Infirmary

[Ryn]

<Med Bay>

"Oh, darn." Was her comment. "Had hoped for at least something... Pfffff," Ryn blew out a breath, then winced again as Tim worked some more, honestly, how much more was she going to be wrapped up ?

She frowned on the question asked about Foster himself. "Don't really know," she said slowly. "You do look familiar ... but I think you weren't a medic. Maybe security. Or a mechanic. I don't know. I don't think I really met you there. So, is the doc going to finish this up ? You still not done ?".

[Atlantean_Fan]

[Recovery Room # 2]

Delen was glad when Carrie arrived and took the ventilation part of the CPR. She kicked herself mentally at forgetting to remove the pillow, but she also could blame it at the weirdness of the whole situation. At least Carrie wasn't there for the whole voice in your head thing and worse what it said and how it said it. Delen was still somewhat spooked, but in professional mode, still doing the job.

Job she kept doing while counting out loud the repeated sequence of chest compressions. At the order to clear, she did so. Gus used the defibrillator once and nothing.

Gus ordered Carrie and Delen to resume CPR and so they did. Delen couldn't keep away that bad feeling that unless Natasha wanted to come back, there was nothing they could do about it. Now how could they help with that? An idea sprang in her mind.

"Hey, girl, you don't know me and I don't know you, but we both know that we all make mistakes and sometimes people die because of it, but it doesn't erase all the good we do too. Look at us! Every time we do something wrong, someone dies, but all other times they are saved. Should we stop because we can make a mistake any moment?" She said out loud after Gus used the machine to try to make the patient's heart start beating again.

Delen Treisa - Aran Refugee

*********************************************************

Natasha was still sobbing in that same place she had fallen when she felt the bolt of electricity and it's aftereffects in her body. Her connection to it wasn't totally severed yet.

'Why do they keep trying? Haven't they heard me? Don't they know what I did?' She thought to herself, now that she was alone in her mind again. "What's your damage? Let me go! I'm doing this to protect you!" She screamed, but without Alex she wasn't able to reach out to the doctors telepathically.

Then she made her mind. There was a way. Actually there were two doors which were final and she could try to find. One that would bring her back to consciousness, the one she had been looking for until now, and one that would take her away into the abyss with no way back. That second was the one she sought when she stood up once again.

That was exactly when Gus used the defibrillator on her again. Still she sent no response. Nothing happened. She had read once that all she needed was to let her heart still for five minutes and then it would be over. Two had already passed. She was almost there, but for some reason she felt she had to find that door anyway.

Returning to her mental hallway through the trashed door, she left that memory behind, but not the knowledge it brought nor the pain. Another door was chosen as the words of Delen reached her.

'Maybe she's right about that, but it's different in my case. I wasn't trying to do something good and failed. I've got exactly what I wanted from Bisenti. Why can't they see it?' She thought as she opened the chosen door.

The memory within was a total surprise. It was Claire and herself talking in the Basketball court outside. What stood out from the memory of that conversation right now was what the other woman had said about Varia. Her double's baby and the beautiful image she had seen of her in Claire's mind. In that moment, she faltered in her resolve. The ECG monitor started to beep with the rhythm of life again, long after the paddles had left contact with her chest. She wasn't out of the woods just yet though, but a bit closer when she left that room to choose another door.

[aintright]

Spoiler:

[Nurse Jennyfer Santiago-Staff Lounge]

Jennyfer looked down at her hands as Kevin gently patted them. She wasn't sure what to make of the gesture, but didn't dwell on it for too long, knowing that physical contact was important by human nature. Or least that's what the staff psychologists she'd worked with in the past had always told her, and why she tolerated it.

She turned her head toward the chaplain as he at last agreed to Cooper's plan. Nodding at the man's request, she sighed to herself and started to cross the room to call the mess hall and have them send up some food. "Alright. I still think something else is going on here, but I'll order the food." She picked up the phone with purpose, and placed an order with the mess hall staff. One egg sandwich and freash fruit bag lunch to go, and two pasta entries to be delivered at the mess's convenience to the infirmary.

