A/N : Thank you all for your pretty reviews. I love reviews. -hehe- Well, every writer does. So thank you for leaving yours! So here is a new chapter. Enjoy!
Derek lay in bed, fingers stroking the empty side of the bed where Addison had laid each night. Three days at most, without her by his side. That he can get used to. Things were like this back in New York where they will be apart for days. It's just work. He had told himself over and over again. Derek tossed again, pressing the side of his face against the soft pillow, hoping that somehow, it'll coax him to fall asleep. But he couldn't. This time, he knew it wasn't 'just work'. It was work alright, that his wife was on her way to Africa. It's to help people out with medicine, it's for a good cause. But why does he keep feeling that something is wrong? Maybe it's the reason that he knows his wife isn't feeling her best, but he knows she would take care of herself because at the moment, she needs to take care of others. Then what is it? he yelled in his head, tossing to the other side again, pounding a fist down onto a pillow. He has a surgery to perform the next morning, the bright neon light on the digital clock screams 3 in the morning, but he still couldn't go to sleep. Not with the nagging feeling that something has gone wrong. He tried to read a book, concentrate on something else, on sleep, but nothing had worked.
Frustrated, he sat up in bed and reached out for his cellphone, dialing his wife's number again. He let his eyes closed as he waited for the pulse. But instead of the tone, an automated voice could be heard.
"We are unable to reach the subscriber's mobile phone. Please try again later."
He pulled the phone away and stared at it in disbelief.
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There was two quick knocks on the door. Izzie and Meredith jerked their heads towards it, their hands landed on Addison's arms with a sense of protectiveness. The attending frowned at the gesture, slowly pushing herself up again. The door swung open, blocking the doorway were two large build men with their arms folded in front of their chests. Then they part, just slightly to allow another man to come through. Aged, hunched-back. There was a tray in his hands. Slowly, balancing it on both hands, he walked in and laid the tray down on the small table, then scrambled out as quickly as he can. Meredith and Izzie would have made a run for it but neither of them wanted to leave Addison alone in the room. It was their responsibility to look out for her, although neither of them knew about each other's 'jobs'.
The two men eyed them firmly, eyes darting from one to another. Addison swallowed uncomfortably as she brought her knees up.
"Eat." One of them instructed, then closed the door as they turned. There was a loud click, and then the sound of breathe letting out from the three of them as they eyed the tray in the room.
"I'm confused." Meredith said after a moment of silence. On the tray were three bowls of hot porridge, a plate of boiled vegetables and another plate of boneless, chicken slices.
"They're giving us food? Hot food?" Izzie echoed Meredith's thoughts, turning to look at her fellow intern.
"Don't you think this might be a trap? To get us to eat so they can poison us or something?" Addison pointed out, causing the both of them to turn to her.
"She's right." Meredith said, then turning to Izzie. "I'm going to try it out."
Izzie would have protested and argued that she should be the one to try out if the food was poisonous but she wasn't as daring. At the same time she knew that Addison Shepherd has to get something down into her body if she wants to survive, if she wants the baby to survive. Swallowing uncomfortably, Izzie nodded reluctantly.
Addison watched in disbelief, but when she was about to protest, Izzie laid a hand down on her shoulder, pushing her back gently.
"You've gotta eat something." she said bluntly.
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Derek finished a cup of espresso in three minutes, licking his lips as he dumped the empty cup into the bin on his way to the OR. He pulled out the surgical cap from the side of his scrub pants and tied it around his head. Ferryboats--his favourite. He was surprised that Addison didn't get one with tiny viewfinders all around. Then again, was there even one that is decorated in that manner? Plus, Addison wasn't the kind who would get something that has pictures of something she like all over--unlike Derek. She thinks it's stupid. At least, for her, it's stupid, for Derek, it's cute, and adorable. He smiled at the memory. Just before his mind could go back into worrying about Addison, he started filling his mind with medical terms, procedures, and the threatment for the current surgery he was about to perform.
Releasing his foot off the stepper to stop the water flow, Derek pushed the door open to the OR with the side of his body, allowing a scrub nurse to dry his hands and put on his surgical gloves. Concentrate, Derek.
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Meredith drew in a deep breathe and scooped half a spooonful of porridge onto the plastic spoon, blew it until it was cool enough then shoved it into her mouth. She would have swallowed it in one big gulp immediately but she wouldn't be able to taste if here was anything fishy about the taste. She let the smooth substance run around her tongue, her tastebuds working to see if there was anything wrong with the food. When she finally swallowed it, she turned to Izzie with a quick nod, indicating that the food was fine. Then she turned back to the tray, taking a whiff from the vegetables and the meat, carefully picking up one and putting it into her mouth. The taste burst into her mouth as she chewed on it.
Finally, Meredith headed back to them, leaving the tray by the table.
