Room with a View - [Jopper] ✓

Traumatic Tragedy

Some say that tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength and some say people are born with tragedy in their blood. It follows them around, changing them forever, little by little. But that's the thing about tragedy, it takes two. 

"What'd you mean you sent Joyce to isolation? She was fine!" Hopper raged with both anger and sadness.

"She started running a high fever when we checked on her. She was lethargic and barely conscious, she had started to cough up blood before we came in." Jenny sighed as she looked at her side to Owens.

"Hop, she contracted Tuberculosis. We had a patient come to the ER with it but the CDC cleared the hospital. Others weren't infected but because she has Cystic Fibrosis, she took a harder hit." Sam frowned sympathetically as he waited for Hopper to speak.

It felt like all the words he wanted to say were ripped right from his chest. The room was spinning as everything processed through his head. With his heartbeat radiating in his ears like a drum, Hopper felt like the room was going in slow motion.

"Is she gonna be alright?" he asked, trying his best not to choke up.

"She's sedated and intubated right now. We're running tests to clarify the specific strain of the bacteria. Until then, we can't push many antibiotics." Jenny answered with an attempt at a straight face.

"How do you not already know which type it was? Whoever came in must've been tested." Hop felt anger replacing his sadness at the negligence before him. They were wasting time!

"I'm not really supposed to be telling you this, but the person who came in had been carrying two completely different strains. They had recently traveled out of the country and contracted both so it's a shot in the dark if we treat it right now. It shouldn't be much longer from the lab but it's best if we just wait." The look in Owen's eyes nearly crushed Hopper's already sick heart.

"How did this happen?" Jim asked, not bothering to wipe away the tear that streamed down his cheek.

"The patient came in a few weeks ago. Like I said, the CDC came in and cleared the building and declared it safe. We have a ventilation system that runs the contaminated air to the roof where the filtering takes care of the bacteria. Because yours and Joyce's room is near the duct, there is more likelihood that a small amount of the contamination can seep through." Owens replied before Jenny continued for him.

"Odds are that Joyce came in contact with the disease around that time but Tuberculosis is tough, it can hide in the body for a while before it's even noticeable. There are only a few in this hospital who haven't been vaccinated. Joyce was one of them." the nurse felt herself anxiously chewing on her lip as the three spoke.

"I have to see her, please let me see her." Hop cried, his eyes glazing over with burning tears. 

"Hop, we can't. Not while the CDC is hanging around. It's not safe for you either." Owens sighed, wishing that just once, Hopper would listen to him.

 "I don't give a fuck about me! I just want to see her." he bit back tears as he felt his chest heave.  

"I'm sorry, Jim. It's just not gonna happen right now." Owens sighed, leaving him and Jenny to themselves.

--

"Jennifer, please! It's been two days. You have to let me see her!" Hopper pleaded as he followed her to the nurses' station. Not a single moment of him being in her presence was wasted without him begging to see Joyce.

"Don't ask me again, Hop." Jen sighed as she picked a few charts off the desk and tucked them under her arm.

"Why?" he asked, feeling as defeated as could be.