One Day At a Time ✔️

Ch. 15 Epiglottitis

Ratchet's P.O.V.
It's been four days; Jamie is terrified of any medical personnel. I tried to do what I needed in Crosshairs and Drift's room. Jolt has tried, I even had someone from the hospital try to help us, but she's terrified. Resulting in a long period of crying, which causes her oxygen level to drop. I don't want to put her to sleep to do a more invasive laryngoscopy, but she's choking when she eats. I'm going to see if Jamie will let Drift do what I want to do.

"No," Drift tells me, "she's dealt with enough."
"I worry her throat is swelling up," I tell him, "and if I don't take care of it, all the progress in removing the trach will be for nothing. One serious condition may cause this, and the trach could be the only thing keeping things from getting as bad as possible."
"What if there's something wrong, and her crying is the only way she can tell us something is wrong, Drift?"
I wish that was the only reason she's crying, but I fear we're right, and she's also afraid of medical personnel.

I wanted to check Jamie's vitals before waking up, but she woke up before I started. Drift holds her, but it doesn't help; she gets scared. She's not asking for help right now.
Saying nothing, I gather my supplies and leave the room.
What worries me is Jamie's memories of being tortured are stronger than any pain or discomfort she's in. Instead of cries of pain, it's cries of fear. I just hope all this isn't permanent.

Drift's P.O.V.
I am now mostly tube feeding Jamie, and she doesn't want to leave the room. Crosshairs gets our breakfast while I feed Jamie. As she relaxes, I can see she's in pain.
Jamie has eaten but chokes sooner than the day before for the past four days, and today she chokes immediately after eating oatmeal. Thankfully, she can still drink water.
"This is serious; you have to let Ratchet do the procedure," Crosshairs urges as I try to get Jamie to calm down.

Crosshairs' P.O.V.
I did a little research while cooking breakfast. While I'm guessing, I believe Jamie has epiglottitis.
The trach is saving her, but  makes it difficult to know if anything is wrong. No way Jamie wouldn't say something sooner if she could. Instead, choking is our clue that something is wrong until Jamie's throat is too swollen for air to pass.

"She's burning up," I comment as I feel Jamie's forehead once she's asleep. Something tells me she's very sick with more than epiglottitis. Drift is worried we've made a serious mistake failing to realize she's sick sooner and not wanting to upset her again, "we need to take her to the medbay now!"
I worry he will pass out as he thinks he's failed his girl.
I call Ratchet to tell him about the recent developments and come get Jamie as I need to help Drift to the medbay without passing.... fuck...
"... never mind, Ratchet," I hang up and pick Drift up to put him on my bed.

Drift awakes as I put a cup of water on the nightstand. He turns his head to look at Jamie. I don't think a minute passed before both Jolt and Ratchet quietly walk into the room, and I know they have a box of capsules with them.
"Are you ok?" Ratchet asks Drift as he sits up.
Drift is back to worrying about Jamie to answer.
Jolt gets the capsule with the stretcher and one with drugs. I know he will use the relaxant before putting Jamie on the stretcher.
"You stay here," Ratchet orders once they have Jamie ready to be moved to the medbay.
"No!" Drift cries but stays on the bed.
"This will take a while," Ratchet argues before the two mechs leave with Jamie.
Drift hugs me and cries. I know the memories of the twelve long weeks Jamie was in a coma are replaying in his mind.
"She'll be ok," I assure him as I hug him.

Ratchet's P.O.V.
We've already discovered Jamie is very sick before doing a laryngoscopy. The challenge now is how to treat her since being underweight weakened her immune system.
"I suggest a drug-induced coma," Jolt says, "to help lessen the work for her body, and if she's terrified to be here...."
Neither Crosshairs nor Drift will like this, but Jolt is right; I don't think she'll relax if they're with her.
The laryngoscopy showed further problems. The trach is saving Jamie's life, and I couldn't get far before discovering how swollen her throat was.
"Another day, and she wouldn't have been able to get air through," Jolt observes, "had she not had the trach in."

We both dread telling Crosshairs and Drift what we discovered and telling them I'm keeping her in a medically induced coma. I don't think hearing they'll be able to hold Jamie is helping them.
Crosshairs left for a while but tells me Drift refuses to leave Jamie for a second.

Crosshairs, Jolt, and I walk into the medbay.
"I'm so sorry I failed to protect you. Now I let you become very ill," we heard Drift say before crying.

We leave the room and go to my office.
"He's going to be a wreck," Crosshairs frets, "how long before you end the medically induced coma?"
"It's hard to know. Between the severe epiglottitis, pneumonia, and being underweight," I explain.
"I fear it will be at least two weeks," Jolt adds.
"How the hell did she become this sick?" Crosshairs asks, "isn't Epiglottis and pneumonia caused by different bacteria?"
"No, it's the same bacteria, but I've never read or heard of a human getting both simultaneously."

Drift's P.O.V.
I should have known something was wrong; I'm sorry. 
I don't want to let go of her, but Ratchet won't let me hold her until she wakes up. 
Ten minutes pass before Crosshairs, Jolt, and Ratchet insist I go get dinner. Its unusual Crosshairs is insisting I leave Jamie for a while.
"She'll be ok," Ratchet assures me.
I know she can't die... but if she didn't have a trach in...
I lay Jamie on the bed and cover her with the blankets before going with Crosshairs.

I try to hide my disappointment. I failed to protect my girl, and she's very sick, but fail. I end up worrying the others. Crosshairs tells them Jamie will be ok, but she's very sick. I see Sunstreaker getting furious and storming out of the cafeteria. 

Sunstreaker's P.O.V.
I can't believe how sick Jamie is. It's that bastard, Megatron's fault. I sit by the bed, reading the monitor. A slow heart rate and high temperature, fuck.
"She will not die," Ratchet assures me, "but she's weak, and fighting this will be harder than it should be."
"It's that bastard's fault!" I rage as I stand, the chair falling back.
"You've already been told going to find Megatron will not help her!!" Ratchet scolds.
I give up and ask to hold Jamie. I hate she's still very skinny.
I hand her to Drift when he returns ten minutes later.
"He's going to be a wreck again," I sigh as I watch Drift standing by Crosshairs.
"Perhaps, but this won't be a long twelve weeks," Ratchet assures me.