Indy's Tests and Diagnosis

Pippi walked down the hall and found the room Indy was in. She walked in.

Kelsey had just gotten in and was prepping the blood-drawing needles out of Indy's view.

Indy was lying in the bed, looking sick and scared. But she saw Pippi, and looked at her. "I'm in big trouble, aren't I?" she asked shakily.

Pippi moved around the other side of the bed from Kelsy, so she'd be out of her way, but still have access to Indy.

"We're doing all we can to see that it doesn't stay that way, Indy. And you'll be all right." She touched Indy's forehead.

Indy moaned softly.

Kelsey set the needles and vials up on the small table stand and prepped some cotton with alcohol. She gently took Indy's arm and upturned it, laying it down on top of the covers.

Indy cooperated, though she was trembling slightly.

Kelsey felt bad for her. She had been there in preop when Indy had freaked out and it worried her the woman was so upset.

Pippi put a hand on the lower part of Indy's neck and chest to keep her reassured.

Kelsey smoothed down Indy's slightly sweaty hair. "I just need some bloodwork, Indy. And a swab of the area around the bite you took,"she said soothingly.

Indy gritted her teeth, and closed her eyes. She knew what was coming, and mostly she was a little nervous about blood tests, though this time, she was more scared than usual because if she felt this lousy, and was being tested, something had to be wrong.

Kelsey smiled. "Nothing bad."

"I guess it can't hurt any worse than my head right now," said Indy. I'll be...okay."

Kelsey swabbed down the area and snuck in a topical anesthetic to numb the area so she wouldn't feel the prick. She put her hand under Indy's arm to warp the turniqut around and kept it there, holding her arm slightly above the bed.

Indy lay there, letting Kelsey do what needed to be done, while Pippi continued to reassure her with physical contact.

Kelsey was very good at what she did. Though Pippi saw her take aim and drive the needle in quickly, Indy showed practically no outward reaction other than a slight narrowing of the eyes.

Kelsey put a support under Indy's arm and grabbed the next vial to fill while the first one slowly filled up.

"There, Indy, you didn't even feel that, did you?" asked Pippi, noticing not so much as a flinch from her friend.

"Yeah, I did." Indy replied.

Pippi laughed quietly.

"It's one of the least painful shots I've had, though." said Indy.

"It's all in the follow through," Kelsey said, concentrating on her task. "Dr. Whocares taught me himself."

"He certainly seems to be a fine doctor," said Pippi.

"He is." the nurse said, already filling the third and last small vial.

Then Kelsey withdrew the needle and put her thumb over the entry point. She bandaged the spot and pulled the swab and a sample dish out next.

suddenly Indy turned even paler than she already was.

"What's wrong?" Pippi asked.

Kelsey looked up, alert.

"Nothing, I hope. I'm just...well...I've never been in here before and..."

"And you're just having the frights..." Pippi speculated.

"Yes." Indy said, and bit her lip. Already she could feel her sinuses burn and chin give a little quiver. She was going to lose it and start bawling right here if she couldn't get a grip on herself. She held her breath and consentrated for all she was worth against feeling and the tears that were so close to spilling over.

"I don't blame you, that's perfectly normal, Indy..." said Pippi. Then she looked at Kelsey, mirroring her concern, but didn't say anything aloud yet.

Kelsey nodded at Pippi.

"Okay, Indianna, all over," she announced. "You can look again. I'm just taking the culture from around the wound now."

"I'm not a baby," Indy retorted testily, "It's not like seeing a needle is gonna make me pass out or freak out."

Kelsey nodded, "Are you worried about your friend?" she asked her cautiously. "Or is it just nerves about the tests?"

She marked the vials and put everything away in the meantime, going quickly and efficiently.

"My tests," Indy replied, "I've never been in the icu before." Somehow, verbalizing it enabled Indy to regain her composure.

"Friend?" Pippi asked. "Which friend was that? Not that Wickersham lad, was it?" She looked at Kelsey.

Indy tcked.

"No," Kelsey said quietly. "Luna."

Indy rolled her eyes. "Oh, brother..." she couldn't stop herself, it just came out. 'Luna...again!' Indy thought to herself, and tsked.

"The girl in the pre-op room everyone was upset about." Pippi observed.

Kelsey only nodded, afraid of upsetting Indy with the subject. "Indy was pretty worried about her," she added, then seeing Indy's reaction, opened her mouth to change the subject. But Indy spoke up again.

