Invisible String

Chapter 8: Break Free

Her phone buzzed with text messages from her boss, asking that Lizzie send the presentation for the Health Day to be revised.

"I– I gotta get back to work."

"You really think you're going back to work?" Will scoffed, crossing his arms. "No, no. You just won a field trip to the ED."

Lizzie looked at Connor, asking silently for his help.

"You were out for a couple minutes, Lizzie. Let Will check you out before going back to work."

"The betrayal!" she dramatically said, which made Connor chuckle. "I'll be sure to remember that when you ask for help to hide from Ava. Will, come on."

It was like talking to a wall. Someone had brought in a gurney, which Lizzie refused with so much vehemence that she almost passed out again from the effort. They had to compromise on a wheelchair.

"I hate you." she declared as her brother wheeled her into the hospital and made the turn to enter the ED.

"Twice in a week, Elizabeth. Trying to get frequent flier miles with us?" Maggie jested. "What happened, kid?"

"My brother seems to be having a hard time remembering I'm a 28 year old woman, instead of a child." she complained.

"She fainted." Will said, ignoring what she just said. "I'm just going to check her out."

"Treatment 3, then." Maggie pointed. Lizzie groaned in annoyance as she was wheeled in and switched from the chair to the bed.

"He showed up here again?" he asked while attaching an oximeter to her finger and taking her vitals.

"Yeah, accused me of sleeping with Rhodes." Lizzie told. "The more he does this the more I hate him."

"I already hate him and I've never even met him." Will said. "Blood pressure 90 over 50. I'll talk to security again. Ask Maggie to watch out for him."

Lizzie nodded silently, staring at the wall.

"Have you been feeling any other symptoms before? Dizziness, headaches?"

"I felt lightheaded before fainting. Then it all just blacked out." she paused. "I have been feeling exhausted these days, but I figured it was just anxiety."

"Look here." he commanded, shining a light to her eyes. "Follow my finger."

"I told you, I didn't hit anything. It was just a fall, I got up too fast."

"Nothing you say will take you out of this treatment room before I say you can go." Will declared in all seriousness.

"I have work to do."

"I think your boss would rather have you conscious and alive to do said work." her brother said in a mockery tone. "I'll order a few tests, okay?"

"Will, it probably was just low blood sugar. I just need to eat a cookie or something." Lizzie sighed.

Will eventually got his way, of course he did. He ordered a bunch of blood tests and made her eat a few crackers and some juice before she was allowed to go, but eventually Lizzie got her unofficial discharge and went back to work on her lecture on the right way of flossing.

Dr. Montgomery was understanding, just like she always was. Lizzie insisted on seeing patients and following their schedule as planned for the rest of the day, feeling a little better after eating. Working helped to make the remainder of her shift not so bad.

"Got your test results." Will announced, walking into the doctor's lounge of the cardiothoracic surgery wing while Lizzie was gathering her belongings so they could go home.