Chapter seven: End of the World Party

It had been a week. An excruciating week of sidling down hallways, taking the stairs – she'd even chucked a sickie, something nothing short of a miracle for Addison. Juvenile? Maybe. She figured she probably had to stop avoiding Karev just because they'd kissed. Especially because she liked it. Because she wanted to do it again.

"Dr Montgomery? Addison." The voice was distinct. It was Miranda.

"Miranda," Addison said, spinning round and forcing an overly exaggerated smile. "How are you? How's William? And Tucker?"

"I don't do small talk," she interrupted. "I don't do having my interns fawning around me because you all of a sudden are incapable of teaching without going weak at the knees. I don't do being asked why Karev can't go back to OB. It ruins my day because you are emotionally incapable." Addison gasped.

"Y'understand?" Bailey said, jamming her thumb on the elevator button. Addison nodded the way a child did when her mother caught her stealing cookies. "So I can tell Karev he's on your service today."

Addison nodded although it wasn't phrased to be a question, and sighed, leaning against the nurses' station clutching a chart tightly.

"Um…Dr Montgomery?" Addison startled, looking at the person who addressed her. It was Izzie.

"Umm…hi. I'm…we're – me and Meredith, we're having a party. Yay. You're invited." Izzie looked ready to runaway. Addison looked slightly confused, and raised her brow, asking Izzie for an explanation.

"Uh, well it's for George and Callie, see," Izzie began. "Like a wedding party. And you're Callie's best friend so you're pretty much invited. Okay?" Izzie began to sidle away, but Addison grabbed her arm.

"I'm invited?"

"The whole hospital's invited," amended Izzie. "It'll be crowded. I doubt you'll even see Meredith and Mc…uh, Derek." She smiled lopsidedly. "So you'll come? For…Callie?"

"Okay," agreed Addison. "I'll come…for Callie." Izzie gave her the details.

"No Meredith and Derek," she reminded one last time. Addison resumed her position leaning against the nurses' station, laughing inwardly at herself. A month ago? Yes, she would have thought immediately of Derek and Meredith, together. A week ago, maybe. But now? They didn't even cross her mind. Who she most wanted to avoid was Alex and whilst she felt that had finally cut any remaining emotional ties save friendship with Derek, it had also opened an entirely new can of worms.

-----

"Nice to see you, Karev," she said as casually as she could when Alex joined her on floor three the next morning. Alex raised his eyebrows.

"You've been avoiding me," he stated. "I think we probably need to…"

"Ebonie McGuigan," Addison interrupted, thrusting a chart into Alex's arms. "Delivered by emergency C-section yesterday morning. Has necrotizing enterocolitis. What is it?"

"Umm N.E.C…an inflammatory disease of the intestines, usually diagnosed in preemies," Alex started, "usually surgical, often immediate and more invasive laparoscopy and bowel resection. In less severe cases, peritoneal drainage of the intestine."

"Good. Go tell Mr and Mrs McGuigan, and then scrub in. We've got to go in now if Ebonie is going to have a chance." Addison turned and walked away, breathing harshly. Good, she thought you haven't broken the mentor-pupil boundary. Apart from the kiss. You're doing well.

She walked into the NICU, wanting to see Ebonie before she went under the proverbial knife. She was tiny, born at 26 weeks, and even though Addison had operated countless times on such small newborns, Ebonie looked particularly helpless. She had downy, reddish coloured wisps of hair, and Addison's hand, from the end of the wrist to the top of her slender middle finger was the length of the baby. She watched Connie McGuigan take a photo of Ebonie lying snuggly in Liam McGuigan's hand. Even though it was against protocol, Addison couldn't bring herself to interrupt the photograph, knowing that with the extent of Ebonie's NEC, it could well be her last photo.

Addison put her finger on the baby's hand, feeling the reflex to tighten her grip come into play. "You'll get through," she whispered so only she could hear it, not wanting to give the baby false hope, if babies even could have false hope. They've come this far, she figured. They don't question how they get here, and they know if fall, their parents will catch them. A pediatric nurse entered the NICU.

"I'm prepping Ebonie McGuigan for surgery," she said to Addison, who nodded her consent and stepped away from the humidicrib that Ebonie was nestled in, a small speck compared to her stark white surroundings.

-----

She was feeling nervous, which rarely happened when she stepped into the O.R. Usually, any thoughts save surgery escaped her. She liked it. She internalised everything outside the O.R. If nothing else, it was a place where she could concentrate every fibre of her being on saving a life.

