Something More
The next day, Callie surprised them by showing up at the house at 9 in the morning. Elena and William were already up, after making sure that Tuck got off to school alright. Miranda was awaken by the beautiful sound of her best friend talking and laughing, something she hadn't heard in a long time. She brushed her teeth and went down the stairs. "Good morning, mama. Daddy. And who's this creature? Calliope Torres!"
They hugged, holding each other tightly. "Miranda Bailey. I haven't seen you in a month of Sundays." Miranda giggled. Callie must have picked up the Southern phrase from William; he was about the only person she knew who still used that phrase.
"A month of Sundays, hunh?" Callie nodded. "I know. I know."
"Callie, would you like some breakfast?" William asked.
"Oh, you don't have to go through any trouble for me," Callie said waving them off.
"It's not a problem at all," Elena told her. And she nodded while smiling a huge smile.
"So, how are you, girl?" Callie asked and she sat down on sofa. Miranda sat on the arm of the sofa and smiled.
"I'm good." Miranda said looking around. Her parents were back in the kitchen. "I'm pretty good actually."
"You look good. Did you lose weight?"
"I don't see how that is. But thanks," Miranda said and they laughed. "How've you been?" Miranda asked and they talked while waiting for the food to get ready. The four of them sat down and ate the spread that Elena had prepared with minimal help from William.
After Callie left, promising to call, so they could really talk, Miranda took her parents shopping in Downtown Seattle. It was almost like she was a kid again, hanging out with her parents. Those were the times when she was glad that she was only child. She had her parents all to herself. The three of them talked endlessly while walking in and out of the stores. They had lunch at various food trucks, sampling and buying something from each truck in the area. Miranda and her mother stood at a nearby truck and ordered food, with their backs to her father who sat down to eat some Greek food. "Mmm, Mandy, these gyros are so good," William said while munching through his second one.
"Yeah, they're famous around here," a velvety voice said.
"I can imagine," her father commented to the stranger. Miranda chuckled. Her father was a people-person who could make friends anywhere. Miranda preferred to watch people and not mingle unless she had to.
"I used to bring my girlfriend down here. She used to say that she hadn't a good gyro like this one since Tony's." The hairs on her arms started to rise.
"Right! Wow! Yeah, yeah, yeah. I agree. Elena, Mandy, y'all remember Tony's, right?" He asked and they turned around.
"Oh!" Miranda said looking into the face of the friendly stranger. "Yeah, I remember Tony's. I'm the woman he was talking about, dad." Miranda laughed nervously. "Mama, Daddy, this is Eli. My ex-boyfriend." While they shook hands, Miranda examined her ex. Eli's five o'clock shadow had grown and it complemented his face very, very nicely. He looked good.
"Hello, Dr. Bailey," he said. Eli walked around the table and hugged Miranda.
"Nurse Eli," she responded smiling and kissing his cheek.
"So, finally, I meet your parents, hunh?"
"So, you're Eli?" Her mother countered. "You are very handsome."
"Thank you. But my handsomeness pales in comparison to your beauty," Eli commented. Making Elena blush. William cleared his throat. Eli went on: "I'm just sorry that this gentleman snapped you up before I even had a chance."
"Well, she was the best looking one at Booker T. High," William said smiling at his wife proudly.
"Eli, sweetie, please have a seat. There's more than enough here," Elena told him. Eli looked at Miranda and raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, if you're not busy. Sure, sit with us, non-awkwardly, at this food truck table," Miranda said.
"It won't be awkward, Mandy," Elena responded.
And it wasn't; it was rather pleasant. The four of them enjoyed their food and each other's company. William decided to get another gyro to the chagrin of both Miranda and her mother. Determined, he left them sitting at the table and went to get another one anyway. Elena popped out of her chair and followed her husband, fussing at his back. While they were gone, Eli said, "Funny bumping into you down here."
"Yeah, well, my parents…," her voice trailed off.
"They're good people," he said.
Miranda smiled. "Yeah. They are. I want them to see a little bit of the Seattle that I actually know. To spend some time with them and all that."
"That's cool." Eli peered at her with his hazel eyes.
"Yeah. So, uh, why'd you start talking to my father? You're not supposed to go around talking to strangers."
"I actually recognized him from your pictures. Or, at least, I thought I did. I was 82% sure that he was your dad. And when I mentioned Tony's, I was 100% sure."
Miranda smiled and nodded. "You do have an eye for detail." They sat in an unusual silence.
