"Recovery..."

Chapter 7 - "Ventilator..."

Chapter 7 - "Ventilator..."

John's day off was a very typical day off except it was a Sunday this week instead of his usual Saturday.

He did pretty much everything including sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon, the dull food shopping trip and headed to Westfield shopping centre to do some last minute. Christmas shopping.

With Christmas Eve only be in 7 days away and him working both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day he wanted to have all his presents purchased.

When he says all it basically means for his brother and his kids, then Amy and Rory really.

He had sent Adie's presents in the post for divert two weeks ago so she would get hem on Christmas Day as if Santa had bought them for her.

He bought a stupid key ring and bottle of wine for the secret Santa he had been roped into joining and putting his name down, so he had to take part.

Then he went to Amy's for his typical Sunday roast, before going home and slouching on the sofa for the rest of the night.

John felt like his life was going round in full circles - doing the same thing day after day with the exception of the odd mix up. He wasn't even getting to have a holiday on Christmas Day because as a single man on Christmas Day he volunteered to work so that everyone else could spend the day with their families.

'Mr Smith' Tom said cornering John at the coffee shop Monday morning making him regret stopping for a coffee.

'Mr Jones? How can I help?' I asked sarcastically.

'Wanted to do a run through of last months cases do we can file it all away for Christmas' he smiled.

'That will not be a problem. They are all ready for filing in my office' John sighed, thankful that he had spent the remainder of his Sunday evening doing paper work. 'And I have a criticality I'll patient in intensive care that I need to access today, hoping to bring her round' he says stepping around him and running for the lift.

He groaned in relief when the doors to the lift shut on before Tom could catch up hoping he would get the message and leave him be.

- - -

'What do you think?' Rory asked.

'That we can at least try bringing her off the ventilator. She's doing everything herself - so we just need to do the hard bit and turn the machine odd - see what happens' John smiled, knowing that they were getting dangerously close to the 78 hour cut off for ventilation where they would rather want her off it or give up.

He didn't want to give up on this girl. She seemed like worth risking his career for to save.

'Okay then. Let's give it a go' John nodded, motioning for Rory to flick the first service and see what happens.

It's never a good thing when the switch goes off and there's a noise made.

The last thing they wanted right now was for her to flatline but her vitals went up and her breathing took a normal pace as her chest rose and dropped up and down carefully as it should.

'Eyes?' Rory asked.

'Equal and responsive' John smirked glad that he had done his bit. 'Okay. We just need to stop the sedation now then and see if we can't bring her round' John smiled, going to sit down.

'That could be hours John' Rory pointed out.

'I'm on the rota for ITU today anyway Rory. I'm here all day' John said as he spotted another patient coming in and started fiddling with the wires on her.

Rory nodded taking a step out of the unit.

He returned sometime later dragging John out for a cup of coffee and a sand which for lunch.

'You spoken to Rosie?' He asked John.

'Only briefly last week to make sure that the presents got there in time for Christmas - which they did - so I'm glad about that'

'What did you do after you went home?' Rory asked concerned for his friend.

It's no secret that everyone felt sorry for him being the really nice consultant that just can't get a break.

When he's not stuck at work trying to save people's lives he's at home trying to do battle with his ex wife that usually only calls him up when she's wants money.

He already pays her mortgage still for her on the house and can't wait for Adalyn to turn 5 because then he doesn't have to pay anymore.

He doesn't pay it because the law says so he does it out of kindness but then her new hoe moved on with her and he wonders why he even bothers.

It's not his fault that her new husband doesn't work. Why should that be John's problem?

But it was according to her when she called him Monday evening complaining about how hard her life is looking after a 3 year old and trying to hold down a part time job and look after her "husband".

As John pointed out the fact that she works part time is most of the problem. If she tried getting a real job then she wouldn't have so much of a problem.

Like John had pointed out a hundred times - Adalyn would be better off with him but she says that John's life is too confusing and unstable.

To sum up - everyone feels sorry for him.

'John' Martha said as John spotted her come out of the lift. Wow this was starting to become a habit.

'Yes Martha?'

'It's Clara Oswald'

John stood up and was running up the stairs to The intensive care unit on the 5th floor taking the steps practically three at a time.

He was straight up their and swiped into the intensive care unit and witnessed what the problem was.

She was struggling to breathe