In The Wrong Place
Chapter 29
It took Samantha another forty-five minutes to organize a room downstairs for Steve but thankfully during that time he had slept soundly...She had checked on him a couple of times and was pleased to see him finally managing to get some rest...Soon after that the orderlies arrived to move Steve downstairs but Samantha was reluctant to wake him...She hoped that they could manage to move his bed without waking him up but as soon as the bed moved Steve's eyes flew open slightly startled...
"What's ...going on?" Steve asked drowsily...
"It's ok Steve..We're just moving you down to a room...Sorry for waking you."
"It's ok..." Steve said rubbing the sleep from his eyes and as his bed was moved slowly through ICU Steve passed the various other patients who were gravely ill and again felt almost strangely guilty for feeling as well as he did...Samantha was watching him closely and his current melancholic mood was starting to worry her...It was not uncommon to feel a bit gloomy after being as ill as Steve had been and his chronic fatigue was not helping either but Samantha felt that she had better keep a close eye on him none the less and determined in that moment to make every effort to cheer him up where possible...She saw him looking sadly at the other patients and decided a distraction was necessary...
"Hey Steve, You know I had to pull a few strings but I got you a room with a nice view...You're going to love it!...You know you'll feel a bit better when you've had your shower, a bit of breakfast and a few more hours sleep..."
"Yeah...Thanks..." Steve said still more despondently than the nurse would have liked and despite the fact that he had smiled Samantha felt that he had forced it for her benefit...
Soon they had made their way downstairs and Steve was wheeled into his new room...Looking at the window, Steve saw the view was practically the same as it had been up in the ICU and figured he must be near enough directly under where he had come from...The sun had fully risen now and glancing at the clock in the room he saw that it was almost six thirty...
"Recognize the view?" Samantha asked smiling...
Steve nodded and smiled back and then again rubbed his tired eyes and brushed a hand through his hair...Feeling the dampness again in his normally well-groomed hair Steve groaned and said...
"I really could use that shower..."
"Ok...I'll go and arrange it and when you're down in the shower room I'll change the sheets and freshen up your bed ...Ok?"
"That sounds great...thanks..."
Steve tried his best to sound cheerful but the truth was he was feeling anything but cheerful...He was well and truly fed up and couldn't seem to clear the dark cloud of depression that had settled over him...All the bad things that had happened over the last two days were clouding his already exhausted mind and refused to give him peace...He longed to see Mike and Jeannie reckoning they would be able to cheer him up...but it was still very early and they probably wouldn't be allowed to visit for ages yet...So realizing this, the depression won out again and he felt his smile fade to a frown once more...Samantha noticed his sadness return as she left the room and decided on a plan of action as she called the male orderly and requested that he get a wheelchair to take Steve down to the shower room...
The next half hour passed quickly as Steve managed to get the shower that he felt he desperately needed...He was actually quite pleased with himself as he managed the shower fine with the shower chair...It felt good under the steady stream of warm water and Steve hoped that feeling clean again would improve his dark mood...He even managed to get himself dry and dressed into a clean hospital issue pyjamas without having to call for help although he had been very careful not to jostle his side too much in the process...Feeling perhaps too overly confident with how he had coped, his only problems came when he was finished and stood up to leave the shower room...Without warning the room spun wildly and reaching out Steve was grateful to find that he was near the wall so that he could steady himself without pitching forward...Feeling blackness threaten his vision he decided he had managed enough alone and grabbing blindly for the alarm pull he pulled it and within seconds the orderly had rushed in and guided him out to the wheelchair...As he sat down he closed his eyes tight as the corridor seemed to be tilting from side to side in an alarming way...He heard the orderly telling him to take deep breaths and then he felt the chair moving as the orderly took him back down the corridor towards the nurses station.
When Steve had gone for his shower, Samantha freshened up Steve's hospital bed and then put her plan into action and sitting down at the nurse's station desk she opened Steve's file and picked up the telephone receiver...Looking up at the clock and seeing that it was only six forty-five Samantha hesitated...perhaps it was too early to ring anyone but knowing that her shift was ending soon and not wanting to leave Steve as gloomy as he was now she decided it was worth the risk and carefully she dialled the number in his file...
After just two rings the receiver was picked up and a drowsy voice answered..
"Hello, Stone residence..."
"Hello...Is that Lieutenant Mike Stone?..."
"Yes..." Mike said a little anxious about who could be calling him at such an early hour...
"I'm really sorry to be calling so early but this is Samantha Taylor...I'm a nurse from San Francisco General hospital...We met last night...I was taking care of Steve..."
Mike's heart skipped a beat...Steve's nurse ringing him so early could only mean that there was a problem...Sitting up in the bed with a jolt Mike spoke with concern in his voice...