She was waiting, Ebonie anaesthetised, watching through the window at Alex scrubbing in. This was an advanced procedure, on a scale 50 times smaller than usual. He knew what necrotizing enterocolitis was. He'd definitely been studying. A voice in her head told her to let him at least start the procedure. It was a teaching hospital after all. Another voice was telling her that therefore, Ebonie was a guinea pig. 24 hours of life was lying in front of her, trusting the best would fix her.

He burst through the doors; drying his arms on the towel the nurse offered him, and allowing her to slide the gloves onto his hands. He looked at Addison in anticipation.

Alex was the next best, she thought. He would be the best when she wasn't.

"You doing the honours, Karev? I'll talk you through it." He looked shocked.

"I've never…I've never even seen a bowel resection," he stuttered.

"I'll talk you through it," she said, glad that her mask allowed her to look less nervous than she felt. Alex nodded, breathed deeply as if that was how he regained his confidence.

"Scalpel."

- - -

"It's not your fault," Addison offered in the lift. Alex didn't respond. "You didn't do anything wrong Alex, she was too little. Sometimes they just don't make it."

"And that makes me feel so much better," Alex said, leaning into the wall, trying to defy the tears welling at the back of his stubborn eyes. Addison watched him, hunched over, every inch of his confidence reduced to the size of a preemie. It happened. He really hadn't made the smallest of mistakes. Ebonie had died after he'd closed her with stitches rivalling the plastic surgeon, Sloan himself.

She took a leaf out of Bailey's book, and pulled the emergency stop button, leaning casually against the wall until Alex uttered an almost inaudible 'I'm fine.'

They resumed their journey down to the NICU where Alex knew Connie and Liam McGuigan would be waiting anxiously for news on their tiny baby girl.

"I'll talk to the parents," Addison said, but Alex shook his head vigorously.

"No you won't," he said. "I will." Addison nodded, relenting, knowing Alex's pride was difficult to overcome.

"Okay," she agreed, nodding. "I'll be in here." He watched through a window as Alex broke the news to the McGuigan. She watched as Connie collapsed into Liam's arms. He stroked her hair, tears in his own eyes, Connie heaving huge sobs. Liam extended his hand that Alex shook, acknowledging it to be a dismissal of understanding. He left.

- - -

The music was vibrating the whole street it seemed, and as Addison drove to the House of Grey, she began to feel slightly anxious. You idiot, she thought to herself (though to be fair, she thought that a lot). You actually accepted the overzealous Barbie's invitation? "For…Callie." Callie had George. Yes, she concurred. She was an idiot. Nonetheless, she stepped out her car, examined her appearance (albeit distorted) in the shiny silver panels, concluding she looked good. She was wearing jeans (a rare occurrence for her), a silky forest green top with a long silver necklace and stilettos as tall as the Space Needle (or close too.)

The front door was open and Addison ventured in, trying to ignore thoughts of 'how immature, to be throwing a rager at twenty-eight' instead making a beeline for Miranda who was pouring herself a vodka and tonic at the drinks table.

"Can I have one?" she asked over the noise, nodding her head in indication of the drink. "Strong."

Miranda poured compliantly, handed the drink to Addison and then shook her head disbelievingly.

"Would you believe they've done this before?"

"High school with scalpels," Addison said, using her friend's explanatory phrase. "Let them have there fun before they get old and wrinkled like us."

"Old and wrinkled?" Bailey asked with raised eyebrows. "Old and wrinkled? Is that what you think?" she thrust her drink into Addison's hand and ventured into the living room where several alcohol-impaired doctors were dancing to 'Sexy Back.' Addison laughed as Miranda joined the fray, looking at her with raised eyebrows before she disappeared into the sea of medical professionals.

Addison sighed, now unable to hide how outcast she felt. She scanned the room, unable to see anyone she really knew. She decided to wait by the drinks table, figuring it was the honey for the many bees.

"You're looking a little…loner-ish," came a voice from behind. Although it was muffled, Addison could pick it from a mile off.

"Derek," she said, smiling with relief at seeing someone she knew. "How…"

"Derek!" it was Meredith. "Oh, hey Addison." Addison nodded in acknowledgement.

"What do you need?" asked Derek. Addison noticed how intently he looked at Meredith, as if he would stop the world spinning if she asked.

"Never mind, Addison, want to help me put the snacks on a tray?" Addison thought no proposition had ever sounded so appealing.

"Oh," Derek said, trying to look crestfallen. "Well…I'll just go…dance with a hot doctor," he said jokingly. Addison and Meredith both laughed knowing he'd rather walk across hot coals than dance.

