We'll Always Have Holby : part 14
We'll Always Have Holby
Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4
Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Part 7 ~ Part 8
Part 9 ~ Part 10 ~ Part 11 ~ Part 12 ~ Part 13
Maggie had made the mistake of not getting in first. As a result she was chasing Charlie who was chasing Jeff and Dixie as his own son was rushed into Resus. Catching up with him by the doors she grabbed hold of him, preventing him from going any further.
"No, Charlie, no," she said firmly.
"I have to..."
"No, don't. Let Adam do his job, OK? Let them deal with it."
"He's my son, Maggie, I'm not just standing by..."
"You have to. You can't help him when you're like this."
"I'm fine," he declared.
"Really?" She grabbed his wrist, holding his hand up. They both saw it was shaking but he just pulled free of her grasp. "Charlie, please."
"I can't stand by and do nothing, Maggie."
"You have to. You trust Adam, don't you? And Tess, Jessica, the whole team?"
He nodded, still staring through the doors at Louis.
"Then trust them."
She took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together so the shaking wasn't as noticable. The pair of them stepped inside Resus together, fighting the overwhelming urge to just get in there and help.
The doors opened again, and Jade walked in, accompanied by a police officer, her tear-filled eyes focussing on the bed around which half a dozen medics were swarming. Maggie moved away from Charlie, putting a hand on the girl's arm. She jumped slightly in shock before dissolving into tears.
"What happened?" Maggie asked softly as Jade sobbed onto her shoulder.
"These guys followed us, they wanted money. Louis handed over some of it but they knew he was holding back. Next thing I know one of them's pulled a gun... He told me to run and I did. I just left him there and when I heard the bang..."
"It's OK, it's OK," Maggie soothed.
"Is he gonna be OK?" she asked. "I wanted to come in the ambulance but the police wanted to talk to me and..."
"He'll be fine," she replied. "Best team in Holby right there."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Adam said without looking up. Then he swore under his breath.
"What? What's wrong?" Charlie asked, instinctively moving over to the bed.
"Well, you're in my way for one," Adam said sharply. "Look, Charlie, I know this is tough but you also know there's a reason we don't let parents hang around."
"Make me go," Charlie warned.
"Fine," Adam sighed. "Just... step back, OK?"
Maggie wrapped an arm around Jade's shoulders and guided her over to where Charlie was. She gently manoeuvred Jade so that they were supporting each other before approaching Adam.
"I don't need an audience," he snapped as she moved into his periphiral vision.
"No, but do you need a hand?" she asked quietly.
He glanced over at her, shooting a look as he did so. "I'm fine."
"Sure you are."
"It's just very hard to see, that's all. The bullet's done a lot of damage to his shoulder and I can't find out where all this blood is coming from. His BP's dropping..."
"Adam..."
"Can you get Charlie out of here?" he asked quietly. "You and I both know where this is likely to go and I don't want him to have to watch me rescustitate his son."
"Do you honestly think I can get him to move?" Maggie asked.
Adam threw a glance over his shoulder at Charlie and shrugged.
"When it was Lucas, nothing was going to make me leave," Jessica said quietly.
"Did it tear the subclavian artery?" Maggie asked.
"Maybe, I don't know, I can't see..." Adam swore again under his breath. "Can I get some more light? It's like playing bump in the dark."
"Adam..." Jess said.
"Get a torch if you have to."
"Enough," Maggie said firmly. "Let me."
"You?"
"Please."
"OK, firstly; you don't work here anymore. Secondly, this is essentially your step-son here. Why on earth would I let you do this?"
Maggie fixed her eyes on his and he could see the resolution and determination that was in front of the emotion. "Because I've done this before," she replied. "Please."
"OK," he nodded. "Jess, get her..."
"On it," Jess interrupted, grabbing an apron to put over Maggie's clothes.
Maggie removed her engagement ring, shoving it into a pocket before pulling on a pair of gloves. Adam was right; the shoulder was a mess and one glance at the monitor told her that if Louis' BP got any lower then they would be really fighting for his life.
She took a deep breath before beginning. Every time the blood was soaked away it pooled again so she gave up trying and used her fingertips to feel her way. Given the entry path there was no way that the bullet itself could have caused all the damage.
"What is it?" Adam asked, noticing the expression on her face.
"The bullet chipped the clavicle," she said. "It's torn through the muscle and veins, chipped off some bone..."
"Which got into a vein and into the artery, Maggie you're a genius," Adam said.
"Maybe, but that doesn't stop the fact that the longer we leave that fragment in there the more danger he's in," she whispered.
"So what do you suggest?"
"Other than getting him up to theatre right now?"
"Jess..." Adam nodded. As she went over to make the call, Adam moved in closer on pretence of examining the wound. "Do you think he's got time?"
"Honestly? No."
"You said you've done this before?"
