A/N: Sorry for this belated update! My rotation is sooooo exhausting! I basically have no time to rest and can only type with my phone on the subway... But trust me, I am not going to abandon my fic! :) As usual please read and review!


Chapter 6

2017 OR3, Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, Seattle

Meredith took multiple deep breaths as she listen to the OR staff walking around, preparing for the procedure. She had been in this OR many times before, either as the surgeon or the patient. However, this is the first time she felt this uncontrollable, earth-shattering fear.

She wasn't afraid when she was drown or when she donated part of her liver to Thatcher; and she sure as hell wasn't afraid when she gave birth to Bailey in the dark. Maybe because she never did this surgery herself. People are often scared when facing unknown.

Noticed her shivering on the table, Arizona bent over beside her ears and asked, "Meredith, are you cold? I can get you a blanket."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I am not cold. I am okay." Sounds more like hinting to herself than replying Arizona. Arizona shrugged and went on checking the instruments with the scrub nurse.

"Meredith." Another person whispered beside her. She turned her head and saw Burke. Although the mask was covering most of his face, she can still picture his warm smile by looking at his eyes.

"It is okay to be scared. You are the patient today, you are allowed. Just remember, you are with some very fine surgeons. There is nothing to be worried about."

"I am not… Just, for Derek's sake, for Cristina's sake, please don't kill me."

"I promise, you will not die on my table." Burke smiled again at Meredith, then he gestured the anaesthesiologist to put Meredith to sleep.

"Patient Meredith Grey, 21 weeks pregnant. Scheduled for a fetal heart tumour recession. The procedure will be done in an ex-uterine method." The scrub nurse briefly announced the procedure.

"Okay, 10 blade." Arizona took a breath before asking for the scalpel. Burke, who is standing right next to her, whispered,

"It's a beautiful day to save lives."


Gallery of OR 3, SGMWH

A crowd of interns and residents are already gathered in the gallery to observe this once in a lifetime surgery. Of course, some of them are there because of Dr Grey, and some are there to observe THE Dr Burke operate. Derek was in another room with Mark distracting him, while Lexie was sitting in the first row next to Jo, biting her nails and peeking anxiously.

"Oh my god, look at that baby! It is so tiny. You don't think Dr Burke will squash it right?" As Arizona gently brings the foetus out from the amniotic membrane and landed it on Burke's palm, Stephanie exclaimed in excitement.

"Come on, he is a heart surgeon, we heart surgeons are trained to handle delicate tissues." Shane rolled his eyes for his colleagues' stupid comment.

"Excuse me, please don't classify yourself as one of THE cardio surgeons. See that technique? Even Yang couldn't do it as perfect as Dr Burke. Not to mention you." Jo smirked and high-five with Stephanie for getting back at Shane.

"Dr Ross, may I know why Dr Burke is using forceps to remove the tumour tissues instead of using suction?" One of Shane's intern asked.

"Well, um…"

"That is because a 21 weeks fetus is still very delicate. Using suction may result in tearing of tissue easily, so for experienced surgeons, using forceps is safer." Cristina stepped into the gallery and answered the question. "Read a book or use your brain for god sake. There are much more things you could do with your brain than deciding what to eat for lunch. Ponytail, move."

Jo stood up from her chair and gave Cristina her seat. She sat down, took a bit on a chocolate bar and asked Lexie, "Where are they now?"

"Burke had just started on removing the tumour. Looks like he is starting from the left ventricle."

"Okay. And stop biting your nails! You are a surgeon!" Cristina frowned as she saw Lexie keep biting her nails. She pulled Lexie's hand away from her mouth and whispered.

"Oh, right. I will stop it." Lexie pushed a strand of hair to the back of her ear and try to focus at the surgery. Cristina looked at her face and gently patted the younger surgeon's hand.

"Don't freak out, there's nothing for you to be worried. Burke is very good, Meredith will be fine."

"Okay. Okay. Cristina, are you… Don't you think you can handle the surgery? Is that why you gave up scrubbing in?"

"What? Of course not! Why the hell… Are you seriously gonna ask me why I am not scrubbing in?"

"No, I understand, Um, let's just… let's just focus on the surgery." Lexie forced a fake smile. She was under Cristina's service the week after Burke left SGMW. She can still vividly recall that time when Cristina kept singing 'Like A Virgin' in the morgue, while she practiced on the corpse. Of course she knows why Cristina won't scrub in with Burke.

"Damn it. I nicked the umbilical vein. Damn it." Suddenly, Burke cursed loudly and reached for a pile of lap pads. When he peels off a piece of the tumour, his forceps accidentally scratched across a major blood vessel, which cause a lot of blood lost.

"Doctor, her BP is dropping. 70/40." The anesthesiologist shouted. Everyone immediately turned their head towards the direction of the monitor, which shows Meredith's blood pressure keeps on dropping.

"Oh god. What happened?" Lexie rose from her seat and lean on the gallery window with tears starting to build up in her eyes. Cristina followed her, trying to take a better look at the situation. She looked at those hands in Meredith's body anxiously, the powerlessness she felt when she heard about Izzie and George's death rushed back, her body couldn't help but shivered.

As she felt like her tears are going to fall, she saw a pair of warm, chocolate brown eyes looking at her. She knows this glance. It is the kind of glance he would give her when she was covering up his tremors for him. When she saw this glance, it means that she has to take over for him.

"He is asking for help…" Cristina murmured. Lexie looked at her in confusion, "What did you say?"

"I am scrubbing in." Cristina quickly squeezed her body through a crowd of audiences and headed towards OR 3.


A/N: I can assure you all that Meredith and baby Ellis are not going to die, but I am gonna create some suspense... mruhahaha!