Our City, Our Rules, ONE Chicago #2 (Chicago Fire)

Chapter 13 "Always Give Hope"

Over the course of a couple of days, Severide and Hank have been spending their time with Shaylynn in the ICU.
During the accident she suffered a brain injury and then the trauma with her heart, the doctors felt the best thing for her was to put her in a medically induced coma. She'll be kept in this state for a week. That should give the swelling in her brain enough time to go down.

Chrysti called Butch and the other guys to tell them what happened to Shaylynn. Thankfully they used the private jet for the business they were on and could return to Chicago quickly.
The guys were set on getting this guy who caused the accident.
When they went to the hospital, Hank told them that the guy was dead. Butch was upset that he wasn't the one who caused his death.
So many flowers have been delivered for Shalynn that Hank and Severide have told the nurses if the other patients in the ICU are allowed to have flowers, to start distributing the flowers to them and other patients throughout the hospital.
Dr. Rhodes has insisted on being Shaylynns doctor while she's in Chicago Med. Even going as far as sleeping at the hospital if he's needed for her.

Dr. Rhodes tells Severide and Hank that tomorrow is the day he's going to start weaning Shaylynn off the medication that's keeping her under.
Hank receives a call in the early morning hours and can't stick around. He gets called out on a case that looks like it's the work of a serial killer.
In the morning, Dr. Rhodes walks in and notices Hank isn't there, "Where's Hank?" he asks Severide.
"He had to leave" Severide tells him.
"Okay. I'm going to start out slowly, so don't think she's going to wake up right away. She could wake up today, she might not wake up until three days from now. It depends on the amount of medication a person is on, the length of time they were under, age and how the body reacts to being weaned off the medication will determine when she wakes up" Dr. Rhodes tells Severide.
"But she will wake up, right?" Severide asks Dr. Rhodes with a concerned look.
"Kelly, Shaylynn's a fighter. With everything she's already been through, she's going to wake up" Dr. Rhodes tells him.
Dr. Rhodes walks out of Shaylynn's room. He notices Dr. Halstead standing over by the nurse's desk shaking his head.
"What?" Dr. Rhodes asks him.
"Why did you tell Kelly that? You know there's a good chance she might not wake up!" Dr. Halstead says.
Dr. Rhodes stares at Dr. Halstead, "Always give hope first! With everything he has been through, he needs something to hold on to. I talked to Matt a few days ago, he was telling me how Kelly went over the edge when Shay died. I hate to think what he would do if he lost Shaylynn! Matt also said Gabby is taking this pretty hard."
"I hope she does wake up! If she doesn't you know Kelly is going to go off on you for giving him hope that she would!" Dr. Halstead tells Dr. Rhodes.
Dr. Rhodes just stares at Dr. Halstead and processes what he said.

Two days go by.
Shaylynn still hasn't woken up, but Severide hasn't given up hope. Dr. Rhodes mentioned it could take up to three days for anything to happen.
Severide has to be getting back to work. He doesn't want to go, but the new Fire Commissioner is really cracking down on absenteeism. He tells the nurses that he's returning to work and if ANYTHING happens to call him right away. If they can't reach him to call Boden.
He takes one last look at Shaylynn before he leaves. 

Severide walks into the Firehouse, straight to the locker room to change. He doesn't want to be here! 

Mouch walks into the locker room and sees Severide sitting there, "Hey, I'm really sorry you had to come back to work! I tried everything I could to get you more time off, but this new Fire Commissioner is a real ass!"
Severide looks up at him, "Thanks! I appreciate you trying!"
Mouch gives Severide a little smile, then walks out to the Common Area.
Severide stands up and heads in the same direction. He really doesn't want to go out there, because he knows everyone is going to be talking about Shaylynn. It hurts enough not being at the hospital with her. Not knowing what's happening with her is going to kill him.
As soon as he walks out of the locker room a call comes in and he heads straight to the stalls.
Boden runs into Severide as they walk out, "Keep your head clear! I have my cell phone, so if there's any news, I'll get it!"

Back at Chicago Med a little girl with a breathing mask on is walking through the halls pulling a little cart with a small oxygen tank on it. She loves visiting the different departments in the hospital. Today she makes her way to the ICU.
As she walks around the ICU, she walks into each room she comes to and "visits" with whoever is in there. The nurses are busy entering patient information into their computers they don't see her walking around.
She comes to the last room, Shaylynn's room. The little girl walks in and her eyes get big.
She pulls a chair up to the side of Shaylynn's bed, sits down and grabs Shaylynn's hand.
The little girl removes her breathing mask, "Hello!" she says to Shaylynn.
At the nurses desk, their computer monitors start flashing CODE RAINBOW. All the computer monitors around the hospital start flashing the same thing.
"She's escaped again!" the head nurse tells the other.
"I'll start looking around" the other nurse says.
The nurse comes out from behind the desk and starts looking into the rooms. When she comes to Shaylynn's room she sees the little girl.
She turns around and looks at the head nurse, "Call Ms. Goodwin, I found Molly!"
The nurse walks into Shaylynn's room, right up to the little girl, "Hello, Molly!"
Molly removes her breathing mask, "Hi!"
"You know you can't keep leaving and wander around the hospital. We're all afraid something might happen to you" the nurse tells her
Molly looks up at the nurse with her big green eyes, "I'm sorry! I get very bored just laying in bed. I've played with all the toys and have read all the books more than once. I like visiting other people in the hospital. Some people are mean and tell me to go away, but most are happy to see me and happy to have someone to talk to."
Molly puts her breathing mask back up to her face for a few quick breaths.
"Do you know her?" the nurse asks Molly while pointing at Shaylynn.
"Yes!" Molly tells the nurse.
"How do you know her?" the nurse asks.
"She saved my sister" Molly says.
"She did? What happened to your sister?" the nurse asks.
"My sister climbed up a flagpole to get away from our Dad. He ended up going to jail. Because of her (Molly points to Shaylynn) it gave Mom the courage to divorce Dad. Now we have a really nice Step Dad" Molly tells the nurse, then quickly puts her breathing mask back on.
"Molly, you're going to have to go back to your room and get some rest" the nurse tells her.
Molly removes her mask "Do I have to? She's been holding my hand and smiling at me" Molly tells the nurse.
"She has?" the nurse asks Molly surprised.
"Yes! See, she has a hold of my hand now" Molly tells the nurse picking up her hand.
The nurse turns around "Julie! Shaylynn's been responsive! Molly says she's smiled at her a few times!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I said I wasn't sure when I would get a new chapter up, well here it is.  :)

Stressing out over this meeting, which is tomorrow, I had to get my mind off things.
Writing helps me with stress.  I can leave my reality and enter the One Chicago world.

Wish me luck tomorrow, I'm going to need it.