<\/p>\n
White.<\/p>\n
That was all Lance Bass could see.<\/p>\n
Just white.<\/p>\n
It surrounded him, a bright white light, growing increasingly brighter as he grew closer to it. And yet, it did not make him squint. It was not blinding, but comforting and peaceful. He walked towards it, yearning to be in that light, where his pain and suffering would vanish forever.<\/p>\n
All around him, he could hear voices. They faded in and out, distorted murmurs, unrecognizable. Every once in a while, he could make out a phrase or two.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026pressure\u2019s crashing\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026cardiac arrest\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026charge the paddles\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Somehow, he managed to ignore these voices. They did not affect him. He did not realize that they were pertaining to him at all. Not until he heard his own name.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, Lance\u2026 don\u2019t die on me now\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Die?<\/em> Lance jerked to a stop, as if suddenly realizing what was happening. What was happening? Was he dying??<\/p>\n It was a woman who had spoken his name, who had pleaded for him not to die. He did not recognize her voice. Who was it? Who was saying his name?<\/p>\n The voices continued, confusing Lance, keeping him frozen in place as he tried to make out what they were saying.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026not responding\u2026 shock him again\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026come on, Lance\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Come on and what?<\/em> Lance wondered. He had no idea where he was or what he was supposed to do. Was this Heaven? Or was he on his way to Heaven? He did not know. He stood still. In one direction, the bright white light shined welcomingly. In the other, he saw nothing but blackness. He wanted to go to the light. Was that where Heaven was? If he went to the light, would that mean he was dead?<\/p>\n On the other hand, where did the blackness lead? Back to Earth, back to life? Or to Hell?<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026still in V-fib\u2026 charge again\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n All of a sudden, through the vortex of voices, one familiar voice stood out crystal clear. A girl\u2019s voice. A soft, familiar girl\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n \u201cLance?\u201d<\/p>\n Lance\u2019s head shot in the direction of the light. Squinting, he saw a misty figure approaching him. As the figure got closer and closer, Lance blinked, his mouth dropping open as he recognized it.<\/p>\n \u201cStacey\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n It was his sister. Stacey. The older sister he had lost years and years ago. The sister who had committed suicide one night when she was sixteen, leaving him suddenly an only child.<\/p>\n \u201cLance.\u201d She said his name, her voice sounding young and sweet.<\/p>\n Tears rose in Lance\u2019s eyes as he stared at his sister. She looked exactly the same as when she died; she had not aged at all. While he was now a grown man, she was still a pretty, young sixteen-year-old girl. But it was a relief to see her, looking happy and vibrant again, not pale and lifeless, as she had been when he had seen her dead body in the hospital morgue. That was the last time he had glimpsed her; they had had a closed casket at her funeral. He knew that although she was talking and moving in front of him now, she was not alive. But then again, neither was he. Or was he? He did not know.<\/p>\n \u201cStacey, I\u2026\u201d Lance was at a loss for words. After all, what do you say to the dead sister you haven\u2019t seen in over a decade. He had always told himself that when he was reunited with Stacey in the afterlife, he would ask her why she had done such a horrible thing to herself. But now here he was, in the exact same position.<\/p>\n With a start, he realized he had done the same thing Stacey had. He had committed suicide. He had done what he had resented Stacey for doing for many years. He suddenly felt very guilty and very selfish. What were his family and friends doing right now? What were they thinking? They were in horrible pain, no doubt, like the pain he had been in after Stacey\u2019s death. His poor parents\u2026 the thought of how much grief they must be in pained Lance. They had to be hurting something awful, and he was the cause of it. How could he do such a thing to the people he loved, especially after Stacey had done it? Why hadn\u2019t he realized what he was doing until now, when it was too late?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not too late,\u201d Stacey said softly.<\/p>\n Lance jerked his head up. \u201cHow did you-\u201c he started, but Stacey smiled gently.<\/p>\n \u201cI have my ways,\u201d she said. \u201cListen, Lance, it isn\u2019t your time yet. You\u2019re still needed down on Earth. You have wonderful parents and great friends there who are beside themselves with misery right now. Go home to them, Lance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2026 but I thought I was\u2026 dead,\u201d Lance stammered, looking towards the white light Stacey had come from. \u201cI thought this was Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re on the way there.\u201d Stacey motioned back towards the white light. \u201cBut if you fight to live, you can go back to Earth again.\u201d She pointed to the blackness behind Lance. \u201cWhere you belong,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Lance glanced back at the darkness. He wasn\u2019t sure he wanted to go back there. He sensed pain and suffering in the blackness, while the light brought nothing but a sense of peace and happiness. Did he really want to go back to Earth and fight to live when he could go on to Heaven and live an eternity of happiness?<\/p>\n But, thinking again of his friends and family, Lance knew he had to go back. Stacey had gone into the light, but he had to go into the blackness. The Bass family could not lose two of their children. He had to go back to them. He had to live.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Stacey said. \u201cGo back home, Lance. I\u2019ll be waiting for you in Heaven when it is your time.\u201d Her words had a sense of closure to them, and before he knew it, she had turned, and her shimmering, translucent figure started slowly back towards the light.<\/p>\n \u201cStacey, wait!\u201d Lance cried, running towards her. \u201cNo, wait, come back!\u201d He chased after the spirit of his sister, begging her to come back. He hadn\u2019t even had a real chance to talk to her yet.