"The food will be here shortly." The nurse announced as she turned back to the room to face Cooper. "In the mean time, if you still wish to talk to the General, then you can use the phone in here. Sgt. Mykonos will probably answer, but if General Blue isn't busy, then she can put you through. Anything else I can do for you, just let me know." Somehow, Jennyfer's voice was less friendly than before, almost as if she was reading from a textbook. After all, why should she show compassion to a man who had turned the infirmary upside down with his demands, and then abandoned the woman he was there to see, leaving her only a simple note? The note that was now tucked away safely inside of her lab coat, and one that she had promised to deliver.

<<Kevin Cooper ~~ Visitor's Room ~ Infirmary>>


<<NPC ~ Joshua Samuel McGregor SG Chaplain ~~ Visitor's Room ~ Infirmary>>


Josh stood silently and watched as Jennyfer withdrew to the personality of a professional. The personal touch had slipped away. Not that he could blame her, Cooper had indeed been trying. He observed Cooper, cool as a cucumber.

Cooper also noticed the change in his little nurse, "Thanks but, out of courtesy, I will meet face to face with the General and his mini me." He shuddered slightly at the thought of his earlier encounter. "I will just wait here to refuel to the level needed to make the promised donation and then I can meet with Blue and head back to Foreston."

Josh mumbled under his breath, "By the grace of GOD may Brihanna awaken prior to then"

Kevin's head raised as he overheard the mumble and his heart seconded that motion. Did you hear his words? If you are really out there? Did you hear them? More important, will you respond?

Josh inquired to Jennyfer, "Thanks for handling everything. Will you be okay alone with him for a few minutes?

[Northern Girl]

< Med bay >

“Mechanic I can somehow believe or understand, but working on the security detail? Nahh, that’s not me.” Tim shook his head with a grin “Guess it really is another reality then, and I’ll be done when I’m done, ok?”
He continued to work as he spoke, not wasting any time.
“I’m just being thorough here, trying to make sure I don’t leave anything in there that doesn’t belong inside of you. Do you have any idea of how fast an infection can settle down in cuts like this? Doing some really nasty damage?”

He didn’t wait for an answer and gave the cut a scrutinizing look and before nodding and put a compress on the shoulder wound “But now I’m done… This one is kind of borderline to stitches; we’ll just have to wait and see what the doc has to say. So do you need anything before I go a doctors-hunt? A blanket maybe?”

[Northern Girl]

< Recovery 2 >

Carrie kept one eye on the monitors as she continued to ventilate Nat’s lungs with the Ambu-bag.
Then, all of a sudden, after two shocks, just as Gus was getting ready for a third, there was a single “blip”, followed by another, very slowly at first, almost tentatively, but as the seconds passed the pace became more regular, settling at a steady 55.
“Yes! That’s a good girl” Carrie couldn’t hold back a small sigh of relief, but then focused back on her task at hand, Nat’s breathing, or rather lack of it.
Even though the heart had started; she was still not breathing on her own, and if there was no oxygen in the blood, well…
With a frown she turned towards Sam “One more minute Sam and then I want the intubation kit… Gus, I don’t like to do this by hand too long… I’d say we put her on a ventilator for a while…”

[Ryn]

<Med Bay>

"No idea. Guess I didn't think of germs." Ryn said, shrugging. "I'm impatient, I suppose. Sorry. You just do your job. I do mine. I guess..."

Blanket ? Huh. Do I look that cold ? "Meh. Might as well. OK fetch me a blanket then." Ryn shrugged, not really wanting to admit that she was indeed a little cold. Hope to get out of here soon. But if I need stitches, I suppose it won't be for at least a day....Oh man. "Someone punch me next time I decide to go running in the woods again." She muttered, more to herself than to Tim.
"Oh, when can I shower ? I think they must be able to reek me over in the OR or something..." She sniffed at herself, the stench of the beast, whatever Tim had used to clean her up with, running sweat... bah. It was a mess, and she made a face. Yuck.