"Well, like sheesh, it looked like she was gonna get stitched up without any kind of pain relief! I would've been worried about anybody that way. She was already in a lot of pain - it was just hard watching it, that's all."

"I can assure you, that didn't happen, Indy, she was relieved of pain and came through all right."

"That's good..." said Indy rather curtly, "But she's not my friend okay? I only met her and her family last night..." Indy's demeanor became quite abrupt, she was right out of patience with everyone for seeming to assume Luna was the main priority in her life as well as everything else."

Kelsey quickly changed the subject. "The doctor just wants to keep a better eye on you, Indy. That's why he okayed your transfer to ICU, that's all."

She smiled and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We can do that much better here."

"At least this way there's a better chance of helping if something really is wrong," said Indy, managing a smile back. though she was still nervous.

"That's right," Pippi explained.

"And you have your own, private nurses here. Me during the day and Alina during

the graveyard shift. You'll be quite spoiled. And we promise not to wake you up to give you sleeping pills," Kelsey joked.

Indy laughed, not expecting that sort of idea. "I'll try not to be too much trouble then," she replied.

Pippi smiled at them both.

Kelsey stood. "I'll get these over to the lab. We should have the results back within the half hour for Dr. Whocares."

"Wonderful!" Pippi stated. "Thank you so much."

"Yes, thanks." Indy agreed. "Can I have something to drink?"

"You're welcome. I'll take these over and get you some water right away."

"She seems pretty dehydrated," said Pippi.

Kelsey opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it, remembering Luna's reaction to too much information. But Indy wasn't like Luna, so Kelsey probably wouldn't have had to worry. "Either of you call me if you need anything else. when I get back I'll be at the nurse's station where you brought Indy in."

With that, Kelsey left.

Pippi stayed with Indy to help her keep the jitters at bay.

Now she tried something on Indy that worked like a charm on NT, another friend whenever she needed to relax. "There, Indy, that wasn't so bad. Now, close your eyes and relax for a little while. Just breathe." Pippi's tone was smooth and comforting, almost hypnotic.

Indy did.

"That's it, Indy Mae. Breathe - and relax. Don't think about tomorrow, or even an hour from now, just breathe, relax your body."

Indy complied and did her best.

"That's right." Pippi said calmly. With that, she started to gently caress Indy's face, running her finger up and down, back and forth, all around Indy's face. Sometimes Pippi used her whole hand to stroke down Indy's cheek, and she even took the Who's head in her hand, moving it gently in different positions, and massaging her neck and shoulders. All the while, Pippi spoke softly to keep Indy reassured.

Sometimes Indy made sighs or groans that indicated pleasure or pain, her neck was a bit stiff, and hurt when moved in a certain direction.

When Kelsey came back, she handed the glass of water to Pippi, who propped Indy up and gave her the glass.

"While you're drinking that, I just need to step out for a moment, Indy." said Pippi.

Indy nodded.

Pippi looked at Kelsey, and motioned her to follow her out for a moment.

When the two were out of the room, Pippi explained, "I'm not sure what Indy has all told you about her symptoms, but she's been complaining of a stiff neck and general body aches as well as the dryness and stomach cramps and headaches. If that'll help you determine her condition, I thought you should know."

Kelsey nodded. "Will you be here when the test results come back? You can tell the doctor what was found."

"I'll be here," Pippi said with certainty.

Kelsey nodded. "All those along with the headaches could be several problems...not just one specific thing."

When Kelsey went on her way again, Pippi returned to Indy's room, waiting anxiously for the test results. She did her best to keep herself and Indy calm.

Half an hour went by, and then Dr. Whocares came back into the room. He closed the curtain between the door and Indy's bed and came over to her.

"Indy?" he said gently. She was apparently dozing.

Indy's eyelids fluttered, then opened. She looked at Dr. Whocares, anxiously.

He took up the chair Kelsey had occupied and took her hand. "No....shhh....I don't want you to be nervous about any of this. We're going to take care of you,"he said soothingly.

Indy drew a shaky deep breath, trying to calm down.

The doctor pulled out a pen and looked at the chart Kelsey had given him before coming in.

Kelsey moved some equipment in silently behind the curtain. She came around to their side with an i.v. drip setup line.

"Indy, I just need to ask you some questions about how you feel," Whocares continued. "Anything you are feeling that maybe you haven't told us."

