the exception

45. emergency

{Some time later}

Ricky's pov

"Ricky?", I hear Nina whisper.

"Yeah angel?", I reply, "Are you okay?"

She looked pale and sick. Her free arm was clutching on her stomach, and she looked in pain.

"What's wrong Neens?", I say worried, standing up now.

"My stomach- it really hurts. Like- bad...", she breaths out.

She was breathing heavy and I could tell she was in a lot of pain.

"Okay let me get someone.", I say.

I push the button on the counter before walking outside the room and down the hallway. I look all around, soon Nurse Olivia and Doctor Stefan come up the stairs.

"Is everything okay?"

"N-no I- she says her stomach is hurting really bad. She looks pale and sick-", I explain, frantic.

They nod their heads and rush down to her room. I follow closely behind as they enter the room and immediately go over to her.

"Okay...Nina, can you tell me what you're feeling?", Doctor Stefan asks while Nurse Olivia sets up the transducer for an ultrasound.

Nina takes deep breaths, "I-it's a- like a- a stabbing...pain in my stomach."

"Can you point with your right hand where it's hurting?", he asks.

She takes her hand and manages to point to the lower right side of her abdomen.

Doctor Stefan lets out a breath, writing something down, "That's what I thought. Olivia, can you do the scan now?"

She nods and takes the device, lightly rubbing it over Nina's lower right side of her abdomen. Both she and Doctor Stefan stare at the screen, examining it.

I watch as they finish the scan and how Nurse Olivia begins detaching the monitors on Nina. My heart is racing, and I'm lost and confused. I can't think straight. Nurse Olivia tells Nina something and she nods before I watch her roll Nina's bed out of the room and down the hallway.

"W-what's happening?! Where's she going!", I ask the Doctor.

"Ricky...her appendix is infected. She's going to emergency surgery to get it removed before it causes more harm. She's going to be okay.", Doctor Stefan explains to me.

My heart sinks and I freeze.

He continues, "The sickness is spreading...rather quickly. As you probably know, we have no cure right now. We're going to increase the number of tablets she takes to 3, so hopefully it'll slow it down or keep it at a pause."

I nod my head, "O-okay...how long is this surgery going to be?"

"Shouldn't be more than a couple hours.", he says, "I'll come back with more tablets soon."

I nod my head and he exits the room. I drop to the sofa chair, breathing heavily, my mind spinning.

Emergency surgery.

Great.

I bite my lip as I feel my eyes sting. I blink once and send tears down my face. Now that no one was in this room, I could let my guard down. I could let it all out. It was hard trying to stay strong, especially for Nina, when on the inside I'm extremely worried and freaking out.

My vision becomes blurry as tears become a never-ending flow down my face. I run my hands over my face and through my hair, thinking through everything.

I hear a knock on the door, and I quickly wipe my eyes before I get up. I didn't see anyone through the window, but I open the door. To my surprise I see Kourt, Los, and Seb.

I force a smile, "Uh- hey! I thought ya'll had Christmas parties? It's only 3"

They all nod, "We managed to get away."

They walk into the room, and I hold my breath, forgetting that they didn't know.

"Where's Nina?", Kourtney asks.

I clear my throat, taking a deep breath, "Emergency surgery."

Their lips all part as they stare at me blankly.

"Oh no...", Seb breaths out, "What happened..."

"The sickness infected her appendix...they wanted to remove it before it got any worse."

Carlos frowns, "She'll be okay Ricky."

I feel my lip quiver and I try to hold the tears back. It was obvious I was about to cry though seeing as Kourtney came up and hugged me, tight.

"Ricky what's on your mind?", she asks.

I shrug, taking a breath, "I- I'm...scared."

"Ricky we just have to stay positive...she'll be okay. The doctors are doing everything they can.", Carlos reassures me.

I sniffle, "I-I know they're taking care of her. I just-can't bear to see her like this. I-I feel so...so bad. I just wanted her to have a- a good Christmas...a good life."

"And she will, Ricky. Everything'll be okay.", Kourtney says.

{A few hours later}

Ricky's pov

Nina's out of surgery. According to Doctor Stefan, it went well. She's in her recovery room and they'll bring her back in here in a little. I've been texting back and forth with my friends, keeping them updated on everything. I turn my phone off and stick it in my pocket at the sound of a knock on the door. I look up and see Doctor Stefan in the window, along with Nurse Olivia. I get up and open the door.

"Is everything okay? Is she okay?", I begin to ramble off questions.

Doctor Stefan nods, "Yes, she's doing just fine. She's recovering and we'll bring her back in here later tonight. We just wanted to...update you on some things."

I nod, nervously looking at them.

"So, as you know the sickness is spreading quickly. And each day it's spreading...well quicker.", Nurse Olivia begins.

"Ricky we just- we want you to prepare for the worst. Of course, we're doing everything we can to get it out of her system and to help her body fight it off. But, at the rate it's going, it could result in..."

I gulp, "Death..."

"We aren't aiming for that solution, obviously. We're going to keep testing her blood to see if we can come up with a medicine that will kill off the sickness.", Nurse Oliva says.

I nod, "Okay- um- thank you."

"Let us know if you need anything.", she sadly smiles before walking away with Doctor Stefan.

I shut the door and stare at the floor as I find my way back to the sofa chair. I sit and stare blankly at the wall. I wasn't sure what to think...or how to comprehend anything. The thought of death being an option just feels...unreal. My mind can't take it in.

I silently sit in the quiet, dark room, patiently waiting to see her again.