A/N: Here we go again! Thank you everyone, for all your support! Enjoy!
Twelve hours after the incredible lifesaving surgery on Farouk, the boy was still unconcious.
Owen leaned uncomfortably in his chair, feeling his right leg go numb. But slowly, over the hours... Farouk's vitals increased; pulse, blood pressure, oxygen. His dull skin from blood loss had perked up, and his hands warm to the touch. With no signs of infection, everything was going well.
"Hey," Nathan entered, handing him a steaming styrofoam cup of coffee. The antagonism between them had long since bled away. They were both worried about the same people, and all too aware of the realities. Megan was still missing. Farouk could still die. Anger was pointless right now.
Nathan settled in the chair at the other side of Farouk's bed, no doubt coming to the same conclusions Owen had earlier as he gazed at the monitors. He sipped his coffee and sighed, reaching to clutch the boy's hand.
They'd been sort of taking shifts, one leaving shortly after the other came on... but Nathan had brought him coffee this time, and Owen took it as a peace offering and thought maybe he should stay. Besides, based on his experience, the medications and anesthesia should be wearing off, and he wanted to be there when Farouk woke up. So the two men remained there, in a strange awkward but not- silence.
Owen felt sleep upon him as his eyelids began to close. He breathed short, shallow breaths. He had barely slept since he arrived, and it was getting to him.
"So-," Nathan blurted, "anyone new in your life?"
"What?" his eyes fluttered open.
"You know, a girlfriend?"
Owen blinked, caught off-guard
"Uh-Forget I asked," Nathan dismissed.
He was about to do just that, but had second thoughts. Owen looked at Farouk and thought of his sister. She'd want them to get along. For the boy's sake at least.
"Amelia," he said, allowing a small smile come to his lips as he thought of her. "A surgeon I work with. We've been seeing each other..."
"Yeah? That's good," Nathan encouraged.
"It's nice... just to have someone to care for," he admitted. Though he had left her in a rough spot, he knew...
Bad timing he supposed. But there was nothing he could do about it.
Nathan gazed at Farouk, running a fatherly hand through his hair. "I know the feeling." He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, mate. I messed up. Megan thought I was cheating, I never got to clear the air before she left in the chopper... I was gonna teach him baseball. Meg and I... but I broke her trust, and now..." He gestured futiley at the boy in the bed.
And now...
It seemed childish to hold anything more against Nathan. "You can still get that chance," he said. He was still angry and upset at Megan's disappearance, but the anger at Nathan... at himself... was fading.
The two delved into silence. Nathan leaned back in his chair, pulling his arms to his chest, and Owen took Farouk's small hand in his big one. His eyes closed as sleep called, and he felt himself dozing.
Until movement tickled his palm. Owen blinked and gazed into tired brown eyes.
"Nathan," he sat up in his chair, elated. "Nathan, he's awake."
xxx
The MRI imaging room was lit indigo with nearly every angle of Dr. Herman's tumor. Amelia stared, mesmerised and intimidated at the same time. She'd been so sure that she could do this before... but now? Not only had the tumor grown since she'd last looked, but... "Edwards... remember the part when I said I could do this?"
"Uh, yeah?" Stephanie asked, also gaping at the tumor.
"I can't," Amelia admitted. This tumor... was a beautiful, ferocious monster that was going to eat her up.
"Dr. Shepherd?"
"We're going to have to throw everything at this. I mean this tumor is- It's massive... it's brilliant." The black hole of tumors, sucking her in. The longer she stared at it, the more lost she felt. She'd jumped the gun. Overstepped, got overconfident. And now, according to these images...
Unless she could grow herself another brain to tackle the problem, she was hopelessly lost. "I'm gonna need a lot of help," she said, her shoulders slumping in defeat, "or Nicole isn't going to make it."
"Dr. Grey!" Stephanie jumped up.
"What? No," Amelia waved. "She's a general surgeon. Besides, I burned that bridge already. She hates me."
"Well actually, I am a brain surgeon," a new, familiar voice joined the fray. "But you're right, I do still hate you."
"Oh, Lexie! Uh... hi." Lexie had shown her the door earlier today, so she wasn't prepared for her to actually be here, interested in her case.
"You're actually going to tackle this tumor?" she asked.
