A/N - the medical references have been skewed and made to fit the story.
Any resemble to real life conditions is purely coincidental. ;-)
Quality Time Alone
Helena felt for a pulse, but there wasn't one. She tore her jacket off and put it under Irene's head and positioned her on the floor. Eileen grabbed the defibrillator machine and brought it to Helena. She helped her get Irene prepared as she shouted into the phone what the emergency was. Helena prepared the paddles and applied them; trying unsuccessfully to shock shock the woman's heart back. Helena knelt over Irene, applying CPR hard and fast. It seemed to take forever, but finally the elevator opened and the EMT's rushed off.
"Cardiac arrest," Helena said as they took over. They asked Helena questions as they tried to get Irene to respond. Eileen went back to her desk to alert the team and called Myka, who was just coming up in the other elevator.
"She's breathing," the EMT reported as they started the IV drip and heart monitor.
The elevator door opened and Myka stepped off in time to see Irene's unconscious body being lifted onto the stretcher. Eileen told Myka what happened as Helena held onto Irene's hand, assuring her of her presence. Myka put her hand on Helena's shoulder and Helena grabbed it hard.
"Only one of you can go in the ambulance," was the young EMT's first mistake. Helena glared at him so hard that he pulled back, but insisted it was the rules.
"Do I look like a woman who pays attention to your rules," Helena growled in a low voice – in-his-face.
The man stuttered and looked at Myka. "It's okay, Helena," Myka said and only then did the Brit stop looking at him.
"We need to think of the patient first," the more senior EMT said as they pushed the stretcher on the elevator, Helena still attached to Irene.
"If anything happens to her…," Helena started and Myka immediately interjected – "Helena, let's all get Irene to the hospital." The last thing any of them needed was Helena under arrest before they got to the hospital.
"She's like a mother to Ms. Wells," Myka whispered to the medical staff member as Helena talked to an unresponsive Irene.
"We got protocol lady," the EMT responded and that was how Myka knew this was not going to go well.
"You know, it might be better for everyone involved if I was with her. I can try to keep her calm," Myka said out of the side of her mouth.
"Calm? She's unresponsive!" the dolt said.
"Not the patient!" Myka said - as the other EMT asked Helena about Irene.
"Are you a doctor? I don't need you to diagnose her. I just need her personal information," the technician said to Helena.
Myka was beginning to understand what a steel cage match was like. She prayed for the elevator to open before anyone got hurt. And by anyone, she meant an Emergency Medical Technician.
"I know the signs of cardiac arrest, you fool," Helena snapped at the EMT who kept talking into the communications device on his shoulder. "We're transporting possible cardiac arrest, female, 58, breathing, nonresponsive," he said and then asked for security to meet them at the hospital entrance.
Eileen and Claudia were downstairs already when they wheeled Irene out.
"Oh thank God," Helena said, grabbing Eileen with her free hand and whispering in her ear. Myka could make out that she wanted her to go to the townhouse, but that was it. Then she grabbed Claudia's arm and told her she needed her to program things.
In the meantime, Myka called Artie and begged him to get Vanessa to meet them at the hospital. She needed someone there who could intervene on Helena's behalf.
"Helena," Myka said outside, and it only took one look into those dark pools to see them flooded with worry. "Helena, she'll be okay."
"Myka," was all Helena could get out without choking up and clenching her jaw to stop the emotions.
"I don't see how the two of us are going to fit back there," the EMT said and Helena grabbed him by his arm and pushed him in. "See?" she said and Myka pulled her back.
"Helena, they'll prevent us from going with her. Please don't hurt them," Myka said because there was not time to beat around the bush.
Myka went into the passenger side of the ambulance and they took off across town with the sirens blaring. Myka was texting Pete and letting him know. She could hear Helena arguing over the information the EMT was relaying to the hospital.
And in between all of that – she could hear Helena's voice shaking just the slightest when she would bend down and assure Irene she would be okay.
They were almost to the ER when the driver noticed the expression on Myka's face.
"Are you okay, lady?" he asked Myka when she grabbed her own chest. She was experiencing the pain Helena was feeling in her heart – the anguish at just the thought of losing Irene. Myka tried to rub her chest over her own heart to calm it down, but it wouldn't stop.
"Yes, I'm fine," Myka said because there was no explaining what she was feeling. They pulled to the hospital and Myka got out of the ambulance and went to the back to help Helena out.
"Find out who the doctor is. I do not want anyone inexperienced. We need Doctor Lazard," Helena said to Myka.
