Waiting in a hospital waiting room was one of the worst feelings in the world and Robert was slowly going insane waiting for any news. The rest of station 19 had joined them at the hospital but there had still been no news as yet. Maya had fetched a hot sugary drink for her Chief and watched as he drank it, she knew he was in shock and needed something to help him through this. She was in shock herself. She didn't know what had gone wrong. Andy wouldn't let herself get trapped like that. And why didn't she call for help? Nothing added up and Maya hated that. She liked to be in control and have the full facts. If, no when, Andy made it through this she would be conducting a full investigation, her best friend didn't get to end up like this with no answers.
Two hours after arriving at the hospital, Meredith Grey finally made her way to the waiting room to find a room full of dejected, worried firefighters. Before she could say anything, the man she knew to be the Chief appeared in front of her, his face etched with worry and concern.
"Doctor. How's Andy? Is she okay?"
"Hi guys, sorry for the wait, I wanted to make sure we had a handle on things before coming out to tell you about Andy. Look first and foremost, she is going to be okay."
There was a collective exhale as the firefighters all released the breath they didn't realise they had been holding. Maya once again gave Roberts arm a small squeeze.
"Okay, so she was without air for a little while and took in some smoke and took a lot of heat on board, so we have her cooling down and she's on oxygen, just to give her a boost for a little while. She'll need that for the next 24 hours or so. On top of that she sustained a pretty nasty burn to her left wrist but we can sort that. She's stable for now and she's awake. I think she would appreciate a visit or two, she seems pretty down. So whoever wants to go in first come with me."
Everyone remained silent, they all knew who would be going first, they all knew after today something was going on with Andy and their Chief. Bishop broke the silence.
"Well me and Chief Sullivan will go first if that's okay, get things sorted for the reports that we will have to write when we get back to station."
There was collective murmurs of yes and sure and good idea as Maya and Robert followed Meredith out the waiting room.
"Thanks for that and for this this Bishop." Robert said giving her a small smile as they walked.
"Look you know I know about you and Andy, so I know how worried you have got to be about her, she's your girlfriend after all."
"Wife. She's my wife." Robert answered back leaving Maya no time to respond as he entered Andy's room.
Andy was upset, hell she was devastated. This wasn't what she wanted. Why was everything such a mess, she couldn't even get this right. She was still here and now she was going to have to face everyone and they'd want to know what had happened. She felt a tear slide down her cheek just as Robert and Maya entered the room, Meredith stood in the doorway.
"Andy, sweetheart, I'm going to tape that mask to your face if you don't leave it on." Meredith scolded. "You need the oxygen."
Andy said and did nothing, just lay there staring at the ceiling. Next thing she knew Robert was placing the mask gently over her face, before wiping her eye with his thumb. Without moving his hands from her he sat down next to the bed.
"Andy baby, you scared me so much. Please don't ever do that to me again."
Andy felt the tears start streaming down her face and she turned herself towards Robert, throwing herself into his arms, hiding her face in his chest which was difficult to do with a mask on.
"I'll let you guys talk for a bit." Meredith uttered, "You have a lot to talk through, make sure the mask stays on though and let Andy rest when she needs to, her body has been through a trauma and she needs time to recover, physically and mentally."
Robert and Maya looked at each other as Meredith left, closing the door behind her. Robert scooted himself on to the bed so he could hold Andy easier. Both of them at a loss as to what to do next. Robert gently stroked his hand through Andy's hair as the other arm held her tight against him. As her sobs subsided, Maya was the first to break the silence.
"Andy, listen, I'm sorry, for today. We left you up there on your own for too long, but I had no idea. None of us did. You didn't tell us you had got into difficulty. What happened?"
"I can't remember," she mumbled through her mask. "It's all a blur."
"I need to know, I mean we need to know Andy, we have reports to write and you're my best friend. I need to understand how you get trapped up there on your own. It should never have happened. Hell Andy, this could have been a really bad outcome, you were lucky."
"Yeah, I'm real lucky," Andy murmured back. Her words hanging in the air.
"You know what I mean, I mean your injuries could have been a lot worse. If Gibson and Miller hadn't found you when they did."
Andy pulled away from Robert slightly, pulling the mask from her face as she did so.
"But they did find me," She shouted at Maya, causing herself to cough in the process.
Robert tried to get the mask from her hands to put it back on her but she pulled away.
"Go and give them a freaking medal or something for saving my life. I don't care. I've already told you I don't remember what happened, so just stop going on about it. It's over."
She lay back against her pillow, her breathing ragged and didn't protest this time when Robert once again placed the mask on her face.
"Maya, can you give us a moment please. I need to talk to Andy alone." Robert never took his eyes from his wife as he spoke. He knew there was something going on and he was so scared to find out the truth but he knew he had to. His wife was in pain and he needed to help her.
When Maya closed the door behind her, Robert let out a sigh.
"Right, it's just you and me now. What's going on? I know you're hurting but you can't keep shutting us out. Do you know how worried we all were about you today? We're a team, you and me husband and wife, but also you and the whole of 19. One team. When someone gets hurt, we all hurt. So what happened? I know there's something you're not telling me?"
"There's not. I was careless. My mind wasn't focused. I let myself get trapped. Thats it."
"Andy, that's not it. You could have died. You were out of air. I can't just accept that your mind wasn't in the game so you nearly died. I've lost one wife already and I'm not prepared to lose another one. Why didn't you radio that you were trapped?"
"I… I didn't think."
"Andy!" Robert shouted her name making her flinch. "You didn't think. This is bullshit, you aren't some rookie, you're an experienced Lieutenant. You don't forget to radio for help when you're trapped in a burning building."
Andy turned her head away from Robert, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her chest hurt, her head hurt, truth be told everything hurt, including lying to Robert, she couldn't face the look on his face though if she told him what had really happened and how she really felt.
"I need you to go." Andy managed to choke out through her mask, "I don't want you in here."
"I'm not going anywhere."
Andy sat up pulling her mask from her face.
"Leave me alone," she screamed at him, "Go…. Get away from me, I don't want you. Go."
She choked out the last few words, coughing, trying desperately to draw in breath. Robert stood there frozen to the spot, he didn't understand what was happening.
"Andy…"
"Get away from me please." She sobbed.
She didn't have to say anything else, Meredith Grey appeared back at the door with Maya close behind her.
"Okay, okay, we all need to calm down in here, Chief Sullivan I need you to leave please."
As she spoke Meredith put the mask back on Andy's face, checking out the machines surrounding her.
"But she's my wife… Andy I'm sorry."
"Andy honey calm down, take some deep breaths, in and out, nice and deep. Chief I know you're her husband but right now my priority is Andy and her health not whether I offend you or not by kicking you out. So you need to go. Go and get a coffee and calm down while I see to your wife, then maybe you can come back later okay?"
Robert said nothing, knowing he was defeated and knowing it was for the best. He left with one last glance at Andy, before Maya took his arm and gently led him away. Through the window he saw Andy break down in Meredith's arms and it broke his heart a little more.