IN THE ER
Hunt walked into Mrs Crow's room and she sat on the edge of her bed waiting for news on her family.
"Your husband has just come out of surgery and is now in recovery. Your son suffered a broken leg, some broken ribs and a punctured lung but he is doing fine. He's in surgery at the moment Dr McKenzie is stabilising his ribs to relieve the pressure on his lungs which will help him breathe easier when he wakes up"
"Thank God"
"Now I need to check you"
"I've been checked over I'm fine I just had some cuts they stitched them up real good, I'm just sitting here now"
"Mrs Crow that was an initial exam not a thorough one, I have to check you over, I need to do my job"
Kathryn reluctantly agreed and she moved back onto the bed and laid down.
"I'm going to check your abdomen" he said putting pressure on her stomach "Does this hurt?"
"No"
"This?" he asked moving up causing her to flinch slightly "That hurt? Can I take a look please?"
"No" she said sternly
"Mrs Crow there could be something wrong, I have to check"
"I'm fine"
"Maisie is asking for you but I am not going to bring her in here until I know you're fine because the last thing that little girl needs is to see her mother writhing in pain"
Kathryn's desire to see her daughter overtook her fear of Hunt examining her and she let him proceed as he lifted her shirt he saw bruising on her ribs.
"Your ribs are bruised"
"That'll be the pain I was having then"
"How did you do this?" asked Hunt
"I was just hit by a car"
"Yeah you were and you have some beautiful bruises from that big deep purples ones these however are yellowing which means this is an old injury like the bruise on your forehead" he said pointing to it letting her know he'd noticed it "And in the notes made by the doctor who examined you initially he states older bruises and cuts apparent on your wrists, shoulders and thighs"
"I'm accident prone what can I say"
"They're symbolic of pressure points, the cuts and grazes you have are caused by blunt trauma, that being hit by an object" Kathryn knew where Hunt was going with his assumptions but remained silent "How did it occur that your husband hit you with his car in the middle of the street no where near your home with your three kids in the car?"
"It was a freak accident he was pulling over to give me a lift and he lost control"
"He must have been pulling over at one of hell of a speed to cause the injuries he has to the people he has including your daughter and son and five victims in the other car one of whom has died"
"Oh my God" said Kathryn to the news
"Kathryn you can talk to me" said Hunt pulling a chair up by the bed and sitting down next to her.
LATER
Roxie stood alone in the scrub room after the surgery and she began to breathe deeply unable to breathe rhythmically as she began to feel like she was the grim reaper of paediatrics. First Faith dying, then baby Derek needing heart surgery and now she had just helped deliver the baby of a thirteen year old girl who had been through so much trauma and had been deprived of so much oxygen it was uncertain whether the newborn baby girl would ever wake up. Just then the door opened and Hunt appeared.
"The husband, he's beating Kathryn up. She has contusions, abrasions and lacerations and first degree burns all over her body, she's had several broken ribs which she's recovering from. Earlier today they had another argument this time she walked out and he loaded the car up with the kids and went to find her and when he did…"
"…he tried to kill her?" asked Roxie for clarification as she turned around to reveal she'd been crying
"Hey are you ok?" asked Hunt concerned
"Yeah I'm fine"
"You've been crying" he said stepping forward and wiping away a stray tear
"Sara's baby she may not wake up, I just feel…never mind. What are you going to do about all of this?"
"I've called social services; she's agreed to talk to the police"
"That's good"
"Are you sure you're ok?"
"Yeah I'll be fine. Have you heard anything on the son?"
"He's just got out of surgery apparently he's fine"
"That's good news does Kathryn know?"
"No I'm on my way to tell her I just thought you should be informed of all of this"
"Thanks"
Hunt smiled at Roxie and left the room.
LATER OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL
Roxie sat on a bench thinking about everything that was happening to the Crow family, the people in the other car, the Winters family, Sara's baby and what was going through Skye's head that she would be so desperate to get a hold of the liver. She lowered her head and sighed with frustration as she sat alone and sombre she was startled as she felt something on her hand. She jumped and screamed as she came face to face with a big, brown, floppy eared dog with a red collar.
"Hey there" she said stroking the dog. She looked at the collar and saw it said 'Lukie' and she smiled. "You're her dog? Is that why you're here for Maisie? You're a clever dog. Ok you can't come in but I can bring Maisie to you she'll be so happy" said Roxie walking the dog to the door and tying him up before she walked inside
"Dr Leoni Sara's baby is crashing" said an intern as she walked through the door
Roxie rushed to the NICU just in time to see them revive the baby. Saunders walked out of the room.
"That was a close one"
"Is she ok?"
"She's alive we're waiting on a neuro consult"
"She's not going to wake up is she?"
