Chapter 2

Echo

Mark

I watched as Teddy disappeared from sight and I sighed. That was twice I'd let her walk away. I walked down the hall the ER and pushed open the door. Teddy looked like she'd just seen a ghost and so did Meredith, Yang, and Hunt. I realized why only seconds later when I looked at the stretcher next to them. I walked over, not sure if my eyes were deceiving me or if I really did see what I think I saw. Derek Shephard, my best friend since grade school, was laying on a stretcher half dead. "How bad was the damage?" Teddy whispered, she looked like she was about to topple over. I laid a hand on her back to steady her. Hunt shot me a nasty look, but I ignored it. I wasn't sure if it was the look on Hunt's face that gave it away or just a feeling she had in her gut, or maybe she was just good at guessing who was standing behind her. "Mark." She whispered softly without turning to see who I was. I moved my hand to her shoulder so she could lean against me. "Teddy." I murmured back linking the fingers of my free hand with hers.

We stood there for a minute in complete silence. It was one of those times when you see what's happening, but you can't make yourself believe it's happening. Hunt cleared his throat and turned to Derek. "He had a GSW to the chest. Christina operated, the bullet was lodge by his aorta, she did a good job and repaired the damage." His voice was steady and he smiled at Christina before turning back to Teddy. Her muscles tensed and I could tell she was angry. "If he's fine, then why did you page me?" She asked keeping her voice level. "Post-op. To make sure she didn't screw anything up." Meredith replied weakly. Clearly, she'd been through more hell than she was cut out for. Teddy stared at the three of them is disbelief. "Let me get this straight. Christina operated with you two at her sides and you need me to make sure she didn't screw anything up?" She asked the annoyance thick in her voice. "They weren't there the whole time. The shooter came in during the surgery and Owen got shot. So Mer was trying to help him and I was trying to help Derek and Avery was there too." Yang was babbling trying to explain herself.

Teddy sighed and closed her eyes for a few seconds. She opened them and nodded. "Okay. I'll do a post op to make sure you didn't screw anything up. I'll need a CT scan and I'll do an echo. But I just got out of surgery and he's still asleep, so now really isn't a good time." She replied her voice showed authority. Christina nodded. "So, we'll wait until he wakes up and then do a CT and an echo?" She asked confirming the orders. Teddy nodded and turned around. She walked across the room and I followed her, still too stunned to take in the situation.

When we were at the other end of the hall she turned and looked at me. She cupped my face with her left hand, her green eyes had an apprehensive shine to them. "Mark?" Her voice sounded like it was a thousand miles away. I stared over her shoulder at Lexie and Alex and down the hall where Derek was lying on a stretcher half dead. There world was like a distant blur of noise, color, and blinding light. I felt someone's hands (Teddy's I assumed) tighten around my arms. "Mark?" Her voice was fretful and distant. She tightened her grip. "Mark, can you hear me?" Her voice went from fretful to frantic. Her hands were trembling, or was it my arms that were trembling? I was paralyzed, frozen in the middle of the hallway. I'd seen people go into shock, but I'd never experienced for myself. Was this what it felt like, this weak and helpless feeling, like your body was one place but you were somewhere else? I was trying to convince myself that it was all a dream, or that I was going crazy, anything to bring me back to where my body was.

"Mark? Please say something. Or do something, please. Mark?" Teddy's voice broke and I could tell she was panicking. I couldn't bring myself back to my body. I tried to say her name, to reach out for her, to do something, but it was like my body didn't understand what my brain was telling it. "Mark, please do something. Anything, just something." Teddy begged, gripping my arms tighter. I could tell by the sound of her voice she was on the verge of tears. That should've hurt me, it should have made me want to hold her close and tell her that I was fine, but it didn't I was completely numb. So, was this what it felt like to be in shock?