Baby Names
Summary: Back and better. 22 weeks pregnant with Burke's baby, Cristina is changed forever
when tragedy strikes for their un-born child. Will they be able to overcome
it or will everything fall apart? BANG, with other peeps later.
Disclaimer: I don't own them for goodness sake.
"Where is Preston?" asked Addison. Bailey and her interns just shrugged and looked around as if only just noticing his absence.
"How's Cristina?" Alex asked. He wasn't bothered by the fact that Burke wasn't there. He just wanted to know if Cristina was okay. All of them wanted to know. They needed to be told whether their friend and her baby were still alive. The only person there who could tell them was keeping them in suspense. She was asking a question instead of answering the one on all of their minds; What happened in that OR? It seemed as if she was trying to avoid the subject and use Burke's whereabouts as a distraction as she prolonged the agonising wait for news. And if that was the case then the verdict could not be good.
"Preston should be the first to know." Addison stated simply. She knew she was killing them with anxiety but it was only right that Burke was told the news first. She had to treat this situation as if it was with any other patient.
"Know what?!" Meredith pushed. She was dying for some answers.
"Does anyone have any idea where he might be?" Addison ignored Meredith's question.
Bailey was about to say something when Burke came sprinting towards them. He was out of breath as if he had run all the way there.
"H…how…are they?" Ha asked Addison between gulps of air.
"Come with me." She replied taking his arm and leading him out of hearing range of the others. She wanted them to have the privacy they deserved without getting to far away.
"So?" He demanded once they had stopped walking. He was finally managing to get his breath back but his stomach was churning with apprehension.
Addison prepared herself to give him the news. Like anyone else in medicine, she had always hated this part of the job. Even when she was delivering good news and as she was being thanked by relatives and friends of those the had saved she would wonder and think about those she hadn't been able to save. Those who may have been more deserving. It was especially hard in her line of work because she was working with mothers and babies. They were always the worst patients to lose.
"So," she began. She glanced quickly over Burke's shoulder and saw Bailey and her interns staring right at her as if they were trying to read her lips from the other and of the corridor. George was trying to peek through the small window on the OR door and Izzie looked as if she was trying her hardest to hear what Addison was saying. Alex looked troubled; probably haunted by the image of Cristina's lifeless body as he found her and Meredith had an expression of worry on her face. Bailey looked as if she was trying to stay cool but failing miserably. Addison could see the fear in her eyes even from such a distance away. Fear of losing one of her interns. As if she felt responsible for what happened. As if maybe if she'd tried harder to get Cristina off work this never would have happened.
Addison continued. The others watched, frozen with anticipation.
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"I wonder what she's saying." Said Izzie as all five of them watched Addison's lips intently. She strained to hear what she was saying but it was impossible. She had put a lot of distance between them.
"It would help if Burke was facing us." Said George. "Then we'd be able to see his reaction." All they could see from their positions was his back which, they could see, was very tense.
"Did you see anything through the window?" Alex asked George without taking his eyes off Addison.
"Nothing." George replied disappointed.
"This sucks." Said Meredith. She hated not knowing how Cristina was.
Addison finished talking to Burke. The others looked for anything in their body language that would tell them what they hadn't heard. Burke's shoulders were slumped and his head bowed. Addison placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke solemnly.
This time, they were all able to read her lips. And none of them liked what they saw.
"Did she just say she was sorry?"
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"So," said Addison. Burke waited anxiously for her to tell him what was going on. He noticed she was looking over his shoulder but did not turn around. He looked her straight in the eye. Her focus remained on whatever was behind him for a second longer. Then she looked up at Burke and continued.
"Cristina lost a lot of blood." She told him. He tensed visibly. That was usually the kind of thing he said before telling someone that their loved one had passed away. "But we managed to get it under control." Addison continued. She noticed that Burke relaxed a little. "Unfortunately, by then her womb was so badly damaged there was no way the baby could live if we left it in there." She paused to give him time to process the information. "We delivered it." She told him when she thought he was ready. "And he is alive." Burke smiled slightly. He knew not to get his hopes up but he remembered how much Cristina wanted a boy. Addison carried on. "As you know, the risks are high and given how early he's been born and also Cristina's previous operation I'm afraid that the chances of him living are… extremely slim."
Burke already knew this but having it confirmed was like a knife to the heart. He wondered how this would affect Cristina. She'd probably ignore it. Keep her feelings bottled up inside until it caused her to crack. She'd have some kind of mental breakdown. Then the breakdown of their relationship. They would never recover and he-… was getting far too ahead of himself.
Addison put her hand on his shoulder supportively. "I am so sorry." She told him truthfully.
All Burke could do was nod in acknowledgement. "Can I see them?" He asked wanting nothing more than to fall to his knees and cry. In his face and in his voice eyes he had given up trying to mask the anguish and devastation. He let his shoulders hang and his eyes fill with tears.
"Of course you can." She barely managed as she failed to keep back tears of her own.
A/N: This is probably the fastest I have ever updated. Go me! Happy Easter Monday everyone! I'd just like to take the time to thank: nikkitan89, cheetalady95, Ladyforga72, CrystalTears730, Burkeluva, burktinafan, desecretperson, ChapiChapo, A-lyz, scaryand damaged, nvcgemini and –eMiiLYx3 for reviewing.
