Midnight
"Please will you just sleep." Sam pleaded tiredly as she held Ellie's hands. She had the little girl propped up on her thighs as she sat in the dim living room where she had resorted to going because the girl would not settle and she was disturbing her brothers and sisters. "Right, let's try this one more time." Sam huffed as she pulled her vest top down and held Ellie's head closer to her breast, but she screwed her reddened cheeks up and pulled away from her mother. "I don't understand, what do you want me to do?" Sam almost shouted at the infant as she was so exhausted and just wanted to get to sleep.
The baby just cried even harder before she swung her fists around and hit Sam in the chest which caused her to grimace in pain as she pulled her shirt back up because she was engorged as the baby wouldn't feed.
"Sam?" Tom queried sleepily as he entered the room with his hair all sticking up and he was only in his boxers.
"I don't know what to do, she-she won't stop crying and she's not eating and-" Sam blurted out quickly.
"Sam, calm down." Tom whispered as he picked up Ellie and balanced the four month old infant on his hip. "What's up with you eh?" He cooed, but suddenly she vomited on Tom's bare chest. "She's got a fever." Tom stated concernedly as he felt her forehead.
"No. You don't think..." Sam said worriedly as she jumped to her feet. "God I am so stupid, why didn't I think?" Sam hit herself on the forehead as she ran into the hallway, slipped on her shoes and pulled a hoodie on over her tight vest top and short shorts.
"Sam, it's probably just a cold or a stomach bug." Tom stated as he knew that she was clearly worrying about meningitis.
"Tom, fever, vomiting, refusing to eat and irritability. I'm taking her to the hospital now." Sam stated as she took the distressed girl off of Tom and the picked up the home phone. Tom watched as she called a taxi because they knew they didn't require a baby carrier and it would be quicker.
"Right, let me know as soon as you have any news and don't you worry about these lot alright, I've got it covered." Tom said reassuringly. "And surely you'd better go and get dressed first?" He stated as he nodded to her very short shorts, the hoodie and her long hair that was slightly messy as she had been up all night.
"The taxi will be here any minute." Sam stated. "Tom what if it is meningitis?" Sam asked worriedly. "And she's shared the same cot as Bella tonight and she was sharing the same toy as Charlie and the same blanket as-"
"Sam you'll make yourself sick if you worry about the what ifs, just take things as they go, and stay calm, Ellie's not going to be reassured by her mother if your heart is beating ten to the dozen is she?" Tom said as he tucked Ellie's soft brown hair behind her ears.
After paying the taxi driver, Sam pulled her hood up and ran into the ED with Ellie zipped up in her hoodie. She felt awful - she hadn't slept, she was still in her pyjamas, and her hear was a mess - and she hadn't been in the ED for over six months. Sam ran into reception with her arms around Ellie and looked around frantically when finally she saw someone who could help. Even at after midnight on a Wednesday morning, the ED had a few people in it, so it wasn't deadly silent.
"Zoe, Zoe I need your help." Sam shouted and her boss turned around and quickly approached the distressed woman.
"Sam?"
"Quick, I need a lumbar puncture, blood and urine tests. I think it's meningitis." Sam said as she caught her breath back.
"What?" Zoe queried and Sam unzipped her hoodie and showed her boss the distressed infant who had tears pouring down her face, red cheeks and a snotty nose.
"Please, you've got to help me." Sam pleaded.
"Okay okay, c'mon let's get her a bed in resus." Zoe said as she opened the doors for Sam, and pointed over to one of three empty beds. "Right, run me through what's going on." Zoe ordered as she got a thermometer and placed it in the girl's ear after Sam had sat on the bed and placed the girl in her lap.
"She hasn't slept all night, fever, she hasn't eaten for hours, she's irritable, won't stop crying and she's vomited once." Sam explained.
"Yep, definite fever. Okay, what's her name?" Zoe asked.
"Oh um, Ellie. It's Ellie." Sam said quickly.
"Sam, calm down, it's probably just a tummy bug." Zoe said reassuringly.
"No, it's not. Zoe she's had a tummy bug before this is different. I'm her mum, I know." Sam argued.
"Sam, I'm Ellie's doctor. You said it yourself, you're her mum, and you're not on duty. Just let me examine her." Zoe said sternly. Sam slipped off of the bed and laid Ellie down on her back. Zoe watched as Sam's hands were shaking a little as she unbuttoned her baby grow, only when she pulled it off, she revealed a red rash on the infant's abdomen above her nappy. "Has she had this rash before?" Zoe asked curiously.
"No, no I didn't even know it was there until now." Sam blurted out. Zoe pushed a non emergency button on the wall to alert a nurse that they were needed before she wheeled over an equipment trolley.
"Okay, now you can go into doctor mode, I need a full medical history Sam." Zoe ordered.
"Okay um, born at 31 weeks gestation, needed ventilation to breath, but slowly weaned off, and discharged at 12 weeks old, she's now four months old and no other problems except minor eczema that has been treated with E45. And she's up to date with all of her jabs." Sam explained shakily.
