The Day Is Gone [Doc and Dominique]

[Kenlie (DELETED 4989)]

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It was all so familiar; the whining of the sirens as the vehicle sped down the highway, the seemingly distant murmurs of the uniforms around her, the feeling that someone had injected ice water into her veins… But this time, it felt like she was drowning from the inside out. Unable to take a full breath, unable to ask for help. Then there was something clawing at the inside of her throat, closing her airways for what felt like an eternity, but in reality must have only taken a few seconds. The whirring sounds of a machine echoed around her empty brain before she felt her diaphragm expand, and all she could think was that she felt like a puppet on strings. What an odd feeling, to not be in control of your own body.

They must have given her something for the pain, because all she could properly feel was the sensation of her weight being like cotton. Not a **** was given. Not for where they were taking her when she finally felt the stretcher jerk as it was lifted and set down on a different surface. Not for what was going to happen when she heard the frantic, frenzied voices of hospital personnel swarming around her. There was only a small sliver of amusement for the irony at the entire situation. After all this time of silently chasing death, and she found it in the unexpected.

Kenlie’s eyes closed to block out the passing lights above as she was wheeled further into the hospital, and suddenly all she saw were the headlights of a red Chevy truck. The girl cursed into the wind as she weaved in the opposite direction, narrowly missing the pickup’s driver-side mirror by inches. It took her a good minute to regain control of the bike, steadying herself so that she didn’t take a fall or go careening into the car in the next lane. She thought she was in the clear. Then, the same pain she'd felt when she took that initial sharp, gasping breath hit her all over again, but this time it was in spades.

It was like a thick needle being threaded through her veins, spreading into her jaw, her chest, even her shoulder and all the way down her left arm. It took a minute for it to all click, but as soon as she felt her left hand losing its grip as it became weak, she knew what was happening. The last thing she remembered, as she was rolled into the ICU, was how hard she hit the asphalt. Her poor bike...

[Doc]

Doc had planned to take Mortll for a moonlit walk along the river, until he got the call. It was a good thing he hadn’t mentioned the idea to her yet, because he was going to have to cancel. The hospital had been calling him less and less, since he had a contract for lab services, but when they did call, it was usually an ‘all hands on deck’ trauma call, because it would be touch and go for the patient. He had only been back in town, two days, but people didn’t schedule their trauma events.

Calling the hospital on the designated line, he confirmed he was on his way, and would be there within ten minutes. He had to love those portals. It made travel so easy. While he hopped from portal to portal, he got the low down on the trauma event. Single vehicle motorcycle accident. ****. Those could be nasty. The human body typically took more damage than it could withstand in most motorcycle accidents. The only thing going for this patient was the face it was single vehicle. That meant it could have been a slow side impact, versus a high side. High side impacts were never good. Even worse if they weren’t wearing a helmet.

Doc strode through the doors at the emergency entrance and looked for the intern that was waiting for him. The Intern caught him, and in between talking in a cell and speaking to him, Doc took the cell out of his hand and disconnected the call. “Update me.” He offered the cell back, which immediately started to ring again, but the look on Doc’s face told the intern to ignore it.

“Yea ok.. looks like surgery may be a no go, Doc. Patient was stable in the ambulance.. but then started to crash.. it wasn’t injury related.. its heart related..” The intern related quickly and briefly. “They are having a hell of a time getting and keeping a regular sinus rhythm, patient isn’t strong enough for surgery.” The intern’s cell rang again. “I gotta take this.. sorry.. Hello.. Yes. Harper Rock Hospital. 20 year old female, heart. We are typing and matching now. No. No family history at present.” He held a finger up to Doc as though to say, ‘don’t go yet’. “Motorcycle accident, prognosis fatal without transplant.”

Doc had a sick feeling when he heard the word ‘transplant’. How many 20 year old females in Harper Rock have heart issues that would require a heart transplant to fix? ****. He didn’t wait for the intern to finish his call. He needed to see the patient. He headed to trauma intensive care unit. He wasn’t dressed for surgery yet, because he had just arrived, and as he looked through the window, he couldn’t get a good look at the patient. There was a hive of activity around the gurney. Doc rubbed his chin, waiting for a telling view. And when he finally received it, the sick feeling made him feel completely cold. A nurse moved, revealing a tattooed arm, with the name “Ray” inked on it.

