Title: In Your Eyes
Authors: Raven Shadowrose/BeethovenRIP
Rating: M
Pairing: ?/?
Summary: A joint FanFic by Raven Shadowrose and BeethovenRIP based on Dixie and Jeff's conversation at the end of Series 26 Episode 36. We have rated it M as future chapters will contain adult themes. Dixie wants to be a mother and Jeff is all too willing to oblige, but, does their conversation in the ED have an unexpected effect on their relationship?
Disclaimer: The authors do not know or own any characters or content from Casualty, any original characters and the story are ours and we do not give permission for anyone to use the story or reproduce it.
Author's Note: Thank you to chan. nelson4444, olivia. c. king1 and Carlykinz for your reviews and comments, welcome to Sarahloulabellx, thank you for reading and your comment. Do you want to find out what happened to Dixie?
Chapter Thirty-Two.
Dixie sat at her desk with her head in her hands, she was going to have to call the agency and get another paramedic to help them out for the day. Stevie was still away and Jackie had called in sick as she had caught the bug that was going around. Dixie was preparing herself for more of her staff to go off sick, she wasn't feeling that great herself as she had found it hard to sleep when she got home from her shift, night shifts were always difficult as you had to sleep during the day. Dixie took another sip of her coffee and picked up the phone, she tapped in the number for the agency and waited until somebody answered. 'Hello, this is Kathleen Collier from Holby, I need a paramedic for a shift tonight.'
'Okay, I'll just call up a list of people in your area.' Dixie wondered for how much longer she would be Collier before she would have to go back to her own surname. Dixie tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk as she waited for the man on the other end to start talking again. 'We have a few paramedics that are able to work immediately, Tamzin Bayle is the closest and has worked at Holby before.'
'Do you have anyone else?' Dixie's heart had almost stopped when she heard Tamzin's name; she would not have her working here ever again. 'Nicholas Harker is the next closest and he is available right now.'
'All right.'
'He will be with you as soon as possible.'
'Thank you.'
'Is there anything else I can help you with?'
'No, that is all.'
'Goodbye Mrs Collier.' Dixie said goodbye and put the phone down, she sat back in her chair and yawned, morning would soon be upon them.
Dixie had noticed that she had been feeling tired lately, she had been feeling sick occasionally too. Dixie hoped that she wasn't coming down with the bug that everyone had been getting, she couldn't get it now, there were enough people off sick without her joining them. Dixie stood up, she was going to take a walk in the hope that it would clear her head and make her feel a bit better. Dixie steadied herself on the door frame, she had obviously stood up too quickly and it had made her feel a bit faint. Norman approached Dixie as she left her office and she smiled at him, she wondered if he knew that her smiles were fake, he probably did. 'Dixie, are you all right?'
'Yeah, I'm fine.'
'Are you sure? You look pale and a bit tired.'
'Thanks for asking Norman, but, I'm all right. I'm probably just getting that bug that is going about.'
'You should go home and rest if that is the case.' Dixie knew that Norman meant well but she didn't want to spend another night at home by herself and thinking of Jeff.
'If I start being sick then I will go home. I'm just going to take a walk, the night air will clear my head and help me feel better. If a shout comes in for us, could you take it with Polly?'
'Of course I will.'
'Thanks Norman.' Dixie headed out of the station and around the side of the building, she just needed a break from being Duty Manager for a while.
Dixie's thoughts turned to Jeff as she walked slowly around the hospital grounds; was he working a night shift too? She often wondered if he was safe and if his partner was looking after him. The agency paramedic would be here soon to start his shift and she hoped that he was competent. Hearing Tamzin's name had made Dixie think about the time she had caught her and Jeff kissing, it still hurt to think about it. Tears sipped down Dixie's face and she brushed them away, the feelings of nausea and dizziness that she had been experiencing earlier had returned but it was stronger this time. Dixie tried to steady herself against the wall and cried out in pain as cramps worked their way through her stomach, slowly the dizziness and pain became unbearable and she sat down against the wall. 'Jeff, I need you,' Dixie whispered and wrapped her arms around her stomach to try and stop it hurting. 'Jeff,' Dixie whispered again and tears streamed down her face as she lay on the floor to try and stop the world spinning. Dixie closed her eyes, the pain, dizziness and nausea was too much for her and she passed out, her last thought was of Jeff and if he would come to her now that she needed him.
Norman was worried about Dixie, nobody had seen her since she left for a walk, she hadn't come back and that was unlike her. Norman retraced Dixie's steps and he hoped that he would find her and she would be all right. Norman took out his phone and called Dixie's number, he heard it ringing not far away from him and he headed towards the sound. He called her phone again when the voice mail message started and turned it off when he saw Dixie lying on the ground. Norman ran over to her and sat down beside her. 'Dixie, can you hear me?' There was no response from Dixie and he checked her head and neck for any injuries, he checked Dixie's breathing and was relieved to feel her breath on his cheek. He checked Dixie's pulse and then picked her up in his arms. 'It's all right Dixie, I've got you now, you're going to be just fine.' Norman hoped that he was right and that Dixie was going to be okay, her skin was cold and who knew how long she had been out there.
