I went after them and caught up just as they entered the lift.
Barely squeezing in, I edged my way next to Stephanie.
She acknowledged me with a twitch of her mouth. Cindy was holding one of Cassie's hands. She and Chip both looked defeated and neither of them glanced up.
We rode up in silence. As we got off the elevator Chip held out his hand and I grasped it for a second.
The orderlies wheeled Cassie through the ward and through the teak doors. Within moments her inert form had been lowered to the bed, the I.V hooked up to a drip monitor, and the side rails raised.
Cassie's chart was on the gurney. Stephanie picked it up and said, 'Thanks, guys.' The orderlies left.
Cindy and Chip hovered near the bed. The room lights were off and slivers of gray morning peeked through the split of drawn drapes.
Cassie's face was swollen, yet it appeared drained-an inflated husk.
Cindy took her hand once more. Chip shook his head and wrapped his arm around his wife's waist.
Stephanie said, 'Dr. Bogner will be by again and so should that Swedish doctor.'
Faint nods.
Stephanie cocked her head. The two of us stepped out into the hall.
Another seizure?' I said.
'Four A.M. We've been in the E.R. since then, working her over.'
'How's she doing?'
'Stabilized. lethargic. Bogner's doing all of his diagnostic tricks but he's not coming up with much.'
'Was she in any danger?'
'No mortal danger, but you know the kind of damage repetitive seizures can do. And if it's an escalating pattern, we can probably expect lots more.' She rubbed her eyes.
I said, 'Who's the Swedish doctor?'
'Neuroradiologist named Torgeson, published quite a bit on childhood epilepsy. He's giving a lecture over at the medical school. I thought, why not?'
We walked to the desk. A young dark-haired nurse was there now.
Stephanie wrote in the chart and told her, 'Call me immediately if there are any changes.'
'Yes, Doctor.'
Stephanie and I walked down the hall a bit.
'Where's Vicki?' I said.
'Home sleeping. I hope. She went off shift at seven, but was down in the E.R. until seven-thirty or so, holding Cindy's hand. She wanted to stay and do another shift, but I insisted she leave-she looked totally wiped out.'
'Did she see the seizure?'
Stephanie nodded. 'So did the unit clerk. Cindy pressed the call button, then ran out of the room, crying for help.'
'When did Chip show up?'
'Soon as we had Cassie stabilized, Cindy called him at home and he came right over. I guess it must have been around four-thirty.'
'Some night,' I said.