"We should wait." Meredith said, receiving a puzzled look from Izzie. "If it's poisoned, it would still take time for it to process. We should wait awhile, just in case."
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"Do you think they're having fun?" George asked, tearing open the packet of chilli sauce and squeezing it all over his plate. Cristina looked up at him oddly, a fork held in midair in front of her mouth. "What?"
"In a third world country?" she asked, causing Alex to chuckle and shake his head. "I'm really wondering how Izzie is going to survive there." she said, delivering the salad into her mouth.
"Dude, she grew up in a trailer park. You gotta give her more credit than that." Alex pointed out, chewing on his sandwich.
Then, George laughed. "What I wonder is how Meredith is going to survive there without any alcohol."
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After a long while has passed, Meredith opened her eyes again, turning around to see an exhausted Izzie laying her head down on the bed. She sighed, looking to the tray of food in the corner of the room. It probably taste bland now that it's cooled down, but they had to check just to be sure. She stood up, blinking a few times to check her balance, testing herself out to make sure that there was no poison in her body. If there were poison in the food, her body would have reacted to it by now.
The food's clean. she thought, surprised by her discovery, making her way to bring the tray back to them. She lay the tray on the floor and tapped on the intern's arm, jolting her awake.
"The food's clean." Meredith announced, receiving a frown from Izzie. "There's no poison." she said, more specific this time.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I'm still alive, Izzie." she rolled her eyes, then passed a bowl of porridge over to the blonde. With another hand, she shook Addison's shoulder lightly, bringing the attending to consciousness. As smell of chicken travelled to her nose, she sat up with a bolt and pinched her nose.
"What's that smell?" she asked a puzzled Meredith.
"What's what smell?" Meredith asked, then brought up the plate of chicken to in front of Addison. "This?" she asked, only to have the attending jerk her head aside and push the plate away. Meredith shot Izzie a look but only received a shrug from the taller blonde. With a sigh, Meredith placed the the plate of chicken back onto the tray and held up a bowl of porridge.
"This." she instructed. "You've gotta eat at least this." But Addison shook her head.
"I'm not hungry." she said, refusing the food.
"You have to eat it." Izzie said firmly, causing the attending to turn to her in surprise. Then their eyes locked, and in those eyes, Addison had her suspicions confirmed. Miranda had told her about Addison's lab results, and the results had came back positive.
Reluctantly, Addison took the bowl from Meredith's hands and forced the food down.
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The night had passed and morning came. Addison cracked open her eyes, taking in her surroundings with confusion. It had taken a few seconds for the memories of the night before to come flooding back to her. She pushed herself up, looking down at the two interns who had their heads laid at each side of the small bed she's on, both fast asleep. she smiled at their peaceful features, deciding not to wake them up. The door to the room was still closed, but the tray on the ground was now gone. On the table in the corner of the room was another tray, this time filled with three plates of toast and three glasses of milk. She raised an eyebrow at the gesture. Their plane was hijacked, they were kidnapped in a foreign country and their kidnappers had laid her on a bed and provided them with food that are actually not poisoned. What is going on? she thought.
A wave of nausea hit her. She leaped out of bed and rushed over to the corner of the room, the contents in her stomach from last night's dinner poured out from her mouth. She pressedher palms against the sides of the wall to stable herself. She felt another wave of nausea, she gagged, bending her body forward but nothing came out. She closed her eyes, her breathe was heavy. She dry heaved again, her stomach hurt. It was when another reality hit her again--she's pregnant. She pressed a hand gently over her stomach with a sigh. Pregnancy should be a joyous occasion, but right now, she wished that she didn't have a life growing inside her.
Meredith stirred against the bed, a hand reaching out to touch the empty bed in front of her. "Addison..." she mumbled, then when she couldn't feel the attending's body on the bed, she woke up with a jolt. "Addison!" she called out again, her eyes scanning the room. Then when she saw the attending bent over at the corner of the room, she leaped up from the floor and rushed towards her, leading her back onto the bed.
"Why did you even come?" Meredith asked, although it was more of her wondering out loud than a question directed to Addison. But she heard it. While allowing Meredith to lead her back to the bed, she looked up at the intern.
"What?"
"If you're so sick, you shouldn't agreed to come." Meredith said, pushing the attending back to a lying position.
"I'm not sick." Addison insisted, causing Meredith to roll her eyes. "Now I know why Derek wanted me to keep an eye on you." she said, shaking her head. "You passed out yesterday and threw up this morning and you're insisting that you're not sick. You're a doctor, an attending, even. Shouldn't you know better?"
Derek asked her to keep an eye on me? Her? And she agreed? Addison thought with disbelief. But before she could say anything, Izzie woke up, her sleep interupted by their voices.
"What happened?" she asked groggily. Meredith shot a look to Addison and folded her arms in front of her chest.