<\/p>\n But Stacey kept walking, and before he knew it, she had disappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cStacey\u2026\u201d Lance breathed, staring in despair at the place where she had stood. He had been so close to her, and yet, he had not touched her, not told her he loved her. Not told her goodbye, something he had never gotten to do when she had died. But he would do it now. Maybe she could still hear him, even though he could not see her. \u201cGoodbye, Stacey,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, knowing he could go no further into the white light, he turned and headed back towards the blackness. As he got nearer and nearer to it, he became more and more uncomfortable. A dark fog swirled around the blackness, making it look even darker and more foreboding. The calmness he had felt when he was close to the light was replaced with a sense of panic and pain. But he kept going.<\/p>\n As he reached the edge of the blackness, the fog parted, and something appeared below it. Bending down to look, Lance found himself peering down into a large room, which was very bright and adorned in white and stainless steel. It was an operating room, he realized. He saw several people dressed in scrubs, gowns, masks, and surgical caps hovering over a person lying on the operating table.<\/p>\n As he leaned closer, his vision seemed to zoom in on the room so that he could get a closer look. He realized that one of the men in the room was Kevin Richardson, and he recognized one of the nurses as Hayley Aldworth. The head surgeon was a petite woman with a few wisps of red hair poking out from under her cap. She was busy pressing the defibrillator paddles to her patient\u2019s chest, shocking his heart, which had stopped beating.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026been down for almost half an hour,\u201d<\/em> he heard Kevin comment to the woman. \u201cAre you going to call it?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNot yet,\u201d<\/em> the woman said determinedly. \u201cLet\u2019s shock him once more.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n As he watched the scene before him, Lance suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He realized what was going on, why he was seeing this. His heart lodging in his throat, Lance focused his gaze on the patient. Although he could not see the man\u2019s face because of the blue cloth covering it, he instinctively knew who he was. Himself.<\/p>\n I\u2019m watching myself die<\/em>, Lance realized, his stomach turning, his body trembling at the thought. He watched in awe for a few more seconds, as the woman charged up the paddles again. Then he rose and looked into the darkness. If she was going to bring him back, that was where he had to go. And so, he did.<\/p>\n Slowly, he stepped into the darkness. As he walked further and further, everything around him grew progressively darker. Finally, the blackness closed in around him, all his senses left him, and he knew no more.<\/p>\n Just when Dr. Risha Veers had lost all hope that she would ever get her patient back, the long, whining beep of the heart monitor suddenly cut short and began to blip very slowly.<\/p>\n Risha\u2019s head shot up to look at the screen of the heart monitor. Her mouth dropped open in surprise as she saw the flat green line rise and fall, slowly at first, and then faster.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a rhythm,\u201d announced nurse Hayley Aldworth, her eyes wide with disbelief. Risha managed a relieved smile and softly said, \u201cWelcome back, Lance.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris Kirkpatrick had made his way up the surgical floor and was sitting in a small, private waiting room, nervously thumbing through a magazine without actually looking at the pages.<\/p>\n What\u2019s taking so long?<\/em> he asked himself anxiously, glancing at the closed door every few seconds and hoping that someone from surgery could come in and talk to him soon. If Lance was dead, he would rather just hear it now and not have to wait any longer. That was the worst part \u2013 waiting, not knowing whether Lance was dead or alive. Chris knew the chances of him living were very slim, and he had prepared himself for the worst. Not that anyone really could prepare for it, but he had tried.<\/p>\n Chris\u2019s stomach suddenly growled, and he realized he had not eaten since breakfast that morning. It was now late afternoon. But although his stomach was empty, he didn\u2019t really feel hungry. There was no way he could eat in a time like this. He felt like anything he ate would just come right back up again.<\/p>\n Suddenly, the door to the room opened. Chris jumped, startled by the sudden noise. He had been sitting in silence for at least two hours. As nurse Hayley Aldworth walked into the room, Chris\u2019s heart leapt into his throat. Moment of truth<\/em>, he thought.<\/p>\n But, to his surprise, the tall red-haired nurse was smiling. \u201cHey, Chris,\u201d she said. \u201cJust wanted to let you know that Dr. Veers just finished up the surgery. From what we can tell, it was a success. Lance has been taken to Recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n At first, Chris thought he hadn\u2019t heard her correctly. He had told himself so many times that Lance was never going to make it through surgery that he could not believe her words. But she was still smiling. It had to be true.<\/p>\n \u201cH-he\u2019s alive?\u201d Chris asked, his voice hoarse.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. He had a close-call, but we got him back. He\u2019s very, very lucky to have made it this far,\u201d Hayley replied.<\/p>\n Chris suddenly felt light-headed with total relief. He smiled weakly. \u201cYeah\u2026\u201d he whispered. \u201cHe\u2019s very lucky. Thank you so much, Hayley.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can thank Dr. Veers,\u201d Hayley told him. \u201cShe\u2019s the miracle worker.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris nodded eagerly. \u201cOh, I will,\u201d he replied. \u201cI definitely will.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hayley, you off?\u201d<\/p>\n Hayley was just unclipping her name tag from the front pocket of her scrub shirt when Kevin sauntered into the lounge.<\/p>\n \u201cYup,\u201d she replied. \u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d he said. \u201cJust finished up Mr. Brown\u2019s surgery. He\u2019s in Recovery, and I\u2019m outta here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou heading straight home?\u201d Hayley asked.<\/p>\n Kevin glanced at the clock. It was now past seven, and he hadn\u2019t eaten since before noon. \u201cNah, I think I\u2019m gonna stop for a bite to eat somewhere first,\u201d he replied. \u201cYou wanna come with me?\u201d<\/p>\n Hayley\u2019s stomach grumbled at that very moment, sending them both into a fit of laughter.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I guess that\u2019s a yes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Hayley laughed. \u201cWhat about Elizabeth? Is she off yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, she got stuck working the late shift tonight,\u201d answered Kevin.<\/p>\n \u201cAw, that sucks. Well, are you ready?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYup. Let\u2019s go,\u201d replied Kevin, and the two of them left the lounge together.