Chapter 6

Dr. Meredith Grey stood on the spot. Her jaws hung open as Izzie dashed off after her outburst. Alex had run after her. Callie, confused with the situation nudged Meredith's shoulder, waking her up from her daze. Slowly, she turned to Callie and started gesturing with her hands, but Callie only shook her head, frowning at her own confusion. "What?" Meredith finally asked.

"Hannah. Izzie has a daughter." Callie started, then drew in a deep breathe. "Izzie's daughter is Hannah!"

Meredith, slowly coming to, figured out the importance of this, "We lost Izzie's daughter. Now this, I'd completely understand if she wouldn't talk to me."

Izzie Voiceover: I really wish I didn't have to be responsible right now. I wish I could just do whatever I wanted, but I had a hospital to run. I was even failing at that though. Two of the other interns already ran off. Doesn't responsibility mean that everything is your fault? It also comes with a charge to act.

Dr. Izzie Stevens didn't notice that Alex had entered Chief Webber's office. They all heard Izzie's outburst and Alex ran up but Izzie didn't care. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Now, Izzie knew she wasn't alone but she couldn't stop crying. She tried to but nothing worked. "Why did this have to happen? Is she ok? I hope she wasn't shot. Please say she wasn't shot."

"She's going to be ok, Izzie," Alex said, "If she's anything like her mother, she's quite a determined woman." He placed his head onto her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. She knew he was probably wondering when she had a daughter, but right now, she couldn't bear to explain it. "Maybe if you just took some post-ops and acted like everything was normal, it would help. We both know it's not perfect, but it might help. Distraction helps, or so I hear."

"Not like you've had any real problems." Izzie chided through her tears, "Sorry, you're right." Alex helped her to her feet, and she went out the door. "Thanks Alex. I'll see you after work. Drinks are on me." Izzie eventually went and grabbed the post-op chart for the neo-natal patient earlier.

"I said, move away from her!" Martin demanded; his voice louder this time. Derek drew in a deep breathe and shook his head firmly. "No." he said, only audible enough for Martin to hear. The man jabbed the nuzzle of the gun deeper into Derek's head forcefully, as though the gesture would make Derek obey him.

The entire staff had their eyes on the situation with the Shepherds, their breaths held once again, fearing for their lives. But slowly, Derek stood up, trembling slightly as he did so. Martin did not pull the trigger, instead, he moved back, allowing Derek to stand up while having the machine pointed at the side of his head. "Sit down." He said, desperately wanting to be in charge. Derek turned to him, his eyes snapped open, tears shone in them as he bored them into Martin's. "No." he repeated. "I am not sitting down, and I am not going to leave my wife. Never!" He took a step forward, almost like he was challenging Martin to end his life. But Martin took a step back, still holding Derek at gun point. "You want to shoot me, don't you?" Derek challenged.

Martin licked his lips, his eyes still fixed onto the superior. "Shoot. Why don't you shoot?" Derek taunted him. Don't be foolish, Derek. Richard looked on, his hands continued to stroke Hannah's hair. The girl has already calmed down and snuggled against his chest. But Derek pushed on, taking another step forward, challenging Martin.

Holding the gun, Martin was shaking with rage, his face in reddened. Then suddenly, Derek ducked down just as a gun shot rung off into the air, hitting the corner of the auditorium ceiling. Quickly, he scrambled back to Addison, pulling his unconscious wife's body to him.

"Why!" Martin yelled, slamming his gun on the table. "Why don't you people ever listen to me! When I told Jamie that the man has an infection on his wound, she didn't listen, and I was right." He blabbered on, bringing up an argument with his fellow intern. "When I told Todd that the lady needs stitches for her cut, he didn't believe me. He had to check it for himself. And when I told the nurses that they need to check me for a second time because I didn't think I could get off with syphilis, she waved me away. BUT I WAS RIGHT!" he shouted. His words rang in the air, there was a moment of silence. Then, his body swayed, and he stumbled down onto a chair burying his face in his hands. "I was right… I was right…" he mumbled continuously to himself.

Dr. Izzie Stevens read the chart for the patient that she just operated on. She kicked herself for not noticing earlier. Then again, it had been a few years since she had last seen the patient. It was Meghan Jones. She and her husband, William, had adopted Hannah. They had raised her during the time that she couldn't be responsible for Hannah's care. They had given Hannah a much better home. Well that was before she came close to me again. Seems like I am just trouble for Hannah and everyone she knows. Izzie put down Meghan's chart and asked the Pediatrics if they would let her have the baby boy. They did, and Izzie took the infant and headed back to her patient's room.