[JacksonMiracle]

[Nurse Jennyfer Santiago-Staff Lounge]

"I wouldn't let the Sgt. hear you call her that." Jennyfer cautioned in response to the councilman's 'mini me' comment. If she were Mykonos, she certaintly wouldn't tolerate what could only be described as name calling. "Alright, then, it seems you have everything figured out." Except what happens when Brih wakes up and the only thing she has to greet her is a bunch of unfamiliar nurses, and a piece of paper. Jennyfer added the last part silently to herself, still not understanding Cooper's decision, but willing to keep playing her role in the affair.

The nurse started to prepare some freash coffee to go with the meal, remembering the eagerness with which both men had indulged in the dark, hot liquid earlier that afternoon. Jennyfer automatically flinched when she heard Gus's voice come over the loud speaker of the infirmary asking for back up. A call like that rarely happened unless someone was starting to crash. She mentally ran through a list of current patients, almost wishing that Bisenti's condition was life threatening, but knew all along the only one in the infirmary right now that the call could pretain to was Captain Bystronski.

She looked at the Chaplain when the man addressed her. "It's my job. We'll be fine. Go ahead and take care of your business." Jennyfer assured the other man, and offered him a genuine smile to prove her point.

**********************************************************

[Recovery 2]

When the second attempt with the defibulator failed, Gus cursed just under his breath, and gave Carrie and Delen the ok to resume CPR. "Come on, Nat." He whispered into the empty air filling the room as he started to ready the paddles for a third shock. Before he could complete the task however, a welcomingly familiar sound filled his ears. Thank you! He rejoiced silently as a breath he didn't realize he had been holding exited his lungs.

His eyes traveled automatically to Carrie to determine if the woman had also started breathing on her own. Her order to Sam was the only evidence he needed that Nat wasn't out of the woods yet. "I agree. Let's do it." He told the other doctor at her suggestion.

He stole a quick gaze at the Aran woman to determine her reaction to the decision, and turned quickly back to Carrie. "I don't know what set her off like that, but I don't want it happening again." He confessed quietly.

[aintright]

<<Kevin Cooper ~~ Visitor's Room ~ Infirmary>>


<<NPC ~ Joshua Samuel McGregor SG Chaplain ~~ Visitor's Room ~ Infirmary>>


Josh nodded a grateful thanks to Jennyfer. Her smile was worth a month of hot fudge sundaes. It was the comfort food one sought out in a time of trial. Kevin Cooper could be definitely classified as a time of trial. He slid quickly out the door with a quick final word, "I owe yah love, one day a drink on my account."

Cooper laughed at the comment, "Only one drink? I am sure a pain such as myself should be worthy of dinner and a bottle of wine at least." He laughed amused with himself. The shock seemed to be wearing off.

"The coffee smells good thank you." He stood and removed the jacket they had provided, folded it neatly and laid it over the chair next to him. "Jennyfer, I certainly wasn't referring to the Sergeant in such a manner. I was talking of the General's symbiote." He hung on the last word, could it be that the staff doesn't know? "You were aware, I was told he had shared this info."

He studied her face for any indication of her knowledge. "I know you don't approve of my leaving but, it is what is in the best interest of Brihanna." The strength in his voice diminished with her name.

[JacksonMiracle]

[Nurse Jennyfer Santiago-Staff Lounge]

The nurse smiled at the offer of a drink from the Chaplain. "It's a deal." She called after him, pointedly ignoring Cooper's words. This wasn't the first time that Josh had promised to buy one of the nurse's a drink, it had become somewhat of a trademark with him, and one of the things that kept encouraging the infirmary to do their job. In fact, if the trend continued, the nurses would end up being the ones owing him. Maybe they should just start a collection now. The buy the Chaplain a steak dinner fund. She almost laughed at the thought, but stopped herself, remembering the presence of the councilman.