<\/p>\n On their way down the hall, they met up with Risha, who was just coming out of her office, wearing a jacket over her scrubs, her purse slung over one shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you off, too, Dr. Veers?\u201d Kevin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Risha replied. \u201cAnd you can call me Risha if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Risha,\u201d Kevin said with a smile. He preferred calling his colleagues by their first names, but having known Risha for just over a month, he wasn\u2019t sure they knew each other well enough to be on a first-name basis. But all it took was the near-death of a co-worker to bring strangers together, and after working side by side with Risha, he felt a connection that had not been there before. \u201cHayley and I were headed out to grab a bite to eat. You wanna come with us?\u201d He gave Hayley a sidelong glance, and she nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, come with us,\u201d Hayley added.<\/p>\n Risha glanced at the two of them hesitantly. \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know\u2026\u201d she said slowly. \u201cThree\u2019s a crowd, you know.\u201d She eyed them again.<\/p>\n Hayley and Kevin exchanged glances and burst out laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no, it\u2019s not like that at all,\u201d Kevin said quickly. \u201cHayley and I are just friends.\u201d<\/p>\n Hayley nodded, although with not as much certainty as Kevin.<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Risha said, smiling slightly. \u201cSorry. I\u2019ve just seen you guys talk to each other so much up here that I assumed\u2026\u201d She shrugged, blushing.<\/p>\n Kevin laughed again. \u201cNah, Hayley\u2019s just my buddy. I\u2019m dating Elizabeth O\u2019Brien, one of the ER docs. Do you know her yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t believe we\u2019ve met,\u201d Risha replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll introduce you guys sometime. You\u2019d probably get along well,\u201d Kevin said. \u201cSo\u2026 about dinner\u2026 are you coming with us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2026 no, I don\u2019t think so,\u201d Risha said. \u201cI really need to get home. I\u2019m exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Okay then. Well, I guess I\u2019ll see you tomorrow then,\u201d Kevin said. \u201cGoodnight.\u201d<\/p>\n Risha gave him a small smile. \u201cGoodnight,\u201d she echoed.<\/p>\n The three of them took the elevator downstairs to the ground floor and went out into the parking lot, where they parted ways.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do you want to eat?\u201d Kevin asked, as he walked Hayley to her car.<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter to me,\u201d Hayley replied with a shrug.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Capretti\u2019s?\u201d Kevin suggested, naming one of Atlantic City\u2019s best Italian restaurants.<\/p>\n \u201cSounds good,\u201d said Hayley. \u201cI\u2019ll meet ya there in a few.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right. See ya.\u201d Kevin left her at her car and went off to find his own in the large lot.<\/p>\n Risha came home to a pitch-black apartment. It was seven-thirty at night, and now that it was well into fall, it was getting darker earlier in the evening.<\/p>\n Fumbling around, Risha found the light switch near the door, and the living room was flooded with light, making the apartment look warm and cozy. Risha headed straight back to her bedroom, where she changed out of her scrubs into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a large t-shirt.<\/p>\n Risha then went into the kitchen, where she took a can of tomato soup out of her cupboard and began to heat it up on the stove. As she absently stirred the red liquid, her thoughts drifted to Lance. The high she had gotten after the surgery was gone. She had saved his life, brought him back, but at what cost? Would he ever have a normal life again? Would he ever be his old self? Would he ever even wake up from the surgery?<\/p>\n When she had left the hospital, he had just been moved from Recovery into the NeuroICU, where he could be monitored closely. Tests showed he was in a coma, but how deep of one, Risha did now know. But she was afraid that he might never wake up from it, that he might be a vegetable for the rest of his life. And what kind of life would that be? It seemed to Risha that death was the better choice. Better than being a vegetable.<\/p>\n Like John would have been<\/em>, Risha thought suddenly. A sudden rush of emotion ran through her body. The spoon she had been stirring the soup with slipped from her hand and sank into the small pot with a clatter. Unexpectedly, stinging tears filled her eyes. Why am I doing this?<\/em> she thought miserably. Why am I reliving this again? It happened over ten years ago. I have to let it go.<\/em><\/p>\n But she couldn\u2019t. Sliding down to the smooth linoleum floor, she began to cry, for John, for Lance, for what she could have been, and for what she had become.<\/p>\n The headlights from the approaching car lit up the Miller living room. Jaela set down the novel she was reading and walked over to the window, peeling back the curtains to take a good look. She sighed in relief as the Sentra her husband drove pulled into the driveway. She quickly ran to her favorite chair and picked up the novel, trying to look as occupied as she possibly could. The back door opened slowly, and footsteps were heard quietly creeping through the kitchen.<\/p>\n \u201cPaul?\u201d Jaela called out.<\/p>\n The footsteps stopped suddenly, and a quiet \u201cshit\u201d was heard through the silent house. Jaela turned around as her husband entered the room. The caring man she had married was now an angry man she didn\u2019t want to be around anymore.<\/p>\n Setting down her book and taking her glasses off, Jaela placed them on the small coffee table and walked over to her husband, hugging him to cover up the uneasiness she felt. She was shocked as Paul forcefully pushed her down. What shocked her even more was the strong smell of women\u2019s perfume that lingered on Paul\u2019s clothes. She watched with wide eyes as Paul turned around and stormed up towards their bedroom. Jaela quickly followed and entered the room before her husband could slam the door shut.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d Paul sneered as he removed his tie and dress shoes, part of the outfit he wore to work each day.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere have you been?\u201d Jaela demanded, her courage she had only gained in the moment deteriorated as she met Paul\u2019s cold, blue eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is it any of your business, bitch?\u201d<\/p>\n Jaela gasped at the obscenity she heard from her husband. Not once in all their years of marriage and through all their arguments had Paul ever called her a name.