"She threw up." she announced flatly. Izzie tried to muster a shocked expression at the news, and thankfully, it was real enough. She wasn't sure if Addison would appreciate it if she were to announce her pregnancy to another person. Meredith shook her head and headed over to the tray of food laid on the table, bringing it towards them. She laid it down at the end of the bed and held out a glass to Addison but the attending just shook her head.
"You just emptied your stomach over there, you need to get something in you." she explained, pushing the glass to in front of her face. Addison turned away immediately and started dry heaving again. Izzie lifted her hair away from her face and patted lightly on her back while Meredith sighed, placing the glass back onto the tray.
"Meredith, get the food away from her." Izzie instructed knowingly. Obediently, the shorter blonde obeyed.
"What's wrong with her?" she asked, but before Izzie could try to come up with an excuse to cover the pregnancy, the door to the room swung open. It was a different man from last night who stood by the doorway.
"Which of you is Dr. Shepherd?" he asked, his accent coming off weird. Addison looked up at the name and started to push herself off the bed.
"I am." she said quickly before either of the interns could protest. The large man nodded once and stepped aside, leaving a gap between himself and the doorway.
"Come with me."
Addison shot a warning gaze to the both interns before nodding once to the man, leaving the room with him. Izzie and Meredith would have protested, but from the gaze, they knew nothing either of them say is going to change her mind.
The door closed as Addison made her way out, but there was no click, indicating that the door isn't locked. Izzie and Meredith exchanged a glance and pushed themselves off the ground, rushing straight to the door. The knob turned as they twisted it, and with much effort, the both of them managed to push the door open, both looking around cautiously to check if it was an ambush. When they were both sure that the coast is clear, they headed straight towards the voices, one of which belonging to Addison.
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"Help him." the man instructed, pointing to the boy lying under the covers with his eyes closed, his face pale, his body thin. Addison gulped at the sight, turning towards the man.
"How long has he been like this?" she asked, kneeling down by the bed.
"Long enough." Keethan said, stepping into view.
"What's wrong with him?" Addison asked again, then Keethan laughed.
"You tell me. You're the doctor. The website said you're the best." he pointed out. Pieces of the puzzle were starting to fill up, revealing the reason of why the three of them had ended up here.
"What were his symptoms?" she asked again, looking back to the boy. Without any equipments with her, there was no way she could diagonis the boy. She lay a hand across his forehead, but there was no heat to indicate a fever.
"He's been complaining of headaches and dizziness." Keethan explained, his voice gentler this time with a hint of guilt and pain.
"Any vomitting?"
"Occasionally." the man nodded.
Addison swallowed, standing up from the side of the bed. "I need a small torchlight." she said, then the man turned towards the others scattered around the room with a nod. Moments later, one came back with a torchlight, larger than she had expected but for the moment, it would have to do. Addison leaned forward and peeled open each of the boy's eyelids, waving the light in front of his eyes. Pupils non-responsive. she noticed, then realised that the boy was not sleeping but had slipped into unconsciousness. From the symptoms the man had given and the short examination she had performed, Addison knew that they had been looking for Dr. Derek Shepherd and had mistaken her for her husband. Neurology wasn't her speciality. She stood up and handed the torchlight back.
"Can you help him?" Keethan asked. Addison swallowed uncomfortably at the question. She hate letting her patients or their family members down, she was one who always tried everything she can to make things right, but now, it was impossible.
"I can't do anything here. We need to bring him back to Seattle Grace." she said softly, looking up cautiously at the man. Anger flashed in his eyes as he took a step forward.
"They say you're the best, and you're telling me you can't do anything here? Don't play smart with me, Doctor. I know what you're trying to do. By bringing my son to Seattle Grace, you will get to escape and then send me to prison!" he yelled, then shook his head. "No, you'll have to fix him here." he insisted.
Addison frowned at his remark. Clearly this man knows little about medicine. "Without a brainscan and proper instruments, I cannot help your son, I'm sorry, Mister." she explained, then the man jerk his head up at her.
"What do you mean you can't help him?" he demanded, desperation in his voice, his arms now unfolded from his chest and at his side, hands clenched into fists. "You are suppose to be the best! I gave you and your collegues a room to rest in, food to eat, a night of sleep and you dare to stand here and tell me that you cannot help my son? You are suppose to be the best!" he said, his hands now gripping at the sides of her shoulders, then at the final sentence, he tossed her aside, letting her body hit the side of the table nearby with a loud thud. Addison felt a sharp pain sear through her body from the impact. A flash of white went past her eyes before her body collapsed to the floor limply.
But Keethan thought it wasn't enough. He stomped over to the body and lifted up a leg, ready to thrust it into her middle when a voice yell out.
"Wait!"
He stopped, turning around to find the two doctors standing there, their bodies held back by two of his men.
Izzie shot a glance towards Meredith and took a deep breathe before turning back to Keethan.
"I am the Dr. Shepherd you're looking for."
A/N : Is this suspenseful enough? -lol-
