Drexia Vinton

Drexia Vinton was a neurologist who worked at Sebour General, during the events of Sebour and Sebour Rising. She was married to fellow doctor Andrew Vinton.

Quinton's Life Hangs In The Balance
Just as the transport amublance was about to leave the hospital with bells and whistles going Vinton walked out with the paramedics and said "Listen guys, an escort has been cleared. You've got a police escort to get to Sebour General." "Dr Vinton, if I may, it's still a half-hour drive to General, even if we go full-pace Vinton, even good conditions take awhile to get there." "I understand that. But escort right now is easier. Bells and whistles." The paramedic nodded as he said "Peggy's already there, I'll go with you guys. I need both of you in the seats. I'll be back here to comfort him." as the paramedics got into the amublance, Vinton got into the back with Quinton. Vinton closed the back of the doors, and sat down next to Quinton. The Medic turned on his radio and said "Patient transport with escort leaving for Sebour General. ETA 35 minutes." "Patient Transport with Escort confirmed, awaiting arrival." the radio turned off as the ambulance started. The sirens started blaring as the ambo started moving. At the hospital Peggy was talking to Linda with Linda asking questions. "Who is it?" Peggy handed Linda the scans and said "Oh wow. That's 4cm long." "Acoustic Neuroma." Linda turned her head and said "I might be a neuro person, but I've only ever removed one." "I know. That's why I brought in Dr Drexia Vinton." "Andrew's wife? She's one the best in the country." as the door opened Drexia came out and said "It's not going to be an easy surgery that's for sure. Who is the patient, getting a police escort in a transport ambo?" Peggy put her head down and said "It's Quinton. Those scans are his." a look of distress on Linda's face showed her shock, "How didn't he know? I mean the attitude change, the blurry vision.." "A lot of patients who have this, think its just headaches and body changes, it's not his fault, he's been through hell and back the last year or so, and last year he did spend time rehabbing serious injuries.." "What happens if he wakes up from surgery? Or when?" said Karl. Vinton said "There's always the risk of brain damage. Memory loss, hearing loss. Everyone needs to be there for him when he wakes up. He's going to need it now more than ever." they all nodded as Vinton said "Surgery has been prepped for his arrival, we go in, remove the neuroma, and check for any more dangers. I gotta scrub in." "But it takes a good 30-50 minutes to get here from the trauma hospital, even if you are with an escort!" "I take my time. I'll be in operating room 1. The Neuro Unit.". In the ambo, Quinton was holding his head in agony as the sirens blarred. "Vinton, get them to turn off the sirens.. Andrew please..." Andrew holding Quinton's shoulders said "I'm sorry Quinton, but I can't do that. When we are escorting you need to be full get-up-and-go." Quinton yelled out in agony as he said "It isn't a request Andrew. I am telling you...ah..My head, the right side feels like it's going to explode.". Vinton felt Quinton's pulse it was racing as the paramedic took to the radio again. "Radio one to Sebour General. Patient is becoming agitated, noise sensitivity is there, should I turn off the sirens, it's getting worse." "Radio one, negative, if noise sensitivity is getting worse, please do. Can aggrivate symptoms, turn it off." the radio was put back down and the sirens was turned off but were still flashing. Vinton holding Quinton's arm and said "Quinton, Quinton can you hear me?" Quinton slowly nodded and turned to Andrew and said "I'm scared Andrew. I really am.". Andrew nodded as Quinton said "I've really loved working at the trauma hospital mate." "Hey, you've been a good addition, and if you can get better I want you to join the team for the rest of your suspension, no matter what Peggy says, your suspension will still count when your sitting in that bed. And while you know it, it'll be a hell ride in physio, like you know, the strongest people who survive." "Thanks Andrew.". Quinton then said "Give me the oxygen mask mate. Turn it up to 80." "Are you struggling to breathe mate?" "Not at the moment please trust me on this one." Andrew nodded as he grabbed the oxgyen mask and replaced the oxgyen prongs. Quinton's face went