"How are you, Miranda? You haven't been at work lately and I asked around about you, but no one knows anything. Which is weird. Because everyone usually knows everything." Miranda smiled sheepishly. "I was going to call you, but I didn't want to start any drama, you know… especially after that night in the on-call room. So, are you okay? Is everything alright? Tuck? Is he good?"
"I'm good, Eli. Thanks for being so concerned. And if you wanted to call me. You should have called me. Tuck is great. He's at school now. His father is having a baby, so Tuck's excited about that."
"Are you still dating Warren?"
"I think you know the answer to that."
"I can still ask," he said laughing.
"You can."
"But, uh, there's something else, isn't there?" Miranda swallowed hard and tears welled in her eyes. He moved closer to her. "Talk to me. We've always been able to talk, always amicable." Miranda nodded and wiped her eyes with the napkin that he was holding out for her. He waited. Miranda cleared her throat and started to tell him the story of Damon. When she was finished, she covered her face. Eli grabbed her hands and moved them from her face, leaning towards her. "No, don't do that. I'm so sorry, babe, that you had to go through that. If I ever meet him, I'd be forced to break his neck," Eli said. Miranda laughed while wiping her eyes. She stared at Eli. His facial hair was really drawing her in, drawing her in the way Addison had once said that she was attracted to Russell Crowe. There was just something about facial hair on a man that made them 20% sexier. And right now, the man sitting in front of her looked perfect. Eli was looking deep into her eyes. He leaned in a little more. "There was so much I wanted to tell you in that on-call room."
"L-like what?" She asked softly.
"Like how much I really loved you. And maybe I was in love with you and didn't know it and towards the end, I know I didn't act like it. How much I loved being with you and how you trusted me. I just really miss you. So," he sighed, "I've thrown myself into my work. Because I just know that I won't find anyone as great as you and definitely not in Seattle. I've been thinking about moving lately. I don't know where. I was thinking about it before we got together and then I met you and I was like, hell… here's a woman I could settle down with." While he talked, Miranda watched his lips move while she listened intently. "Miranda, I know we weren't serious, but I still love you, girl."
"I love—" Miranda's statement was interrupted by Eli putting his lips on hers, kissing her. Falling back into habit, Miranda closed her eyes before throwing them open again and pushing him away. "Eli. No. I can only love you as a friend. I love Ben. Warren. He's who I'm with and who I want to be with." Eli hung his head.
"So that's it? Nothing I could say could make you want me?" She smiled and shook her head.
"Eli," she said putting a hand to his face gently. "I loved you, too. I loved how comfortable I was around you and how safe you made me feel and how you were there. Whenever I needed you. I could always count on you."
Eli chuckled. "Oh, gosh. I'm sorry, Miranda. I didn't mean to kiss you."
"Yeah, don't do that again."
"Forreal! That was… Babe, that was just embarrassing. I know where your heart is."
"Well, sir, if you know where my heart is. Then you'll stop calling me 'babe'." She peered at him and a smile crawled across his face. She started to chuckle.
"Fair enough. Friends?"
"Definitely," she confirmed.
William and Elena strolled over. Eli grabbed and kissed her hands. "I'll see you around."
"That's if you don't skip town on me," Miranda told him winking.
"Elena. William. You have a gem right here," Eli told Miranda's parents while standing up.
"We know," William said.
Eli shook hands with them and hugged Miranda tightly and kissed her cheek. "Call me. If you need anything, okay?" Miranda nodded and watched him walk away.
By the end of the week, Thursday, Miranda's parents had wrapped up their trip in Seattle and were soon on their way back home. After making sure that they were at the airport safely and kissing them goodbye, Miranda went back to work, arriving just in time for the bi-monthly staff meeting. "Hey, Bailey," Meredith said casually, winking at Bailey.
"Dr. Bailey!" Arizona said hugging her. "We've missed you around here." Miranda was greeted by another half dozen people before going into the conference room. She sat down at the long table with her peers.
"…And we welcome back, Dr. Bailey. So, everyone, gird your loins," The Chief said making the room fill with laughter. While the room emptied, The Chief gestured for Miranda to stay behind. "Mandy. If you only knew how happy I am to see you back in scrubs and your lab coat at Grey Sloan." He touched her shoulder
"Thanks, Chief. It feels good to be back," she said smiling. Miranda shadowed her mentor for a few hours, catching up on new patients. During a quiet period, she made her way to the Attending lounge. She sat down in the empty room.
"Hey, Dr. Bailey," Alex said coming into the room.
"Karev."
