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Becky Rock
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
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Registration Date: 16-04-2009
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I finally completed my The Hour Glass fic. Since I can't get Gatchfanfic to cooperate in letting me post it, I decided to post it here for the time being.
So here you go, the ending of The Hour Glass!
The Chief hadn’t made it back yet. Mark lifted his left arm as Jason’s bed was guided down the hall towards the elevator by the doctors, the guards following since he and Tiny were with Princess.
“G-1 to Chief,” he said quietly, not wanting any of the other ICU visitors to hear him.
“Yes?” the Chief asked after a moment.
“G-2 is having complications. They just took him for a CAT scan to determine how bad it is,” Mark told him, his eyes on Princess’ worried features as she stood at the glass separating the two rooms.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Anderson out.”
Tiny poked his head in the door. He had gone out to tell Keyop what was going on. “I’m gonna hang with Keyop until they bring him back,” he said. That also meant he’d have the entrance to the ICU covered.
Mark nodded, following him out of Jason’s room to rejoin Princess in hers as they waited.
888
Jason ground his teeth as the stabbing pain continued. He tried to breathe through it as they wheeled him towards the CAT scan rooms. The pain radiated on his left side from below his ribcage into his chest and out into his abdomen. Did it mean something had ruptured? If it had, he’d be bleeding internally. Wouldn’t the blood loss show in his blood pressure? Wouldn’t he be getting dizzy or more tired?
Before he knew it, Chase and Foreman were lifting him off the gurney onto the CAT scan rolling bed. He spotted Cameron up in the control room, getting everything started for the scan.
The bed started to glide into the ticking machine.
888
Princess and Mark waited nervously in her room for word on Jason. If his spleen had ruptured from the onslaught of the detritus from the dead parasites, he would have to have emergency surgery to remove it to stop the bleeding. His pancreas and kidneys would be in danger, having to take up the additional detritus. He would also be on medication for the rest of his life to supplement the loss of his spleen.
If that happened, could he even stay on the team? Mark didn’t want to think about it.
He glanced at Princess. She was staring off into space, wringing her hands as much as she could with the IV in her arm.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, motioning at the IV. She took a deep, shuddering breath, pulling her eyes to focus on him.
“Okay. I keep trying to feel something, to know what’s happening inside me, but I can’t tell. Then I think about what Jason’s going through and…” she shrugged her shoulders, looking down at her hands as she started ringing them together again. “I’m scared for him.”
Mark reached over to cover her hands with his. She raised her eyes to meet his worried ones.
“I am, too,” he admitted. “When we’re in a battle with Spectra, we’ve got some control. We have no way of taking control of this.”
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This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by Becky Rock on 16-12-2014 at 01:13.
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16-12-2014 01:11
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Becky Rock
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
0 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 16-04-2009
Posts: 6458
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All Princess could do was squeeze his hands back.
888
“So, does he need a splenectomy?”
Cameron took her eyes from the CT scan to glare over her shoulder at House. “That’s not even a word.”
“How do you know? Every year, new words are being added to dictionaries, like ‘seflie’.” House slid into the seat beside her and leaned over to see the scan. “You ever take a selfie?”
“That would be more up your alley,” she retorted, adjusting the resolution as the scanner reached Jason’s abdomen. “Can their implants keep a rupture from happening?” she asked very quietly as she isolated the shot of Jason’s spleen on the screen.
House pursed his lips.
“We wouldn’t be in here if it could, but it might be able to slow down any bleeding,” he answered just as quietly as he reached up to point out a few locations on the screen. “The swelling has caused some perforations, but no rupture yet. Doesn’t look like there’s enough blood being leaked for him to need a transfusion, but have some around just in case and keep an eye out for peritonitis.”
“Nothing like adding insult to injury,” Cameron muttered as she flipped on the mike to tell Chase and Foreman what they’d seen.