He stared dispassionately through the window, thinking what his next move should be. Doc knew he needed to get Minx here. But how? Knowing Minx, she kill herself trying to get here and as far as he knew.. Carmen was the only person she could rely on apart from her paladin friends. He would have to go get her, himself. But He couldn’t leave until he knew he wasn’t needed. Stepping back as he saw a nurse headed through the door. He followed her, “Is surgery an option?”

The Nurse snorted, “Not unless you have a heart in your pocket.. stupid waste of a life.. why would she take that kind of a risk!?” she vented as she grabbed the items she needed and headed back into the ICU.

That was all Doc needed to know. He headed to the mens’ room, entered a stall and read his home tome. He got into his car and headed straight for Vita Bella calling her cell as he drove.

[Dominique]

Dominique has just left the the store where Gertrude was giving her the third degree again about how they first met. Gert could never let **** alone. She had to poke at her about Halloween coming up soon and if she was going to wear her infamous latex Batgirl outfit again this year. That was the last thing she wanted to hear from the woman who handed her the paper bag full of her energy drinks and the usual assortment of flavorless snacks that no longer provided her with the nutrition she needed before. Her eyes rolled as she unlocked her car door and tossed the bag inside on the empty drivers seat. While her left hand pulled the car door shut the right fired up the monster of an engine beneath the hood of her classic '68 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet. She smiled realizing she was finally past the concern it was too good to be true. It was hers and she had it back. The deep roar of the car starting up gave her the signal to pull out of the parking lot and get back on the road towards home before she decided to get back out and go back inside and set Gertrude straight on just what she would be doing this year for Halloween.

Fifteen minutes later Dominique was clearing the elevator doors and making her way to the kitchen counter and dropping the bag with relief on the flat surface near the sink. Her keys disappeared quickly out of habit into her front hip pocket before any of the pets were aware she had them out. Grabbing a bowl of greens from the fridge she turned and used her foot to tap the door shut while she put the bowl to her nose to make sure it wasn’t seasoned with anything. It was safe and down the bowl went to where Rufus was slowly arriving for dinner.

“Eat up.” She looked to the clock on the wall then felt a chill move around her. Her eyes darted side to side as if she could see what was the source...what should be there. Nothing. Her eyes narrowed. “Ignore that. It bothers you and I will call ghost busters.”

Whatever the hell was doing that whole chill then leave thing was wearing out its welcome fast. It reminded her of that Bob that talked and was hooked to Doc. This wasn’t Bob, though. It actually let her sleep and didn’t talk or sing shitty songs and kept her awake with reminders where she was ******* up. Just as she had Bob on her mind her cell danced on the counter where she set the bag. It was in her hand and the caller being greeted with , “Now what?” Doc
was likely wondering if she had got rid of the house mates.

[Doc]

The exasperated sound of her voice made him want to roll his eyes. Yes, Minx had just gotten through spending seven days with him, and now he was bugging the **** out of her again. “Listen Dominique.. where are you? I need to come get you. Please do not argue. It’s serious.” He hoped that his use of her formal name would tell her, just how serious it really was.

He had left to get Minx, before he had all the information he needed, but if the situation was as dire as the intern and nurse made it out to be, Minx would never forgive him if Carmen died before she got to see her. He waited for Minx to stonewall him, to argue, to just be ******* ornery to piss him off. The last thing he wanted to do was tell her, how bad the situation was, before he got to see her. But if it was the only way to get her to listen to him, he might have to resort to it.

[Dominique]

If there was one thing she didn’t expect to hear as her fingers suddenly twitched nervously with the phone in her hand it was Doc’s voice so soon after the whole kinda sorta kidnapping to Vancouver deal and the second to the last thing then would be the sound of his voice saying, ‘Dominique”. He never called her that. Her mind raced to sense what if anything she could about what was going on. Her free hand ran back through the top of her hair as she looked around and realized there was nothing stopping her from clearing the stairs and stepping outside when she finally got the words out.