She nodded. "In Serbia. I saw something very similar with the femoral artery."
"So what do you suggest?"
"Clamp the artery maybe. See where the fragment is, maybe we can remove it."
"That'll involve opening up his neck."
"I'm aware of that."
"You capable of cutting into him?" Adam asked.
"I'll have to be," she replied, looking at Louis' ashen face. "I'm not losing him."
"You're also not doing it. Tell me what you need..."
"Adam, there's no time to walk you through this. Either I do it now..."
"Theatre's being prepped," Jessica called from across the room. "Ten minutes."
"He hasn't got five," Maggie whispered.
Adam thought for a moment, then nodded. He turned around to face Charlie. "There's a bone fragment in the subclavian artery, that's what's causing the blood loss. If we don't do a temporary repair..."
"So what are you waiting for?" Jade asked, on the verge of tears again.
"I have no idea what needs to be done," Adam admitted.
"But I do," Maggie continued.
She looked straight at Charlie, her eyes asking the question. He nodded in response.
I trust you.
"OK, kiddo," she said, turning back to Louis. "I could get into a hell of a lot of trouble for this, so don't you go and do anything stupid on me to make it worse."
"What do you need?" Adam asked.
"Um... Scalpel, clamp, as much light as you can get... And a lot of luck," she replied.
~~
Twelve minutes after Jessica had gotten off the phone, Louis was wheeled up to theatre. Ric was suitably impressed with Maggie's fix, accurately describing it as "War Zone medicine", but he couldn't deny that it had most likely saved Louis' life. In the aftermath of the drama, everyone filtered off to other jobs.
"You go with him," she told Charlie and Jade. "I'll clean up and follow in a bit."
Charlie nodded and put his arm around Jade to guide her out.
"Well done," Adam said before he left.
Maggie shrugged it off and turned around to see Jess standing behind her. Without saying a word she gave Maggie a hug before heading for cubicles. Finally alone, she put her hand into her pocket and discovered with some alarm that her engagement ring was gone. A quick hunt of the floor found it by the wall; it had obviously fallen out at some point. As she crouched down to retrieve it, her stomach rolled and she had to force herself not to retch. There was still some blood on her arm; Louis' blood. Quickly sitting down she took some deep breaths as her head began to swim and her vision blurred with tears. She was only aware that Charlie had come back for her when he sat beside her on the floor of Resus, put his arms around her, and held her to his chest while she sobbed her heart out.
tbc...
Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4
Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Part 7 ~ Part 8
Part 9 ~ Part 10 ~ Part 11 ~ Part 12 ~ Part 13
Maggie had made the mistake of not getting in first. As a result she was chasing Charlie who was chasing Jeff and Dixie as his own son was rushed into Resus. Catching up with him by the doors she grabbed hold of him, preventing him from going any further.
"No, Charlie, no," she said firmly.
"I have to..."
"No, don't. Let Adam do his job, OK? Let them deal with it."
"He's my son, Maggie, I'm not just standing by..."
"You have to. You can't help him when you're like this."
"I'm fine," he declared.
"Really?" She grabbed his wrist, holding his hand up. They both saw it was shaking but he just pulled free of her grasp. "Charlie, please."
"I can't stand by and do nothing, Maggie."
"You have to. You trust Adam, don't you? And Tess, Jessica, the whole team?"
He nodded, still staring through the doors at Louis.
"Then trust them."
She took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together so the shaking wasn't as noticable. The pair of them stepped inside Resus together, fighting the overwhelming urge to just get in there and help.
The doors opened again, and Jade walked in, accompanied by a police officer, her tear-filled eyes focussing on the bed around which half a dozen medics were swarming. Maggie moved away from Charlie, putting a hand on the girl's arm. She jumped slightly in shock before dissolving into tears.
"What happened?" Maggie asked softly as Jade sobbed onto her shoulder.
"These guys followed us, they wanted money. Louis handed over some of it but they knew he was holding back. Next thing I know one of them's pulled a gun... He told me to run and I did. I just left him there and when I heard the bang..."
"It's OK, it's OK," Maggie soothed.
"Is he gonna be OK?" she asked. "I wanted to come in the ambulance but the police wanted to talk to me and..."
"He'll be fine," she replied. "Best team in Holby right there."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Adam said without looking up. Then he swore under his breath.
"What? What's wrong?" Charlie asked, instinctively moving over to the bed.
"Well, you're in my way for one," Adam said sharply. "Look, Charlie, I know this is tough but you also know there's a reason we don't let parents hang around."
"Make me go," Charlie warned.
"Fine," Adam sighed. "Just... step back, OK?"
Maggie wrapped an arm around Jade's shoulders and guided her over to where Charlie was. She gently manoeuvred Jade so that they were supporting each other before approaching Adam.
