*Author's Note- I want to say a big thank you to those loyal readers and reviewers as well as to those new to the story. I truly appreciate all of the reviews. Thanks so much. The next chapter should be up soon
And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't wanna go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
When sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight
~Goo Goo Dolls~ Iris
" It's Owen."
" How is he? Is he awake?" Cristina asked anxiously as she finished.
" You should come with me," replied Derek as they stepped out into the hallway.
" Tell me what's going on," she insisted. When Derek refused an answer, she took off for the ICU at a fast sprint. As she rounded the corner near Owen's room she nearly collided with Meredith.
" Mer. How is he? What's going on?"
" Cristina," Meredith said, sighing as Derek approached the two.
We need to talk."
" Is he dead? Mer, is Owen dead?"
" Cristina, at this point the anesthesia should be wearing off. Owen should be showing some type of response."
" What are you trying to tell me Mer?"
" Meredith asked me to perform a neurological exam," Derek said as he crossed his arms across his chest.
" And?"
" Cristina, his GCS is a three. Owen is in a coma." Cristina felt her heart lodge in her chest as Derek's words resonated in her brain.
" I. I can't do this this right now." She spun around, heading for the nearby stair well.
" Christina!" shouted Meredith.
" Let her go," Derek reasoned.
The tears Cristina had been holding back since the previous night began falling as she pushed open the door to the vent. She didn't know where else to go in a time like this. She recalled the first time Owen had brought her to the vent, telling her that it could clear her head, making her feel better. For a brief moment she had thought Owen was insane. Cristina had laughed as the first currents of air rushed out. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. She stood frozen on the vent, remembering how they had passionately kissed as the air rose around them. Ignoring the buzzing of her phone, Cristina took a deep breath as the air blasted out of the vent. She could feel the tears stop as an inevitable laugh escaped her mouth. The air current abruptly stopped and Cristina stepped off. She slid down against a nearby wall and pulled out her phone. 3 missed calls, 1 voicemail, and 4 text messages from Meredith, and two texts from Derek.
Meredith: Where are you?
Meredith: Are you okay? (Sent at 3:22 P.M.)
Meredith: CRISTINA YANG…ANSWER YOUR PHONE. Don't make your very pregnant, hormonal friend worry! (Sent at 3:28 P.M.)
Meredith: I am officially worried now. (Sent at 3:33 P.M.)
Derek: This could simply just be his body's way of telling us it needs more time to heal. If you want to talk…(Sent at 3:23 P.M.)
Derek: I know you need time to process this, but could you please get ahold of Meredith? She's stress-eaten half of a box of Cheez-Its since you ran off. (Sent at 3:34 P.M.)
Cristina smiled as she found Meredith's number and pressed a button, initiating a Face-Time conversation.
" Cristina! Are you okay?" Meredith exclaimed as her face popped up.
" I'm fine. Stop eating the Cheez-Its before you polish off the box."
" Who told you I was eating Cheez-Its?"
" McDreamy sent me a message. Plus I can see the box in the background," acknowledged Cristina.
" Derek wants to talk to you about Owen. Where are you?"
" I'm a doctor…I know what a GCS of 3 means. Owen is in a coma. Nothing McDreamy says is going to change that."
" Cristina…"
" I don't need some comforting speech about how this could be a sign that Owen's body needs more time to heal. I need for this to not have had happened. I need him to be awake. Can Derek do that? Can he make him be awake?" Meredith was silent as she slid a Cheez-It into her mouth.
" Cristina…"
" I didn't think so. Look Mer…I need space right now. Okay?" With a sigh, she hit the END button on the screen. She could deal with Meredith and Derek later. Right now she needed to be alone. The thought of Owen being in a coma was unimaginable to her. Taking a deep breath, she stood and returned to the vent as the air currents rushed up again.
A smile crept across Owen's face as he watched Cristina standing on the vent. He remembered the first time he had taken her there. She had been upset over having to give up the first solo surgery she had been awarded. Cristina had been apprehensive at first as he led her into the hospital's basement. He remembered her face lighting up like a child's face on Christmas morning as the air currents enveloped them. The memory of that kiss weighed heavily on Owen's mind as he sensed George's presence beside him.
" I've never seen Cristina so emotional," George observed.
" What am I still doing here? I thought I had made myself pretty clear when I chose life over death."
" You did. You're alive."
" I'm in a coma!" Owen exclaimed.
" Your body underwent an extensive amount of trauma. You lost over half of your blood volume. That alone put a significant strain on your heart and internal organs. You went into cardiac arrest and flat lined…twice. The coma…"
"…Is a way for my heart and body to heal after going through such a massive trauma. I know. I'm a surgeon. I get it."
" Be patient. Let your body get stronger and heal."
" And what if it doesn't?"
" What are you trying to do?" Derek asked as he approached Cristina who was fumbling with a set of keys outside of Owen's office.
" What does it look like I'm doing?" she replied as she inserted a key in the lock and turned it.
" It looks like you're breaking into Owen's office."
" It's not breaking in if you've got keys," Cristina stated as the door swung open and she flicked on the lights.
" You've been avoiding me," he pointed out as Cristina began rifling through the desk drawers, ignoring Derek.
I want to talk to you about Owen's condition."
" And I want to drink," replied Cristina as she pulled a bottle of scotch out of a drawer.
" Since when do you drink scotch?" asked Derek as he grabbed a set of cups.
" Since Owen's savior complex got him shot and critically wounded," Cristina replied as Derek filled the cups with ice from the refrigerator Owen kept in the corner.
If you want to talk, you have to drink," she said as she poured scotch into the cups.
" It's only been a little over 24 hours since he was brought in. Owen's body underwent a significant amount of trauma. You and I both know that it's not unusual to see patients slip into comas after their bodies go through such an ordeal. The fact that he is still alive after being shot twice at close range is something. Give him another day or two and if he hasn't woken up we'll look at our options. I wouldn't worry much until then," Derek stated as he paused to sip the drink in his hand.
This stuff is strong."
" It's an import. I bought it for him when he got the Chief of Surgery position," replied Cristina as she quickly emptied her cup and poured another drink.
" You never bought me anything…" Derek remarked sarcastically.
" He gives me sex," she answered as she quickly swallowed the alcohol she had just poured.
" Don't you think you should slow down a bit with the scotch?"
" I'm just getting started McDreamy," Cristina said with a giggle as she poured even more scotch into her cup.
" You know the first time I met Owen, I hated him."
" I remember that night," Cristina said, her words sounding slurred, as she stumbled over to the futon near Owen's desk.
" I believe I used the words 'crazed man in camouflage' to describe him."
" I prefer Army Surgeon Badass," she answered as Derek's phone rang.
" Hey."
" Is it Mer? I loooove you Mer!" Cristina exclaimed as she finished her third drink.
" Is she drunk?" Meredith asked on the other end of the phone.
" We're in Owen's office. The only way I could get her to talk with me was over a bottle of scotch. A bottle of scotch that she's almost finished by the way."
" I was just about to get Zola from daycare and head home. Will you be joining us?"
" Yes. I don't think Cristina is going to be doing much more talking…I think she's passed out."
" I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes?"
" Make it fifteen. I still have to change," Derek said as he ended the call. He looked over at Cristina who was slouched across Owen's futon. He grabbed a blanket from a nearby shelf and threw across her body before flicking off the lights and closing the door.
For anyone that is wondering about the GCS/Glascow Coma Scale, I used Wikipedia and Google to get information. Feel free to check it out yourself
