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Chapter 3

The show Grey's Anatomy and the characters are the sole property of Shonda Rhimes and does not belong to me.

Dr. Burke called the hospital to make arrangements for an emergency leave, and called the airline to book a flight to Seattle. He arrived there at 9:30. P.m. the following night and took a cab to his hotel where; after checking in he just dropped his bags on the floor before heading off to the hospital. He had phoned George to meet him at the hospital and update him on Cristina's condition. He had forgotten how cold and damp Seattle's weather could be and he was not dressed appropriately, he shivered but he knew that it wasn't just the weather that was affecting him. He wondered if he would be able to handle seeing her in a coma, for the first time he was scared, he had always dreamed of a reunion with her but not like this. He remembered how Cristina reacted when he was shot, what if he reacted in the same way. He had never been tested like this before, what if he was not capable of keeping his emotions in check?. He arrived at the hospital within half an hour and stood looking at the building and remembering all the times he had entered those doors. So much of his life was spent within those walls, he experienced the best and worst of the human condition here, life, death and many miracles but most importantly he met her.

Throughout his career he had the privelidge of training many interns and he was never once tempted to be anything more than a teacher and mentor to them. Then she came along, strong willed, bright, aggressive, smart and beautiful. She brought out a side of him that he had forgotten existed. He was no longer just about the job, he had a personal life and she was the most important part of it. She made him happy and he believed that he made her happy too. All he ever wanted was to go to bed at night with her in his arms and wake up to her in the mornings. To most people she came across as tough and self-assured but he knew that deep down she was very vulnerable and he wanted to protect her. Eventually the walls that she had built around herself began to crumble and she began to show a little bit of the real Cristina, the one he knew was always there. When they were together, wether they were in the Or, or in a crowded room they appeared to be in their own little world. They had their challenges but at night they would always end up in the same place, in his bed with his arms wrapped around her. Then, with one reckless shot from a gun everything changed. He blamed himself for the break up, he thought that maybe he had moved too fast and should not have asked her to move in so soon, in hind sight she needed more time and a little more understanding from him.

When he entered the hospital George and Meredith were waiting for him in the lobby, He felt good seeing familiar faces again, he shook George' hand and gave Meredith a kiss on the cheek then he asked, 'how is she?'

Meredith was the first to answer. "She is not doing well at all. Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Cameron are taking care of her but the prognosis is not good. As you know the longer she stays in the coma the greater the chance that she may never fully recover. We still haven't been able to get in touch with her family but we left a message with her mother's housekeeper and she is trying to track them down. Dr. Bailey, George, Izzie and I all take turns sitting with her, you know they say that sometimes when someone is in a coma if you talk to them they can hear. We're hoping that if she hears your voice it may help."

"What if hearing my voice makes it worse?' Burke asked, 'Cristina and I didn't exactly part on good terms."

'Maybe so Dr. Burke, but we believe that if anyone can reach her, it's you.'

'Cristina is not the same person you knew three years ago, I mean she is the same feisty, competitive, focused individual but, she is also a kinder more compassionate person, thanks to Christopher.'

The moment George mentioned Christopher he knew he made a mistake, Meredith gave him a dirty look and Burke not missing a beat looked surprised before he asked.

'Who the hell is Christopher? .'

Meredith answered quickly, 'that's not important right now, lets just keep the focus on getting Cristina better then she can tell you who Christopher is.'

Burke was adamant, 'Grey. I haven't seen or spoken to Cristina in almost three years. I don't expect her to not have someone in her life but if she does, why isn't he here?' .

Meredith looked uncomfortable and unsure of what to say. George finally answered. 'Dr. Burke, please trust us on this one. Christopher is not . . . cannot come to the hospital to see Cristina right now, if he could he would, and it's not what you think.'

'O'Malley, you have no idea what I am thinking right now, but I am here and if I can help her I will, just don't expect any miracles.'