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are my husband,\u201d she began lamely. \u201cI was worried about you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a big boy now; I can take care of myself. Why don\u2019t you go play Mommy to those brats of yours; they sure need it.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul said nothing else as he walked out of the room and slammed the door to the guest room across the hall.<\/p>\n Paul\u2019s hurtful words still ran through Jaela\u2019s mind, as she got ready for bed minutes later. She hoped this would be the only time Paul was like this, but deep inside her heart she knew it was just the beginning.<\/p>\n The next morning, Chris staggered into the ER, only half-awake. He had come home from the hospital very late the night before (or very early that morning, actually), exhausted after his trying day at the hospital, but unable to sleep. Every time he shut his eyes, he saw Lance, unconscious and bloody, as he had been when they brought him into the ER that afternoon.<\/p>\n Lance\u2019s parents had arrived shortly after the surgery was over, and Chris had filled them in on everything that had happened. Lance\u2019s surgeon, Dr. Veers, had given them a more detailed account of the operation and allowed them to see Lance in Recovery. He hadn\u2019t looked much better there than he had when he was first brought into the ER, except for the fact that his head was not bathed in blood. Dr. Veers had been very honest in telling Chris and the Bass family that although Lance had made it through surgery, he was by no means out of the woods yet, and it was not sure whether he would ever be the same person he once was.<\/p>\n Chris had finally gone home, at Mrs. Bass\u2019s insistence, but he might as well have stayed at the hospital, for he did not get to sleep until very early in the morning and was awakened just a few hours later by his alarm clock. He got up, got dressed, and decided to go to the hospital to work his shift. He knew he could easily call in and get the day off, but he was determined to keep himself busy, knowing that if he didn\u2019t work, he would do nothing but worry about Lance all day, and that wouldn\u2019t do anyone any good.<\/p>\n \u201cChris!\u201d Melissa Ruffino gasped as he appeared at the nurses station. \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d she demanded. \u201cYou look like hell!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Chris replied dryly, giving her a tired smile.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, seriously, Chris, are you actually planning to work today?\u201d Melissa asked, looking at him in concern.<\/p>\n Chris shrugged. \u201cGot nothing else to do,\u201d he said. \u201cI need to take my mind off things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Chris, you look like you haven\u2019t slept at all!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t,\u201d Chris said flatly, chuckling ruefully.<\/p>\n \u201cGo lie down in one of the exam rooms then,\u201d Melissa said. \u201cGet some sleep. You can\u2019t work like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t sleep, even if I tried,\u201d Chris told her.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, fine. But you\u2019re not seeing patients today, not like that. You can have set-up duty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, come on, Mel,\u201d Chris started to protest, but stopped, realizing she was right. He was in no state to be treating people, not on the few hours of sleep he had gotten. \u201cOkay,\u201d he relented.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you been up to see Lance yet this morning?\u201d Melissa asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not yet. Do you know where he\u2019s been moved to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s in NeuroICU,\u201d Melissa replied. \u201cI called up there earlier and talked to Alana Hill. She said she\u2019s taken over his case and that there hasn\u2019t been any change in his condition since last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Chris said with a frown. Shrugging, he added, \u201cWell, I guess that\u2019s kind of a good thing. At least he didn\u2019t take a turn for the worse.\u201d<\/p>\n Melissa nodded. \u201cI\u2019m sure everything\u2019s going to be all right,\u201d she said, but Chris could see through her false bravado. She was just as uncertain about Lance\u2019s future as he was.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Dr. Littrell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMorning, Nick,\u201d Brian Littrell said to his med student, Nick Carter, as he passed her on his way to the nurses station.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Mel,\u201d he said to Melissa. \u201cDo you know if Blair Cartier has been taken up to pedes yet? He was supposed to have been sent up last night after I left, but the ER was crazy yesterday, so who knows\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBlair Cartier\u2026 oh, you mean the four-year-old poisoning victim?\u201d Melissa asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s the one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he\u2019s in the PICU,\u201d Melissa replied. \u201cDr. Moore has been overseeing his case.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, good. Thanks, Melissa,\u201d Brian said and headed straight for that floor.<\/p>\n Upon entering the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Brian found Blair\u2019s father sitting beside his son\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Mr. Cartier,\u201d Brian said quietly, approaching her.<\/p>\n Brad Cartier turned and gave him a grim smile. \u201c\u2019Morning, Doctor,\u201d he said dully.<\/p>\n Seeing the dark circles under Brad\u2019s eyes, Brian asked, \u201cWere you here all night?\u201d<\/p>\n Brad nodded. \u201cCarrie took the kids home to sleep, but I just couldn\u2019t leave him here alone, just in case he woke up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you talk to Dr. Moore at all?\u201d Brian asked, referring to pediatrician Julianna Moore, who had been on call during the night.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. She said he\u2019s in a\u2026 in a coma.\u201d Brad\u2019s voice cracked on the last word.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably a light coma,\u201d Brian told him. \u201cBlair will most likely wake up from it very soon, within a few days at most. It\u2019s just a way for his body to recover.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo he\u2019s not going to die?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t promise that. Poisoning cases like this are very serious. But the odds are in his favor.\u201d<\/p>\n Brad nodded emotionlessly. He let out a sigh. \u201cI can\u2019t believe something like this could happen. My step-daughter\u2026 Meg\u2026 how could she accidentally leave a cup of detergent sitting on the washer? How could anyone be that irresponsible?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s only a kid,\u201d Brian said gently. \u201cKids make mistakes. I\u2019m sure she\u2019s very sorry about what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Brad looked doubtful. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t like Blair. She doesn\u2019t like me or any of my kids. She\u2019s picked on them constantly ever since Carrie and I got married last year. I thought she just needed some time to adjust, but it\u2019s been months, and she hasn\u2019t gotten any better. And when it comes to Meg, it\u2019s like Carrie\u2019s blind, like she doesn\u2019t see what Meg is like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you thought about seeing a marriage or family counselor sometime?\u201d Brian suggested, not wanting to get dragged in the middle of his family problems.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Brad said quickly. \u201cWe don\u2019t need anything like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right. Well, if you do want to look into it, I can give you some referrals,\u201d said Brian.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Brad said. \u201cWell, I\u2019m going to go get a cup of coffee now.\u201d He stood up quickly and hurried out of the room like a caged animal who had just been set free.<\/p>\n Brian just shook his head and turned to examine Blair.<\/p>\n Justin Timberlake looked up as the double doors of the ER burst open, and a hysterical old woman came running in, screaming. He set down the chart he was filling and hurried over to her.<\/p>\n \u201cMa\u2019am? Ma\u2019am, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cMein Ehemann! Mein Ehemann! Er ist im Auto… etwas falsch mit ihm! Er kann nicht atmen! Helfen Sie ihm, bitte!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Justin gaped at her. \u201cUh\u2026 what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBitte! Er ben\u00f6tigt Hilfe!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Justin looked around desperately for someone who could figure out what she was saying. Something was obviously very wrong, but he couldn\u2019t understand her. He saw Jack Palmer walking out of one of the exam rooms and shouted, \u201cDr. Palmer! Dr. Palmer, c\u2019mere, quick!\u201d<\/p>\n Jack hurried over. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d he asked, looking from the sobbing woman to the panicked Justin.<\/p>\n \u201cBitte Doktor, k\u00f6nnen Sie meinem Ehemann helfen?\u201d<\/em> the woman asked pleadingly, reaching out to Jack.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you understand what she\u2019s saying?\u201d Justin asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s her husband,\u201d Jack said after a moment\u2019s hesitation. Noticing the astonished expression on Justin\u2019s face, he added, \u201cI took two years of German in high school. Don\u2019t remember much of it anymore, but I understood \u2018please\u2019, \u2018doctor\u2019, \u2018husband\u2019, and \u2018help\u2019.\u201d To the woman, he asked, \u201cWo ist dein Herr?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The German came out rather brokenly, but it got the point across. An expression of relief came over the woman\u2019s face, and she cried, \u201cIm Auto!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s out in the car,\u201d Jack told Justin, and the two men followed the woman outside, where an old, beige car was parked right outside the door. The woman flung open the door to the backseat, and they peered inside to find an old man slumped across the backseat, breathing in ragged gasps, his chest heaving. His skin was clammy and pale, and his whole body was shaking.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right, sir, we\u2019re going to help you,\u201d Jack said, leaning into the car. He doubted the man couldn\u2019t understand him, and he didn\u2019t know how to say the words in German, but he hoped his tone of voice was at least reassuring. \u201cJustin, run back inside and get a gurney. Hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin ran off, and Jack crawled into the car. \u201cWo\u2026 wo\u2026\u201d He tried to think of how to ask the man where he was in pain in German. \u201cUm\u2026 wo\u2026 wo hast du\u2026 Schmerz<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n He doubted that was correct grammar-wise, but the man understood him and gasped out, \u201cMein Herz!\u201d<\/p>\n Justin returned a moment later with Melissa Ruffino, wheeling a gurney.<\/p>\n \u201cJustin, he\u2019s having a heart attack,\u201d Jack said. \u201cLet\u2019s get him inside.\u201d He climbed back out of the car, and together, he and Justin eased the man out of the backseat and onto the gurney.<\/p>\n They rushed him into the ER, his wife tagging along behind, still sobbing and crying, \u201cWas ist mit ihm los? Was ist mit ihm los?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHey, Mel, you know German?\u201d Jack asked as they pushed the man into one of the rooms.<\/p>\n \u201cSpanish. Sorry,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know anyone who can speak it fluently?\u201d Jack asked. \u201cI\u2019ve had two years, but I don\u2019t remember enough to really talk to these people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2026\u201d Melissa racked her brain. \u201cNo\u2026 not that I can think of.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet Addie then. She had four years in high school; she might be able to help. Justin, go track down Addie Burke, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n Justin nodded and took off looking for the nurse, while Jack and Melissa hooked the man up to monitors. He was still conscious at first, but almost immediately, his eyes rolled back into his head, and the heart monitor went wild.<\/p>\n \u201cSir! Sir, can you hear me?\u201d Jack called, while Melissa inserted an IV into his arm. Turning to his crying wife, Jack asked, \u201cWie heisst er?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cPeter. Was ist mit ihm los? Stirbt er?\u201d<\/em> She watched her husband with wide, frightened, tear-filled eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I don\u2019t understand you,\u201d Jack said apologetically. Turning back to the man, he called his name. \u201cPeter! Peter!\u201d Peter did not respond.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Palmer, Addie\u2019s with a patient right now,\u201d Justin said breathlessly, as he made it back to the room.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care, go get her,\u201d Jack ordered. \u201cThe wife\u2019s freaking out, and I don\u2019t know what to say.\u201d Justin nodded and darted back out of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s in V-fib,\u201d Melissa said, directing his attention back to the heart monitor. \u201cPaddles?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Jack replied, and she hurried to get a crash cart. \u201cCharge to 200\u2026 clear!\u201d<\/p>\n Peter\u2019s wife cried out as Jack shocked his chest. \u201cPeter!\u201d she moaned. \u201cBitte retten Sie ihn!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo response. Charge to 300\u2026 clear!\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cBitte! Bitte!