" Dear God! Has something bad happened to Steve?"
Realizing what Mike was assuming Samantha quickly calmed his fears...
"No...no...Steve is fine...Actually he's doing really well...His fever is gone and his rash is clearing...Dr. Armstrong had him moved from ICU back down to the second floor this morning...I'm so sorry Lieutenant ...I never meant to alarm you...It's just that Steve has been a bit down this morning...It's perfectly normal with everything that he has been through and considering how tired and weak he is feeling but I think a friendly face might be the best medicine he could get right now...I know it's very early but I just wondered if you could perhaps come to see him as soon as you can...My shift ends soon and I know he would cheer up if you came to visit..."
Mike had listened carefully as the nurse spoke...As soon as she had said that Steve was fine Mike had sighed with relief but when he heard about Steve's depression he did worry a little...He had seen Steve's melancholy moods many times before mostly when cases had bothered him and had worried that Joe's chosen actions might resurface to bother Steve when he was feeling better and had too much time on his hands to dwell on it...Grateful to the nurse for the phone call and for her thoughtfulness regarding Steve he was quick to reply...
"Don't worry about calling me this early...I'm glad you did...I know what Steve can be like when he's feeling a bit under the weather...I only live a few streets away...I'll be there in about half an hour...Will they let me in this early?"
Pleased that her phone call had been successful Samantha smiled broadly...
"Oh don't worry about that...I'll call the front desk and make sure they let you in and you need to come up to the second floor...room 110...Thank you so much...I know it will make all the difference...See you soon..." and with that Samantha hung up and returned to her paperwork safe in the knowledge that when her shift ended she would be leaving Steve in good hands...
However Samantha's smile didn't last long as a short while later she saw the orderly hurrying down the corridor pushing Steve's wheelchair..He looked concerned and on seeing Steve she understood why...He was as white as a ghost, had his eyes closed tight and had one hand covering his face...Leaving her seat she hurried to meet them...
"Oh my God! What happened Carlos?" she asked the orderly...
"He was managing fine but when he was finished he got a bad dizzy spell...He rang the alarm and I got him into the wheelchair but he's been very quiet...I figured it was best to get him back here fast..."
"You did the right thing..."and then kneeling in front of Steve she removed his hand from in front of his face and spoke anxiously...
"Steve!...Talk to me...What's going on? Tell me how you're feeling...Steve?"
"I'm ok...Just a little...dizzy...Everything's...spinning...Feel a little shaky.."
Steve stammered still keeping his eyes closed tight fearful that the spinning effect would make him nauseous...
Taking his pulse and finding it racing Samantha spoke reassuringly ...
"Ok Steve...Take it easy...You just did a bit too much too soon...We'll get you back into bed and the dizziness should ease up...Ok?"
With that Samantha and the orderly wheeled him back into his room and between them they managed to get him back into bed...Putting the back of the bed down flat Samantha then raised the foot of the bed so that Steve's legs were raised and so that the blood flow would hopefully help get rid of the dizziness...She then reconnected his saline IV and lifting his head slightly she got him to take a few sips of water. Then she sat observing him closely for a few minutes until finally Steve bravely opened his eyes again and looked at her...
"How's that? Any better?..."
"Yeah...Thanks...At least things have stopped spinning...Sorry...I think I just got a little over-confident back there when I was managing so well...I probably stood up just a little too fast...I still feel...a little...shaky though..." Steve admitted...
Noting that Steve's hands were shaking a little, Samantha came to a conclusion...
"Of course! I should have thought of it sooner!..."
Steve looked at the nurse curiously..."Should have thought of what?"
"It's your blood sugar!...It's probably very low...You haven't eaten for ages! That would explain the shakes..I'll go and see if we can get you some breakfast...A glass of juice should get your blood sugar back up and stop those shakes...I'll be right back..."
Steve watched as Samantha hurried out of the room...
Heading for the Nurse's station Samantha called up the catering section and asked if a light breakfast could be delivered up to room 110 on the second floor as soon as possible. Then Samantha got up slowly and suddenly felt every minute of her twelve-hour shift...Feeling tired she headed back to Steve, first checking the corridor to see if there was any sign of Steve's visitor yet...Seeing the corridor empty she sighed and continued into her patient...
"Ok!...Breakfast is on the way!...How are you feeling now?"...she said approaching Steve's bed and studying him closely...
"Yeah better thanks...At least it's good to feel clean again..."
"Ok...Let's get you sitting back up...I have to do your final checks before my shift ends..."
Samantha noticed Steve's expression change when she mentioned her shift ending and although the disappointment on his face was only fleeting Samantha reckoned in his current state of mind that seeing another familiar face leave would be difficult for him to handle...As she raised the back of the bed again and made sure he was comfortable she noticed that he was still a bit shaky and that he seemed down again...
