Playing for Keeps

The next morning Stacy woke to the bright sunlight in her eyes. She squinted as she tried to look at the clock, it was only 8:30 a.m. and she could feel how tired her body still was. She and Adam had been up most of the night making up for lost time.

With a smile she rolled over and snuggled closer to his side, it felt good to be back in his bed again.

It startled her when he groggily greeted her, “Good morning.”

She looked up at him to see a smile on his handsome face, “Good morning.”

He turned in to her body and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. “Last night was…..” He paused, remembering how amazing he felt after the last time she was in his bed but then also remembering how she had called it a mistake.

“Amazing, wonderful, exactly what I’ve been missing…” She trailed off, her cheeks turning a shade of pink.

“Exactly,” Adam agreed, kissing her lips feverishly.

They had become so wrapped up in the moment that they hadn’t heard Evelyn push open their door.

“Mommy I’m hungry!” She whined from the side of the bed.

Stacy pulled away from Adam and looked at their daughter. She was standing there in her princess night gown and her pig tails in disarray. She couldn’t help but laugh at the cute state their daughter was in.

“Should be make breakfast Evie?” Stacy asked, she glanced at Adam who had propped himself up on his elbow and was looking over her at Evelyn.

“Pancakes!” She yelled, running out the door and for the stairs.

The parents laughed and pulled themselves from the warm sheets, getting dressed and joining their little girl in the kitchen.

Adam had started cooking bacon while Stacy mixed up the ingredients for pancakes and scrambled some eggs.

“Evelyn would you like to set the table?” Adam asked her.

“Sure Daddy!” Evelyn beamed up at him.

He pulled open the silverware drawer and handed her three forks and three butter knives. “Be very careful with the knives honey.”

“Okay,” She smiled at him and he watched as she made her way to the table and started setting the silverware on the placemats.

Adam turned back to the bacon, using the tongs in one had to flip the bacon and the other one to rub the small of Stacy’s back. “I’ve missed this.” He said softly.

Stacy looked over at him, “I have too,” She said honestly. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this happy.

He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips but their moment was interrupted by the sound of silverware crashing to the ground and a loud thud.

They pulled apart quickly and looked over towards the table, noticing that Evelyn was now on the ground.

“Evie!” Adam threw the tongs onto the counter and rushed to his daughter’s side. Stacy, being fairly level headed in emergencies, shut off all of the stove burners and moved over to Evelyn.

She was convulsing, her eyes rolling back into her head.

“What’s happening?” Adam cried, doing his best to cradle their daughter’s head so she wouldn’t hurt herself.

“She’s having a seizure,” Stacy moved the chair out of the way so Evelyn wouldn’t harm herself while she thrashed about. Stacy’s heart began to race as Evelyn continued to convulse. “I’m going to call 9-1-1!”

“Evelyn baby, it’s okay!” Adam tried to talk to her, knowing she was probably scared. She continued to shake and he took his sweatshirt off and put it under her head.

Stacy quickly called 9-1-1 and was informed that someone would be on their way, she hurried back and knelt down next to Evelyn, trying to hold back her tears. “She should be stopping by now! This isn’t good for her brain; she’s losing oxygen to her brain!” Stacy cried.

Adam looked up at Stacy, the fact that she was so worried and she dealt with things like this at work all the time, frightened him. He became panicked. “Is she going to be okay?”

Stacy glanced up at him, her face matching his worried expression. “I hope so,” Tears were starting to run down her face. She felt so helpless; all she could do was protect her from physical harm at this point. She couldn’t do anything else.

Before long they heard the sirens and the paramedics came in and helped get her ready for transport to the hospital.

“We need to administer Diastat, she’s in status epilepticus!” One of the paramedics said, quickly preparing the med once they were in the back of the ambulance.

Stacy and Adam were on the opposite bench, huddled together, Stacy was holding Evelyn’s hand. She watched as the paramedic administered the rescue drug that should stop their daughter’s seizing.

“What does that mean?” Adam asked.

“It means that she’s been seizing for a prolonged period of time and her brain isn’t getting the oxygen it needs.” Stacy whispered, her whole body was shaking with adrenaline. She was worried about Evelyn's neurological condition and if this would affect her long term.

She watched as the medicine finally took its action on Evelyn’s body and she slowly stopped seizing. She was still unconscious so the paramedics placed an oxygen mask on her and hooked her up to the monitors. Her heart rate was steady and her oxygen saturations were good.

“Is she going to be okay?” Adam asked the paramedics.

“She should be alright sir,” The male responded, writing things down on a chart as he watched over Evelyn.

By the time they got her admitted and into a pediatric room she had awoken, frightened and crying out for Stacy.

“I’m here baby,” Stacy cooed as she sat on the bed and cradled their daughter to her side. She was so relieved to see that she had come to and was acting appropriately. Stacy knew that status epilepticus could have the potential to cause brain damage and neurological deficits if it is prolonged.

Stacy kissed the top of her head and rocked her back and forth, looking at Adam who was on the other side of Evelyn. He gave her a weak smile, just glad their daughter seemed to be okay.

“Mr. and Mrs. Levine?” The couple looked up as a man in a white lab coat walked in. “I’m Dr. Johnson, I’m going to be caring for Evelyn here.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” Stacy ignored that he had called her Mrs. Levine, not minding the sentiment.

“I’ve been reviewing Evelyn’s case and it appears to me that she may have febrile seizures.” He explained as he took a seat next to the bed and looked at the parents. “When the paramedics took her vital signs on arrival your daughter had a temperature of 101.2, which could be the trigger for her seizure.”

“She wasn’t showing any signs of illness,” Stacy told him. Worried that she had missed something this morning when her daughter woke up.

“It could have just begun to come on, she may not have had any symptoms besides the fever just yet.” He assured Stacy. “I’d like to keep her here overnight and monitor her. I’d like to do a video EEG just to see what her brain is doing and to make sure that she isn’t going to have any more seizures today.”

“That sounds great Doctor,” Adam said, glad that they were going to keep an eye on his little girl. He had been so worried when she wouldn’t stop shaking.

“I’m going to go put the orders in, I will be back after a while.” He stood from his chair, “In the meantime, if you should need anything the nurses will be in to check on her shortly and do an assessment. Then the EEG technicians will come in to hook her up to the monitor.”

“Thank you so much Dr. Johnson,” Stacy was relieved that they were working so efficiently and were going to get answers right away.

She looked over at Adam again; his face was also showing relief. Stacy looked down at Evelyn to find that she had drifted off to sleep again.

She slowly laid Evie back in bed and stood up, meeting Adam in the middle of the room. She allowed him to embrace her and she let her emotions take over. She cried at the fear she had felt earlier. Their baby girl was suffering and she couldn’t help her.

Adam stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. “She’s going to be okay sweetheart, she’s safe now.”

Stacy sniffled and nodded against his chest, she knew this but it was still hard to look at their little girl in a big hospital bed with all the wires attached to her and an IV in her arm.

She looked up at Adam, kissing him softly. “I love you,” She said. It was the first time she had said it since they ended things over two years ago, but after going through this traumatic experience together it made her realize how much she needed Adam in her life.

Adam’s heart swelled at her words, “I love you too darling.” He kissed her again and they stood in their embrace, looking over at their brave little girl.