A Christmas Prayer

[Captain Enema]

Brian Hiley quietly enters into the room and sits down in front of the doctor's desk. He takes out a small notebook and a pen and looks across the desk at the doctor. He says, "One of your colleagues from Dredsen patched me up after taking a high velocity round to the left leg. The doc did a horrible job then, so do tell me what exactly you are doing now to help my son."

Edited January 25, 2010 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Sargun II]

"I hope he did a horrible job - I don't know any surgeons," the doctor replied. "We've taken the existing drugs that they give for tuberculosis and spliced them with a chemical cocktail that has shown extreme promise in fighting tuberculosis bacteria in controlled simulations. We've placed him in a drug-induced coma. He's had multiple complications that our treatment cannot deal with on its own, which has set us back days." The doctor rattled off a list of drugs without a second thought.

She then walked over to Evan and placed a tab full of papers in a nurse's arms. "Get Brundholt. Harlem signed off on the treatment," she said quietly.

[Captain Enema]

"I hope he did a horrible job - I don't know any surgeons," the doctor replied. "We've taken the existing drugs that they give for tuberculosis and spliced them with a chemical cocktail that has shown extreme promise in fighting tuberculosis bacteria in controlled simulations. We've placed him in a drug-induced coma. He's had multiple complications that our treatment cannot deal with on its own, which has set us back days." The doctor rattled off a list of drugs without a second thought.

She then walked over to Evan and placed a tab full of papers in a nurse's arms. "Get Brundholt. Harlem signed off on the treatment," she said quietly.

"What effects exactly will this treatment have on Evan," asks Brian Hiley? Not that he doesn't trust the doctor, well actually, he really doesn't trust the doctor. In his experience it never hurt to ask what a needle poker is going to do next. The explanation given by the doctor seemed almost to border on Frankenstien like. After his first question he rapidly follows up with, "You'll have to explain these complications as well. What exactly do you mean by complications?"

His aide, Seargent Major Halloway, joins him and quietly sits by his side. He whispers to Hiley, "Do you need anything sir?"

"Get Doctor O'Rouke over at the Academy on the phone and tell him he's going to be getting fax soon," orders Hiley as he looks back at the doctor and slides a sheaf of documents out of his pocket. He drops the documents on his desk and snaps, "You know you what? I'm not comfortable at all with this situation. These papers prove I'm Evan Hiley's father and I will be requesting that you explain this all directly to my own physician Doctor O'Rourke."

Edited January 27, 2010 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Sargun II]

"Well, they-" She was cut off by his next question. While Hiley and Halloway conversed, she looked pointedly at the nurse who had re-entered the room. It was the get the Artemis attorneys look. Once Hiley dumped the documents on her desk, she smiled politely and shook her head. "I'm afraid that I'm not a lawyer, sir. Mr. Hiley listed specifically that he had no living relatives and named Anthony Harlem as having the medical power of attorney. He has no living will. As long as Mr. Harlem is capable of making decisions, he will make them - and then it will be up to the discretion of his girlfriend. You should file papers through the proper channels and have a judge rule that Mr. Hiley's decisions were made under the stress of tuberculosis and he was incapable of making normal decisions. Until then, sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down."

[Subtleknifewielder]

Anthony Harlem did what he really did best once he had signed the papers. Faded into the background, unnoticed.

But this newcomer was interesting--he studied Brian with mild suspicion, though his expression still showed his worry for his friend.

"So he does have living blood relatives after all," Anthony commented neutrally, once he saw an opportunity to inject himself into the conversation.

He wasn't exactly the model of tidiness. The clothes he had were hardly dress clothes, and rumpled to boot. The last few days had been rough, and he'd had to force himself to get some sleep on occasion, but he displayed none of the weariness one might expect, rather alertness...

OOC: Dang it, you beat me, Sargun.

Edited January 27, 2010 by Subtleknifewielder

[Captain Enema]

Brian Hiley isn't used to being told no. He stands up he slaps both of his hands on the doctor's desk and screams, "LOOK woman, I was ripping people's hearts out with my bare hands before you were born. YOU will explain what this procedure will do in very precise details."

"Sir, I think you better calm down," suggests Halloway as he takes Brian Hiley by the elbow and hustles him out the door and forces him to sit in the hallway. He rushes back inside and says to the doctor, "Please, excuse Mr. Hiley. By no means does he mean to interfere, he's concerned about his son and just needs some explanation. If you can explain the possible side-effects to me I'll do my best to explain it to him."

Halloway then turns and looks at Anthony and says, "Yes, Mr. Hiley is Evan's natural father," with a bit of puzzlement on his face.

Edited January 27, 2010 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Subtleknifewielder]

Anthony's smile was a little mysterious, and his words were no less cryptic.

"It's almost hard to believe the man even has living family."

Almost reminded him of his own situation, really. Both men had been estranged from their fathers, both had a daughter--and any other family had long since disappeared or died.

"I take it the two never got along."

