Chapter Twenty-One
Mark Sloan found Izzie Stephens at a Nurse's station, Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang arguing quietly nearby. "Hey, beautiful," Mark said, leaning against the counter. Meredith and Cristina rolled their eyes and walked away. "What's wrong with them?"
"McDreamy isn't so McDreamy anymore," Izzie said, chewing on the end of her pen with a smile. "But you're still McSteamy."
"I like that my 'McName' is better than Derek's," he said, coming around the counter to stand behind her. "What are you doing?"
"I have a surgery with Hahn tomorrow," she said, "we're doing a heart transplant."
"Congratulations," he said, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her neck. She sighed contently as Olivia and Debbie walked by.
"Yeah," Izzie said, leaning her head back against his shoulder, "this guy really deserves this heart. He has two little kids. Mark, they are so cute. And his wife is doing the best she can, but she's way stressed. This will be good for them."
"Yeah, okay," Mark said, "but the experience will do you good."
"Yeah," Izzie said, stopping the conversation. She knew sometimes she got too emotionally involved, but Mark would make a point of pointing it out and then they would fight and then they would have make-up sex. That was Mark's favorite part, of course. Izzie's way of getting back was to stop the argument so there was no makeup sex. Sometimes she wasn't sure if she was punishing him or herself.
"Anyway," Izzie said, changing the subject, "apparently McDreamy told Mer that he couldn't be here and not be with her. So he's going to New York until she's ready. I think it's stupid."
"Why do you think it's stupid," Mark asked, stepping back from her. "Derek isn't one of those guys that doesn't commit. He wants a life with her and she can't do that right now. So, he's removing himself from the situation so he doesn't hurt her anymore."
"Don't you see," Izzie said, turning to face her boyfriend, her irritation evident, "Meredith has abandonment issues. First her father, then her mother, and then her fake mother. . . If Derek goes to New York, he'll be abandoning her whether he means to or not. That's how she'll see it."
"Look, this has to do with Derek and Meredith. Let them handle this and we'll just be there for them. Come see Emma with me," Mark said.
"When did you become the voice of reason," Izzie asked as they made their way to Emma's room.
"I don't know," Mark admitted. "Scary, isn't it?"
They found Adele and Maddison in Emma's room when they got there. Maddison was laying in the bed with her mother, hugging her tightly. "Maddy, sweetie, I'm fine," Emma said, trying to comfort her daughter, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."
"Maddy," Mark asked, chuckling, "what are you doing?"
"Mommy was sick," she said, her voice muffled.
"Yeah, Mommy was sick," Mark said, coming around the bed and kneeling. "Maddy, look at me," he said. The four year old turned her head, but refused to let go of her mother. "Yes, Mommy was sick, but she's better now. Everyone gets sick sometimes."
"They cut her," Maddy said, silent tears streaming down her face.
"Yes, the doctor cut her," Mark agreed, "but she's all better know. They wouldn't have cut her if they didn't know what they were doing. Just like when Mommy cuts Great-Grandpa. Give her a couple of days and she'll be as good as new. Okay?" Maddy nodded and then pressed her face into her mother's side, still not letting go. Mark stood up, shaking his head.
"Cut," Izzie asked. "Surgery?"
"Yeah, it was the way she explained it. We just keep going with it because it works," Mark said. He sighed. "So, rumor has it that Derek is going back to New York for a while," Mark said, looking at Emma. "I wonder where he got that idea."
"If you want to know something," Emma asked, rubbing Maddy's back absently, "all you have to do is ask."
"Fine," Mark said. "Did Derek get that idea because you're going back to New York?"
"I don't know about Derek," Emma confessed, "but, yes, I am going back to New York for a while. I just need time to . . . heal. . . I guess. I won't be gone long, but I guess Callie is coming with me."
"Torres," Mark asked. "Why is she going to New York?"
"Ask Torres, Dr. Sloan," Adele said. "Emma needs her rest," she said, "you can come back and visit her later." Mark opened his mouth to protest, but Adele cut him off. "I mean it, Dr. Sloan, I may not be a doctor, but I basically raised my niece. Emma needs her rest. Now go."
"Alright, I'm going, geesh," Mark said, grabbing Izzie's hand and pulling her out of the room.
