I know you're not supposed to do this. But I need to, so I am. Watching this happen to Charlotte was like watching it happen to my best friend. And I would be there for my best friend. Cuz I know how it is. So, I had to write this. That episode still gives me nightmares. So I figure if I create a 'reality' where I can actually help Charlotte, maybe I'll feel better. Maybe you will too.

"Move."

"I beg your pardon?" Pete stared at the woman moving to open the door to the room Charlotte King was in.

"Move. Get out of my way."

"Who are you?"

"Friend of Charlotte's, now move aside. She called me."

"I'm sorry, I can't-"

"Do you really wanna upset her more?"

"She looks really-"

"Doesn't matter," Sara showed him a piece of paper. Pete took it, read it in amazement, then moved aside. The paper was signed by Cooper.

Opening the suite door, she saw Addison Montgomery's back and Charlotte's legs bent up under a sheet.

With a gasp of horror she jumped in the room, blocking the door and shutting it behind her. Blocking Charlotte's compromised position from view of anyone who might be looking through the crack space of door she's squeezed herself through.

Charlotte had been terrified and clamped her legs shut at the sound of the door. To her credit Addison rose to shield her- but not before Charlotte saw the look on her best friend's face.

Horror and rage. And, as she stood there at the door, facing them now, her chest was heaving visibly. But she looked at Charlotte in a completely different way than Addison had. Sara looked at her in pained misery, anguish. Entirely different than pity. And right then Charlotte was sure she'd figured out something about her friend she hadn't known before. And was doubly glad she'd called her- after calling Addison.

"I'm sorry," Addison stepped forward quickly. "You can't be in here."

The woman looked at her as if she'd just grown a second head. She said nothing however, simply made her way to the bathroom, vomited, then walked back into the suite.

Charlotte gave her friend a half smile. "Glad to see you too. Remind me to puke with joy when I see you at the next Christmas party."

"Woulda been here sooner," she replied, "but traffic was a bitch."

"When is it not?"

Sara made a face and walked over to Charlotte.

"Which way can you scoot? Left or right?"

Before Charlotte could object Sara added with a tone of absolute authority and the belief she'd be obeyed, "Cuz I'm hoppin' in bed with you like a lesbian," she clarified.

Addison laughed before she could stop herself.

Too dazed to object, but with the forethought to consider her only working hand, Charlotte moved to her left, noticing that Addison moved with her, keeping the drape in place over her knees.

Giving a curt nod of approval, she gingerly laid next to her in the bed, grasping Charlotte's free hand.

"And who is this?" Addison asked, having realized this was someone that Charlotte knew well and trusted, or she'd have gotten the woman out of the room herself.

Frankly, Addison was grateful for a break in the tension, and that Charlotte did not have to be alone in what would be a very painful pelvic exam. "What's your name?" She asked the woman.

The stranger cut her eyes at her. "That's none of your business. Your business is to take care of Charlotte," she shot out.

The tone wasn't unkind, or not entirely so. It was protective. But the way she'd said it, told Addison this woman, whoever she was, was used to giving orders. And she knew immediately that these women could then not only be friends, but likely were best friends.

I didn't know Charlotte had any friends, she mused. Then felt horrible for thinking that. In her current comprimised state, Charlotte definitely needed a friend. And while Charlotte respected her, they were not friends. She could not lean on her, confide in her the way that she would need.

Charlotte King sighed and gave a disapproving glare.

"This is Sara," she answered. "My friend."

Addison looked at the other woman, Sara, again. Lying prone next to Charlotte, her muscles were sticking up with tension. Addison knew this Sara was ready to kill over what had been done to Charlotte and would have no problem hurting her if she hurt Charlotte.

So she looked at Sara when she said, "I need to perform the pelvic now Charlotte. Just quickly to assess, then that will be it."

Charlotte felt Sara's hand tighten immediately, and she knew what she was hoping wouldn't be true was true- this would be really, really painful. And that Sara knew this, because at some point she'd been through this herself.

She sucked in a breath through gritted teeth, trying not to pass out, and nodded so Addison knew she could begin.

