A Harrowing Tale (New Amsterdam)

Battle Wounds

Opening my eyes, it took me a good minute to adjust back to the real world, not some dark limbo where I was talking to my drug-addicted sister who still wanted nothing to do with me. My mind was still hazy and it took me much longer than usual to pinpoint sounds over the loud whirs of the ventilator and beeping machine, even picking up sounds that told me I wasn't alone in the room.

Floyd came into view, looking like he had just come from a long day of work. He was still sporting a regular white dress shirt, a red tie wrapped around his neck, and black pants. "Hey. I had everyone telling me you woke up earlier. Sorry I had to miss all the excitement." 

It's fine. You really didn't miss much.

"I know you just woke up. Frankly, I'm not sure how much longer I can deal with these one-sided conversations. You were never one to not tell me how it was." Pausing, he pulled up a chair and set it beside my bed. "In fact, I could really use one of your witty remarks right about now."

Long day, huh?"

"Yeah, it was." He responded, making me realize we had some kind of mind-reading going on between us right now. "I know that look. It's the one you always give me when we've both had a long day, which you've definitely beat me at, by the way."

Because of the whole, I'm in the hospital thing. Yeah, I get it. Not like I have much of a choice of being here.

"Between you and Me, Max is still trying to figure out why you were at his place." He cast a glance out the door just to make sure no one was listening to the conversation taking place. "I didn't have the heart to tell him why you were there. In fact, I'm still trying to process what you told me earlier."

Me too. Now I'm not so sure about my decision. Well, I'm not sure about that decision anymore. I'm not sure I'm any use being a doctor here, even though this has been the first place I've truly felt at home.

"You know, I just got an idea." Apparently, he couldn't read me too well, instead slightly distracted when he went searching around the room. When he couldn't find what he was looking for he disappeared out of the room. When he returned several minutes later, he was holding a small whiteboard in his hand, ones we used for when patients needed to communicate with anyone who came in to see them.

Okay, I see where this is going. See? This is why I love you. You get me.

"Let's see how this works for you." He placed the pen gently in my hand, careful not to disturb any wires or IVs I was hooked up to. Honestly, I wasn't sure how well this would work, considering I had just woken up. He was still a saint for trying. It was more than anyone else had done for me so far.

After a few encouraging nods from him, he held the board up just enough for me to write in the shakiest letters known to man. How did I get here? I didn't expect anything less than that, honestly. I had no clue I could even lift my hand up until now, although it felt stiff and like it wasn't functioning like it normally would.

"You were in an accident." He willingly told me with a grim look on his face, as if he were reminiscing on the accident itself. "You were pretty touch-and-go there for a while."

Accident? I wrote underneath my other question. Car? Taxi?

"Ambulance." He shifted his focus to me with a concerned glance. "Lauren, do you remember anything about that day?" My first response was to say no, but I took several minutes to think about what he was asking. It was hazy at first but I seemed to remember bits and pieces. Max, his baby, and Georgia, the two of them were in distress. I had come to do something. I was in an ambulance with them? He must have noticed the haunting looking in my eyes as I looked down to write on the board.

Max. Georgia. Baby.

"Okay, that's a start. Do you remember anything else?"

No. What happened?

"You were on your way to New Amsterdam with Max, Helen, Georgia, and Luna. Before that, we were here at the hospital talking about you leaving. You went to find Max at his apartment and found Georgia bleeding out. You delivered her baby."

I did?"

"You did."

"She's great." My words floated back like a helium balloon as I flashed back to the bench where I sat next to Max on the other side of the ambulance. I had originally been sitting where he was but I had switched so he and Georgia could have a moment together.

"Her name is Luna." Max said proudly, introducing his daughter to Georgia. She looked so happy meeting her daughter, even if we were all crammed into the back of an ambulance. 

Luna?

"That's right, Luna. Is this ringing any kind of bells for you?"

Not really.

"Lauren?" Floyd questioned, coming into view. I realized I had spaced off, pen mid-air and against the whiteboard. "We can stop if this is too much, or we can talk about something else if you want to."

I'm good. Need to know.

"Need to know, what exactly?"

Georgia had her baby?

"Yes, thanks to you Max has both his wife and baby." There seemed to be something in his expression I couldn't make out, like more than he was allowing himself to say about it.

I delivered Georgia's baby?

"You did. Seems like that little girl is going to have quite the story to tell when she gets older." I took a minute to let that sink in, although it was irritating me I didn't know a lot about what he was talking about.

How's Max?

"He got banged up pretty good. Hanging in there."

Georgia?

"She's hanging in there too." Again, he was being oddly vague, which I would have to wait and ask him about later when I could actually talk and engage in better conversation than writing with a marker on a whiteboard. "And before you ask, Sharpe and Luna are okay too."

Helen? Why did I not remember her being there? It was like my mind had blocked her out of being there.

"She got banged up pretty good too. Lots of bruises and cuts. Mild concussion." As he responded, I felt that all too familiar feeling of my eyes growing heavier and heavier.

"I think I should let you get some rest. I should be getting back to Evie, anyway."

Wait. I was panicking a little as I leaned my hand against the whiteboard so he couldn't pull it away before I could write my question down. How is she?

"She's good " His smile was bright which made me happy that he was happy. "You'll be happy to know I took your advice about her meeting my family."

About time. If I was capable of rolling my eyes at him, I would have, but any movement right now was painful.

"Yeah, I know. It took me a while to get the courage to invite her over, okay? In the end, I'm glad I did because the other day I asked her to marry me." Raising my eyebrow in slight surprise, I couldn't be happier for him. I had always said that he and Evie were meant to be together.

Did she say yes?

"Yes, she did."

Took you long enough. Congrats!

"Now, there's the Lauren I know and love." He teased, chuckling to himself as I had told him some funny joke as he stood up from his chair. "I meant it when I said it was good to have you back. Things haven't been the same since you left." Moving the chair back against the wall, he gave me one more look before walking out of the room.