\u201d<\/em> The woman\u2019s pleas rose over the whine of the heart monitor, as Jack desperately tried to bring her husband back.<\/p>\n Justin turned the corner and started to run down the hall where nurse Natalie Spade had claimed to have seen Addie working. Not seeing the yellow sign marked \u201cWet Floor\u201d, he immediately slipped, skidded across the freshly-mopped tile, and fell flat on his backside.<\/p>\n \u201cOhh\u2026\u201d he groaned, lying there for a moment, wondering if he had broken his tailbone. He squeezed his eyes closed in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cYou okay, dude?\u201d<\/p>\n Justin\u2019s eyes instantly opened, and he looked up into the amused-looking face of a young blonde man. Nick Carter, fellow ER med student. Glaring and avoiding Nick\u2019s laughing blue eyes, Justin scrambled his feet, trying his best to ignore the throbbing in his butt.<\/p>\n \u201cYa might wanna pay attention to the sign next time,\u201d Nick said, pointing out the yellow sign.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Justin spat dryly, his cheeks growing hot.<\/p>\n Nick smirked. \u201cWhat do you need?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking for Addie Burke,\u201d Justin replied, remembering why he was there.<\/p>\n \u201cI think she\u2019s with a patient right now,\u201d the man said.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s what Natalie told me. We need her in Trauma 2. It\u2019s an emergency.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick frowned, but shrugged and nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll go get her.\u201d<\/p>\n He disappeared down the hall and returned a few minutes later, followed by the short brunette nurse. \u201cHere he is,\u201d he said to her.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Nick,\u201d she replied. To Justin, she asked, \u201cDid Jack send you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Justin said. \u201cHow\u2019d you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n Addie smiled. \u201cTrust me, it wasn\u2019t too hard to guess. Tell him to save his \u2018emergencies\u2019 for another time; I\u2019m a little busy right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Confused, Justin said, \u201cNo, really, it\u2019s an emergency. There\u2019s this German couple downstairs, and the guy\u2019s having a heart attack, and the woman\u2019s hysterical, and none of us know German well enough to talk to her. Dr. Palmer said you do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOhhh.\u201d Addie\u2019s cheeks grew pink. \u201cSorry, I thought he was just making up excuses just to get me to come in there.\u201d Seeing Justin\u2019s face grow more confused, she laughed and added, \u201cHe\u2019s my boyfriend, you know. He\u2019s notorious for inventing \u2018emergencies\u2019 that I need to come down for.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Justin laughed slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cNick, do you happen to know German? I\u2019m probably a little rusty; I haven\u2019t had it since high school.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2026 ich liebe dich<\/em>?\u201d Nick said with a shrug.<\/p>\n Addie laughed at his bad pronunciation and replied, \u201cI love you, too.\u201d To Justin, she said, \u201cWell, let\u2019s go then. Nick, can you finish up with Mr. Germaine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d said Nick. Dr. Burke hurried off down the hall, and Justin tagged along behind her, rubbing his tender behind.<\/p>\n \u201cMel, can you please take her out of here?\u201d Jack asked, shocking Peter\u2019s chest for yet another time. Lowering his voice, even though he knew Peter\u2019s wife couldn\u2019t understand him, he added, \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to get him back.\u201d<\/p>\n Melissa nodded and lay her hand gently on the woman\u2019s shoulder. She opened her mouth to say something, then stopped and looked at Jack.<\/p>\n \u201cGeh mit ihr,\u201d<\/em> said Jack, motioning out the door.<\/p>\n \u201cAber\u2026\u201d<\/em> the woman started, then stopped and nodded. She let Melissa lead her out of the room and to the chairs across the hall.<\/p>\n The pattern on the heart monitor changed as Melissa came back in. \u201cHe\u2019s in asystole,\u201d Jack said, putting down the paddles. They would do no good at this state.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been down for at least half an hour. You gonna call it?\u201d Melissa asked.<\/p>\n Jack watched the flat green line run across the monitor for a moment, then nodded. \u201cYeah. Time of death: 10:19.\u201d<\/p>\n Just then, Justin came in, followed by Jack\u2019s girlfriend, Addie Burke.<\/p>\n \u201cYou lost him?\u201d she asked sympathetically.<\/p>\n Jack nodded. \u201cLooks like a massive coronary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere was nothing you could have done,\u201d Addie said. \u201cThere was probably just too much damage done. Is that his wife out in the hall?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Could you go tell her?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, hopefully, if I can remember enough German to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll come with you,\u201d Jack said.<\/p>\n \u201cMe too,\u201d Justin added, and the three walked out into the hall. Peter\u2019s wife sat in a chair across the hall from the room, dabbing her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. She reminded Jack of his grandmother, and he dreaded having to give her such horrible news. She and her husband had probably been married for at least fifty years.<\/p>\n \u201cEntschuldigung, Frau?\u201d<\/em> Addie asked gently. (Excuse me, ma\u2019am?)<\/em><\/p>\n The woman looked up. \u201cWie ist er, Doktor?\u201d<\/em> she asked plaintively. (How is he, doctor?)<\/em><\/p>\n Addie pursed her lips. \u201cDein Mann hatte einen Herzanfall. Er war sehr\u2026\u201d<\/em> She searched for the right word, wishing her German were better. \u201c\u2026 schlecht. Es tut mir leid, aber\u2026 er hat gestorben.\u201d (Your husband had a heart attack. It was very\u2026 bad. I\u2019m sorry, but\u2026 he died.)<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNein! Nein, nicht meiner Peter! Peter!\u201d (No! No, not my Peter! Peter!)<\/em> The woman began to sob again, her frail shoulders shaking.<\/p>\n Justin didn\u2019t have a clue what Addie and the woman were actually saying, but German or English, the grief was the same. He swallowed hard and bowed his head in sorrow as the old woman cried.<\/p>\n Around noon, the little string of bells hanging from the door of Sully\u2019s jangled as JC Chasez walked in, followed by Isabel Rivera.<\/p>\n \u201cThere they are, over there,\u201d Isabel said to JC, pointing to a four-person table, where Nick Carter sat across from Mandy Smith, JC\u2019s girlfriend, who was a surgical nurse.<\/p>\n JC smiled and strode over to the table, wrapping his arms around Mandy from behind. \u201cJC!