"Still as warm as ever I see," he said and they laughed. "The 3-on-3 tournament is starting next week. You're still down, right?" Miranda stuttered as she tried to come up with a good response. "And for the record," he leaned in even though they were the only two in the room, "I'm sorry about that douchebag. I didn't, you know—know he was a fuckin' ass. To be honest, I didn't know him at all. We only played together a few times."
"Alex. I know," Miranda reassured him.
He exhaled. "Good. Are you in?"
"I said I was, right?" She smiled at him.
"Cool. We, uh, actually have practice Saturday morning and a scrimmage game later that evening."
"Woah. Um, okay."
"Didn't you talk to Ben?"
"No. I mean, not about this. Although—" Miranda stopped talking as Ben walked in. "Speak of the devil."
"The sexiest devil you've ever seen," Ben said kissing her cheek. He slid his palm along Alex's and turned a chair around and sat down. "What are we talking about?"
"Dude, the tourney. You didn't tell Bailey?" Alex asked.
"I didn't want to bother her," Ben said. Miranda listened to them talk around her.
"She's into it. I just—"
Miranda had had enough. "Well," she said standing up. "When you guys decide about what I'm going to do and not do and know and not know, then you can come and tell me." She grabbed a granola bar and walked out. She heard footsteps coming up behind her.
"Sorry, baby."
"Yeah, Bailey. Our bad."
"I didn't tell you about the tournament because I didn't want you worried about it."
"It's not something I'd be worried about. I'd be excited about it, Ben."
"Cool," Alex said. "I gotta go. I'll see you two later and definitely on Saturday?" He asked pointing at them.
They nodded. Miranda whipped around. "Why didn't you tell me? I'm almost furious with you."
"I was trying to protect you." He said gesturing with his hands.
"Do I strike you as a woman who needs protecting?" Miranda said raising her eyebrow.
"No, but you do strike me as the kind of woman I'd like to…," his voice trailed off. Miranda hit his arm.
"I'm walking away now."
"I know. I'm enjoying the view," Ben said laughing.
Two steps away from Ben, her pager went off telling her to go to the ER. Action! She thought. This was something that she definitely missed. She rushed to the ER, nearly bowling people over on her way there. She rushed into the room and began ordering residents and interns around and saving lives.
Driving home with her son in tow at the end of the day, she was beaming. She was happy to have been back on her feet and working with her co-workers again. She just had to find her stride again and she'd be just fine. Despite her exhaustion because she felt good to be back doing the work that she loved.
"How was school?" She asked her son.
"Great! Tami and I played basketball at recess. And I got a 100 on my math test and a 90, I think, or 95, something like that on my spelling test."
"Wow! Way to go, Tuck!" She looked at him in the mirror. His brown eyes smiled at her. "Uh-oh. What do you want?"
Tuck smiled. The same smile that she smiled. "I was just wondering," he spoke slowly. "If Tami could come over tomorrow after school." He rushed the rest of his words out. Tuck held his breath and stared at his mother with puppy dog eyes.
"Sure. As long as it's okay with her mother."
"I have the number in my book bag."
"Good. I'll give her a call and see what she says," Miranda told him over the gleeful shouts of Tuck.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" He yelled throwing his hands up in the air.
Some things were simple. Putting a smile on her son's face was one of the simplest things she could do. In the house, Miranda fixed dinner and they conversed freely. She drilled him with his spelling words and soon he was upstairs in his room and getting ready for bed. Miranda cleaned the kitchen. She wandered to the front door and locked it, then headed up the stairs. Halfway up the stairs, Miranda heard her phone ringing in the kitchen. She went back down the stairs to get it. She accepted the call before she saw who was on the other end. "Hello?" She asked.
"Hey, baby. Whatchadoin?" Ben asked, his voice smooth in her ear.
"Talking to one of my favorite men in the whole world," Miranda said going up the stairs to her room. She moved the phone away from her mouth momentarily. "Bed, William George. I'll come and check on you in a little bit."
"Okay!" He called out. "Goodnight."
"Let's back it up. I'm one of your favorite men?" Ben asked.
Miranda blushed. "Yeah, you are. I suppose."
"Well, you're one of my favorite people in the whole universe," Ben told her.
"You don't have to say that—"
"I'm not just saying that. You are."
"Fine. I don't have the energy to argue with you." They laughed. Miranda sat on her bed. They talked for a while and then they were quiet. Miranda turned on the TV and flipped through the channels.
"What did you do today?" Ben asked her snapping her out of a slight trance.
"I got my son to school and my parents to the airport. I thought you were going to call and…"
"I thought I told you I was on-call."