She accepted the comment about the coffee with a small nod. "I've heard that we have the best coffee on the base in here. Guess we have to, though. If the doctors fall asleep, then we're all in trouble." She responded lightly. If Cooper could keep the conversation light, almost to the point of sarcasm, then so could she.

Hesitating for half a second at the mention of Janus, Jennyfer quickly covered her suprise by reaching for a coffee mug from the top shelf. The words, however true, and however many times it had been talked about in the past couple weeks, were still enough to take her slightly off guard. "Of course I know about his symbiote. I just don't think of Janus as a 'mini-me'. He's part of who the General is now. It's easy to forget, really." She wanted to say more, wanted to scream at the man until he realized what she had about the General and Janus. If Cooper had been there, had seen the interaction, then he would understand. Jennyfer hadn't been on the list of the priveleged few who got to witness the entire process of the General's brief stay in the infirmary, but she had seen enough, and heard even more.

The nurse was a little suprised at the change in subject, but decided to play along, for now. Sitting the cup of coffee in front of Cooper, Jennyfer took a seat across the table from him. "If you mean it's in her best interest because she'll recieve the care that she needs without the doctors having to constantly work around you, argue with you, assign a staff member to constantly babysit you and literally have to force you out of her room at night, then I'd be inclined to agree. After all, the only thing worse than seeing a patient who never gets any visitors is seeing one with a visitor that never leaves, and impedes the doctor's work. But I still think that Brihana's best interest would be to have you here, on the base, visiting a couple times a day, and letting her know that she's important, that she's cared for, that someone wants her to get better, and get back on her feet. There's only so much a nurse can do in that regards. Of course, what do I know about Brihana? I just met her, and she was unconcious at the time. I can only speak about what I've seen work in the past with other patients. Maybe Brihana is related to superwoman, maybe she doesn't need the human component that normal people need." Jennyfer bit her lip before she said too much. It might already be too late, she had already crossed a line that very few nurses dared to even get close to. But she wasn't going to apologize for what she said. If Cooper got angry, and complained to Gus about it, she would deal with it. She honestly believed that it was something that Cooper had needed to hear.

[Northern Girl]

< Med bay >

‘Miss Impatient uh? Yeah, that’s close enough’ Tim thought as he walked over to the closet and grabbed a blanket.
“Hmm, a shower, yeah that would be nice.” He figured he didn’t smell like a spring day either after a basket ball match, drying up and then do a sprint up to the hangar bay.
“Though in your case it’ll have to wait for a little while longer and you don’t have to get into the OR for that” He made a motion with his head towards her left shoulder as he spread the blanket over Ryn “The doc will patch you up out here, so just hang tight and I’ll be back as soon as can. See you soon”
Tim walked out of the Med bay doors and headed for the recovery room where he figured he’d find at least Aaronson and Svensson.

He stopped in the doorway to recovery 2 and took in the scene; Sam, one of the Aran refugees?! Aaronson and Svensson, everyone appeared to be occupied but he got a brief eye contact with Dr Svensson at the head end and a sort head shake accompanied with a silent ‘Not now!” Tim nodded in response, turned on his heels and headed to the nurses’ station to check the staff roster instead.

“Okay, Steel’s out for the day, Aaronson and Svensson busy,” he mumbled to himself, “Leaving us with… Kinagi!” and walked down the hallway towards the Alien organism lab where she was usually found when on duty. ‘Guess Ryn don’t know she’s a vet, but what’s the big deal, Kinagi’s been back up surgeon for the last couple of months, she’ll be fine. Just hope that Svensson doesn’t skin me alive when she finds out…’

He slid his key card through the slot and then knocked on the inner door before hearing a muffled “Enter” from somewhere inside, so he stepped inside the room, finding Suji Kinagi studying something in one of the microscopes.
“Dr Kinagi? Are you busy? You seem to be the only doctor available at the moment…?”