Charlotte could feel Sara's chest heaving next to hers, and though she couldn't see her clearly, due to her being on the side of her now bad eye, she knew her friend was trying just as hard as she was to not cry.

Realizing there was something that needed saying, Sara frantically wracked her brain for this doctor's name. This could only be the woman Charlotte spoke most about. Though she bitched about her, she wouldn't have someone around she didn't trust, especially for this.

What the hell is her name? She thought fast. She knew it was a weird name, and had something to do with math. Algebra? Division? Subtraction-a ha! Addition!

"Addison!" Charlotte's bitchy friend called out her name so urgently and sharply, Addison looked up, surprised she knew her name.

She watched Sara take a deep breath in through her nose to steady herself.

"You just stay down there," she nodded to the drape. "You do not look up at any time. We're not even here. You're not even here, you got that?"

That was definitely an odd request- order. But Addison had to assume that Sara knew Charlotte better than she did, and was saying this for a reason.

"Sure," she smiled.

Sara nodded, as if giving her permission to begin.

Addison laughed to herself. These two were like peas in a pod.

She lay back next to Charlotte, who she noticed had her eyes closed. Seeing Charlotte's injuries up close made her want to puke again, so she looked away and fought the urge.

When Charlotte heard Sara breathing through her mouth, she wondered why. When she felt Sara's other hand on her belly she was shocked. They were friends because they understood each other and respected boundaries. And Sara was not the touchy-feely type.

"Just breathe," she whispered to her, "slow through your mouth. Try to stay as relaxed as possible, and keep your belly relaxed."

Cooper had been touching the same spot the day before.

"Breathe," she repeated, and Charlotte noted, she continued to emulate what she wanted. What the hell, she must know what she was talking about, so she followed along.

"Stay open," she continued.

Charlotte realized she meant her vagina.

"And let her do this. Try not to fight."

"Okay, Charlotte," she heard Addison's voice and it sounded very far away. But Charlotte knew that was probably just her own shock. "I'm just going to put a finger in and check for-"

"You don't talk."

Without looking up, as ordered, she knew this was Sara speaking. Ordering again.

"Just do it and get it done with. She doesn't need to know what you're doing. It's not like she doesn't know already. She's not an idiot. I get that you're helping her, and I'm grateful, but I'm telling you, don't speak. You're not here."

"Okay..." Addison whispered. Hearing no disagreement from Charlotte, she realized that this was Charlotte's wish as well.

"It's just you and me here, okay?" Sara's voice was in her ear. Strong, reasurring and confident. "Just us. Me and you. I'm here for you. Not going anywhere."

Charlotte closed her eyes, faint with fear and nodded.

When Addison began, Charlotte cried out. She couldn't help it. She hadn't known the pain would be so bad.

Then she grit her teeth, and noticed that while Sara hadn't moved in her positioning, one hand on her belly, the other grabbing her hand as tightly as she, Sara was shaking hard. Her entire body.

She whimpered in pained sympathy, finally moving a hand, to place an arm over her chest, as Charlotte keened in pain, her teeth chattering.

Charlotte felt like she couldn't breathe, like she was dying. Like Addison had molten lava inside her instead of a speculum, and was trying to yank the tissue of her vagina out of her body with a blunt knife instead of assessing the damage.

As if hearing her thoughts, Sara rolled onto her side, while still managing to hold Charlotte's right hand with her left, a choice that could not have been comfortable. She turned Charlotte'd face to her chest, to help muffle her cries.

"Holy God," Charlotte gasped, certain she's arrest from the pain. "Oh my god," she moaned.

Sara was stroking her head gently. "it'll be over soon," she whispered, her voice quavering. "She's trying to help," she insisted. "She is helping. She'll helping you."

"Charlotte I'm sorry," Addison spoke up, truly, truly sorry, and could feel Sara's eyes cutting daggers at her as she dared to speak. "I have to open the speculum now."

Charlotte gave a cry of disbelief and anguish. Addison winced in sympathy, realizing then that this was so painful, Charlotte had assumed she's already begun or finished opening the speculum.

