Remedy




NOTE: I do not have much Internet access this summer so my personal website www.geocities.com/jacinda_noelle will not be updated very often. I still would appreciate feedback on this story since I am beginning to run into problems further developing the plot. I will respond to emails as soon as I can.

"Deb, it's okay," John said as he tried to stand up. His shoulder throbbed horribly from the impact against the lockers. John wondered what had set Mallucci off. Did Mallucci blame him for what happened to Carly? John thought the answer to that was obvious, although he did not want to drown in the guilt that he had created for himself.

"Carter, let me look at your shoulder," Dr. Benton said as he pulled John to his feet.

"No, it's okay. It is just a little sore. Give me an aspirin and I'll be fine," John snapped at them, "What happened to Carly that pissed Dave off so much? Fuck, she coded, didn't she?"

John returned to where he had been sitting on the sofa. He sat back down and put his head in his hands. John felt so emotionally exhausted that he could not even cry. He felt Deb sit down next to him and run her hand down his back.

"Carter, she didn't code. Carolyn is headed up to medicine. She is intubated, paralyzed, and receiving IV fluids and antibiotics. Carolyn is going to be fine. She was acidotic, dehydrated, and has the flu. Romano wants you or Mallucci to be with her until he can get here," Dr. Benton said as he placed his hand on his former student's shoulder.

"John, do you want me to go talk to Mallucci?" Deb offered.

"Why so he can beat the shit out of you too?"

"What the hell is going on with you two? I have never seen Dave treat you like that. You always talk about the time you spend with him outside of work," Dr. Benton asked as he made himself comfortable at the table. He knew that Carter needed to talk or he would run the risk of turning to drugs again. Peter was generally uncomfortable with discussing personal matters, but he cared for Carter too much to let the last year repeat itself.

"It's Carly. Apparently, Dave and Carly had a relationship while they attended Brown together. Something must have happened to break them up, but Dave must have gotten mad that Carly and I were going out to supper together. I don't know," John said exasperated by the whole situation.

"Why are you so interested in her?" Deb asked afraid that she was prying into John's life too much.

"She's my student . . . this time . . . I want to get to know my student. Anyway, she's Anna's sister. I owe it to Anna to be a good teacher to her sister," John lied. He wanted a variety of things from Carly . . . most were not of only the caring, concerned friend type. He wanted to find out about Anna, he wanted to touch Carly's hair, he wanted to explore Carly's body . . . he wanted her.

"So it has nothing to do with the fact that she looks almost exactly like Anna?" Peter questioned afraid that Carter was wearing his heart on his sleeve for a woman that would not return any of his affection.

"No, it doesn't," John snapped angrily. He pushed himself off the couch and left the lounge. The door closed loudly behind him. He walked straight forward through the people walking in front of him, aside him, and those crossing his path.

John hit the up button for the elevator and leaned up against the wall as he waited for an open car. Romano silently approached John and nodded solemnly. The door slid open and the two men entered the elevator car.

"Is she okay?" Robert asked as he stared down at the floor.

"That's what Dr. Benton tells me," John replied quietly.

"Thank you for bringing her in. I don't want to think about what would have happened if she had been alone," Robert mumbled, "Is Mallucci with her?"

"Maybe, or he's causing random acts of violence across the hospital," John said as he rubbed his sore shoulder.

"What the hell did that moron do now?"

"He is pissed at me for 'not saving' her," John said sarcastically surprised that Romano was even bothering to listen to him. John instantly felt selfish for making the situation 'about him.'

"Well, what the hell does "Doctor Dave" think he could have done?"

"Apparently, the opposite of what I did. I don't get him."

"Is your shoulder okay? I cannot afford to lose one my best residents. This place is really going to hell. The staffing is not going to ever be as good as it once was," Robert said as he leaned heavily against the wall of the elevator.

"My shoulder will be fine," John said as he wondered about what Dr. Romano was talking about. The ER had encountered a great number of new faces over the last few years and it had lost many familiar faces too. John was used to loss. It was beginning to become the story of his life. Whenever someone would get close to him, something would happen to drive that person away.

"Do you want me to write Dave up?"

"No, he's just a very emotional person," John said as he stared at Romano. Romano looked uncharacteristically old. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced than normal, and his skin tone was ashen under the dim white light of the elevator.

"What, emotional like a pregnant woman . . . emotional like PMS?"

"Maybe the later of the two."

The doors to the elevator opened. The two men step out onto the medicine unit. Nurses and doctors hurried in and out of rooms, while a few patients meandered the halls, IV pumps and all. John's shoes made a soft squeaking noise against the gray tile floor. Romano stopped abruptly in front of a window that allowed him to see into Carly's room. John followed close afraid to look at the tubes and pumps that Deb said would surround Carly's body.

