Chapter 15

AJ stood over Annie gripping her hand tightly as Brian continued a further examination of her adomen. "Her skin freakin' looks yellow around her ribs," AJ whispered.

Brian sighed. "It's another sign of acute cholecystitis, but it's still too early to rule out her appendix. I'm not a surgeon, Kevin will have to figure all this out."

"Acute what?" AJ asked confused at his words.

"Cholecystitis. Severe inflamation and infection of the gall bladder," Brian explained.

"Where the hell is Kevin anyway?" Katie snapped her eyes growing wide in anger as she stormed back and forth infront of the door awaiting the surgeon. "It's not fair for him to be sitting on his damn ass sulking while Annie has to lay here in misery! And shouldn't we be doing something for her? Get her on an IV or put her on oxygen. Maybe we should get her a blanket. She's shaking!"

"Katie," Annie whispered attempting to fight the pain. "I'm okay."

"No, you're not, Annie! You've been getting sick the past two weeks."

"How long?" Brian whispered in worry turning to Katie.

"Two weeks!" the petite nurse exclaimed nearly becoming hysterically.

"Look, Katie, just calm down," Annie soothed pushing herself to sit up only to clutch AJ's arm as the intense pain came again. "Ah!" she winced.

"ANNIE!!" Katie panicked.

AJ wrapped his arms around the doctor helping her lye back. "Annie, you're in no condition to move around. You're sick, severly sick. You have to let herself be a patient for once."

Brian frowned watching Katie pace back and forth nervously taking deep breaths as she twisted her hands together in frustation. He felt Annie's forehead a final time. "AJ, I want you to stay here with Annie and have Kevin do something about her temperature once he gets in here, it feels like it's still going up. Katie and I have some business to tend to."

AJ sighed looking down at the redheaded doctor. "What do I do if Richardson doesn't get here soon?"

Katie crossed her arms. "Then, get Howie to stay with Annie and go find Kevin! Then, you do drag his sorry ass in here to make her better!"

Brian gently placed his hand on Katie's back. "Come on, Katie, let's step outside."

"I want to stay with Annie...."

"I know you do," he sympathized softly. "But you're a little scared right now and if she senses that it won't help her get better. She's at a very delicate stage right now, I don't even know the severity of her condition."

Katie nodded following him out the door. "Why did this have to happen?" she shouted as Brian took her into the lounge bolting the door behind them.

"I don't know why these things happen, Katie."

The nurse ran her hands through hair repeatively as her nervous tension soar. "I-It's just not right!" she stammered. "What if Kevin doesn't make it better, Brian? Huh? What happens then? She has a fear of death! She's terrified of it!" She fell into the open chair behind her angry tears falling from her eyes. "I should have said something! She told me, I saw her vomiting her guts up...I should have just gone to someone right then!" Her breath came in quick gasps.

"Katie, calm down," Brian whispered kneeling infront of her.

"NO!" she exclaiming rocking herself back and forth as the panic took over her body. "It's not fair! Nothing has gone right since I came here!" She felt her pulse doubling, her heart beating so loudly in rang in her ears. "First, I come here and some ass bites me! Freakin' bites me like he was some wild animal! And he freakin' kicks Annie in her side...Oh, man, is that why she's hurting? Because he kicked her?"

Brian shook his head placing his hand on her knee. "No, Katie, that happened over a month ago. It's not because of that."

Katie continued her fight. "After my damn cuts heal, I get a stomach bug which leaves you taking care of me again! And no matter what I do it never seems to be enough...My work isn't good enough, I'm not strong enough! Kevin hates me! He hates me, Brian! You probably all hate me!" she panicked drawing her knees to her chest burying her head in her knees.

"Katie," Brian whispered keeping his voice steady as he gently took her arm. "I want you to stay with me here. Listen to me. You're having a panic attack, okay? Now, calm down. I'm going to help you through this."

"No!" she argued pulling away from him as her tears remained present. "Nothing is okay! Don't you get that? Nothing is right with me! I tried to help people and I still mess up! I went with AJ into the city to try to help..." She took in a unsteady breath as she remembered the horrid event. "We were just trying to help people! But as we were leaving....something broke out! Oh God, there were shots being fired! And they were so close! A-and AJ threw me down o-on the ground and I hit my cheek!"

She brought her trembling hand to her face. "I was so scared! I honestly thought I was going to die! Then, I got back here and the one time you needed me I wasn't there! And now Christina's dead! And my family...my family needs money. I have to send them money!"

"Katie!" he said loudly wrapping his arms around her. "Calm down! You're hyperventaling. Now, just talk to me. Just let it out, clear your mind and let your body rest." He rested his fingertips on her wrist maintaining her pulse. "I want you to count to three with me."

