On The Prowl (standard:mystery, 7298 words)
Author: Sarah Spenser	Added: Nov 28 2005	Views/Reads: 3037/2188	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
See if Allie lives in this next chapter!

3. Feverish Pace 

Connor talked to Allie during the drive to the hospital. He felt her
head periodically and noted that she was burning up. He knew that her 
escape from the hospital only made her worse, and fear gripped his 
heart as he pulled in to the ER's ambulance bay. He parked the car far 
enough away so the ambulances could pass, and scooped Allie up and 
dashed inside. "Someone help!" he shouted frantically trying to get the 
receptionist's attention. "What's the problem, sir?" she asked annoyed 
putting down her stack of paperwork. "My wife's unconscious! She has a 
really high fever and she escaped from the hospital and ..." "Slow 
down, sir. Beverly we need help out here!" Beverly came running around 
the corner and gasped when she saw Allison. "We've been looking all 
over for her. Where did she go?" "To the river. She followed me, 
Beverly. Then she just collapsed! She regained consciousness on the way 
here but just for a moment. I'm scared." His heart was pounding as the 
color drained from his face. He was pale and Beverly was afraid she'd 
have two patients to treat if she didn't calm him down. "Connor, calm 
down. We're going to do all we can for Allison. Let me get her into a 
cubicle. Go wait in the waiting room. I'll be out to talk to you as 
soon as I know anything." Connor walked slowly to the waiting room, but 
not before calling Lynn and his parents. 

Beverly worked feverishly over Allison to try and determine what was
wrong. She had suspected an infection of some sort, her fever was still 
very high and they were no closer to determining the cause. Beverly 
took Allison's temperature again and noted that it was 104. She dialed 
Amanda Shephard and while she waited for her to arrive, she tried to 
bring Allison around. "Allison? It's Beverly. Can you hear me?" but she 
didn't respond, Beverly tapped her lightly on the shoulder. But still 
nothing, Amanda appeared frazzled in the doorway when she finally 
arrived. "She escaped!" Amanda said rushing to attend to Allison. "She 
did. Connor found her by the river. She must've followed him there. 
Then he says that she just collapsed." "Okay, did you take her 
temperature?" "It's 104. I want to do a blood count." "Do it, put a 
rush on it. Do  a ABG, CBC and Chem7." Amanda ordered. Beverly drew 
Allison's blood and sent it off to the lab. She then moved Allison back 
to her room. When she entered the waiting room to update Connor, she 
saw the three familiar faces that she had come to know. Clint and 
Thelma sat huddled on a couch, while Lynn wept openly. Connor was doing 
his best to comfort her as tears cascaded down Lynn's cheeks. "She's 
going to be fine, Lynn. She's a fighter, she has Francie and me to live 
for." "You don't know that!" Lynn sobbed dabbing at her eyes. "No, but 
I know Allie. She isn't going to give up that easily." Beverly stood 
quietly observing the situation. She cleared her throat and approached. 
"Connor, I have some news for you." "How is she?" Connor asked 
breathlessly. "Well, we don't know what's causing her fever, she's 
probably unconscious because of the fever. Her fever's 104, we're 
running some blood tests to see if anything shows up there." "Can I see 
her?" "Yes of course. We just moved her back to her room. She's still 
unconscious." "I just want to sit with her." Connor said rising from 
his chair. 

He entered Allie's room quietly and sat by her bed. He took her hand and
talked to her in a low whisper. As he looked at her, guilt welled up 
inside him. Why did he leave her home and go to work? Why didn't he 
have Bob or another officer search the river? She wouldn't be in this 
state if he had stayed with her. He wouldn't have let her out of his 
sight. He wondered how Beverly had let her escape, but that didn't 
matter now. All that mattered was that Allie was well again. "Allie, I 
love you, honey. You're in the hospital. You collapsed at the river 
bank. But Beverly and Amanda are taking care of you and you're going to 
be just fine, sweetness. You have to be fine, Allison. I don't know 
what I'd do without you. Eagle's playing you like a fiddle, he knew 
that you would go down to that river. That was one hell of a crazy 
thing you did, Allie! How could you do such a thing? You jeopardized 
your health for what?" he stopped realized that he was yelling at her 
instead of talking to her. "Oh, Allie, I'm sorry. I love you so much, 
honey. I don't know what to do anymore. We're all here, sweetheart. 
Lynn, and my parents, we're all pulling for you. The last 6 years have 
been the happiest years of my life, Allie. I love you with all my heart 
and soul, and I never thought I'd find love after Grace. I thought I 
was a doomed man, until you came into my office that day and charmed me 
with those captivating blue eyes of yours ..." he stopped speaking when 
he saw her eyes flicker. "Allie?" he said softly. She stirred and 


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