from calm to scared. As the ambo reached the hospital, the police car pulled to the side and the ambo stopped in the ambo bay. The two paramedics got out and so did Andrew. Andrew opened the back doors as the paramedics were getting Quinton out, and said "Quinton's BP is up and his heart rate is 100. GCS is 14 and he's complaining of severe pain coming from the right side of his head. Oxygen stats decreased en route and mask was put on as precaution." "Alright we need to move now. Straight to the Neuro-unit operating room." as the doctors ran off with the bed and Quinton on it. As Andrew closed the back door, the paramedics got back into the ambo and wrote down stuff. Andrew walked over to the emergency enterance where he was met by Peggy. "Andrew, how you holding up?" "As good, as someone who just escorted there doctor to hospital." Peggy nodded and said "My office we need to talk." as Peggy and Andrew went into Peggy's office she said "I think it's time for the Trauma Hospital to get a neuro-surgical ward." "You don't think we tried that Peggy?" "Not hard enough Andrew." "Listen Peggy. We don't have enough cases for a neuro-surgical unit, we're not a big enough hospital. This hospital has its own Cardiac ward! What do you want me to do about it? Grow funding? I don't know about it Peggy but we have neurologists at the trauma hospital, but we don't have a big enough roster for a neuro-unit." "Don't play that one on my Andrew. We sent one of our doctors to you for a year!" "Alright, want to know something Peggy? I offered him a job for the rest of his suspension, even if he doesn't return to medicine within his timeframe, he can work on files and do a lot of jobs around the hospital. Peggy you know what you did?" "What did I do Andrew, tell me that?" "You have never been there for your brother, right now he's having surgery, and he might not remember who you are when he wakes up. Because you've always been busy with your medical career." "My medical career is the thing that kept me going. I have no regrets on pushing him out of my life. After he got arrested I did what I had to do to survive." "By removing him from your files? Peggy at the time he went to jail he was 32! You were just promoted to Head of Emergency Medicine at the age of 25. The youngest doctor to ever recieve an honour such as that. You've done nothing but prove how selfish you were." "I don't have time for this Andrew." "What are you going to do, sit outside his surgery? You know you can't do that." "Just like the time he did do surgery on my brain? I was kind of rail-roaded into that one Andrew!" "Enough! Listen to yourself Peggy. For once listen to what I am about to say.." "And what's that?" "Quinton, is a hell of a doctor no doubt to that fact. He has buried his son 3 months ago and not long after that he buried a colleague he worked with for 20 years. As well as Michelle dying! You right now need to be a sister. Not a doctor. And don't worry, I'll see to it we get funding for a Neuro-surgical unit.." Andrew went to the door and opened it, he slammed it shut. As Peggy sat down, she opened her draw and pulled out a photo of her and Quinton, she said to the photo "I hope you pull through. You bloody menance." Peggy put the photo down. She stood up and took off her labcoat and put it on the jacket rack, she also took off her stethoscope and put it with her labcoat. Peggy walked over to the door and opened it as Linda said "Peggy, he's in surgery now, he'll be there for a while. We will keep you informed." Peggy nodded and said "Right now.. I am family.." "Can I get that in writing?" "Shut up Kennedy." Linda nodded as she walked with Peggy to the recovery ward. "Right now, they're in his brain removing the Neuroma slowly." Peggy nodded as she sat down in the hallway. "I'm all he's got now you know.." "I know.". Several hours past as Peggy sat with different people, she waited until she saw Dr Vinton. "He's out of surgery now Peggy. We've had to take the pressure off of his heart and put him into a coma. He's breathing on his own, so he wont need to be tubed. It went well, considering his age he did very well." "Can I see him?" "Of course you can Dr Newton." "Please, when I don't have the coat on, call me Peggy, please." Vinton nodded as she smiled and tapped Peggy on the shoulder. She walked away. 10 minutes later Peggy went into Quinton's room and held his hand.