“What? Why?!” She was already mad at what she didn’t know but was important enough for Doc to sound as he did. “tell me…” She lost her voice as she heard the sound of his car getting close as if he was not finding it possible to wait for her answer or refusal. It had to be serious or he had possibly lost his damn mind.

[Doc]

Doc didn’t waste time being polite and driving neatly down her private drive, he raced down the drive, whipping the steering wheel hard effectively spinning the car in a 180 degree turn, so it was ready to pull straight out, as he laid on the horn. “I will explain in the car, come on. NOW.” He revved the engine, more out of the itch to get moving again, than to urge her to action. “Please.” He softened his tone of voice. Demanding her to do something wasn’t the best way to deal with Minx.

[Dominique]

Dominique couldn’t move. She waited to see if there a punch line. Him turning back to her to say he caught her again and this time it was off to Mexico or some place she didn’t intend on going. He just kept driving faster and staring ahead. Her eyes didn’t blink. He never looked at her. the streets came up in the city and now he was driving through lights like a bat out of hell. With a her hands shaking she lifted up in the seat and pulled out her cell. **** this. She started trying to text Kenlie. She would send that picture she sent before that made her laugh and she would answer.

-Where are you?- She sent off the text then went farther and clicked call. Kenlie always answered. Her eyes fixed on the side of Doc’s face as the sound of the ringing went on and on.

“Tell me this is some twisted humor on your part!” Dominique felt her jaw clench. No answer to the attempted call. She clicked it off then started again. She was getting pissed off.

[Doc]

Doc’s eyes were intent on the traffic and getting them to the hospital as quickly as possible. His tone of voice was all business as he replied, “I would not **** with you about something like this. When you see her. Don’t you ******* cry. She needs you to be strong for her. If you cry, she will know how bad it is. Do you understand?” he waited for an answer. Minx seemed to be ignoring him, “DO YOU UNDERSTAND, DOMINIQUE?” Yes he didn’t have to bellow, but he needed her to focus.

[Dominique]

Dominique’s fingers seemed to have a mind all their own as Doc said everything at that moment she never wanted to hear. Never. Those colorful inked fingers went like wildfire to call and text alternately. She wanted Kenlie to pick up,to text back to say she was sleeping and to **** off for leaving her to check in on the animals and was a total ***** for not telling her she left for Vancouver. She deserved it. Not that she knew she was going to Vancouver but anything was better than what she was getting now. That, of course, was nothing. The silence from Kenlie’s phone was painful as **** and the demanding breakthrough of Doc’s voice asking if she understood was enough to finally say one thing was for sure as they screeched into the hospital emergency drive up. This time Doc wasn’t kidding.

Dominique grabbed at the door handle then swatted at the seat belt in her way. She nearly tumbled out of the seat as she kept the phone in her palm and went around to the drivers side of the car. He was going to tell her what she wanted to hear. This was not happening.

“Where is she!” She would destroy the world for her and now a simple point of a finger in a direction was keeping her from getting to her.

[Doc]

“She is in ICU.. Let me do the talking..” Doc said he exited, and tossed his keys to an orderly that was walking by, “Park it for me Lloyd.” He took Minx by the elbow and steered her into the hospital and right past the nurses station, and back toward the hospital employee’s elevators. The doors opened, and Doc pushed Minx into the elevator. He hit the floor button they needed and he looked at Dominique for the first time. “She’s got a heart condition. When I left, to come get you, they were on the line with organ bank. She needs a heart. But she was also on a motorcycle when the accident happened. She’s pretty tore up. I need you to be strong, and no crying.” The words sounded cold and heartless, but there was a point to the heartlessness. If he showed her the least bit of sympathy, she would puddle and never stop. “I need her to fight. If we get lucky and get a heart, we are looking at a fourteen hour surgery easy. Understand?”

Doc stopped her just outside Kenlie’s ICU bay. “Look at me. Focus. No crying. Go squeeze her hand, I will get the latest update on her.” He grabbed some scrubs and started helping her get into them. In less than five minutes, she was dressed in them apart from the gloves, “We need to keep infection to a minimum” He broke his gaze away and pointed to the sink, “Scrub up.”