[max_omega]

[Alex]

Alex smiled at the innocents that Natasha displayed, she was still so much of a child. “Sometimes I think humans have put us on a very pedestal, and we can’t really live up to it. Some have even seen us as gods, we’re not even close to that. Oma has said that ascension doesn’t make us all knowing it just gave many of us a deeper understanding of the universe.”

“He might laugh for one, but they know you maybe an ancient, but you were raised by humans by them. They won’t expect anything more from you than they do now, I think you have begun to expect more from yourself.”

“I know you do sweetie, I love you too.” Alex said to her than listened to her point of view, “Knowledge is like a river you can drink from that river but you can’t ever get all of it. You can also contribute to it, whether it be by adding to it, or diverting and forming a new river.” She said in reply to her own view about knowledge. When she took her hand and asked about Oma she didn’t reply leaving it to a later discussion as they walked through the doors.

Alex looked over there shoulder and saw the figure of Rachael standing there in the door way. She nodded her head to her and smiled. Than watched as things unfolded powerless to do anything to stop what was about to happen.
“Its not true Natasha, its not” but she wouldn’t listen at all. Than she gave her last statement, Alex tried to get through to her, but she couldn’t at all. Than just after she finished Alex could feel herself being pushed out of Natashas mind and back into Rachael, she insititively grabbed Rachael hand as she was pushed out of her mind.

__________________________________________________

[Dr. Ezekiel- Recovery Room 2]

As Rachael sat there next to Nat a deeper sensation came over her, she closed her eyes. Before she realized it she was inside Natasha mind, but she was merely a silent observer as to everything that was happening. Yet she was still awake and aware of what was going on in the recovery room.

“Stop don’t blame yourself Nat, you didn’t mean to that to Jonas, it wasn’t your fault. Don’t give up on life. I can help you I know I can help you learn to control this.” Rachael said in her mind to Natasha.

She saw everything that happened in Natasha life the things she did not knowing she did them. “Don’t Natasha, don’t do it,” she yelled out after Natasha said her final good bye. “You can’t leave now.” When Alex grabbed her hand she felt the real sensation of Alex being pushed back in mind the connection between the Alex memories and Natasha was broken. “Ahhhhhh,” she yelled out when that happened releasing her hands from Natasha and grabbing her head, pushing the chair she was sitting in back slightly away from the bed. Yet she still felt a connection to Nat not as powerful as the one before but she still felt a apart of her was holding on to life.

She stood up with out fighting as Gus helped her up but when he pushed her to the door she turned around, “I am not leaving her, I can’t leave her Gus, and I will stay out of your way. But you know as well as I do, that I can reach her. If no one else can I can.”

Rachael than felt something different than said in a quite voice in the silence, “Varia, you can’t quick not now, not now.” Rachael looked up at the sound of the beep on the monitor and smiled, “You don’t have to be afraid of what might happen, Varia.” She said the name again, drawing comfort from Alex who was standing by her in her minds eye, also watching over Natasha.

Rachael closed her eyes again trying to see if you could reach out to Natasha own empathic nature with her mind. Every time she felt like she was close, she felt as if Nat was pushing her back.



((Sorry for the long post, and sorry it took me so long.))

[Northern Girl]

< Recovery 2 >

About a minute later, there was still no sign of Nat being able take a breath on her own, Carrie nodded towards Sam, “Okay, let’s get this over and done with…”
Sam handed her the equipment needed and a little while later they had Nat hooked up to the ventilator. After having checked the settings she looked towards the others in the room, noticing that Rachel was still standing by the door, never having left the room, “This was a little bit too close for my liking, what exactly happened?”