"I still think there's a way." Amelia forced out. Maybe she hadn't figured it out yet... but there was a way. She felt it...
She just couldn't see it.
Lexie stepped closer to the scans, tracing an outline of the tumor with her finger. "Dr. Edwards, could you make sure Dr. Herman is settled in her room?"
"But I-"
"That will be all," she dismissed. Stephanie shot a look to Amelia who gave her a 'go-on' roll of her eyes.
After she left, Lexie closed the door behind her. Amelia sucked in a breath, preparing herself for what was to come.
"I hate you," Lexie said quietly, staring at the floor. "I've hated you ever since Derek's funeral, honestly."
Okay... thought Amelia, well that was... not unexpected. She supposed she'd have to face the firing squad at some point.
"You just show up, and it's like you're him."
"Him? Him who? Derek?"
"Yes! And you lived with Mere, and you have his job, and-"
"And I take on impossible tumors," Amelia added with a wave to the wall.
"The most impossible." Lexie sighed.
"Look, you hate me, Maggie hates me... I hate me. But... I know there is a way to get this tumor. I can feel it... Can you put aside your feelings about what I did and help me save Dr. Herman? I can't do it alone."
"You want me to help you?" Lexie stated.
Amelia gestured to Herman's chart, "I want you to help her."
xxx
Jackson made his way with Karen to April's room. He'd expected to see Arizona, or even Maggie, but it was a nurse that led them to April's recovery room. He sighed softly upon seeing his sleeping wife propped up in the bed. She had no idea what had happened today. And he had no idea how the surgery went. No one had been able to update him during the last few hours... But he'd trusted the surgeons, and tried to trust April's God that they'd get the miracle.
"Hey," Karen asked, rubbing his back. "Are you okay?'
He wasn't sure. An earthquake just happened while his wife and unborn daughter were on the table."Noah..." he sighed, remembering. "I haven't heard anything. I can't get through." No idea that Noah was missing. He'd tried several times to contact the agency responsible for Noah and got nowhere. Everything went to voicemail.
"I have every confidence that he's all right." Karen replied softly. "The Lord is looking after him." She took April's hand in her own, as if to infuse her own faith into her.
While April and their unborn child were now stable, it didn't ease his mind one bit. All he knew was that there were a multitude of compilications that could happen. Some days... he wished he wasn't a surgeon.
His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Jackson looked up, anxious for news.
"Hey," Dr. Pierce entered, tablet in hand, "Dr. Robbins asked me to update you." Jackson and Karen regarded her expectantly. Maggie stepped up to the bed, "April's vitals look fine. All levels are normal, including her blood pressure, which is a really good thing. But..."
His heart dropped into his stomach. "But?"
"The operation began smoothly, but due to the earthquake, a piece of debris landed in the uterus. By the time we fished it out and flushed the area, April's blood pressure was too high. We had to put the fetus- the baby back before I could begin the heart procedure. I'm sorry Jackson, the tumor is still in there."
Her words squeezed his heart. Then the surgery had been for nothing. All of that... he could have just prayed in the church with April.
"The baby- she's okay for now right?" Karen asked.
Maggie glanced at the tablet. "So far, there's been no change. I can't do any confirmatory tests right now, everything is backed up." She walked around to the head of the bed, checking her IV. "I'll just let April rest a little, and as soon as we can, we'll do another echo to confirm the progression of the tumor."
Jackson sighed and put his head in his hands.
"I'm so sorry Jackson, I wish I had better news," Maggie said. "I'm as frustrated about this as you are." Maggie did a quick examination on April, adjusting some fluids in her IV. Promising to check on them later, she left.
"Yeah," Jackson swallowed thickly. What was he going to say when she woke up? He'd convinced her to take the surgery, even when she'd been adamant that she didn't need one. On top of that, they'd sent Noah away for the day, and now...
He stared at April, and for the first time since he'd witnessed Derek Shepherd get shot, he felt the powerful jolt of fear. What would he tell her? What would he say? Forgetting faith, forgetting his duty as a husband and father, Jackson stood up. "I um," he looked to Karen, then back at April. "Um... I have to go."
"Jackson?" Karen called after him.
But he was gone and out the door already.
xxx
Mark stared at his little girl as she slept, stroking her fine hair. Sofia almost died today, he thought, she could've. He could have lost his daughter today, but he didn't. And he was so... so relieved.
