Distraction
Chapter 6: Fight Song
Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.
~x~
It was time.
It was the moment everyone was waiting for.
Denny would be getting his new heart.
However, Atlanta was getting nervous. What if Denny's body rejected the heart? What if the surgery didn't work? So many thoughts were running through her head as she stood beside her husband who was beyond excited. She kept silently praying that things would work out, that Denny would be okay, and that he would live to meet their Imogen and watch her grow up.
Doctor Burke was going over the surgery in detail, whilst Atlanta gripped onto her husband's hand, worry written on her pale face.
"He'll be alright, right Doctor Burke?" Atlanta asked, her voice wobbling as she focused on the other man.
Doctor O'Malley stood silently beside the Attending, face blank and eyes unreadable. All Atlanta could think about was Denny dying on the table and leaving her a widow.
"If everything goes as planned," Doctor Burke replied. "Are you ready, Denny? Doctor O'Malley will ready you for surgery while I go with Doctor Karev to collect the heart. You'll be ready to have the heart go straight into your chest and baring no complications, you should be as good as new and able to go with your wife to her next appointment."
Denny turned his attention back to his shaking wife. "Hear that doll, I should be as good as new. Maybe as a reward, I should get the chance to top, eh?" Denny said in a joking voice. She couldn't stop the way her face heated up because her husband had made an innuendo about their sex life… in front of his doctors.
"Denny!" Atlanta blushed, squeezing his hand before she looked anywhere except at the two doctors.
"What? It's a serious question!" Denny defended his question, but he was wearing that goofy smile that always played on his wife's emotions. She rolled her eyes goodheartedly. Denny turned to the doctors who looked like they had heard it all. "She's just embarrassed is all, which I don't get. She's great in bed."
Atlanta squeaked in embarrassment before she swatted his arm. "No more from you!"
The doctors laughed softly. "Mrs. Duquette, I believe it's time for Doctor O'Malley to ready Denny. I'm going to go catch my plane." Doctor Burke nodded to the blushing woman before he disappeared to collect Doctor Karev whom would be joining him.
Doctor O'Malley moved forward to ready Denny, making a point not to stare at the blushing woman.
"Why the long face, baby doll?" Denny asked, letting O'Malley have his arm to draw blood.
Atlanta shot him a small glare. "You can't say stuff like that in front of people, Denny. They are your doctors!" She pointed out with a small huff.
"Oh, there's no issue, Atlanta. We've heard it all." Doctor O'Malley reassured her.
Atlanta sighed in defeat before she turned to her husband. "Even if you're an idiot, I still love you." She leaned down to kiss his cheek.
~x~
Doctor O'Malley had left to give them some privacy before he took Denny into the surgery room. Atlanta was pacing the small bedroom as she tried to settle her nerves. Denny was getting annoyed with her pacing but he didn't have the heart to stop her.
"When I get out of here, let's go to Venice and get away. Make love on a beach or something." Denny blurted out, which made his wife pause. "We never did get to have a proper honey moon 'cause of my heart. And I'd hate to keep you from experiencing the whole thing of being married."
Atlanta moved to sit down on the side of his bed, taking his hand and letting out a small sigh. "As much as that sounds lovely, all I want is to bring you home. I wanna hold you at night and wake up beside you in the morning." She leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "And I sure wouldn't mind waking up to morning sex."
"Holy hell," Denny gulped as he thought of taking his wife in the morning, her drowsy with sleep but so willing. He could see it all and it made him want her that much more. "I want that too."
"Can we get a dog?" Atlanta asked, changing the subject before her husband got into an awkward position.
At this point, he would agree to anything. "Whatever you want, baby girl."
She shivered at the nickname, having not heard it in some time. She swallowed before she laid her head down onto the bed to let Denny run his fingers through her hair. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
~x~
Izzie felt robbed. After she had been kicked off of Denny's case, she had been sentenced to scut and hadn't been allowed on another case since. Doctor Bailey said it wasn't her doing, as it had come straight from the Chief himself, and ain't nobody fighting the Chief's decision.