"You do that," Meredith said, grabbing Addison's arm and leading her to the kitchen. "I'm gonna kill Izzie," she said through gritted teeth. "My guess is Callie and George don't even know a quarter of these people."

Addison laughed. "Where are all Bailey's interns?" she queried, arranging mini pizzas on a serving dish.

"Playing poker in the den," said Meredith. "Let's leave these by the drinks and go. I think the people we know are all down there." Addison nodded in acquiesce, put the pizzas down and took her shoes off, following Meredith to the den.

- - -

Although it was a big den, it was dwarfed by the sheer amount of people taking refuge there. The small wooden coffee table had accumulated a centre piece of a pile of money, and Cristina, Mark, Derek, George and Alex were staring intently at the cards before them. Mark was bare backed, Alex wearing a wife beater and boxer shorts. Cristina was fully clothed, and looking triumphant.

"Since when has it been strip poker?" asked Meredith, rolling her eyes and grabbing the tequila off the table and having a swig. She offered it to Addison who, after contemplating for a minute, accepted.

"Addie!" said Mark loudly. "Come and play!" Addison snorted in response.

"a) I'm not wearing much underneath this outfit and b) I'm nowhere near as good a player as Dr Yang here, so c) No."

"Don't spoil the fun!" said Mark, grinning lopsidedly. "C'mon, Addie!" She rolled her eyes.

"How about we play it in duos?" suggested Callie, seating herself beside George. "More garments to lose." Mark nodded in agreement, and Burke and Meredith sat beside Cristina and Derek respectively. Izzie looked unsure where to go. Mark was impossible. Alex, with their mounting sexual tension even more so.

"C'mon over, Blondie," Mark said. Izzie sat beside him. "I'm only with because there's no one else," she hissed. "That's not a compliment."

Addison and Alex exchanged glances, and she levered herself down. "Do we include all previous strips?" asked Alex.

"Clean slate," concurred Derek. "That's fair. And…stripping goes in turns, okay?"

"Well thank goodness everyone's seen each other naked," said Mark, receiving deathly glares from everyone.

"Shut up Mark," said Addison, voicing everyone's thoughts. "Okay," she said. "I'll deal."

- - -

Alex and Addison proved to be quite a pair, losing only a necklace and a shoe between them. Mark was sitting bare backed again, Izzie in a sheer camisole, frowning perpetually at Mark who was examining her unsubtly.

"Okay," said Meredith, throwing her cards down. "I'm so done. What's next?"

"Spin the bottle!" suggested George, fumbling to put his shirt back on, holding the now empty tequila bottle as one would a trophy. Everyone nodded in agreement, pushing the coffee table out the way and arranging themselves in a circle.

"George can go first," suggested Meredith, her giggling a side effect of ½ a bottle of tequila. "It's his party."

Everyone roared, Cristina's 'Bambi's getting tuned!' the crescendo of the uproar. He spun the bottle, and it stopped in front of Cristina.

"That's way more on Izzie!" she protested, as everyone laughed at the irony of the situation. George leant over Burke, who separated them and pecked Cristina briefly on the lips. She wiped it with her sleeve, making vomit noises, and bracing herself over the bottle, praying it didn't land on Bambi.

"Seriously?" she exclaimed, looking at the result in disgust. "Seriously? McDreamy?" Meredith emitted a high-pitched squeal of excitement as Cristina walked over to McDreamy.

"You okay?" Derek asked Meredith, who waved her hand dismissively.

"That makes me vomit more," Cristina announced. "The McDreaminess." She mock shuddered, pecked him on the lips and proclaimed, "I don't know what you find in him, Mer."

Derek spun the bottle, relieved when it landed on Meredith. Without hesitation he kissed Meredith hard, the two ending up on the floor, separating only when Mark's shoe hit Derek in the nape of his neck. They parted reluctantly, and faced the sea of disbelief in front of them.

"I think they'd actually have had sex if we'd kept quiet," said Izzie in disgust. "Meredith please, spin."

"You okay with it?" Meredith asked apologetically. Addison shrugged and the observers sniggered as Meredith kissed her briefly, passing the bottle to Addison who spun it and watched as it stopped wobbly on Alex.

"We're about to have all five interns hooking up with an attending," exclaimed Mark victoriously as Alex kissed Addison.

It was brief, definitely nothing to fuss over, but it was also urgent, and although no words were exchanged Addison knew Alex was trying to tell her how right this was and she knew he was right when they pulled apart and she was thinking, more, more.