Where do we Stand
Not mine, I own nothing… Sorry it has taken so long to update, I've been working a lot of overtime and haven't had a chance to sit down and write until today; I also had to re-write this chapter to go with the previous one that I had changed. Again, as before, this story has not been proofed or beta read. I still don't have a beta reader...
Olivia came in and out of consciousness, everything seemed foggy and she couldn't remember where she was. Opening her eyes, she blinked as she tried to look around here. Sharp stabbing pain shot through her orbs, slamming her eye shut, she groaned as she tried to talk. But something was in her mouth pressing her tongue down and to the side. What was going on? She tried to move her arms and legs, but couldn't. Her arms felt like they weighed a ton and her legs she couldn't feel. Again she tried to open her eyes groaning as she did so, this time she heard a voice... It sounded so familiar. She knew that voice, but couldn't place it. Then she felt a cool towel gently rubbing across her eyes, that felt so nice.
Gaining control of her eyes, Olivia cracked them open once more, this time the heaviness wasn't so evident, and the stabbing was not so sharp as it had been before. Looking about the room she quickly new she was in the hospital. Then her eyes landed on the most beautiful sight, a blond head leaning over her, a halo of light shrouding the figure. As she gazed at the figure a warm and secure comfort washed over her. She knew the person well, but with a foggy mind she couldn't pinpoint the nameless person. Blinking she looked around the room again. Alex started to speak and Olivia thought she heard an angels voice.
"Liv, baby, look at me." Alex asked murmured, then she remembered, it was Alex, how long had it been since she had heard such music. Liv looked at Alex, confusion painting her eyes as she tried to talk.
"Don't talk honey, they have a breathing tube in you right now... oh' and don't try to move your head okay?" Olivia just looked at Alex with perplexed eyes.
"How about you blink once for no and twice for yes, that's so we can communicate a little?"
Olivia blinked twice. Alex's eyes lit up when she found Olivia was able to understand her. Olivia knew Alex, Alex was hers, she could feel it. But she couldn't understand why if felt like it had been years since she had seen her. She thought they were just talking hours before. She remember Alex saying she loved her and hold hands or was that just a dream. Didn't they read the paper together and hadn't they been talking about what was going on in the news. How long had she been here? So many questions were popping in here head. Why couldn't she remember how she got here? She looked into Alex's eyes as she watched tears run down Alex's cheeks. She felt Alex move and then heard the intercom kick on. Alex was talking to the noise, but she couldn't focus on what was being said, her eyes began to droop as they became heavier.
Opening her eyes once again, she felt hands poking along her sides. Olivia looked about and found to figures dressed in white hovering over her, neither of them she recognized. Panic raced through her mind. Where was she, what was going on, who are these people? Why did she ache all over? Questions popped in her head, unable to ask them, she felt the fear and panic sit in as she was able to move. Her arms felt to heavy to lift and when she tried to move them it was as if they had been magnetized and the bed was pulling them down. Feared gripped her, she didn't like the feeling of being out of control, she was always in control. Her heart rate increased. Alarms on the monitor started chirping.
Alex stepped forward, "What's going on? Is she ok? Olivia, I'm here hum, I'm right here..."
Hearing the voice she longed for Olivia began to immediately calm down. Dr. Foster noted the sudden changed and looked to her nurse and grinned. "Looks like we'll just keep Alex in sight while we check her out and that'll keep our patient calm." the doctor said teasingly to the room.
Alex smiled down into Olivia's worried eyes, let her know she wasn't alone.
"It's ok sweaty, I'm right here. We'll let the doctor finish checking you out and see what she has to say, ok?"
Olivia blink twice, letting Alex know she understood.
Dr. Foster stepped next to Alex and the bed. Leaning forward so she could around Alex and see Olivia, she said, "Olivia, I'm Dr. Foster, I've been tending to you since you came in. I'm glad to see you are awake."
Pausing, the doctor watched Olivia for understanding. Noting that the patient was keeping up with her she moved on.
"I'm going to run a series of test on you, I want to see what we have to work with ok? I know you can't talk right now, and that you and Alex have an understood system of blinking, once for no and twice for yes, right?" the doctor waited for Olivia to confirm, and she did blinking twice.
"Good, first I want you to wiggle your fingers..."
Olivia did, a little slow and not very coordinated but they wiggled.
"Okay next let us see your toes..." the nurse uncovered Olivia's feet then the doctor spoke again, "Okay, can you wiggle them for me?"
