[PPTH] Déjà vu

[drcampbell]

Who: Lachlan & Riley (maybe others later)
Where: Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital
When: Friday night
Follows: THIS___________________________________________________

Comments

[pullmysteth]

Riley heard the pained vomiting as he pushed his way into the Men's Room on the Maternity ward. He looked at the occupied cubicle door sympathetically and knocked on it softly before nudging it open. It's not like one had time to lock a door when you go to the bathroom to throw up. "A guy can't even have a decent spew in this place without the whole world knowing," he noted. "Ward clerk pointed me in your direction. Also helps to have friends in high places, or girlfriends on shift in Oncology. I come bearing gifts."

He held the syringe of Metoclopramide just near Lachlan's face so he could see it. Evie had made it to Tara's side first because she'd been at work and Tara managed to reveal through her tears of relief at seeing Evie that Lachlan couldn't stop throwing up. Evie gave the injection to Riley as soon as he arrived, now they just needed to hope it worked.

[drcampbell]

Lachlan caught sight of the syringe out the corner of his eyes right before he vomited into the toilet yet again. He sunk down to his knees when his legs started to shake from the exertion of leaning over the toilet and took some toilet paper to wipe his mouth. "I'm nay quite ready to be put down yet," he joked weakly. "Another fifteen minutes of this and it could be another story though."

He tried to catch his breath and then banged his fist angrily against the wall of the cubicle. "Fucking hell!" He put his hand over his eyes, trying desperately not to burst into angry tears. "You need to go back to Tara. I dinnae want her alone."

[pullmysteth]

"Evie's with her. Wilson and even both were when I arrived. Wilson's given Evie the rest of her shift off. I'll call Beth, too, and I'll also tell Pat. I know you won't want me to but he'll freak out if he finds out you didn't. Besides, Aiden's with him," he added with a small smile.

He crouched down beside Lachlan and pushed the sleeve of his shirt up. "Just hold still for a minute, mate." He already had some gloves on, so he just tore the antiseptic swab open with his teeth. There was the tiniest of butterflies in his stomach about this. It was the first medical treatment he'd administered since his diagnosis, but Lachlan needed his help so he had to suck it up. He rubbed the swab over Lachlan's bicep and carefully administered the injection.

[drcampbell]

Lachlan didn't even flinch as the needle pierced his muscle. He'd been here so many times in the past, it wasn't funny. "Seriously?" he said hoarsely. "Aiden's still in Princeton?"

He watched as Riley finished the injection and withdrew it again. "Thanks for that, buddy. Dinnae think I dinnae know what that took for you." He pressed some toilet paper over the puncture wound to staunch the tiny flow of blood.

[pullmysteth]

"Seriously," Riley confirmed and rolled the remnants of the injection up into some toilet paper so he could discard them on the ward. "I couldn't tell you how things are between them, but Aiden keeps going back and Pat keeps letting him. I hope it works out. I really do."

He looked down at the bundle in his hand. "Yeah, well, you need it. I hope it works for you. You and Tara need to be together right now. Is there any sign either way what it is?"

[drcampbell]

Lachlan nodded. "Good. Pat cannae work with just words. He needs to see someone is geniune. It's going to take a wee bit of time, but if the guy is still here, it's a good start. If you speak to him, tell him I'll drop up and see him in a wee while."

He flushed the toilet and sat on the cold linoleum floor with his head against the cubicle wall. "Nay sure. I'm praying it's Braxton Hicks. Fuck how I'm praying for that. I just... I hope our luck hasnae run out," he added in a rough whisper right before the tears finally spilled over.

[pullmysteth]

"I will. I'll go soon, I promise. Once I know you're okay." Riley went out into the main area of the bathroom and wet some paper towels to bring them back to his friend. He gave some to Lachlan and then lay the other bunch around the back of the Scot's neck, pressing gently to encourage the coolness across the skin. "They were definitely contractions? Not just indigestion or wind or something?"

[drcampbell]

Lachlan gratefully took the damp towels and pressed them against his eyes for a moment. He leaned forward, thankful for the cool compress across the back of his neck. "Aye, contractions. They cannae see the bairn's in distress, though. They arenae regular enough to have a pattern of any sort. Nay anything else to indicate labour, but they need to monitor her in case they get worse. They're still coming now and again. She has back pain. Her blood sugar is pushing a dangerous low, though. It's the bug, see. She hasnae been able to eat. That needs to be addressed too because DKA is serious risk to the bairn."

[pullmysteth]

"The baby's not in distress, that's a good thing." Riley quickly did over some of the maths in his head. "And if worse comes to worse, we have a top NICU here. If the baby has to be born..." He trailed off, watching the distress in Lachlan's eyes. He didn't say anything more for the moment, he just pulled his friend into a protective hug.

[drcampbell]

"I'm sorry," Lachlan whispered roughly against Riley's shoulder. "This is just so hard... so fucking frightening. We just could've done without this right now. Had so much hope the bairn was healthy, that Tara was healthy. That doesnae seem to be something we can ever quite manage. I just... if I... if I lost either of them, I couldnae take it," he said, breaking down in Riley's arms.

[pullmysteth]

Riley eased down onto the floor beside Lachlan and just continued to hug him through the tears. It felt like déjà vu from the time Tara had miscarried. He'd been so distraught then, but to now be facing the fear in the face that he'd been harbouring since he knew they were expecting a baby... to lose the only child they could conceive together. Riley just had no words and he knew Lachlan would know that. Lachlan didn't need talking, he just needed to know he wasn't alone.