"Right, ah Rita, can you get me 500mg of infant suspension paracetamol please." Zoe ordered.
"Sam?" Rita queried.
"Rita, go now." Zoe ordered and the nurse quickly left. "Right Sam, I'm going to take a blood sample. Do you want to hold her and keep her as calm as you can?" Zoe said softly as she picked up a kidney dish with a syringe in it. Sam picked up the baby that was only in a nappy, and held her facing her chest so that she didn't see the needle.
"Sshh, sshh." Sam whispered as Zoe took the small sample from the baby's arm before she stepped back.
"Okay." Zoe said softly. "Right, I'll send this off okay, just try and keep her calm." Zoe said before she left the room.
It'd felt like forever when Zoe entered the room once more after Rita had been in to give Ellie the paracetamol.
"Right, I'd like to do a lumbar puncture because of her symptoms, so I need your permission." Zoe said quietly as she offered Sam a clipboard which the mum eagerly signed. "Okay, I'll get that organised. Do you want me to get you anything? A coffee?" She offered kindly as she mother stood vigilantly over the bed. But Sam shook her head. "Sam, I know it's hard-"
"How on earth would you know? You don't have kids." Sam snapped, and unfortunately for Zoe, Sam didn't know about her fertility problems so it hit her harder than Sam had intended.
"No I don't. But Sam, look you're putting yourself at too much risk here, I've already put this room in isolation, and I know you want to stay with Ellie, but you need to make sure you're aware of the risks that you're putting yourself at." Zoe said sternly.
"I don't care." Sam mumbled.
"Right. Do you want me to call Tom and give him an update?"
"I'll do it." Sam stated.
"Okay. I'll be back in a minute." Zoe stated before she left the room with the mother who was going from snappy to emotional within seconds.
After having the lumbar puncture, Ellie wasn't any better because it had only distressed her even further, and Sam was sitting on the bed with her in her arms as she tried to settle her, when Zoe and Tom came into the room.
"Tom? Where's the others?" Sam demanded.
"Calm down, Fletch and Natalie are with them in the staffroom, I brought the minivan." Tom stated reassuringly.
"Right, so what's happening?" Sam asked her boss as she stood up with the infant.
"Well, we're still waiting for the blood and lumbar puncture tests, but I need a urine sample too. And I know it's hard for an infant, but you're just going to have to try your best." Zoe explained as she held up an absorbent pad and a urine sample pot. "The best thing to do is to hold her without a nappy on, keep this pad over your lap. And just wait. Trying to feed her might help, and it might be a bit messy but we need a urine sample." Zoe explained as Tom helped Sam onto the bed. Zoe laid the absorbent pad over Sam's lap and then Tom took the little girl's clean nappy off.
"Right, Tom, I can only suggest that seeing as sam has had so much contact, it's best you don't touch Ellie, so that you can still hold your other kids. And Sam, it's best you don't touch the others until we get the results back." Zoe stated.
"Okay, do you want me to get you a pair of scrubs from the locker room?" Tom asked softly becuase Sam was still in her pyjamas.
"I'm fine." Sam mumbled.
"But-"
"I said I'm fine!" Sam snapped as she sat ready with the pot. However, she knew she could be waiting a while until the little girl had a wee because she wasn't having any milk.
"Right, you'd better get back to the others." Zoe said to Tom. "And I'll leave you to it. Just press the button if you need anything or if she's filled the pot."
"Wait, can you turn the lights down please? If she's got a meningitis it could be the light that's distressing her." Sam asked clinically. Tom leant across and turned the lights around Sam's bed off, leaving her in a dimmer resus. "Thanks." Sam mumbled as Tom walked away without saying another word.
1:30am
Sam was sitting with her chin resting on Ellie's head, forcing herself to keep her eyelids open, when she felt something wet on her hand. She looked down and Ellie was weeing so she quickly moved the pot to make sure she got a sample, and despite Sam getting a wet hand, she managed to fill the pot all the way up.
"Good girl, thank you." Sam whispered as she kissed Ellie on the top of her head before she screwed the lid on the pot and put it on the side. Sam pressed the button to alert Zoe, and then wiped her hand dry on the absorbent pad that she had on her lap.
Within moments, Zoe entered the room.
"Got the sample? That was quick, we have to wait hours sometimes." Zoe stated.
"I know, I do work here." Sam stated quietly.
"Yes, of course you do sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"It's fine." Sam muttered. "Listen, could you go and ask Tom to see if he brought their changing bag, and a new baby grow please? And tell him I said sorry for snapping."
"Of course." Zoe smiled before she left the room and strode across to the staffroom - oh how she hated doing night shifts. But she was glad she was on this one so Sam and Tom's daughter would be ensured to get the best possible care. She opened the staffroom door to find it full of children - eleven to be exact. Seven of the octuplets, and Fletch and Natalie's four children who had been brought because Fletch and Natalie needed to help Tom look after the others, and they didn't want to leave their kids alone.
One of the sofa's was occupied by Evie, Mikey and Ella, all of whom were fast asleep under the blankets. And Fletch's fourth child was in his Moses basket, and also asleep. All seven of the octuplets were being kept in their individual carriers in case they were ill or contaminated because they didn't want to risk cross infection, and most were asleep or sleepy.
