Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them.
Collision Course, Chapter 44
Fred tiptoed into the bedroom to retrieve his clothes for work. It was almost time to get Charlie and Em up for school. He was hoping that they wouldn't wake Faith. He really didn't want to face her this morning. He quickly grabbed his delivery uniform from the open closet and then headed across the room to the dresser. He gave the top drawer a quick tug. He froze with his hand halfway in the drawer when he heard Faith turning over. Fortunately, her eyes remained closed. Fred let out a breath, quickly retrieving a pair of socks and his underclothes. Leaving the drawer open, he turned and hastily escaped the room.
As Fred turned the shower on, he began to think about his conversation with Faith the night before. And for the first time in a long time, he actually felt sorry for Bosco. Faith could be really scary when she was angry. Fred only hoped that Faith would have mercy on Bosco for now since the poor guy was still in the ICU.
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Mary jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She had been sitting at the small table outside of Bosco's room charting and waiting for the shift change.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Kathy apologized.
"I must have zoned out." Mary replied. "It's been a crazy night."
"He looks pretty peaceful right now." Kathy observed.
"He's been resting since his fever broke around 4:00, but the rest of the night was a constant battle." Mary reported. "Poor guy moaned and groaned literally all night. If he fell asleep for a few minutes, he would wake up screaming for me to get down or to run or yelling for Faith, Monroe, or Sergeant Cruz. I had to physically hold him down twice to keep him in the bed, even with the restraints."
"No wonder you look exhausted." Kathy smiled.
"I'm getting to old for this." Mary replied with a sigh.
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Davis adjusted his gun belt and wondered over towards Monroe's locker. "So Cruz is pregnant?" He asked with a sly smile on his face.
"Yeah" Monroe replied and went about tying her shoelaces.
Ty cleared his throat. "I didn't even know she was seeing anyone. Well, except for maybe Bosco. But that was a while back, right?"
Sasha knew that Ty was fishing for information. "Listen Davis, if Cruz wants you to know anything about her pregnancy, she will tell you." With that, she turned and walked out the door.
As Sasha exited, Faith hurried in.
"Running late, Yokas?" Sully commented.
"Yeah, I forgot to set my alarm clock last night. Then I just couldn't seem to get going this morning." Faith replied.
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Thankfully, Kathy's day had been uneventful so far. Bosco had been asleep since her shift started. Rose didn't even attempt to wake him during either of the visiting hours. She was just happy to see him resting. His temperature had remained below 100 degrees. His heart rate and blood pressure had remained stable. However, Kathy was a bit concerned about his urine output.
As Kathy pulled the pillow from behind him in order to turn him from his side onto his back, he let out a slight moan. She looked up to see his blue eyes flutter open. "Sorry" she said softly.
Bosco licked his dry lips and mumbled "s'okay." He blinked a couple of times as if trying to get himself more awake.
"How are you feeling?" Kathy asked.
"Thirsty" Bosco muttered.
"Let's put your head up, and I'll get you some water." Kathy replied, as she started to raise the head of the bed. "What?" she questioned when she noticed Bosco's frown.
"What happened to your head?" Bosco asked her, looking at the large bruise over her eye.
"Oh that…" Kathy hesitated as she remembered what Rose had told her. "That's nothing. I ran into a cabinet door last night. I always was a klutz."
Bosco was suspicious of that story, having heard similar excuses from his mother for years, but he didn't question Kathy further. "You should be more careful." He admonished.
Kathy just shook her head and proceeded to pour him a glass of water.
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Ty had been making small talk with Sully since the shift started, but Sully could tell he had something on his mind and he suspected that he knew what that something was.
"So…" Ty began. "That was some surprise about Cruz, huh?"
There it is.
Sully sighed. "Yeah" he replied, not really wanting to talk about a fellow officer.
"Yeah?" Ty looked as Sully as if he were expecting him to say more.
"Yeah" Sully repeated gruffly.
"What, you don't think it's interesting? I wonder who the lucky father might be?" Ty wanted to know if Sully was thinking the same thing he was.
"The 'lucky father' would be none of our business." Sully replied. "What is this, junior high?"
"Oh, come on, Sul. You have to be curious." Ty prodded.
"No, I'm not curious. That's Cruz's business." Sully responded.
Ty was quiet for a few moments. "You know she's been really attentive to Bosco since the accident. I think she's been to the hospital every day." Ty continued.
"So what? Maybe she's just concerned about him like the rest of us." Sully grumbled.
"Or maybe he's the lucky father-to-be?" Ty suggested.
"TY!!!! That's ridiculous." Sully half-shouted.
"What? Why is it ridiculous, Sul?" Ty questioned.
"Bosco's already been burned by Cruz once, Ty. I don't think he would go back for seconds." Sully argued.