To make matters worse, Alex had come to see her in the tunnels and had rubbed it in that he was getting to go assist in a heart retrieval. Meredith had tried to up him with her own surgery that she had with Derek, but everyone knew how uncomfortable Meredith was with Derek. Derek was just following her around like a puppy, hoping to get back into her good graces.
There was also the fact that Meredith was seeing Finn the Vet. Cristina had a fun time making fun of her for that.
Izzie frowned as she watched her boy toy run off when he was paged by Burke. It should have been her! She was the one who had been taking care of Denny since he had arrived!
"What's with the long face, barbie?" Cristina asked, face stuffed with her sandwich. She had been on-call last night and it was her first chance to eat in eight hours.
Izzie scowled at the Asian woman and crossed her arms. "I was taken off Denny's case."
Meredith peeped up, "I heard Mrs. Duquette caught you making out with Denny."
"Shut up Mere!" Izzie frowned, feeling her cheeks redden at the memory of kissing Denny. His lips had been so soft, softer than she would have originally thought. It made her want to kiss him again. "We weren't making out… we kissed."
Cristina and Meredith looked at each other with concern written on both of their faces. "Isn't that sort of… against the law?" Cristina asked, giving the blonde a weird look.
"I don't care! I love Denny!" Izzie blurted, before she realized what she had said and the gravity of it. She loved Denny. She wanted Denny. She needed to see him right now to find to find out if he shared her feelings.
Meredith swallowed. "Izzie… husbands don't leave their wives. Trust me. It'll just hurt you in the end." Meredith pointed out.
"And I've seen them together, Denny loves Mrs. Duquette. There isn't a chance for you." Cristina also added, giving the blonde a long look.
Izzie didn't care. She just knew that she wanted Denny and she was going to do whatever it took to get him back, no matter who it hurt.
~x~
"I love you. You better come back alive."
"No promises," Denny responded with a cheeky grin. "Unless of course you promise to wear my favorite number…"
Atlanta blushed as she leaned down to kiss his nose. "I'll wear whatever you want as long as you come back to me alive."
They shared a kiss as George waited to take Denny up to surgery. Burke had said that he and Alex were on their way with the heart. Apparently, the whole surgery had gone off without a hitch.
"I love you too, baby doll." Denny whispered against her lips before he was wheeled away. And so, began the worst few hours of Atlanta's life.
~x~
Izzie ran as fast as she could to the surgery hallway, trying to catch Denny before he entered the sterile room. She saw George pushing the bed off of the elevator and she felt like fate was on her side.
"George! Wait!" Izzie shouted as she pushed her screaming legs just a little bit further.
George looked around as he pushed Denny further into the hallway. He spotted Izzie whom looked like she was ready to murder somebody. "Izzie?" Denny found himself asking, remembering the last time he had been face to face with the blonde. He also remembered Atlanta's rage. "What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you." Izzie blurted, looking at the sickly man. "I need to tell you something."
"I'm kinda going into surgery." Denny gestured to his body. "And my wife doesn't want me talking to you."
Izzie frowned, whilst George looked uncomfortable. "Izzie, I have to go…" George tried but she pushed forward anyway.
"I love you Denny! I want you to choose me! Not her!" Izzie gasped, feeling like if she didn't say it now, then she never would get the chance to.
Denny looked even more uncomfortable. "Izzie… I love my wife. She means the world to me… and right now, I need to go get my new heart so that we can be together and raise our daughter together. Doctor O'Malley, if you please." Denny spoke softly and calmly to Izzie before he turned to George.
George nodded and started to push the bed again.
Izzie was stunned by the rejection before she followed. "I want you more than she does! I love you more!"
He didn't look so convinced. He knew what he had to do. "Doctor Stevens, you are no longer my doctor and I would like to get to my surgery." He spoke calmly but he was feeling upset. Once upon a time, he would have considered being with Izzie, maybe even marrying her if she wanted him, but he had Atlanta, and he loved her more than he loved life itself. He wouldn't betray her again.
