Matters of the Heart

Chapter 36

The next time Jesse woke up was a completely different experience. It was the most he had been awake post surgery, plus the stabbing pain had returned except maybe a bit better than it had been before. But taking the place of the smaller stabbing pains he had experienced, he now felt the massive tightness and bruising from his lower abdomen all the way up his chest. There weren't parts of his body that were hurting, his whole body from the waist up felt as if it were on fire from the stabbing tight pain. He had never been in pain like this his entire life. But he supposed it was a good pain knowing he had made it through everything. His eyes still felt heavy, his whole head was foggy, and overall he just felt like shit. He was becoming more aware of his surroundings, the sounds of his ICU room kicking in. The monitors beeping including the constant beeping everytime his heart would take a beat, the clicking and pumping of the IV and medicine pumps, the noises outside his room, considering his room was literally beside the nurses station no doubt that having something to do with the fact that he was married to one of Rushs top trauma surgeons and having nothing to do with who he was for once, and the constant whispering inside his hospital room. Opening his eyes all the way revealed Dr Tenney and Abbey deep in conversation over something Ryan was holding in his hands.

"Hey" Jesse managed to croak out.

Abbey spun on her heels to greet Jesse with a sweet welcoming and loving smile. He couldn't think of a better sight to wake up to. And that's when he saw it. Abbey had one hand on her hip, it was the way she was positioned and standing, he could see the faintest difference in her abdomen, thr tiniest little bulge there on her stomach, she was faintly starting to show. He smiled brightly back at her knowing that little bulge was their child they had created together.

Ryan acknowledged the voice in the bed.

"Good morning. How are we feeling today?"

"Pain. A lot of it. "

"Don't forget the button Jess" Abbey reminded him. Jesse fiddled sround with his hand until he found the cylinder shaped remote and hit it the allotted 3 times. But the strange part, Jesse found, was the clicking didn't stop. A soft click, followed by silence, followed by another soft click, more silence, soft click. He knew he was drugged and pretty much out of it but he was with it enough to know he wasn't clicking the button anymore.

"Sorry, this is going to hurt but I have to take a listen"

Dr Tenney rubbed the bell of the stethoscope in his hands as he cleared room on Jesse's chest for a listen. Ryan was correct. As the blankets and his gown were moved down, Jesse just closed his eyes and took the pain. But it was when Ryan applied the stethoscope to his chest that caused a moan from Jesse. He bit his lip as Ryan moved the stethoscope around his chest.

Abbey went to Jesse's side and softly rubbed his shoulder and caressed her fingers through his hair.

"I know I'm sorry" Ryan apologized as he moved all around Jesse's chest checking everything out thoroughly. When he hit that special spot, just above Jesse's aorta, he couldn't help but smile a bit, nodding as he listened against the rooms dead silent anticipation.

"Guess what's gone?" He acknowledged

"Already?" Abbey asked.

"Yeah once the issue is fixed, it goes away pretty quickly. And instead of repairment we just replaced his aortic valve. So it's sounding great. The only hint of a murmur is the sound of the aorta rubbing against the drainage tubes and wiring but once we get all that removed, you will have a completely healthy sounding heartbeat. "

"Wow kinda crazy" Jesse said.

"Yep pretty amazing" Ryan said as he pulled the earpieces out of his ears but kept the bell pressed against Jesse's chest and looked towards Abbey