When he walked into Gini’s room he was surprised to see her surrounded by friends: Linda, Robert, and Lisa.
“John,” Linda said. “Come in.”
They had some conversation about Gini’s condition, and he took a good look at the EEGs. “Linda and Robert, can we talk?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s go out in the hall.”
Lisa stayed with Gini. The rest went to a small area with a few folding chairs. He told them of his findings.
“So,” Robert said, “are you going to administer the serum to Gini?”
John took a deep breath. “I checked into it, Robert. I… I just don’t know. There’s no data on people with compromised immune systems, or ones who have just had surgery, or brain traumas, heart attacks, or strokes. None of that.”
“John, look what it did for Debbie. They put it in her drip yesterday, and today she is up and stronger.”
“Debbie’s a healthy woman, and she’s been sick for four days. She could have fought it off herself with the aid of the antibiotics, and Gini is on antibiotics. That treatment got Gini through the infection the last two times; it should this time too.”
“But this is a much stronger strain.” Robert pleaded his case.
“The thing is, I called to see how many doses we have. None. And the CDC can’t deliver more for a day or two.”
Robert let out a breath and put his head down, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I’m willing to try when we get more if she is still critically ill.” John patted Robert on the shoulder. “We’re going to take care of her.”
The next two days, the floor started clearing out. Debbie was still admitted, but mainly so she could be with Gini. And Gini stayed status quo: high fever, chills, and quiet.
Alyssa went every day to be with Jessica. They had isolated the baby from the main nursery, but with Alyssa constantly with her, the little girl was thriving. The breast milk was gone, so they started her on formula with no problems. Jessica would stay in the hospital as long as Robert and Debbie were confined.
The CDC had been there taking blood from the medical staff to analyze, and samples from patients to do the same.
The nurse helped Robert cover from head to foot with protective clothing so he could hold his daughter. With her in his arms, the world seemed to be right, but when he was with Gini, reality hit him hard again. She was not improving, even with the serum drip.
On the fourth day, she went into a spiral. Her fever holding at 103.5, controlled by the ice and blanket, suddenly spiked to 104.7, and her EEG went flat.
Robert jumped up. “Gini!” he shouted.
There was a flicker on the brain activity monitor. He kept shouting her name while he texted John.
The two men performed different stimulating techniques to keep her brain active. The cooling liquid in the blanket had failed. Lisa came rushing into the room when John hit the emergency button.
“Ice!” John demanded.
Then Linda appeared.
“We need another blanket,” John said.
She quickly left the room.
The four worked on Gini for an hour. Lisa was glad Debbie had gone to her room to take a nap.
While Robert continually pressed on Gini’s nail beds, John was doing a sternum rub. Linda continued packing ice around Gini’s body until the blanket arrived. Lisa took ice cubes and rubbed them on Gini’s lips. Then Gini licked them; Lisa announced the action. It was working; her body temperature had dropped to 103.8.
All four took a deep breath. Lisa kept rubbing the ice cube on Gini’s mouth, then let a drop or two trickle in. Gini swallowed.
Robert put his head back, somewhat relieved, but he knew the damage had already been done. But to what extent?
Gini’s fever slowly went back to normal over the next week. Although there was brain activity, Gini showed no awareness.
Debbie and Robert had many long talks about what to do. He hugged Debbie tight when she cried, her sadness overwhelming her. They both felt so defeated. The only shining light in their lives was Jessica: bright-eyed, active, and happy.
Micky tried whatever she could to help Debbie, but Debbie seemed closed to her and consumed with Gini’s illness.
The eighth floor was cleared, and Gini was taken to a different area. The decision was made that she’d stay in the hospital until the family moved into their new house.
Debbie and Robert did the walk-through, and he went to the closing. Not much of the decor had been selected. They decided the most important items were bedroom furniture, a kitchen table, and simple seating in the great room. Although Robert had anticipated the medical room in the house would be used later in Gini’s life, it was fully functional for Gini’s move-in. It broke his heart.
Gini would open her eyes occasionally, and she’d hold a mug if Debbie helped her wrap her fingers around it, but there was no attempt to move the cup. Gini did not react to anything or anybody, except Jessica. There was definitely a bond between mother and child. Not