The EMT had had enough of the unwanted woman and bent down into Helena's face and told her in no uncertain terms that Doctor Lazard did not work at this hospital. No one ever saw what happened – not even the EMT who suddenly dropped straight down next to the stretcher. People started to yell that they had a tech down and they rushed to help him, as Helena stepped over him still holding onto Irene's hand as they wheeled her in.
"Helena?" Myka said, looking over her shoulder at the man who was sitting up now and touching his throat.
"We no longer needed him," was all Helena said.
Vanessa was indeed there to meet them and explained to more than one person at the hospital that Helena didn't have to let go until they took Irene into the ER. Helena got Elliot Lazard on the phone and explained to him that she would get him the necessary clearance to work at a hospital that he had no physician privileges at. The man apologized to his patients at his office, but said there was an emergency.
Vanessa was instrumental in making things go as smoothly as they could with an out of control woman in their midst. She did tell Myka that if they didn't get Helena to calm down, security would be forced to escort her out. "We're responsible for Irene now, whether or not Helena likes it. Can you help her to understand that?"
"Yes, of course," Myka said. "Helena?" Myka said, gently pulling her to sit down in chairs outside the room where they had taken Irene. Helena sat, but was up again within seconds.
"I do not trust that they know what they're doing," Helena said adamantly.
"Helena, Vanessa says Irene is in the very best hands. Dr. Lazard will be here any minute," Myka said, standing right next to Helena. She could tell by the Brit's clenched jaw, shallow breathing, and darting eyes that it was going to take some time until Helena relaxed.
"I should go in," Helena said and was about to when Myka pulled her back.
"No, no you shouldn't, Helena. Let them assess her ok?" Myka said.
"They don't know her. They don't know what she's like. Suppose she comes to and …I'm not there?" Helena asked and tears pushed at her and fell down her cheeks.
"Oh Helena," Myka said, pulling her into her and holding onto her. "It's okay, Helena," Myka said as the Brit sobbed softly. For a minute, she felt Helena's body go limp as she gave into the sadness and cried.
Then Helena's head shot back up. "I am not going to let her die, Myka. I am not going to let that happen again. I am not going to sit idly by while a life gets taken from me," Helena said – and Myka had to grab at her own chest with both hands to hold herself up. Pain radiated from within – more than from her heart now – from her very core. "Helena, please – " Myka begged, but there was nothing Helena could do. It was the feelings inside her that she had no control over.
Myka willed herself to let go so that she could grab Helena's head with her two hands. "It's going to be okay, Helena. Listen to me, it's going to be okay."
And then as quickly as the impact erupted, it subsided. Myka could breathe again and when she looked at Helena, there was calmness in her eyes now.
"We're okay now," Helena said to Myka.
"Yes," Myka said and turned to see Eileen walking down the hallway.
"Yes," Helena agreed.
Claudia explained to Eileen that Helena had asked her to program the assistant's hand print into the security devices at the townhouse to help her gain quick access. As soon as Eileen arrived, she pressed her hand down into the machine and the door opened.
"I could have just opened it," Leena thought to herself, but knew Helena wasn't taking any chances. Claudia had called Leena and told her that Pete was bringing Eileen up to the townhouse and why. Now Leena paced the floor while Eileen went into the basement and into Helena's laboratory.
Following Helena's careful directives, Eileen placed her hand on a glass plate and the door to the lab opened for her. She walked straight to the glass cabinet inside the lab and entered a special alphanumeric code into the keypad. The glass door opened and Eileen removed the box that Helena had instructed her to get. She could feel the cold air inside the cabinet that was maintained at that temperature because of the box's contents. Eileen knew that once she took the box out, the clock was ticking, and she had to get to the hospital quickly.
"Ms. Sullivan? Are you okay? Is everything okay?" Leena asked, coming down the flight of stairs. There was no one there. She looked around, wondering how the woman could have passed her without her seeing her. It was impossible. Then Leena looked at the door she had questioned Helena about. It was the same door behind which she had heard noises like drilling and pounding weeks before.
'Now where the heck does that go to?' Leena wondered as she called out for Eileen, but no one answered. She put her ear to the ornate metal door and swore she heard a swooshing sound.
"God speed," Leena whispered at the door. She may not have understood what was going on, but she knew Irene was in trouble.
Now Eileen was walking down the aisle of the hospital towards Helena. She walked with confidence as she carried the very thing she had been sent to get. Helena saw her in the distance and turned to Myka, holding Myka's arms.