A Nervous Wait
It was 36 hours after Quinton had his surgery, and Peggy was still sitting with Quinton, him lying there in the bed, after his brain operation. Quinton was still in a coma to take the pressure off of his heart, but he was doing really well post surgery. Peggy was talking to him as she just finished up in the ER she decided to visit him. "I really hope you pull through this you menance. As much as I care about you Quinton, I really wish you took better care of yourself I really do.." the machines beeping like normal just as Peggy left Quinton's room she was standing outside the room, as Drexia said "He's progessing well after surgery, 36 hours after it we expect too much from these patients, but we like to see what their obs give us as well. And as I said, it will be a wait to see when he wakes up if he has suffered damage we will know. I never expected him to go through this type of surgery." "What happens if he has suffered brain damage?" Peggy said as she was walking with Vinton. "It could mean his medical career is over, or he wont go back into surgery again." "He pushes himself, you know that." "He can't do that anymore Peggy. Right now he is lying there with his body healing. He needs as much time as possible to be able to get around. A lot of people can come out okay. Others don't regain memory." "He could forget the he has a sister?" "You made that clear enough for everyone else. You've done everything you can to have a relationship with him. But its possible he'll think he's still in the force." "Shit..". As they walked into the lobby of the hospital, and sat on a chair in the main lobby, Vinton had a coffee in one hand and her phone in the other, she put her phone away to tell Peggy, "Listen, I know you're concerned with everything about his heart, but we do realise as well heart patients need a lot more care, then regular patients. He did well considering..", Vinton's pager went off, she looked down at it and swore. "Aw..Fuck.." "What?" Vinton started running without telling Peggy anything so she followed. "Drexia, what, what is going on?" as Vinton made it to the room, a nurse said "His temp has gone up to 38.5. He has a fever." Peggy walking in and catching her breath as Vinton said "Get out Dr Newton please, you cannot be in here right now." "If its his temp, whats the matter?" Quinton's heart rate increased to a dangerous beat. As Linda came in and said "Caroid massage now. Get that heart rate down." said Linda as Peggy said "Tell me what is going on." the machines were going off as Vinton said "Dr Kennedy, watch his pulse and heart rate. He's stable right now, but that can change any moment." Peggy said "You'll think he will crash?" Vinton rubbed her head and walked over to Peggy. "Dr Newton, right now you're needed in the Emergency Room. They are missing their head of Emergency Medicine." "I'm not leaving.." "Andrew got to you didn't he? Peggy listen to me, he will be fine once we get his heart rate down. What you need to do is keep yourself busy. Because your sistering is making it difficult for us to do our jobs." "I get that.. But.." "No buts Peggy. We need you to leave." Peggy nodded in defeat and went over to the door and opened it. As she walked out, Vinton locked the door so she couldn't get back in. Peggy chuckled to herself as she moved over to the window, and saw them work on him. "Linda, what's his heart rate?" Linda looking at his heartrate and said "He's bradycardiac. He's about to crash." "Prep the paddles and adrenline on standby." as they waited for Quinton to crash, Peggy was to busy watching from the outside. "I understand that." "Understand what?" "Why Peggy did what she did. I would've done the same thing." said Linda. "I overheard Andrew yelling at her. He brought up a good point. Sebour General, relies to much on The Trauma Hospital. A neruosurgical unit for the trauma hospital would take a lot of pressure off us as well. We barely got by for the funding of our cardiac ward, but it saves more people every year than going overseas." then Quinton's machine and he crashed. "He's crashed!" as Linda felt for a pulse, "He's still got his pulse, but his heart has stopped." "Charge 300." said Vinton. "Charging 300." "Are we clear?" "Clear." "Again. Charge 320." "Charging 320." "Clear?" "Clear!" then his heart beat came back. "Heartbeat! It's 90, BP is rising steadily. He's stable for now." Vinton put the paddles back on the crash cart as she looked out of the window and saw a distraught Peggy barely keeping it together. "Dr Kennedy, you trained in Cardio-Neurology?" "I did why?" "This