Izzie let herself be pushed aside as she stood there completely stunned.
Where had she gone wrong?
~x~
Time ticked by slowly, leaving Atlanta staring at the clock as she waited for Doctor Burke or Doctor O'Malley to come back to her with news. It had been four hours already since they had taken Denny into surgery and it was leaving her feeling nervous. Atlanta ran a hand over her baby bump, as she thought of her husband.
What if Denny wasn't okay?
What if he didn't react well to the heart?
What if he died on the table?
Atlanta closed her eyes as she tried to settle her stomach and her thoughts, but all she could think of was her husband. Each time that she heard the doors open, she would perk up in hopes that it was Denny's doctors coming out to tell her that he was fine, but it wasn't. It never was.
When the clock reached dinner time, Atlanta could feel her stomach rumbling and she knew that she needed to get something to eat before she passed out from lack of energy. But, as she pulled her body from the seat, hands trembling, she heard her name.
"Atlanta!"
She whipped her head around and spotted George, looking bright and it was like her whole body tensed. She could only think of her Denny. What if he wasn't okay?
"Is Denny okay?" Atlanta asked, moving forward as she tried to think positive but she kept imaging his dead body.
George smiled as she reached him and he offered her his hands. "Denny's okay. He's in the ICU so that we can keep an eye on him for the night, and then he should be back in his room tomorrow if everything goes well." George saw her shoulders slump in relief. "Would you like to see him?"
Atlanta nodded quickly as she took hold of his hand. "Please."
"Right this way, Mrs. Duquette. Your husband is waiting for you."
~x~
As she walked to her husband's room, Atlanta focused on breathing. George talked enough for the both of them so she didn't feel the need to talk to him, and she was thankful for that.
She heard her husband's voice when they were mere steps away from the door.
"Where's my wife?" He slurred.
Atlanta pushed forward and rushed to Denny's side, pushing open the door to find her husband laying on the bed with a bandage on his chest and he looked half asleep. Denny locked eyes with her and then she was running forward, tears filling her eyes.
"Denny!" She reached his side and took hold of his hand. "How are you feeling, jellybean? Does anything hurt?"
"I'm fine, baby doll." Denny replied, his voice slurred and slowed. Atlanta knew that it had to do with him being put under for his surgery.
She gripped onto his hand, feeling her tears flood her eyes. She kissed his hand, lowering her head to meet his skin. She glanced over at Doctor Burke with hope in her eyes. "Is Denny gonna be okay?"
Doctor Burke smiled at her, looking almost hopeful himself. "If all goes well, I believe that Denny will live a long and happy life."
~x~
Surprise! I'm alive!
I'd like to say that I am so sorry about not updating anything in such a long time! I just recently started my second year of Biology and I've been so busy. During the summer, I was working full time and didn't have the time to write. I decided to write recently so that I could properly finish this story. I might also get back into my other stories, Guilty Survivor and The Heart Wants What It Wants.
But, I'd like to thank you for returning and waiting for this long-awaited update, for sticking around, and for those who reviewed and gave me the boost I needed to get back into writing. Thank you. *heart*
REVIEWS
Purplemonkey36: I do too and during this chapter, Denny does! Yay!
Chipiam: Thank you!
Emilee: I ship Dlanta hard too and I can't wait to see Denny as a daddy :)
Animexchick: I don't think I will add that drama because I feel like Denny deserved more than he did on the show. He was a great guy who died because of Izzie. Obviously, I'm bitter.
Irisdietrich: Same tho!
Thank you for all who reviewed. It made my day. And I can't wait to press complete for this story. Depending on my mood, I think we have either one more chapter left AND the epilogue or just the epilogue left to go.
What do you guys want?
Anyway, I should probs go and finish my pre-cal assignment. *Insert sigh*
I love you guys!
Xoxo,
Nerdy ~
