Hi Peeps. Another chapter with some Jac/Jonny-ness to cheer us all up after this week's episode! Enjoy, and as ever please review..
Thursday morning, Darwin
"She's sleeping," Oli exclaimed as loudly as he dared, as he saw Jac and Daniel, closely followed by Jil's parents approaching the nurse's station down the corridor. He had decided to wait for their arrival rather than heading back to the on-call room because he knew that Jac would want to speak to him and reasoned that the conversation would be easier if he hadn't just woken up. "For about the last 20 minutes or so," he said, glancing at Gwen who nodded in confirmation.
"And her obs?" Jac asked, as she reached the counter.
"Well they're better than they were," Oli said, "but her heart rate is still slow, and her blood pressure's a little high. We've been doing them every 10 minutes and they have been steadily improving though," he continued, handing Jac the folder he'd removed from the bottom of Jil's bed.
"That's good," Jac said, addressing Daniel, Tony and Rosa. "You see," she said, showing them that morning's record, "they're all going in the right direction." And she smiled at them, hoping that she sounded and looked more confident than she felt. "You can have a closer look if you want," she continued, handing Daniel the folder.
"I've got some fresh bloods, the lab's fast tracking the results, and I've requested an urgent cardiac ultrasound – she's first on the list. And there's also an MRI slot being held for her if she needs it too." Oli added.
"Thanks," Jac said, glancing at him. "Have you got her notes?"
"Erm….yes" he said, as Gwen handed them to her, "we've written everything up so.."
"Yeah, I can see," Jac said distractedly, as she read through the accounts of the morning's events. "And the time she buzzed, that was the first sign there was anything wrong?"
"Yep," Gwen answered, "when we did her obs at half three everything was stable. Well, I mean you can see" she continued, indicating the folder that Daniel had just replaced on the counter.
"Jac," Rosa said quietly, "is it ok if we just pop in to see her. We won't wake her up, or stay too long but I just want to see her. Would that be OK?"
"I'm sure that'd be fine" Jac said, seeking confirmation from Oli and Gwen.
"Yeah, of course," Gwen stated. "You can come in with me. I'm due to do her obs now anyway." And so saying she stood up and after picking up Jil's folder walked out of the nurse's station towards the side room, followed by Daniel and Jil's parents.
Jac watched them go before Oli caught her attention saying, "Erm, well if there's nothing else I thought I might try and get a couple more hours sleep if I can. Tara wants me to help her study after work tonight and there's some stuff I have to get done today so,"
"Oh yes, yes of course," Jac said, "Go!"
"Thanks." Oli said, smiling appreciatively at her as he stood up, before adding, concern evident in his voice, "looks like you could do with a few more hours sleep too. You've got to look after yourself as well you know."
"What? No, I'm fine." Jac said, waving his concerns away. "Really I am," she repeated as he exited the nurse's station
"Hmmm," was Oli's only comment on that before he yawned loudly. "Well, think that's my cue," he said smiling, as he turned in the direction of the on-call room and headed off, before turning back he added. "If you're not going to get anymore sleep, you can at least sit down,"
"Mmm, that's not such a bad idea" Jac said, moving into the nurse's station and sitting down. "Satisfied?"
"Well, it'll have to do I suppose," Oli said, before starting off towards the on-call room again, calling out as he did so. "See you when I wake up."
Jac watched until he disappeared from sight and then sat forward with her head in her hands. She stayed like this until she heard some movement on the ward and looking up saw Gwen, followed by Daniel, Rosa and Tony, leaving Jil's room. "How's she doing?" she asked
"Her blood pressure's just come back in to the normal range," Gwen answered, "and her heart rate's stable."
"Great!" Jac said, again with more confidence than she felt, "that's good then isn't it?" she continued smiling over at the group. "Well I suppose as Jil's room is out of bounds for the minute, I'd better find you somewhere else to set up camp," she said, getting up. "How does a bit more time in the comfy chair corner sound to everyone?" And when there were no objections she led them towards this part of the ward. "Does anyone want a drink?" she asked. "Know I could kill for another coffee, so does anybody else want anything whilst I'm making mine….?"
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"You should have called me!"
Jac looked up from the article she was reading but paying no attention to, to see Jonny standing at her office door. "I didn't want to wake you," she replied.
"You should have called" he repeated.
"It was quarter to five Jonny," Jac explained, "and you're doing a long day today."
"That doesn't matter"
"It did to me," she stated simply
"Ok, ok" Jonny said, realising this was another one of those battles his gran had warned him about. "That aside, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine...No really I am," she insisted, seeing the look on Jonny's face. "It's not me we should be worrying about anyway. Jil's the one who's ill. Is she still asleep by the way?" she asked.