\u201d she giggled, turning around to greet him. He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down, Isabel going around to the other side of the table to sit next to Nick.<\/p>\n JC had taken Isabel under his wing while Jack Palmer had been supervising Bianca Parker\u2019s med student Justin. After all, Isabel was the smart, enthusiastic one that didn\u2019t need to be told what to do all the time, and Justin was an insecure, awkward moron. Since he and Mandy met at Sully\u2019s for lunch nearly every day, and Isabel and Nick did the same, the four of them had eaten together the day before and had decided to do the same thing again.<\/p>\n While they waited for their food to come, they talked about their day so far. Nick amused them all with a story about Justin Timberlake slipping and falling on his ass in the hall, while Isabel told them about the sweet old man who had suffered a stroke that she had taken care of that morning.<\/p>\n \u201cSo how\u2019s Lance Bass doing?\u201d Mandy asked after a while. She did not know Lance well, but the nurses in the hospital often got together for things, and so she was acquainted with him.<\/p>\n JC sighed solemnly. Having done a neurology round with Alana Hill, who was now Lance\u2019s doctor, he was familiar enough with her to go and ask about Lance\u2019s condition earlier that day, and she had told him the hard truth.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to say at this point,\u201d JC said. \u201cHe\u2019s in a coma, and his Glasgow scores don\u2019t look too good right now. If he does pull through, he\u2019s going to have a huge recovery to make. It\u2019s unlikely he\u2019d ever be normal again.\u201d<\/p>\n The four of them lapsed into silence, sobered by the harsh reality that one of their own was in such a critical state. At that point, their waitress arrived with a large tray of food, and they started to eat quietly, glad for the distraction, the break from their world of injury, sickness, and death.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone help! My wife\u2019s in labor! Please, someone!\u201d<\/p>\n ER Physician Elizabeth O\u2019Brien quickly dropped the chart she was filling out and hurried over to the young couple that had just staggered through the ER doors. The man was practically holding up his panting wife, who was obviously very pregnant.<\/p>\n Addie Burke appeared with a wheelchair, and she and Elizabeth eased the woman down into it and took her into one of the exam rooms. They helped her up onto the table.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your name, ma\u2019am?\u201d Elizabeth asked, as Addie inserted an IV into her arm.<\/p>\n \u201cBrooke Calley,\u201d the woman gasped, grimacing in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how far along are you, Mrs. Calley?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThirty-three weeks. And it\u2019s triplets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTriplets? Well, how exciting. Addie, can you page OB?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure.\u201d Addie got on the phone right away, while Elizabeth fit Brooke\u2019s legs into the stirrups at the end of the bed so she could examine her.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Brooke, you\u2019re almost fully dilated already, so it won\u2019t be much longer,\u201d Elizabeth told her. \u201cHow long have you been in labor?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly a few hours. I thought we\u2019d have plenty of time, but it just happened so quick.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re lucky then,\u201d said Elizabeth with a smile. \u201cSome women spend whole days in here in labor before giving birth.\u201d<\/p>\n Brooke nodded, trying to smile weakly, but she was obviously in pain. \u201cCan I get an epidural or anything?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cSure. Addie, can you take care of that?\u201d<\/p>\n Addie, who had just hung up the phone, nodded. \u201cSure,\u201d she replied. \u201cOh, and just so you know, one of the OB\u2019s will be down soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201dThanks, Addie,\u201d Elizabeth said, and Addie left the room. She returned a few minutes to administer the epidural, as Elizabeth ran an ultrasound.<\/p>\n \u201cYour babies look perfectly fine, Mr. and Mrs. Calley,\u201d she said to Brooke and her nervous-looking husband, Bryan. \u201cHave you been told the sexes yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. We don\u2019t want to know until they\u2019re born,\u201d Bryan said, smiling widely.<\/p>\n Elizabeth couldn\u2019t help but smile back. \u201cAre these your first children?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Brooke said, relaxing a bit as a contraction passed. \u201cWe\u2019re so excited. We tried for years to get pregnant, but we couldn\u2019t, so we ended up using fertility drugs. It cost a fortune, but it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs this the triplets?\u201d asked a deep voice. Elizabeth turned to see OB Melanie Reyes sweep into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is Brooke and Bryan Calley.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood to meet you,\u201d said Melanie, shaking Bryan\u2019s hand. \u201cI\u2019m just going to examine you real quick, Mrs. Calley.\u201d She sat down in Elizabeth\u2019s chair and repeated the examinations Elizabeth had given Brooke. \u201cEverything looks great,\u201d she said when he was done. \u201cWe should be ready to head up to the delivery room within a couple hours at the latest.\u201d<\/p>\n Brooke nodded, grinning nervously, and grabbed her husband\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n An hour and a half later, Brooke had been moved to a room on the maternity floor and was moaning in agony as another contraction hit. They were coming only minutes apart now, and the pain was bad, even with the epidural. Brooke couldn\u2019t imagine trying to give birth naturally, with no drugs.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are we doing, Mrs. Calley?\u201d asked Melanie, coming into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cI think they\u2019re close,\u201d Brooke gasped.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s check.\u201d Melanie sat down and examined her again and nodded. \u201cYeah, I think we\u2019d better head down to delivery now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBryan.\u201d Brooke reached out for her husband\u2019s hand again. He took it, looking slightly queasy, and walked alongside her as Melanie Reyes and two nurses wheeled her on a gurney down the hall to one of the delivery rooms.<\/p>\n \u201cCould you page pediatrics and get two of them up here, please?\u201d Melanie asked one of the nurses.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Dr. Reyes,\u201d the woman replied and got on the phone that was located in the delivery room.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, Mrs. Calley, we\u2019re going to wait out a couple more contractions, and then I think it will be time to push,\u201d Melanie instructed Brooke.