DISCLAIMER: I do not own Chicago Med or any of the characters. Hope you like this chapter, but get ready for the next one :)) Little more Dr. Rhodes coming up in Ch. 6...
"What do you mean its progressed?!" Halstead's voice rose, not caring about who around him heard.
Natalie stared at him gravely, "So has Allison's condition, I'm not sure if she's going to make it through the night."
"This is ridiculous," Halstead could barely contain his overflowing anger, "Where is he?"
"He's in isolation 2," she frowned, her voice quiet.
Halstead was his own storm of fury and he stomped towards the elevators.
"Dr. Halstead!" his name was called from afar.
Will turned around, eyes knit in anger, and saw Dr. Charles quickly walking towards him and entering the elevator.
"I heard about Dr. Rhodes, I was on my way to see him," he stated.
Halstead didn't say anything, too furious to speak; Dr. Charles could tell from his body language this wasn't the time to talk.
The elevator doors dinged open and Will made a beeline for the doors.
Natalie told him that immediately after he had collapsed, they rushed Rhodes into an isolation chamber, his status determined as critical. The antibiotics they were delivering every hour wasn't enough to fight off the disease. His temperature had climbed to 101.4 and the fever was keeping him in and out of consciousness.
As Will turned the corner, the doors into the isolation chambers was blocked by two CDC officers.
"Excuse me," Halstead said curtly, attempting to enter.
"I'm sorry," one of the guards said, staying put in front of the door, "Only authorized personnel allowed in."
"I think I'm pretty authorized," Halstead's temper reaching new heights, trying to get through the doors one more time.
"Authorized personnel only, sir," the officer said, a little more hostile.
Dr. Charles, thankfully, turned the corner and saw the commotion occurring, quickly intervening.
"And, what seems to be the problem here?" he asked gently, trying to calm the situation down.
"Authorized personnel are only permitted to enter," the CDC officer and Halstead standing inches apart, tensions rising.
"I completely understand, and I actually have authorization right here," Dr Charles pointed toward a badge clipped on his lab coat pocket.
The CDC officer didn't respond for a few seconds, Will and him having a stare down, but finally broke away and checked Dr. Charles' badge.
He nodded to the second guard who opened the door. As Dr. Charles and Halstead were entering, the officer stood in front of Halstead, saying, "Only he has permission."
Dr. Charles immediately cut in, seeing Halstead getting ready with a nasty retort, "Actually, he's my resident," Dr. Charles lied, "I'm on my way to talk to the patient and I'm his teacher. We've never had a meningitis case before, perfect time to learn."
"Why isn't he wearing a lab coat?" the officer asked, suspiciously.
"It's. Hot." Will said in the most curt and hostile tone Dr. Charles had ever heard.
The officer narrowed his eyes, not believing the story. Thankfully, Sharon entered the hallway, making her way towards the officers.
"Stand down," she told the officers authoritatively, "They're with me."
The second guard opened the doors once again and all entered the isolation wing, each putting on a hazmat suit.
….
Entering Connor's room, Halstead wasn't expecting to be shocked. There he lay, the tough Dr. Rhodes who spent his residency in Guadalajara, still on the bed in a mint green hospital gown.
Immediately, Halstead knew something was not right.
Connor's breathing was shallow and ragged and his forehead was drenched in sweat.
"Something's not right here," Halstead rushed to Rhodes' monitors, checking his stats.
"What's wrong, Dr. Halstead?" Sharon asked with a tinge of worry in her tone, her and Dr. Charles not catching the signs since they weren't in his department.
"His temperature is through the roof," Halstead stated, starting to sweat. The chart read 103.6, already reaching dangerous territory, "Page Choi and Manning! Now!"
….
Choi and Natalie sprinted through the doors, racing to isolation 2 and hazmat suits on. When they entered, Halstead updated the two, "Temp 103.7 and climbing. Breathing inadequate. Heart rate slow."
"No one noticed this?!" Choi asked, angrily.
Sharon had gone to look for Dr. Muller, giving him a piece of her mind that one of her best doctors was left unmonitored.
Dr. Charles stood in the back of the room watching the scene, unfortunately he couldn't be of much use since this wasn't his specialty but he offered assistance whenever he could.
"His kidneys are shutting down," Halstead announced loudly, completely focused.
"Heart rate 110," Natalie added to the suspense, all of them hard at work.
'We've got to do something before he has a heart attack!" Choi yelled, worried about his friend.
Rhodes' skin was ghostly white and his breathing was getting faster by the minute. His symptoms progressed much faster than Allison Grace's, the painful expression on his face indicating so.
The heart monitor went haywire, and his BP just seemed to keep rising.
"Choi! Get the paddles charged, now!" Halstead screamed.
Choi did as he was instructed, every moment counting if they were to keep their friend alive. As he was handing the paddles to Halstead, the erratic heart monitor silenced to a dreadful beeeeeeeeeeeep.
"Clear!" Will yelled.
The paddles hit Rhodes' chest and the electrical current shocked his heart. Natalie's hands were worriedly over her mouth, waiting for the heart beat to return.
After a few dreadfully long seconds, the monitor slowly started back again, Rhodes' heart rhythm returning.
All of his friends only could stand there, Will still with the paddles in his hands, and they all breathed heavily.
"Natalie," Will said slowly, "Start him on Bumetanide and fluids, we have to stop the kidney failure before it gets worse."
No one moved, everyone too shocked to do anything.
Finally Choi said, "Breathing still erratic, if this continues…"
"Intubate, I know," Halstead finished.
They all looked down at Rhodes, his chest rising and falling at a rapid pace. Dr. Charles, who left during the commotion to find a nurse, reentered with Sharon and Dr. Muller.
"What the hell happened?" Sharon asked, concerned.
"He went into d-fib," Halstead explained, "We brought him back, but things aren't looking good."
"His kidneys are shutting down," Choi looked pointedly at Dr. Muller, "Maybe if someone were monitoring him then we wouldn't have to shock his heart."
Dr. Muller spoke in a calm but threatening voice, "All of my officers are monitoring Allison Grace and trying to find a way to cure the disease before it spreads and puts anyone else at risk."
"So Allison Grace is more important than the doctor who saved her life?" Choi said angrily.
"That's enough," Sharon cut in before Dr. Muller had a chance to say anything else, "But Dr. Muller, Dr. Choi has a point. Dr. Rhodes wouldn't be in this situation if he had round the clock supervision."
"I can't spare anymore of my men," Dr. Muller said in a curt voice.
"I'll stay," Halstead finally voiced.
They all looked at him and silently agreed.
"Very well. Dr. Halstead, the hospital and all of it's staff and resources are at your desire, plus the CDC." Sharon glared at Dr. Muller.
….