Life is...Love, Family, Friendship

Now We Wait

Doctor Altman thanked the team for all their hard work and released them from the room. She pulled off her gown and gloves and stuffed them into the bin. Standing over Maya's bed, Teddy looked down at her patient and reached to squeeze her hand.
"Ok Maya, I've done all I can for right now, the rest is up to you. I'm going to go get your wife."
The machines hooked up to Maya were the only responses Teddy received. She turned and walked out. As she neared the doors, she could see through the glass that Carina was pacing furiously and talking to herself while Miranda, Ben, Travis, Jack and Andy were chatting quietly and giving her space. Taking a deep breath, Teddy pushed the button to open the doors.
"Carina? Can I talk to you?"
Everyone stopped talking and stared at Teddy, attempting to get a read of any kind by her tone. Carina's soft brown eyes were filled with tears as she turned toward her friend.
"Por favore Teddy, tell me she's ok."
"Do you want to talk here or go somewhere more private?"
Carina glanced at the group behind her. These were Maya's people, these were her people now too. Carina knew they would understand if she wanted to hear Teddy's update alone, but she couldn't do that to them, they had every right to know as well.
"No, tell me here, in front of our family. They need to hear this too."
Teddy nodded and cleared her throat.
"Maya sustained a pretty critical crush injury to her left side, near the kidney. She exacerbated it further and it spread across her entire abdomen because it looks like she applied a compression sleeve, most likely because she was in so much pain and initially thought it was simply a bad bruise. Now the crush injury on its own is dangerous, but she also seems to have sustained some sort of blunt trauma to her abdomen very recently. It created a pooling of blood that we had to evacuate. As such, and in order to assure she gets the best possible rest for right now, I've placed her in a medically induced coma. I didn't tube her, but she is getting the highest possible O2 infusion pump so that we can help keep her breathing as normal as possible. She's on potassium in the hopes that I can reverse the effects of her going so long with the crush not being addressed adequately. I also took a look at the gash on her arm and noticed that it needed some stitches, so I had that taken care of too. Whatever Maya has been through in the past couple of days, she's a helluva fighter, this amount of trauma would have really taken a toll on most people."
Carina stood holding her arms close to her chest, her face contorted as she processed everything. Andy stepped forward and put an arm around Carina's waist.
"How long?"
"It's really up to her now. She's in excellent physical shape otherwise so that's good, but it really is up to her at the moment. We are keeping her safe and sustained with what she needs, but she's the one who has to put in the work for the next forty eight hours."
"Carina, go be with her. We will all take turns looking after Liam. I'll coordinate shifts so that there is always someone at your house at all times. Vic texted me that the alarm company is there now and she's going to handle getting that done for you guys. If you want, I can have Vic bring Liam here later so you can see him and let him lay down next to Maya. How's that sound?"
Carina looked at Andy and then turned to look at all the others, who nodded in agreement. She could only smile and silently mouth 'Thank You' before turning back to Teddy.
"Andiamo. Voglio vedere mia moglie."
Carina pointed toward the door and Teddy pressed the button.

"I'll give you some privacy. I've got to go check on a few patients, but I'll be back shortly. Have them page me if you need me sooner, ok?"
"Teddy, I don't have the words to thank you enough for everything."
"Listen, this time is going to be different than the last time. She has come so far from then, I know you know that. It's going to be hard but she's got so much to fight for. She loves you and that is what is going to get her though this. It's what's going to get you through this."
Carina smiled at her friend and nodded. She took a deep breath and opened the door to Maya's room. The sight of her wife, lying unconscious in front of her made Carina want to scream. The terror she had felt when Andrea had been laying in a bed came flooding back in an instant. Maya's skin looked so pale, her normally pink lips were now an off white and her hair was a mess. Moving toward the bed, Carina began running her fingers through Maya's scalp before gently raising her head to smooth the flyaways down. Holding Maya's head in her hands, Carina leaned down and kissed her tenderly, feeling an ache in her soul when the kiss wasn't returned. She pulled the chair close to the bedside and held Maya's hand while she gently stroked her cheek.
"Amore mio, ti prego di tornare da me. Ti amo mucho Maya."
Time seemed to stand still as Carina sat there staring at the love of her life, wishing with all her heart and soul that Maya would be ok. She had to be, they had been through so much together, they had finally begun to build their family, they were sympatico, the love story Carina had envisioned so long ago was finally manifesting itself. Carina laid her head down on the bed, placed Maya's hand on her cheek and began to pray.