"What?" she cried too upset to comprehend his statement.

"Count to three with me," he stated again remaining calm.

"One...two....she..." she muttered through each gasping breath.

"That's it," Brian encouraged rubbing her back. "Do it again. One....two....three....And again."

"One...two...three..." she breathed. "One.....two.....three...."

"Just try to relax, it's okay now," he assured her helping her relax.

The nurse lifted her head wiping her eyes. "I'm...I'm okay now," she managed to cough out.

"Your pulse is going back down," he said glancing down at his watch. "Everything's gonna' be all right."

"What happened?" she asked shaking her head in an attempt to clear her confused mind.

"You had a panic attack," Brian explained. "You've been under a lot of stress and Annie's illness was just your breaking point."

Katie sniffled. "I can't stand seeing her like that. I've never seen her sick a day in her life, let alone something like that. She looks so pale Brian. She practically looks dead."

"Don't talk about that right now," he instructed. "It sounds like your life has been pretty stressful."

She nodded. "It's been hell lately, and this was just too much." She glanced up at him her dark eyes still glistening with tears. "I'm so sorry I did that infront of you."

He waved his hand. "Don't worry about it, it's perfectly understandable. I'm just glad I was able to be here."

"Me too, Brian, but that's not your job. You shouldn't have to be taking care of your nurse. Besides, you hate me."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "I what?"

"You hate me," she repeated softly hanging her head.

He ruffled her brown mane. "Katie, why on earth would I hate you?"

"Because of what I did. Going with AJ to help that man in the city."

Brian chuckled. "Katie, I could never be mad at you for trying to help someone. I don't think I could ever be mad at you in any way at all."

She swallowed hard fighting her remaining tears. "But you were so upset when AJ and I came back from helping that man."

"You're right," he responded nodding. "I was upset, I was never mad. Getting mad isn't something I'm good at. I leave that to dear cousin Kevin. I was only upset because I was afraid you could have been severely hurt or even killed in that nieghborhood. And, to be honest, I was devastated by Christina's death. You were the only one I thought I could turn to understand how I felt, and when you weren't here I didn't know what to do."

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"I know you are, you don't have to keep saying it. You never had to say it to begin with."

"Yes, I do," she argued. "I should have just told you to begin."

He shrugged. "We both made some mistakes that day, it's all in the past now." He stood walking to the vending machine. "I'm gonna' get you a bottled water, I want you to sip it slowly."

"May I ask you a question?" she wondered watching him.

He bent over grabbing the beverage. "Sure."

"Why are you always watching over me? I mean, anytime I was in trouble there you were as my knight in shining armor."

The doctor sat beside her passing over the beverage. "Well, I don't know really. It was just something I saw in you the first day you came here, you were so talented, yet so sensitive. I just wanted to help you as much as I could. You kind of reminded me of myself."

Katie gave him a small smile. "Why are on earth would you want to protect a girl who is constantly finding trouble?"

He shrugged. "It's more fun that way, never a dull moment."

"That episode I just gave you was anything but dull."

"Katie, honey, you can't help that. You've been stressed, overworked and your best friend is very sick."

"Brian?" Katie whispered facing him. "I know Kevin is known as being a rough man, but he wouldn't leave Annie in pain like that, would he?"

Dr.Littrell shook his head. "I don't know what Kevin will do when he sees Annie."

The nurse took a sip of her water. "I just wish things would look better."

He smiled. "I think I have an idea. Just sit here." Brian walked over to his locker. "I brought this over the children's ward yesterday, but I think you need it more than anyone else." He hid the object beyond his back. "You ready?"

"Ready," she replied drying her final tears.

"Here," he said pulling out a teddy bear from behind his back.

"Oh, Brian, it's adorable!" she squealed. "I don't deserve this!"

"Yes, you do. Take it," he stated placing the stuffed animal in her lap.

She looked up at him. "I don't know what to say. Thank you, thank you so much."

"It's so big deal. It's just a bear."

"It's not just a bear," she debated against him running her fingers over the toy's fluffy fur and blue bow. "It's special. Just like you. Any person that is willing to help me through all of this has to be special."

He sighed. "Katie, there's a reason I've always tried to help you."

She nodded grinning. "Yeah, I know, because we're a little bit alike."

"No, more than that." He paused. "Katie, I...I..."

"You what?"

"I like you."

"Well, I like you, too."

"No, I mean, I like you, I care for you."

Suddenly, all of the nurse's troubles appeared to vanish as she smiled. "I like you, too, Brian."

He allowed a half-smile to surface. "May I kiss you?"

Katie placed her arms around his neck leaning into him. "Not if I kiss you first."

***

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