"You don't know that" said Saunders
"I know this place, nothing good happens here"
"What about the sextuplets?" she said pointing to them
"See the third one over from Mom. He has a heart problem I operated on him when he was four days old. They may be a miracle but its not without a lot of bad stuff"
"There has to be good and bad to even it out"
"Yeah but why do brand new little babies have to go through the bad. They've done nothing wrong, they're truly innocent they don't deserve it"
Roxie walked away from the NICU once more wondering when her time with sick babies would come to an end.
LATER AT CHARLIES ROOM
Roxie walked to the door of Charlie's room where she found Skye sitting in the dark she tapped on the window and called Skye out of the room.
"What are you doing?" asked Roxie
"I don't know" she answered honestly "I don't know what I'm doing. I like him and I can't just sit here and watch him die"
"A few weeks ago you loved Chan and you were marrying him and now you're in love with the Irish bar room brawler?"
"I didn't say I was in love this isn't about anything to do with love or a relationship, he's just a sincerely nice guy"
"Who was a drunk Skye!"
"You threw Chan away because he innocently got an addiction problem to a very addictive prescription drug. You couldn't put your faith in him because your alcoholic father let you down and now you're here poaching organs to save the life of an alcoholic stranger who shows you a bit of attention"
"Rox…" Skye began to well up "…I can't explain it"
"I can, you couldn't save your Daddy so you're going to save him. And Chan you couldn't stand by him because if he failed you it would have hit like a ton of bricks because you do love him. There's nothing there between you and Charlie he's just a project, and I feel sorry for you because while you're here doing this you're pushing Chan further away"
Roxie walked away from Skye leaving her more confused than ever wondering if what her friend had said was right.
OUTSIDE THE OR – THE HARVEST
Roxie and Meredith walked up to the chief who had them paged.
"Hey chief what's up?" asked Roxie
"One of the patients in front of Charlie on the UNOS list passed away yesterday morning"
"Oh…"
"This means Charlie's now second on the list, UNOS is re-evaluating the situation. Is there anything that could get Charlie the liver?"
"Such as?"
"Deterioration since he was last updated on the list"
"He's just getting frailer chief but if this guys been on the list longer than Charlie I'm guessing he's worse off"
"Chief UNOS is on the phone" said a nurse
"I'll take it in the conference room"
Minutes Later
Roxie and Meredith joined the chief as he talked with UNOS about the liver while Skye stood outside eager to know who it was going to.
"You heard that" said the chief hanging up the phone
"Yeah…ok"
"So he doesn't get the liver?" asked Meredith
"No not this time but the good news is he's now at the top of the list"
"That's good news?" asked Meredith before walking out of the room
Roxie turned to leave and caught a glimpse of Skye outside, Skye could tell by the look on her face that the liver wasn't Charlie's and she walked away.
LATER – IN THE ER
Karev and Cristina pushed Maisie back into the ER after testing her for everything possible.
"Well?" asked Maisie
"Well what?" asked Cristina
"He said my dog would be here"
"Technically he didn't say that" replied Cristina
"So where's Lukie?" she asked saddened
"I don't…"
"We'll call the fire fighter up and ask him if he's had any luck" said Karev
Karev and Cristina walked away "Oh we will, will we?"
"We can't just crush her dreams like that and tell her that the dogs snuffed it or isn't coming back"
"So you're going to lie to her?"
"No I'm going to prolong it in hopes they find him"
"Oh come on that dog has gone you know it and I know it. What are you expecting Alex that the dog will just turn up here and tie himself up outside and wait patiently? That's pathetic even for you"
Cristina then walked away frustrated with her case and the day in general and she stepped outside for some fresh air. She took the fresh air in as she stood with her eyes closed. Suddenly she heard a dog bark and opened her eyes to see Lukie tied to the bench.
"No freakin' way" said Cristina to herself "You didn't come here by yourself and tie yourself to the bench right?" Cristina asked the dog as she realised what she had just said to Karev had actually come true.
Moments Later
Karev and Cristina walked outside with Maisie who wrapped her arms around the dog and cuddled him thankful he was back in her life.
LATER – IN THE ON CALL ROOM
Roxie sat on the bottom bunk still thinking about everything that had happened in the day. The door opened and Mark walked in to see Roxie sat alone in the dark.
"Hey are you ok?" he asked
"Yeah just a long day"
"I heard about that girls baby, I'm sorry"
"Thanks" she sighed
"Something else is bothering you"
"It's nothing I'm going to do some work, my heads too busy to sleep"
"Ok" he said as he watched her leave
Roxie walked out of the room and straight into Derek.
"Hey"
"Hi" she replied
"I'm sorry about the Crow baby it's a shame that things worked out the way they did, have you spoken to Sara about her options?"
"What?"
"You know bringing the baby off life support"
"You did the neuro exam?"
"Not personally no but there has been one"
"The babies not waking up?"
"I'm afraid not no there's no brain activity"
"Oh my God" she said with shock "Oh my God" she said again this time getting angry as she walked away
Moments Later In The NICU
Roxie ran in to see Sara and Saunders stood beside her baby getting ready to bring the baby off life support.