<\/p>\n She nodded, gritting her teeth as she went into another contraction.<\/p>\n Before long, Brian Littrell and Siara Reily, both pediatricians, had arrived to take care of the babies once they were born. Brooke had gone through another contraction, and it was finally time to deliver.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Mrs. Calley, on the next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can for me,\u201d Melanie said, positioning herself at the end of the bed.<\/p>\n The contraction hit, and Brooke pushed with all her might, clenching her jaw in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s it, baby, push hard,\u201d Bryan coached, his voice shaking with excited nervousness.<\/p>\n \u201cGood, good. Keep pushing,\u201d said Melanie. \u201cI can see the head of the first baby.\u201d<\/p>\n Moments later, a shrill cry sounded, as Melanie pulled the first baby out. \u201cIt\u2019s a boy,\u201d she said, as one of the nurses cut the umbilical cord, wrapped the baby in a towel, and handed him off to Brian.<\/p>\n The contraction stopped, and Brooke fell back onto the gurney, panting.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re doing a great job,\u201d Melanie told her. \u201cOn the next contraction, I want you to push again, and we\u2019ll get Baby Number Two out.\u201d<\/p>\n Brooke nodded, and when the next contraction came, she again pushed as hard as she could. Her energy was beginning to fail her, but she kept pushing, and finally, the second of the triplets was delivered.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother boy,\u201d Melanie said, holding him up so Brooke could see. \u201cIf this keeps up, you might have three identical boys.\u201d<\/p>\n Brooke and Bryan exchanged excited grins. There were tears in Brooke\u2019s eyes, but not just from the pain.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are they?\u201d Bryan asked anxiously. \u201cAre they healthy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey both look perfect, Mr. Calley,\u201d Siara answered from the corner of the room, where three clear plastic cribs sat, two containing babies.<\/p>\n Brooke and Bryan smiled happily. But suddenly, Melanie said, \u201cOh no.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Brooke asked, her head snapping back to look at him. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe third baby\u2019s shifted positions. It\u2019s breech now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBreech?\u201d Bryan repeated.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s upside down, feet-first instead of head-first. It will make for a harder delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh no,\u201d Brooke moaned.<\/p>\n Another contraction came. \u201cPush,\u201d Melanie instructed. \u201cPush as hard as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n She pushed, knowing that this would be the last time. But it was also the hardest time. She kept pushing, and Melanie kept trying to get it out, but it was a struggle, for the baby\u2019s positioning made it twice as hard as the other two.<\/p>\n Finally, Melanie pulled the baby out. But unlike the other two, there was no cry.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Why isn\u2019t it crying?\u201d Brooke asked, her voice trembling with panic and exhaustion.<\/p>\n The baby was not breathing. \u201cCome on, little guy,\u201d Melanie said softly, massaging the baby\u2019s tiny chest. Natalie cut the umbilical cord and passed the baby on to Brian and Siara to work on.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy isn\u2019t it crying?\u201d Bryan asked, repeating his wife\u2019s question.<\/p>\n \u201cYour baby\u2019s not breathing,\u201d Melanie told them grimly. \u201cDr. Littrell and Dr. Reily are working on him. This happens sometimes, where babies aren\u2019t breathing when they\u2019re delivered, but most of them come around right away. Just hold on.\u201d<\/p>\n It was only a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity to Brooke and Bryan, who waited in suspense to hear the cry of their third-born. But finally, it came, a newborn\u2019s squawking cry.<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations,\u201d Brian said from across the room. \u201cYou have three healthy boys.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThree boys,\u201d Bryan whispered, grinning proudly. He bent over and hugged Brooke as best he could.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you like to hold them?\u201d asked Ivory, carrying the first baby over to Brooke.<\/p>\n Brooke tearfully took her son and cradled him lovingly in her arms, while Bryan sat in a chair next to her, holding the two others, one in each arm.<\/p>\n Looking at them all, Bryan grinned again and repeated, \u201cThree boys!\u201d<\/p>\n While the happy couple celebrated three new lives, Chris Kirkpatrick sat in a darkened cubicle, five floors below, staring dazedly at the still, ghost-white face of Lance Bass, who lay motionless on the bed, comatose. Monitors around him beeped softly, their screens giving off an acid green glow that illuminated the dim room, creating an eerie atmosphere.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, Chris?\u201d<\/p>\n Chris turned slowly towards the voice and found neurologist Alana Hill standing there. He did not reply.<\/p>\n \u201cI, uh, was just about to head out and wanted to know if I could get you anything before I left.\u201d Chris had been sitting there for over an hour, never moving, never speaking, just sitting there.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Chris said, his voice hoarse. \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo problem. If there\u2019s ever anything I can do\u2026\u201d Alana trailed off, shrugging. \u201cWell\u2026 goodnight.\u201d<\/p>\n She left.<\/p>\n Chris remained, keeping watch over Lance. But really, he was not sure Lance was even still there with him. His body was, of course. But his soul hovered between life and death, between the light and the darkness, the white and the black.<\/p>\n After a while, Chris\u2019s eyelids began to grow heavy. Despite his efforts to stay awake, his head slumped to the side, and his eyes slowly shut. And all he saw was black.<\/p>\n Black.<\/p>\n Episode 10: White and Black White. That was all Lance Bass could see. Just white. It surrounded him, a bright white light, growing increasingly brighter as he grew closer to it. And yet, it did not make him squint. It was not blinding, but comforting and peaceful. He walked …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":66,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-211","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":217,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/211\/revisions\/217"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}+++<\/h4>\n
\nSurgeon Kevin Richardson, who was observing the operation, grinned at Risha. \u201cGood save, Dr. Veers,\u201d he told her.<\/p>\n+++<\/h4>\n
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Episode 11<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"