"I think I would have remembered that, but—oh, you're right. You did tell me," she told him giggling. Ben sighed and laughed with her. "And I had a first great day back. Everyone was really great. I went to the staff meeting. Saw some patients, did some things." She exhaled and quickly went to check on Tuck. "Now, I'm back home, my son is in bed and I'm talking to you, one of my favorite men in the whole, wide world."
"Oh, snap! So it's the whole, wide world now?" Ben chuckled. "I'm moving on up." Ben and Miranda talked deep into the night, something she hadn't done in ages. In those few short hours, she learned that his middle name was Anthony, which was also his father's first name. His birthday was in August, she'd have to remember that. And that he hated anchovies and was allergic to sunflowers. Miranda reveled in the new information. He prodded her for more details about her that didn't have to do with the hospital or her previous marriage or her son, although he cared about Tuck a lot. He wanted to know about her. Miranda took a deep breath. It wasn't often that she got to talk about herself. Her life was her son. It was about her career and her patients. It never seemed about her and Ben was determined to change that. As they talked, she told him that she actually preferred her Converses over heels, that her favorite song was "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder and that her favorite fruit was the yellow apple, it was the only kind of apple she'd eat whole.
After a comfortable silence, she asked: "And what did you do today?"
"Well, I did some things, too. A couple of procedures, surgeries and whatnot."
"I don't know about the procedures and the surgeries, but the whatnot sounds fascinating." Miranda yawned. "Tell me about that."
"How about I tell you another time?" He said softly.
"Sure," she said. They were quiet. Miranda saw her door open up and her son walked in and climbed into the bed with her. He didn't speak, but he snuggled up next to her. "You're okay?" She asked her son. He nodded.
"Yeah," Ben said and she laughed.
"I was talking to Tuck. He just got into bed with me."
"Lucky."
"And with that, I bid you goodnight, dear sir," Miranda told him grinning.
"Okay. Goodnight, baby. I love you." Miranda's heart skipped a beat.
"I love you, too," she told him and the call disconnected.
"You're okay?" She asked Tuck again kissing his head.
He shook his head. "I had a bad dream."
"Do you want to tell me about it?" She asked rubbing his back.
"S-something bad happened to you and daddy and Ben," he said.
"Something like what?"
"That guy came back and tried to kill you guys," Her son. Miranda's eyes widened and she was glad that Tuck's back was to her.
"No. No. That was just a nightmare. He's not going to harm us anymore, okay? Turn around for a second. Don't think on it one minute. Don't let him stay in your mind. He won't get to us anymore, alright?" Tuck nodded. She kissed the top of his head again and hugged him. "Okay, let's go to sleep. It's late."
In the morning, Miranda called the number on the slip of paper that Tuck had left on her nightstand with a note reminding what the number was for. "Hello? Is this Francine Casal?" She asked reading the name off of the paper.
"Yes."
"Hi, Francine. I'm Miranda Bailey. My son Tuck is friends with your daughter, Tami."
"Yes. Yes. Tuck. Such a sweet boy. I help out in the classroom sometimes and he's so nice and well-mannered."
"Yes, thank you. And I've met Tami. She's darling."
"Thank you. Thank you."
"From what I hear, Tami wants to come over to the house today after school?"
"Yeah, girl. All Tami talks about are books and Tuck." Miranda laughed.
"Well, it's fine with me if Tami comes over for a little while. Maybe watch a movie or something, eat some food, pizza, if that's okay? I'll text you when the movie is almost over and then you can come and pick her up." The woman agreed and Miranda gave Francine her address. "See you later." The woman thanked her and they hung up.
"Tuck! Let's roll!" She called to her son and started downstairs, grabbing a banana and a Gatorade before heading for the door.
Coming out of the locker room, in her dark blue scrubs, Miranda was bombarded by two interns. "What? How can you be helped?"
"Dr. Bailey, we were sent to you for the day," Jo Wilson said looking at Stephanie Edwards.
"Oh, goody. This should be fun. Let's go," Miranda said turning on her heels. For the next several hours, they walked and talked to several patients. Then they rounded on the last patient. The man, Jeremy Weaver, was complaining of chest pains. Maggie Pierce was already behind the ER curtain. "Mr. Weaver, hi, I'm Dr. Bailey, we—"
"Please. Call me Jer, Dr. Bailey." He winced.
"Alright, alright, Jer. How are you feeling today?" She asked him.
"Like I swallowed an oboe."
"I used to play the oboe, it's not something you can swallow easily," Miranda said with a smile. The man laughed and yelled out in pain. "Oh! I am so sorry. We have the results from your tests. Dr. Pierce?"
