Chapter 8

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and though my mother is a nurse practitioner, she does not work in spinal surgery. She consulted me the best she could but I had to take to youtube and medical research for the rest, and this may not be accurate at all. But for the sake of this story, please be kind. I did the best I could.*

*HUGE thanks to Erica for help with this chapter!*

*And I know there is not any Jack/Kate here but I PROMISE there will be some in the coming chapters. I have a destination for these two, we're on a journey to get there. Kate has a point in the first part of this chapter ;)*


Kate strode down the pediatric hallway, sure that she remembered Arizona was working this morning. She found her at the nurses' station, charting and snacking on a protein bar. Arizona looked up as Kate approached, a shake of her head and a raised eyebrow greeting her.

"I think the chief is going to write you up for your apparel these days. Cut offs, Katherine? Really?" She chided her friend, leaning against the desk. Kate made a face and shrugged.

"I'm not here to work, I'm here to talk to you. Come here…" she didn't stop her stride, simply pulled Arizona along by the arm, leading her into the storage closet, shutting the door.

"Disclaimer: do not let your imagination run wild with this. I know why Jack Shephard won't do my surgery."

"Oh that's right! You had a visitor last night!" Kate was silenced by her friend, and floored she knew about his appearance at her house. "Mark called Callie for directions. You have lots to dish on! Spill!"

"The only details I have are that his daughter died in a surgery his father performed and that's why he won't do Stella's surgery!"

"You need a personal life," Arizona muttered under her breathe with a small roll of her eyes, before continuing at normal volume, Kate's glares causing a giggle from her. "Then let Derek do it. It's just a biopsy. And not to mention, he's a renowned neurosurgeon as well. Lest you forget he's chief for a reason."

"Yeah, yeah but you're missing my point. If Jack does this surgery, it'll help him move on! It's a way for him to get past what happened!" Arizona's brow furrowed, and she held her hand up, stopping her wild friend from continuing.

"Kate, you cannot save him. Especially if he does not want to be saved. You don't even know him." Her concern was evident. She knew all about Kate and her past; they were best friends. And best friends make calls when their friends cannot.

"He cried about his daughter to me, and slept in my guest room. I know him more than you do. And he needs this. I need this. She needs this!" Arizona recognized Kate's desperation, and steadied her friend by her shoulders.

"Honey, he's not going to do it. I'm sorry. You cannot fix him. Leave him be and focus on getting Stella ready for surgery with Derek."

"But…" Kate drifted off. Arizona had a point though. And even though she wanted nothing more than to help Jack, he wasn't exactly allowing her to facilitate it either. If anything, after their conversation in the car, she ruined any chance they had at even being friends.

"I'm sorry, Kate. Go home and enjoy your day off. I'll see you on Monday." She squeezed Kate's hand as they exited to storage room. Callie rounded a corner just then, a grin spreading across her pretty face.

"Hey Kate! Come all the way over here to tell us about your night?" She began in a joking tone. Arizona shook her head to stop the conversation before it began, while Kate heaved a large sigh.

"Nothing happened. I'm going home, see you guys later." She waved to the two, making her way down the hall toward the elevator. Callie turned to watch her go, before turning back with a raised eyebrow.

"Was it something I said?"

"She's still upset Jack won't do the surgery. Apparently his daughter died in a similar surgery."

"He had a daughter? Really? Him?" His reputation around Seattle Grace didn't exactly lend him to being that type of person. "That's awful."

"Very. She's so blinded by her patients though. All she wants is to save that little girl. Can't blame her for that."


Kate poured herself a cup of coffee in the doctors' locker room, her addiction was one that lasted all day. She needed the cup for the thirty minute ride home, trying to figure out what she'd do with her day. She heard the door open and glanced up to find Dr. Mark Sloan entering, a handsome grin greeting her. She replied with a small one, looking back down to her cup, covering it with a lid.

"Good morning, Dr. Austen. I apologize again for my friend's behavior last night. He can be a bit of a handful sometimes." He slid his hands into his lab coat's pockets and approached her slowly as though she were a skittish kitten. She took a small step back and he stopped.

"No worries. He just needed to sleep it off."

"What are you doing with your day off? I'm getting ready to head out. You interested in having lunch?" Kate choked on her sip of coffee, her eyes widening to large saucers.

"I'm sorry?" She managed out in between coughs, covering her mouth and wondering if she'd heard him correctly. Did he just ask her to lunch?

"Do you want to get some lunch? With me. We could go over to Joe's, have a couple beers, get some food…" he drifted off, unable to read her expression. It wasn't one that lead him to feel very confident about his invitation.

"Umm…maybe some other time? I have a lot to do today and I really have to get back to the farm…" She looked extremely uncomfortable, and he was confused by her response.

