Chapter 11
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"Alexis what's wrong, what hurts?" Simon ask as soon as he gets down to her bank, everyone else right behind him, kneeling next to her but he doesn't get a response as all Alexis is doing is crying.
"Her Appendix burst, I didn't see it coming, there was nothing I could do, I didn't know." River tells Simon.
"It's ok River" Simon says reassuring to his sister "Jayne, Esposito help me get her out of here." Simon say to the two as Esposito careful picks her up and carry's her to the hatch where he gently pasts her to Jayne who carries her to the infirmary.
"Jenny, Lanie I'm going to need both of your help with this." Simon tells them.
"Doc, what's going on is she going to be ok?" Mal asks worried only getting rid of the shock of seeing his daughter lying on the floor in pain.
"I don't know." Simon truthfully answers.
"What how can you not know?" Mal asks angrily and scared.
"Appendicitis is dangerous, can be fatal but an Appendix that bursts with no warning is even more dangerous only 5 precent of cases and those are the most fatal because it takes too long to get medical attention, time is critical ." Simon tells Mal as they arrive at the infirmary, when they do arrive at the infirmary Simon starts to collect the equipment then notices that Mal doesn't look like he is about to leave "No you can't be in here."
"Of course I'm going to be in here that's my daughter, my little girl." Mal tells Simon.
"That's why you can't be in here Mal." Simon says as he dopes Alexis. "I need to focus I can't do that with you looking over my shoulder."
"He's right Rick." Kate says trying to get him to leave.
"No I'm staying." Mal says fighting to stay.
"Jayne, Esposito, Ryan get him out of here don't let him back to I'm done." Simon tells them and with difficulty the three manage to get him out and close and lock the door.
"Dam it Alexis, don't do this to us." Simon says as he starts his work.
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Meanwhile everyone else is outside the infirmary Mal is pacing back and forth wanting to go in there and be with his little girl though he can't. Inara is sitting on the couch in an almost numb state shocked at seeing the little girl that she cares about so much love so much in so much pain, seeing the look on Inara's face Shepard Book walks over and holds his hand, River and Kaylee both sit down next to Inara, who puts out her other hand for both of them to hold. Everyone else is just standing around the room no idea what to say or what to do.
"Rick sit down, it could be a long procedure, you don't want to tier yourself out." Kate tells him from where she is sitting the stairs.
"I can't Kate that is my little girl in there, my world if she doesn't make it I don't know what I'm going to do I don't know if I could keep going." Mal says then slides down the wall and puts his head in his hands. Martha walks over to her son and kneels in front of him.
"Malcolm Reynolds don't talk like that, Alexis is too much like her father to give up, she is strong, she is to stubborn to leave you, she is going to keep fighting you've got to trust that. Believe that your little girl is going to keep fighting." Martha says sitting down next to her son holding his hand. "You told me yourself Simon is an amazing doctor and he's not trying to save her by himself he has Lanie and Jenny with him to, she has the best care she could have." Martha tells her son.
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"Have you ever operated on a burst Appendix?" Lanie asks Simon as they begin work.
"I once had a patients who's Appendix burst just as we were doing the opening cut, this is going to be worse though." Simon says opening Alexis belly to see puss all through the abdominal canal.
"Jenny hook her up the strongest antibiotics we've got she's going to need it," Simon tells Jenny, as he and Lanie begin to suction out the puss.
The two doctors and Nurse work together to suction out the puss that begins to mix with blood, once they have gotten enough of the puss out they begin to work repairing the hole in the intestines and turning what is left of the appendix into the stump, during the whole procedure they have to worry about visibility as even though they have collected a lot of the puss there is still a lot left. Simon has turned what is left of the appendix into the stump, and he and Lanie are working on and almost completely finished repairing the hole in Alexis's intestines when he heart bets goes erratic.
"What's going on?" Jenny asks.
"The infection Is traveling through her system, very rapidly" Simon tells Jenny and Lanie looking at her vital signs "Get me a 3, 15cc needle of pure strong antibiotics." Simon tells Jenny.
"You're going to insert the antibiotics directly into her internal abdominal, directly to the spots where the infection is coming from has that ever been done before?" Lanie asks as she has never seen or heard of it being done.
"It's done rarely in cases of very bad infections, the infection has to be very severe for this work correctly otherwise it can case cardiac arrest . " Simon explains to Lanie.
"Are you sure she's at that place?" Lanie asks.
"As sure as I can be." Simon say though he is nervous. He collects the first needle from Jenny and inserts it into near where her appendix used to be, he then uses the second and inserts it into the intestines "This one is the most dangerous, watch her vital carefully." Simon says collecting the third needle and taking a step up so he can lean over just above her heart as he does he whispers "Don't die on me Alexis, ok, just keep breathing." He says before inserting the needle pushing the plunger through the skin and directly into her heart.
Jenny, Simon and Lanie are all holding their breaths waiting, after about a minute her vitals regulate, and they all let out the breath they were holding.
"Good Girl Alexis," Simon says before turning to Jenny and Lanie "Ok repair the hole in the intestines suction anymore puss that comes out and then close her up I want her off this table as soon as possible." Simon tells Lanie and Jenny and the three work together to complete what they need to, all three of them watching her vitals carefully.
