Okay, so… I'm a big Addison and Alex fan and I imagined this story a long time ago. But my English is boring so, please let me think if I should pursue it or not. Every advice would be helpful, even if I have plans for this story…
Of course I don't own anything, or Addison will be back in Seattle comforting Alex.
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She couldn't stand anymore. She doesn't know if she made the right decision but right know it felt so good. Packing her things, she remembered her last conversation with Naomi…
"You don't understand what I mean, Nae…"
"Addison, this is crazy… you are crazy…. How can you imagine I will agree with you? Leaving is not an option. Not a solution. You just can't run away every time you feel bad or…"
"This is not an escape… this is me needing to be helpful. This is me needing to get up in the morning for a reason. This is me needing to live for something else… this is me needing to be defined by something and not by someone…"
"Addie, I'm sorry about you and Kevin"
"That's not the point. My life is a mess. My professional success isn't enough to keep me alive. I feel… empty…lonesome... "
"So, you're gonna go back to Seattle"
Addison shook her head. "I can't. Too much history here. Too many men to handle. Last year, when I went to Seattle Grace for a consult I felt I didn't belong here anymore."
"So you're heading back to New York"
"No."
"No? Addie, where are you going?"
"…" She inhales deeply, like her words were breathtaking. "I'm going to Ethiopia"
Naomi stared at her friend deeply. She couldn't quite get why she felt this urgent need to leave, but at least, she kept her promise and support her.
"Ok. If this is what you want…"
"You're not going to tell me I'm stupid?" said Addison sceptically.
"Does it make change if I tell you that?"
"I'm sorry, Nae. You helped me moving here and gave me an awesome job and I probably look like a horrible person but I have to go."
"I'm not gonna tell you're right. But if it's what you want… " She stood up from her chair, moving towards Addison. "I'll miss you. The practice won't be the same without you around here"
Addison hugged her friend briefly before adding "I'll miss you to. Our friendship means a lot to me. And by the way it's just one year. I'll come back… It's just a mission."
She knew it was the right thing to do, pulling the past behind her, looking through her future. There was a little piece of her heart terrifying by this new venture. She lost herself so many times those past years that she felt out of the world she lived. She barely remembered the last time she was proud of herself, not as a surgeon… just as a woman. She was drowning on her sorrow, the memories of her broken marriage still lingering on her mind and she couldn't take much. Addison Forbes Montgomery is a fighter. She was going to prove it.
She arrived at the camp after a chaotic travel in an old jeep, the sun burning her skin, the heat grabbing her body. She couldn't imagine this; the people destroyed by war, famine, and poverty. Her heart was bleeding, her big sapphire eyes damped by emotion. She got out the jeep, meeting Alicia, the Canadian responsible of the mission.
-"Awesome… my new world class gynecologist!" greeted her boss in hurry
Still confused about the setting, Addison opened her mouth without pronouncing a word.
-"This is none of what you imagined, isn't it?"
-"I wasn't prepared… but it's okay…"
-"I know, I didn't tell you the truth because I figured you wouldn't come if you knew. Don't take it personally; it's just that it's not a holiday camp."
-"It's okay, I get it… and I'm glad to be here… I'll do all I can to help."
-"Good, I'm relieved… when I saw your face I thought you were going to run away… So let's move to your new quarters." They go to an old house transformed in a clinic… which would probably be a high technologic one if we were in the 70's. "So…" Alicia continued --"This is our consult room… here; you've 4 beds and one in the left corner. Sometimes, we have to do the exams in the hallway when the room is complete." Addison nodded, and followed Alicia through the "clinic" rooms. There was something in the air, the destitution planning above their head, the poverty paralyzing the environment. Old medical equipments were mixed with modern ones. It was like all the pictured before leaving… with a little addiction of hope. Alicia didn't seem bothered at all. Of course she admitted the lack of equipment, but guaranteed Addison that new stuff was coming. She made everything she could to expand her hope.
-"Okay" Alicia said when they stopped in a big room full of odd chairs and tables. "This is our dinning room, our living room, your playing room…"
Addison spotted a little dirty kitchen on the left side of the room.
-"This is for?"
- "Cooking!" responded Alicia like it was obvious. "We don't have a cook… but Pierre, our French pediatrician make incredible meals… okay it's not a good restaurant, but we get as best we can…"
-"I'm sure it's great" said Addison with a smile, trying to be hopeful. "How many are yo… how many are we here".