888
Tiny poked his head into Princess’ room. “They’re bringing him back,” he reported as their enhanced hearing picked up on the voices of the doctors and the squeaking of Jason’s bed’s wheels on the floor as it was pushed back into the ICU area. Mark rose to join Tiny at the doorway as Jason was pushed past, still curled up in a ball on the bed. They hadn’t taken him to emergency surgery.
“It hasn’t ruptured,” Mark said with relief until he saw the look on the doctors’ faces.
“It’s too busy trying to be Swiss cheese,” House told him, stopping beside the door as they maneuvered Jason’s bed into his room.
“What does that mean?” Mark wanted to know.
“His spleen is perforating?” Both Mark and House turned to see the Chief coming into the ICU with Keyop on his heels, worry etched in his features. He stopped beside them.
“Yes, but so far its manageable,” House responded. “His blood pressure is good.”
“How much longer will he be in pain?” Princess asked from behind them. “He’s already been through so much.” She was watching through the glass wall as the doctor’s set everything back up in Jason’s room.
“It’s hard to tell.” House shrugged. “An hour, a day, two weeks? But on the bright side, the parasites are dying.” He smiled at them. Mark wanted to deck him. “And he shouldn’t be in any state to attack anyone walking by in green.” Mark didn’t even realize he had his hand in his pocket around his boomerang until he felt the Chief’s hand grab his arm to keep him from doing something.
“House, you’re really starting to remind me why your accesses to the program were curtailed,” Anderson ground out.
__________________
I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers so far...
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16-12-2014 01:15
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Becky Rock
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
0 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 16-04-2009
Posts: 6458
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House’s smile turned to a smirk, apparently not the least bit intimidated. “I think my personality was the least of a long list of the reasons.”
“We could send him to Spectra,” Princess suggested in a low voice that only those in her room could hear. “Let him loose on Zoltar.”
“I wouldn’t do the Purple Freak the honor,” House responded in her direction.
“Purple Freak?” Princess exchanged a surprised look with Mark. The only other person who called Zoltar that was Jason. What were the odds?
Foreman poked his head in at that moment. “We’ve got him settled back in. We set the blood pressure monitor alarm to go off if his pressure starts to drop. We haven’t maxed the morphine. We don’t think it’d be a good idea. We need to know how much pain he’s in.”
“I better stay with him, then,” the Chief told them, turning towards the door. “He’s more likely to be honest with me if it gets too bad.” Mark started to say something, but the Chief shook his head. They both knew when Jason had to choice between them in his time of need, Jason had chosen the Chief.
“But I’m still going to be in there,” Mark insisted. “Just in case he gets out of hand.”
“How could he get out of hand in that condition?” Foreman asked. Mark didn’t want to explain a special feature of their implants that allowed them to maximize adrenalin output in an extreme situation, such as life or death. The end result was a crash that was a life-threatening situation all of its own.
“It’s possible,” was all he said as he and the Chief changed rooms.
888
The next thirty-six hours were Hell. All Jason could remember was a world of agony deep in his abdomen that left him withering at times and throwing up at others. Two more scans were done when it was at its worst, but his blood pressure stayed within limits and no organs ruptured. He doubted there was anything Zoltar could ever do to him that could be worse. They prided themselves on their ability to handle anything thrown at them. No injury or torture could break them.
But he had one shameful moment when he’d been unable to stop the tears from the pain. The Chief hadn’t said a word as he moved his chair closer to block anyone else’s view of him, including Mark. The Chief had stroked his hair, like he was a child again with a cold. As embarrassing as it was, Jason had to admit he’d needed the comfort.
When the pain finally began to ease, he fell into an exhausted sleep.
888
Jason first heard the television. He listened for a while, trying to identify what the show was before he tried to move. It sounded like an episode of Law and Order. Was there ever a time when reruns of that series weren’t on?
__________________
I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers so far...
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16-12-2014 01:17
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Becky Rock
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
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Registration Date: 16-04-2009
Posts: 6458
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Actually, he was afraid to move until he realized he was only feeling a dull ache in his abdomen instead of the stabbing pains he had been experiencing.