"Well..." Indy tried to think of what she might not have told them. Just my head and stomach aches, weakness, my neck seems to be getting a little stiff, body aches, like I just feel stiff and cramped all over...And I've never been so dry..."

"You are dehydrated," the doctor nodded. "That's why Kelsey is going to set up an i.v. to get fluids into your system a little faster."

The nurse brought the line over to the side the doctor was not on. She looked at Indy's hand and massaged it, trying to get her to relax enough to get the line in.

Indy complied. "I've been feeling so thirsty since last night at that awful place," said Indy.

"You had a good reason to be," Whocares admitted. "The poisons from that place were causing you to dehydrate."

"It was taking the life right outa me." said Indy.

Kelsey swabbed the area down, again using a topical anesthetic. "Close your eyes," she instructed her. "Relax."

Indy did as she was asked, and soon felt a push against the skin of the back of her hand, and a little more pressure than before, but this time, only a hardly noticeable, tiny little prick. Then the pressure faded.

"Okay, done," Kelsey said.

"Yeah..." said Indy.

"You'll start feeling much better soon now," said Pippi.

"Good," Indy replied.

"At least not so terribly dehydrated," Whocares gently corrected. "But with the test results and what you've told me, I know the course of treatment we should follow now. And after a few days, you will definitely begin to feel an improvement."

"I'll be all right, then?" Indy asked.

"You'll be all right as long as you stay in bed and follow my suggestions," he smiled.

"That's about all I want to do right now," said Indy.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, you picked up a virus from that bug that bit you at the pond," he explained. "And the poisons in the factory - the dyoxins, the hydrocarbons and toxins depressed your immune system so you couldn't fight it." He looked briefly at the chart. "and I also believe that Serena's owl had a contaminent on her claws when she accidentally scratched you. That allowed the polluted atmosphere to aggravate the situation.

Indy listened quietly.

"Did you start to feel sick while still at the factory?"

"Yes. Well, I felt so...sluggish and thirsty and..." It was then that she remembered, "Yes...I definitely got sick over there. I collapsed on some stairs just before we left."

"What happened then? How did you get back on your feet?"

"The other people there, helped me. And I think Luna gave me...Something that revived me a bit. It tasted good, like mint, and there was some liquid in it. I don't remember wanting something so much.""

Whocares wrote it on the chart.

He scrawled off something on a pad and handed it to Kelsey. "Take this down to MRI stat. I want Indy scheduled for a CAT scan pronto."

"What the hell for!?" Indy asked.

"Take it easy, Indy," Pippi tried to reassure. She said quietly to Whocares, "When I came to visit her on the fifth floor, I found her in quite an agitated state over the events of last night, and those in the pre-op room as well."

"Well, you would be too if you had to go through all that crap," Indy retorted, anguish returning to her features.

Pippi reached over and touched her shoulder, "But you won't have to go through it again. Don't worry, the cat scan may be to make sure you haven't gotten a concussion or something from the falls you took. I know it's very frightening, but every measure needs to be taken so that you will feel better in a few days, as Dr. Whocares himself, says you will." she reassured her.

"It is just a precaution, Indy," Whocares agreed.

Indy began to subside again.

"I don't want to take any chances. We'll cover all bases."

"Exactly." Pippi agreed.

"yes," said Indy, "I'm sorry, guess I'm just not very brave right now."

"That is understandable," Kelsey spoke up. "the unknown is always frightening."

"You're doing a lot better than some patients, I'll bet," Pippi said.

Kelsey put a needle to the i.v. line at Indy's wrist and added something to the solution.

"We'll need to give you a muscle relaxant, Indy," Whocares said, indicating what Kelsey was doing. "We need you still so we can take a good, clean picture the first time."

"Sure," indy replied.

"It also might make you feel better and more relaxed overall," Kelsey said, finishing the shot.

Pippi looked on, glad to see Indy cooperating so well. She hadn't been sure how she'd be after seeing her so wild in that other room.

"That sounds good to me," Indy responded, looking relieved.

After a moment tension gave way to drousiness as the drug did it's work. If Indy didn't show it much, she was grateful for this relief.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Pippi asked Whocares and Kelsey.

"You can stay with her for the trip to MRI," the doctor offered. "I'd like to talk to you while they are taking the scans."

"Yes, I think that would be best," Pippi agreed.