Norman moved quickly towards the E.D and burst through the doors. 'Can I have some help here please?' He noticed that some of the staff were staring in shock at Dixie who was still unconscious in his arms. Tess and Dylan ran over to him and Big Mac brought a trolley over to them. Norman carefully laid Dixie down on the bed and they went straight into resus. 'Dixie Collier, 42, found collapsed outside the hospital. She's bradycardic with a pulse of 55, a GCS of five and has been outside for an extended period of time, possibly up to an hour.' Tess linked Dixie up to the monitor whilst Dylan put a line in and started running warmed saline through it in an attempt to warm Dixie up and bring her temperature back to normal. Tess looked at the readings coming off the monitor while she took Dixie's pulse. 'Pulse rate is still bradycardic at 55 and blood pressure is 90 over 60.'
'Tess, if anything changes I want to know about it.'
'Okay.' Dylan put the blood sample he had taken from Dixie into the portable testing machine and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the results.
Tess went over to Norman and put her hand on his shoulder. 'What happened?'
'I don't know, I came back from a shout and found her lying on the floor outside. If only I had gone looking for her sooner.'
'You can't blame yourself Norman, she's with us now and she will be all right.'
'I hope you're right, I will never forgive myself if she isn't.' Norman felt guilty, he knew that Dixie was feeling ill, he should have insisted that she get herself checked out and then they would have found whatever it was that had made her collapse before it happened. Norman waited as Dylan scanned the results from Dixie's blood test, he hoped that whatever was wrong with her could be reversed and she would make full recovery. 'Dylan, what's wrong with Dixie?'
'Dixie has Hypokalemia or in other words, low levels of potassium in her blood.'
'How low?' Norman was worried, he knew that the treatment of Dixie's condition could cause her to go into cardiac arrest if enough care wasn't taken with it. '2.3 millequivalents per litre, it is low but not low enough that we can't do anything about it,' Dylan said and turned to Tess. 'Call the pharmacy and let them know we need six bags of 10mEq per 100ml potassium for replacement therapy through IV access.' Tess nodded and went to the phone, she relayed Dylan's instructions to the pharmacy staff and then she put the handset down.
'They're on their way.'
'Good.' Norman bit his nails as they waited for the delivery of the potassium from the pharmacy, every second of delay was enough time for Dixie to get worse and he didn't want that.
Tess assisted Dylan with linking the bag of potassium fluid to Dixie's IV line. 'Only one of these bags per hour, Dixie must be closely monitored throughout the process and she is not to be left alone. If it looks like she is getting worse or her blood pressure and pulse do not start returning to normal then I am to be informed immediately, is that clear Tess?'
'Yes, I'll stay with her.'
'Good.' Dylan left the room and Tess found herself alone with Norman.
'Are you all right Norman?'
'I don't know, I should have insisted that she get herself checked out.'
'It is because of you that Dixie is in here now and being treated, you saved her life.'
'I wish it hadn't come to this.'
'So do we all.' It was always hard when a colleague was brought in to the E.D; everyone spent so much time working together that it was natural they all became close and like family. Tess checked Dixie's monitor, she wasn't getting any worse and it was going to be a while before she showed any improvement. Her potassium levels would be replaced slowly over six hours and then they would be tested again two hours after the infusion had finished if all went well. 'I should call Jeff.'
'Why?' Norman seemed put out that she wanted to call the man he held responsible for Dixie's decline.
'He's still listed as Dixie's next of kin.'
'Oh, I suppose that you'll have to.'
'Stay with Dixie while I go and call Jeff.'
'Of course I will.' Norman waited until Tess had left and he took Dixie's hand in his. 'I'm sorry Dixie, I should have insisted that you got help sooner. You will be all right, Tess and Dylan are taking good care of you.' Norman was pleased to feel that Dixie's skin had warmed up a little bit since she had been inside the hospital. Norman picked up a spare blanket and covered Dixie with it, he wondered if Tess had had any luck in getting in touch with Jeff.
Tess sat down in her office, she looked at the number on the piece of paper and dialled Jeff's number, he was Dixie's next of kin and he had to know what was happening. The ringing of the phone sounded in her ear until Jeff picked up. 'Jeff, its Tess.'
'What's wrong?' Tess heard the panic and worry in Jeff's voice, she felt sorry for him, breaking bad news to people about their loved ones was the worst part of her job.
'It's Dixie, she is in hospital and you are down as her next of kin, I need you to come back to Holby.'
'Tess…..Tess…. what happened to her? Please tell me.' Tess was certain that Jeff was still in love with Dixie, she could hear it in his voice. 'Jeff, we can talk more when you get here, but, we do need you here.' Tess hated to leave it like that but she had to get back to Dixie and keep a check on her, someone was going to have to be with her at all times throughout the next six hours. Tess had always liked Dixie, they'd had their moments of arguing and disagreements but right now Dixie was her patient and in need of someone to help her.
Norman looked up as Tess came back. 'Did you get in touch with Jeff?'
'I did, I think he's on his way.'
'Okay, I have to go as Polly is on her own, will you keep me informed?'
'Of course I will.'
'Thanks Tess.'
'No problem Norman.' Tess went over to Dixie and checked her monitor and the IV, the first bag was about half way done and Dixie had begun to show a small amount of improvement. She had a long way to go still but it was a start. Tess sat down at the head of Dixie's bed and noted down her observations on the chart at the end of the bed. Tess put the chart back and held Dixie's hand. 'Jeff, my Jeffrey.' Tess barely heard Dixie whisper Jeff's name, she stroked Dixie's hair to calm her.
'He's coming, at least I hope he is.' Tess wasn't sure if Jeff would come to Holby, would he be too afraid of seeing Dixie ill or too ashamed of himself and his actions to turn up? Tess hoped that Jeff would come to Holby, whether Dixie admitted it or not she needed Jeff to be with her right now.