Matters of the Heart

Chapter 23

Abbey stood pacing back and forth in Rush University Medical Center's Surgical Waiting Room. She wasn't used to this. She was usually the one in scrubs coming into this very room, looking for the family members of her patient she just operated on, sitting down with them explaining to them the course of the surgery and what condition their family member was in now. Abbey had been on the end of both good and bad news. She had often been able to explain that their family member was now recovering and doing much better. She would recieve tight hugs thanking her for saving their family members life. She would walk out of the waiting room, her head held high, shoulders back, knowing she had done her job. But there had been  times, when Abbey had to deliver bad news, something had happened in surgery that just couldn't be helped and the patient hadn't survived, she would sit with their family, cry with them, hold their hands, give them a supportive hug, pray with them.

Now today Abbey was on the exact opposite side of things. She was the family member. She was the wife, completely helpless, pacing the room of the waiting room just waiting on word that her husband was ok. But even then She would need to see for herself. She was now given a taste of her own medicine, no pun intended. She paced back and forth in the small room, occasionally looking over at her stepsister Leah, seated next to Jesse's best friend and costar Patrick, who were both just as nervous. Abbey gripped her cell phone in her hand, fielding texts from her mother in law Jill, and sister in laws Shayne and Jenna, while she let Leah handle messages from Abbeys own father Liam and Leah's mother Brooke. Abbey kept saying silent prayers and began to nervously fiddle with her diamond ring and silicone wedding band.

She had paced so much in the last few hours she had made herself dizzy, but she couldn't sit. She wouldn't, not until she knew Jesse was ok.

Right on cue, Ryan Tenney walked into the room. Both Patrick and Leah stood up immediately. Abbey turned to see her friend and colleague standing there looking completely disheleved. Of course he had just completed a very grueling surgery.

"How is he? Can I see him?"

"Abbey sit down."

" No just tell me how he is and where he is so I can go see him. Is he in ICU or is he going striaght to CCU?"

"Abbey we need to talk"

"For God's sakes, Ryan spit it out"

Dr Tenney shook his head.

"Abbey I'm so sorry"

Patrick and Leah immediately looked at each other, they knew the news couldn't be good. They each took a side beside Abbey.

"What are you sorry for Ryan?"

"There were complications during the surgery"

"And?"

"Abbey I was able to replace the aortic valve but - " He shook his head.

"But what Ryan spit it out!"

"He threw a clot."

"Ok so put him on anticoagulants -"

"Abbey, he threw a clot and it went straight to his heart, I tried an angiovac, but he had a massive heart attack..."

"What?"

Abbey was finally being pulled out of her denial. Patrick wrapped his arm around Abbey, and Leah began rubbing her back with one hand, holding tight on to her arm with the other.

"Maybe we should sit down Abbey," Leah suggested.

Abbey vigourously shook her head.

"No. Just tell me"