The Rookie Highschool

Chapter 12

"WE GOT HER BACK" "SHE NEEDS SURGERY RIGHT NOW" "TELL THE OR WE'RE COMING UP"
Angela didn't know what was going on, she stood there watching her friend as she was dying.

Angela- "What's going on" she said as she was crying.

Dr- "She's not getting enough blood flow to her heart. We need to take her into surgery immediately and place a cardiac shunt if we want her to survive"

Mary- "Do it. Do whatever you have to do to keep her alive."

••At school••

Tim has been depressed since Lucy had been intubated. He was waiting for the day of Marley's sentencing. He wanted to hear and see her get sentenced for a long time for attempted murder and the fact that nobody knows if she will survive. By lunch  Tim received a call from Angela.

••Angela••

Angela- Tim

Tim- Angela what's wrong. Is Lucy okay?

Angela- She coded. They took her into surgery. Something about a cardio shunt.

Tim- I'm gonna have my mom call and check me out so I can get to the hospital.

Tim got checked out of school and ran to the hospital. Literally ran. He ran through the hospital doors and skipped the elevator and went straight to the stairs. He burst into her hospital room to see Angela having a panic attack and her mom hugging her tightly.

Tim- "Angela are you okay?"

Angela- "Hey Tim. I'm fine" she said wiping her tears.

Mary- "It could be awhile. How about you sit with us Tim. I'm sure Angela would love your company."

Tim and Angela comfort each other.  They were informed that the operation would 1-2 hours.

••in surgery••

They had been in the OR with Lucy's chest open for approximately a half hour.

Dr- "Things are looking good"

"Her stats are dropping"

Dr- "Dammit she's bleeding. Okay I have to find and stop the bleeding before continuing the surgery.  Someone go update the family."

••Family••

40 minutes into the surgery a doctor comes back into Lucy's room.

"I'm here to update you on the surgery"

Mary- "Yes how is she"

"Things were going good, but there was a complication. When I left to update you, they were in the middle of looking for the bleed."

Mary- "What happens if they can't find the bleed."

"She could die. I can assure you that we have the best surgeon in the hospital working on her."

Mary- "Okay uhm thanks."

The doctor went back to the operating room

••in surgery••

"Did you stop the bleeding?"

Dr- "One second...and... bleeding stopped"

"pressures going back up."

Dr- "Let's get her through this surgery"

another 35 minutes have gone by

Dr- "Okay let's close her up and get her in a room."

They close Lucy up

Dr- "Get her into a room. I'll go update the family and show them to her new room."

••Waiting Room••

The doctor walked out into the waiting room.

Dr- "Miss Lopez"

Mary- "Call me Mary"

Dr- "Mary. The surgery was successful. There was a complication, but we stopped the bleeding and she's being moved into a room now. She's still intubated and we aren't sure if or when she will wake up. Would you like me to take the three of you to her room?"

Mary- "Yes yes please."

Mary felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her.  It felt like she was holding in a breath the entire surgery without realizing it.

As soon as they got into Lucy's new hospital room, Tim went to one side of Lucy's bed and pulled up a chair, while Angela went to the other. They both grabbed one of her hands and rested their heads down while holding her hands.

Hours went by and they weren't expecting her to wake up considering she has been on a vent and hadn't woken up in 2 weeks.

Angela- "Oh my god. Get a doctor. I think she squeezed my hand."

They get a doctor

Angela- "I think she squeezed my hand"

Dr- "Okay let's get an EEG to check brain function and if everything looks good we can see if she will wake up. Lucy squeezing your hand could've been reflexes, but let's be safe and run that test."

They run the test and her brain function seems to be good considering.

Dr- "Let's give her benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil and try to wake her up."

10 minutes go by Lucy's eyes starts to flutter open

Dr- "Lucy. I'm doctor Wilson. You are in the hospital. Do not try to talk you have a tube down your throat that is helping you breathe. We should be able to take it out later if you start breathing over it. You have some people here." she says to Lucy.

Dr- "I'm going to go and check on some patients. If she starts to breathe over the vent, we will take it out and I'll get some repeat labs."

Mary- "Okay. thank you so much Dr. Wilson."

After a couple of hours Lucy started to breathe over the vent and the doctor came back in.

Doctor- "Okay Lucy. I'm gonna pull the tube out of your mouth. I need you to stay still."

She pulls the tube out of Lucy's throat.

Angela- "Hey Lu"

Lucy- "H-hey" she said barely having a voice.

Lucy- "Ho-How long was I out"

Tim- "It's been 2 weeks Luce"

Lucy- "Am I gonna be okay?"

Dr- "We are going to run some labs. It's good that you are able to breathe on your own."

Lucy just nodded. She gets her labs done and the tests come back fine.

A few days go by. Lucy is alone for a few hours.

Lucy- "When can I get out of here?"

Doctor- "If everything continues to improve, you should be out of here next week."

Lucy- "Trust me. I'm fine now."

Doctor- "We need to make sure that you don't have any complications."

Lucy- "What complications could arise?"

Doctor- "Endocarditis, dysrhythmias, Thrombosis,  right heart failure, Eisenmenger syndrome,  seizures, and death."

Lucy- "I might die?"

Doctor- "Lucy I need you to calm down. It's very unlikely that you'll die. I just want to keep you here until Im completely ready to discharge you."

Lucy- "o-o-okay" she said as she nodded.

Later that day Mary was with Lucy when her chest started to hurt and she couldn't breathe as well as before.

Mary- "I NEED A DOCTOR SHES SHAKING REAL BAD"

Doctor- "She's having a seizure." she said as she ran into the room.

Doctor- "Push diazepam and get me a chest tube. She has a pneumothorax."

Mary- "What does that mean?"

Doctor- "It means that air is leaking into the space between the lungs and chest wall."