"Oh my God," Arizona skidded into the room. "I just heard... she's okay?"
"Yeah," he smiled, "she'll be fine."
Quieter now, Arizona approached the bed. "I... should I wake her?"
It wasn't necessary to keep Sofia awake anymore, just that she be monitored to make sure there wasn't any permanent damage, so Mark shrugged. He found it mildly amusing that an accomplished pedes surgeon was so unsure when it came to her daughter. Then he thought of his own child, currently multiplying cells in Lexie's womb. Hell.
"I'll let her sleep then." Arizona patted Sofia's hand. "Oh! Callie! Is she okay? Does she know?" he could see her internal struggle in the lines on her face.
"She's out helping." Mark said. "I couldn't get through except by text. I don't know if she got it."
It seemed to appease her, "okay," the blonde pulled up a stool to get closer to her daughter.
Mark sighed, his body was stiff, but his mind hummed... he needed a break."You gonna be here awhile? I'm gonna grab some coffee," He reached for his crutches.
"I'm not going anywhere," Arizona clutched Sofia's hand.
xxx
After Mark exited the room, Arizona got on the bed with Sofia. Still sleeping, her daughter turned toward her. For a few moments, Arizona forgot everything except for the tiny form beside her. Her eyelids drooped, her breathing evened out, everything was a soft blur...
"Mama?" Sofia mumbled, running her finger over the embroidered monkey on her labcoat.
"Hey."
"I missed you," she said.
Arizona gazed deeply into her daughter's eyes, eyes that were as dark and expressionate as her mother's. "Missed you too, chica," she admitted. She'd been busy with this fellowship, with her Mentor, but she did miss her daughter. And Callie.
"Were you surgeoning a baby still in her mommy?" Sofia asked.
"Yeah," Arizona smiled a little. She'd carefully explained her new job to Sofia a few weeks before. Her smart girl seemed to understand the difficulty- and the importance of it. But- she felt Callie was maybe not so receptive.
"Is the baby gonna be okay?"
"I..." Arizona didn't feel she should share all the details of that particular surgery, and she didn't want Sofia to be upset. She squeezed her daughter closer to her. "I hope so," she said.
Sofia's eyes closed, succombing to sleep. But she opened them with a start, "Mama?"
"Yes, sweetie?"
"I'm really lucky..."
Arizona cocked her head. "What makes you think that?"
"I have two mommies and a daddy. Some kids, some kids only get one. My friend Anna, she doesn't have any mommy's or daddy's."
"Mm," Arizona murmured against her head. "I will always be your Mama."
"Sometimes I'm sacared you won't be."
"What?" She pulled back to look Sofia in the eye.
"You and Mommy fight a lot... Anna says that means you're gonna go away."
"Oh honey..."
"Do you love mommy still?"
Arizona curled around Sofia, hugging her. "I love your mommy so much... that's why we fight. Because we're trying to make each other happy, but we don't know how. I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry you ever thought that. But, I want to make one thing very clear Sofia. I love you, and mommy loves you and daddy loves you. And no matter what happens between the three of us, We will always love you."
xxx
Callie dusted herself off from the rubble. The most urgent cases had been sent to the hospital. Now she was just patching up. Most people were already going back into their homes as firefighters and engineers cleared them as structurally sound. She zipped up the first aid bag and hefted it over her shoulders, walking to the ambulance. She had to get back. She had to call Sofia's daycare... and how was Arizona? What about her strong port in the storm? Her phone had been buzzing a lot this last half hour, but she'd been so focused on her patients... Reaching into her back pocket and pulled out her phone, only to realize the battery was now dead. "Crap." Now she really was worried. She looked around. The firefighters were still working, but there were fewer injuries that needed to be attended to. "Okay," she sighed.
She was done here. Time to go home. Except no one seemed to be going. "Uhh..."
"Hey, are you a doctor?" someone called.
She turned to the voice, a man with a woman and a girl that looked to be related. The girl hugged her arm to her waist. "Yeah," she walked up quickly to evaluate the girl. "Hey sweetie, what happened?"
"A book case fell on her," the woman said.
"Can I take a look?" Callie asked, gently lifting the girl's shirt. She looked about eight or nine years old. "Ooh, looks like it's the collarbone. Could just be a greenstick."