"Wait" said Roxie as she ran across the room "How can you not tell me about the baby?"
"The baby isn't your patient"
"No the mother is, have you even given her, her options"
"Options?" asked Sara
"Sara I'm so sorry about your baby you have no idea how sorry. My daughter died in here too, they thought she was getting better and then she coded and they couldn't bring her back. It tears you apart, you don't know whether you did something bad to deserve it or if you failed your baby somehow, but you feel guilty and it's a horrible feeling to carry and right now this is the last thing you want to think about but it's one of the greatest gifts you and your daughter could ever give. Your daughter…"
"Eve"
"Eve…she's alive, she will never wake up but she is alive, she's warm and you can feel her heart beating. Unfortunately for you she can't be saved but you and Eve can save so many others. This little baby here" she said pointing to baby Derek "He was born with a sick heart and he had to have an operation when he was four days old so that I could make his heart work a little better but he's still very sick and he's going to be very sick until either his heart grows or until he receives a new heart"
"Would he get Eve's heart?" she asked knowing exactly what Roxie was suggesting
"Possibly but that's not why I'm asking I have faith in Derek and I believe he'll get through this by himself with a little help from me, but there are so many babies who need organs but they need paediatric organs not the ones we give to the grown ups and paediatric donors are very rare"
"I can't believe you're doing this she's thirteen and has just lost her baby" said Saunders
"I can't believe you can work in this department and not even bring up organ donation with Sara, Eve's body is perfectly healthy, and her organs are perfect for donation. I know this is bombarding at such a difficult time but why should she die in vain? She could save the lives of many children"
Roxie and Sara stood silent for a lingering moment before Sara spoke "Would your baby have been alive with a transplant?"
"No…my baby just couldn't fight anymore she was tired"
"I'm sorry about your baby"
"And I'm sorry about Eve"
"What was your babies name?"
"Faith"
"That's pretty. Did you donate her organs?"
"No we didn't it was a different situation she couldn't donate her organs but Eve she can"
"And what will happen if I say yes?"
"They'll take her to the OR and remove her organs and send them to where ever they need to go then they'll close her up"
"Will I see her after?"
"That's your choice"
"Did you see your baby?"
"No I couldn't do it but her Dad did, he was great he…it's your choice"
"Do you regret it?"
"No I don't but each persons different some people need to see them after death but I was raised to believe that when the heart stops the spirits released and that persons no longer there it's just an empty vessel"
"That's a little morbid" she said fighting back tears
"Yeah it is"
"I want to do it, she should do something with her life, she should save the lives of others. That's nice right?" she asked bursting into tears
"That's amazing" replied Roxie stepping forward and hugging Sara
"I hope your baby gets her heart" said Sara to Angela as she watched on
"Thank you" said Angela
"So what now?" asked Sara
"There's some papers you need to sign"
"Ok" she said looking at Eve and walking out of the room
"That was wrong" said Saunders
"No you letting those perfectly good organs die is wrong. You making the decision of whether those children waiting for organs get to live today is wrong. You are not God and do not get to make that decision"
"She's thirteen"
"And you're a doctor"
Saunders stormed out of the room and Roxie turned to see Sara waiting.
"You're her" said Angela getting Roxie's attention
"I'm sorry?"
"Derek he spoke of you when he was sitting with me he didn't tell me you were the mother. I didn't even know you were a couple"
"We're not!" stated Roxie as she began to walk away
"You did the right thing a lot of mothers are going to be sleeping better tonight because of you and that brave girl out there"
Roxie didn't look back and she continued to walk out of the room and to take Sara to sign the donation papers.
LATER – CHARLIE'S ROOM
Roxie walked into Charlie's room and sat down beside Skye.
"I'm sorry" she said
"Me too"
"I get it" said Roxie
"You get what?"
"Why you did what you did. You saw a chance and you dove at it. It didn't work out the way you wanted but you fought for it"
"Why the change of heart?"
"I just begged a thirteen year old mother to donate her daughter's organs"
"Thirteen?"
"It's been one case after another, kid after kid and I saw the chance to save baby Derek and I went for it. I don't know that he's even a match or if he'll get the heart but I couldn't not try and even if he doesn't get the heart some other kids going to but regardless I still begged a thirteen year old to make a grown up decision about her baby who isn't even a day old yet"
"Did you ever think this was happening on purpose? You getting all the paeds cases like it's forcing you to become one of them?"
"No why?"
"Was just thinking about what you said. Why am I so involved in this case? Is it because I like him? Is it because I think I can fix him? Or is it because I'm lonely and he flirted with me?"
"I'm going to guess a little of all three"
"Probably" she smiled "He will get a liver right?"
"He's first on the list"
Skye gave a stunned look "He was third?"
"Yeah one of the guys died yesterday and the other got the liver from the Winters guy"
"So he has a good chance of getting a liver then?"
"Yeah he does may not be soon but he's got a good chance yeah"
Roxie and Skye sat there in Charlie's room together just getting over the days events.