"I don't need an audience," he snapped as she moved into his periphiral vision.
"No, but do you need a hand?" she asked quietly.
He glanced over at her, shooting a look as he did so. "I'm fine."
"Sure you are."
"It's just very hard to see, that's all. The bullet's done a lot of damage to his shoulder and I can't find out where all this blood is coming from. His BP's dropping..."
"Adam..."
"Can you get Charlie out of here?" he asked quietly. "You and I both know where this is likely to go and I don't want him to have to watch me rescustitate his son."
"Do you honestly think I can get him to move?" Maggie asked.
Adam threw a glance over his shoulder at Charlie and shrugged.
"When it was Lucas, nothing was going to make me leave," Jessica said quietly.
"Did it tear the subclavian artery?" Maggie asked.
"Maybe, I don't know, I can't see..." Adam swore again under his breath. "Can I get some more light? It's like playing bump in the dark."
"Adam..." Jess said.
"Get a torch if you have to."
"Enough," Maggie said firmly. "Let me."
"You?"
"Please."
"OK, firstly; you don't work here anymore. Secondly, this is essentially your step-son here. Why on earth would I let you do this?"
Maggie fixed her eyes on his and he could see the resolution and determination that was in front of the emotion. "Because I've done this before," she replied. "Please."
"OK," he nodded. "Jess, get her..."
"On it," Jess interrupted, grabbing an apron to put over Maggie's clothes.
Maggie removed her engagement ring, shoving it into a pocket before pulling on a pair of gloves. Adam was right; the shoulder was a mess and one glance at the monitor told her that if Louis' BP got any lower then they would be really fighting for his life.
She took a deep breath before beginning. Every time the blood was soaked away it pooled again so she gave up trying and used her fingertips to feel her way. Given the entry path there was no way that the bullet itself could have caused all the damage.
"What is it?" Adam asked, noticing the expression on her face.
"The bullet chipped the clavicle," she said. "It's torn through the muscle and veins, chipped off some bone..."
"Which got into a vein and into the artery, Maggie you're a genius," Adam said.
"Maybe, but that doesn't stop the fact that the longer we leave that fragment in there the more danger he's in," she whispered.
"So what do you suggest?"
"Other than getting him up to theatre right now?"
"Jess..." Adam nodded. As she went over to make the call, Adam moved in closer on pretence of examining the wound. "Do you think he's got time?"
"Honestly? No."
"You said you've done this before?"
She nodded. "In Serbia. I saw something very similar with the femoral artery."
"So what do you suggest?"
"Clamp the artery maybe. See where the fragment is, maybe we can remove it."
"That'll involve opening up his neck."
"I'm aware of that."
"You capable of cutting into him?" Adam asked.
"I'll have to be," she replied, looking at Louis' ashen face. "I'm not losing him."
"You're also not doing it. Tell me what you need..."
"Adam, there's no time to walk you through this. Either I do it now..."
"Theatre's being prepped," Jessica called from across the room. "Ten minutes."
"He hasn't got five," Maggie whispered.
Adam thought for a moment, then nodded. He turned around to face Charlie. "There's a bone fragment in the subclavian artery, that's what's causing the blood loss. If we don't do a temporary repair..."
"So what are you waiting for?" Jade asked, on the verge of tears again.
"I have no idea what needs to be done," Adam admitted.
"But I do," Maggie continued.
She looked straight at Charlie, her eyes asking the question. He nodded in response.
I trust you.
"OK, kiddo," she said, turning back to Louis. "I could get into a hell of a lot of trouble for this, so don't you go and do anything stupid on me to make it worse."
"What do you need?" Adam asked.
"Um... Scalpel, clamp, as much light as you can get... And a lot of luck," she replied.
~~
Twelve minutes after Jessica had gotten off the phone, Louis was wheeled up to theatre. Ric was suitably impressed with Maggie's fix, accurately describing it as "War Zone medicine", but he couldn't deny that it had most likely saved Louis' life. In the aftermath of the drama, everyone filtered off to other jobs.
"You go with him," she told Charlie and Jade. "I'll clean up and follow in a bit."
Charlie nodded and put his arm around Jade to guide her out.
"Well done," Adam said before he left.
Maggie shrugged it off and turned around to see Jess standing behind her. Without saying a word she gave Maggie a hug before heading for cubicles. Finally alone, she put her hand into her pocket and discovered with some alarm that her engagement ring was gone. A quick hunt of the floor found it by the wall; it had obviously fallen out at some point. As she crouched down to retrieve it, her stomach rolled and she had to force herself not to retch. There was still some blood on her arm; Louis' blood. Quickly sitting down she took some deep breaths as her head began to swim and her vision blurred with tears. She was only aware that Charlie had come back for her when he sat beside her on the floor of Resus, put his arms around her, and held her to his chest while she sobbed her heart out.
tbc...