Chapter 53


A surgical residency is all about training for the worst. But, as prepared as we might be, we usually don't see disaster coming. We can try to envision the worst-case scenario, to foresee catastrophe. But, when true disaster strikes, it often comes out of nowhere. And when the worst really does happen, we find ourselves completely blindsided. Why do bad things happen to good people? We ask that question so often, it's become a cliché, but that's because bad things do happen to good people constantly. You just have to hope that when it's your turn, you'll know what to do, how to cope, how to persevere. But the truth is, you don't know how you'll react to your worst-case scenario. None of us do. Not until it happens. Meredith Grey; One Flight Down


When he reached the pit, they were already waiting for him. Shit. He'd hoped to be there before the patient arrived. He walked over to a nurse, wanting her to tell him where he was needed and what for the paged him. "Dr. Shepherd, there you are. We've been waiting for you." The nurse said, her voice was a little bit distressed. Derek threw her a glance before asking: "Now where's the patient you paged me for?" He wanted to know, while looking around, searching for someone who needed a neuro consult. "The patient is over there. Trauma 4." The nurse said and led him over to the patient. "What kind of injuries are we dealing with?" He wanted to gather as much information as possible.

"37-year old male, MVC, possible head and abdominal injuries. He was unconscious en route but regained consciousness after a while." An EMT told him as he entered the trauma room.

"I'll take it from here." Derek said, before turning his attention to the patient. Derek turned to look at the patient. He was very surprised when he found out that he knew who this was.

Derek gasped in response. His gasp got the patient's attention who looked up. He seemed confused at first before he recognized him as well. "Mike?" He asked, not exactly believing what he saw. "What are you doing here?" He questioned despite seeing why he was here.

The motor vehicle crash was the reason.

The guy on the bed looked up and a surprised face expression could be seen as he recognized his friend from college. "I'm here on a family trip. But then this happened." He motioned to his head. Derek immediately saw the problem. "How did that happen?" He then questioned politely. "Somehow my wife lost control of the car and that's how we ended up here. I don't know about her. Could you maybe find out about her and my two kids? I've been told they were taken to get some kinds of tests done?" He then asked.

"Sure, I'll see what I can do." Derek said, as he opened the patient chart said that they wanted to do an abdominal CT scan as well since he's complained of abdominal tenderness. "You need to tell me if you are feeling pain someplace else, ok?" He added in a super serious tone that made it clear that he wasn't joking at all.

"Beside pain here …" He points to his head and then to his abdomen, "and here, then no, no pain."

"You sure about that?" Derek's ice blue eyes gazed at him intently.

After he did the necessary neuro checks he phoned radiology to let them know that he was on his way down now. Luckily, there was no one using the CT right now. "So, let's get you a head CT and an abdominal CT to make sure there's nothing to be concerned of." Derek told him in a calm and collected voice.

"You said you'd find out about my family. I want my family to be taken care of first. Then you can do whatever tests you want to on me."

Derek sighed. "Mike, come on, be reasonable. Internal bleeding in the head and/ or the abdomen could potentially kill you. I'm not telling you this because it's fun, I do this because you need to acknowledge the importance of this. I'm your doctor and I recommend that CT." He tried for another time but nothing.

"Yeah, after I get to know about my wife and my kids." Derek's friend from college kept on insisting about needing to find about his wife and kids. Somehow Derek understood that. He would do the same with the situation was reversed. "What are their names?" Derek asked softly, taking the time. He knew he wouldn't come through to him in another way. Mike looked up and saw the genuine interest in Derek's eyes: "My wife's name is Marla and my kids' names are Jamie and Kayla, both nine years old."

"Twins?" Derek's eyes lit up when he heard this.

"Yeah." He smiled when he thought of them. Derek put a comforting hand on his arm for some seconds. "I'll find out about them, I promise. After the scans I'll tell you. But please Mike, let me do those scans." Derek begged him as he checked something in the chart, turning his back to him. The neurosurgeon was glad that he was stable for now. But he also knew that that could change quickly and suddenly. That's why he wanted to do the scans

"Why are you so invested in wanting me to have those scans?"

Mike looked at him expectantly. Derek turned around. "Because I've seen what happened to someone I love who didn't listen until it was too late. They were able to save her but … It's better to do it this way, believe me." Derek told him.

