Beyond Always (Lex and Amanda Series)

by Carrie Carr

  "Sssh." Amanda bent and helped with her boots then slid the well-worn jeans down Lex's legs. "We can have fun another time."

  Once she had Lex dressed in her pajamas and tucked under the covers, Amanda went to the bathroom and returned with the cold medicine. The water in the paper cup fizzed as she handed it to Lex. "Bottoms up."

  Lex made a face at her but did as she was told. "Thanks."

  She grinned when Amanda took the cup away and motioned for her to lie back. "Are you gonna read me a story, too?"

  "I can, if that's what it takes to keep you in bed."

  "There's several ways to--" Lex broke into another coughing fit. By the time she was finished, Amanda had tucked another pillow beneath her head to keep her from lying flat. "Damn."

  Amanda sat beside her and touched Lex's cheek. "Did you take anything for your fever when you came up?"

  Lex closed her eyes at the cool touch. "Nah. That cold stuff should help," she answered hoarsely. "Mind leaving your hands? They feel good."

  "Sure." Amanda continued her gentle caress until Lex fell asleep. "Sleep well, love."

  AMANDA CONSIDERED IT a major victory when Lex didn't come downstairs for lunch. After Charlie took Eddie home with him, she cleaned up their dishes and decided it was time to wake Lex and get her to eat. She heated a bowl of chicken noodle soup and placed it on a tray with a slice of homemade bread and a glass of iced tea.

  Upstairs, she stopped at their door. Part of her wanted to let Lex continue to rest. It wasn't often she would take time off, no matter what the reason. Amanda put a smile on her face and stepped into the room.

  Lex hadn't moved since that morning. Her mouth was slightly open and a rattling wheeze came out with each labored breath.

  "Honey?" Amanda placed the tray on their dresser before she crossed the room. "I've brought you some lunch." She sat next to her wife's hip and touched her cheek. "Come on, love. Time to wake up."

  Lex continued to wheeze, but didn't wake.

  Amanda was alarmed by the heat coming from Lex's face. She lightly swatted Lex's face. "Lex, wake up."

  Her labored breathing continued, but slowly Lex opened her eyes. "Wha--" a rattling cough cut her short. She found herself raised into Amanda's arms with her forehead resting on her wife's shoulder. "God."

  "Sshh. I've got you," Amanda whispered, as she held Lex close. Once Lex's breathing slowed, Amanda leaned back so she could look into her eyes. "Now can I call Rodney?"

  Lex struggled to keep her eyes open. "Yeah." She closed them and rested against Amanda again.

  Keeping one arm around her wife, Amanda grabbed the cordless phone from the nightstand and used her thumb to hit the speed dial. The medical office's receptionist answered on the second ring.

  "Hi, Ellen. This is Amanda. Does Rodney have a moment to talk? Sure, I can hold. Thanks."

  Another cough came from Lex, this time ending with a strangled gasp. She accepted a tissue from Amanda and spit into it. "Ugh."

  The slight action had worn her out. Lex closed her eyes and leaned against the headboard.

  "Honey, I...oh. Hi, Rodney. I'm sorry to bother you, but Lex seems to have come down with something, and I was wondering," Amanda paused as Rodney spoke. "Fever, horrible cough and she just recently started having trouble breathing."

  Amanda listened as her eyes never left Lex's face. "We thought she might have gotten a cold from the swim in the creek. What? Yes, she's burning up, but I'm not sure what her temperature is."

  Amanda kept the phone in place by resting it between her head and her shoulder, as she used her hand to touch Lex's face. "Honey?"

  Lex stifled a cough and opened her eyes. "Yeah?"

  "Rodney wants to know if your chest hurts."

  "Like a horse sittin' on me."

  "Did you hear what she said? Uh huh. Are you sure? Well, yes. She'd been fighting her allergies for the past week, so we thought..."

  Amanda stood. "Yes, all right. Thanks, Rodney. We'll leave here in a few minutes. Bye." She put the phone back on its cradle and exhaled.

  "Honey, Rodney wants us to head into town."

  "Probably to give me a damned shot." Lex slowly rose into a seated position on the bed and watched Amanda take a pair of sweatpants from the bottom drawer of the dresser. "I can wear what I had on earlier."

  She tried to stand, but a sudden cough kept her seated.

