Hey guys thanks so much for all of your reviews. Sort of a filler chapter here but I hope its okay anyway.
rubysarered: Huh...Most of my medical knowledge comes from Grey's anatomy lol...So I wasn't sure about the code blue/red thing. I looked it up though and code blue is indeed the right alert for a cardiac arrest: D
Hope y'all enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 74
"Charging 400!"
"Rachel..." a doctor shook his head sadly "Call it"
Rachel fought back tears as she looked over at Joey and Ruby who were gazing at her in tearful disbelief.
"Time of..."
"No!" Ruby yelled though sobs as her knees buckled slightly "Rachel you can't...You CAN'T DO THIS!" she fell to her knees taking an equally distraught Joey with her "You can't do this to me again!"
"Ruby..." Rachel began to step forward.
"I can't lose her!" Ruby sobbed as she hung onto Joey as tightly as she could "Not her"
Rachel hesitated for a moment as she watched them sobbing painfully. She took a deep breath before she turned back around and grabbed the paddles of the defibrillator "Charging 400!"
"Rachel..." a doctor began to protest.
"Clear!" Rachel yelled over him. Everyone stepped back slightly as Rachel placed the paddles on Charlie's chest. Her patient's body jumped slightly as the shock was administrated but there was no other change.
"Charging 450!"
"Rachel, It's time to stop" a doctor said as he placed his hand on Rachel's arm "It's been 2 and a half minutes"
"Back off" Rachel shrugged him off and stepped forward again "Clear!" she dropped the paddles onto Charlie's chest and held her breath "Damn it...You can't leave them Charlie! CHARGING 450!"
"Rachel STOP!"
"Clear!"
A static sound filled the room again as the shock was administrated "Come on Charlie...CLEAR!" Rachel once again placed the paddles on Charlie's chest.
"Ra..."
BEEP
"Her heart is beating" Rachel panted breathlessly as she heard the sudden sound "its beating"
"That's unbelievable" the argumentative doctor muttered in amazement "She was medically dead less than 30 seconds ago..."
"Rachel?"
A quiet unsure voice caused Rachel to look up as the other doctors began to clear out of the room.
"She's okay" Rachel reassured Joey softly "For now. I managed to get her heart to start beating again..." she glanced at Ruby who was still sobbing softly in Joey's arms "I still need to talk to you but maybe I should come back?"
Joey nodded with a teary smile "Thank you Rachel"
"Of course. I'll be back soon to talk to you and check her stats" with a quick glance at Charlie Rachel left the room tiredly.
"Rubz?" Joey whispered as she tried to draw Ruby from her heartbroken sobs "Ruby? It's okay..."
"How can it be okay?!" Ruby sobbed into Joey's shoulder "She's gone! Charlie is gone Joey"
"She's not gone...She's okay" when there was no response from Ruby Joey raised her voice slightly "Ruby, are you listening?" she pulled back slightly to look into Ruby's pain filled eyes "Charlie is okay"
"But Rachel said..."
"Rachel managed to bring her back" Joey felt more tears this time of relief spring to her eyes "Charlie's okay"
"Really?" Ruby eyes glinted with hesitant hope "She's not...Gone?"
"No" Joey shook her head and offered a small smile "She's not"
Ruby scrambled up from the ground and rushed over to Charlie's bedside with Joey right behind her "She's alive?"
"She's alive" Joey confirmed as she stood at Charlie's other side and took her hand "She's a fighter...We should know that by now"
"Yeah" Ruby nodded tearfully "She is..." she placed her hand atop Charlie's and took a deep shuddering breath "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost her"
"That makes two of us" Joey whispered as she looked up from Charlie "But she's going to be okay"
"That she is" Rachel said as she walked back into the room, looking slightly exhausted "She should be fine now since the bullet missed any major organs"
"So...Why did she arrest?" Joey asked in concern "If she was okay than why would that happen?"
"It was a reaction to the surgery we performed to remove the bullet" Rachel said simply "At least that's out theory...There doesn't appear to be anything else out of the ordinary. No internal bleeding or anything so...She'll be fine. I promise"
"Why isn't she waking up?" Ruby asked in a low voice "Is she...In a coma?"
"Sort of" Rachel answered slowly "But more like a deep sleep than a coma...Her body needs time to repair itself from the shooting and the surgery"
"Are you okay?" Joey asked in concern as she noticed Rachel blinking rapidly.
"I'm fine" Rachel smiled reassuringly "I've had back-to-back surgery's all day and...I guess reviving somebody really takes it out of you" a split second later she was enveloped in Ruby's tight embrace. Though slightly surprised she returned the hug.
"Thank you so much" Ruby said tearfully "I don't know what I would have done without her..."
"It's not a problem" Rachel said with a modest shrug when they pulled back "I was doing my job"
"It's her life" Joey corrected quietly "And you were doing more than your job...If that was all you were doing you would have given up with the rest of the doctor's back there"
"Yeah well..." Rachel blushed slightly "I wasn't just going to let her die"
"Thank you" Joey said sincerely "You have no idea what you've done for use"
"Anytime" Rachel smiled as she glanced at Charlie "I'm just glad she's okay..." she looked back at Ruby "You should both go home and get some rest...But I know you won't do that. So I'm going to suggest that you go and get some coffee or something..." as Ruby began to protest she held up a hand "No arguments...You have to at least go and see Summer. I imagine the poor girl's worrying herself sick out there"
"Right" Ruby sighed but nodded anyway "I'll go..." she glanced at Joey "Do you want some coffee or anything while I'm gone?"
"Yeah...Thanks Rubz" Joey smiled and nodded at the teenager.
"Okay" Ruby dropped a kiss on Charlie's forehead, whispered an "I'll be back soon" and left the room reluctantly.
