DISCLAIMER: The copyrighted characters of any TV program, movie, or published work of fiction are the property of their owners/creators. In this case, Law and Order SVU and Dick Wolfe. No copyright infringement is intended and nothing is being made. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Feedback is greatly appreciated (good or bad). Single quotes indicate thoughts. The subject is sensitive and I will stick to the medical facts as best I can.
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Could Have Been Colder
Chapter Eight
Three days later
"Mr. and Mrs. Cabot." Dr. Poole approached the older couple. They were seated in the waiting room just to the right of the nurses' station. The walls were painted a teal green color with tan wooden chair rail boarder. The carpet was new but already stained. Evan had looked at it several times while they sat and waited for the doctor to allow them back into the room. He imagined the stain was placed there when a distraught mother stood to fast when a doctor approached her with news of her son. The coffee cup slipping from her hands. Hospitals always have a tragic feel to them. This floor especially.
The ICU unit at Mercy was made up of several glass walled rooms. There were nurses' stations or charting areas that faced the rooms. The stations were positioned to where they could see two rooms at a time. Screens were inlaid in the desk of the stations. The information on the screens mimics the information being displayed on the machines in the corresponding patient's room. The floor had a space age look to it. Like the command center in Houston that monitors and watches the space shuttle while it is in orbit.
When a doctor examines a patient or an emergency occurs in their room, the glass walls become electrically charged causing the glass to become cloudy. This is both for patience privacy and to not cause visitors to become anxious over what is going on in their loved ones room. It is stressful enough to the families that are there to support the well being of the patients. Seeing tubes and wires hooked up to various monitors and machines with the other end of the tubes and wires placed on or in various parts of their loved one.
"The infection has entered into her lungs and we are doing our best to not allow it to spread to her heart."
"How did this happen?" Evan asked after snapping himself out of his trance.
"It is possible that she had it when she got to the hospital. So minute that it was not detectable." Dr. Poole paused.
"When the surgery occurred it exposed the infection to air and as we know her immune system is weak from fight the cancer."
"What will happen? What do we have to do?" Christina's head became fuzzy. For the first time in her life she could do nothing.
"You can pray. Pray that the newest round of antibiotics will work." Dr. Poole said trying to sound hopeful.
Across town
The sun shined through the windows of the loft. Olivia sat in the chair facing the windows. She really hadn't noticed that the sun had risen. She busily moved the fabric through the machine, taking great pains to make sure that it did not bunch or tear. The light fabric was rather difficult to maneuver. One wrong stitch of the needle or moving too fast with the scissors and the fabric would tear. Olivia was thankful that there was an extra bolt sitting in the fabric closet. She questioned it as first since Lang only handmade dresses for special people and they were always one of a kind. Now she knew why.
Olivia stopped when she heard her phone ring. She glanced at the caller ID before answering. HTe number was somewhat familar the time more so. She chuckled to herself. 'An all nighter and it wasn't a steak out.'
"Benson." She said with a sleepy voice.
"Olivia?" Christina said quivering on the other end.
"Mrs. Cabot." Olivia dropped what she was doing. She replayed the saying of her name in her head. She realized that the older woman was upset. "Mrs. Cabot what is wrong? Did something happen to Alex?" Olivia allowed her own panic to appear in her voice. It was becoming increasing hard to keep her emotions in check when it came to Alex.
"Olivia, they have moved her into ICU. She is in a medically induced coma." Hearing those words come from her own mouth caused Christina to finally break. The flood of tears almost made it impossible for her to speak, but she had to let the one person in her daughter's life know the truth.
"What? Why? She was just talking. You told me about the party you and she had planned for her return." Olivia let the dress fall to the ground. Since finding it in Lang's loft, she had been working diligently on it each night. She wanted Alex to wear it when she stepped out into the public for the first time.
"I know sweetheart, but what we didn't know was that there was an infection." Christina steadies herself.
Olivia began packing her things up and headed for the door. She taped the police tape back into place and walked down the stairwell. Taking two steps at time can be difficult, but not impossible. "Mrs. Cabot. I am on my way. Please, please don't let anything happen until I get there."
"My dear Olivia, I only hope I can." Christina handed the phone to her husband. Then without a word, walked down the hall to the elevators. She needed air. Fresh crisp air. And time.
So your thoughts are welcomed. For those wondering, my better half came through that is why you have not heard from me in awhile and my mother in almost law is getting stronger everyday.