Chapter 134: Rescue Rangers
"To take something from yourself, to give to another, that is humane and gentle and never takes away as much comfort as it brings again." – Thomas More
"Perhaps one day this too will be pleasant to remember." – Virgil
"Pain is important; how we evade it, how we succumb to it, how we deal with it, how we transcend it." – Audre Lorde
"The chief cause of stress is reality." – Lily Tomlin
Sydney moved back to Vaughn the instant she hung up with Tom, "Hey, Tom's on his way…just hang on…" she rubbed soothing circles on his back as she told him.
His crying had lessened to the point that he was breathing rather steadily again, but his breathing was still off…still strained.
He let out a pained sigh.
"You wanna talk honey?" Sydney asked quietly as she moved to face him.
He met her gaze finally, a haunted look in his eyes, "I attacked Barnett Sydney…"
She cupped his cheek, "I know baby…" She watched him for a few seconds, wondering what might be going through his mind, "I love you Michael," she said.
He looked at her again and tears were on the verge of springing, "Why?"
She hugged him close to her, "I told you no matter what happened, I'd be here and I'd love you…I love you honey, nothing can change that…Barnett pushed that response…it wasn't your fault."
"I lost control Sydney…completely."
"I know…what did that feel like?"
"Terrifying…"
She smiled, "You're ok honey…"
"I…I…was so angry…"
The front door briskly opening pulled them out of their conversation as Vaughn jumped slightly at the sudden noise. It was a good thing that Amélie had moved to the couch, otherwise when the doctors arrived; they would have slammed the door right into her.
However, the two did manage to scare the living shit out of Amélie when they burst through the door.
Tom offered an apologetic smile, "Hi Amélie, this is Kaia."
"Hi," Kaia said as they rushed past her to the bedroom.
Sydney was lying with Vaughn and Tom gave her an empathetic look when he saw the couple.
"Hey Mike," he said softly.
Sydney smiled as Kaia walked into the room right behind Tom, surveying the scene with well-trained eyes.
"I've got someone I'd like you to meet Mike," he added as he helped Sydney turn Vaughn, maneuvering his limp form so they could examine him.
Tom's brow furrowed when he saw how tired Vaughn looked, but he put on a smile, "Mike, this is Kaia…Kaia, this is Mike…sorry you couldn't meet under better circumstances, but she wanted to come along…"
"Hi," Kaia said as they gently maneuvered Vaughn so he would be more comfortable.
"Hey," he said weakly.
Tom smiled, "Ok…what happened?"
Vaughn groaned and looked to Sydney to tell them.
"He attacked Barnett. From what I can gather, he pretty much launched himself off the bed and ripped the arm out of the sling…that's pretty much it."
"Is that what happened?" Tom asked Vaughn in a soothing tone.
Vaughn nodded.
"Ok, so…" Tom started.
"The sling is broken Tom," Kaia pointed out.
Tom looked up at Sydney and then back down to Vaughn, "Did you rip the sling?" he asked.
Vaughn nodded again.
"Ok…" he turned to Kaia, "Do we have another sling in the car?"
"I think so, I'll get it." She ran off quickly, passing Amélie on her out the door.
On her way back in, she took a look at the woman on the couch. She didn't know her at all, but she looked upset, almost like in a daze. She moved to the front of the couch, "I'm Kaia…I'm Tom's girlfriend…Are you alright?" Kaia asked quietly.
Amélie looked up at her, "Um…I…yes…I'm just trying to wrap my mind around all that's happened today."
"Understandable," Kaia said with a soft smile. "Do you want to come in and see how Michael is doing?"
Amélie nodded and followed her into the room.
The entered just as Tom was prodding at Vaughn's shoulder, feeling on the joint for damage.
"K – shoulder…what else Mike?"
"Ribs n' chest," he said weakly.
"Ok," Tom said as she gently unbuttoned Vaughn's shirt. Kaia moved to his side as he was starting to examine his ribs and placed the sling on the bed. He smiled at her and then went back to concentrating on Vaughn's ribs.
Vaughn let out a string of groans as Tom worked his hands over the whole rib area. He nodded frustratingly and turned to Kaia, "Your hands are smaller, tell me if you think this is broken…" he said taking her hand and placing it on the rib he needed her to examine.
She felt for a moment, "No…just bruised, no fracture."