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45 minutes later, Simon, Jenny and Lanie exit the Infirmary.
"Malcolm." Martha says as she sees them walk out.
"Doc?" Mal asks worried as he stands up and walks over to them.
"She's stable." Simon tells Mal. Mal looks happy and hugs his mother and Kate before he realises that he only said she was stable not that she is ok.
"Is she going to stay stable, will she be ok?" Mal asks him.
"Alexis has a severe infection I had to do a procedure that is very dangerous unless the patient has a very very bad infection. It went well and will help clear the infection she is going to continue to need antibiotics but at the moments she's stable, though she's not completely out of the woods." Simon explains.
"How long until she is out of the woods?" Inara asks.
"She should wake up in the next few hours, if after 24 four hours she hasn't gotten worse then she would be out of the woods." Simon explains.
"Can I sit with her?" Mal asks.
"Of course." Simon says letting him in.
Inara looks to her side to talk to Kaylee and River when she notices that she is gone. She wants to go sit with Alexis and see for herself that she is ok, but seeing Mal she realises that he needs to be alone with his daughter at least for a little while, so she goes to find Kaylee and River as she knows that they need her two.
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Inara looks around Serenity trying to find Kaylee and River when she finally finds them sitting on Kaylee's bed.
"Oh Mei-Mei's." Inara says walking over sitting on the bed between them and pulling them both into her side.
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Everyone else is standing outside the infirmity looking at Mal holding his daughters hand looking at nothing but her.
"Maybe someone should go in there get him to have so chow, some rest." Wash suggests.
"I'll go." Kate says walking in.
Kate walks into the infirmary and stands next to Mal who doesn't even seem to notice her walk in, he just continue to look at Alexis "Rick you herd Simon she won't wake up for a little while why don't you go and get some rest and have some food, one of us will sit with her." Kate tells him sounding worried for him, he doesn't ever signal that he heard her, all he is doing is holding his daughters hand and looking between her and her vital signs. Kate waits a few minutes trying to get him to show that he herd but she gets nothing. She finally realizes she is going to get nothing out of him and walks out to join the crowd off people.
"Nothing, it's like he didn't even here me." Kate tells them.
"Let me try dear." Martha says walking in as she like Kate and everyone else is worried about her son.
Martha walks in and like Kate tries to get his attention but doesn't succeed, she sits for a little while holding her granddaughters hand and realizes that he needs to be alone and Silent until he is ready to communicate. After about half an hour Martha exists the infirmary.
"He needs time just give him that he'll talk when he is ready." Martha tells the group and after one last look at her son and granddaughter heads back up to the kitchen.
After 20 more minutes Kate can't stand It anymore she turns and addresses Zoe only person apart form her and her dad that are outside the infirmary , Simon is inside checking everything and everyone else is at dinner "Zoe, can you try see if he'll talk to you?"
"Kate I know your worried but you herd Mrs R. he needs time, we got to give him that." Zoe says not feeling that comfortable with going to talk to Mal when he is that state as she knows how he can be like.
"Please Zoe, I've never seen him like that, maybe you can get through to him." Kate begs.
"I'll ask if the captain wants some food but if he shows no sign of wanting food or wanting to talk like he did to the rest of you, I walk right back out I aint going to force it." Zoe says before reluctantly entering the infirmary.
After a few minutes she leaves again "Just give him time Kate, I'm goin to have some food, you should think about doing that yourself." Zoe says before leaving.
"She's right Kate, you should have some food." Simon says walking out.
"How is she?" Kate asks.
"The same which is a good thing." He tells her looking back at Alexis "I'm going to find River and Kaylee, you should grab some food you're no good to anyone if you pass out from starvation." Simon tells Kate then leaves to find Kaylee and River.
"He's right Katie." Her Dad tells him and she nods and follows him to the kitchen.
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Simon looks for Kaylee and River and find then asleep on Inara in Kaylee's bunk.
"Hey" he whispers to Inara.
"Hey." She quietly says back as she says carefully lifts Kaylee and River off of her being careful not to wake them.
"How's Alexis?" Inara asks and Simon can tell that she is worried which he isn't surprised considering how close they are.
"She's doing as ok as she can, you should go sit with her Inara, I've got Kaylee and River." Simon tells her.
"You sure?" Inara asks.
"Positive, go Inara." Simon tells her, Inara gives him a quick hug before walking to the ladder.
Inara starts to climb up the ladder when before turning back to Simon "How's Mal doing?" she asks.
"Not looking at anyone except Alexis, not talking." Simon tells her as he goes and sits on Kaylee's bed with his sister and girlfriend.
Inara climbs up the ladder and walks through the kitchen to where everyone is.
"Inara dear do you want so food?" Martha asks.
"No, thank you Martha." Inara says walking through the kitchen and everyone realizes that she is going to go see Alexis. Watching her go and realizing where it is that she is going, Kate quickly finishes eating so she can see whether Inara gets through to Mal.
