Home » The Archives » Chapter 9 » Regrouping and Recouperation
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #239 is a reply to message #238] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:32   |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma:
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tuesday, August 14, 2068, 4:30 p.m., Tracy Island
"Well, how's my celebrity patient?" Drew said as he followed Jeff into the sick room.
"Peevish," Maggie snapped as Lisa followed the men in.
"It's about time you got here," Dianne grumbled. "I want out."
Jeff snorted a laugh. "Well, now, the tables are turned, aren't they? A few months ago, I was the one who wanted out and who wouldn't let me?" He pointed a finger at Dianne, brushing it lightly across the tip of her nose. She pretended to snap at the finger with her teeth, and he drew it back hastily, shaking his hand. "My, my, you're not peevish, you're positively snappish!"
Dianne rolled her eyes, while Lisa groaned and shook her head. Drew chuckled. "Do you two do this all the time?"
"No," Dianne said emphatically, raising a haughty eyebrow.
"Just let me take a look at these charts," Drew said, taking the data pad that Maggie handed him. "Hm. Okay. You have a scanner. So let's get you in there and have a look-see."
Dianne sighed, and began to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Maggie stood by, ready to support her niece for the short hobble to the scanner room. However, her aid wasn't needed this time as Jeff came in on the other side and picked Dianne up bodily.
"Jeff!" she cried. "You're going to hurt yourself!"
"I'm lifting with my knees," Jeff said mildly. "But I do believe you're gaining weight, Mrs. Tracy."
He carefully took the dozen or so steps from Dianne's bed, past the office and storage room, and into the surgery, where he set his wife on the scanner. Stepping back, he rubbed his hands together, with an audible, "Whew!" It was then that he noticed his wife biting her lower lip and the first fat tear start coursing down her cheek.
"Oh, love, I didn't mean it!" he said, returning to the table and cupping her cheek with one hand. She leaned into him, sniffing mightily, trying not to break into sobs. He gently kissed her on the head, murmuring, "I'm sorry." She took his hand, and kissed his palm, then curled his fingers over it as her silent token of forgiveness.
"Are you ready?" Drew asked, smiling a little. Dianne sniffed and nodded. Maggie presented her with a tissue to wipe her eyes; Dianne did so, and blew her nose noisily, then Jeff helped ease her back onto the table. Drew adjusted the screen and other equipment to his liking, and the scan began.
Jeff slipped his fingers under Dianne's hand, and ran his thumb over her bare ring finger. "Drew?"
"Hm?" Drew was focused on the screen, a small frown creasing his forehead between the brows.
"Did you ever find Dianne's rings?"
"Jeff," Dianne said softly. "I left them in my locker, on... on Seven."
There was a moment of silence, then Jeff drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He smiled a little, and squeezed his wife's hand. "Then, I guess I'll have to go down and get them."
The scan took a good twenty minutes and Drew made a number of humming noises, but didn't say much. Finally, he sighed, and gave his niece permission to sit up.
"Well, you've definitely got some infection in that leg, but it seems to be clearing. Did you self-prescribe some antibiotic?"
Dianne nodded. "Yes. It's in the notes. Brains took a swab and looked at it; he concurred with my choice." She paused. "How's the muscle?"
"Healing, but you'll need therapy to stretch it out and get it working properly again. We can talk about who and how much once the infection has cleared up."
"The bruising? The lacerations? The ribs?"
"The bruising is well on its way out. I'd give it two or three more days. The lacerations look good, too." He huffed out a breath. "Dianne, I know you want out, but I'd like you here at least until the infection clears. Then you should be able to safely bear some weight on that leg. I don't want you on crutches because of your ribs... which are healing, but they're not strong enough yet for that and won't be for at least another two weeks."
"Can I at least have meals with the family? I feel so... isolated here."
Drew glanced up at Jeff, whose face was full of cautious hope, then back at Dianne, whose resigned-sounding plea was echoed in her weary face. He sighed heavily, then nodded. "But right back here afterward, understand?"
"Understood... Doctor."
"Well, now," Maggie said, moving in. "Let's get you back into the sick room. Lisa? Do you have those sheets changed?"
"Of course I have, Maggie. I'm not one to sit around and twiddle my thumbs," Lisa said, popping into the room with a smile. "C'mon, let's get our girl back to bed." Before Jeff could move in again, Lisa and Maggie were on either side of Dianne, supporting her as she hobbled back to bed. Jeff followed, while Drew stayed to transfer the scanner's results to Dianne's chart.
"All settled now?" Jeff asked as he moved in to tweak the blankets just that little bit.
"Yeah," Dianne said quietly. "I'm settled."
"In that case," Jeff told her, "I'm going downstairs to find your rings." He kissed her quickly on the forehead, and was gone before she could call him back.
Lisa and Maggie exchanged concerned glances with each other as they watched Dianne reach futilely for her husband, a cry of, "Jeff!" cut off by the closing door.
"Drew!" Maggie called, ducking her head into the surgery. Dianne's face went from fearful to hopeful in a blink as Drew came hustling out of the other room.
"What's wrong?"
"Jeff's gone down to Seven to get Dianne's rings," Lisa explained. "He hasn't been down there since we got home. In fact, he's been avoiding it."
"Please, Uncle Drew, go aftuh him," Dianne pleaded, beginning to cry again. "He's gonna need someone..."
"How do I get there?" Drew asked, heading for the door.
"Ah'll take you," Lisa said, slipping by her brother to guide him, "but he'll probably respond better t' you than t' me. C'mon."
Post by Tikatu on 1/19/2007
  
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:40] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
Current Time: Fri May 17 03:17:42 EDT 2024
Total time taken to generate the page: 0.01398 seconds
|
International Rescue: The Next Phase
Search
Help
Members
Login
Home