-"8. We were more six month ago but since the… the assault…"
-"The assault? What do you mean by that? "
-"Rebels came to the camp. They burned half of the clinic and Marissa, one of ours, was kidnapped. We found her a month later… she'd been raped and killed."
-"I'm sorry…"
-"It's okay but don't ever ask about her to Hans… the were very close."
A tall man make irruption in the room
-"So… this is our newbie…Welcome aboard, I'm Dan" said the man holding out his hand.
-"Thank you" responded Addison, shaking the man's hand.
Dan was lost in the blue ocean in Addison's eyes, grinning like a charmer.
-"Top flirting" warned Alicia. "Be careful Addison, he's our Robin Hood of the heart broken… don't trust him when he smiled at you like that." Grabbing her by the arm, she went outside. "So…" pointing an old house in front of them "This is our "dormitory"" said Alicia, emphasing the word "dormitory" . "This is clearly not perfect, but we'll get used to. There's a bathroom, and everyone as a bed with a bedside table... no intimacy here, but it's convivial … You can go here if you want to unwrap your things and take a shower. It's calm today".
Addison nodded and moved toward the house. All the past hours were clashing in her head and she needed a shower to clean her mind. She opened the door just as a man, only covered by a towel, was searching something on a cupboard. He hadn't heard her and was absorbing by what his was doing, his head buried by a second towel. She considered a second the option of closing the door and coming later, but she was literally fascinated by his muscular back and the perfect line of his shoulders. This place definitely hid many surprises… this was the last thing she expected here.
She cleared her throat, making him sense her presence.
-"Excuse me, I'm new here and…"
Surprised, he turned around, loosing the towel that covered his head.
-"Addison?"
-"Karev?"
She couldn't believe he was here. There was no way to find him here. It was certainly not a refuge for Seattle Grace surgeons, and most of all, certainly not a refuge for Alex Karev. What the hell was he doing here? She could feel her heartbeat increase, the past suddenly exhuming behind her eyes.
-"What are you doing here?"
-"What are YOU doing here?" Alex repeated.
-"I asked you first."
-"And I'm not going to respond until you tell me first."
-"You haven't change… still arrogant."
-"And you still have responded"
-"I'm here to help. I've contacted Alicia a month ago and we agreed I would be helpful."
She gazed him, her piercing eyes fixed on his, wanting for his answer. His face darkened, like the question was an attempt to his intimacy. She could sense the tension but couldn't explain why.
-"I'm … I'm just here… to help, just as you said. I asked Dr Weber if he would help me to finish my residency here and he accepted. Unexpected, isn't it?"
-"Well… I have to admit this is quite surprising…"
-""Quite"?"
-"Ok, this is seriously unbelievable. But why? People don't need a plastic surgeon here, unless you wanted to make stitches forever."
-"I've switched my specialty with…"
-"With?"
-"… Doesn't matter. So… for how long will you be here?"
-"1 year. And you?"
-"Me too, but I'm here since six month."
-"Wow, I'm impressed…"
-"You can be… You don't know what is to live here… you don't imagine how cruel is a simple flu here… You don't know how you feel like a monster when you have to choose between two patients only because you don't have enough material to save them both…"
There was something broken in his eyes. She stared at him, studying each curves of his face. She suddenly moved in reverse, remembering why she felt so attracted to this man. Not only because he was good looking. Not looking because he was hot and made her palm sweat. Because there was something in him so mysterious… a merge of pain and force that reminds her… what she felt when she lost Derek. She couldn't define what she felt right now, and tell if she could handle this presence here. Whatever, she has to… She was here for a reason and was determined to stay focused on it. Even if her eyes were actually running through his muscular chest, still exposed.
Suddenly, Alicia knock on the door and entering in the room. Addison came to her senses. Alicia looked both Addison and Alex, then, turning to Addison:
-"I think my patient is pregnant, Addison, can you check on her?"
-"Of Course." Responded Addison. Then, facing Alex "So I guess, I'll see you later."
-"Yeah, probably" he said nonchalantly.
Alex stayed alone in the room, still confused by this strange meeting. First of all, why was he so nervous?
So… like it? Hate it? Please let me know!