“Is not,” he heard from a petulant younger voice. Keyop was in his room?
“Is so,” Tiny responded. “Peyton Manning is the best quarterback ever.”
“Tom Brady,” Keyop responded with enough force to tell Jason they had been arguing about it for a while.
“Brett Favre,” Jason mumbled, just to get their attention as he opened his eyes to find himself no longer in the Intensive Care unit. He was back in a regular private room, which explained Keyop’s presence.
“Jase!” Keyop was at his side, bouncing up and down like a demented Tigger.
“How are you feeling, buddy?” Tiny asked, joining Keyop.
Jason moved a bit, expecting shooting pain but only the dull ache remained.
“Better, I guess.” His throat was dry so he tried to clear it. Tiny elevated the bed as Keyop handed Jason the traditional cup with a straw. Jason took some sips and cleared his throat again. Then he remembered. “Princess?” he asked in concern.
“She’s fine,” Keyop told him. “Already home.”
That was a major relief. “Thank God. No one else should ever have to go through this,” he told his brothers with feeling. “What day is it?” he asked as Tiny alerted everyone over their bracelets that he was awake.
“Tuesday. You slept…a whole day,” Keyop said. “Chief said…you were…exhausted.”
“That’s one way to put it,” he agreed.
“Dr. House told us let him know when you woke up. I’ll be right back.” Tiny was out of the room before Jason could stop him, so he put his attention on Keyop.
“Did Princess’ treatment go okay?” he wanted to know. Keyop nodded vigorously.
“She didn’t…have any problems…so they…sent her home…yesterday. She…wanted to stay…with you…but the Chief…wanted her home. Less security...here then to…draw attention.”
That sounded a little bit ominous. “Did something happen?” he asked.
“The usual,” Keyop said nonchalantly, which meant some reporters had gotten a whiff of the fact one of Security Chief Anderson’s children was in the hospital. “Said you both…had that …really bad…flu that’s been...going around.”
“So be really happy you aren’t paralyzed.” Jason looked over to see House and his three other doctors coming into the room, followed by Tiny. “Some of the kids with this flu haven’t been as lucky.” House stopped beside the bed and tapped his cane against the bed frame to make in clang. Jason wondered if he had said it for the benefit of those might be out in the hall to keep up with what he now knew was the cover story for his illness.
“I am, believe me,” he said as the door closed.
“We believe all of the parasites have been washed from your system,” Foreman told him with a smile. “We’ll do a last CAT scan to make sure.”
“What about my organs?” Jason knew his spleen had taken the worst of it.
“From what we can tell, they’re fine. That implant of yours healed the perforations in record time.” Chase smiled as well.
__________________
I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers so far...
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16-12-2014 01:20
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Becky Rock
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
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Registration Date: 16-04-2009
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Jason nodded but there as one thing that had been bothering him ever since they’d diagnosed the problem. “Dr. House, what you said about my liver. Were you serious? That I should get a transplant just to make sure I’m free of the larvae as well?”
House pursed his lips, twisting his mouth as if he were contemplating his answer. He swung his cane back and forth. Jason could almost hear the Jeopardy clock ticking. He waited. House looked at the ceiling. Jason glanced at Cameron, who was starting to give House a rather annoyed look. Jason waited another few moments, then opened his mouth to press the subject, but House beat him to it.
“That’s between you and Anderson. I gave my opinion. You can argue with him when you get sick of having your blood tested every few months or end up with another bout of the squirmy wormies.” House wiggled his fingers in emphasis.
Jason didn’t like the answer. It was a no win situation. If he had a liver transplant, he’d probably be removed from the team. He didn’t relish the idea of the parasites becoming active in his body again, but he just had no way of knowing if it would ever happen again.
“We’ve got some broth and Jell-O on the way,” Cameron said to break the ensuing silence. “I’m sure you’re hungry but we want to ease your stomach back into dealing with food.” Now that she’s said it, Jason did feel hungry.