"Your EKG was fine except for a little LVH which is left ventricular hypertrophy and your troponin is within normal limits," Maggie said. Miranda looked at the patient's confused face. "Dr. Edwards."
"Mr. Weaver, that means that the muscle on your left ventricle is thickening. And that we've ruled out dissection, but your stomach is still a little tender."
"I'm fine, really. I am. Dr. Bailey," he said winking at Miranda.
"Jeremy, just take it easy," Maggie said walking handing the chart over to Wilson.
He exhaled deeply. "Okay. Thanks doc."
"Okay, Jer," Miranda said examining his stomach, pushing slightly.
"Ow! Ow!" He yelped.
"Hurts there?"
"Yeah, but," he said touching his chest. "It's heartburn, I swear. My wife made me come. I should be at work, you know? And I gotta pick up my kid later."
"Jer, have you eaten today?
Jeremy spouted his long breakfast menu. "I would've had more, but I've been having trouble swallowing lately."
"Sounds like you did pretty well," Edwards said.
Miranda continued to feel Jeremy's stomach. "Well, I gotta fuel up. Lots of balls in the air! Damn it!" He cringed.
"Sorry," Miranda said. "Look, Jer, we're gonna admit you for observation."
"No, no, no, no."
"And I'll try to make it quick," she said with a smile.
"Um, Wilson, add on LFTs, a second troponin and an abdominal CT." She smiled one more time at Jeremy and added: "Uh, call me when you get the results." Wilson and Edwards both nodded. Miranda walked out of the room and towards the lounge. She felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned to her right and no one was there. She turned to her left. It was Ben. "Because I have time to be playing games."
"Smile, baby," Ben said kissing her quickly on the cheek. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she gave him a fake smile.
"Give me a sincere smile or I'm going to kiss you right here in this hallway," he threatened playfully. Miranda smiled sincerely. "That's better." They walked down the hall a little. "Come with me," he said pulling her into a storage room. Inside, Ben looked around to make sure it was clear.
"What?" She said looking around as well. "What do you want? Why are we in here? Do you need to talk about something?"
He nodded. "Just this," he said pulling her close and kissing her deeply. She moaned and grinned. "Good afternoon, baby."
"Good afternoon to you, too. Someone's happy."
"I'm just feeling good."
"Okay. I'm here for it," she said to him, hugging him. They kissed again.
"How are you?" He asked.
"I'm feeling alright." Miranda smiled as Ben held her waist.
"That's good," he said kissing her neck and making her squeal. "Shhh." She nodded. Miranda took a step back. "What? What's up?"
She stood on her toes and clapped Ben on his back. "That's from my dad." She grabbed his face and kissed his forehead. "That's from my mom. They really like you." Then she grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. It was short, soft and sensual. "And that's from me."
"Alright now," he responded, holding onto her and kissing her back. "So, uh, guess who I talked to today?" He stopped talking and waited for her to respond.
"Tucker?" She asked. He shook his head.
"Leedy Commons?" Miranda asked raising her eyebrows.
Ben squinted his eyes at his girlfriend. "No, sweetheart."
"Ohmygoodness! The suspense!" She said exaggeratedly. She threw in a Southern accent, mimicking that of her aunts. "Please tell me or I will just die."
"Okay, okay! I'll tell you," he said laughing. "A certain nurse talked to me, casually, and without the slightest bit of sarcasm or snarkiness."
"Eli?" Ben switched the position of their hands, putting his around her neck and hers on his waist.
"Yep. It was a little odd seeing as how we've been avidly avoiding each other."
"Well, what did he say to you?" Miranda asked remembering the kiss she'd shared with Eli a few days ago. It was something minor. So minor that she hadn't even planned on telling Ben because it was nothing really and she and Eli had worked it out and he'd apologized, but she didn't want Ben finding out about it another way.
"He just said 'hey'. Ben smiled.
Miranda didn't smile back. "And what did you say? I'm sure you weren't rude and just ignored his statement. So what did you say?" She asked hurriedly.
"Uh, well, I said 'hey' back," Ben answered with raised eyebrows.
"My God! Ben Warren. The pace at which you're telling this story is irking me slightly." Miranda balled her fists up against his back.
Ben laughed. "Relax, baby, and why are you so interested in a conversation that I had with your ex?"
"I'm not… really," she said looking away.
"Good. Because then we talked about basketball a little. Then, that was it. He walked away. And I continued to do my work." Miranda made a noise. "Alright, just spill it, baby. What don't I know?" Here it was, the moment of truth. She could tell him about the kiss, running the risk of having him flip out. After all, she was kissed by someone else and not just someone else, her ex. Or she could not tell him and have the guilt build up and eat her alive slowly like necrotizing fasciitis. "Miranda?" Ben's voice sounded serious. "What's up?"
