I finally finished this chapter! Sorry it has taken so long. I have had at least two assignments due each week which has been time consuming and exhausting but I am going into my mid Semester break next week so hopefully I will be able to write more! Also, Melbourne lockdown is depressing and people are idiots. But, good news, from tomorrow we will be able to go 10km and have picnics in the park!
Meredith finds Cormac in the crowd, weaving her way towards him. "Coffee?" he says, holding a spare cup out to her. She takes it eagerly, taking a long sip and sighing with contentment. "Thanks, you are a lifesaver! I didn't even have time to finish one cup in the rush this morning. Remind me to kill my sisters for leaving me to get four kids out the door alone" Meredith says as they turn back to Owen.
"Ambulances are five minutes out" Owen starts as the staff gather around. "A school bus was T-boned carrying children on a field trip"
Meredith pales at his words, almost dropping her coffee. Cormac looks over, seeing the fear on her face he quietly asks, "which one?"
"Zola" Meredith says quietly, looking up at Owen as he continues, oblivious.
"The bus was hit by a delivery truck, flipping it in the intersection and causing a pile up. Expect internal injuries and broken bones in the children who were thrown in the bus and impact injuries from adults in individual vehicles. I will be managing triage; Dr Perez will interface with next of kin. Everyone else, divide into sections of the ER, interns will assist, residents will manage cases and organise consults from attendings. OR's will fill up so make sure to prioritise. Dr Hayes, anything specific to keep in mind dealing with paediatric trauma cases?" Owen says.
"Interns, get more paediatric oxygen masks and intubation kits, we don't know what condition these children will be in when they arrive…" Cormac begins, reminding the staff of specialised paediatric treatments while keeping an eye on Meredith beside him. "Gear up in PPE, residents please make your way to the ambulance bay while interns gather further supplies" He finishes as the staff scatter to prepare.
"Mer, what do you need?" Cormac says, turning back to the petrified woman at his side.
"Can you ask Owen which school it was? I am going to call Zola's school and see if I can talk to her" Meredith says quietly.
"Is Grey ok?" Jackson asks Cormac as he moves towards Owen and Meredith makes her way out of the bustling ER.
"Zola is on a school trip today" Cormac replies. "Hey Owen, do you know which school it was?" Cormac asks, shouting slightly to be heard against the noise of the doctors around them.
"John Haye elementary, why?" Owen asks, confusion showing on his face.
Cormac sighs, "Zola is at Coe, right?" he confirms, looking between Owen and Jackson, they both nod and Cormac grins. "Amazing, I need to go find Mer!" he says, relieved. "Sorry, that sounds insensitive this is still a tragedy, I need to go tell Mer", he adds running off.
"He really cares about her, doesn't he" Owen says to Jackson as Cormac hurries to find Meredith. "You have no idea" Jackson says with a smirk.
"Mer?" Cormac says, gently knocking on a storage closet door, "can I come in?"
She opens the door, showing him her phone on hold with the school. "What did Owen say?" she asks, quietly.
"It was a bus from John Haye, Zola is at Coe, right?" he tells her.
Meredith grins, jumping up to hug him. "Yes, wow, she is ok!" Meredith says relieved. Resting her head against Cormac's chest she adds "it is terrifying to leave them out of my sight, dropping them off at school I imagine the horrifying things that could happen, things we see happening to children who come into the ER. Does it make me a bad person that I am relieved it was someone else's child who was hurt?" she asks, so quiet he barely hears her.
"No Mer, it makes you human, it makes you a parent" he says, holding her close. "We see horrible things happen to people every day, and the only way I get through is reassuring myself that my kids are fine, that they are safe. Your kids are fine. Take the time you need to remind yourself that they are safe before you come back out. Owen knows and will make sure the general consults go to Bailey and Webber."
Meredith looks up at him, smiling her thanks "you go, those children need you, they need the best. I will be there as soon as I can" she says, slowly releasing him.
"Hey Jackson, you seen Grey?" Jo asks, running up to him in the ER.
He looks around, replying "last I saw her she was headed up to surgery a couple hours ago, the lady with splenic laceration. She should be finishing up soon. What do you need her for?"
"The kid in trauma one is in rough shape, I'm going to need her assistance for this one, send her my way if you see her" Jo says, starting to walk away.
"Hey, hey, how long is this surgery going to be?" Jackson asks running after her. "Have you eaten today? You have been on your feet all day, maybe it is best you take a break, I'm sure Grey can do the surgery with someone else to assist her."
Jo raises her eyebrows, "really? You think I'm not capable of doing a surgery? Just because you had to go all macho and impregnate me you think you have the right to keep me out of the OR?"
"No, it's not that" Jackson says defensively, "I just want to make sure you are both ok. I know you can take care of yourself and the baby, but it isn't great for you to be on your feet all day, exhausting yourself in surgery"
"I am not exhausted. How about this, I will have an intern bring me a smoothie which I will drink before going in, and I will take a break or find someone to swap out if I get tired. That ok for you pappa bear?" she says, a hint of a smile coming through her scowl. "I know you care; I love how much you love this child but you need to trust me to do my job and take care of it, you can't be getting too protective this early on, we still have another seven months to go" she says, giving his hand a squeeze before making her way into trauma 1.
Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think :)
Thank you to everyone who has commented on my story, your words keep me motivated to continue writing, even a few words a day when I am busy gets the story there!