"Sure. I'll take a rain check," the awkward tension was so thick he could have sliced through it, and he backed away from her as she scurried around him toward the door. She flashed him a smile as she pushed it open.

"Okay then. Bye!" She practically ran into the hallway, mortified and unsure of herself.

Jack watched her walk quickly down the hallway in the opposite direction of him; she hadn't seen him. He was relieved he didn't have to talk to her, after their previous conversation, he wanted to avoid her at all costs. He pushed open the door to the locker room and found Mark clad in jeans, buttoning up his shirt. He looked at his friend expectantly.

"Did you scare away your new friend?" Jack grabbed a cup of coffee and slid his free hand into this pants pocket.

"She's playing hard to get. She'll come around."

Jack laughed, shaking his head. "I'm telling you, man. She's a different breed. Leave her be."

"You talk like you know her. Just 'cause you spent the night at her house means nothing. Trust me." Mark defended himself, grabbing his jacket off the hook and sliding it on.

"I know more about her than you do." Jack grabbed his suit jacket. The thought of Mark going after Kate didn't settle well with him. It wasn't as though Mark was the most caring man he'd ever met. Ever since Addison…it had been a long time since he'd dated someone consistently. Mark didn't engage emotionally. And Kate seemed better than that. She deserved better than that in his opinion. Not that he was of any more use than Mark.

"I thought you said you weren't interested?" Mark asked suspiciously.

"I'm not." He stated.

"Want to get some lunch?" Mark jumped topics and Jack laughed.

"I need to go home first. I'll call you a little later." He waved goodbye to his friend and exited into the hallway. It wasn't that he was interested; her freckled nose and sweet smile were haunting him. He reprimanded himself quickly and headed out to his car. He needed another shower, clean clothes, and a nap. He knew he'd need his energy to meet Mark out later.


Kate encouraged the large gelding into a canter, expertly riding him around the expansive ring that settled off to the side of her property. She didn't get the chance to ride often, and it was noticeable in the way the young horse kicked up his back heels in a buck, slightly unseating her. She steadied him, reprimanding him with the nudge of her heels, settling back into her saddle. The distraction was a good one, changing the sheets in the guest bedroom had kept her mind preoccupied most of the morning. But now, seated on the powerful animal below her, she was entertained and concentrating, her mind on the task at hand—training this handful to be a well-mannered show horse.

Kate had a few people who worked for her; an older woman, Kellie, came in the mornings and evenings to feed and clean the stalls when Kate couldn't. She managed the facility for Kate, allowing Kate to do her full time job and to have the stables. A younger girl, Lauren, came three days a week and worked as many of the horses as she could, but Max was not easy to ride and Lauren wasn't overly interested in his wicked ways. She would lunge him once or twice, but Kate was the only one who rode him. As he balked at a jump, she questioned her need to hire someone to ride him for the sole purpose of not putting her body at risk. She was thankful for her jumping vest and certified helmet.

After a few good jumps, and a solid twenty stride canter with no bucking, she chose to call it quits on a good note, walking the horse on a loose rein, her mind wandering back to the impeding surgery Derek had scheduled for Monday morning for Stella. Kate silently wondered if Jack had spoken with his brother regarding the surgery; he had said he would 'make sure' Derek did it. If he was indeed making sure of it, she thanked him to herself, not sure she'd thank him to his face.

Naturally she was curious of his situation, why his wife had left him, how that would cause his father to kill himself, how Derek had managed to end up so un-scathed in the whole situation. Derek seemed so well adjusted, and Jack was so unhinged. She thought she even remembered seeing a tattoo or two on him that day he had checked her leg in the locker room. She didn't know many doctors who spent time getting inked.

Dropping her stirrups, she slid off the tall horse, lifted the reins over his head and walked him back to the barn. She questioned herself for a moment, noting that she was the only person on her large property on a rare sunny Sunday on a fall day. Who was she to wonder about someone's situation, so scarred from her own. She hadn't touched a man the way she had hugged Jack in years. She couldn't even control her need to run for the door when Mark had asked her out to lunch the previous day. What would they even had talked about, she wondered with a small laugh to herself. He was handsome, definitely. And brilliantly talented. But so not someone she saw herself with. He was quite out of her league.

Putting the cooled down horse in his stall, she headed back up to her house, in need of a drink of water and some lunch. The house was quiet when she entered, and she sighed, alone with her thoughts. As she headed up the stairs to change, she glanced at her guest room down the hall and sighed. She had appreciated company the other night, sometimes being alone was hard.


Monday morning came quickly and Kate busied herself with prepping Stella for surgery. Her parents were thrilled, a permanent smile on the little girl's face. Her counts were good, her spirits up, and Kate felt thankful for Derek. She was there to help people, and sometimes it was harder than she wanted it to be. But as she readied the girl to head to the operating room, Kate held reservations deep within her mind. Sometime didn't sit right, and her anxiety was high. She tried to reassure herself it would be fine; they were in great, very capable hands.