I'm so sorry," she repeated. "I'll try to be as quick as possible, as gentle as possible,"

She could hear Charlotte crying lightly, as though she were trying to fight the tears back.

"Just do it," Sara's voice was now a hollow, choked sound.

"Okay here we go," Addison muttered, "Just take a deep breath."

Unable to take it, and shaking as hard as Sara, she broke then and sobbed from the pain. Wanting to beg, wanting to scream to Addison to stop.

"It'll be over," Sara whispered frantically in her ear. "I love you, I'd do this for you a million times if I could. I hate this. I love you and I hate seeing this," she insisted, her words fast and breathy. "And I'm not a lesbian."

Were she not ready to die with pain, Charlotte might have laughed. Sara was the same age as she, but she acted about, 20 years younger at times.

"Going to open it the rest of the way, and we'll be done."

Charlotte closed her eyes tighter, praying for death.

Moving like lightning, Sara pried Charlotte's hand from hers and placed it on her thigh instead,indicating a new squeeze point, as she cradled the other arm under Charlotte's shoulder, holding her firmly. And with eyes closed, Charlotte felt Sara press the fleshy part of her forearm to her mouth.

For a moment she thought it was to help her muffle her pain.

"Bite," was Sara's one word order.

Charlotte's eyes opened then, considering Sara insane. But when she felt the speculum move, she couldn't control it. She opened her mouth to scream, not caring who heard. Sara pushed her arm in, and without another thought, Charlotte then did as told. She bit down hard, still screaming.

Almost immediately she could taste blood, but Sara didn't flinch. She kept her arm firmly placed against Charlotte's mouth, so she couldn't move it if she tried.

Even with her screams and the blinding pain, she could feel Sara shaking as hard as she was, and hear her crying, not from her own pain, but due to the inability to stop Charlotte's.

"It'll be over now," she whispered in her ear.

Charlotte could feel her nodding in permission and approval as she had to bite down harder. She couldn't help it. This shit hurt.

Addison had to work to keep the tears from her eyes. She'd done these kinds of exams before, but hearing Charlotte scream like that? Muffled as it was, though she didn't know why, Charlotte's screams sounded like a woman giving birth.

"Good girl," Sara cooed, "Good 'll be over. It'll stop. I promise. And you'll be okay. And I won't let that bitch touch you again."

"All done." Addison's voice sounded weary, but Charlotte didn't care. She simply sobbed with relief as the woman pulled the torture device out of her.

"Thank you," Sara answered. "Now get out."

Addison gathered her things, cleaned up and headed to the door without another word, when Sara's voice stopped her.

"Give us thirty minutes before you send Cooper in here. Don't even go see him yet. You keep everyone out of here for thirty minutes," she demanded.

"Cooper's here?" Charlotte gasped.

Sara turned to her. "He vouched for me. Don't worry," she reassured her, knowing that last thing Charlotte would want was for him to see her like this, "he's in another part of the hospital cooling off so he doesn't murder someone."

Addison smiled. It was partially true.

"I'll keep everyone away," she answered.

"Thank you." Sara met her eyes then and looked sincerely grateful. And shaken.

After the door closed, Sara fell back against Charlotte with a sigh of exhaustion.

Charlotte just lay there, gasping, trying to recover. Finally she felt alive enough to say, "Now you keep layin' on me like that and I will think you're a lesbian."

With a grin that relaxed her heart Sara shot back, "Shut up, ya ho!"

They both smiled.

Then Sara slid from the bed and made for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere," she answred, then stuck her head out the door.

Looking down the hall, she knew exactly who she was looking for, but she wasn't about to leave Charlotte alone. So she hoped he would be around somewhe-

There.

She nodded to the blue guy.

Calmly he walked over.

"What is it?"

"I need an ice cube, three ice packs, a terry hand towel, a lighter, and a surgical glove."

"Why?"

"Just get them," she answered, "and quickly. Thank you. Knock on the door three times when you have them."

She pulled her face back into the room and shut the door before he could see anything else.