Chapter Three: When You Wake

"What happened?" The shocked and out of breath voice of Derek Shepherd sounded off in the doorway of Lexie's now crowded hospital room. Upon entering, Bailey removed Zola from the startled man's arms so he could comfort his upset wife. Meredith wept uncontrollably into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, wrapping her up in a warming consoling embrace.

Mark was still sitting next to Lexie, holding her hand between his, rapid thoughts firing through his head. All he could do now was pray. Pray to God that she'd pull through this. Derek sat Meredith back down in her chair and handed her a box of tissues which she accepted and used to blow her nose into and wipe her tears.

"I'll examine her neurological functions," Derek announced, approaching the bed. Meredith nodded and continued to dry her eyes. Derek didn't have all the correct supplies since he was in his plain clothes and not in uniform, but he could wing it for now. He pulled a small flashlight out and opened Lexie's eyelids to observe the pupils.

"I notice during the surgery that she had a pretty badly dislocated shoulder. I think we should call in Torrres. She could fix it while Lexie's comatose so it won't cause her more discomfort…If she wakes up," Hunt stepped forward from his silence to tell Shepherd.

"When," Derek interjected to correct him.

Derek wasn't one to make assumptions on a patient but Lexie wasn't just a patient, she was family and Hunt's insensitivity in front of all these grieving people had angered him.

"Sorry…When," Hunt responded.

"Yeah we can do that; I'm going to need a head CT before I can determine anything further,"

"I'll call Callie," Mark said abruptly, causing everyone to turn their heads toward him.

"I can do that," Hunt butted in, trying to save Mark the trouble.

"No…It's alright…I need to talk to her right now," He retorted, looking down at Lexie and heaving a deep sigh.

"Uh lets step out so they can have time alone," Bailey said to Hunt and Kepner, pushing them towards the door after sensing that they were unwanted at the moment and that the three needed time alone with Lexie. "We'll go take Zola on a nice little walk around the hospital," She said, directing it toward Zola while talking in a 'baby' voice.

Mark pulled out his cell phone and dialed Callie's cell number. It was hard for him to speak between his sobs so he tried to keep himself together while the line rang. Finally the other end clicked and Callie's voice answered.

"Callie, I need you at the hospital…Something's happened. We need your help,"

"What is it? You okay? You sound upset." She asked with concern.

"Yeah," Mark had to bite his lip to keep the tears back, but as he found himself saying it's Lexie they just came gushing down his face like a waterfall.

"Ok I'm on my way. I'm just leaving the apartment. What happened?"

"It's a long story but she hasn't woken up yet. She just came out of surgery not long ago so they said to give it time. She has blunt force trauma to the head and a shoulder dislocation that you can fix for now. She had internal bleeding but Bailey, Hunt and Kepner fixed." Mark explained the best he could.

"Alright, I'm in the parking lot. I'm in my car now. I'll be there in minutes. How are you holding up?" She said with concern.

"I've been better," Mark admitted with a chuckle of insanity. "I'm…I'm scared. I mean, I'm really really scared. For her. She looks so pale and…lifeless. It reminds me of when you were in the same place. How I feared you'd never come back. That I'd lose you. I can't go through this again."

"Ok, I know its hard Mark but just remember, I made it through! I woke up when all odds were against me. That's what's going to happen with Lexie, alright? I can't make you that promise, but I can tell you that it' what I believe." Callie tried to cheer him up and assure him, but honestly she couldn't make that assumption. She hadn't even seen the damage. She had no idea what kind of damage Lexie had sustained.

Callie showed up to the hospital moments later, rushing into the room to find Mark, Derek and Meredith inside. Mark stood up at her presence and she ran up to hug him. She comforted him in her arms, feeling sadness herself. As Mark wept into her shoulder she saw Lexie. She looked bad. So bad that it shocked her. She hadn't expected this, but then again how do you expect something so bad?

"I'm so sorry," She whispered into his ear.

Mark wiped his nose on the sleeve of his shirt, "She can't die Callie. She just can't. Not yet."

"I know, I know," Callie responded. "Here, let me check her out," She let go of him and ambled to Lexie's side with the out of place shoulder. She lifted the swollen bruised and reddish arm to examine the fracture closely.

"As well as the shoulder she also has a badly shattered elbow. I'm guessing it'll need surgery to fix but we'd be best to wait until she recovers more before putting her under again. I can take care of the shoulder now, but you aren't going to like it so maybe you should all step into the hallway for a moment." Callie recommended. Derek and Meredith did so but Mark was stubborn.

"I'm not leaving her side," He said, sitting in a chair next to her bed and holding her hand up to his chin.

"Al right if you say so Mark, but just remember that I told you. At least look away Sweetie, you're not gonna want to see this."

He turned his head as she snapped Lexie's shoulder back into socket but even so just the harsh, ear-splitting pop and crunching sound of the bone was nauseating enough to make his heart sink.

"I'm gonna go take to Meredith and Derek and find the other surgeons." Callie said, pointing towards the door and offering a half-smile before leaving.

Now Mark had his time alone with her. He could get what he had to say off his chest. He looked her square in the face, squeezing her hand firmly.

"Lex, it's me Mark. I'm right here. I'm here for you. I'll be here every moment that you're hurting. Next to your side. I'll wait for you. I've been waiting for what seems like an eternity, so I can wait a little longer. But you gotta promise me, you have to promise you'll get better. Don't give up, you have to hold on. We're all rooting for you. If you can do that for me, I promise you, I promise I will be right here, holding your hand to greet you….When you wake."

End of Chapter Three