"Myka, look at me please," Helena implored. "They're going to come out and say they want to operate. Her heart is damaged, Myka. I could hear it."
"Helena, the doctors are in there…," Myka said.
"Myka, listen to me please," Helena implored and Myka locked onto her eyes. Only then did Helena continue. "I have to get in there. Miss Sullivan is bringing me what Irene needs and I have to get in there to give it to her."
Myka's head shot around to see Eileen approaching them. "What is it, Helena? What does she have?"
"Something to save her life. They can't operate on her, Myka. I can save her," Helena said softly, but definitely.
"Then give it to the doctors…," Myka tried to reason. Eileen sat down in the chair without saying a word.
"Myka, do you trust me?" Helena asked.
"Of course I do, but you're talking about ….I don't know what you're talking about …but if something happens to her, Helena, they will arrest you and throw away the key," Myka said straining to keep her voice down. Surely someone was going to overhear this and apprehend them on the spot.
"Myka, they're going to want to operate. I can prevent that now. I just need to get in to see her – alone," Helena said in the calmest voice she had since they got there.
Myka looked around. This was the very definition of insanity and she knew it. They would have no defense and she wouldn't be able to help Helena because of her complicity.
The only upside is that they'd be in jail together.
"What do you need me to do?" Myka said, shoving her hands in her pockets and taking a deep breath.
A few minutes later, Doctor Lazard came into the waiting area and told them that they were going to prep Irene for surgery. Upon examining her, they found that the cardiac arrest episode had exposed a malfunction in her heart that needed immediate attention. Myka kept thinking – why not let them operate and take care of it – when she thought back to the pain she experienced in her chest because of her Oneness with Helena. Maybe Helena still had some connection with Irene that would explain how she knew what they wanted to do. Maybe Helena knew somehow it wouldn't work and that she had to take matters into her own hands.
As planned, Helena lowered her head into her hands crying. Eileen put her arm around her to comfort her.
"Doctor, do you think Helena could have just a minute with Irene before you bring her up. Alone," Myka asked the doctor.
Had he not known Helena as well as he did from all the charity functions they attended, he may not have even entertained the request. But this was Helena Wells and so he cleared out the room and told Myka that Helena literally had only a minute.
And that was all the time she needed.
Helena thanked the doctor who stood outside with Myka. Myka purposely turned so that he was facing away from the window that was behind him. She asked him about Irene's prognosis but never heard a word of what he said. Eileen let out a soft gasp as Helena took the syringe out of the case, held it in both hands above Irene's chest and slammed it down – directly in Irene's heart, only then pressing the pump down.
Eileen's eyes widened and Myka pulled her over closer and held onto her, trying the whole time not to give Helena up. They glanced past the doctor and watched as Irene's body jerked from the impact.
"So we'll run one more test, but I'm fairly certain we'll only have one option here," the heart specialist explained to Myka and Eileen. Myka nodded and thanked him.
"Thank you for that, Elliot," Helena said as she emerged from the room.
"Only for you Helena," he said. "She's going to be fine. The operation is straight forward, although long."
"She's not going to need it, Elliot. She's a strong woman with an enormous heart. She's going to be fine," Helena said and he mistook that as her kind wishes for her friend.
"Did it work?" Myka asked, holding Helena's hand as they sat back down. The medical team was back inside prepping Irene for the last test and surgery.
"That woman is about to be declared a medical miracle," Helena said quietly.
Myka clasped her hands together and prayed Helena was right. If anyone was up to playing God, it was Helena. But Myka closed her eyes and put in a good word for the Brit with the Supreme Being, just in case.
Twenty minutes later, the last test would show what Elliot Lazard would not be able to explain. He ran all the other tests, too, and they confirmed that the patient's heart had somehow repaired itself and healed – perfectly.
"Helena, she's fine! We're not going to operate," he said, running his hand through his gray hair. "I checked the results twice. And I simply can't explain it," he said to Helena and Myka and his surprise was clear.
"Of course you can't, Elliot," Helena smiled and held Myka's hand. She slipped the used syringe with the very long needle back to Eileen who then discretely put it back into the metal case.
Helena had produced the first pluripotent stem cell injection using synthetic stems cells that were mixed with Irene Frederic's own cells; thereby assuring her body would not reject them.
"It's just amazing," the confused doctor said.
"Yes, she truly is," Eileen said in awe, as she watched Myka hug Helena tightly.
Many thanks for reading along and to those who take the time to post and send me their insights, questions and suggestions. I appreciate them all. Cheers.