DISCLAIMER: I do not own Chicago Med or any of the characters. Please review and enjoy!
….
"Lockdown, lockdown." said the overhead speakers on repeat, all the while flashing lights filled each sector of the hospital.
"One more of epi!" was the only thing louder than the blaring alarms.
Choi was drenched in sweat at this point, having already done two rounds of CPR.
The nurse standing next to him plunged in another syringe into Rhodes' IV. Reese was currently rubbing her hands, having done the last set of compressions, but intently stared at the heart monitor, willing it to beat.
"How long has he been down?" Choi asked, anger in his voice.
It wasn't fair. How did the guy who busted his ass for not only every patient and department, but for this whole hospital, end up coding on the table?
"4 minutes," Maggie grimly responded, standing in the doorway, numb.
The epipen had surely entered Connor's system by now, so Choi announced, "Paddles! Charge to 300!"
Ethan didn't even see who passed them to him, just took the things and yelled, "Clear!" before the electricity raced through Rhodes.
It took a sickening second before the quiet heart monitor decided to finally show some signs of life. Rhodes' heart gently began beating once more.
Everyone in the entire ED visibly shook with relief, Maggie thanking the big guy upstairs over and over again.
Ethan was for sure dripping at this point, but he either didn't notice or didn't care because he addressed everyone when he said, "We're not out of the woods yet. We need to stop the bleeding, maintain the heart rhythm, clear an OR, and check if there wasn't any brain damage while he was out."
The happiness was short-lived after Choi's announcement, but they all went to work. Maggie got to the phones, calling, paging, and channeling anyone that could help get these doors back open and Rhodes up to the OR.
Reese worked side by side Choi, the two doctors intent on stopping the excessive bleeding from the wounds and work to replenish that lost blood with the limited O negative bags they had.
"I can't tell if there's any internal damage to his organs," Choi said to Reese, discouragingly, "The only thing we can do is patch him up and wait for these damn doors to open. And fast."
Reese nodded, knowing how slim their, and Connor's, chances were.
…
Maggie had been on the phone lines for the past seven minutes trying to get in contact with any who had the authority to open the metal doors trapping the staff in the ED. Connor was…stable at the very least. Though, in his critical condition, that could change at any given moment.
"No, I can't hold sir," she frustratingly responded on the phone, "Sir-no sir, listen to me, we have a patient here who won't make it to the next hour if we don't get these doors open and a surgeon inside him. Kapeesh?"
Choi dejectedly listened to Maggie fight for Connor's life via cell, keeping an extremely watchful eye on his friend. The finite amount of blood bags they had diminished even further as they raced into Rhodes' bloodstream.
"Thank you, Chief," he heard Maggie say in relief, "Thank you." she hung up.
"That was the Chicago PD police chief," she announced to the emergency department, "They just got the all clear sign, doors opening!"
The next moment was chaos. Choi yelling at free nurses, orderlies, and the lone security guard to check this, handle that, observe what not. The minute the doors open, they were sprinting out of here.
"Doors open!" Maggie shouted.
"Go! Go! Go!" Choi's own shouts followed hers.
Once again, the flying gurney sped through the hospital halls.
….
"Finally," Halstead groaned as he slipped on his lab coat once more, "We're stranded outside the one day its burning up in an October in Chicago."
"I will never take air condition for advantage ever again," Natalie played along as they walked back into the ED.
Though their smiles quickly fell as they saw Maggie's distressed expression, anxiously writing down in a patient's chart. She was mumbling under her breath and the pen in her hand was shaking, clearly shaken up.
"Maggie," Natalie said, worried, as she and Will walked up to her desk, "Maggie, what's wrong?"
"Yeah, Maggie, are you okay?" Will also asked, concerned.
"Connor just went up to the OR, doesn't look to good," her voice wavered and she pushed some fly aways out of her face.
"Tough surgery for him?" Natalie asked, "What, the patient isn't going to make it?"
"Did he know the person he's operating on?" Will added.
Maggie was horrified. Here she was, staring at the faces of two of her closest friends and about to bring their world crashing down around them.
"Y-you don't know?" she barely managed, bringing a hand to her mouth in shock.
"Is he operating on the person who got attacked?" Halstead asked, becoming impatient with the lack of answers.
"No," she started, not knowing how to proceed, "No, he's not operating. Dr. Shulks is actually, Connor isn't in good shape." Maggie looked to the floor.
"What, did something happen to him?" Halstead now questioned, becoming more aggressive and worried each second.
Natalie understood after a few seconds, covering her mouth with her hands and willing the tears in her eyes to stay put, "No…"
Maggie still didn't respond, just looked at them sympathetically and trying not to cry herself.
"Natalie, what is it?!" Halstead was loosing it, finally understanding where Maggie was going with this, "Maggie, what's wrong with him?!"
Maggie just put a hand on his forearm, trying to calm his nerves. But Halstead wouldn't have it. Eyes wild, he raced up to the OR floors.
…
"Go! Go! Go!"
Reese heard that and they were off, like a race horse on its last lap. The 5 staff members pushing the gurney screamed at people to clear the way. The security guard tagging along with them this whole time, who earlier introduced himself as Larry, sprinted in front of the gurney and slammed on the upwards arrow on the elevator control panel.
Conveniently, the doors opened just as they were hastily approaching and screamed another series of shouts for those riding the elevator to jump out.
The crew slid into the elevator and Larry did his duty and heavily pushed the button that held the OR floors.
"Stats low," a nurse called, everyone tense.
"Reese, keep pressure on that wound," Choi ordered, looking at her white knuckles as she pressed all her weight on the blood soaked towel covering Rhodes' wound.
The floors dinged by, and a slight groan caught everyone's attention. Ethan immediately looked to his friend on the gurney, seeing Connor's blue eyes come to life, though they seemed sluggish and dazed.
"Connor," Choi put all his focus on his friend, "Connor, can you hear me?"
Another incomprehensible groan.
"Connor, it's me. Ethan. You're in the hospital. Can you hear me?" Choi emphasized that last question.
"M-mom…" was the quiet answer he received, Rhodes evidently in another world.
His hazy blue eyes slammed shut, but was followed by an extreme fit of coughing.
"Dammnit!" Choi yelled, everyone beginning to panic in the tight elevator, "Nurse, turn him to his side! Secure him! Larry, get this damn elevator open and us in an OR, now!"
All of this was barely audible over the constant, gut wrenching coughs racking Rhodes' body. It was as if he was coughing up all his organs. Which he was.
Blood soon stained Rhodes' mouth and the towel one of the nurses held in front of his face. It slowly but surely dripped off the gurney and some of his stitches burst open as a result of all of the movement.
Reese was in full fledge shock. She watched as her co-worker bled to death in front of her for the umpteenth time today. Choi was reciting enough curses to make anyone roll in their grave.
Larry had some success and finally managed to get the slow moving elevator to the surgical floor where they all raced for Connor's life to the nearest OR.
"Page, Dr. Shulks!" Choi screamed to one of the nurses at the front desk, all of the staff's eyes fixed on the racing gurney that left a blood trail in its wake.
….