"You seem to be a very good influence on her," Kelsey observed. "I for one am very glad you are here."

Pippi smiled. "Thank you, I do my best."

Kelsey pulled the curtain aside and opened the door wide. The doctor got on one side and moved the bed out from the wall, towards the door.

Pippi was soon helping Dr. Whocares to move the bed, and keeping it remarkably steady as she did so.

The nurse disconnected the i.v. line from the stand and set it up on the one built into the bed over Indy's headboard.

They got into the elevator and went up.

Indy blinked lazily, looked around, unconcerned but only mildly curious. then she closed her eyes again, heaving a soft sigh.

Whocares noticed this. "If you feel like sleeping, Indy, go ahead. The relaxant tends to do that to people."

The elevator opened on the 12th floor. Here was where all the labs, x-rays and scanning equipment was kept.

They smoothly wheeled her bed out of the elevator and down the hall to the MRI room. By the time they went inside, she was breathing slow and evenly, fast asleep.

Once inside, the tech helped them take her off the bed and set her on the sliding table that went into the machine. They put earplugs in her ears to dim the sound of the machine as it made a lot of noise from the inside. They didn't want her startling awake inside and panicking or blurring the images.

The doctor gave the tech instructions on which angles to take the scans from, and which scans were needed. He then gestured Kelsey and Pippi to follow him out to the observation lounge next door.

Once in the lounge, Whocares turned to Pippi. "Pippi, we aren't looking for concussion damage so much as brain swelling," he began to explain. "In her current mental state, I dare not tell her that. The severe headaches are a good indication there is already a reason for concern."

"What is it?" Pippi asked. Though she didn't panic or go hysterical, the doctor could see the worry in her features.

"She contracted Punker's Virus out there. You probably know it better as West nile virus. But it always turns into complications when left untreated. Normally it takes a week or more to manifest into something worse, but the toxins at the factory sped that progress up a thousand fold. She has the beginnings of meningitis," he finished up, not knowing how more delicately to break the news.

"Oh good lord..." Pippi looked shaken, as was expected, her being a close friend of Indy's, but she said, "my worst fear was malaria."

"Wrong time of year," Kelsey said automatically.

Pippi gave her a questioning look.

Kelsey looked apologetic. "Sorry, textbook training, all those stupid tests. It's too cold for the mosquito larvae to be hatching."

"It could have been a gnat or a flea..." Whocares agreed. "It could have jumped off one of the greegrumps onto Bianca and then onto Indy."

"Hmmm, well, Punker's Pond isn't a region I'm familiar with, and neither are its rather unique inhabitants or diseases like 'Grabies'. Indy told me about Wthe outbreak. So I'm not quite sure how close the different variables are to places I know more about." Pippi explained.

"We know it was insect borne, but that's about all," he shrugged. "The good news is we - or actually YOU - caught it in plenty of time. There is no reason not to believe she won't fully recover from this," he assured her. "Menengitis when it is fatal is much more painful than malaria, which gives you sleeping sickness and puts you in a coma, but this case was discovered in plenty of time, so I can say with absolute certainty that We don't have to worry about either happening now."

"Thank goodness for that!" Pippi responded, still shaken but somewhat relieved.

"So...now we just wait..." Kelsey said, looking out the window into the MRI room.

Pippi's Mission of Mercy

All day, Pippi stayed with Indy, watching her when she slept, and easing her anxieties while she was awake, sometimes even reading or singing to her.

Kelsey came in periodically, taking Indy's temperature, blood pressure, and checking other general things, and saying they were looking good for the condition Indy was in.

Now, it was evening, and with Indy asleep, and nothing more Pippi could do, she was becoming aware of how tired and hungry she was. She told the nurse at the station that she was leaving but would be back.

Pippi went down several floors, but there were other people who needed to get off on the 10th, the 7th and 6th floors. This gave Pippi time to remember that Wickersham2 was on the 5th floor and was probably still worried and upset over Indy.

So, she stopped the elevator on the 5th floor and walked out.

Pippi strode down the halls until she came to the section where the grabies patients were, and that was where she found the young man standing alone in the hall, looking lost.

She glanced his way. "Are you lost, Wickersham2?" she asked.

Wickersham2 turned around, a bit startled. When he relised who it was, he relaxed. "No" he answered simply "I am lost in thought however

"Yes, that's understandable. Hospitals tend to have that effect on us all. Well, is it anything you want to talk about?" Pippi asked quietly.