"Who are you talking about?" There was that question.

Maybe he'd sensed something.

"You'll probably meet her during your stay at this hospital." Derek didn't disclose any further information. "Dr. Shepherd, I'm your intern for the day." He turned around only to face a blonde woman glaring at him. "Schedule him for a CT and page me with the results." When Stevens didn't move he raised his voice.

"Now. I need to do something." He told her.

"Fine, relax." Izzie told him.

"I'll do it." The patient looked from the intern to Derek and mouthed: "What's this all about?" Derek just shook his head before saying: "I'll check on them for you, Dr. Stevens will take you to get your CT scan and then I'll go over the results with you."


Meredith was still fuming about Derek's stubbornness as she heard someone calling her name. "Mer, wait." She reacted with: "Not now." The footsteps were getting faster, and then she heard someone saying: "Meredith, it's me, Cristina. Why are you reacting like that?" She heard the person ask. That was Cristina. Oops, she thought. Meredith turned around. Alex was there as well. "Derek's being a McAss."

"To you?" Cristina asked, as Meredith finally turned around.

"No, to his sister." Meredith replied.

"You hang out with his sisters aka the wolves?" Cristina exclaimed. "I did spend some time with his youngest sister. She's not judge-y."

"How do you know?" Cristina stated bluntly, as always.

"Cristina." Meredith looked at her disapprovingly. "Sorry, Mer. I just get bitchy sometimes." "I know. Let me guess, you missed out on a very big surgery and now that is ruining your mood?" Cristina just grumbled something she didn't quite understand.

"What's up with you two?" Meredith asked as she glanced at them. "Bailey's on the warpath. We are doing sutures in the pit." "What have you done to deserve that?" Meredith laughed. "We kinda didn't exactly do what she wanted us to do which led to her catching us in the tunnels doing anything except that specific thing that she wanted us to do." Cristina replied to her person's questions. "Now we're treating patients in the pit, hopefully there will be a nice surgical patient coming in soon."

"Cristina." Meredith exclaimed, looking at the soon-to-be resident, shocked.

"What?" Cristina asked back bluntly. She shrugged. Meredith only shook her head. This was so Cristina. She had no idea why Meredith reacted that way. "I mean it's way better to spend a day in surgery and learning something that will actually help me with my career instead of patching up idiots in the pit that don't have the balls to get real injuries."

"But still that's better than watching mopey Derek moping over his sister." Meredith bluntly said. "Don't ask. You don't wanna know. But I think I was wrong." Meredith spilled part of her secrets.

"His sisters don't hate you?" Cristina said straightforward.

Normally she liked Cristina's straightforwardness but sometimes, it annoyed her. Like it did now. But she was allowed to ask that question, after all she was her person.

"They do." Meredith said. "Well, Nancy does. I don't know about the rest. At least not really. I think they are warming up to the thought that their little brother divorced the perfect wife with the long and perfect legs."

Cristina held back laughter.

"You should hear yourself, Meredith. This was so downright funny." She chuckled suppressed as she watched Meredith's face expression. "What was funny about what I said?" Meredith frowned, not realizing that the way she said it was the cause of Cristina's strangely strange behavior.

"So much for that." Cristina muttered under her breath.

"Not all of them hate me. Amelia, I think, kind of likes me." Cristina looked at her.

"That makes one so far, three to go." She said bluntly.

Meredith huffed.

"And Nancy sounds like she's a real hard piece of work. I am really glad not to be in your shoes." She was still referring to McDreamy-family situation. "You're a big help, Cristina." Meredith gave back. "Hey, I'm just stating my opinion." Cristina answered.

"Apparently."

"What are you doing?" Cristina then asked, poking Meredith's arm with her finger.

"Uh, nothing." Meredith quickly answered.

"You're so lying, Meredith. You can bet your ass that I can tell when you are lying and right now you are." Cristina looked at her waiting for a decent answer.

"Fine." Meredith gave in.

"Well, Bailey kinda gave me the day off because of the McFamily and you know what's funny?" Meredith asked her, but only rhetorically. Both of them knew it.

"Do tell." Cristina's eyes lit up.