"Mark, I didn't even get to talk to her," Izzie said, laughing.
"She needs her rest," Mark said, sarcastically. Mark sighed again; he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Derek, what are you doing," he asked his friend who rushed past him. "Derek," Mark said again, grabbing a hold of Derek's arm.
"What," Derek asked, exasperated.
"What's going on?"
"Talon," Derek answered, "was hit by a taxi. Travers just took him out of surgery and put him into recovery. I'm going to tell Emma."
"Adele might stop you," Izzie said, "but go ahead. Is he going to be alright?"
"Only time will tell," Derek said. "I don't know much for sure without examining him myself, but Travers told Richard that there were some broken bones and some bleeding. I have a feeling that someone wasn't very forth coming with information." Derek stood there for a second. "You go tell her."
"What?"
"You go tell her, Mark," he said. "I can't do it. I can't tell her that."
"Adele isn't going to let me back in there," Mark pointed out.
"Where is Adele keeping you out of," Richard asked, coming up to the three of them. "Have you talked to Emma, yet?"
"Not yet," Derek said, biting his bottom lip. "I was trying to get Mark to do it."
"I'll do it," Richard said. "Come back in with me," he said. The three doctors laughed because the Chief of Surgery was scared of his wife . . . or Emma . . . either way – it was hilarious. Richard opened the door slowly.
"Richard," Adele exclaimed, "I just sent Dr. Sloan away to let Emma rest. What do you want?"
"Emma," Richard said, quietly, "I need to talk to you. Adele, could you take Maddison to get some ice cream?"
Adele gave her husband a confused look before coaxing the four year old away from her mother with the promise of an ice cream sundae – a big one.
"Emma," Richard said, pulling the chair closer to the bed and sitting down. "I've been on and off the phone with Kyle Travers for the last couple of hours." Emma raised an eyebrow at him.
"This isn't about me going to New York for a while is it?"
"No, this isn't about you or Torres or Shep going to New York," he told her.
"Torres and Shep," Emma asked. "What are they going to New York for? Derek?"
Derek shrugged.
"Richard, what's going on," Emma sighed. She glanced over at Mark and Izzie who were whispering urgently to each other. Emma thought Izzie looked particularly upset. Emma couldn't breathe as she listened to Richard telling her that Kevin Talon had been in an accident. She didn't hear him as he listed off Talon's injuries, but she started breathing again when he told her that Talon was in Recovery. "When can I go to New York and see him," she asked, quietly.
"I've talked to Carmen Loduca," Richard said. "She claims if you promise to stay in a wheelchair as much as possible that you can continue your own recovery in New York. Normally she wouldn't even consider it. Emma, you've just had major surgery. Travers can keep us updated."
"No," Emma said, "I have to go be with him. I need to go – now." Before anyone realized it, Emma was out of bed, pulling her IV along with her as she went to the closet to get some clothes. "Derek, help me out here," she said, "I need my stuff. Let's go home so I can pack. Derek?"
Derek just stared at his sister. He couldn't believe that he was going to go to New York and leave Meredith in Seattle. Mark was right, though, he needed to make a decision and stick with it. "Alright, let's go to New York."
GAGAGA
Two days later, Emma sat in Salvador's room. They had gotten word that morning that Kevin Talon was expected to make a full recovery since he had woken up within 48 hours. The Chief had asked Callie, Derek, and Emma to give him two weeks before taking off so he could switch things around for while they were gone. Even if he hadn't, Dr. Loduca had decided Emma wasn't up for traveling or would have to wait at least a week to get on a plane. It didn't help that Kyle Travers was siding with Seattle Grace over Emma.
Mark was afraid Derek would lose his resolve and stay in Seattle. Callie was making plans. They had bought a house, sending Emma's sister to look at it, outside of the city. Emma had kept her loft apartment near the hospital and would use it if they had to should any of them decide to go back to work at the hospital for the time they were in New York.
"Emma," Salvador said, waking up.
"Salvador," she replied, smiling. She was sitting in a wheelchair beside his bed. Nurse Tyler had taken it upon himself to make sure she got where she needed to go. "Are you ready to go back to the east coast?"
"The nurses are talking about your return to the east coast, too," he told her, adjusting his bed so he was sitting up.
