Chapter 8

When Kevin opened his eyes, he was unhappy to find the room unbearably hot. Someone had obviously turned the thermostat too high... and what were all those blankets piled on him? It took some effort but he got rid of everything except the top sheet, breathing an exhausted sigh of relief as the coolness came. He rested for a bit, dismayed at his weakness. The coolness seemed to be increasing as time passed, which confused him a great deal. He wondered why someone had turned the air conditioner on full blast… What kind of hospital was he in? And the lights, going from too dim to way too bright… For reasons he didn’t comprehend, he found his thoughts disconnected and strange. An uncomfortable tingling seemed to spark along his skin, and he became so sensitive that even the soft cotton sheet felt abrasive.

Darkness, when it came, was a welcome change.

"...Kevin?" someone was saying intently. "Can you hear me? Kevin, look at me."

His eyelids felt like lead and it was extremely difficult to open them, but the voice compelled him to try. He focused on kind gray eyes, an oval face surrounded by dark, straight hair…

"Doc?" he asked weakly. Why was he so tired? “What’s… happening?”

She placed a cool hand on his forehead. "You’re burning up; you have a fever. You just lie there while we get these blankets back on you.”

"No... not hot. I’m s-so cold..."

"I know."

"Where-"

"Hush now, Kevin. Lie still."

"No. I have to... to..."

What was it? He couldn’t remember what he wanted to say. Suddenly, it didn’t seem to matter anymore. Things began to recede.

"Doctor?" came someone’s voice from far away.

"His fever is still way too high. Page Dr. Thompson again and call someone from the lab…"

There was a strange floaty feeling that came, then. The voices drifted in and out.

"Damn. This isn’t... looking good. Okay, let’s... get him... started on... and... at... six units... check the... draw... reports..."

"...too pale for..."

"....increase the... dose and... when..."

"...not broken... dangerously..."

"...lab... tests show..."

"...fight this..."

*******

“It’s up another degree, Doctor,” came the solemn voice as the nurse took the reading.

“Damn,” she swore softly. “It’s not working.” She let out a sigh and rubbed her eyes, searching for another solution or approach. “Eva, get another blood tox screen and send it down as a rush. I’m going to order a full series of enzymes and counts, maybe that can tell us more.” As the nurse nodded and left the room, Dr. Meyers looked down at Kevin’s flushed face. In an unusual gesture, she brushed the back of her hand across his forehead, frowning at the heat she found there.

Normally she kept her distance when it came to her patients, but for some reason this one was special. He was so young, and so full of potential; from the way his family and friends were reacting to the situation, he was also very, very loved. She’d heard, of course, that he was famous for his music; the younger nursing staff seemed to know his work intimately. She hoped, with all her might, that he would be able to make more of that ‘amazing’ music.

She studied the monitors and considered the options open to her. As time went on, and his fever continued to climb, the choices were getting fewer. She looked at her watch and made a decision.

Before she could leave his side, however, Brian and Nick came back from the enforced break the staff had insisted they take. She saw the hopeful look in their eyes and hated the fact that what she had to say would erase it in an instant.

“Doc?” Brian asked, his blue eyes eager for good news.

“His temperature is up,” she said bluntly, not wanting to sugar-coat the news. “I’m afraid we are running out of options here.”

“What’s causing it?” Nick asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

“It could be a number of things, but the most likely cause is either infection or a hidden internal injury. He’s on heavy antibiotics, but they take time to work.”

“What kind of hidden injury?” Brian said as he frowned.

“In an impact injury situation, tissue can be damaged to a particular degree which later deteriorates… like a tiny pinhole that eventually gets worse. That kind of damage is very hard to detect, and it can be risky to search for. If what’s causing his fever is something like that, we only have one way to go.”

“Which is?”

“Surgery. We’d have to do exploratory surgery, and try to find the damaged area.”

“But how can you tell if it’s really damage? You said it might just be infection,” Brian said, confused.

“Now you understand the difficulty,” she said. “I’ve just ordered some tests that should help paint a clearer picture of what we’re up against. Surgery is a last resort, in his condition it will be dangerous. We have to be sure.”

Nick, several shades paler than when he had walked in the room, sank down in a chair. Running a hand through his hair, he squeezed his eyes shut.

Brian put a hand on his shoulder but didn’t have any words of comfort to offer.

“When is his wife due to arrive?” she asked after a moment.

“She should be here in about two hours, she’s already in the air. She was in California,” Brian provided.

Dr. Meyers crossed her arms and scowled at the floor. “If his temperature keeps climbing the way it has, we might have to do something before she gets here.”

The nurse walked in with a blood draw kit and began her work.

“I’ll be in the Staff lounge,” the doctor told the busy nurse. “Have them page me when the results come back or any of the changes I mentioned occur.”

“Yes, ma’am,” came the reply.

“Boys,” she said as she turned to leave, “hang in there. We’ll do all we can for Kevin, I promise.”

“Thanks,” Brian mumbled. When she had left, he moved close to the bed and stared at his cousin. There was a fine sheen of sweat slickening Kevin’s pale skin, and his head moved ever so slightly as he fought against the fever.

The nurse finished her draw and checked over the IV, making a notation. Before she left, she turned to the pair. “If you’d like to help,” she said in a quiet voice, “you can use that basin and washcloth to cool his forehead and face. It might ease his rest. Just don’t get the bandages too wet.”

Grateful for her suggestion, Brian nodded and watched her go. He reached for the basin but Nick beat him to it.

“Can we take turns?” Nick asked, a slight waver to his voice.

“Sure,” he said. “We can take turns.”

It wasn’t much, but it was all they could do for their brother.