is a huge complication." "Not neccesarily. He was fine post op, yes?" "Of course, he was placed into a coma to take the pressure off of his heart, he was GCS 10 after surgery.." "It's been 36 hours you and I both know how the first 2 days are after major surgery. He was always going to crash because of his heart, he right then had oxgyen go to his brain. We shocked him twice and got him stable. That right now is all that matters. But I would send him for a scan just in case and order a cardio exam for him." Vinton nodded and said "Can we do obs first than a scan?" Linda shook her head, "We can do both on the way to the machine." as Lidna reached for an oxygen mask, she moved the nasal prongs out of the way and said "Looks like you don't need the prongs anymore. The mask should be more suitable for you Quinton.." as Linda put the mask on Quinton, she performed his obs, and Vinton unlocked the door and let Peggy in. "What happened?" "He crashed, but he will be okay. His obs are looking much better. We're sending him for a scan." said Linda. "I'm confused, why did he crash?" "It's not uncommon, Dr Newton. He has been through a tough ordeal. Surviving surgery for one. He made it past the 24 hour window after major brain surgery.." "There's a window?" "Because the brain is so delicate and death is rarely common after this type of surgery, there is a survival window. If you make it past 24 hours, you will do everything to better your recovery. Even minor surgeries have windows. But this one is more complicated due to the risks of surgery." said Linda. "He right now is GCS 13. Which is good. If he wakes up in the next couple of days, we will see where he is suited on the scale." as Linda was helping Vinton move Quinton/his bed to the MRI room to see if there was damage done from him crashing they ran into Terese Hills, who was leaving, "Is that Quinton?" "Would it surprise you Terese?" "No, It wouldn't but what happened?" "We can walk and talk, there's a lot to catch up on." as they wheeled Quinton in to his MRI scan, Linda and Terese were talking about what happened. "Quinton was suspended from the hospital, because he trashed his house and got arrested. He was working at the Trauma hospital, when he was talking to a doctor and he felt these symptoms. They did a scan and found a brain tumour call an Acoustic Neuroma. It can change someone. Sometimes aggression and misunderstanding comes from the neuroma." "How long did he have it for?" "That's the thing.. We don't know.." "This explains his behaviour?" "As I said Terese, it was 4cm long. So it's been there a year and a half from what we know, before Claude came to visit." "So, the assault.." "Wasn't the neuroma. And you have to remember it was a scuffle.." "I still got hurt Linda.." "I know you did, but if you are thinking that this neuroma caused him to attack you.. You are mistaken.." "How the hell does it appear in a year then? I mean?" "I don't know Linda. But we do know the Neuroma is slow growing, we don't know what its exact cause is, but we know how to treat it. When it gets to the extreme for somone, emergency surgery is the only way to remove it." Terese nodded and said "What happens to him then, after surgery?" "He had to be placed into a coma, taking pressure off of his heart." "Serves him right.." "Excuse me? Are you saying he deserved to get a brain tumour? After everything he has been through?" "Of course not.." "Sounds like it Terese. Don't forget he helped you walk again, so don't be a pissy little bitch." "I beg your pardon.." "You heard me Terese. We all know the reason you don't wear heels anymore is because you screwed up your own recovery from tibial-patellar surgery and walked unaided and blamed Quinton for it. Yeah he knew what you did, and he didn't say anything. So let me tell you this. You can sing, we all know that. You lived in New York? Yeah we got that as well. But the one thing I don't need to hear is you complaining to your friends, that your surgeon messed up your surgery. Quinton has done nothing but be a good fucking doctor while he's been in Sebour, a lot of people can see that. But you can't. I get you hate him for what he did to you, but you have to face a fear one time or another, because yes he did have feelings for you, and yes he got suspended because he misdiagnosed you, but he put his neck out for A LOT of people here. So how about you show him a little more respect? Or maybe you can't because you forget he comforted you whilst your daughter was having major reproductive surgery. You seem to have a short memory Terese." Terese scoffed as Linda