Shannon spent the entire journey biting her nails to the quick. It
seemed to take forever to get to the main hospital in Stirling, but
finally they were there, and everyone piled out. Michael was
unceremoniously plonked onto a gurney and trundled at breakneck speed
through the emergency doors. The Pythons scattered in various
directions, and Shannon found herself alone in the bleak hospital
hallway.
There was nothing to do but wait. She longed to see Graham again, as he
seemed to be the most compassionate one, and his steady presence had
calmed her frazzled nerves. But he had gone running in with Michael and
although she had understood that the point of her coming along was to
give information to the attending doctors, no-one had yet come to ask
her anything. So she sat down heavily in a very uncomfortable chair,
put her head in her hands and waited.
After what seemed like years, a young intern approached her and said
timidly, "um.....Miss Reilly, is it? Shannon?"
She jumped a mile. "Yes, that's right. Is Michael alright?" she leaped
up and started chewing her
fingernails again.
"We'd just like to get some information from you, if you don't mind - I
understand you were the one who found him?" he said, maddeningly
avoiding her question.
"Yes, that's right...but is he...."
"You'd better follow me then, please Miss..." he replied, turning his
back and striding off. Shannon thought her head was going to burst open
like an over-ripe canteloupe. She scurried after him as he disappeared
down the corridor and turned abruptly into a small room.
Darting full-tilt into the room, she smacked right into a short, stocky
figure. Before she could even say sorry, she was folded into a bear
hug. She pulled away to see who she was being so heartily hugged by -
it was Terry Jones! He smiled wearily up at her, but seemed unable to
speak. She could have sworn she saw tears in his eyes. He squeezed her
hands, then bolted from the room. Shannon stared after him, mystified.
"Miss Reilly?" The young intern was glaring at her. "We just need
to..." but Shannon was past him before he could finish his sentence.
Michael was lying in the narrow hospital bed, hooked up to an IV, with
an oxygen mask beside him, and various electrodes and scary-looking
monitors surrounding his bed. He looked quite grey, and his eyes were
closed.
"Michael !" Shannon gasped. "Oh my God, Michael..." she started to cry
uncontrollably. The young doctor put his hand on her shoulder, but she
angrily shrugged it away. "I...l-love...y-you...M-Michael..." she
sobbed.
She looked in astonishment as a smile spread over his face and he
opened his eyes. "I know," he whispered, and reached for her hand.
Shannon's jaw dropped. "You little bugger!" she cried.
Michael smiled weakly at her. "I'm sorry..." he murmured, "I'm just so
tired..." and he sank back into the pillow, his eyes closing. He
squeezed her hand briefly, then his fingers fell limp. "I love you
too," he whispered, his voice fading into sleep.
Shannon whirled around and faced the young doctor, who was waiting
patiently, his back discreetly turned. "What is it? What's wrong with
him? I
did everything I could...I did everything right, I KNOW I did....by the
book! What did I do wrong?!" She wiped her face with the back of her
hand.
The doctor smiled, handed her a kleenex and said "Calm down, he's going
to be alright, and you didn't do anything wrong. Michael is suffering
from dehydration and he's exhausted from his ordeal, that's all. He's
going to be just fine - we need to get some fluids and electrolytes
back into him, hence the IV. He's not a big chap, you know: he needs to
rest."
Shannon flung herself on the doctor, who reacted with bemused
equanimity. "Oh thank you, thank you," she gasped. "I thought...thank
you!" The doctor smiled as she released her grip on him.
"Well well, that's the second person who's done that to me this
afternoon!" he grinned. "Terry?" Shannon looked at him quizzically.
"Yes, that's right...the young man who just left. He was quite beside
himself. I think these two are very close."
Shannon nodded. "I think you're right - although I'm not quite sure
what Terry makes of me yet..."
The doctor smiled again. "Ah, well, from what I understand, if it
hadn't been for your prompt action, this young man would be pushing up
daisies - which reminds me, I need to get your first aid report..."
Shannon nodded, straightening herself up and trying to get her brain
working so that she could recall with some accuracy all of the
important details. Of course, she would have to leave some of the story
out altogether....
Casting a glance over her shoulder, Shannon noticed that Michael's
colour had improved since she first arrived. His long, dark eyelashes
fluttered slightly in his sleep, and his lips curved with the hint of a
smile. His hair was tousled about his face, and Shannon longed to feel
its softness under her fingers once again. If anything ever happened to
him, how could she go on living? She found it impossible to believe
that a scant six hours ago, they had never met. Shannon sighed, then
followed the young doctor into his office, leaving Michael to rest.
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