"K, good…" Tom then moved to his chest, "Ok…what about your chest…are you having chest pains? Or did you just overexert?"
"Think it was over…" he broke off.
He brought the heal of his hand to Vaughn's chest and pressed lightly, "Tell me if I hurt you…"
Vaughn lay motionless as Tom worked his hand over his chest.
"No pain?" he asked when he was done.
"Just…out of breath…" Vaughn told him, "Can't catch…" he tried to tell him, but wound up coughing.
"Easy," Tom said, "Kaia, help me sit him up, I wanna check one more thing."
Kaia moved to the other side of the bed and they eased Vaughn into a sitting position. He groaned at the movement, his body tired and his mind exhausted beyond belief.
"Just another minute Mike…" Tom assured him. He pulled his stethoscope off of his neck and listened to Vaughn's breathing from the back, "Can you take a deep breath?"
Vaughn tried to accommodate but wound up coughing again.
"K, that's ok…don't try again," Tom instructed.
He leaned over to the oxygen tank and turned it up and then came back to Vaughn. He stayed in front of him while Kaia supported him from the back, "K…try now…"
Vaughn inhaled and coughed slightly, but the exhale was much cleaner than the rest had been.
"There…better?"
Vaughn nodded.
"K, just the shoulder then…we need to get it back in the sling…" Tom told him as he gently eased it into the cradle of the sling. Kaia took the strap and she and Tom eased it over his head and into place.
"He didn't pop it back out then?" Sydney inquired.
"No, just strained it…why don't you get some ice though…it'll help with the pain."
"Ok," Sydney agreed and went out to get it, brushing past Amélie who had stayed a distance away from the bed, observing the whole scene in her still dazed form.
Tom and Kaia eased Vaughn back down trying to make him as comfortable as possible.
Sydney came back in moments later, with an ice pack and handed it to Tom who placed it on Vaughn's shoulder.
Kaia moved back to Tom's side as Sydney took her place next to Vaughn. He leaned into her, wanting nothing more than to sleep for about ten years.
Tom smiled, "I think he'll be fine…just overexertion…he just needs to rest…keep the ice on as long as it helps, you can up his meds for a while if the pain is bad…and as always you can call if you need something."
Sydney smiled, "I'm really sorry we didn't get to actually meet in that 'get to know you sense of the word.'"
"Another time," Kaia said with a smile.
"I upped his oxygen too…you can turn it down again when he doesn't need that much, but you already know how to do that…" Tom said with a smile.
Something shiny flashed suddenly in the light and caught Sydney's eye. "Tom…"
"Yeah?" he said.
"What is that shiny thing on Kaia's left hand, ring finger?"
Vaughn's head picked up and looked over at Tom and Kaia.
Tom blushed, "That would be an engagement ring…"
"Get over here!" Sydney demanded, making a wild hand motion for Kaia to come closer. She put out her hand and Sydney examined the ring. It was at least a three carat diamond, princess cut, set regally upon a platinum band, surrounded by two larger rubies on either side with two smaller rubies outside the larger ones.
"Damn Tom…" Sydney remarked, "Quite the ring there…"
"Congratulations," Vaughn said in a weary voice.
Tom smiled, "We can celebrate later, you just get better, k?"
He nodded.
"Ok, we're gonna go…you get some rest."
"It was nice to meet you Kaia," Sydney said.
"You too," she remarked with a smile.
Tom grabbed her hand as they started to walk out, "Nice to see you again Amélie," Tom said.
"Nice to meet you too," Kaia sad as they moved past her.
Amélie smiled slightly and nodded to them as they walked out, but then her attention was drawn back to the couple on the bed.
She watched them for a few minutes, watched as her son's head dropped back onto Sydney's shoulder, and as Sydney's arms enveloped him in a warm embrace, and then she walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
She sat down in the living room again, on the couch; in the same spot she had vacated moments earlier. The house was silent, peaceful, so much different than it had been for the larger part of this afternoon.
She stared straight ahead at the fireplace and tears started to fall. People that she didn't know at all had taken her son from her and broken his spirit, had caused an undue amount of pain to him and the people who loved him. These nameless, faceless people haunted her dreams and thoughts, made her afraid…not afraid for herself, but afraid that she really had no control…she couldn't protect her son anymore, perhaps she never could. When it came down to the bottom line, he had to live life for himself, and she couldn't shelter him…not from life itself…
