ATTN: IF YOU MISSED 88 DUE TO WATTPAD BEING DOWN, PLEASE GO READ NOW
"I need a neuro consult in three," Dr. Hayden directed towards Mariana. She sent him a thumbs up and rolled her chair over to the phone. She waited to get transferred to the neuro department and took her time to look around the emergency room. At four months pregnant, her feet were aching at the idea of standing for her shift and so she snagged a chair at the nurse's station any time she got a chance.
Her eyes drifted over to Leslie and Travis standing by the incoming trauma phone, their faces pale as they talked quickly amongst themselves. Leslie looked over at Mariana and immediately darted her eyes away which of course made her curious.
"Neuro." The line finally connected.
"We need a neuro consult in the ER, bay three."
"On it."
Mariana hung up the phone and spun her chair around to stare pointedly at the two idiots hiding by the wall. "What?"
Leslie grimaced and looked to the ambulance bay before back down at Mari. The older woman extended a hand and Mari took it gratefully. Her sense of balance was starting to slack and getting in and out of chairs was becoming a fun game. Eddie practically had a heart attack seeing her stumble onto the couch one night.
"Let's go grab you some food," Leslie said as she pulled Mariana towards the break room. The brunette scoffed out a laugh and looked at the slightly rounded bump of her stomach.
"Trying to fatten me up? Did Eddie put you up to this?"
Leslie led her to one of the few couches in the break room and motioned for her to sit down. The older woman sat across from her on the coffee table and clasped her hands in front of her, worry creasing her brows. Mariana sat up straighter, her hand flying to run along her stomach.
"Les, what's going on?"
"The 118 is incoming with two injured."
"Who? How bad? Why aren't we gowning up?" Mari started to rise but Leslie shot her hand out to clasp around Mariana's wrist and pull her back down on the couch.
"The stress won't be good for the baby. It's best that you stay in here until we can assess them."
"You have never had a problem with me working on the team until now. Who. is. it?" Her sharp words were punctuated with a tight grip on Leslie's hands.
"I'm sorry but you know the hospital policy. You can't work on your husband."
Mariana sat back against the couch with sheer panic in her eyes. She let out a choked gasp and shook her head frantically, hoping that this was all a dream. The world seemed so impossibly still that this had to be a joke. It had to be.
"How bad is it?" she finally whispered.
"The person who was supposed to be working the pulley on the roof left their post. One of the ropes snapped and there was no one to warn them. Buck hit a landing and is reported to have minor bruising but they're checking for internal bleeding. Eddie...the line gave way completely for him and he fell through two floors."
Mari bit out a sob, her arms wrapping around her middle protectively as if to protect Peanut from the world. Peanut, she realized. I need to stay calm for Peanut.
"What are his injuries?" she asked, trying to settle her shoulders and calm down with a deep breath.
"Fractured wrist, dislocated shoulder, and a severe concussion. They said he lost consciousness on the way here. Chimney said that he was searching for you."
Mariana screwed her eyes shut and pressed the knuckles of her hand against her lips. Deep breath for me, sweetheart. His voice rang through her head and she complied, holding her breath before exhaling.
"Okay," Mariana said quietly. "I want updates. I need to know how he and Buck are doing. And the second he gets transferred, you tell me."
"I can do that. I'm going to get Bobby so you don't have to be alone."
///
Mariana was probably wearing a hole in the tile of the ICU floor but there was no way she was going to sit down. She was pacing back and forth, waiting for any updates. A nurse emerged from the room she was watching and beckoned for Mariana to join her.
"How is he?" she asked anxiously, her hands wringing together in an attempt to calm herself down.
"He's at a five on the Glasgow scale. He's in a coma but we are positive that he'll wake up soon."
Mariana let out a sigh of relief and glanced over the nurse's shoulder. "Can I see him?"
She was led into the room and Mari immediately sank into the chair next to the bed, her eyes tracing over the scrapes and bruises on his face, the cast that enveloped his arm, and the monitors next to him that showed his vitals. She slowly reached out and touched a hand to his cheek, tears building in her eyes as she looked at the peaceful expression on his face.
"I'll give you some time with him," the nurse said quietly before she slipped out. "It can only be a few minutes, I'm sorry."
Mariana bit her lip in an attempt to regain her composure when a soft flutter erupted in her stomach. She bent forward, pulling Eddie's good hand to her stomach and wept.
"Please wake up. Please. I need you. We need you. The boys and Peanut and me. Please."
Mari sat there, frantic words of prayer and pleading spilling from her lips as she desperately searched for any sign of him listening. The nurse returned a few minutes later as promised, an apologetic look on her face.
"You can be here tomorrow all throughout visiting hours. We have nurses who have already promised to send you hourly updates."
"Thank you," Mariana whispered as she wiped away the tears that stained her cheeks. She walked out into the ICU waiting room to find the 118 sitting there, half asleep in the chairs. Bobby stood when she entered and he immediately opened his arms for her to fall into his hug.
"He'll be fine," he assured her. "You two are the most stubborn people alive."
"I know. He promised me he would come home." Her fingers touched the ring on her necklace and she sighed heavily. "How's Buck?"
"I'm okay," the familiar voice answered. She turned and found herself wrapped up in the arms of her brother. "He'll be okay. And until he wakes up, you have us."
"I'm glad you're fine," she murmured. "Travis took good care of you, huh?"
Buck pulled away so he could see her face and the hint of a mischievous spark in her red-rimmed eyes. He flushed bright red and opened his mouth to make an excuse but she simply sent a soft punch to his shoulder.
"I've known for months. You two didn't hide it well."
A throat cleared behind them and the two turned, finding Rachel standing there. She still had the tell-tale smudges of soot on her cheeks and nervously shifted from one foot to another.
"I want to apologi-" the girl started to say. Mari raised a hand to cut her off, a dark look shading her eyes.
"You left your post, why?" she snapped out.
"I thought I could vent the roof. Everyone always talks about how you always think on your feet and are the best and I thought tha-"
"So my husband is in the ICU because of your pride?" Mariana snarled. "You thought wrong. I'm good at my job because I trained hard and I care about my teammates, not my own selfish desires. Get out. You have no right to sit here and act concerned now when you're the reason he's laying there."
"Mari." Buck gently pulled her back. "She's new."
"I don't care if she was born yesterday!"
"Rachel, it's best if you leave," Bobby told her gently. The last thing they needed was even more stress placed on Mariana's shoulders. The younger woman tried to argue but a pointed look from Athena had her heading for the exit. Buck pulled Mariana back into a hug, feeling her practically tremble in his arms.
"I should have been there," she whimpered. "I should have been on that roof."
"You can't change the past, Mari. You can't beat yourself up for something you couldn't have controlled."
The words rang hollow in her ears and was drowned out by the guilt that clawed at her chest. What if she had been more careful? What if she could have worked?
This is my fault.
A/N: wifi here sucks so no gif BUT if you missed 88 due to wattpad being down, don't forget to check!