Rain Check?

~89~

  "Chris," Lisa whispers over her son's head. 

  He's sound asleep, his head resting on the side of Dempsey's bed, her hand still clutched between the two of his own. She hates to disturb him, thrilled by the fact that he's finally made his move further into the room, but the doctors are ready to start weaning her from the sedation.

Leigh Ann rests her hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him as one doctor watches from the end of the bed looking annoyed. "Hey, Cap?" she says a little louder than Lisa, earning a light laugh from the doctor whose features now relax a bit.

Chris begins to stir, blinking his eyes a bit before slowly lifting his head, coming to his surroundings. "So, that's what I need to do when I want your attention?" Lisa teases him. "Call you Cap?"

  "Sorry, Ma, Mrs. Abrams." He pushes the chair back to stand but remains holding her hand. "Do I have to move completely?" 

The doctor figures the question is towards him and assures Chris that he's fine. However Dempsey's mother knows that's not the actual case.  "You're fine, sweetie." She steps up next to him, standing closer to Dempsey's head where she brushes over her hair with her hand.

  "Since her breathing wasn't really a factor, you know we've just been keeping her in a very deep sleep, the vent breathing for her so she could rest.  But thankfully she's really healthy and that's hopefully going to play into her favor a bit more even." He gives a nod to the nurse who has been occupying the space closest to all of the machines and wires. She fiddles with a couple of buttons as a handful of beeps come through before actually pulling out the tub that's connecting the ventilator. "Now, if she wakes and is in too much pain we'll reassess her pain meds, but we really need her to be coming around at this point."

  "Is it possible she may not remember anything that happened?" Lisa asks from her spot close to the doorway as she holds Conor's hand.

  "Of the incident itself or further out?" the doctor poses his own question for further details.

  Chris' heart constricts. He hadn't even given the idea of amnesia a single thought, only hopeful that with any luck she wouldn't remember the accident. But, now, what if she doesn't even remember him at all? What if she only remembers bits and pieces, and none of it being the heartwarming moments they've shared? What if all she remembers is the pain and anguish he's caused her through the cheating scandal and the job loss? Hanging his head, his own breath catches, causing Leigh Ann to put her arm around his back, rubbing gently. He looks at her with glassy eyes, seeing her own as a mirror. 

  "Any of it," Conor chimes in, her voice filled with worry. She's dodged Jack's questions as much as possible, without fully giving him the idea of how serious this situation is, letting him live in a bit of clouded bliss with his father for a few days. 

  The doctor adjusts his glasses further up his nose, his brow wrinkling a bit with the action. "If I had to guess, I'd say she probably won't remember the incident right away. I imagine it'll come back to her in bits and pieces, random so to speak. As far as her long term memory, I think she'll be fine. The bus driver said when she fell her arms were out in front of her, pushing a student onto the bus. That action alone kept her from hitting her head too hard."

  Cautiously, Chris breathes the smallest sigh of relief as Leigh Ann pats against his back. "How long will this all take? For her to come to, I mean?"

  "It might be a bit, but like I said she's a best case scenario situation. She may wake up fully within the hour." He nods his head towards the nurse before motioning to the door. 

  Chris pushes the chair over for Leigh Ann, still holding onto Dempsey as well. "I see you finally ventured in further," Conor muses, hoping to lighten the mood if even a little.