Troubled Waters

Note--A missing scene from "Virus"...

Kel looked up, battling for lucidity as Dixie walked into the room. He blinked sweat from his eyes, forcing himself to stay awake just a few minutes longer.

"Hi."

Dixie smiled bravely. "Hi, yourself."

"Glad...you came." His voice was hoarse and weak.

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away," she said softly.

"Wanted to see you...one last time," he whispered. He knew the end was nearing--he wouldn't die right away, of course, he'd linger in a coma for a few days, but what kind of life was that?

Dixie approached the bed slowly. "This isn't going to be the last time, Kel."

"All the time we wasted..."

"Is in the past." Dixie forced a calm smile to her face. "All I can do now is be here for you, to the end. And believe me, I will be."

Weakly, he reached up to hold her hand. Even through her gloves, he felt comforted by her touch. "It's so hot..."

"I know it is," Dixie said softly, feeling helpless and utterly unable to do anything to give Kel even a measure of comfort. She hated that feeling.

"Always...loved you..." He was fighting for consciousness now, and he wondered if this would be the last time he'd be able to hold a conversation with her. "Always."

"I know," she whispered, patting his cheek lightly with one gloved hand. "I know." She didn't even hesitate before saying, "Love you, too..."

He nodded, muttering incoherently to himself as he faded out again.

"God be with you, Kelly Brackett," she whispered softly.

Joe took her into his arms in the hallway, knowing the stress of the past week was geetting to her. "Hang in there, Dixie."

"I'm trying, Joe," Dixie whispered. "It's just so hard."

"I know..." Joe agreed. His best friend was dying, and he couldn't do a thing to stop it. "He's fighting this...I just don't know how much longer he can do it."

"He'll make it. He has to," Dixie whispered fiercely.

"By all rights, he shouldn't be alive now," Joe said, guiding her to a chair. He didn't want to give her false hopes, but he didnt want to dash her hope either. "He's not out of the game yet."

"He's a fighter," Dixie said with a soft smile.

"I...I just want to prepare you, Dix," he warned her. "He'll only get worse from here on out, at least until we find a cure. His kidneys have already started to shut down..."

"I didn't want to believe it was that bad..." she said softly.

"I won't lie to you. It's bad. He's not beyond the point of no return yet...but his nervous system is beginning to deteriorate. He'll probably slip into a coma in the next few hours...if you had anything to tell him, this would be a good time."

"I already have," Dixie said with a small, private smile.

Joe nodded, then shook his head. "Dammit, why's this have to be so difficult?"

"I wish I knew."

"I've known him for so long...I can't picture what life would be like without him."

"Honestly, neither can I... and I don't want to," Dixie sighed.

"This ER has a way of turning strangers into family."

"That it does," she agreed.

"I know how much you love him," Joe told her. "Right now, that love's about the best thing he's got going for him."

"And it's about all I can do for him..." She sighed again, shaking her head, then a firm look of resolve settled over her face. "So I'm just going to love him as much as I can and hope that it'll be enough."

"I hope so too. He's been asking for you..." Joe caught her hand as she began to walk away. "Dix? You take it easy, okay? Can't have you getting this bug, too."

"I'll be careful, Joe." Dixie flashed him as much of a smile as she could manage. "I promise."

He nodded, watching her walk back into Kel's room. When will this nightmare end?