"Nothing. I'm just trying to figure out how to tell you something."
"Just… start at the beginning," he said kissing her forehead.
She laughed nervously. "Okay. Alright. Alright. So, when my parents were here…"While Miranda told him the story, Ben made a face accompanied by a noise, but she ignored him and kept going. "…Then, he, uh, it's actually funny and definitely not something we want to make a big deal out of. He, k—"
"Baby, spit it out!" Ben said laughing.
"He kissed me. And, then, he apologized after. We talked a little more and then he was gone. That's it. There. H-he kissed me. Eli kissed me."
Ben held up a hand. "Stop saying it so many times. I got it. He kissed you." Miranda laughed. "How did he kiss you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Did he you kiss you like this?" Ben asked kissing Miranda's cheek. "Or like this?" He said kissing her lips quickly. "Like this?" He planted his lips on hers and slipped a tongue in her mouth, making her heart flutter. "Or did he put one on you like this?" Ben softly kissed her neck, making Miranda moan. Then, he kissed her lips deeply, several times, making her knees buckle and leaving her wanting more.
She pulled away to gain her balance. "Can you show me that last one again?" Ben chuckled and started to kiss her again. "Okay, well, it definitely was not like that."
"So?" Ben asked.
"He kissed me on the lips, but I pushed him away."
"Alright."
"Alright?"
"Alright. I believe you. I have no reason to not trust you," Ben said putting his head on her shoulder. "But, uh, let's not make a habit of this. Because I can only be forgiving so many times."
"I feel you. And don't be mad at him either. He was just trying it."
Ben nodded. Miranda frowned. "What?" He asked.
"Oh, nothing."
"It's never just nothing with you," he said smirking.
"Well, I don't want you to kiss any of your exes."
"What if it's an accident?"
"No accidents," she said sternly, looking into his eyes.
"Okay," he responded softly. "I love you."
"You know I love you, Ben Warren." He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head. "And I need to go. I'm waiting for some results." Ben's lips hit her cheek and she turned around and exited the room. Her pager went off and she met Edwards and Wilson in Jeremy Weaver's room. "Okay, Jeremy. Your results are back."
"Doc, trust me, okay? I'm as fit as a fiddle. Look at me," he said flexing a little while wincing a lot.
Miranda straightened her face. "Jer, I'd like to run some more tests. And depending on the results, I might need to do an EGD."
"Could we… uh, skip a step. You know, cut to the chase? I mean, I have clients all over town. And my kid."
"Mr. Weaver, Dr. Bailey is just trying to avoid putting a tube down your throat or up your… uh, rectum," Stephanie Edwards told them man. Miranda was really starting to like this girl.
"That's fine with me, especially if it will get me out of here sooner. Dr. Bailey, hun, you can stick a tube wherever you want." Miranda smiled.
After prepping Mr. Weaver and exploring his esophagus, Miranda found a tumor. She walked into his room where he was talking with his wife. Miranda told him the bad news. "It's early-stage adenocarcinoma." Jeremy's wife cried into his shoulder.
"It's cancer, right?" His wife asked.
Miranda nodded. "I'm afraid it is."
Jeremy cleared his throat. "So… what? What do we do?"
"Wilson."
"We'd like to keep you overnight and do some pre-op tests, then do an esophagectomy where we remove your esophagus and replace it with a piece of your colon," she told the couple.
"Then, it w-would be gone? The cancer would be gone, right?" His wife asked sniffling.
"That's the hope, yeah," Miranda said. The three doctors walked out of the room. Miranda paged Maggie and they discussed a strategy for Jeremy's surgery tomorrow.
Miranda yawned and walked to the nurse's station. "It's a marathon, not a sprint," Richard said coming up behind her. "How are you?"
"I'm good. I haven't lost my touch of giving bad news," she mumbled.
"You haven't lost your touch at anything." Miranda rolled her eyes at him. "And it comes with the job, you know that," he said patting her shoulder. She turned and watched him walk away.
She may have been tired, but she was glad that it was Friday. She would be able to pick her son up and have a relaxing evening. She drove to Brookden Middle to pick up her Tuck. Chaurisse, the lead teacher, told Miranda that Tuck was in the gym with Tami. "Tami?" Chaurisse nodded.
"You're taking her home with you, right?" Chaurisse smiled. "Francine called earlier and sent a note with Tami saying that you, Miranda Bailey, were picking up her child. And Tuck has told me five different times that she's going to his house."