[Captain Enema]

"I wouldn't be able to comment on that, but I suspect if he's out in the hall stewing in his own juices he must care to some extent," replies Halloway who has long since given up trying to decipher the mercurial temperament of Air Marshall Brian Hiley. He looks back to the doctor and says, "I don't think it suits anyone here to be in contention in this matter. Mr. Hiley is well aware that risks are the norm in any medical procedure. Just explain it all to me and I'll explain it to him," as he hopes the doctor will go for it. Brian's Hiley's misogynistic tendencies are somewhat legendary in some circles.

It would be far easier to explain all of it to him without having to deal with the older Hiley's pigheaded stubbornness in regards to women and their place in the world.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Sarah had been standing in the back of the room most of the time watching as the argument had begun to unfold, doctors ordering with Evan's father, Evan's father throwing a fit, as was his right and Anthony smiling off in his own corner just made her angrier, how could you possibly smile at a time like this? But after Brian had left the room and his orderly was now talking to the doctor, Sarah had finally seen to much, she was too tired and in this world of men, it appeared that once again only a woman was capable of rational thought.

"First of all." She crossed her arms, eyes narrowed, anger written across her pale face. "Evan isn't going anywhere, is that understood. I don't care what credentials you have, he's staying right where he's at. I have trusted the technology of the first world nations for far too long. They saved my first husband in Canada and Canada wasn't even as advanced as the Germans. Listen, there is no where else we can go and given the condition that the doctor has stated, he is in no shape to move even a few feet. He's staying where he's at. Second, as much as I hate to say this, but the doctors are going to be right, they know what they're doing, they've been doing this I was born." A snide remark to the orderly. "So go out there and tell your superior that he had better well calm down and that his son needs patience and understanding at a time like this. Not screaming at the top of his lungs. If he doesn't he's going to get the toe of my shoe up his $@! so fast it'll make his head spin. Now get out of my way."

Like a ghost from the grave Sarah made a bee-line straight for the door leading into the operation room. She had been allowed in before and she would be allowed in again, it didn't matter what the doctors said. She was still the Lady Protector in this corner of the world and more importantly probably the future wife. If the doctor's didn't put up a fight then she would meet the nightmare she had faced so many times alone, but the peace and serenity of the room, finally got her to close her eyes and lay back. Looking at the body, she could only sigh and force a smile. "You look lovely tonight."

[Subtleknifewielder]

Well, he'd intended to say something, but what could he really say after that little tirade? With a stern glance at Halloway that basically told Halloway to do his best to inform Brian Hiley of the situation, and not leave anything out, he too entered the room. Sarah might wish to be alone, but he was fairly certain that wasn't what she was needed right now.

And the doctors shouldn't eject him from the room--after all, he'd only been pulled aside to sign the papers out of Sarah's sight.

"Believe it or not, he is looking better, Sarah," Anthony said quietly. He'd seen how the man had degenerated over the course of the late stages of the illness.

"But What I want to know is, what's really bothering you. Please tell me you're not blaming yourself for any of this."

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"You've had your wife and children taken away from you, I've had my daughter ripped from my hands when I should be the one fighting for my life in Dranagg. I've had my husband diagnosed with a possibly incurable disease and I should be the one suffering on that bed right there. Anthony, I've failed so much in just so little time, millions dead because I wanted revenge, millions more because I left the country to its own courses. I would sell my soul to the devil if all this could be erased, if the people could come back to life, if Terra could be back home where people loved her, if Evan was cured. If my blood could cure the world, I'd slit my throat myself and don't think that I wouldn't, the thought has already crossed my mind so many times, to end the pain, to end all of this. There aren't many people left that make me feel really welcome, one is standing next to me, one is dying there, and the other two are my dearests, everyone else has abandoned me."

The weakness in her legs finally gave out and Sarah dropped to her legs and covered her face with her hands. "I might not blame myself now, but how am I going to sleep alone without those thoughts of blame piercing my mind? How am I going to be able to sleep alone without him next to me? How am I going to be able to walk through this Hell with no one around me anymore." She looked up into his eyes. "I've...I've seen Hell and there is no fire or brimstone. It is walking the world alone with no one there to call your friend. I'm here."

[Subtleknifewielder]

"You've had your wife and children taken away from you, I've had my daughter ripped from my hands when I should be the one fighting for my life in Dranagg. I've had my husband diagnosed with a possibly incurable disease and I should be the one suffering on that bed right there. Anthony, I've failed so much in just so little time, millions dead because I wanted revenge, millions more because I left the country to its own courses. I would sell my soul to the devil if all this could be erased, if the people could come back to life, if Terra could be back home where people loved her, if Evan was cured. If my blood could cure the world, I'd slit my throat myself and don't think that I wouldn't, the thought has already crossed my mind so many times, to end the pain, to end all of this. There aren't many people left that make me feel really welcome, one is standing next to me, one is dying there, and the other two are my dearests, everyone else has abandoned me."