  Amanda rolled her eyes as she brought the sweatpants to Lex. "Humor me. It's easier to get you into these than to try and put your boots and jeans on."

  "I can dress myself," Lex muttered, even as she allowed Amanda to slip the sweats on her legs. "This seems like a lot of work for a damned cold."

  "Maybe. But he thinks it could be more serious than that." Amanda tied the laces on Lex's tennis shoes and patted her knee. "Let me call Charlie and see if he can watch Eddie while we're gone, and maybe pick the girls up from the bus stop, in case we don't make it back in time."

  Lex shakily got to her feet then ran a hand through her hair. "I should have taken a shower."

  "I don't think so. You'll just get more chilled."

  Amanda noticed the tray of food that she'd abandoned earlier. "Damn it. Your soup is probably cold by now."

  "That's okay, I'm not hungry."

  Another hard coughing fit struck, and Lex had to lean into Amanda to keep her balance. Once she caught her breath, Lex slowly straightened. "Right now, a shot's not soundin' so bad."

  THE WALLS OF the tiny examination room seemed to close in on Amanda as she watched her brother-in-law move his stethoscope from one side of Lex's chest to the other. To stay out of his way, she stood behind the head of the table with one hand on her wife's arm. On the opposite wall, a poster of the respiratory system taunted her, and she closed her eyes momentarily to settle her nerves.

  Lex was partially reclined and appeared asleep. The trip from the ranch had drained her of any energy she had left. Amanda had to help her into the clinic and Lex didn't even fuss when Rodney asked her to change from her sweat shirt to a paper gown. Now she rested quietly on the exam table, without her usual bravado.

  Rodney straightened and removed the stethoscope from his ears. He shook his head and patted Lex on the leg, but looked directly into Amanda's eyes. "It's definitely not a cold, but I'd like to get a few chest x-rays before I make a diagnosis."

  Amanda looked from Lex to Rodney. She frowned and cocked her head. "Why? What do you think it is?"

  "Yeah. Come on, Rodney. I don't think--" Lex coughed so hard that she ended up gasping for air.

  Rodney opened the door and called for his nurse, Laura. They conferred quietly before she scurried away.

  In less than five minutes, Laura wheeled a portable oxygen tank into the room and hooked it up to a mask. She brought the mask close to Lex, who turned her head.

  Lex weakly pushed it away. "I don't need that."

  Amanda grabbed her hand. "Shut up and let Laura do her job."

  Her worry continued to grow when Lex surrendered without another word and rested her head against the pillow.

  When Lex closed her eyes, Rodney removed his stethoscope and tucked it into his coat pocket. "Lex, let the oxygen give you a break while I get the radiology room set up, okay? Amanda, let's go outside to talk so she can rest."

  "All right." Amanda kissed Lex on the forehead. "Behave for Laura, or I'll send Ellie in here."

  Lex opened her eyes and gave her a weak smile. Her eyes drooped and closed. "'Kay."

  Amanda followed Rodney into the hallway. "What is it?" she asked.

  "I think the best thing for Lex is to be admitted to the hospital."

  "What?"

  He held up his hands in an attempt to calm her. "I'll need to see x-rays to be sure, but I'm fairly convinced that she has Streptococcus pneumonia. And if that's the case, it'll continue to escalate."

  "Pneumonia? Can't you just prescribe her some stuff and let me take her home? Going to the hospital sounds rather drastic. She bounces back pretty quickl
y when she gets sick. The last time she had the flu, she only needed a day or two to get better." Amanda's worry caused her to babble. "And you know we're going to have one hell of a fight on our hands about this. She'd rest much better at home."

  Rodney gently grasped her forearm. "I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think it was necessary." He squeezed her arm to get Amanda to focus on him. "I don't want to alarm you, but if Lex isn't treated properly, and quickly, she could get much worse. People die of pneumonia all the time. Do you understand?"

  Amanda was quiet for a moment as she considered his words. "You mean like the elderly and children, right?"

  The negative shake of his head scared her. She never considered losing Lex to something as innocuous as a bacteria. She fought down a surge of panic and took a deep breath. "All right. Let me go in and talk to her."

  When he began to follow, she stopped him. "Alone, okay?"

  "Of course. I'll make certain we can rush her through x-ray."

