I Believe in You

00:42:30

Conrad and I arrived home on Sunday and were back to work Monday night the ninth of April.
"Meghan!" Nic exclaimed when we walked into the hospital.
She ran up to me and hugged me.
"Hi, Nic." Conrad chuckled beside me.
"Hey, Conrad." She smiled at him.
Our honeymoon was incredible but we were ready to be back in the hospital helping people.
"Conrad. Meghan." Devon greeted us warmly when we walked out onto the hospital floor.
"Hey, Devon. How have things been going?" I asked picking up my first file.
"Actually, not bad. Bell seems to be on his best behavior since Conrad's father became chairman." He answered.
"That's a good thing." Conrad muttered.
"Remember your promise." I whispered nudging him.
"I know. I'll give him a chance." He wrapped his arm around me.
I looked at the file in my hand.
Nineteen year old woman been in the emergency room six times in the last three weeks with migraines, fevers, fatigue and chest pains.
"Why is there no primary physician on this file?" I asked looking up at Devon.
"I don't think she's ever seen the same doctor twice. Normally they give her anti-inflammatories and fluids and send her home." He answered.
"She's never been admitted?" I asked.
"I've never been the one assigned to her but I don't think so."
"I want to take her." I sighed.
Conrad nodded.
"If you need me call me." He kissed me and picked up his own file as I walked away.
"Addison Burke?" I asked walking into the exam room getting hand sanitizer from the dispenser on the wall.
"Yes, doctor." She answered.
"And you're mom?" I asked the woman sitting beside her.
She nodded.
"Amanda Burke."
"My name is Dr. Meghan Hawkins and I'll be your doctor tonight." I introduced myself.
"Dr. Hawkins. This is our seventh time in the emergency room in just over three weeks. There has to be more than what they've been doing for us." Amanda said clearly exasperated.
"I'm certain there is. I'd like to do a detailed physical examination and take blood for a full work up to see what I can find." I smiled at them.
"We'll figure this out."
"Why haven't we seen you before?" Amanda sighed.
"My husband and I were on our honeymoon for the last three weeks."
"Congratulations." She smiled at me.
"Thank you." I smiled again.
"Now let's see what's going on. May I?" I asked.
Addison nodded again.
"So, I read in your chart that you've been having chest pains, exhaustion, migraines and fevers. Are you experiencing any shortness of breath, joint pain in your wrists or knees, confusion?" I asked touching her fingers which were a slight pale blue color.
"Some shortness of breath, a little confusion but no joint pain." She answered.
"Do you have any unexplained rashes?"
"I have this one on my thigh?" She said moving the blanket so I could see.
"I'd like to order a complete blood and urine work up. After Nurse Nevin draws blood and we get a urine sample she'll get you an IV of fluids just to keep you adequately hydrated and nourished." I smiled.
"I'm going to officially admit you and we'll figure out what's going on."
Addison's mom Amanda followed me out of the room.
"Dr. Hawkins?" She said my name.
"Yes." I turned to her.
"I can't express to you how grateful I am that you're really looking into what's going on with my daughter." She smiled and took my hand.
"She's my only child, Dr. Hawkins. I don't want to lose her."
"Of course you don't. I'll do everything I can. I promise you that."
Suddenly the power went out.
"Meghan!" Conrad called my name running up to me.
"I need you right now."
"Go back to your daughter. Everything's going to be fine." I assured Amanda before I ran off with Conrad towards the emergency room.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"We're not sure. Could be the storm." He answered.
Conrad and I took the lead moving patients to rooms if they needed immediate care and evacuating the ones who were well enough to move to another hospital.
Just as we were preparing to close the hospital doors and stop taking in patients an ambulance pulled up with a fifteen year old boy with a gunshot wound to his chest.
I looked at Conrad and he looked at me. We knew that he wouldn't make it to another hospital.
We opened the door and brought him in.
"Fifteen year old male with gunshot wound to left chest. Possibly nicking the aortic valve." The paramedic told us.
"Thank you. We'll take him from here." I answered.
After the paramedic left we locked the door and returned our attention to the young man.
"Call Dr. Austin." I instructed an intern near us.
AJ joined us roughly ten minutes later.
"Damn. The two Hawkins' calling for the Raptor?" He asked.
"We have a fifteen year old boy with a gunshot wound to the left chest and the power's out. We know when we need help." Conrad huffed.
"Conrad." I sighed.
"I'm just frustrated with the situation. I apologize." He sighed looking at AJ.
"This is a difficult situation. No apologies needed. What I do need is sterile equipment, three or four liters of blood and some decent light." He answered.
"I've got the light." I said rushing out to stop the ambulance that brought the boy in.
The ambulance's flood light flooded the emergency room.
Conrad and I assisted with the impromptu surgery in the middle of the emergency room.
After about thirty minutes the lights turned back on.
"Let's cover the chest and move him upstairs to my OR. Thank you, Meghan, Conrad." He nodded at us as he wheeled the patient upstairs.
"Meghan. We got the results for Addison Burke's  tests." Nic said walking up to me.
"Anemia, low white blood cell count, kidney and liver function is abnormal, and increased protein levels in the urine." I read with a sigh.
"Sounds like Lupus." Conrad sighed.
"That's what I was thinking too. Her fingers are blue and she has a pretty significant rash on her thigh." I answered.
"Addison. Amanda." I said walking into their room.
"Yes, Dr. Hawkins?"
"We got the test results back and we believe that Addison has Lupus. I'd like to start you on some NSAID pain relievers and Corticosteroids to begin treatment while we verify the diagnosis with a chest xray and an echocardiogram as well as a skin biopsy of the area of the rash on the thigh before we set up a long term treatment plan." I explained.
"We?" Amanda asked.
"Excuse me?" I asked.
"At the beginning you said 'we believe that she has Lupus'"
"Oh. My husband is my partner here at the hospital. He's on the care team for all of my patients and I'm on the care team for all of his." I answered.
"I'd like a chance to meet him." She said.
"Certainly." I glanced out the door to see my husband at the nurses station.
"Conrad." I called his name and motioned him over.
"This is Dr. Conrad Hawkins. My husband and partner. Conrad these are Addison and Amanda Burke." I provided the introductions.
"It's a pleasure, Dr. Hawkins. Wow, that'll be odd." Addison giggled.
"You can call me Meghan." I chuckled.
"Conrad is just fine." He smiled.
After the second round of tests we confirmed the diagnosis of Lupus we started Addison on antimalarial medication until we could get her into a specialist to handle her long term care.
Conrad walked up to me while I sat in the cafeteria with a set of keys.
"What are those?" I asked.
"The chief attendant is at a medical conference. These are the keys to his office." He smirked at me.
"With a couch and a locking door?" I asked looking at him.
"With a shower and a locking door." He raised his eyebrows at me.
The hot water from the shower pounded against our skin as we kissed under the shower water. I pushed him back against the wall still kissing him. He lifted me up entering me and pressing me against the wall. I sighed as he kissed my neck and across my chest. He took my hands and held them against the wall next to us as we made love in the shower.