"Yes. Yes, I remember," Miranda said walking to the gym. "Hey! Are you guys ready to go?" Tuck looked at Tami. She nodded. "Let's go, then."
They piled into the car. She was going to take them to get pizza and then take them back to the house for a movie, like she'd told Francine that they were going to do, but she found herself making the turns to get to "The Hilltop". "I love this place!" Tuck shouted when they arrived in front of the restaurant.
"Inside voice, William George," Miranda said looking at him in her mirror.
He smiled sheepishly. "Tami, you're going to love this place! It has games and laser tag!"
Miranda saw the girl smile. "I've never played laser tag."
The three of them went inside. "Three, please. One adult, two children."
"Okay, you can seat yourselves. Someone will be along to get your order."
Getting to the table, Tuck immediately extended his arm, asking for money. "Oh, so you're not even going to wait for the drinks, hunh?" He shook his head laughing. "Fine," she said with a laugh of her own. "But you two should play laser tag first, so it doesn't upset your stomachs. And arcade games later. She watched the two of them run hand in hand towards the laser tag hub.
"Can I get some drinks for you, ma'am," a waitress said walking past.
"Uh, yeah, I need a water with lemon, two fruit punches and two Sprites, please?" The girl nodded and walked away. When the girl brought the drinks back, Miranda felt her phone buzzing. She could barely hear her phone ringing over the blaring music and voices of families. There were way more people now than the last time they were here. She picked it up. "Hello?" She said shouting. "Ben?"
"Why … shouting?" Something like Ben's voice answered.
"It's little loud in here," she said.
"What's 'here'?" He asked.
"The Hilltop. It's this restaurant that has laser tag and arcade games and stuff."
"Oh okay. Sounds like fun."
"Yeah, it is. Tuck and his friend, Tami, love it."
"Aww. Do you mind some adult company?"
"I'd really appreciate some. Thanks."
"Alright, I'll put it in my GPS and I'll be there shortly." Miranda ended the call just as Tami and Tuck came back glistening with sweat.
"That. Was so much fun!" Tami exclaimed. "I really like laser tag." Miranda nodded.
"Yeah, mommy, she's good. We were on different teams and she kill—I mean, tagged, me like 12 times."
"I'm glad you two had fun. Tuck, Ben's on his way," Miranda said looking at her son and watching his face to see if she could see if his reaction was adverse or one of acceptance. Tuck started to smile and Miranda took a deep breath.
"Who's Ben?" Tami asked.
Tuck looked at his mother and smiled. "Well, Ben is my mom's boyfriend!" Tuck and Tami burst out in a loud laughter, repeating the word boyfriend several times over and in different tones.
The waiter appeared. "Oh, there is a God," she said as they ordered food. When the waitress came back to fill the drinks, Ben walked up to their table.
"Hey, guys," he said kissing Miranda on the cheek. He slapped hands with Tuck and waved to Tami.
"Tami, this is Ben," Miranda said.
"Hi," Tami said in a soft voice.
Ben pulled up a chair and sat beside Miranda. He put his arm over the back of her chair, making her blush slightly. His fingertips brushed her shoulder. Miranda listened to Tuck, Tami and Ben talk in and around her. "So, can we, mommy?"
"What?" She asked being pulled back into the conversation.
"All of us. Together. Playing a game of laser tag," Tuck said stuffing French fries into his face.
Miranda looked at Ben who was smiling. He'd obviously agreed to it. "Uh, well, I—I guess."
"We should hurry, the line is getting longer," Tami said and she stood up and so did Tuck. Ben stood up and held his hand out for Miranda.
The four of them plus two others suited up in the same green-colored vests and were pitted against six other players in electric blue-colored vests. The game started and Miranda found herself running to the back of the laser tag room. She hid behind a pillar, not wanting to be tagged. A member of the opposing team found her and fired at her vest. In the dark room, Miranda saw the little boy smirk and run off. Realizing that she couldn't hide while her team fought five against six, Miranda threw herself into the game. She linked up with Tami and they double-teamed the boy who'd first hit Miranda. Miranda high-fived Tami. The girl ran up the ramp that led to the second floor. Halfway up the ramp, she tripped. "Be careful!" Miranda called to the girl. Tami, trying to gain her balance, Tami stumbled into the handrail, knocking her head against the metal. She fell onto the floor, her body seemingly lifeless. Miranda ran to the aide of the girl, dropping to her knees. "Ben!" She called out into the darkness. Her heart was racing. In the hospital, although she saw trauma and emergencies all of the time, she was always ready for it. This time she wasn't and her nerves were all over the place. The neon lights on the wall and the lights that decorated the vests, allowed Miranda to see a stream of bright red blood coming from a gash in the girl's head. It was deep and Miranda could see the meaty flesh in her forehead. "Ben! Come!" He jogged over.