"How's our little fighter doing today?" Derek announced his presence into the bright pediatrics room, and Stella waved happily. "Are you ready for your surgery?" He spoke to kindly to the young child, Kate felt herself relaxing. Derek had this. He was exceptional. And his bedside manner was enviable. He gave the patient a high five.

"Yes!" She looked up at Kate, who was checking her chart, making a few notes. "Soon, I'll be fixed! Right Dr. Austen?" Derek locked eyes with Kate before she responded and she was encouraged by the kindness she saw there.

"You're on your way, that's for sure!" Kate squeezed the small child's hand as she peered up with a big smile.

"We will know more once we get in there," Derek assured her parents. "I'm confident I'll get a good sample with the placement of her tumor. We should get the results back from pathology this afternoon." Kate appreciated his honesty in this situation, and looked forward to the results. A weight would be lifted from her shoulders and that was priceless. "Miss Stella, I will see you very shortly." He winked at Stella before exiting the room to get himself prepared. Kate shared a smile with her tiny patient and excused herself to double check with Derek. She hurried after him to the elevator.

"Dr. Shephard," she started, chewing the inside of her cheek, "Please take care of her, she's small and fragile. Will you assure her again before she goes under? I know she'd really appreciate it and—"

"Dr. Austen, why don't you do it yourself?" He grinned at her as he entered the elevator and she stopped short, confused.

"I'm sorry, I can't—"

"Yes, you can," he spoke surely, nodding at her. "Scrub in and watch the surgery. She'll feel good knowing you're in there with her and I'm sure you've not seen this kind of surgery before. I'll see you upstairs in an hour." Kate's eyes grew with the smile across her face and before she could thank him he was gone, the elevator shut. She felt great relief knowing she would be in the OR the whole time with Stella. And she was very interested in how Derek would get the biopsy, she'd only seen videos of the surgery. She practically skipped back to the room, her heart soaring with excitement.

"I'll be right here, okay, sweetie? You have nothing to worry about." Kate squeezed Stella's hand as the little girl lay on her stomach in the operating room. Kate was scrubbed in and standing at Stella's head, her gloved hand wrapped in Stella's. She put her nerves to rest, explaining the procedure of anesthesia to the young girl. Stella was locked on Kate's every word, but she showed no immediate fear, her resolve settled in Kate's encouraging hands.

"Dr. Austen will be with us the whole time." Derek re-iterated as he entered the OR. Kate moved slightly as the anesthesiologist asked Stella to could down from one hundred, and she was unconscious before she hit ninety-five. Derek moved around Kate to Stella's right side, careful not to touch anything before he was ready.

"Thank you, Dr. Shephard," Kate spoke quietly with earnest. Derek met her eyes and smiled.

"It's a beautiful day to save lives, people! Let's have some fun!"


Derek sucked in his breath three hours later and immediately regretted the decision he had made to remove Stella's entire tumor. The spinal cord is such a delicate, intricate organ, and he had done an exceptional job getting into the dura and opening the spinal cord to reveal the tumor. What he hadn't counted on was the size of the tumor and how wrapped up in the nerves it really was.

Kate peered at Derek from her place a few feet away, immediately noticing his change in demeanor. He continued to work, however, his voice tone never changing as he managed to work around the spinal cord delicately. Her spine was so small, so fragile.

Kate watched the screen, taking in each tear he made in the tumor. He worked diligently, but gently, wicking away the tissue that held it in place.

Nothing would have prepared her for his next move, the scalpel slipping just a centimeter. Derek swore under his breath and immediately began trying to fix the damage he had caused. Kate remained quiet, stunned by what she had seen, as nerves were severed. She would have never guessed Derek could have caused such damage. She waited for him to repair it, waited for his next move. It only took moments for him to meet her eyes, panic within his.

"Dr. Austen, get my brother. Now!"


Kate was out of breath as she ran down the hallway of the patient rooms on the intensive care floor. All she could see in her imagination was Stella coding on the table; the one thing she had tried to prevent this whole time was putting the little girl's life at risk. Her heart was racing.

She burst into the film room where she found him starring at scans with his resident, Dr. Lexie Grey. They both turned to look at the pale brunette before them, her scrub cap tied tightly over her long curls, her My Little Pony scrubs disheveled from her run to find him, her freckles standing out like pebbles on white snow. Jack's concern was immediate; Kate looked horrified.

"Dr. Shephard, we need you in OR 3. It's an emergency."


Reviews are love and greatly appreciated. And you're in for a big guest star in the next chapter….

Not a guest starring character, a guest starring WRITER! *drum roll please*