"Doctor, doctor, give me the news."

[englandrocks]

Who: Paxton Carlyle and Liam Morgan
What: BFF moral support
Where: Mount Sinai, New York
When: After this

Paxton came to the hospital after Trent was taken away in an ambulance, stable but still unconscious. The paramedics had praised Paxton for his quick-thinking and rapid CPR to revive Trent, but no one could know at that point what was wrong with him. The paramedics pricked his finger to check his blood sugar in case he was diabetic, but it was normal. His blood pressure was so low, they needed to put the cuff around his ankle to get an accurate reading. Trent was white, sweating, and shivering so they wrapped him in a shock blanket and loaded him onto the gurney. Guy went with him, being his boss. According to Guy, Trent had family in New York and he was going to get in touch with them as soon as he could.

Still, Paxton just felt like he had to come here to support him. Trent was a friggen stranger, but here he was, sitting in the ER waiting room with his phone cupped in his palms. He had sent Liam a text, but there had been no response. When he tried to ask the receptionist if she could call Liam for him, she told him Liam was currently in the OR in the middle of the procedure but could leave a message for him. Paxton just asked her if the message could be that Liam call him when he was able, and let him know he was in the ER. He didn't want to freak Liam out. It was only after that he realised he message sounded like he was the patient, but he didn't want to waste her time getting her to call and leave an amended message.

He knew he wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting any information about Trent. He hoped Liam might be able to get some vague secondhand information. Paxton didn't know if Guy was still here or not. Mostly, he was just sitting there feeling useless and worrying that something might be seriously wrong with Trent. What if he died anyway? Had Paxton done enough? What if he hadn't remotely done enough? He was shaken and didn't know what more he could do than just sit there and wait."

Comments

[wannabesurgeon]

As soon as Liam got the message after scrubbing out of the emergency surgery, he bolted down to the ER, fully expected to see Paxton dying in resus or with something like a missing limb. Reasoning didn't quite come into play when one of the people you loved the most in this whole fucking world left you a message saying he was in the ER. He literally heaved a sigh of relief when, after checking with the Senior Attending doctor on duty, he discovered Paxton wasn't a patient, and possibly in the waiting room, if the description Liam gave was anything to go by.

That was where he found Paxton, and went right over to him to pull him into a hug. "Fuck. You're okay. What happened? Why are you here? You just said you were in the ER, I fucking panicked. Are you okay?" He cupped Paxton face in his hands, checking him over to make sure. He had no idea what the fuck was going on, but at least Paxton was still breathing. He sat beside him, looking at his BFF in concern. "Are you hurt, or is someone you know here?"

[englandrocks]

"I'm okay. Just scared shitless," Paxton reassured Liam, shaking his head. Thankfully, Guy had told him to change into another of the shoot's outfits so he hadn't had to come here covered in puke, though he was pretty sure he would have if he had no other option. He had learned in his First Aid training, and from his nurse brother, that sometimes when you gave someone CPR, the pressure on the diaphragm could cause them to vomit. That was why you always had to be careful they didn't choke. Or Trent was sick, and that was why he had passed out. Paxton had no idea. All attempts to call Guy had gone to voicemail.

He rubbed his forehead. "I was at the photoshoot. Guy has this new photographer assistant. Then right in the middle of the shoot, he dropped the camera. Only he didn't just drop the camera. He, like, passed out or something. We don't know but then next thing I knew, someone was screaming that he wasn't breathing, so I just reacted. I started to give him CPR, and he started to breathe again. At least, he threw up everywhere and was breathing then. Then I found his pulse. Everything is just kind of a blur, but I don't know how he is, and I didn't know if you could just check to see if he's at least okay so I can go home without thinking he's dead. Can you ask someone, or something? Anything?"

[wannabesurgeon]

Liam's mouth dropped open. "Fuck, Pax." The chances of actually needed to ever use First Aid training as just a bystander were low, sure, but it was a fucking priceless skill to have in cases like this. He wasn't surprised Pax had stepped up like that, as you would if you were trained, but of course it would have shocked the shit out of him, and then some. Liam gave him a soft squeeze and rubbed his back, trying to console him just a little. Pax was shaken to the core, so Liam would do what he could to find out some information.

"What's his name, approximate age, or what does he look like? Do you know if he's still in the ER? Depending on what caused the cardiac arrest, he might have been rushed to another unit, but I'll at least try to find out the status of his condition, okay? You just need to give me a bit more information, because the ER at this time of year is crazy. Normally, I could just ask Riley, but he's on a few days leave. His Resident is here shadowing another doctor, though. I know him pretty well, we went to Med School together." He took Paxton's hand and kissed his fingers. "It's okay, we'll find out how he is, I promise."