Olivia moved her toes but nothing happened. The doctor spoke again... "Good, good... now let's try and lift those arms." she soothed trying not to alarm Olivia of the immobility she had. Olivia struggled, her arms felt so heavy, first the right raised slightly then dropped to the bed, the doctor cooed her approval and asked for the next arm. Again, she was pleased with Olivia's performance. Olivia was exhausted, she felt the weight of her body and new she would be out in minutes. Her eyes began to droop and soon she gave in to slumber.
Alex looked to the doctor, concern painted her features. "What does this mean? She can't move her toes." Alex asked.
"Not to worry yet, this can be a result from the trauma her spine received as well as some swelling around her spine, well run some test and start from there. This is normal for patients with these types of injuries. And IF paralysis is the case this doesn't mean her life is over, it's just changed a little. But we'll not go there until we come to that road. OK?"
Alex nodded her head, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Right now, we need to be positive and be strong. I noticed earlier her near panic of not being in control, so for the time being we need let her know she is the one in control and help her deal with these hurtle as we come to them. Okay? She's going to need as much support and help as she can get." lectured the doctor.
Alex knew she was in, whether Olivia wanted her or not, she would help no matter what.
Doctor Foster ordered up CT scans for Olivia and instructed they begin physical therapy right away. She wanted Olivia gaining full mobility as soon as possible and knew that the sooner they get her moving the quicker her recovery would be.
Alex was sitting next to Olivia's bed when an orderly came to take Olivia down for her CT scan. Alex saw fear leaped into the detectives eyes before the Olivia had a chance to hide it. Alex spoke up hoping to comfort the detective along with herself too, "Is there a way I can tag along, maybe keep Olivia company?"
The orderly shrugged, "As long as the patient is fine with it, I don't have a problem. You'll have to wait outside the room while the scan is being done."
Alex looked to Olivia, pleading with her eyes to be okay with the idea. Olivia's shoulders relaxed with the idea, grinning she blinked twice wanting Alex to know she wanted her there not matter what. Olivia's relief showed in her eyes, as Alex grasped her hand gently, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
A couple of hours later found the two women back in Olivia's room, Olivia was sound asleep and Alex sitting bedside her bed reading the daily paper. All though the CT scan had been done earlier in the day, they still had not heard from the doctor. Alex was worried, but she was determined to hide it, she didn't want to upset Olivia anymore than she already was.
Gazing at Olivia, Alex was lost in thought as the door to Olivia's room opened, startling the counselor from her musings.
Entering the room, the doctor was studying her notes, looking up she noted Olivia asleep and the worried look on Alex's face. Sighing the doctor spoke, "We need to wake our patient up, I have some news for you two."
Alex became more worried at the serious tone emitting from the doctor.
"Babe, Olivia, hun..." Alex gently rubbed Olivia's arm and shoulder, dragging her sleeping friend from her dreams.
Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Olivia lazily looked over at Alex, her eyes lighting up from the sight before her.
"Hey hun, the doctor is here to speak to us... you know, about the scans they did earlier." Alex spoke a little hesitant, not wanting to upset Olivia, but needing to get her understanding.
Olivia tried to nod her head, "mhm k." "Shs, your not supposed to try to talk... remember, breathing tube?"
Doctor Foster looked to the two women as she began to speak, "Ladies, the news isn't as promising as I'd hoped..."
Worry lines quickly etched Alex's face as the doctor spoke.
"First, what we have found is that there's a substantial amount of swelling around her spinal chord, although the tissue around the damaged area is still healing, we wont be able to tell if there will be an significant amount scar tissue or not." pausing she looked to the two women and continued, "what this means is.... well, is that there may have been more damage to the spinal chord than what we had originally thought."
Widening, Olivia's eyes showed fear and panic, her fingers squeezed Alex's tight, "It's ok, we're in this together... we'll get through this..." Alex cooed. Olivia tried to nod her head, but Alex stilled the motion with her free hand laying across Olivia's forehead.
The doctor continued, "Unfortunately, there's no way to reverse damage to the spinal cord. But, we are continually working on new treatments, including innovative treatments, prostheses and medications that may promote nerve cell regeneration or improve the function of the nerves that remain after a spinal cord injury. All hope is not lost, I am going to refer you to the best neurologist in the country. He has worked wonders."
Alex nodded her understanding, looking to Olivia, she spoke, "What ever it takes, money is no problem..."
The doctor nodded, "First we are going to work getting you off of the ventilator and breathing on your own, then we'll worry about the legs. Okay?" Dr. Foster directed her statement to Olivia, letting her know she was still in charge.
Olivia blinked twice, allowing them to know she was still with them.
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