said "get out of my site. You make me sick." "Be glad to." "Oh and don't forget, he loved you as well. Being a total bitch doesn't help all the time does it.." "I know he loved me, but I had/have Paul now. I don't know if I could love someone as much as Quinton.." "Prove it. When we take him back to his room. Prove it. Talk to him." Terese laughed and said "I know what you're trying to get me to do." "And...Is it working?" "Yes.. Yes it is.." "You do know what I said is true though?" "I know.. I do really do." As Vinton came out with Quinton, she said "Scan came back clear. No damage to his heart, or his brain, which is good news. Considering that his heart has been through hell these last few years, he's doing a good job..." "Because he is always active. He takes his meds when he needs to.." As Quinton was wheeled back to his room, Terese, Vinton and Linda were in the room watching over him. Terese walked over to Quinton and sat on a chair next to the bed. She put her hand on Quinton's and said "I don't hold a grudge anymore. Just so you know. I haven't held one in years. You were drunk when that scuffle happened and I egged you on when you said it was your house. Nothing from that day, can make it feel better, but knowing how far you have come, as saved a lot of people, means I can put my feelings aside... So when you wake up please be ok.."  Terese stood up and kissed Quinton's forehead. She walked over to Linda and said "I have to be going now. But thank you for setting me straight.." Linda nodded as Terese walked out of the room. Linda smiled as she went over to Quinton and took obs. "You, keep taking obs like that.. And i'll never get better.." said Quinton. "Quinton...You heard that?" "Of course..." Quinton slowly opened his eyes and said "Hard not to.." "Vinton, page Peggy, Quinton's woken up." "Alright, since you had surgery 3 days ago now. I need you to know this. I want three answers from you.." "Alright go.." "What is your name?" "Quinton Stephen Philips.." "Alright good. What is the name of the surgical speciality you work in?" "Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery in the Emergency Room.." "One more.. Do you know your sisters name.." "Peggy." Linda smiled and said "Good. Good. Now I want you to follow my finger with your eyes." Quinton did that, as Peggy was sitting in his office, her pager went off saying 'He awake now. Should come. -Vinto', Peggy grinned as she left her office for Quinton's room. "Now touch your nose with your left than your right fingers." Quinton did that. Then a knock at the door. "Come in.." said Vinton. The door opened as Peggy said "How long has he been awake for?" "An hour. After he crashed we didn't expect him to wake for another 3 days.." "But of course. The body does what the body wants.".. "Now Quinton, squeeze me hands as hard as you can.." Quinton squeezed and then stopped. "Now feet. Push my hands back." Quinton did that. "What's the verdict Dr Kennedy." "GCS is 15. No neurological deficit. He remembers who we are. His memory is intact." 'Welcome back Dr Philips." "Thank you Dr Newton. Dr Vinton." "You can call me Peggy, Quinton.." "I'd rather pass on that at the moment. I understand we have a rocky relationship by the tone of your voice." Peggy rolled her eyes and said "He's not serious is he?" Quinton laughed and said "Of course not!" Peggy sighed a huge sigh as Vinton said "She never lefft your side. She loves you mate. As a sister she's doing a bang up job." "She is. Thanks for everything Peggy."as another knock on the door happened. It was Andrew. "Ah Andrew. How are you doing?" "Much better that I know you are awake. Do you remember the last thing we talked about?" "I do. I still stand by my offer. The Trauma hospital is a great hospital. That's why I wanted to donate $50,000 towards a neurosurgical unit." "You have 50k Quinton?" "I did play in the NOL for 6 years, got a retirement payout and all that jazz.. I have left over cash I'd like to spend, and a donation toward a neuro-unit for Sebour Trauma, would be the best place to put it.." "Well that's what I have come to discuss. It took 30 years for it to happen, but we got greenlighted for the neuro-unit. Your donation helps out alot thank you Quinton.." Quinton smiled and said "Of course. I'm happy to help." as the day went on Quinton had his head dressing changed and moved into a new room, where it was quieter. Quinton stayed in ICU for 2 weeks, before being sent to rehab. Quinton did well in his rehab and returned to light work duties at Sebour Trauma and oversaw the construction of the neurosurgery unit.