"Sul, this is Bosco we're talking about. And, well, Cruz is hot." Ty admitted.
Sully just shook his head.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.
Collision Course, Chapter 45
Day 13, 2:01 PM
Sasha hesitantly approached the ICU waiting area. It had been two days since Bosco's little set back. She had talked to Rose Boscorelli earlier this morning. Rose had assured her that he was doing much better and that he'd be glad to see a different face.
Sasha didn't know why she was so nervous. This was just Bosco. She'd seen him during the first week that he was in the ICU, but he was still out of it then.
She entered the ICU waiting area to find Rose reading a magazine. "Mrs.Boscorelli" she called out.
"Oh, hello, dear. How are you?" Rose asked with a smile.
"I'm fine." Sasha replied as she rocked nervously back and forth on her heels.
"That's good, dear. They just announced the visiting hour. Why don't you go on in for a few minutes while I go make a few phone calls." Rose suggested.
"Oh, ok. Thanks." Sasha responded.
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Sasha stood at the doorway to Bosco's room listening to Bosco and his nurse laughing.
As Kathy turned to carry a basin of water to the sink, she noticed Sasha. "Watch out" she warned. "He's in rare form today."
"Thanks for the warning." Sasha replied. She took a step forward then hesitated as Bosco glanced up at her.
After a moment of silent staring, Bosco cleared his throat. "You gonna come in or just stand there?"
Sasha approached the bedside, looking Bosco over as she did. Considering the seriousness of his injuries and the difficulties of the last few days, Bosco looked remarkably well. The bruises around his eye and forehead were a mixture of fading purple, yellow, and green. He still had to use oxygen, but at least that little tube was a lot better than the ventilator. And he had a little mischievous twinkle in his eye.
"Hey, Bos. How are you feeling?" Sasha asked.
"I feel like a new man. Got the last of my stitches out today." He said, as he pointed to his forehead. "Got a clean shave, thanks to a pretty little nurse." Bosco winked at Kathy as she rolled her eyes on her way out of the room. Sasha couldn't help but laugh.
"Still flirting with the ladies. Huh, Bosco." Sasha chided, as she reached out to wipe a missed bit of shaving cream from Bosco's cheek. Her finger lingered for a moment, as tears began to well in her eyes.
"Sasha" Bosco whispered. "Don't. It's ok. I'm ok."
Sasha pulled her hand back to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry, Bosco. I told myself I wasn't going to do this."
Bosco wiped roughly at his own eyes. "Come on, Monroe. You're going to make me think you actually like me if you keep acting like this."
Sasha chuckled lightly. "Well, we can't have that. Can we, Boscorelli?"
"No we can't." Bosco answered, as he patted Sasha's hand lightly.
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Maritza Cruz came by during the 6:00 visiting hour. Bosco was sitting up in a chair, watching a basketball game on TV. "NO! NO! AHHHHHHHHH!" Bosco screamed at the play on the screen, spilling water from the cup he held in his hand.
Cruz cleared her throat to get his attention. "Somebody must be feeling a lot better." She noted.
"Oh, hey, Ritza." Bosco replied as he glanced up at her. He was about to look back at the TV screen, but instead took a second look at Maritza's face. "What happened to you?" he asked worriedly.
"Oh, it's nothing. I ran into a cabinet door yesterday." Cruz lied.
"Hmph…. there must be an epidemic of that going on." Bosco retorted.
"What?" Cruz looked at him confused.
"You didn't get that from a cabinet door, Ritza. What happened?"
Cruz sighed and sat in a chair beside Bosco. "I just had a little scuffle with a perp. That's all."
"A little scuffle? That's all?" Bosco asked. "Are you ok? I mean, is the baby ok?"
"Yeah, Bosco. I'm fine and the baby's fine." Cruz assured him.
"You shouldn't have been on the street."
"Funny, Swersky said the same thing." Cruz smirked.
"You told Swersky?" Bosco questioned.
"No. Monroe told him along with about half of the precinct." Maritza told him then what had happened with the perp and then what had happened with Monroe.
"Swersky actually asked me if you were the father?" She reported.
At this revelation, Bosco spewed the sip of water that he had just taken all over his lap. He coughed a few times, then cleared his throat. "He actually asked you that?"
"Yeah, Bosco. He did. I'm sure everyone else will be speculating about who the father is as well. I'm sorry." Cruz apologized.
"Sorry for what? Are you afraid your going to ruin my sterling reputation?" Bosco smirked.
A slight smile crossed Maritza's lips and she laughed slightly. Then she became serious again. "There may be other people who think that this baby is yours, Bosco."
"So what? Let them think whatever they want too. It doesn't matter." Bosco reached out and covered Cruz's hand with his. "Ritza, look at me. You don't have to tell anyone what happened. It doesn't matter what they think. And I don't care."