"I'll be right outside" Rachel said quietly "If you need me for anything just..."
"I know" Joey interrupted softly "Thank you Rachel"
With a nod Rachel walked out of the room.
As the door finally closed and she was left alone with Charlie, Joey finally allowed her tears to fall unhindered. She reached down and stroked Charlie's cheek lightly as sobs broke free from her throat "Damn it Charlie what were you doing?"
---
"Ruby!" Summer exclaimed as she jumped up from her seat and hurried to meet Ruby halfway down the corridor "Are you okay? Is Charlie okay? Oh My God...You've been crying again. What...Are you o...?"
"I'm okay" Ruby said tiredly as she allowed Summer to lead her back to the waiting room and sit her down on a not very comfortable seat "Charlie...She flat lined in the room and they almost called the time..."
"Oh My God" Summer whispered again as she took Ruby's hand and squeezed it lightly "Are you sure you're okay? Wait...Is Charlie okay? What about Joey?"
"Charlie's going to be okay" Ruby smiled weakly "Rachel wouldn't give up on her. She was amazing. And Joey is okay too...I think"
Summer released a sigh of relief and reached up to wipe a few stray tears away from Ruby's cheek "Are you sure you're okay?" she repeated in concern.
"No" Ruby shook her head causing a few unshed tears to fall "I'm just...A bit of a mess. I think it just hit me how close I came to losing her and...I'm not okay right now"
"Okay" Summer whispered, only just noticing Ruby's shaking. She tentatively wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders and offered a reassuring squeeze "At least she's okay though, right?"
"Right" Ruby nodded in response "I don't know what I would have done if..."
"I know" Summer said softly "I know Rubz"
"I was meant to be getting coffee" Ruby said suddenly.
"Oh...Do you want me to go with you?" Summer offered.
"Do you mind?" Ruby blushed slightly "I don't really want to be alone right now..."
"I don't mind at all" Summer reassured her as they stood up. She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips as she felt Ruby's hand slide into her own "You'll tell me if you're not okay, won't you?"
"I already told you I'm not" Ruby chuckled humourlessly as they walked along "I promise I'll tell you though"
"Good" Summer tugged Ruby to a stop next to the drinks machine "You know I worry about you...Especially right now"
"Yeah" Ruby murmured as her eyes dropped to the ground "It's going to suck when you leave me you know..."
"Ruby..."
"I know" Ruby smiled sadly as she looked back up "You have to do it" she stepped back and looked closely at the drinks machine. She raised a hand but found it was shaking so much that she couldn't push the buttons, let alone get the money into the slot.
"This is embarrassing" she muttered as she dropped her hand to her side "I'm shaking like a leaf for no apparent reason..."
"You're in shock" Summer said gently "That's a good enough reason...Don't worry. I'll get it" she pulled some money out of her pocket and proceeded to buy the drinks from the machine.
"Thanks" Ruby said gratefully as they began to walk back to the waiting room "I should probably get back to the room..."
"I figured you would be staying" Summer nodded slowly "I can stick around if you want"
"Thanks...But you should go home" Ruby smiled fondly "You need to get some sleep"
"But..."
"I'm not taking no for an answer" Ruby said firmly "You have to go home. I'll be fine. I promise"
"Okay" Summer sighed "I'll leave but text me if you need me okay? For any reason at all...And I'll be back tomorrow morning"
"Okay" Ruby smiled as she took the cups from Summer "I guess I'll see you later than..." they stayed still for a couple of moments and Ruby chuckled at the fact that they hadn't moved "And I would hug you but..." she nodded at the cups in her hand.
"Right" Summer smiled "I'll see you later" she began to move backwards but stopped at Ruby's sudden exclamation.
"Summer!"
"Yeah?" Summer asked in concern.
"thank you...for being here for me" Ruby said as she walked over to the other teen. She leaned forward and kissed her cheek "And I'll...See you later"
"Erm...Yeah" Summer managed to choke out as she blushed crimson "Um...later" she sighed to herself as she watched Ruby walk away.
"Summer!"
Summer spun around and groaned when she came face to face with Cameron "What?"
""Do you remember when I was telling you that we're leaving?"
"How could I forget?" Summer sighed miserably, her elation from only moment ago almost forgotten.
"Since Grant is in Jail now...I'm booking the flights at an earlier date" Cameron said casually "I know its short notice and all but we'll probably be leaving in two days"
"What?!" Summer's eyes widened in alarm "What do you mean?! We can't leave in two days!"
"Why not?" Cameron asked blankly.
"Charlie's been shot!" Summer exclaimed angrily "She almost died. We can't leave like this. I can't leave Ruby like this!"
"Ruby again" Cameron sighed. She tilted her head slightly in contemplation "You know...I'm starting to think there's something going on between you two...Is there?"
"NO!" Summer answered sharply "I...No"
"Do you want there to be something going on?" Cameron asked knowingly "Because..."
"Shut up!" Summer spoke through gritted teeth "That has nothing to do with this Cameron. What the hell is wrong with you? You've been really weird since Marissa died and you've only gotten weirder over the past few weeks. You haven't acted like my sister since..." she was cut off as Cameron lifted a hand and slapped her hard across the face "Ow..."
"Summer..." Cameron gasped as her hand flew to her mouth in shock "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that...I'm so sorry"
"I'm not leaving" Summer said blinking back tears "Not in two days time. I'll leave when we agreed because you're my sister and I love you but...I can't leave now. I won't. If you want to get on a plane and run from your problems right now you'll have to get on a plane without me. Ruby needs me. She's hurting and she's vulnerable right now. She needs me and I refuse to be somebody else who abandons her..." with that she turned on her heel and walked out of the hospital.
TBC
