Firstly, to anyone that was reading TH2C, apologies for the unexpected ending. I just felt that the story had reached a good point to conclude. There will be a sequel, this however isn't it! Onwards and upwards and all that, I hope people enjoy this one.
Amelia's POV
One week.
It's been one week since I woke up from my surgery. From the removal of my brain tumour, the tumour that has been growing inside my skull for near on ten years. Effecting my every thought, my every decision. One week since I was unable to speak. Five days since I started talking French out of seemingly nowhere. Two days since I actually started speaking in English again.
It's been one week since I last saw my husband. He was here when I woke up, but that was the last time I saw him.
A whole week with not even a single visit from my supposed husband. I know recently I haven't exactly been fair to him. Leaving our home without a word, staying with Edwards, eventually moving back to Meredith's house, avoiding Owen and Megan when they got to the hospital, but I needed him the last week. I'm not a selfish person, or at least I wasn't, but I needed my husband and he is nowhere to be seen. At least not in my hospital room anyway.
This is probably my own doing and dutifully, I don't blame him at all. If things were the other way around, honestly, I'd probably be doing the same right about now. I fully understand, I've pushed him away and pushed him away, and now, now I need him, or at least I need someone here, someone that isn't my sisters. Someone that can try to understand what I'm trying to deal with. Someone that understands losing a part of themselves and having to rediscover who they are.
I have no idea how much of the last ten years has been my actual behaviour, and how much has been caused by this tumour that has been slowly invading my brain. All the drinking, the alcoholism, the drugs, the smoking, the reckless surgeries on patients, the thinking it's a good idea to operate drunk? Not a single person on this planet, of sounds mind, would do something like that. I almost hope it was the tumours fault, but at the same time, if that was all tumour, who am I? Who is Amelia Shepherd?
"Hi, you up for a visitor?" Arizona asks softly from the door of my hospital room, pulling me from my own self-pity.
"Sure" I respond, beckoning her into the room and forcing myself into a slightly better sitting position as she pulls up a chair beside my bed.
"How are you doing?" Arizona asks kindly.
"You mean other than being bored out of my mind?" I say with a chuckle in my voice.
"I know the pain." Arizona responds with the slightest hint of sadness in her voice.
"So, what brings you to visit me?" I ask after a few moments of silence, not meaning to sound ungrateful for the visit, but trying to understand why someone that I haven't really got to know would show up at my room.
"I remember how it feels to be stuck as a patient in this hospital." Arizona simply responds.
We chat away, happily discussing completely menial and trivial topics, aimlessly passing time, until Arizona's pager blares loudly.
"Sorry, I have to go, this has been fun though, we should do it more often." She says as she rushes out the door, leaving me once again by myself.
Leaving me alone, a silence falls, once again, over my very lonely hospital room. Both of my sisters have busy schedules today, meaning no visits from them.
I begin to wonder about Arizona. How come we never became friends after the removal of Hermann's tumour? We had got to know each other whilst I was working on her case and Arizona was her fellow, but after the surgery, it's like we had never even met each other. It was exactly the same at Hopkins, Arizona was a few years ahead of me, we had been friends to a fashion, but when I had arrived here, it was like we had never even met. Time is a funny thing, people grow apart, together, forget about each other entirely. Time changes people. That is something I am all too aware of.
Lost in my own thoughts, a soft knock on the door pulls me back to reality. Drawing my gaze to the doorway, I see Owen, my husband, stood there. The look on his face is one I know all too well. I've used it myself more than enough times. It's that guilty look when you know you're either going to or already have hurt someone, that look you use when you want to do something you know isn't going to be enjoyable.
"Amelia." Owen says softly, his eyes not meeting mine as he shifts uncomfortably between his feet.
"Owen, it's ok. You married a tumour." I tell him coldly. I don't want to hurt Owen right now, he's doing nothing but love me and try to keep our relationship going steadily, it's always been me that's rocked the boat.
"Amelia, I'm sorry." Owen says, finally moving from the doorway, slowly towards the bed.
