Chapter 5: Questions, Answers and Urges

Elise, the six year old, had to have surgery. It was highly dangerous but it had to be done to save her young life. Doctor Shepard and Alex had a consult with the family. It was heartbreaking. No speech can be heard, but the backs of the two doctors can be seen through the room window. The angelic family are together on the bed. Elise is unaware of what is actually happening. Her mother bursts into tears, and hugs the small girl. The father is just on the bed, and he puts his arm across his family and rests his head on the back of the unturned bed. Shepard and Alex move out of the room.

"Doctor Shepard"

"Yes."

"Erm, can I come in on your surgery for Elise?"

"Yes, of course, I'd expect you too. Go get ready"

Alex walked off to scrub up. A nurse does final checks on Elise and then we see her being trolleyed to the elevator. Meredith is stood in the corridor as they go past, and our focus is moved to her.

Meredith was looking for Christina everywhere, and hadn't seen her in over an hour. Where could she be? She looked in all the normal places, she was nowhere to be seen. At lunch she met up with Christina at their usual table. Burke was sat with her.

"Hi, am I interrupting?" Meredith said, knowing from Christina's expression that she was

"Not at all Doctor Grey, I was just talking to Doctor Yang about…"

"I already know, you know, so there is no point making up something about a surgery consult"

"Doctor Grey I have every intention of keeping my personal life personal. I would appreciate your discretion on the matter until we can sort something out."

"Sort something out? This is a baby not a consult!" Christina said, getting irate. "What are we going to do? Hmm….let's see, well there are three options. One…We keep it and live happily ever after in a land made of cotton candy and pear drops, Two…I get rid of the baby and we pretend this never happened, or Three…we do nothing, let me have this baby, get found out for our little romance, I lose my place in this hospital, you lose your job for mal-practise and we end up living on the street"

"Christina, the last one is a bit over exaggerated isn't it?"

"Sorry, hormones"

"While you ladies are talking about this I think you should know that I think we should go for number one."

"Really?" said Christina, looking at Burke directly for the first time since Meredith appeared.

"Yes, well apart from the Cotton candy and pear drops"

More and more people were now looking at these three sat at the table. After all, it was unusual for interns to talk socially with Consultants.

"I'd better go, Doctor Grey, Doctor Yang" Burke now went very professional, hands in coat pockets, now stood at full height. He nodded at them, and walked off.

Izzie was busy all day, she barely saw any of the other interns. Doctor Bailey had put Izzie with her all day, a long and in some cases scary experience. She had to be on her best form. Bailey was not one for waiting for an answer.

The only time she got a break was lunch, and she ran straight to their corridor hideaway. She'd grabbed a sandwich from the cantine, but she didn't want to eat there. She just went straight to their trolley. She ate her sandwich then sat there for a while. She drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

She awoke 5 minutes later, to the sound of Meredith Christina and George arguing about Christina's next move.

"So what if he said he wants to keep it, that's just because I was stood there right infront of him! If it would have been hypothetical he would have said no immediately"

"But this isn't hypothetical Christina, this is real life…he wants to be involved. You should be happy about it" Meredith said, as she slumped down beside Izzie.

"Happy! This will ruin my career!" Christina said

"Anyway," George muffled, his mouth half-full of a cheese sandwich, "how pregnant are you?"

All three looked at Christina

"Erm…..eight weeks"

George nearly choked. Meredith looked angry, She exploded with "You kept it to yourself for eight weeks! We are your friends! You are meant to tell us everything!"

"I wasn't sure! I put it down to stress."

The argument continued until the end of Lunch, all four of them being beeped simultaneously. The work never ended at this hospital, it was a good job their shifts ended in a few hours.

back at the house

They came in from work and went to their usual positions. George got them each a beer, apart from Christina who was made to sit there watching them.

"I can just have one sip, its not gonna do anything"

"Christina, you're a doctor! No alcohol for pregnant women, you should know that!"

"Izzie, shut your little blonde mouth before I close it for you!"

"I'll put that comment down to raging hormones shall I?" Izzie said, glaring at Christina.

"Hey, if you three are going to sit here drinking infront of me, I'm going to bed"

"Bye then!" all three of them shouted as Meredith turned on the TV. Izzie removed her shoes, and George sat beside her. His arm went around Izzie's shoulder

"O god, you two aren't going to be like this from now on are you? Its depressing! I'm going to keep Christina company if you are." Meredith said, not looking at them, clearly disgusted that they were being all loved up while she was stressing over Derek. She never got to Christina's room, there was a knock at the door and Doctor Shepard appeared.

"Hi" was all he said.

Meredith moved to one side, Derek came in and started to make his way to her bedroom. Meredith shut the door behind him.

It was well into the night and Meredith and Derek, both completely naked, awoke to the sound of a woman's scream. They then heard Izzie.

"O god, George, call an ambulance!"

There was a shuffling noise and Izzie was reassuring Christina "It's going to be ok, don't worry, I wont leave you…for god's sake george the number isn't difficult 911! Hurry up!"

Meredith and Derek threw their clothes on and ran out into the hall. Christina was on the floor, clutching her stomach in agony. Derek stooped beside her and quickly examined her condition.

"She's pregnant" Meredith said, Derek looking shocked

"I think it may be an ectopic pregnancy, we need to get her to Seattle Grace immediately!"

"Why, we have most of the staff here" Christina yelps between sobs. Derek lets out a small laugh, Izzie smiles, George looks shaken by the whole incident.

The paramedics come, put Christina on a stretcher and take her down the stairs, with the group of people following. Meredith stops on the veranda of the house

VOICE OVER:

The worst thing that can happen, the one thing, is something that you can do nothing about.

Whether it's your own feelings (flashback to Issie and George's first kiss on the sofa)

or being hurt (alex stood embarrassed after Izzie turned him down),

one thing is certain. Life throws things at us that we never expect.

Things that are so obvious (Christina looking ill, Burke looking concerned near the door),

can sometimes pass us by (at this point, Derek walks past Meredith on the veranda and stairs at her)

one thing is certain, (Meredith is now sitting in the ambulance holding onto Christina's hand. She is looking pensively out of the ambulance doors)

Life is never perfect and never what we expect it to be. (Ambulance door closes)