[Ryn]

< Med bay >

Spoiler:

‘Miss Impatient uh? Yeah, that’s close enough’ Tim thought as he walked over to the closet and grabbed a blanket.
“Hmm, a shower, yeah that would be nice.” He figured he didn’t smell like a spring day either after a basket ball match, drying up and then do a sprint up to the hangar bay.
“Though in your case it’ll have to wait for a little while longer and you don’t have to get into the OR for that” He made a motion with his head towards her left shoulder as he spread the blanket over Ryn “The doc will patch you up out here, so just hang tight and I’ll be back as soon as can. See you soon”
<<snip>>

"Okay," Ryn nodded then got herself comfortable on the bed. As much as possible with all the gauges and whatnot on her person. She pulled the blanket up, preparing to try to get some sleep. They'd probably sedate her anyway, Ryn thought. At the very least locally. Not looking forward to the upcoming prods and pokes, Ryn curled up in the bed and tried to sleep.

[Atlantean_Fan]

[recovery room # 2]

Delen nodded her agreement to Carrie's decision. That was indeed the best thing to do. The machine could ventilate the lungs in a more a steady and rhythmic way than the human hand. "That was VERY close." She agreed with Gus and Carrie. "I just hope whatever happened doesn't happen again." She added in a small voice, hopeful.

Delen Treisa - Aran Refugee

*************************************************************************

Still trapped, Natasha kept trying to find the door that would finish all this for good. Opening up all of them, good memories, bad memories, everything sprung in her search from early childhood to collapsing in the Infirmary. After all the doors in both sides of the hallway had been visited, there was only one left by one of it's ends.

"That's the only one left, but shouldn't there be two? One for getting out and one for plunging deeper. Great! I don't even understand my own mind. Awesome Ancient I am!" She spoke as she opened that last door.

Inside it was dark except for two focused lights on two doors and another larger one in the middle of this strange new room. All the others had memories, events in them. This one seemed empty at first sight, but then someone, or something, else started to speak with a familiar, yet darker and hoarser voice.

"Surprised to hear me?" The apparently disembodied voice spoke from the darkness.

"Your voice sounds rather familiar, but whatever you are, I'm not afraid of you!" Natasha said out into the darkness while the door behind her closed itself on its own.

"Lies! I am exactly what you fear the most!" The voice said as a shape stepped into the borders of the central light right in front of Natasha. It was her, but a darker version, dressed in black with a Matrix like leather overall. "I am you! Better yet! The improved and strong version! I have no problems with finishing the misery of the insignificant scum!" Dark!Nat said looking directly inside Nat's eyes.

"It's you who lie!" Nat shouted at the form in front of her, knowing that it was right. She was what she feared the most, especially now.

"No, dear. Every time you've pulled a trigger, it was I who gave you the strength to do it. I'm the reason why you're alive!" Dark!Nat said in her spooky voice.

"No! You're the reason why I'm going to die!" Nat shouted back. The voice of her other half was chilling her.

"You really THINK I'll let you DO that? NEVER! You and your weakness won't destroy this vessel, but I will destroy YOU and take control of it! Ah, ah!" Dark!Nat retorted back while approaching Nat. "Well, it's YOU who want to die anyway.... Let me help!" She continued while giving Nat the first of a sequence of jabs.

"I won't let you!" Nat defended herself from the attack. Yes, she wanted to die, but not to let something worse live in her place through her body! It had to stop now, she had to stop it now.

Dark!Nat stopped her attack sequence and started to walk in circles around Nat who didn't move. "So you've decided to fight? That's a first! I've always had to do all the fighting alone. It'll make it nicer when I finally DESTROY you!" She said to spook Nat. "As I once said, the greatest joy a telepath has is to be surpassed by his own darkness. Enjoy!" Dark!Nat said as she resumed her attack with no mercy, pinning Nat down on the floor after a few swift moves. Hands on her throat, squeezing it. "Is that how you intended to stop me? That was too easy!" She said continuing to immobilize Nat.