"Yea—" He stopped talking when he saw Tami lying on the ground. "Turn on the lights, now!" He called out in the darkness. The lights flickered on.
Miranda checked the girl's pulse. It was faint, but definitely there. "Call an ambulance and her mother," Miranda said handing over her phone. "Her name's Francine Casal."
While she checked the vital signs of the girl, Tuck ran over yelling that he hadn't seen Tami in a long time. When he saw her lying on the ground, he stopped in his tracks. "Tami? What happened?"
"She hit her head. She's going to be okay. An ambulance is on its way," she told him as one of the restaurant workers hurried over with a portable AED device and a huge first aid kit. Miranda pulled out of some gloves and gauze and went to work. "Tami! Tami!" No response. "Tami, it's Dr. Bailey. Can you hear me?" The girl groaned.
"… yeah, yeah, yeah, Grey Sloan Memorial," Ben was saying.
"Hey, honey," Miranda said smiling at the girl, trying not to freak her out. "Do you remember what happened?"
At the hospital, Tuck had his head was in Miranda's lap and Ben was sitting next to her when she saw Francine come through the automatic doors. Miranda made a move to stand up and Tuck fell onto Ben who slid over. "WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER?!" Francine shouted when she saw Miranda. Miranda tried to calm her down and explain. "I DO NOT WANT TO SIT! I LEAVE MY DAUGHTER IN YOUR CARE FOR TWO HOURS AND SHE ENDS AT A HOSPITAL! A HOSPITAL! YOU WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT YOUR HOUSE!"
Ben stood up as The Chief rushed out of the room where Tami was lying on a table. He held up his hands. "Ma'am, I need you to lower your voice, calm down and sit down." Following instructions, Francine sat down and listened to Miranda's mentor. Francine nodded. "…fromwhat I hear, Ms. Casal, it's through no one's fault that Tami is in this predicament. And we're working like hell to try and help her."
Francine turned to Miranda with tears in her eyes. She sighed. "I am so sorry for talking to you like that, Miranda. I was just scared. I am scared."
Miranda reached for the woman's hand. "I know. I know."
When Tami was admitted to the hospital, Miranda, Ben and Tuck followed Francine to the Pediatrics wing of the hospital, staying in the waiting room. Every time Miranda made a move to leave, Tuck would pop his head up and beg to stay 'a little longer'. He was certain that if Tami woke up and he wasn't there, she wouldn't be his friend anymore. When he'd fallen asleep again, Miranda leaned her head on Ben's shoulder. "Thanks for staying all this time, but, baby, you can leave."
"Miranda, I don't have a problem staying," He looked down at her. "I'll leave when you leave. Plus, you'll need a ride back to your car."
She smiled at him. "You're a good man." An hour later, she convinced Tuck to leave the hospital, assuring him that Tami would still want to talk to him when he came back for a visit. Ben hoisted him up and carried him to his car. Tuck settled on the backseat. Ben took them back to The Hilltop. Miranda left her son in her boyfriend's car as they both drove back to her house.
After Tuck was in bed, Miranda settled into her own, fully clothed, "I am so exhausted! I can't believe this day and it started off so well."
Ben stood in the middle of her room. "Yeah, it was a day. I mean, it was pretty good until… Tami was lucky that you were there." Ben winked at her.
Miranda's phone started to ring. It was Tucker. "Hey, Tucker," she said yawning.
"Tired?" He said.
"Yeah. I'll tell you about it later," she responded looking at her boyfriend who'd taken a seat on the edge of her bed.
"Look, uh, Tuck has boxing in the morning and I know I was supposed to pick him up tonight. And I'm sorry that I'm just now calling, don't be mad at me. But I'll get him tomorrow. Is that cool?" She nodded. "Stop nodding." Miranda laughed. "Alright, so I'll see you in the morning?"
"Okay," she said plainly and put her phone on her nightstand. "Are you going to lie down? Or are you going to sit there and stare at me? Because, I'd really love the former, but you look like you're enjoying yourself." Silently, Ben stood up and kicked off his shoes, he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a white undershirt. Miranda looked at him lazily. "Thanks again for today, Ben."
"Of course, Miranda." He got into bed and slid behind her, kissing her ear and neck. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "How's that feel?" He asked. She just nodded and sighed before falling asleep to the sound of his deep breathing.