Inara enters the infirmary, glances at Mal then pulls a chair up and sits on the opposite side holding Alexis other hand. Inara doesn't try to talk to Mal as she knows it will be no use that he will talk if and when he is ready. After almost an hour Mal finally talks.
"You not goin to try get me to eat or sleep?" Mal asks surprised not looking up from Alexis for a second.
"I figured the next person who did would be shot and I don't fancy getting shot." Inara responds and she like Mal doesn't look up from Alexis.
"Kaylee and River?" Mal asks simply.
"Asleep, Simon's with them" Inara tells him.
The two spend another 15 minutes in silence before Mal talks again. "She looks so small, so fragile, she looks like she is a little kid." Mal tells Inara complete pain and worry clear in his voice.
"Little kid." Inara thinks to herself and realizes something that Alexis is going to want when she wakes up even though she feels she's too old to ask for it. Realizing this Inara carefully puts Alexis's hand back by her side and gets up.
"Where you goin?" Mal asks surprised that Inara just suddenly got up.
"Realized something she's going to want when she wakes up, I'll be right back." Inara tells Mal as she leaves the infirmary and begins to walk to Alexis's bunk, as she begins to climb up the stairs she runs into Kate, "Kate" Inara says surprised.
"You got him to speak." Kate says simply and starts to follow her.
"Yes."
"How did you do that?" Kate asks surprised.
"I simply let him come to me, I know Mal sometimes he needs time." Inara tells Kate.
"I know him to." Kate says immediately going on the defensive "How come I didn't know that." Kate asks as they arrive in the kitchen area.
"Because you don't know all of him, and I admit I don't either but there is one thing I know that you don't. For you to know Mal for him to let you in, you have to first. Mal will be there for someone more that many think is possible even if it kills him, but he won't let people be there for him. A big step for him to let you in is if you let him in first, he believes that you can't let someone if they don't do the same for you." Inara tells Kate.
"How do you know that?" Kate asks interested admitting that she may be right remembering how he acted after she got shot, how angry he was that she didn't tell him that she needed more time than she originally said.
"Time, some of it has come out in arguments other bits come out by something he does or say." Inara explains then after a few minutes of silence says "I can see you care about him Kate and I know you make him happy and that's more important than you realizes, but you can't push him, you can't try and change him because If you do, your whole relationship will be gone not just your romantic one, and he will be more closed that he was before. Let him come to you, it may take time but just let him do it in his own time." Inara says then walks off before Turing back "Remember what I said you'll regret it if you don't" she says before Turing and heading to Alexis's bunk.
"Holey crap she's in love with him." Lanie who neither Kate nor Inara realized was there says from the couch.
"Lanie." Kate says surprised.
"Let's go to my bunk." Lanie says to Kate and they both leave the kitchen and head back to the passenger dorm area.
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Inara sits down on Alexis's bed allows herself a few minutes to collect herself before finding Monkey Bunkey and a few other thinks that Alexis might like such as Simon's encyclopedia and her favorite pillow that she brought here with her from the past. She looks around making sure that there is nothing else that Alexis would want when she wakes, and if she does she can always come back and get them. She picks up the three items and heads back to infirmary.
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Meanwhile why Inara is in Alexis's room collecting what she needs and making her way back to the infirmary Kate and Lanie are in her bunk talking about Inara.
"I don't see how you think she loves him, she basically told me how to make sure I don't screw up our relationship." Kate says to Lanie.
"She done that because even though she loves him she doesn't feel like they can be together, but she wants him to be happy." Lanie explains.
"How can you tell that?" Kate asks.
"Body language, reading between the lines of what she said." Lanie explains.
"I don't know." Kate tells her friend not sure how to feel if it is true.
"What them carefully when we're all together you'll see." Lanie tells Kate.
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Inara arrives back at the infirmary when she does she doesn't say a word to Mal, she just puts Simon's encyclopedia on the desk, moves the pillow that is under Alexis's head to put her own and tucks Monkey Bunkey under the blanket with her, then she sits back down and holds Alexis's hand.
"Thanks." Mal says simply, unable to believe that he forgot about Monkey Bunkey.
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An hour later Alexis shows no sign of waking. Inara and Mal are still in the same place they were, each holding Alexis's hands so she knows she's not alone, neither saying a word. Kaylee, River and Simon have just came to come see how she is doing they see the three and just stand outside the door.
"Why hasn she woken?" Kaylee asks Simon worried.
"The surgery was a lot, it took a lot out of her." Simon explains.
"When will she wake up?" Kaylee asks really worried about the girl who along with River have become her best friends.
"Could be any minute, but I could not be for hours, we just don't know" Simon tells her.
The three stand in silence for a few minutes before River says "Daughter and her Father, daughter and her Mother, not always together but a family, always will be, so much love, so much care nothing can break them apart, so much love"
Kaylee and Simon look at each other and then look at Mal, Inara and Alexis and have to admit that if they didn't know better they would swear the three were a family.
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The precent about how many appendix's spontaneously burst is made up, I myself have had my appendix out so do know how much it can hurt. Also some of this medical knowledge may be wrong, I am only in my first year of my nursing degree so I used knowledge I have as well as research and then I had to rule that against how things would have become defend 500 years in the future.