To the outside world, this inner fight showed signs as the continued rapid eye movement and a second cardiac arrest at the time of the pinning.

Back into Natasha's mind, a duo of voices came from the darkness. "Maybe you cannot fight or maybe you should not fight!"

Desperately trying to set herself free but unable to do so, Nat heard the duo and maybe they were right. Maybe there was nothing she could do but to give up. Dark!Nat was stronger than her. Then it clicked as she understood what she had to do. She could use that strength, if she could control the darkness behind it. There was only one way to finish this.

With her wits regained and her resolve established, Nat grabbed Dark!Nat's arm, the one holding her throat and when she could she spoke with a broken voice. "Whatever those voices are, they are right. I cannot fight. You're too strong. Do you know what is the best course of action when your enemy is so much more powerful than you are?" She asked her nemesis.

"Surrender and embrace your demise." Dark!Nat said with a self satisfied smile as Nat's efforts were more of an annoyance to her than a real threat.

"No. Join them!" Nat said as she stopped grabbing Dark!Nat's arm to grab her head instead. Soon the strong form above Nat's mental image dissolved into energy, no longer a separate entity, no longer capable of separate thought. They were now one. Good and evil. Yin and Yang. Like all other humans in the universe capable of the best and the worst on demand.

As the fight finished, Natasha's heartbeat resumed by itself once more. Her breathing continued off, but with the help of the ventilator also stabilized. For the first time, since Rachel left earlier leaving Alex with Nat, her eyes stopped to move frantically and she seemed to be calm, at peace.

[JacksonMiracle]

[Recovery 2]

Gus watched as Carrie and Sam worked to get the ventilator set up. Glancing around the room, he noticed for the first time that Rachael still hadn't left. He sighed and walked slowly over to her. "I'm sorry you had to see that." He quickly scanned the engineer with trained eyes, looking for any sign that the excitement was too much for her.
"She's still alive, Rachael, and if Carrie and I have anything to say about it, she's going to get through this sooner rather than later, the right way. Now go get yourself some coffee or tea in the staff lounge, and give us just a minute, ok?" The CMO gently requested. "If Nat's as mentally strong as I'm starting to think she is, then she'll still sense you, even at the other end of the infirmary."

Gus cleared his throat, and considered his next words carefully as he looked between Carrie and Delen. "She gave up, Carrie. I think Delen, and Rachael felt it too. She just....gave up." Gus tried to keep his expression nuetral, but knew that the other doctor would be able to see right through the facade. They had worked together too long for her not to notice. "She's fighting an internal, mental battle, and I think she's ready to quit. Just before she crashed, Nat's telepathy gizmo, for lack of a better term, kicked in. I wasn't going to give up on her, even if she was giving up on herself." Gus knew that he was speaking in fragments, but he knew that Carrie would understand what he was saying.

Cursing as the moniters started to blare once more, Gus reached for the defibilator he hadn't had a chance to put away yet. But before he had a chance to use it, the steady pulse of Nat's resumed heart beat echoed throughout the room. "What in the **** was that?" He demanded of the air in the room. "Listen to me, Nat, if you don't stop fighting yourself, you are going to lose yourself. There are people out here that care what happen to you. Just wake up, and let us help you. Please." He spoke firmly, but quietly to the unconcious woman.

"I don't pretend to understand all of this, but I do know that if I let you kill yourself now, I'll never forgive myself. Please wake up, Nat." Just like every other CMO that had come before him, and every other one that would follow, Gus took the problems of each and every one of his patients as a personal responsibility. If anything bad happened, it was his fault, as if he had failed them. Sure, he had lost patients before, but it never got any easier.

Sighing for what felt like the hundreth time, he faced Carrie and Delen once more. "I'm open to suggestions, ladies." Gus was not going to figure this one out on his own, he wasn't even going to try. Right now, what they needed was a miracle.