Izzie knocked on the door to Meghan's room before entering. "Hello there you cute little baby boy," Izzie said in a soft whisper, down to the baby in her arms, "It's time for you to be reunited with your mommy." Meghan warmly accepted her newborn son into her arms and he ceased looking so restless and started laughing. Izzie smiled at the mother. This woman is a natural. "You are amazing with kids." She complimented.

"It comes with practice," Meghan replied, unaware of who she was talking to. My husband and I thought we were incapable of conceiving a child, so we adopted a daughter from a woman that was afraid she couldn't do the best for her daughter. "I'm not so sure she was right. She was quite the responsible type. Maybe that's what it takes though to give up a daughter when you still love them though. My only regret is not keeping in touch with her, so she could see Hannah grow up."

Izzie smiled and tried to fight back the fresh tears that were starting to well up. "I'll bet she thinks you did an amazing job. In fact, I think she knows exactly where you are now." She said, and then looked away for a brief moment. Izzie drew in a deep breathe and allow her gaze to turn back to Meghan, forming a smile on her lips before going on. "I know I never got to tell you this in the surgery room, but my name is Isobel Stevens."

Meghan looked up at Izzie, surprised. "You're a surgical intern..." Izzie nodded. The pair continued talking about Hannah's future, with Izzie leaving out the part about the auditorium, for a few minutes. Izzie gave Meghan her number, so it was easier for them to keep in touch. "Oh one more thing before you go," Meghan said, "My husband has a neurological condition. So don't use any anesthetics on him if you can avoid it." Izzie notated that. Then, she went off to continue the rounds. Having a semi-heartwarming story about how the Joneses took care of Hannah calmed Izzie down enough so she could work effectively.

"I was adopted." Hannah whispered softly. She had shifted from Richard's lap onto the space beside him, her knees were brought up to her chest. She was talking to herself more than anyone else, but Richard heard, looking down at her with curiosity. Hannah looked up into the older man's eyes and made an effortless smile. "Maybe, maybe I shouldn't have known about it, you know? Then maybe things like this wouldn't have happened." She rambled on. Richard lifted up the girl's chin for their eyes to meet. "It's…It's all my fault." Hannah said, her voice trembling. Richard only shook his head. How could a twelve year old do any large damage? "What's wrong?" he asked softly, but Hannah only shook her head, looking away. Richard offered a friendly smile. "Maybe I can help"

"I…I shouldn't have asked. If I haven't asked, if I haven't wanted them to so bad, then Mom and Dad wouldn't have…" Hannah's voice trailed off. Then she looked up at Richard again. "It's all my fault!"

Hannah needed someone to talk to, someone to ramble her thoughts out to, and Richard knew. "Why don't you tell me what happened from the beginning?"

Dr. Alex Karev began to worry when the male patient wouldn't wake up after the anethesitic should have worn off. Of course, he didn't show it though. "Christina, I think we need that CT scan." He began wheeling the patient out of the room and towards the scanner, when Christina stopped him.

"Alex, he's fine. The anesthetic is just taking to him very very well," Christina replied, "Since he will wake up any moment, we can stay here until he does." Several beeps radiated from the machine in his arm. His blood pressure was falling. "Ok, you win, off to CT scan we go."

"No time," Alex said, "I don't know what's wrong with him though." Alex reached for a shaver and began to shave the man's short hair.

Christina raised her eyebrow at Alex, "Now I know I screwed up, but really, we can't break the rules for that." Christina took the shaver from his hand. "Why are you shaving the man's head? He didn't come here to get his head shaved. Either we get the CT scan you wanted, or we get Izzie."

Do not worry Izzie. She's got enough on her plate right now without thinking her boyfriend is incompetent. Alex paused for a moment, and that was all Izzie needed to enter the room. She had heard their whole debate as to what to do. Alex figured he'd address her like she was a fellow doctor. "We've got a patient who won't wake up after the employment of an anesthetic."

"He's got a brain condition," Izzie explained ignoring the half-shaved hair on the patient's head, "There's no way you could have known. I only found out from the patient's wife a few moments ago. Alex, go grab Meredith and see if all her time with McDreamy can help us fix this condition or at least wake him up." Izzie took a few deep breaths, and finally let herself show her fear that all the other interns had at the moment. "Nobody dies today." She said to the unconscious man. "Nobody can die, Mr. Jones. Your wife needs you." My daughter needs you.

