(tried to research as much as possible, but I am not a medical professional so don't come for me if things are inaccurate)
(not proofread)
..
Gabi felt the world slowing down around her once she learned of the news from the pair of police officers.
Luke was hurt.
The officers didn't seem to have much information about his condition, but from the way they described the placement and aftermath of the car, Gabi knew it wasn't good. Maybe even critical.
She wondered if he was okay. If he was receiving the same great care she did from Ashton, Calum, and Michael.
Gabi looked over at Sierra who looked the same as her, perhaps even worse. The social worker was visibly shaking, her breathing labored. "How could this happen? He.. he was always so careful driving."
"We're unsure, ma'am, and it's currently being investigated as we speak." Officer Bridgestone, whom he had introduced himself as answered. "We don't think it's from impaired driving."
"Of course not," Sierra sighed. "Luke hardly ever drinks or speeds.
"Well, There was a severe impact on the driver's side of the vehicle. however, it seemed that there was no damage to the highway or guardrails on the other side of the highway. That to us indicates that he didn't do that on his own. There were no other vehicles on the highway, however."
"What could have caused this then?"
The two police officers shared a suspicious look. "We're suspecting a there's been a force of foul play."
"You mean someone did this to him?" Gabi spoke for the first time since she learned of the incident.
"Potentially, yes. There's no evidence of it, but considering he didn't seem to be driving at a high rate of speed, the weather was clear, and intoxication did not seem to be a factor. We're suspecting something else."
"Where is he now?" Sierra asked.
"He's been taken to Los Angeles Hospital by ambulance. A Good Samaritan called 911 and made sure he was still alive while the ambulance was on its way. Last we knew he's stable but in a quite critical condition."
Gabi took a moment to look at Sierra and could see that she was visibly shaking and breathing heavily, she was too but Sierra had to be experiencing everything on a different level.
This was her husband.
"Can we um.. go see him? Is that allowed?" Gabi asked, to allow Sierra some time to process things and not be bombarded by the police officers.
"Yes of course, but we need to know if you know anybody that would want to hurt Mr. Hemmings."
"Um, no, not particularly."
"You seriously think somebody purposely did this to him?" Sierra spoke up.
"Yes, ma'am."
Gabi felt a wave of nausea hearing the police truly thought someone had purposely injured Luke. Since her time coming into the home of Luke and Sierra, she learned that they were some of the kindest people she'd ever met.
The fact that someone had maliciously, intentionally crashed their car into Luke's was pure evil in her mind. She couldn't help but wonder who might've done it.
..
Gabi followed closely behind Sierra once they walked into the ER. The police officers had been generous enough to offer them both a ride to the hospital, after seeing how distraught both of them were following learning the news of Luke.
Sierra and her didn't talk much on the way to the hospital, but Gabi expected that. This was her husband after all, so what really could be said by Gabi?
She hasn't known Luke all that long and if she was experiencing the amount of immense sadness that she was, then she couldn't begin to imagine how Sierra must be feeling.
"Ash!" Sierra called when she saw the surgeon standing near the ER desk. They both quickly rushed up to him. "Where is he?! Tell me he's okay please!"
Ashton turned around and from the sight of his red eyes and blotchy face, Gabi could tell that he had been crying. This couldn't be good.
At all.
"Hey," Ashton smiled gently and pulled Sierra in for a hug. "He's in surgery right now. I am so fucking sorry this happened, hun."
"No, you've got nothing to be sorry about, Ash. It's not your fault. I just... I don't understand how this happened. He's usually so careful driving, you know?"
"I know, hun. I know." Ashton let go of the hug. "I don't understand how it happened either, but right now he's getting the care he needs in the OR."
"Shouldn't you be operating on him?" Gabi asked innocently. She knew that Ashton and Luke had operated on her together when she first came to the hospital after her parents attempted on her life.
So she figured that Ashton, being the great surgeon that he was, was probably exactly what Luke needed.
"I'm not allowed to operate on him since we're friends. Emotions could get in the way of properly treating him."
"Oh."
"But don't worry," Ashton reassured. "We have some of the best surgeons here and Luke's going to get the best care."
"What're his injuries? How is he?" Sierra asked afterward.
"I don't know much of his injuries since he got whisked to surgery not long after he was bought in, but as soon as they got him into trauma, he went into cardiac arrest."
"Oh my god!" Sierra covered her mouth with her hand and began to cry more.
"Cardiac arrest?" Gabi asked, looking at Ash confused. "Is that... What is that? Is that good?"
"Um, no, honey it's not good. Cardiac arrest is the medical term for when someone's heart stops."
Gabi felt like her heart had stopped upon hearing those words. A person's heart stops? She wasn't a doctor like them, but even she knew that couldn't be good.
"Is he dead? Is that why he's in surgery?" She asked innocently.
"No, not at all. He's alive and still fighting right now which is great. The surgery is to help the other injuries that he accumulated during the crash."
"Ash, you must know something." Sierra wiped her tears and sat down in one of the empty chairs at the ER desk.
Gabi could see Ashton's face visibly pale. "Well," he hesitated. "We're suspecting he's in a coma."
"Oh god, Ash! No," Sierra cried and buried her face in her arms.
"A coma? What's that? Is that bad too?" Gabi asked and leaned over to grab a couple of tissues for Sierra.
"Yes, it can be," Ashton answered honestly. "A coma is a prolonged state of unconsciousness. The organs usually still work, but the body does not generally react to any voices or activity. No matter how much you'll try to wake him, he won't. It's something he will hopefully do on his own."
"Hopefully?"
"Sometimes, not always but sometimes, coma patients just don't wake up or if more injuries occur than what he originally thought, they could become brain dead."
Gabi looked over to hear and see Sierra sobbing more, a nearby nurse walking over to comfort her. Of course, they probably all knew of what happened to Luke and who he was since he worked there.
"What does brain dead mean?" She asked.
"It means the patient lost their brain function. They will not regain consciousness or be able to breathe without being on a ventilator. After that happens, that's when there's an option of organ donation."
