Disclaimer – See Chapter 1
Authors note – See Chapter 1
Breathing Underwater
By:
AngelBabs81 and potterfan2006
Chapter 5
"Go get the hyperbaric chamber ready," Westphalen instructed the medics, and Levin nodded. Westphalen strapped Sammie into the bed with assistance, wheeled the bed to the chamber before administering oxygen to the unconscious woman.
Still looking over Sammie, Westphalen addressed Levin quietly."Joshua, why don't you go and get some sleep and be back in five hours to relieve me?"
"Are you sure, Kristin?"
"Yes."
"If you need me before that, call me," Levin left, nodding at Bridger on his way back to his cabin..
Nathan stood solemnly outside the hyperbaric chamber and turned on the speaker. "Is she going to be okay?"
"She should be," Westphalen responded, smiling. A sad smile crossed her face. "Sorry."
"Hey, you couldn't expect this to happen," he said. "I'll see you in the morning."
Nathan left, and Westphalen sat on the other side of the chamber. For the next five hours, she checked Sammie every 15 minutes and was debating whether or not to give her IV fluids. For now, Sammie would have to do without.
Leaning back in her chair, Westphalen sighed. Maybe I should have grabbed a book.
SQ-SQ-SQ
Five hours later Levin strolled into the lab, and tapped on the glass to get Westphalen's attention.
"Before you enter, get an IV kit," Westphalen informed him.
Levin nodded. After nearly six hours without fluids, Westphalen knew it was time to get some into Sammie. Levin entered the chamber and looked at the still unconscious young woman.
"How was the night?" he asked.
"Good," Westphalen answered. "She is still unresponsive, which has me a little concerned."
Levin laid out the IV kit and Westphalen looked at him. "I am going to bed for a few hours. Do you think you can handle it?"
"Yeah, I can. Sleep well," he told her. Finding a vein in Sammie's right forearm, he set up the intravenous drip, and conducted his own check, and he sat down to review the chart. Westphalen took the best notes and exact measurements, and Levin loved reading them.
On the bed Sammie started to stir and moan. Her eyes fluttered open, "What's going on? Where am I?"
Levin put the chart down as he walked next to the bed. "Welcome back," he said with a soft smile. "Just relax," he added. "You're in the hyperbaric chamber in med bay. Can you tell me your name?"
"Samarya Liz Williams," Sammie replied.
"Birthdate and age?" he asked.
"March 12 1993, 25," Sammie replied.
Levin verified the information with her chart and nodded, "Good." He sat down next to her. "You have decompression sickness."
Sammie gave him a confused look, "I have been diving before and I've never had this. Why did I get it now?"
Levin shrugged. "Have you even been at the depth of 250 feet?"
Sammie shook her head, "No."
"That could explain why," Levin smiled. "The pressure, or possibly the ascent back to the SeaQuest, caused bubbles to form."
"But why did it take so long to affect me?"
"It really didn't. Most decompression symptoms begin as early as a few minutes after surfacing," he explained. "They could also begin showing up a couple days later. Yours probably began with exhaustion; I'm guessing you thought it was because you weren't use to scuba diving. You began to get weaker and weaker until you called me about three hours later. The good thing is you called me and I saw you collapse. I would hate to think if we found you after eight this morning when you were a no show for work."
"How much worse could it have gotten?" Sammie felt a little afraid.
"Most likely, death," Levin answered truthfully. "You can figure that if we found you about ten hours later, the bubbles would have spread to your heart, lungs and brain." He paused and rested his hand on her arm. "But you are fine now. Your blood arterial levels are returning to normal."
Sammie bit her lip. Thinking, she shivered a little, "So I guess I was lucky. I know now to listen to my body,"
"Yes, you do, and not listening leads to death in most scuba divers, but that is why decompression sickness is taught when one is learning scuba diving." He smiled, squeezing her arm lightly in comfort.
"So when am I going to get out of here?"
"When everything returns to normal, and even after that, you'll be in a wheelchair for a few days so your joints can relax."
"Will I still be able to work from the wheelchair?"
"Yes, but you'll need to take it easy."
"Good, as long as I can do my job then I will do as you say. I hate feeling useless, and sitting idle for too long," Sammie said firmly.
Levin smiled. "Now that you're awake, we'll be drawing blood from you every two to three hours as long as you are responsive."
Sammie nodded her head falling silent. With the quietness of the room her eyes started to close again. Figuring she would be in here for a while, she could get some sleep.
TBC…