  "Thanks." Amanda slowly opened the door. "Laura, do you mind if I spend a few minutes alone with Lex?"

  Laura checked the meter on the tank and patted Lex on the leg.

  "Not a problem. You just lie there and relax. Amanda, holler if you need anything."

  After the nurse left, Amanda moved to stand next to her wife. She brushed her fingers through Lex's hair. "How are you doing, honey?"

  "Mmm." Lex opened her eyes and struggled to focus. She tried to slip the mask from her face, but Amanda stopped her.

  "Sssh. You don't have to talk. Listen, I spoke with Rodney, and he thinks you may have pneumonia."

  Lex frowned.

  "Yeah, I know." Amanda touched Lex's cheek. "And, it's not going to get better without some serious medication."

  Lex's voice was barely a whisper. "Shots?"

  "No, worse than shots." Amanda fussed with the thin blanket that covered Lex. "Even though he wants to x-ray your chest to be certain, Rodney thinks that you need to go into the hospital to be treated."

  Lex sat up and tugged the mask off her face. "No. Hand me my shirt."

  "Stop it." Amanda took the mask from Lex's lap and slipped it over her head. "You'll do what you need to do to get better. And if going to the hospital for a night or two is what it takes, then I'll personally drive you there and sign you in."

  Although muffled through the mask, Lex continued to argue. "I can--"

  "No, Lex. You can't." Amanda stepped away from the table and walked across the room to stare at the lung poster. She turned to look at her wife, gesturing at the poster behind her. "You can't even take a breath without coughing your head off. This is a lot more serious than a cold, Lex. Breathing is kind of a big deal. So." She moved to stand by the bed. "Do this for me, please?"

  Her laugh was forced as she pushed her hair away from her eyes. "Don't you dare leave me alone with three kids, you hear me?"

  There was a quiet knock on the door before Laura peeked inside. "X-ray time."

  Amanda squeezed Lex's hand. "Are we good?"

  Lex pulled the mask away. "You cheated."

  "How did I cheat?"

  "Kids."

  "I'll use whatever I have to, when it comes to you. Even our children." Amanda kissed Lex's forehead. "I love you."

  "Love you, too." Lex coughed and glared at the oxygen tank. "Hate this."

  Her frown deepened when Laura brought in a wheelchair. "No."

  Laura grinned and whipped the blanket from Lex. "Yes. Be good, or we won't do wheelies down the hall."

  She winked at Amanda as she helped Lex into the chair. "If you want to wait in Dr. Crews' office, we'll be done in a few."

  She turned off the oxygen and disconnected the mask. "Quick reprieve, then back on the good air when we're done."

  "Thanks, Laura." Amanda followed them and watched the nurse push Lex down the hall. "I'd better call the ranch and let them know. Martha's going to throw a fit," she told herself. She turned and almost ran into Ellie, who stepped from another room.

  Ellie laughed and embraced her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just found out y'all were here. Where's Lex?"

  "Laura took her to get some x-rays." Amanda leaned against the wall. "Rodney thinks she may have pneumonia."

  "Oh, no." Ellie glanced toward the radiology room. "Why don't you grab some coffee from the break room and I'll keep an eye on her? I can come get you as soon as she's done."

  Amanda shook her head and hugged herself. "No, that's okay. I'll just go back to her room and wait."

  Ellie gently took her by the elbow. "No, that won't do at all."

  She guided Amanda to the staff break room, which consisted of a small, round table and four plastic chairs, a microwave and a refrigerator. One wall had a row of cabinets. Below them was a steel countertop, which had a sink in the middle, with a coffee pot on one side of the sink. The opposite wall had a worn, gray microfiber sofa.

  Ellie lightly pushed Amanda toward the sofa. "Have a seat."

  "Are you this bossy at home?"

  "Maybe." Ellie opened the cabinet above the coffee maker and searched for a clean mug. "And if I am, Kyle doesn't seem to mind. Ah ha!" She rinsed her find at the sink before she poured the coffee. "Do you want anything in it?"

  "That's not--" Amanda rolled her eyes at Ellie's glare. "Okay. One sugar, please."

  Ellie brought the doctored cup to her. "Can I get you anything else?"

  "No, this is good, thanks." Amanda stared into the dark liquid. "I guess I'd better start making some calls, if Lex is going into the hospital."