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Day 14, 7:15 AM
Bosco fidgeted with his sheet as Kathy hurried about making sure that they were prepared to go downstairs. "It's not going to hurt, is it?" Bosco asked nervously.
"Well, it might hurt a little. But I'm sure they will give you some numbing medicine." Kathy replied.
Bosco swallowed hard, then smiled nervously.
"Just relax, Bosco. Dr. John is an excellent doctor and he does these procedures all the time. It will be over with before you know it."
"Do they really have to put it in my chest?" Bosco questioned.
"It's not going in your chest. It's going into the vein under your collar bone." Kathy explained.
"But his assistant said that there was a chance they could poke a hole in my lung." Bosco reminded her.
"They have to tell you all the things that could happen, even if they are extremely rare. Dr. John places dialysis catheters every day, Bosco. Besides you've had one placed before." Kathy replied.
"Yeah, but I wasn't awake for that." Bosco countered.
Kathy sighed, hoping that escort would come soon, before Officer Boscorelli changed his mind about going down. He was getting more restless and more irritable by the minute.
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Bosco braced himself as the orderly gripped the sheet under him and proceeded to drag him from the gurney onto the table in radiology. "Ahh" he let out a soft groan.
Kathy's head appeared above him. "You doing ok?" she asked.
"Table's cold. And hard as a brick." He replied. Kathy could see the fear in his eyes.
"Hello, Off-i-cer." Another face that he didn't recognize appeared above him speaking in a Middle Eastern accent. "I am Doctor John."
Bosco frowned at the man. Surely this towel head wasn't the one that was supposed to do this procedure. "What? Did you change your name thinking you could pass for an American? Guess what, pal. It didn't work. Where are you from anyway? Iraq?"
"Silly American. I am from India. And my name has not changed. I'm from the Christian province of India. My father and my grandfather were both John. After the apostle." Dr. John replied with a smile.
Bosco gave him a questioning look. Christian province?
"Ok. Are we ready to get started, Off-i-cer?" Bosco jumped as the doctor reached down to palpate the area around his collarbone. No, we're not ready to get started.
Dr. John adjusted the screen above him, then took a sponge soaked with betadine off of a tray. "Ok, now for the clean stuff, Off-i-cer." He said as he painted Bosco's chest with the cold liquid.
"Ok, turn your head to the left." He ordered as he pushed Bosco's chin away from him.
He hurriedly threw a large drape with a hole in the center over the area where he intended to place the dialysis catheter. When he did, the top portion of the drape covered Bosco's head and face. He went about readying his supplies, oblivious to the quickening of his patient's breathing and the increase in his heart rate on the portable monitor.
"Ok, Off-i-cer. A little stick like a bee sting." He warned as he brought the needle towards Bosco.
"W….w…ait!" Bosco shouted as he frantically pawed at the drape. "Get it off!" he shouted once more.
"Off-i-cer, stop that. Do not move. If you move, I will poke your lung out." Dr. John warned.
"GET AWAY FROM ME! KATHY! Kathy! Help me! I can't breath!" Bosco continued to shout as he finally freed him self from the drape.
"Bosco, calm down." Kathy urged. "You're ok. Just calm down."
"I… I can't breath."
"You're just hyperventilating. Just take some slow deep breaths. You're ok." Kathy assured him.
Dr. John looked on in shock.
After several minutes, Bosco's breathing and heart rate had calmed somewhat. "I can't do this. I can't stand that thing over my head. Let's just go." Bosco begged Kathy.
"Just let me talk to Dr. John for a minute, ok." Kathy replied, then walked over and motioned for Dr. John to follow her outside. She gave him a little insight into Bosco's past and his panic attacks. A few minutes later Kathy reentered the room.
The fear was still evident on Bosco's face. "Kathy, let's just go. I don't want to do this. Can't we wait until tomorrow? They can do the dialysis tomorrow."
"Bosco, its ok. Dr. John is going to give you something to help relax you." Kathy replied.
"No! I don't want anything to relax me. I just want to go back upstairs. Please." Bosco pleaded.
Dr. John appeared at his side with a syringe. "Relax, Off-i-cer. Close your eyes. Count the lamb."
"Wait! What is that?" Bosco exclaimed as Dr. John hooked the syringe to his IV.
"This is the happy juice, Off-i-cer." Dr. John reported.
"Happy juice my a…mmmummm…" Bosco's reply was cut short by Kathy's hand clamping over his mouth.
"Bosco, be nice. Dr. John isn't going to hurt you." She assured him as she removed her hand. "Just close your eyes. You won't remember a thing."
"No….no…no. I don't want to close my eyes. I don't ….want….to….don't…want…." Bosco was reduced to mumbling as Kathy saw him struggling to keep his eyes open.