"You're a friend of Indy's right?"

"Yes, and I can see you're concerned about her." Pippi replied.

She drew near to Wickersham2 as she talked. He was going to need someone to lean on for support and reassurance after this news. "I won't lie to you, Indy's very sick, complications from the virus she caught at Punker's and the factory toxins have brought on the beginnings of meningitis...swelling in the brain. It was discovered in time, so it's treatable. She's asleep now, and Dr. Whocares assured me the case was caught in time, so she will make a full recovery." Pippi said this to comfort herself as much as Wickersham2.

His eyes grew wide. "Oh, Indy...What have I done?" Forcing himself to look back at pippi, he said, "I've only just met Indy tonight" he began "But, she's one of the only people who's ever...excepted me for who I am. Being me, that means a lot. I didn't want to make her mad tonight..." he trailed off, lost for words

"I understood from the conversation you had earlier with the time keeper, that you didn't understand what it was that Indy was upset at you for." Pippi said. "I don't know if this will help you to ease your mind or not, but she wasn't mad at you for wanting to see Luna...which was, as he said, right.

Wickersham2 looked away, his face painted with guilt

Pippi noticed his posture. She put a warm hand on his shoulder. "I know you're feeling badly about Indy, but there were a lot of things going on, and, well, no one, not me, not even the doctors knew how sick she was until she was put in intensive care."

"Do you know why she was so infuriated with me?"

It's partly the illness, Wickersham2," Pippi explained. "It's making her very irritable and anxious besides just feeling physically awful."

But Wickersham2 shrugged. He looked as if he thought there had to be more to it than that.

"And," Pippi began gently, "The problem was aggravated when you had taken her back to her room, but put her on the spot over Luna. Indy couldn't have helped her any more than she'd tried."

Wickersham2's eyes glazed over.

Pippi paused, and heaved a sigh. "I think maybe you wanted to be there for them both, but it just isn't possible. You have to divide your time between both of them, and I promise you, Indy would not have objected to sharing your attention with Luna in that way...But she was overwhelmed, and needed time away from so many strange people, in a strange environment."

"Yes, and I can't stop beating myself up about it" Wickersham2's voice faltered, two tears welled up in his eyes and finally rolled down his sweet, misery--stricken face. "I just didn't understand how badly Indy was feeling....I'm so sorry!"

Despite all effort not to, Wickersham2 couldn't control his emotion any more. His voice broke, and for just a moment, his body heaved as one little choked sob came out.

Pippi put both arms around him in a warm, reassuring embrace. "I know you didn't, but you're only one of many who really didn't know how badly she was feeling. Indy doesn't tend to let on until things get serious...But then, with the doctors and nurses not realizing the seriousness of it either...Well, I had to come here myself before I knew how sick she was. Before that, I had been told it was nothing serious, that she would be over it and possibly out of the hospital today...Obviously that's no longer the case." As she spoke, she gently rubbed his back and rocked him from side to side, calming him.

"Indy's very lucky to have a friend like you" Wickersham2 smiled through his tears.

Pippi smiled back. "Thank you. I'm sorry about your misunderstanding with her, as for what I'm hearing, she was quite kind to you before the blow up?"

"Definitly!" he answered

"Well, after she gave you that concussion," Pippi grinned as she clarified. "She feels badly about that. I think maybe you two are actually in the same boat. You feeling badly about not realizing how sick Indy was, and Indy - for hitting you so hard."

"I suppose so" Wickersham2 agreed "When you see her again, would you mind telling her that I'm terribly sorry for what I did earlier, and that I would like to talk to her when she's ready

"I certainly will, Wickersham2," said Pippi warmly. "and if you need to talk again, just let me know."

"Yes, thank you" Wickersham2 smiled

Pippi smiled back. "Don't mention it. Now, I'm off to get myself a bite to eat, and a little nap at home. I'll be back later tonight." With that, Pippi released Wickersham2, and headed out of the hospital.

On her way home, Pippi stopped at the James residence to break the news to LJ. That poor girl took the news so hard that Pippi spent the better part of the night comforting and crying along with her.

It was about 2:30 or so when LJ finally was ready to go to bed. Pippi arrived back at her own place around 3, and she was too tired to be tired. So, instead of falling asleep, she took Indy's camera and began to watch the footage.