  Ellie sat beside her. "Why don't you wait for the results of the x-rays? Nothing against Dr. Crews, but he tends to be overly careful. And if Lex does have to be admitted, I'll be glad to help you with whatever I can. And so will Kyle."

  "Thanks, Ellie. That means a lot to me."

  "No thanks are necessary. That's what I'm here for." Ellie stood and adjusted her purple scrub top. "I'm going to run and check on Lex's progress. Be back soon."

  Amanda removed her cell phone from the back pocket of her jeans. She hit the speed dial number and glanced around the room while she waited.

  On the fourth ring, Martha answered. "Rocking W Ranch, Martha speaking."

  "Hi, Martha, it's Amanda."

  "Hello, sweetie. Are y'all already back from the doctor? Charlie said you might be a while."

  Amanda shook her head, then realized Martha couldn't see her. "No, we're still at Rodney's. He thinks--" She paused as she tried to think of the best way to phrase the news.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Um, Rodney thinks Lex needs to go to the hospital."

  Martha snorted. "For a cold? That's nonsense. He does tend to jump the gun. Why, just last month, he told Charlie that he needed to go to a specialist for his ingrown toenail. Can you believe that? Old Doc Anderson used to just deaden the toe and take care of it. I mean, really. A specialist? Horse puckey."

  "It's not like that. By the time we got here, Lex could barely breathe. He was so concerned that he put her on oxygen."

  "What? And Lexie went along with that?"

  Amanda sighed. "It's not like she had much choice, Martha. We're waiting on the x-rays to be sure, but Rodney believes she has pneumonia."

  "Pneumonia? But Lexie hasn't been sick enough for that." Martha spoke to someone on her end of the call. "No, they don't know for sure. Hush up, Chet."

  She returned her attention to the call. "Amanda? If you need anything at all, give me a call. I can be there in no time."

  "All right, thanks." Amanda got up from the couch and began to pace around the small room. "I'll call you back as soon as we know something for certain. They should be finished with the x-rays anytime, now."

  "Of course, honey. You do what you need to do. I'll have Charlie meet the girls at the bus stop this afternoon. Don't you worry about a thing."

  "Thanks. I'm going to go see about Lex. Talk to you later." Amanda disconnected the call and returned the phone to her pocket. She heard a commo
tion in the hall and went to investigate.

  Two EMT's moved quickly down the hall with a wheeled stretcher. Their rubber-soled shoes squeaked loudly on the shiny linoleum tile.

  Amanda saw Laura at the end of the hall, motioning for the paramedics. She was stopped from rushing past them by Ellie, who had eased by the stretcher. "What's going on?"

  Ellie guided Amanda out of the hallway and into the break room. "Rodney called them. He wants Lex taken to the hospital in Parkdale."

  "I need to be with Lex." Amanda tried to step by her, but Ellie blocked the doorway. "Move."

  "Give them a minute to get her settled. Then we'll follow them over, okay?"

  Amanda grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the door. "No, it's not okay. That's my wife!" Amanda stumbled into the hall in time for the loaded stretcher to head toward her. Lex was strapped to it but in an upright position.

  The paramedic in front stopped. "Excuse us, ma'am. We need to get by."

  Lex pulled the oxygen mask away from her face. "Good luck with that," she gasped, before the paramedic behind her put it back in place.

  "Ma'am, you need to keep quiet," the second paramedic ordered.

  She tried to glare at him, but her eyes wouldn't stay open as she struggled through another ragged cough.

  Amanda pushed by the paramedic and met Rodney at the head of the stretcher. She rested her hand on Lex's shoulder. "What the hell is going on?"

  Rodney tried to move her aside, but Amanda stood firm. "Amanda, please let them do their job."

  "Not until you tell me why."

  "Lex started choking during the x-rays and couldn't get her breath. Her pulse/ox level dropped dangerously low, and I didn't want to take any chances. So I thought it would be best to err on the side of caution and transport her immediately."

  Amanda stared at him for a moment, before she turned her back on him and looked down at Lex. "Looks like you get the fun ride." She played with Lex's hair. "Behave yourself until I get there, all right?"

  Lex tried to remove the mask, but her hand was caught by Amanda.

  "No. Just keep quiet." Amanda leaned closer and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

  Unable to talk, Lex mouthed the words back to her. Their hands remained linked until the stretcher moved away.