"Tom, Ellie's given a urine sample so Sam's asking for a change of clothes and nappy. And she asked me to say she's sorry for snapping at you." Zoe explained. All three adults were sitting at the breakfast bar, attempting to stay awake, though Natalie had given in and was fast asleep.
"Go on, I've got this lot covered." Fletch smirked sleepily.
"Thanks." Tom smiled as he got up, grabbed the large changing bag that he had brought with them, and made his way over to resus.
"Right c'mon little girl. This is the best medicine that money cannot buy." Tom stated as he crouched down besides Sam who was trying to feed Ellie, as she hadn't eaten in hours. "And, if there's anything that you can keep down, breast milk is supposed to be the easiest. C'mon, darlin' just for mummy and daddy." Tom cooed. "It's either you have mummy's milk, or you have disgusting formula which we both know you hate." He said childishly. Slowly, he moved Ellie's hands until she was holding on to Sam's breast, and as Ellie opened her mouth, Tom gently pushed the back of her head forward so that she latched on.
It wasn't like a usual feed, but Ellie was gently taking small sips and swallowing tiny quantities of breastmilk.
"Good girl." Sam whispered.
"Good girl indeed." Tom smiled.
"How are the others?" Sam asked curiously to take his attention away from her breast.
"Um, all asleep or there abouts." Tom stated. "They're fine, and I've kept an eye on Bella because they shared a cot, and she seems completely normal. No change whatsoever." Tom stared reassuringly.
"Right, I've got the test results." Zoe announced as she entered the room with an orange envelope. "Sorry." She apologised as she realised that Sam was breastfeeding.
"No, it's fine. Carry on." Sam ordered.
"Well?" Tom queried as Zoe opened the envelope and briefly glanced over the figures.
"Right, it is meningitis in afraid."
"No..." Sam whispered in disbelief.
"But, it is only viral, not bacterial." Zoe stated and Sam and Tom's face lit up.
"So she's going to be okay?" Sam asked hopefully An they both knew the massive different between a viral infection and a bacterial infection.
"Well you know I can't say for sure but I believe that she will make a full recovery." Zoe stated. "And if she's starting to take breast milk again, the paracetamol must be making her feel a little bit better. I think the best plan of action, is to begin her on a course of strong antibiotics, antiemetics and continue with the paracetamol. And she'll recover within 5-14 days." Zoe stated. "On the other hand, I would like to give the other octuplets a smaller dose of antibiotics, purely as a precaution to prevent them from getting ill too. And once I'm sure the antibiotics are working, we'll probably be able to discharge Ellie by morning." She explained. "And Tom, I know your interview for the consultants post is next week, so I think for you, the best thing would be to give you compassionate leave for now so you can help Sam look after Ellie and the others. And then you'll have more time to prepare for your interview. How does that sound?" Zoe smiled.
"That's just, brilliant, thank you." Tom said gratefully.
"No worries. Now I'll go and get this little one's antibiotics."
"Zoe, wait... I'm sorry about being a cow and ordering you what to do. I should've trusted you." Sam admitted.
"No worries, you were just being a mum." Zoe stated before she left the room.
10am
Sam slowly opened her eyes and realised that she was still in a paeds cubicle in the ED lying on a hospital bed on her side, with Ellie curled up in her arms besides her.
"Morning." Rita smiled as she saw the new mum slowly awoke. "Ellie's antibiotics are certainly kicking in, and she's been officially discharged by Zoe. But no one dared to wake you." She admitted and Sam smiled to herself.
"Where's Tom?" Sam croaked as she slowly sat up.
"Loading up the minivan I believe. Y'know, there's sixteen seats for sixteen people, that is what I call lucky." She stated and Sam looked at her confusedly. "Well you, Tom and the octuplets, plus Fletch, Natalie and his four kids." She explained and Sam nodded in understanding. "Do you want me to get you anything?" She asked kindly.
"No thanks, I'd better get going because this little girl needs plenty of rest. And after a night like that, I do too." Sam stared tiredly as she got off of the bed and cradled Ellie - who was fast asleep after her sleepless night - against her chest.
Slowly, Sam made her way to the entrance, and she arrived just in time.
"Ah, I was just about to come and get you." Tom stated cheerily as he got out, followed by Fletch and Natalie whilst all of her he kids stayed in the minivan. "I'll put her in her car seat." Tom stated as he opened the back of the minivan and then took Ellie off of her mum.
"Thank you for helping to look after our lot last night, I'm sorry it was a false alarm." Sam apologised.
"Oh no, don't be silly, we'd be just as worried if it was one of ours, and I can't imagine how hard it is to keep track of eight babies." Natalie said kindly.
"Yeah besides, we earned a free ride home." Fletch smirked.
"Oh didn't Tom tell you, we charge per mile per person." Sam joked.
"Right, everyone's in the minivan so let's go!" Tom announced and the adults smirked before they padded on to the vehicle after a long, exhausting night.
Thanks for reading, please review :)