Devoted {Lumax} COMPLETE

Overcrowded ER

Max had wanted Lukas' attention, but not like this. He sat hunched over in the ambulance, holding her hand. Assuring her that everything would be okay as the paramedics kept monitoring her vitals. Her dad wouldn't look at her, probably because one of the first things Lukas told the paramedics was that she recently had an abortion. Apparently her health was more important than her dignity. "Lukas, it hurts!" Max hissed to fill the uncomfortable silence. She felt worse as Lukas quietly squeezed her hand.

"We're almost at the hospital, young lady." The paramedic beside Sam told her. Remaining frustratingly calm. Like there wasn't anything going on at all.

"Maybe if you were more responsible, you wouldn't be in this situation." Sam scolded her with audacity. He had no right to parent her, he abandoned her.

"Shut up!" Lukas snapped at Sam before adjusting his tone. "She's been through enough. Just shut up and do your job professionally."

"You have a lot of nerve talking to me like that." Sam scowled but bit his tongue so he didn't lose his job.

-

Once at the hospital Max was brought in on a gurney and left in a hall for several minutes, which quickly turned into an hour. It was just her and Lukas, as well as a couple other patients waiting for rooms and attention. Occasionally a staff member would walk down the hall and mutter a quick apology for the overstuffed hospital.

"This is ridiculous!" Lukas continued holding the hand of his writhing fiancée. "What if you were dying, would you still have to wait?!"

"I think I am dying." Max groaned dramatically and put her hand across her abdomen. The pain was horrifying and moving was insufferable.

"You're not dying." Lukas said in a hushed whisper. "You know...I didn't want to say anything to freak you out. But since you're already freaked out, I think I know what it is."

"You're a doctor now?" Frankly Max didn't want to hear Lukas' theory. She wanted a doctor to come out and prescribe her some narcotics. She'd even settle for an assassin sniping her from the ceiling. Anything to stop the pain.

"No, but I'm allowed to have thoughts." Lukas cleared his throat. "My aunt had appendicitis, and the pain hit her suddenly out of nowhere. Maybe it's appendicitis."

"Well, whatever it is will kill me before a stupid doctor sees me." Max was definitely worried by the word appendicitis. She had heard it before, and knew it definitely wasn't a good scenario. "So, what happened to your aunt with the appendicitis?"

"Oh, her appendix ruptured or something, she had to have surgery– but I'm sure that won't happen to you!" Lukas made a weak attempt at cheering her up.

"God dammit!" Max squeezed her eyes shut and started crying out of frustration. The pain, the possibilities, the fact that life never gave her a long enough break from bad situations.

"Darling, don't cry." Lukas swiftly but gently wiped the tears from her eyes. "It's going to be okay, no matter what happens. Even if you need surgery, it'll work out. I'll be here the entire time. You know I can't possibly leave my beautiful angel's side."

Max opened her eyes and looked up at Lukas through watery vision. Something in the pit of her stomach was suggesting that something was very wrong, and it wasn't just the pain. "L-Lukas I'm just so scared...what if it's not appendicitis...what if– what if it's something worse?" She whined.

"Then I'll give you extra kisses, and we'll get through it." Lukas placed a comforting kiss upon her forehead.

Finally another nurse hurried into the hallway with a purpose. "Sorry for the wait!" She sounded winded, it must of truly been a busy night for the ER. "You're Maxine Mayfield, yes?"

"Yes." Max responded urgently.

"Okay, let's get you to a room." The nurse pulled Max's gurney down the hall, allowing Lukas to trail behind. She brought Max to a proper divided room and left, promising a doctor was on his way.

"More waiting?!" Max wailed as she realized she was merely moved, and no one was actually ready to help her yet. To make matters worse, she was in a room with others groaning in pain. At least she couldn't see them through the dividers.

"Shh, shh, s'okay angel. Just hold on a little longer." Lukas shushed her and pressed his face against hers. "The doctor is on his way."

"Mnf, he better fucking be." Max gritted her teeth, feeling as if she would never not be in pain again for the rest of her life. This was it now, nothing but pain forever.

Before Max managed to twist Lukas' hand off, or squeal loud enough to summon the devil, the doctor strolled in quickly with his hands in his pockets. "Alrighty, how are you doing?"

"The pain is in my lower abdomen, since– since I don't remember how many hours now. I can't move, and I'm about to lose my mind if you don't do something." Max spat out the information, refusing to engage in causal conversation.

"Okay, okay...settle down." He got some disposable gloves from a machine on the wall and slipped them on. "I'm going to just apply some pressure to your abdomen, okay?"

"Isn't it enough that I'm already in pain?" Max whined as the doctor moved her shirt out of the way and started feeling around. "JESUS CHRIST" Max would of slapped the doctor into another dimension had Lukas not been still holding her good hitting hand.

"Deep breaths darling, you're going to be okay." Lukas kept his eyes locked on the doctor's hands as the basic physical exam was done.

"Any other symptoms other than abdominal pain?" The doctor asked while still pushing around.

"I feel lightheaded, fevery, kind of... nauseous." Max squeezed her eyes shut. If he didn't stop poking around her sensitive areas soon she might pass out. Eventually he did push too hard and she actually ripped his hand away from her abdomen. "OW!"

"I apologize." The doctor gave her a empathetic look before quickly coming up with a plan in his head. "Are you pregnant or is there any chance your pregnant?"

Lukas responded on her behalf. "No, she recently had an abortion. She received a follow up appointment that  confirmed everything was how it should be."

"Okay..." The doctor took a good look at the pain written on Max's face. "I'm a bit concerned that it's her appendix causing this problem. I'm going to order an ultrasound, and we'll go from there."

"If it's my appendix, will I need surgery?" For so many reasons, Max wasn't fond of that possibility.

"I can't say yet. But if it is appendicitis, surgery is common. But it might not even be that. Someone will be here soon to take you to the ultrasound room." The doctor said before strolling back out of the room.

Just like that, they were back to waiting.