"She was a minute ago," Jonny reassured her, "and, I will worry about who I please" he continued, crossing the office and standing beside her chair. "And right now," he said, turning her chair slightly and gently lifting her chin so she was looking at him, "I'm worried about you."
"Well there's no need – I'm fine."
"Jac."
"Really, I'm OK."
"How did I know you'd say that?" Jonny asked, exasperatedly, before bending down and gently kissing her forehead. "You're like a stuck record sometimes," he continued, moving behind her chair and putting his arms round her.
And Jac sat back, closed her eyes and breathed deeply, enjoying the feeling of safety him holding her always caused. She opened her eyes after a few moments and turned her head slightly to look at him, then said, to his surprise. "You're not changed yet?"
"Erm no," he said uncertainly, "not yet."
"I like you in that top – it suits you."
Oh right" Jonny said, looking down at the green long-sleeved top he was wearing, whilst wondering what the hell was going on, "erm thanks."
"Not that I don't like the other things you normally wear, well most of them anyway" she continued, "it's just that really suits you. Brings out your eyes," she concluded, flashing him a small smile.
"Hark at you Gok Wan," Jonny joked, still unsure how this topic of conversation had come up, but prepared to run with it, if it stopped Jac thinking about other, more upsetting, things for a while. "You'll be telling me I don't need to be buff to be beautiful next."
"Oh no," Jac said, "I'd never say that. Buff is always best as far as I'm concerned."
"Is that right?"
"Mmm hmm, definitely – so sorry, you can't give up those gym sessions yet."
"Who says I go to the gym?" Jonny asked. "I could just be naturally toned, fit and fabulous."
"Yes, and Vanya might be a natural blonde," Jac replied, "but it's not very likely, is it?"
"What? You mean Vanya dyes her hair?" he asked in mock amazement. "You'll be telling me next that it's Elliott who eats all the doughnuts."
Jac grinned at this comment, before saying. "Speaking of Elliott, do you think it's too early to phone and let him know what's been going on with Jil."
"I'd say so," Jonny answered, looking at his watch "it's only quarter to seven. I mean, I'm sure he'll be up but he might not really be with it yet."
"Oh, is that all – I thought it was later than that."
"That's because you've been up for two hours already. Which reminds me – have you had breakfast?"
"What?"
"Have you eaten anything today?"
"Erm, no – there wasn't time when I got up and since I got in well…. But it's OK, I'm not hungry anyway."
"Jac, you have to eat. I'll make you some toast before I get changed," he continued, standing up and walking out from behind her, "I should have just enough time."
"But Jonny, really there's no need, I'm…"
"There's every need." Jonny insisted, looking back at her over his shoulder from the doorway, before heading off towards the staff room.
"not hungry." Jac said, to his retreating back. Before she sat back in her chair again and wondered how it was that some people, like Daniel and Tony – who had gone to get breakfast as soon as the canteen had opened at 6.15, retained their appetite whatever was happening, whereas others like her just didn't seem to get hungry in times of stress. She remembered that even Rosa, who had managed to sweet talk Gwen into letting her sit in Jil's room whilst she slept, had asked Tony to bring her something back – 'a box of cereal, or a croissant. Nothing noisy though, or smelly' she'd instructed. 'Maybe Jonny's right,' she thought, 'even if I'm not hungry I suppose I still need to eat.'
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"So what did Elliott say?" Jonny asked Jac, knowing that she had just finished speaking to him in their office, as she waited for the kettle to boil in the kitchen area.
"What?" Jac asked, disturbed from a reverie, before as if his words had just reached her, continuing, "Oh, he doesn't know – he needs to get all the results in before he makes a final decision, but," she hesitated, "but he thinks sooner rather than later," she concluded, running her fingers through her hair, before smiling a small, tight smile over at him.
"Oh" Jonny said, knowing that this was the news she had rationally expected to hear, but also had desperately hoped she wouldn't. "Oh Jac, I'm so sorry."
"It can't be helped" she replied, accompanying her words with a slight shrug of her shoulders, "and he's right. I know he is – we really don't want this to turn into an emergency procedure. It's just – oh I don't know….suppose I was hoping for some kind of miracle – that he'd tell me I was wrong and that we could afford to wait for a couple of weeks."
"You wanting to be proved wrong by Elliott, now that is a first" Jonny said, attempting to lighten the mood.
He was rewarded for his efforts by a small but real smile from Jac before she said, "I know, how twilight zone is that?" But then her smile faded and Jonny knew that she was close to tears, and not wanting to make her feel worse (as he knew him seeing her cry would) he busied himself preparing everything to make their hot drinks, which meant that he was no longer looking at her.
"Tea?" he asked, briefly turning round to look at her, holding a tea bag for her to see and gratefully noticing that she seemed to have managed to collect herself.
"Please," she said, before continuing, more to herself than to him, and smiling sadly over at him as she said it "there's nothing a cup of tea can't make a little bit better."