Disclaimer: The characters of Grey's Anatomy belong to their creator Shonda Rimes and ABC. I am making no profit from the production of this work of fiction.
Quick A/N- The finale sent my mind working a mile a minute. My personal life has been stressful and it has been months since I have been able to put anything down on paper, but that brilliant episode opened up the floodgates so to speak, and I found myself with a notebook with the story ideas just flowing out of me. This is one of them. I hope I have the names right. Besides Jackson, the Mercy West crew has really just been the B (or C) storyline characters, but I thought Percy deserved a little bit more. Hope you enjoy.
I had been saying something, but I can't remember what. I feel like I've forgotten to breathe and take a deep breath. It's the kind of breath you take once you break to the surface of a body of water, an almost involuntary gasp of air. I anticipate a struggle, but there is none. No pain, my lungs have stopped fighting against the agonizing process of breathing. I had been… talking to Bailey. I turn my head to look at her and she's gone. I'm alone. My hand strays to my stomach and I feel nothing. A look confirms my scrubs are immaculate; all traces of blood are gone. What's going on? Was it all a dream?
I stand up and look around the vacant corridor. Is this a dream? An electric hum startles me and I turn to face the elevator I had been laying in front of. In the silence of the hallway I can hear the gears turning and the metal box being pulled up on its cables as the number lights flash to track its progress. The ding it emits almost makes me flinch as it settles into place and then the doors open to reveal a man standing there in scrubs with a lab coat. He has brown hair and blue eyes. He looks to be about the same age as me, maybe a little older. I'm caught off guard as he smiles at me in a friendly manner like he knows me.
"Charles Percy, right?" He asks as he extends a hand in greeting.
"Yes." I say slowly as I clasp his hand through the doorway of the elevator. "And you are…?"
"George O'Malley."
The name bounces around in my head. It sounds so familiar…
"I'm dead." I say as the pieces all fall into place.
He gives another smile. "You're moving on." He grabs a hand and pulls me into the elevator.
I want to protest, but the doors close before I can. How can I move on? How can I leave it all behind? How can I leave her behind? He leans forward and pushes a button. The elevator gives a small lurch and begins to move downward. The motion causes a panic to grip my chest. "Am I going to Hell?" I yelp in alarm.
He actually releases a guffaw of laughter at my words. "Sorry," he apologizes as he recovers. "I should have told you I had one more stop to make."
It feels like a mini eternity in the moments it takes the elevator to reach the floor he punched in. It comes to a stop and the doors open to…
Her. Reed. She's standing in front of the elevator, a look of confusion written across her beautiful face. My vision becomes blurred and I know I'm about to cry, but I don't care. Is this real? Is this true? If O'Malley is dead and I'm dead…
"Percy?" She breaks into my thoughts. "What's going on?"
I want to speak, but the words won't come out. Not Reed. Not my beautiful, strong, sassy Reed.
"We're here for you, Reed." I hear O'Malley say softly. "It's time to go."
I see the fear in her eyes, those gorgeous eyes, as it all becomes clear to her. "He shot me… he killed me."
"Reed." My voice is hoarse as I finally find the words I need. "I know this sucks," I try to smile through my tears. "But I'm here. I'm with you." I hold my hand out to her. "I can't go without you." And as much as I wish my Reed was still alive, I know my words are true. I can't go without her.
She's still hesitating, looking at my hand. Tears are streaking down her slender face, her sadness causing a physical ache in my chest. "I can't do this without you." I confess to her. "I love you. I've loved you since the day I met you. Please, give me a chance. It must be some kind of sign that it all led up to this."
She smiles at me through her tears. "I know you love me. Girls always know." She places her small hand into my outstretched one and I feel a warmth flow through me at her touch. "If you're with me, I can go."
She steps into the elevator and O'Malley gives her an encouraging smile. I grasp her hand tightly as she stands next to me. I'm moving on. We're moving on. Together.
Once again O'Malley leans forward to press a button. With the smile still on his voice he announces in a chipper tone: "Going up!" and the doors to the elevator slide closed.
Ending A/N- I know it is short, but I hope it was worth the random hour of writing in the middle of the night Please review.-JediScully