"Ouch," the girl whimpered as Callie touched.
"I know, but it's gonna be fine." She pulled out a simple triangle sling and wrapped it around the girl. "We'll get you some meds and an x-ray and it will be all better. But I should get you to the hospital."
"I can take you in my truck," the man said. "Name's Dan Pruitt." He shifted his gaze to the woman. "She has to come with me."
"I told you, I-"
"I know what you said, Amber," Dan said. "But I need to keep you in custody for now."
Callie shifted her gaze uneasily between Dan and the woman. What was going on?
"Shepherd Grace, you can take us there. I need to see my brother."
Wait- things clicked into place. Was this Alex's sister?
Callie looked up to see a young woman and a girl approach her. "I need to go to... Shepherd
"You're Alex's sister?"
"Please... my daughter and I have to get back to him. I really screwed things up. Please..."
She could only look at Dan with a nod. She had to get back to Arizona too.
xxx
Mark wheeled around the hospital. He'd long abandoned his crutches for the more comfortable wheelchair. Coffee was nowhere to be found. He sighed, about to give up when he heard a strange noise. He stopped and backed up. There it was again. Crying. But where? He couldn't see any children in the hallway... he frowned, rubbing his still tender chest. Listening carefully, he backed up to a gurney and looked down. A pair of red kids air jordans poked out. He only knew one kid with air jordans. "Noah?" he asked, pulling the sheet up.
"I w-want... I'..." the boy sniffed, "I w-want my mommy..." he said
"Whoa, hey there little man... it's alright... let's go find them, okay?" Mark reached for the boay Oh what happened to your arm?"
"It brokeded in the accident... then I got lost from all the other kids," he said, wiping his tear filled eyes.
"Okay, no prob little guy, lets get a cast on that, then I'll take you to your mom, sound good?"
"Do I get a pupsicle?" Noah sniffed.
"Of course! I think Uncle Mark needs one too. Hop on," he wheeled back so the boy could climb on his lap. "I'll give you a spin."
xxx
In the OR with Dr. Webber, Dr. Blake held a retractor as she watched him work.
"What do you mean you think she's Meredith's daughter?" he boomed.
Penny thought back to that day..."There was another pregnant mother that came in at the same time. Literally the ambulance pulled up just before hers. They... she didn't have any ID, I don't think she made it."
Webber finished his stitch and looked up at her, "what exactly are you getting at Blake? This sounds serious."
"I don't know," she replied, holding out her hand for the irrigation hose. It was so crazy that day. "We had two other trauma's come in, everyone was all running around like chickens with our heads cut off. We weren't a trauma center. So much was happening all at once. "It's possible... maybe Anna's paperwork got mixed up with the other baby's before... she died."
Richard shook his head, "that can't be right. Protocol-"
Protocol? There'd been three attendings that day. Two were working on Meredith. And the others? Second and third year residents... "Sir, to be honest, Dillard wasn't set up to be a trauma center. A lot of mistakes happened that day that shouldn't have. There is a reason they are filing for bankruptcy."
"Even so, there would have to be an investigation," Richard continued to work on Anna. "Police, social workers... you don't have any proof."
"I could do a DNA test," she blurted.
"What?"
"A DNA test."
"I heard you. We'd have to get consent from family services then. And Meredith."
"I can do that," Penny said.
"Really?"
"Please, Dr. Webber, after everything 's lost... I owe her this." Meredith was the one, her one. She could do better. "I make some phone calls."
"Fine." Richard looked back down at the girl's peaceful intubated face. "Do what you need to do."
"Now sir?" Blake asked.
"Yes... go. Quickly now."
xxx
Meredith had only been with Zola and Carolyn for a few minutes before Alex came running toward her. "Mere! I need you!"
"What?" she croaked.
"It's Jo! She's in OR 1 with Bailey, but its bad! You gotta help her."
"What? Jo?" She sat up, handing Carolyn the sleepy Zola from her while she sat up.
"She got shot, it hit an artery..."
"Shot?"
"Mere," he pleaded. "Please... Bailey's good, but-"
Meredith was already running down the hall. And Alex could only watch. He wasn't allowed where she was going.
"Are you alright?" Carolyn asked.
"No," he shook his head. "I think... I think my sister accidently shot her."
A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave me a review!