[englandrocks]

"Trent... Trent, um... fuck," Paxton cursed, frustrated that he couldn't remember what Trent's surname was. Guy had told him when they introduced each other, and it felt like it was on the tip of his tongue. "Frasier. Trent Frasier. He's got family here in the city somewhere, so they probably need to know what's happened anyway, but I only just met him at the beginning on the shoot. He's about our age, there would barely be give or take on that. He's got really dark hair and blue eyes. He was wearing glasses, but they broke when he fell on the tiles. I hope he's got a spare pair. I don't know if he's still here."

He was wondering now if Trent had even been up himself like he had wondered, or hadn't even heard his question when he tried to make conversation. He may have just been feeling sick, and Paxton felt guilty about making assumptions now. "I just hope he's okay. I hope I did enough. It's the first time I've ever done it, and it was terrifying as hell," he said, starting to tear up now the adrenaline rush was wearing off and the shock was tugging on his emotions. "People can be okay after that, right? If they stop breathing and have no pulse?"

[wannabesurgeon]

"I did," Liam reminded him with a soft smile. He wished he was exaggerating, but it was only because Miles had done CPR on him until the paramedics arrived after his overdose that he was still here. "And they're letting me perform surgical procedures on people, so I promise, people can and do make full recoveries. Especially if you started it ASAP and his brain was deprived of oxygen for any length of time. Paxton had such a big heart, it was no surprise this was upsetting him. Getting teary was understandable. "It's a terrifying thing, Pax. Even my first few resuscitations I had to do were scary as hell. Once my shift is over, I'll get you home and run you a bath so you can relax and get some sleep. It's the best way to deal with a shock."

He stood up. "But first, let me see if I can pull some strings to get you to see Trent. The most I might be able to do is find out his condition, but I'll see what I can do." He leaned over and gave Pax a soft kiss on the lips. "Get yourself a cuppa from the vending machine. It's shit, but it will give you something to do with your hands while you wait. I'll try to be as quick as I can, but it looks like the Triage list is a mile long."

[englandrocks]

That was exactly the answer Paxton really needed right now. Typical Liam, knew exactly what to say. Paxton had never been more relieved than that moment that his best friend was a doctor. After Liam disappeared back through the doors into the ER, Paxton obediently got up and got himself a cup of tea from the vending machine. If Liam could just find out if Trent was still alive, that would be plenty. Instead of sitting back down, he found himself pacing restlessly instead. Not to mention missing Zander, who actually just got a job here in the Oncology Unit at this hospital, but he wasn't due to arrive in New York for another couple of weeks. Something about Lewis knowing a guy called Beau... who just happened to be the same Beau as Liam's ex, Beau. It all ultimately worked out well. Zander had a job, and he was moving here too.

It felt like a really long fucking wait too, but it wasn't like Liam didn't warn him about that. Trent was one of many patients, but he wasn't a patient of Liam's. That was a good thing, because Liam was a Resident in trauma surgery, and Paxton would be out of his mind if Trent's condition was that bad. But for all he knew, the photographer could be hooked up to a billion machines in the ICU now too. What if he had been rushed somewhere else, and his life really was on the line, despite Paxton's best efforts? He was so worried, his stomach was in a tight cold knot and all he could manage of the tea was some small sips.

[wannabesurgeon]

Liam tracked down Peyton exited one of the patient bays. He and Beau had been in the same class at Med School with Peyton, who was from Boston. Peyton had always wanted to get into Emergency Medicine as his specialty, but those Residencies were just as cutthroat as the Surgical ones, so he had done extra time as an intern to wait out until the next round of Residency intakes had come up. Liam heard about them and shot Peyton through an email, and it was great news when Riley first put him on a short list and ultimately offered him the position. Riley was Peyton's direct supervisor, but even if Riley had days off, Peyton worked shadowing other doctors to get a feel for this particular ER, on a variety of shifts. He drew the short straw like Liam having to work the Christmas shifts.

By sheer dumb luck, it turned out this Trent was one of Peyton's patients. Not only was Peyton happy to fill him in, but he was fine for Paxton to come sit with Trent until he started to come around more. Liam went back out to find where Pax was, and tracked him down pacing in the corridor. "Okay, come sit. I'll fill you in." He lead Paxton back over to the chair he had had been originally sitting in. "Trent's still here in the ER, but they're waiting for a bed to become available for him to admit him. They think he's had an allergic reaction to an over-the-counter medication. Cold and flu pills. He's got an infection, which he probably thought was a flu, so he took the pills. He may need surgery, but they're trying to see if he responds to some strong antibiotics first. Peyton said he's okay if you want to come sit with him. He's a new patient here, so there's no information on what family he has here in the city, and they won't know until he wakes up and tells them. He's asleep at the moment, but he should be okay. The cardiac arrest and respiratory failure was a drug reaction. He still had the pills in the pocket of his jeans."