“When can he…go home?” Keyop asked for him.
“Are you still sore?” Foreman asked.
Jason nodded. “Some, but nothing like before.”
“As soon as we’re sure you’re worm-free for the moment,” House said as he turned towards the door, “have had a normal bowel movement,” Keyop giggled as Jason rolled his eyes,” and you can get out of bed without grimacing.”
Jason nodded, ignoring Keyop’s continued giggling and repeating ‘bowel movement’ as if it were the funniest thing in the world. It made sense to make sure everything was working right before they let him go home.
Chase patted him on the arm. “We’ll be back a little while after you eat to do the scan.”
Jason nodded again as they left and a young woman in an aqua colored short sleeved uniform shirt and white pants came in carrying a tray with a steaming bowl and two clear cups of green Jell-O. He stared at the food, wondering if it was really over or would he be plagued forever withy the fear the parasite was still in him just waiting to come out and play again.
888
Anderson and House sat in House’s office, simply staring at each other. It had been seven days since Jason showed up in the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital Emergency Room, but now he was recovered and being released. At least Princess’ parasites hadn’t been as active as Jason’s, so her recovery had been much faster.
House was twirling a pen between his fingers. He finally put it down. “Want to tell me the real reason you brought him here?” he asked, one eye brow raised.
__________________
I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers so far...
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16-12-2014 01:21
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Becky Rock
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
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Anderson leaned back into his seat, crossing his legs. “I thought you might like to see him,” he said after a moment. “See the kind of man he’s become. He’s actually a lot like you.”
House pursed his lips as if he’d tasted something sour. “Jacking off into a cup does not make one a father.”
“You haven’t been the least bit curious?” Anderson asked, disbelief in his voice. House reached for a rubber ball on his desk and began to bounce it off the wall to the right of his desk, catching it easily, as if he’d done it hundreds of times.
“If I’d wanted to write a paper on nurture versus nature, I would have called once in a while.” He stopped bouncing the ball to give Anderson his full attention. “You know as well as I do my compulsive and addictive nature would have been detrimental to his wellbeing once Katy was killed. Kids learn by example. The last thing G-Force needed was an alcoholic, drug-addicted gunner.”
“You can come back, you know,” the Chief told him softly.
House snorted and began to bounce the ball of the wall again. “Still an alcoholic, still a pain-killer addict,” he answered.
Anderson regarded his old colleague for a moment longer before uncrossing his legs to stand. “If you should change your mind - ”
House shook his head. “Let him keep Katy in his memories. He doesn’t need me.”
The Chief extended his hand. It took House a moment before he took it to shake.
“Thank you anyway,” Anderson said. He left the office to return to take Jason back to ISO. House stayed where he was, staring off after him.
888
Jason came out of the bathroom, happy to be back in his own clothing. He believed hospital gowns were degrading, especially after having worn them for so many days. He’d lost eleven pounds. His already lean frame was now a little too lean. He was looking forward to having a nice, big steak for dinner.
He’d already thanked all the nurses who’d put up with his foul temper during his treatment. At least he hadn’t tried to kill any of them as they did what they had to do to save his life. Only if Dr. Chase had been so lucky…
He thought he’d have to go track down House and his team on his way out, but found Drs. Cameron, Chase and Foreman in the hall waiting for him.
He could feel his cheeks growing warm. They had gone to bat for him against the Chief when he’d needed the CAT scan. They’d buffered him somewhat from House’s sarcasm when they could. Even though he’d tried to kill Dr. Chase when suffering from hallucinations, they’d continued to search for answers to help him.
Jason tried to find his voice but couldn’t. He swallowed to try again.
“I…don’t know how to thank all of you,” he finally got out. ”You believed me when no other doctors would.”
Cameron smiled at him. “That’s what we do,” she said.
__________________
I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers so far...
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16-12-2014 01:23
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"The heart has its reasons, of which reason knows nothing." -- Blaise Pascal 