What did one say at a time like this? He'd just have to muddle through and hope nothing was said that could not be forgiven later. At least he took heart from the fact that he was named as one of the people who wlecomed her.

"Sarah, can you read the future?" Anthony asked firmly. "How could you have possibly known that your actions would have such consequences? It's difficult enough when you are dealing with rational, sensible people. When dealing with madmen like the ones who repeatedly attempted to destroy your legacy, there is no predicting what the future will hold. I was there when your daughter substituted herself for you. Do you really think you could have changed her mind? Could you have changed her mind? Would you really forced her to stay when she so obviously wanted to help? She would have resented you for that. Take heart that she is still alive and well."

"You told me once about your faith, how it made you strong when darkness seemed to surround you. Don't forget that faith, Sarah. You are NOT abandoned, not as alone as you believe."

It pained him to see her suffering so. This only re-affirmed his earlier decision t sign the papers as the right one. he could not deliberately put her through this kind of pain.

"I might not blame myself now, but how am I going to sleep alone without those thoughts of blame piercing my mind? How am I going to be able to sleep alone without him next to me? How am I going to be able to walk through this Hell with no one around me anymore."

"By holding onto your faith, your family, your friends. And don't be afraid to cry. That was a lessen I had to repeat over and over."

"I've...I've seen Hell and there is no fire or brimstone. It is walking the world alone with no one there to call your friend. I'm here."

When she looked into his eyes, he knelt down, ignoring the hardness of the floor as he placed hands on her shoulders and met her look. "You are NOT alone. You will get through this, he will get through this, your family will get through this." Even if they did not, she would not be alone. He would make sure of that, he promised himself, hugging her tightly. He was out of words, so that simple gesture would have to do.

[Captain Enema]

Halloway, not at all intimidated by either Sarah or Anthony, dismisses the two without a second thought and feels somewhat better for the fact that they have left the room. Why would he give a hoot about two people he's never served with on the field of battle? The only people he's ever depended on or ever will depend on are those who he has served on the sharp end with. His duty, as it always has been and always will be, is serving at the side Air Marshall Brian Hiley, Retired.

He looks across at the doctor and asks, "If this treatment worked, what would be the odds for Evan recovering fully?"

[Sargun II]

"Fully? It depends. If there are little or no complications, the odds are stacked in his favor. But just like in any severe illness, TB leaves open the opportunity for something else to happen in the hospital. I can't say for sure, but if there are severe complications he might have... defects. Like I said, I can't say for sure. This is all speculative."

[Captain Enema]

"Do you have any information as to the source of the infection?" asks Halloway as he digs for information to satisfy a very specific order from the Air Marshall. The 'outburst' by Brian Hiley didn't come as a surprise to Halloway at all. In the past the elder Hiley has resorted to a minor to major eruption of his temper in the past to smooth the way for his aide. For all of Hiley's lack of charm and gruffness, he rarely acts in a manner that isn't calculated to gain him some sort of edge at a later point in time.

Hiley also says, "On the the flight over the Air Marshall was wondering if any sort of transplant proceedures might help. His own doctor confirmed some years ago that he and Evan are a reasonably close match," as he hands over a DVD disk with Brian Hiley's medical records and most recent blood work.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Sargun II]

"The source? Well, he acquired the bacteria in Africa as a teenager. The specific bacteria that we found inside of him supports the theory of a central or east-central area of Africa, and we believe that he was in central Africa when the disease finally bloomed and overtook his immune system a few months ago. The treatment he was given was not properly administered because he attempted to apply it himself and he is obviously not a doctor," the woman said. She sighed and looked over the man changing Evan's IV fluids.

"Transplant? No, a new organ would do more harm than good. Unless there's a huge complication that we can't forsee, he'll be on his own."

[Captain Enema]

"Thank you for your time doctor," Hallowy says as he walks out into the hall. He walks over to where he finds an impatient looking Brian Hiley and sits. How does he go about explaining something of this magnitude to one of his oldest friends? Clearly it would be best to not soft pitch the truth. With this in mind he looks at Hiley and in an obscure Native American dialect he says, "It appears Evan was infected in East Africa, a transplant would do more harm than good, and his chances aren't bad but they aren't good either."

"Eh, thank you Halloway, I think I'll go sit with Evan," Hiley responds in English.

"Do you want me to follow up on the matter we discussed before?" asks Halloway.

"Absolutely, if this appears to be some sort of deliberate attack I'm going to hunt the !@#$%^& down and make him eat his own testicles," replies Hiley in the Native American dialect just used by Halloway.

"We aren't as young as we used to be," returns Halloway using the Native American language for the sake of privacy.

"Doesn't matter if we are young or not, Evan is my blood, and that alone is reason enough," Hiley responds in English as he stands and walks into Evan's room. He pulls up a chair and takes off his hat and sets it on his lap. He looks down at his son and says nothing. He has a great deal he wants to say, there is much he feels he has to say, and when the time is right he will say these things. But right now, after all these years of separation what really could he say with his son lying in a coma?