Doctor, Doctor (R.S.L)

Chapter 13

She nodded, through her eyes were filling with tears once again. "What if she doesn't wake up? What if she's like this forever."

"Don't say that, Morgan." I shook my head furiously. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "We have to have faith that she will wake up. You know her better than anyone; you know she's a fighter."

A small smile fitted her lips. "That she is." She shouldered her bag, wiping under her eyes. "I'm gonna go pick up Jess from school and bring her down here. Are you gonna sleep at the apartment again?"

"If you don't mind."

"Not at all." With one last small smile, she bid me a soft goodbye before heading down the corridor. 

With some time before Blake's parents would stop by, I grabbed at the chance to visit her. I grabbed her hand as I slowly sunk down onto the hospital chair beside her bed. The bruises she had on her face had visibly faded, and the cut she had on her forehead minimized to a small scab. If it weren't for the machines around her, you would think she was just sleeping. 

"Hey, baby." I murmured, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "All your scans look good, so how about you wake up for us? I know you love to sleep, but I think a week is enough, don't you?" I kissed the back of her hand, clenching my eyes shut as the familiar feeling overtook my body once again. "Please wake up, Blake. We all miss you so much. Jess misses you so much, and she needs her mommy back. She sleeps in your bed every night and cries into your pillow. The only thing that will help her is if you wake up." 

Not caring if her parents walked in, I carefully climbed into bed next to her, making sure not to tug on any wires. I needed to be close to her; needed to know that she was still here. That she was still alive. Watching her heart beat on the monitor wasn't enough for me. I needed to hear it; feel it beneath my ear. 

I pushed aside some hair from her face, allowing my lips to meet the skin of her temple before reluctantly pulling back. "I met your parents...they thought I was your doctor. I never thought I'd meet your parents this way, but I'm just glad I had the chance to meet them. They're really great, and your dad and I have a lot in common. He would definitely get along with my dad." My eyes filled with tears, and I couldn't stop myself from allowing a couple to roll down my cheek. "Wake up, Blake. Come back to us. We're not the same without you, and we never will be if you don't wake up."

~*~

I sipped the scalding hot coffee as I walked towards the Chief's office. He had paged me to his office, no doubt wanting to speak to me about the current situation. I knew I wouldn't be able to do this much longer, but I didn't trust myself to look at any patients in my state of mind. 

I quickly finished off the coffee as I approached his office, tossing the cup into the trash before knocking on the door. Once I heard the "come in", I slowly made my way inside. 

"You paged, Chief Ford?" 

Chief Ford nodded his head, motioning me to sit. I claimed the chair closest and laced my fingers together. "How's your girlfriend, Dr. Lynch?" 

"Stable, but still in a coma." I responded, forcing myself to not show the grimace on my face. "Her brain swelling is down and her scans came out clear, but she's still not waking up."

He nodded, leaning back in his chair. "I know this is a difficult time for you, and I completely empathize, but you can't continue this forever. I've had parents call and ask specifically for you to treat their children."

"Chief, I'm not in the right state of mind to treat anyone at the moment." I explained. 

"I believe getting back to work will help take your mind off things. I've seen you in this hospital everyday with your girlfriend, and I'm pretty sure you haven't been here this much when you were working." Before I could cut in, he continued. "Just think about it, alright? I truly believe that coming back to work, even if it's for a few hours a day could help you. I need an answer soon, though. I don't want to have to fire one of my best and most liked doctors." 

I nodded and left without another word, surprisingly calm. I didn't have the energy to be angry at the obvious warning of being fired. My thoughts were filled with Blake and Blake alone. I knew I couldn't do this until she was awake, but wasn't this too soon? 

"Rossy!" 

Little arms wrapped around my leg as I approached her room once again, and I managed a small smile as I stared down at Jess. I hoisted her on my hip and kissed her cheek, her arms coming around to wrap around my waist. I nodded my head at Morgan in greeting, giving her a small smile before she walked into her best friends room. 

"How was school, Jess?" I questioned, setting myself down on the chair against the wall. She dove right into the details of her day, and I couldn't stop myself from smiling at her excitement. She always managed to brighten up my day, something I desperately needed. 

"Rossy?" She asked, her voice suddenly small. 

"Yeah, sweetheart." 

Her fingers tangled themselves in my hair, her head resting on my chest. "When mama waking up?" 

My heart rate picked up almost immediately. How could I answer her when I didn't know the answer myself? "I don't know, sweetie. Hopefully soon." 

I wished I knew the answer, because the constant waiting and praying was emotionally and physically draining. It was puzzling...all her scans were normal and she had brain activity, so why wasn't she waking up? As a doctor, it confused the hell out of me, and as her boyfriend, it made me want to break down and cry until my throat was raw. 

I snapped out of my trance as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Jane and Dan approached me, Jess immediately jumping into the arms of her grandparents. They asked their usual questions, one's I answered glumly. It had become a routine, Blake's parents needing to know how their daughter was currently doing. I hated that I couldn't give them a different answer. 

"Has there been any change?" Dan quietly asked as Jane took Jess into Blake's room. I shook my head sadly. "But she will wake up? I know you're not her doctor, but you've seen all the scans. I just need to know your opinion."

"From what I've seen, she should wake up." I replied. "Her other doctors believe she will, too, it's just a waiting game right now." 

He nodded, a swirl of emotions clouding his eyes. If this was hard for me, I couldn't even imagine what Dan and Jane were going through. Their little girl was currently in a coma, no sign of waking up anytime soon despite her normal test results. 

"She can't die." Dan whispered hoarsely, his eyes fixated on Blake. "We can't lose another child."

Another child? Before I could even ask what he meant, Jess came running out of the room and bolted down the hall. I ran after her without uttering a word, not wanting her grandparents to worry. I found her sobbing near a vending machine, curled up against the wall with her knees hugged to her chest. I frowned as I slowly knelt down by her side, curious about the sudden mood change. 

"What's wrong, honey?" I asked softly, rubbing the back of her head gently. She turned to me, tears streaming down her face and launched herself into my arms. She whimpered, her head buried in the crook of my neck as she cried loudly. "Shh, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay."

I remained in this position for I don't know how long, rubbing her back as I attempted to calm her down. It broke my hear to see her cry, and I felt useless not knowing what to do. Her mother was unconscious, her grandparents were bust dealing with their own hardships, and I had absolutely no clue about Jess' father. Morgan was a wreck, so that just left me. But what was I to her? Did she see me as only her mom's boyfriend, or somewhat of a father figure? It killed me that I wasn't sure my place in this situation. 

When it looked like she calmed down, I leaned back a little and kissed her forehead gently. "You wanna go back to see mommy?"

She shook her head, using the back of her hand to rub her nose. "We go home? Me wanna go home, daddy."

I froze as she buried her head in my neck once again, her thumb being placed in her mouth. S-she called me daddy. I didn't imagine that, right? She actually called me that? 

Slowly picking myself off the ground, I made sure Jess was firmly in my hold before walking down the hall. "Then let's go home."