12 years ago…

"I… I want to give my child up for adoption." She said softly to her parents, her gaze not wanting to meet theirs.

"What!" her mother demanded with disbelieved. The 16 year-old Isobel Stevens bit the bottom of her lip, but never once turn her gaze back to her parents. She could hear her mother draw in a deep breathe, then walked around the bed and sat next to her. Slowly, she reached out for Izzie's hand and placed it in hers. "You can raise her for yourself. We will help." Her mother said reassuringly. But Izzie shook her head. "Don't you want to watch your daughter grow up?" she tried again.

"Yes." Izzie said softly, then looked down at her bloated stomach and rubbed it lovingly. "But Mom, she deserves better." She said, finally turning to her mother.

"We…we aren't good enough for her?" Her mother snapped at her angrily. She put her fists on the bed and never missed making her fury known through her eye contact.

Izzie shook her head. "No, no. It's not that. I want her to live a good life. I don't want her to grow up in a trailer park, or in a tiny, messy apartment and end up being a waitress in a café. I want more for her. She deserves more." Izzie explained, looking pleadingly into her mother's eyes. This time, her father made his way to them place his hand on his wife's shoulders.

"It's her choice, Margaret…" he said. Finally, Izzie's mother gave in, nodding with a smile to her daughter. This time, Izzie grinned, pulling her parents into a hug.

"Thank you."

Dr. Alex Karev bolted from the room, doing just as he was told, although he would have liked to stay for the surgery. He went right down to the pit, where Meredith and Callie were still suturing patients. Probably self-inflicted considering there were many chances to help out in surgery. Then again, when you lose the boss's daughter, you're lucky to just be on pit duty. "Dr. Grey," Alex announced, "Dr. Stevens needs you in OR 3. There's a neurology case in there. I'll finish the suturing with Dr. Torres." Meredith bolted without even saying a word.

1 year ago…

"We can't tell her, Meghan. She doesn't need to know." William said, regret was reflected in his eyes as he held his wife's hands in his. "But she is our daughter." Meghan argued. A ten year old Hannah could hear her parents conversing in their bedroom, their door was set slightly ajar, their conversations loud enough for her to hear. She leaned in, pushing the door open wider.

"We are her adoptive parents, Meghan." William said softly. "Let's not burden her. She's…she's so young." He pleaded. But before Meghan could argue back, the door swung open. The couple turned in shock and surprise to find the 11 year old standing by their door way. Meghan wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and offered her daughter a smile. "Sweetheart…" she started. Hannah took a step forward, a frown creased her smooth forehead. "Mommy, what's 'adoptive'?" Meghan turned to her husband as they exchanged glances. Then finally, William nodded. It was time for Hannah to know the whole truth.

3 months ago…

"I want to see her." Hannah said suddenly over the breakfast table one Sunday morning. Her parents stopped and turned to her, looking up briefly with an exchange of glance again. Hannah shifted her brown eyes back and forth between her parents. "I want to see my real mother." she repeated, then scooped another mouthful of cereal into her mouth. "Hannah…" her father started, knowing very well that Meghan thought it was too early for Hannah to absorb so much about the truth about her. Even he agreed on that. But Hannah looked up firmly, shaking her head. "No, Dad. I'm ready." She said.

"I've learnt about Dad's brain condition." Hannah explained. "I don't really know what it means but I know he needs help. And Mom's having a baby. I'm going to be a big sister soon." She said, looking up to Richard with a smile. "Mom and Dad had told me the adoption company they went to when they adopted me, and I went—to find out where my real mother is. And this hospital happens to have one of the world's best doctors who can help Dad." She continued, looking down at her hands. Then briefly, she looked up to Richard with a grin, who was still listening attentively to her. "I checked the internet." Richard raised his eyebrows, almost surprised at how smart and advanced the children are now these days.

"And they agreed to bring me here." She said, shaking her head. "But we got into an accident on the way and… it's all my fault. If I never asked, they wouldn't have been hurt." She said, her voice shaking slightly. Then Richard pulled the girl to his chest, stroking her hair once again. Even though what the girl had explained was not in direct details, Richard managed to put the pieces together. "Your real mother works here?" he asked finally. Hannah looked up at him with a nod. And the next thing she said caught everyone else's attention.

"Her name is Isobel Stevens."