"Hey...Cheer up!...I promise I'll leave you in good hands!"
Steve forced a smile..."Ok..."
Samantha took Steve's temperature and while she wrote in his chart, more flashbacks from Steve's night in the ICU came to his mind...As Samantha took the reading from the thermometer Steve got up the courage to ask her something...
"Samantha...Last night in the ICU did I...That is did I...at some stage did I have a kind of melt down?" Steve asked slightly embarrassed at the memory of it...
Looking at him sympathetically she answered..."Yes you got upset at one point but you were very ill at the time...Don't worry about it Steve...My lips are sealed...What happens on my shift stays on my shift..."
Steve seemed to be relieved and smiling he said "That's good because I have a reputation to uphold...you know?"
Samantha laughed..."Well your reputation is safe with me Steve Keller!"
Finally taking Steve's blood pressure Samantha wrote down the last of the results on his chart and clipping it back to the end of his bed she stood and smiled at her patient...
"Well that's my shift done...Are you gonna be ok?
"Oh yeah...I'll be fine...Thanks for all your help..."Steve said smiling...
"You're welcome...You were no trouble at all...well hardly any...Can I trust you to stay out of trouble and not end up back in here?"
Wagging his finger at the nurse he said.."I will if you will..."
Laughing, Samantha got up and went to leave..."Oh and by the way..."
Before she got to finish her sentence Steve replied "I know...Drink the juice when it comes to raise my blood sugar...I got it!"
"Yes that's right but that wasn't what I was going to say...Take my advice Steve Keller and tell that girl how you feel about her...She's not going to wait forever!...Don't leave it until it's too late!"
"You know you're the second person to give me that advice in the last twenty-four hours..."
"Well we can't both be wrong now can we?...You take care now!...Bye"
"Bye."
And with that Samantha left the room leaving Steve with his thoughts about Jeannie as he desperately tried to decide what he should do...
Meanwhile...
Back at De Haro Street, Mike had got up immediately after he had received the phone call and was dressed and ready to go very quickly...Looking in on Jeannie he saw that she was still fast asleep ...Mike debated whether to wake her and ask if she would like to go with him to see Steve but they had been late getting to bed last night and he genuinely felt that she needed the rest...Besides there were a few things Mike wanted to talk to Steve about while Jeannie wasn't around ...This might be the perfect opportunity to do just that...Also they had talked over their cocoa last night and Jeannie had insisted on washing Steve's bloodstained clothes first thing this morning despite Mike's offer that they would just replace them instead...So with his decision made Mike closed Jeannie's bedroom door again and going downstairs he retrieved some items from Steve's bag that he might be needing and then he sat down and wrote a note for Jeannie...In it he explained about the phone call he had received and that Steve was fine just a bit down and that he was going in early to try to cheer him up...He apologized for not waking her as he felt that she needed the rest. He explained that he had left cab fare for her to join them when she was ready...He told her what room number Steve was in on the second floor and that he would see her later...Then retrieving his trench coat and fedora he headed out the door anxious to get to Steve as soon as possible...
Meanwhile...
Back at the hospital Samantha had finished her paperwork and completed the hand over to the day nurse...All the while she had watched the corridor for signs of Mike Stone's arrival...She really would be happier going home if she knew that Mike was in with Steve...She got her coat and bag and looking at the clock one last time she sadly felt that she could not wait a moment longer...Her daughter was waiting for her...Heading for the elevator wearily she pressed the button and as the doors of the elevator opened out stepped Mike Stone...Despite her tiredness she recognized him immediately as the man she had met last night...Mike was in such a hurry to get to Steve that he hadn't recognized the young nurse so she called out as he passed by...
"Lieutenant Stone!"
Turning at the sound of his name he spotted the young woman and came back to her...
"Samantha?." When she nodded...Mike continued..."Please call me Mike..Thanks again for your call...How's our boy doing?"
"He's still a little down but I think seeing you will fix that! Thank you so much for coming...He's doing fine other than that...He managed a shower earlier on but his blood sugars are a little low so he's a bit shaky...His breakfast should be here very soon so make sure he drinks the juice first...That should get his blood sugars back up..."
"Sure...Don't worry...I'll keep an eye on him...and thanks for taking such good care of him...I do appreciate it!"
"You're welcome..He's quite a guy!..It was a pleasure ..I'm sorry but I have to run now ...Goodbye!"
"Goodbye!"
And with that Samantha headed into the elevator finally content that Steve was in the best of hands now while Mike turned and headed down the corridor in search of room 110 determined in that instant to cheer Steve up whatever way he could...