"Are they," she asked, amused. Nurses talk too much.
"Yes, and the Residents are bitching."
"Sal," Emma chastised in mock outrage.
"What," he asked, smiling, "they are."
So Residents talk too much, too. Don't they know they aren't supposed to have personal conversation around patients?
"Well, they're Residents," Emma pointed out, "they tend to do that." Sal nodded.
"Esther called," he told her, grinning; "she's missed me."
"Good," Emma smiled as Nurse Tyler walked in.
"Dr. Loduca wants to check on you," he told her, "so you have to go back to your room."
"Fine," Emma said. "I'll see you in New York, Sal."
"Bye, Dr. Shepard," Sal said, laughing. Emma shook her head as Nurse Tyler kicked the brakes of the wheelchair off and headed for the elevators.
"That Mr. Carmarthen is quite a character," Nurse Tyler said.
Emma smiled to herself. "He certainly is."
Salvador Carmarthen was transported to New York City where he was examined before going back to his retirement home in Jersey, where Esther waited eagerly for his return.
A week and a half later, the staff of Seattle Grace threw a going-away party for three of their doctors. Everyone noticed how Meredith Grey was quiet – too quiet. Some went as far as feeling concerned for her well being should Derek Shepard decide to physically leave Seattle.
Emma brought up her own concerns to Cristina Yang, Meredith's "Person" as they sat around a Nurse's Station on Emma's floor the day before they were to go to New York.
"She'll be fine," Cristina said, going over charts. "I get that McDreamy has to get away for a while. Meredith does, too; but that doesn't mean that her subconscious won't see it as abandonment." Emma raised an eyebrow at her. "We've gotten out our old Psych books," Cristina explained, looking embarrassed.
"She's trying," Emma said. "She's trying really hard. Maybe she needs to time of way from Derek, too, so she can focus."
"That's good," Cristina said, "I'm going to tell her that. Focus. She'll be fine, Emma. I'm sure Izzie will call you if it isn't." Emma laughed. She and Cristina had become good friends, mostly since Dr. Hahn wouldn't let Yang into any of the cardio cases – although Emma was at a loss as to why – and Emma would slide her into one. "How long are you planning on being in New York?"
"Not too long, I think," Emma said, wheeling her chair back and forth. "Callie's talking about having the baby in Central Park," Emma laughed, "as if I would let her." Cristina smiled. "O'Malley will be coming out for the birth if we're still in New York," Emma said, "I'm not sure if his nurse is coming with him or not."
"I don't think Bambi and the nurse will last," Cristina said, filing the chart she had been working on. "She's weird and he's . . . Bambi."
Emma shrugged. It wasn't any of her concern. Callie was her concern. Addison had made plans to be in New York or Seattle doing the last two weeks of Callie's pregnancy.
Everything would be okay, Emma thought. Meredith and Derek will get over whatever problems they're having and be happy. Mark had told Emma he was actually considering proposing to Izzie. And, as a going away present to Cristina, Emma had talked to Erica Hahn – not that Erica would tell Emma why she hated the Resident – and arranged for Cristina to get into some surgeries.
As a six months pregnant Callie Torres, a love-struck Derek Sheppard, and a healing Emma Shepard got onto a plane following an excited Maddison Shepard-Riggs, they felt a wave of hope wash over them – hope of a better future for everyone in their lives. They couldn't explain it, but the feeling was there and it was all that counted.
Mark Sloan stood in the terminal of the airport with several people from the hospital and Adele, he knew that they would return sooner then they thought. He couldn't explain it, either, but he knew it. After all, he thought, Seattle is simply irresistible.
Author's Note:
Okay, so this story is done. I'm not sure what I was
trying to do with it, but there you go.
Anyway, the purpose of this particular author's note is to thank you for reading. I really appreciate it. This story has been a lot of fun to write and I'm really proud of myself for finishing it, even though I don't think any conflict was resolved. Well, except for maybe the fact that Derek now has family with him – which I think he really needs – and Emma is divorced and okay with her life. She has new friends – people who care about her other than her family. Hey, maybe there was some conflict resolution after all. Thanks again for reading. It'll take a couple of weeks to start posting the sequel because I like to write ahead.
Until then, stay safe and keep reading!