Chapter Two: Hurricane (Natalie Grant)

Greg peeled out of his apartment building's lot and did his best to keep from stepping too hard on the gas; he mostly succeeded. As he drove, he had to ignore the chirping and beeping from his phone; he'd update his team when he had time and information. When he pulled into the Metro General parking lot, he steered for the first open – legal – spot he could find and barely took the time to put his car in park and turn it off before he was out and racing for the front entrance.

Inside, the desk workers recognized a man following an ambulance and one of them guided him to his nipotes. The nurses and doctors were hurrying around, doing their best to figure out what the problem was. Greg overheard one of the doctors order a CT scan as he came to a halt beside his nephew. Lance looked utterly lost and helpless as he stood next to the table his sister was on; Greg slung an arm around the teen's shoulder and looked down at his niece, his heart clenching. He should have called 911 the night before.

A nurse coaxed Alanna into taking an anti-nausea pill and settled the girl back down on the table. Violet eyes were clouded and confused, but flicked to her uncle and brother, seeking reassurance that they were still there. Lance gripped his sister's hand, a fierce refusal to be moved in his eyes.

As activity bustled around them, Greg pulled his phone out and sent a more detailed message to Commander Holleran, explaining, briefly, what had happened and more demanding than requesting time off. Holleran's return message granted the time off and requested permission to start spreading the news. Greg bit his lip and texted permission back.

Then he focused on the room, blinking as he realized he, Lance, and Alanna were alone; all of the nurses and doctors were, for the moment, gone. A wheezing sound came from the table and Greg automatically looked down only to nearly freeze in horror; Alanna, on her back in the standard recovery position, had thrown up again. On her back and almost helpless, she was choking on her own vomit. Lance darted for the door, yelling for help, but Greg slid one arm under the girl and tried to pull her up…when that didn't work, he turned her on her side. On her side, Alanna was able to cough and clear her airway; the SRU Sergeant shot the newly arrived nurse a dirty look for leaving Alanna on her back and alone except for her family. The nurse wisely left the girl on her side as she coughed and tried to throw up again.

Uncle and brother were left behind when Alanna was taken for the CT scan; Lance huddled into his uncle's chest, eyes wide and frightened at something that couldn't be fought. A cleared throat drew Greg's attention to a man peeking in; he was about Greg's height, with silver hair and brown eyes hidden behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, and he had a friendly, open expression. "Hi there," the stranger greeted, "I was visiting a member of my church and I couldn't help but notice the flurry of activity. I don't mean to intrude, but I was wondering if I could pray with you for the young lady?" For a moment, Greg could only stare at the man, but then his brain kicked into gear and he decided it couldn't hurt, so he accepted the stranger's offer. He was a bit unnerved when the man actually came in the room and prayed over both the Sergeant and the teen, but kept his mouth shut. The stranger gave them one last smile once he'd finished and, before he left, told them, "I'll keep the young lady in my prayers. God bless."

Alanna didn't reappear and a careful inquiry brought the news that she'd been sent for a second brain scan. Greg swallowed hard at that…brain damage; the very idea sent chills up his back. That the lively girl he knew might have brain damage…it took a minute to calm himself down again.

Close to an hour after the praying stranger left, Alanna was wheeled back in, with a doctor hovering nearby. Solemn, the doctor gestured for Greg to follow him; Lance stayed behind with Alanna. Greg was feeling a bit numb as the doctor guided him into the room next door. "Well?" he asked, hardly recognizing his own voice.

The woman sighed. "It's bad and we can't treat her here. We ran two scans just to be sure. She has an aneurysm and it's leaking blood onto the brain. That's causing the brain to swell, which is why she has a migraine and why she's throwing up. Where do you want us to take her?"

"Rush." The teaching hospital was not only one of the best hospitals in Toronto, it was where both kids had their tech-side doctors. The hospital's reputation was well-known and equally well-earned; Greg could think of no better place to turn to in a medical crisis.

A regretful headshake. "That's too far, Mr. Parker. We can take her to Mount Sinai or Toronto Western Hospital. Which would you prefer?"

Greg swallowed hard and was about to answer when a nagging, passing thought struck. Brown eyes hardened and narrowed. "You're the doctor; what's your opinion?"

The doctor looked a bit taken aback by the counter-assault. She thought for a second or two, then blinked. "The neurosurgeon from Toronto Western Hospital is here right now…let me go ask him." The SRU Sergeant watched in some bemusement as the doctor whirled out of the room and returned a minute or two later. "He said 'take her to Rush'. I'll make the arrangements."

With a heavy sigh of relief, Greg watched the woman depart and started his own planning. If he left his car here and had a member of his team pick it up…just a shame that Lance wasn't quite old enough to take his driver's license test yet. Well, it couldn't be helped now…he'd just deal with things as they came.

Before leaving Metro General, Greg called Holleran and updated him on what was happening. The Commander, though shocked and horrified, promised to inform Team One and the rest of the station.

The next hurdle was the spirited debate as to whether Alanna would be transported by ambulance or by helicopter. Greg broke out in a cold sweat at the very idea of flying, but he'd do whatever he had to for his niece, even fly. To his private relief, the doctors concluded that Alanna wasn't quite so bad off as to need a LifeFlight. Unfortunately, the ambulance didn't have room for both Lance and Greg, so Greg, once again, sent Lance with his sister and drove himself.

She heard her brother calling her name, heard her uncle's quiet urging, but she couldn't respond. Alanna struggled to move, to reassure her family, but it hurt too much and she was still wracking and heaving. She knew the paramedics had come, knew they were putting her on a backboard and struggled to help, but even that felt pitiful and weak. Strangers, they were all strangers…then she saw her brother hurrying along beside them. Alanna fixed her gaze on her brother, her big brother, and held on. She didn't know where her uncle was, but she knew he'd be along soon.

The emergency room was more of a painful blur than anything she really registered. She did her best to follow directions, but much of it was simply beyond what she could do…and she was still throwing up. She wasn't really aware of almost choking, she just listened to her uncle's instruction to roll onto her side. Dimly, she knew they were taking her to Rush and that they were considering a helicopter ride. Past the pain and everything else, she had a fleeting wish that they would choose the helicopter…she'd never been in one before. But she was in far too much pain to regret the lost chance when they chose to send her by ambulance. She knew her brother was with her, but really, everything was getting harder to focus on.

A snatch of song rang in her head. 'He'll find you in the hurricane' With everything she had left, she clung to the song, letting it play in her head, believing, trusting, that it was going to be just fine. All she had to do was hold on and trust in Him.

The stretcher's motion and sound was really just in the background but she saw the tiled ceiling moving overhead. And when it stopped, she wondered where she was, but, just then, she felt herself slipping down into darkness. She took the song with her.

Author's note: Before anyone points out that Rush University Medical Center is not in Toronto…I'm well aware of that. It's actually in Chicago, Illinois, but it's the hospital I'm most familiar with as I've been going there since I was an infant. Therefore, I moved it to Toronto for this story.

On the Real Life front, we are done with our final presentation and, essentially, with our training. Just studying and interviews now. We're also seeing if we can snag the next level of certification while we can still get reimbursed for it. We'll see how that works out...all in the Lord's plan (and His timing).

Thank you all for praying me through this. It's not over...won't be over for another two years...but at least I've made it this far and your prayers have been a big part of that. Hope you enjoyed, please read and review, and have a great weekend all.