Meeting his gaze, I gently remove my wedding ring, Owens actions mirroring my own, and we hand them back to each other. Not a single word more is spoken between us, it isn't needed. Exchanging our rings back, Owen turns on his heel and slowly makes his way towards the door.
"Goodbye Amelia." He says, before disappearing without another word.
We both knew that things had been complicated for a while now, and when we found out about the tumour, everything became crystal clear. It was as if someone had lifted the fog, or turned on the light, every decision, every action over the last ten years had gradually become more and more erratic, more risky. Marrying Owen, I don't regret it, how could I? As far as I was aware I made that decision in sound mind, I wouldn't change it. The past has taught me a lot.
My afternoon is quiet, the tv is playing in the background as I aimlessly watch the pure crap that they show during the daytime, desperately hoping that Thomas is going to come by and discharge me after my neuro checks shortly. My repeat CT showed he got the whole tumour, with little chance of regrowth, something I will always be grateful for, but now I just want to go home and spend time with my nieces and nephew, surrounded by the bustle of Meredith's home.
The hours pass by so slowly when you are confined to a single building. It's completely different, wanting to be in for the day and having no choice by to stay inside. I'm all for lazy days, especially with the crazy schedule that the hospital elicits, but when they're forced, I can't think of anything worse.
"Ooooh Koracick." Amelia excitedly greets her former mentor as he finally enters her hospital room, DeLuca in tow.
"Shepherd, how are you feeling?" He asks, amusement evident in his voice since I've been telling him since I could speak English again that I wanted to go home.
"Perfectly fine, please can I go home?" I ask, begging the neuro god.
"Tests first." He commands, taming me through each of the neuro competency tests I know by memory, making sure to keep him aware of my knowledge as I start the next one without being prompted.
"Mmmm." He ponders aloud.
"Mmmm?" I ask.
"Yeah you can go. But consults only, until I say otherwise!" He orders, leaving the room before I can even think of a smart retort.
"Congratulations." DeLuca says to me with a huge smile, before quickly following his temporary mentor from the room.
I can go home. I'm tumour free and I can go, home. A slightly perplexed expression crosses my face as I thinking about exactly where home is now. Owen and I have just broken up, so I guess home is Meredith's house, for now at least.
"Did he say you couldn't go home? I'll go kick his ass if he did." A soft voice dragging me from my thoughts.
"What's this? Not busy today?" I ask Arizona as she's appeared at my door twice in a single day.
"I am actually. Just passing and you looked glum." She states.
"Oh no, I'm allowed home. I just, I don't know where home is." I tell the blonde doctor, confusion all over her face.
"Owen and I broke up." I clarify.
"Oh." Arizona responds, just as her pager goes off again.
"Sorry, got to run. But, if you need a place to stay, I have an extra room." Arizona says kindly, once again leaving before I have the chance to politely decline her offer.
Just as Arizona leaves my room, Meredith and Maggie appear at the door, apparently finally having a minute to spare in their very busy schedules.
"Hey. How are you today?" Maggie greets happily, pulling a chair up as I begin to get out of bed. Meredith leaning against the door frame.
"What are you doing?" Meredith asks, that tone in her voice that questions if I should be getting out of bed.
"I'm allowed home, so I'm packing." I tell her, not looking at her as I move around the room I have been confined to for over a week.
"That's good news." Maggie squeals, jumping up from the chair and coming to embrace me in a strong hug.
"So you will be coming home with us? Or are you going back to Owen?" Meredith asks, her tone hard to read as per usual.
"Um, I would like to come home with you guys if that's ok?" I tell Meredith, finally meeting her gaze. Her tone completely unreadable, until a smile forms on her lips.
"Of course that's ok. Sisters sticking together!" She says, coming towards me and hugging me tightly as Maggie also wraps her arms around us.
"The gang's back together again." She exclaims excitedly.
That's the first chapter. The story will be set after the removal of Amelia's rumour for anyone that didn't get that. I'm not sure on the direction of the story yet, but as per my last story, it will be an Amezona end game, since I am currently in love with the ship! Thanks for reading. Hit review :)