"Her mother looked like before she died. The same blonde hair, the same blank expression, the same pumps and tubes. This is surreal. That cannot be Carolyn laying on that bed . . . it looks to much like Isabella. Oh, God," Romano whispered quietly as he leaned heavily against the wall and hung his head low.

John felt forced to look at the body. He watched Carly's stomach rise every few seconds with the aid of a ventilator. He saw how her hair fanned out about her head. Blonde strand lay glued to her forehead and neck . . . the rest was splayed about in wild knots and tangles. John saw the tan skin that carried a gray undertone. Little drops of sweat lay scatted about her neck and face. He recoiled in horror when he noticed the blue tube that was parting her pink lips . . . that were now white and covered in a residue of vomit and blood. Her brown eyes were open and slowly scanned the room. They looked restless and scared. The machines showed read outs of different vital signs and organ function and beeped in a high tone every few seconds.

John watched as Dave held her hand in his. He was saying something to her, but John could not imagine what. John felt intrusive for being there during such a private moment between Carly and Dave. It felt wrong to come between them now that Dave had come to comfort her with gentle words and gentle touch.

"She is stable. You can you go in if you wish," a nurse said as she approached the two men who stared straight ahead . . . motionless and wordless.

"Thank you," Robert said softly, "Could you call Dr. Greene in the ER and ask him to come follow up on this patient?"

"Yes, but our ER doctors do not normally follow up on medicine patients," the nurse said oblivious to who the two men were.

"Tell him Robert asked him to."

"Okay, sir," the nurse said exasperated as she walked away from the two men.

"I shouldn't go in," John said softly as Robert went to open the door.

"I think she would appreciate it if you did," Robert said as he entered the room and held the door open for John to follow.

"How is she?" Romano asked Dave.

"Alert . . . scared. She is still paralyzed, but I think she wants the tube out," Dave said as he sit staring straight ahead.

"How's her oxygen?"

"She's one hundred percent on one liter. Her tidal volume has improved over the last half an hour. She isn't attempting to breathe against the machine."

"Carter, take the tube out," Robert said as he went to readjust the ventilator.

"Are you sure it isn't too early? Her lung function might just be adapting to the rate of the machine or her stomach and costal muscles could be feeling some of the effects of the paralysis," Carter said as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves.

"No, Carly is ready. Sweetie, blow out really hard on three," Robert said as he unplugged the ventilator and disconnected the tubing.

John pulled the tube out on Robert's count. He held his breath until he could see that Carly was breathing at a normal rate on her own. Once he felt assured that Carly would continue to breathe normally, turned around to dispose of the breathing tube and his gloves.

"Carly, don't speak for a while. I don't want your vocal cords to inflame. I called Anna. She will be here in a few hours. Anna wants to make sure that you are okay," Robert said as he began to comb her hair with a brush that was lying on the bedside table.

John watched Romano comb Carly's hair and try to soothe her. It was touching to see the man that the staff believed was heartless and cruel tend to his family. He was so gentle. His hand gently guided the comb through her blonde hair. His fingers soothed the waves and loose curls that made Carly's hair so unruly.

Carly weakly tried to sit up in bed, but collapsed into a limp heap despite her attempts. Her efforts were thwarted by her impaired motor function for the Dilotid and the pain medicine. She smiled at Robert as he hugged her and helped her sit up.

"Carter and Dave, can you guys wait outside while I examine Carly? Robert, did you want to stay?" Mark said as he entered the crowed hospital room.

"I'll wait outside. Carly, I have a few phone calls to make, but I'll be right outside," Robert said as he turned to leave the room.

"How are you feeling?" Mark asked Carly as he quickly looked over her chart.

"I've been better," Carly said in a soft, scratchy whisper.

"Did Robert take the vent tube out?" Mark said as he began a neuro exam on her.

"Dr. Carter did," Carly said as she allowed herself to be subjected to all the poking and prodding of Mark's cold hands. She sighed heavily, but waves of nausea and pain shot up her esophagus.

"Take a sip," Mark said as he offered her the cup of ice water, "Carly, I just want you to stay overnight. The ketoacidosis must have triggered the seizure. I want to closely monitor your blood sugar over the next four hours. Do you test your glucose levels at home or administer insulin?"

"No, but my mother was diabetic," Carly whispered.

"Okay, I'll send a nutritionist in tomorrow. Are you on any prescription meds?"

"Birth control and aspirin four times a day for chronic pain."

"Where's the pain?" Mark asked as he finished the neuro exam and began to chart.

"My knees and my back."

"Is it work related?"

"No . . . a car accident about fourteen years ago."

"How about if we do a MRI on it tomorrow? I'll make sure that you are back in working order soon, Ms. Del Amico," Mark said as he helped Carly reposition herself in bed.

"Thank you, Dr. Greene," Carly said weakly as her eyelids began to drift shut.

"Try to get some sleep. Hit your call light if you need anything," Mark said as he marked down a few more observations on Carly's chart.



Part 10
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