*******

Brian was jolted out of his seat by the shrill alarm of a nearby monitor. Frantically, he sat up straight and looked around, his heart pounding. He hadn’t meant to doze off when he sat down to rest, but the long hours of worry and stress had taken their toll… His eyes darted around, trying to figure out what was happening.

Before he could rise, a nurse ran into the room, followed by another a second later. On her heels was Dr. Meyers, her face full of concern. Brian watched as the trio worked quickly, not really registering the words being tossed about. For a terrible, panicked moment, he thought that his cousin had gone into a critical Code Blue condition, but when the requisite crash cart failed to show, he knew it was another problem. He swallowed his panic and listened.

“I want an cold-gel bath pack, stat,” came Dr. Meyers’ voice. “And call O.R., we’re going to need that room early.”

“O.R.?” Brian said, standing in a rush.

Gray eyes flickered his way. “His temperature has spiked,” the doctor explained as she moved to the other side of the bed. “At this point the danger of sustained fever outweighs the surgical risk factor. The tests indicate internal bleeding, and we can’t wait any longer. Is his wife here yet?”

“Nick went to get her, they should be here any minute,” he answered.

“We’re going to prep him for surgery,” she said. “Normally we would wait for permission from the next of kin, but emergency overrides that now.”

“I’ll… I can call Nick, on his cell. Maybe they’re close.”

“Kevin goes into the O.R. in ten minutes,” she said flatly. “Let’s hope she makes it.”

*******

“…damn, Bri,” came the soft curse over the phone. “At least they’re on their way. If they hit traffic or get stuck in that construction…”

“Well,” Brian said in a tense voice, “they have less than two minutes to get here. The nurses are already getting him ready. Aje,” he said in a lower tone, “the doctor said it was really dangerous, this surgery… but they don’t have a choice. Maybe it’s better if you don’t bother Howie with it all just yet.”

“Are you kidding?” came the question. “He’s been out like a light all day. I don’t think I could wake him if I wanted to. And I agree, even if I could get him awake and aware, this is the last thing he needs to deal with.”

“I’m going to try Nick’s cell one more time,” Brian said. “They should have been here already. Look, I’ll give you a call when I know something more, okay?”

“Right, thanks, Bro,” AJ said before he disconnected.

Brian was dialing when he heard someone just outside the room call a familiar name. He hung up the phone just as he spied the doctor in the doorway, her face towards someone down the hall.

“This way, quickly, please,” she said, gesturing.

Kristen rushed into the room, looking panicked and afraid. Nick was just a step behind her; they both were out of breath from their sprint.

“We got here…” Nick panted, “as fast… ah, jeeze… as we could.”

“We’re getting ready to take him up now,” said Dr. Meyers. “Mrs. Richardson, I’ll need your signature okaying the procedure, then I’ll give you a minute with him before we go.”

Kristen nodded, signing the paper as the doctor gave a brief explanation of what was on the document and what was going to happen next with Kevin. Giving the clipboard to a nurse, the doctor patted the shaking woman on the shoulder and said, “He’s not really been awake, but I think he’d like to know you are here for him. I’ll be right outside.”

“T-thank you,” Kris replied, taking her first hesitant glance at her husband’s still form.

Nick leaned over, hands on his knees, and tried to steady his breathing. It had been a mad rush to make it in time, and he was certain he’d broken several traffic laws getting Kris where she belonged. But they had made it, somehow.

Brian gave Kris a quick, tight hug and whispered that he’d talk to her in a bit. Wanting to give her at least a little bit of privacy, he guided Nick out of the room. He could only imagine how horrible an ordeal it was for her. If something ever happened to Leigh…

He shut his eyes at the very thought.

“Brian, you okay?” came the worried voice beside him.

He looked into concerned azure eyes and nodded. “Yeah, Frack, just thinking. Thanks for getting her here. I’m not sure I could have done it.”

Oddly, a wry smile crossed Nick’s lips. “You’re too law-abiding, like Kev. If he knew what we had to do to get here… my butt would be in a sling.”

Brian grinned. “Let’s hope you get an earful from him soon,” he said.

Nick’s smile faded, then he nodded. “Yeah, that’s one lecture I won’t mind getting.”

The two fell into a suspended silence as they leaned against the wall. Both were lost in thought when Dr. Meyers approached them.

“I’ll be assisting the surgeon,” she stated. “He’s one of the best there is. As soon as I get out of the O.R., I’ll come see you and let you know what we found.”

“How long will it take?” Nick asked.

“We’re not sure what we’ll find,” she answered honestly. “It all depends on how fast we can locate the source, or sources, of the problem. There’s a special surgical waiting room up on the next floor, I want you to take Mrs. Richardson and wait there for word. No matter what we find, Kevin will be moved to ICU afterwards.” At Nick’s widened eyes, she held up a hand. “Just a normal procedure, it doesn’t mean anything went wrong.” She glanced at her watch and said, “It’s time.”

The pair followed her back to the room, where Kristen was clenching Kevin’s unresponsive hand. Brian went to her side and gently pulled her away, putting an arm around her as orderlies arrived. In less than a minute, Kevin was wheeled away, the doctor keeping pace with the gurney.

After a moment, the three left the room as well. The ride upstairs was made without a sound, save for Kris’ soft sniffling and Brian’s murmurs of reassurance. Nick stared at the elevator floor as if answers could be found there, if only he looked hard enough.

Soon they reached the isolated waiting room, but none of them noticed the many comforts that surrounded them. The television, fruit baskets, free beverages, computer game systems, and library of books and videos were ignored as they sat on a couch, Nick and Brian on either side of Kristen. Together they settled in for the wait that, no matter how much time it actually took, was destined to be an eternity.

*******