--
The clinic was deserted at this hour. Miranda kept the lights in dim mode. She suspected that Addison was rousing, but she had burrowed under the blankets as soon as they had gotten her onto a bed. Hiding under the pillows, like a lost little kid. Callie was doing her best to be gentle.
"Addison? Look, I'm just going to sit here, okay? And if you want to, I don't know, say anything…look, we're here, okay? Bailey and me, we got you, and we're here, and…yeah, okay, I'm babbling, but…crap. I have no idea what I should be doing right now. Miranda?"
"I'm here, Callie." Miranda opened the curtain, came into the enclosure with them. She had more blankets with her, and a bottle of water, which she uncapped and placed on the bedside tray. "She come out yet?"
"No, but I think she's awake again."
"Yeah? Then we should stop talking about her like she isn't here, shouldn't we?"
She climbed onto one side of the bed then rooted under the sheets, looking for Addison's hand, which she clasped gently.
"Callie?" she made a 'come on' motion, and Callie moved to join her, when they heard the clinic door open. Callie hopped off the bed, arms unconsciously folding across her chest in protective mama-bear mode.
"Dr. Torrres? Dr. Bailey?"
They traded glances. Shepherd. Great.
"I'll get it," Callie said.
They heard the door open again, and Callie went out to reception just in time to watch Meredith Grey wander in, Sydney Heron in tow. A wrecked-looking Derek went straight to Meredith.
"Meredith? Oh my god…" He slowly embraced her, hands sinking into her hair, drinking in the smell of her.
"Derek?" Meredith said. "I came as soon as I…how is she?"
"I…oh god, Meredith, that was…I mean, seeing her that way…"
"I know, baby, I know. Shh, it's okay…the important thing is that she's okay." They both noticed Callie watching them. "Callie?" Meredith said. "She's okay, right? Cristina said…"
"She will be okay," Callie allowed. "Not sure she's there yet, but she'll be okay."
Derek exhaled. "Thank god. That was…"
"Yeah. You handled it, Shepherd."
"I know how to. My god, Callie, that was just…"
"Uh huh. You worked it, Shepherd. Nice save. Didn't know you had it in you."
His face darkened, then he shook his head, clutching Meredith closer. "You know what? Don't even."
Callie shrugged. "Fair enough. You earned a freebie."
"I earned more than that. Look, I still don't know exactly how this all came about, exactly. I mean, she was having a thing, obviously, and I missed it, and…"
"You missed it? Shepherd, you were it! At least in part. Do you have any idea…"
"Dr. Torres? Do you honestly think that if I did, I would have let it get this far?"
"I didn't think you spared her enough attention to really think about it one way or the other, to be honest. I mean, you're divorced now…"
"So? We spent almost two decades together, Callie. She's still a part of me. She always will be. I don't want to see her hurting. Look, is she okay, really? Can I…can I see her?"
"She'll hear you from here. You got anything else you want to say?"
"Just that I want her to be okay. I just really, honestly want her to be okay."
"She will be. Or she'll face Bailey's wrath."
He exhaled, finally untensing. "Well. There's an incentive."
"Yeah. Can I show Sydney in now, Derek?"
"Oh. Okay. We'll wait. We'll wait."
Callie gave the pair of them a contemplative look. "Yeah. You do that."
--
Miranda had coaxed Addison out from under the pillows, but the redhead was still shaky. She lay limp on the cot, breathing in quick, shallow beats, a blanket wrapped around her, her flushed face tear-stained and shocky.
"Hey, sweetheart," Callie said.
Addison drew the blanket tighter, eyes welling up again.
"Hey," Miranda soothed. "We had that under wraps, didn't we?"
Small whimper. Miranda shook her head. "The correct answer is 'Yes, Miranda, we had that under wraps.' Hey, Callie."
"Hey, Miranda. She hear all that?"
"Are you kidding? When did you think the blanket came out again?"
Sydney took a step toward the cot. "Dr. Montgomery? Dr. Bailey? Can I have a few minutes?"
It took a moment for the request to sink in. "What, alone with her?" Miranda said.
"I find it generally works better that way between a doctor and a patient, yes."
"Addison?"
She slowly nodded. Miranda and Callie cleared out.
--
When they came back with coffee and cookies half an hour later, Derek and Meredith had cleared out, and the curtain around Addison's bed was open. Sydney was sitting on a chair beside the bed, no longer looking quite so somber.
Addison still looked pale and tear-streaked, but her face had lost the urgent, desperate flush she had come in with. She was sitting up, knees drawn close, the blanket fallen into a heap around her ankles.
"Hey, Miranda," she said. Her voice was a little hoarse, but steady. "Hey, Callie."
"Hey! How are you feeling?" Miranda asked. "Or…" She looked at Sydney. "Or…are we not allowed asking that?"
"Oh, you're allowed," Sydney chirped back. "This once, anyway. Next time, let her offer. That's our deal, right, hon?"
Addison shrugged a little sheepishly. "We're trying the whole peer counseling thing. Sydney's very thorough."
"I find that peer counseling can, in the right hands, be proactive and affirming process," Sydney said. "Addison agrees."
"So it's not…she doesn't need, like, real therapy, or something?" Callie asked.
"If you mean drug therapy, no, I don't think she does. This was more a failure of coping than a failure of biochemistry. Divorce can be a tough one, especially for someone in a job like this. You don't always get much of a life outside the hospital, and often, the spouse is the only support network. Take that away, and…well, you're drifting."
"But she does have a support network," Callie said. "She has us."
"Good for her. But it's not an instant process. You don't just go 'here we are' and everything is rosy. But we're gonna work on that, aren't we, hon?"
"In thirty minute sessions, three to five times a week,' Addison agreed.
"Now, as far as the particulars…well, fawning and hovering has never been a widely accepted therapeutic technique, has it? So, here's how it's gonna work, you two. You get to be there. But you don't get to nag. Business as usual, you understand me? Treat her like you treat each other. And trust her that if she needs to talk---like, serious, venting-type talk, she'll tell you. I taught her a magic phrase. Show them, Addison," Sydney prompted. "Go on, try it out."
"Miranda, I need to talk," Addison recited obediently. "Callie, I need to talk."
"And then?"
"Then I tell them how I'm feeling."
"And they?"
"They affirm it."
"And then?"
"Then they offer me a hug."
"Good girl." Sydney beamed at them. "See? She's already learning. Right. So, see her home tonight, will you? I cleared some personal time with the chief, so she won't be seeing patients tomorrow. But she has a session with me, and after that, I can clear her. Oh, and Addie? No alcohol until further notice, okay?"
"But…"
"No buts. It'll just give you jitters. Go out, have fun, get back into things. But no alcohol. You know, many people enjoy a nice Perrier. "
"Right."
"And I find that a twist of lemon? Really livens it up."
--