| Subject: In the Shadow of Simone 7 |
Author:
Rox
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Date Posted: 13:58:19 12/30/01 Sun
In reply to:
Rox
's message, "In the Shadow of Simone - Sequel to Redemption" on 23:28:26 12/17/01 Mon
“My god! What’s she doing?” The desk nurse stood up and leaned over it. “Becky! Call the resident! Hurry!”
Shoving out of her chair the nurse started down the hall.
“Michael?” Nikita felt her way down the wall of the hallway, fighting the growing darkness. “Have to find him. Where is he?” She murmured, taking another staggering step.
“Sweetie, you’re bleeding.” The Nurse grabbed Nikita’s arm.
“Where’s Michael?” Nikita slipped in the pool of blood at her feet, and caught herself from falling by grabbing onto the nearest doorframe.
“Honey, we have to get you into bed. You’re hemorrhaging.”
Nikita grunted and doubled over, knocking the shorter woman against the wall as she tried to catch her. Both women slipped in the blood and ended up on the floor.
The nurse looked up to see Becky and the young resident running down the hallway towards her and her now semiconscious patient.
“Linda! How long has she been bleeding like this?” The resident asked, picking up the patient and carrying her to a nearby room.
“I don’t know--”
“Never mind--call surgery and get them to set up the OR. Becky!” The doctor elevated Nikita’s feet and legs.
“Yes?” The young candy striper looked eager to help.
“Help me get a blood pressure on her. Linda, get her prepped--we’ll need a blood type and cross-match--and hurry!”
Nikita watched the frantic actions around her and started to giggle. “Hey, It’s okay. I’ve been shot before.” Then her blue eyes rolled back into her head and she fell silent.
The doctor and nurse exchanged glances for a moment, but there was no time for comments. “Let’s get her into OR. Did you say her husband was in here too?”
“Yes. He was in surgery for nearly five hours last night. Broken ribs, a punctured lung--he’s been upgraded to serious.”
“Is he conscious?”
“I don’t know.”
“Go see. If he is, get his permission for surgery, if he isn’t--to hell with it, she’ll die without it. I can’t wait for a decision. Just go let him know what’s happening, if he’s in shape to understand. If he doesn’t like it--he can sue me later! Let’s go!”
“Sir? Sir!”
Michael opened his eyes and tried to focus in the dim light.
“I’m sorry to wake you, but it’s about your wife.” A woman in a nurse’s uniform bent over him.
“My wife?” Michael looked confused.
“Yes. She started hemorrhaging and we’ve had to take her to surgery. The doctor wanted me to tell you--well, he didn’t feel he could wait for your permission to operate.”
Michael began to push at the bedclothes. “Where is she?”
“No! It’s all right. She’s in OR. You have to stay in bed, sir.”
“Where is OR?” Michael wrapped an arm around his chest and sat up.
“Michael, please, listen to your nurse.” A quiet voice of authority ordered sweetly.
Michael glanced up. Madeline stood in the doorway, dressed in a heavy cloth coat.
Michael closed his eyes at the sight and felt his ears ringing. The nurse forced him back upon the pillows and he went without a fight.
“It’s all right, nurse. I’m Michael’s sister, Madeline. I’ve been searching the hospital’s in the area for several days looking for him and my sister-in-law.” Madeline calmly slipped off her coat and gloves and laid them in a nearby chair, along with her shoulder bag.
The nurse looked immensely relieved. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here! Your sister-in-law was admitted for exhaustion last night, when your brother was brought in for surgery. Then half an hour ago I found her wandering down the hallway, doubled over in pain and bleeding profusely. We’ve had to rush her to surgery. I was asked to inform your brother.”
“How are you Michael?” Madeline asked like a consoling sister, her hand lightly caressing his cheek.
“What’s wrong with Nikita?” Michael asked the nurse, but his eyes watched Madeline.
The nurse let out a huff of a sigh. “She had us all scared to death--kept talking about being shot!”
Michael never took his eyes from Madeline’s face. His expression went from disbelief to rage in an instant.
Madeline returned his gaze without wavering, then asked aloud,” Was she shot?”
“No, but--I’m sorry.” The nurse looked over at Michael with real sympathy, “I think she’s had a miscarriage.”
With the awful words said, the nurse excused herself and left.
Michael turned his face towards the wall and away from Madeline. He wanted to scream and cry out it hurt so much, but he didn’t. Letting Madeline know how much the baby had meant would mean letting her know just how weak he really was. For an instant, for a fleeting moment he had wanted to die, but as long as Nikita lived, he knew he could never leave her.
Getting his emotions under control, Michael turned to face Madeline. She looked tired as she seated herself in the chair near his bed.
“Care to tell me what happened?” She asked at last.
“I had a relapse and Nikita brought me to the hospital.”
“I see. You couldn’t have called me?”
Michael shook his head. “I’ve been out of it for days. Nikita had no phone.”
“What about your cell phone?”
“Dropped out of my pocket, probably in the truck.”
Madeline’s expression was benign and Michael didn’t know if she believed him or not.
“All right.” She said with a deep sigh. “I’ve made arrangements to medevac both of you back to Section this evening. I’ll have Walter meet us. He can stay with Nikita for a day or so, while she recovers in her apartment. If there are questions--we can say she had a skiing accident or a bad case of the flu. Both are common with winter vacations. You, I’m taking back to Section. I can see I’ll have to put the fear of cancellation back into the medical team--they should never have let you leave in the condition you were in.”
Ni-ki-ta. . .
Nikita gradually opened her eyes. “Yes?” She whispered.
Dark brown eyes stared kindly down. Black hair fell in glossy lengths over the tiny Oriental woman’s shoulders.
Love Michael, Nikita. Love him.
“I’ve tried. He won’t let me.” Nikita began to cry.
Michael needs you, Nikita. He loves you too, more than you know.
“No. He loves you, Simone.” Nikita’s tears continued.
Simone looked sad for a brief moment, then reached around her neck and unhooked a slender, golden chain.
I give him into your keeping, Nikita. Love him for me. Love him, for yourself.
Nikita felt Simone drape the chain across her open palm; felt lips touch her forehead, and smelled the scent of sandalwood.
"Be at peace."
* * *
“Oh, Becky! Where’s your necklace?”
“Well, you’re going to think this is stupid, but I gave it to that poor woman who lost her baby.” The little candy-striper smiled with mild embarrassment.
“Why?’
“She kept calling for Michael. And since he’s my patron saint, I just thought, well, maybe he was hers too.”
Linda put her arm around Becky’s waist. “Oh, honey! She was just calling for her husband--his name was Michael. That was such a beautiful necklace, too!”
“That’s all right. I think I was meant to give it to her. You should have seen the smile on her face when I put it in her hand. She was so beautiful and radiant. Just like an angel herself.”
The End
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