[englandrocks]

To have friends in high places. None of this was excellent news, but it wasn't the worst outcome either. Surgery was a big deal, and Trent was clearly ill to begin with. Paxton could only imagine how he must have been feeling. Being ill on the first day of his new job, trying to stuff some remedies down your throat to just be able to make it through, only said remedies ended up nearly killing you. He heaved a sigh of relief and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Fucking hell. He was sick. I didn't know if he had some sort of condition. I wasn't sure if he was having a fit or something. It was impossible to know. He hadn't said much. He was all focused on his job, I thought maybe he was just up himself. Sounds like maybe he was just not feeling well. How bad would be infection he's got have been making him feel?"

He put the cup of tea side on the vacant seat beside him. Liam was right, it was pish. "It still sounds serious. Do you think he'll be okay now he's getting help? He's just new in town, I feel like I want to offer him help, but I don't want to step on his toes or stick my nose into his business. I'm sure his family here would help him, but fuck, do I know what it's like to uproot to a strange place for a new job. And I'm lucky, because I've got you. There's nothing worse than feeling sick and being alone. Back home, Zander would always come take care of me, or he would drive me home to our parents so I could wallow in my own self-pity there. I should offer to help, shouldn't I? He can always turn me down. I'd like to help him."

[wannabesurgeon]

"Very sick. Even without the allergic reaction, the acute pancreatitis in itself could have been a medical emergency. They don't know what has caused it, so he'll have further investigations to try to figure the puzzle out. The important part is he is here now, and he's getting it treated. He would have been feeling pretty rough. It causes a lot of stomach pain, nausea, vomiting. Peyton said that more will probably come to light once Trent is feeling a little more coherent and can fill them in on how long he's been feeling ill and what other symptoms he's been having. For now, they just have him on the antibiotics and fluids, and resting him now he's stable," Liam explained. He could tell Paxton more about the condition if he wanted to know. Paxton was such a sweet guy, the concern was understandable.

It would have been an upheaval for Trent. He was probably rundown with the move as it was. Paxton did understand that. Even if Liam was here and they were living together, it had still been a massive change. "He should be. It's not an uncommon condition, and the treatment is straightforward. I'm sure he would appreciate any offer for help. It won't be easy for him either way. He'll have gotten quite a shock to hear what happened to him, and probably feeling like he's destroyed his chances in the job. If nothing else, he'll need the moral support."

[englandrocks]

"Shit, he should have just been home in bed." Though, Paxton couldn't help but wonder then if Trent had done that, would he have still taken the flu pills and ended up dying in his bed because no one was there to help him? It was horrible to think about, and he couldn't help when his brain turned to Liam. Liam had tried to take his own life, but in the final moment, called Miles for help. Miles had saved his life. It also reminded him of what happened with Lewis and Zander. Lewis was in such distinct denial, the only time he let Zander take care of him when he had literally gotten too sick to protest. "What a fucking welcome to New York. I hope he's okay to let them know about his family. They'll probably be worried about him. Assuming they're not cunts. 'Family' doesn't always been 'nice people'. Case in point of my biological mother."

He nodded. "Okay. Well, that's a start. I was seriously worried he was just going to die anyway. Not that I could see much behind the camera, but he seemed healthy enough. Then he just... wasn't. It was awful. I swear to god, I'm going to have nightmares about it for weeks now. I was scared I'd fuck it all up, even if I was trying to do the right thing. They always tell you that. All you can do it give them CPR until the professionals arrive, and then it's out of your hands. Thanks for coming down to help me, though. Otherwise I'd still be sitting here not knowing anything."

[wannabesurgeon]

Liam had to agree with that one. "Probably. Or at the very least, getting himself to a doctor when he felt weird. But he's one of many people in this world who just pass it off as a bug. It's not always that simple. I'm guilty of that myself. It took me forever to get to a doctor about my depression, and then it turns out to be PTSD. I was too sick to realise something was seriously wrong. But he's going to be okay. With plenty of rest and following doctor's orders, he'll bounce back." When Paxton mentioned the current predicament about his adoption, Liam met his gaze. "Have you decided what to do about that yet? Meeting your sister, I mean."

He rubbed Paxton's back. "You'll be okay, you just need to debrief to get it all out of your head. It'll settle once you see how he is doing too. Even bad CPR is better than none at all. You have to remember that. You didn't do it badly, you kept him going. I can stay until I'm paged into a surgery. Which could be any minute from the looks of the ER at the moment. They're run off their feet. I remember when I did my rotation here, after Christmas, every second person was in with food poisoning, slips on icy concrete or injuries from family confrontations getting nasty."