but they're good people. Go easy on them, okay?"
Vex nodded. His smile returned slightly.
"Only because you asked. I do hope everything is alright."
Lauren nodded. "I hope so as well. Are you hungry?"
Vex huffed and rolled his eyes. "Bloody starving."
With a smile, Lauren nodded. "I'll send someone in to get you something to eat, okay?"
She turned to leave the room, taking only three steps before Vex stopped her.
"Doctor Lewis?"
Lauren turned to face her patient again, hoping his statement would be brief so she could return to Bo's side quickly.
"Yes?" she asked.
"If there is anything I can do to repay you, ever, just say the word and consider it done."
His tone was heartfelt and Lauren felt it. It tugged on her own heart as it lay in such a fragile state. She held back her tears, taking a deep breath while offering him a gentle smile. Her mind screamed thank you to her patient, but her own emotions threatened to spill over if she dare spoke one word to him. Instead, she nodded to him and turned quickly to exit the room. She would happily get Tara or Darcy to get him some food and get another doctor assigned to his care, but from that moment on, Lauren was determined to be by Bo's side and do everything in her power to help Bo.
That was her focus.
That was her priority.
And that would be one of the biggest challenges Lauren had yet to face.
xxxxx
