Ch. 6

As I walked out of the bathroom I immediately spotted the chief talking to a man. The man seemed alarmed and in a slight panic, I considered taking advantage of this moment and try sneaking away but as I turned around Izzie stood behind me. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"No where now.." I mumbled, turning back defeated. I walked over to him and the man that he was talking with and the chief instantly put and around my shoulder.

"And this is the woman that helped your wife." He said. The man looked at me with a grateful expression.

"Oh, thank you for doing what you did!" He praised, throwing his arms around me. I stood still, arms stuck out to the side. "Thank you so much." he said.

"Uhh.." I searched for something meaningful to say to the man, "Your welcome…" Hesitantly, I gave him a pat on the back and waited for him to release me.

He broke from his hug but didn't let me go, he held both shoulders with his hands "You don't realize how much you helped her. Her Hallucinations have gotten much more vivid lately due to her tumor. I cant leave the room with out her having an episode. She always thinks I've been killed or kidnapped when I do."

"Why is that?" I asked with curiosity.

"We don't know. Dr. Shephard says that the tumor is inoperable." He looked through the window in to his wife's room. She was laying in her bed, she looked calm but she stared at the ceiling with glassy eyes. He turned back to me, I was still staring at his wife. "He says there is nothing we can do but make her comfortable." His sad tone caused me to feel a pang of sympathy for the couple.

"We will." said the chief. "We will make her as comfortable as we possibly can."

I couldn't take my eyes off Mrs. Collins, she looked so lifeless just laying there. I could tell that she didn't have much more time left on this earth. She was so young, she couldn't have been much older than me. I felt a sting in my eyes but I quickly forced myself to repress that feeling and turned my sights on her husband "Im sorry."

He gave a dejected smile, "I've been prepared for it to happen. We've talked about it and she understands. She's fine with the situation."

He spoke of how his wife was fine with dying but it was apparent that he was not, even if he was prepared for it to happen, prepared was not the same as fine. I found myself once again looking at his wife. I was a bit startled when I noticed that she was also looking at me with a glazed over gaze.

"You should stay with her" The chief said. He tapped my shoulder and I looked up at him "I need to speak with you."

I nodded and looked at the man, thanked me with one more hug and I turned to walk away with the chief. I gave one more glance back at the tragic couple and sighed.

Izzie joined us silently as we walked, I didn't know where we were going and I wondered what Izzie was thinking. I'm sure, like the chief, she had a lot of questions, question that eventually I would have to answer. The chief pushed through two double doors and Izzie followed, I was forced to follow for I had no choice in the matter. So I stepped through the doors and saw the night sky to my left. I saw the lobby of the hospital and giant windows that lined the walls, the storm clouds where gone and only a few star could be seen due to the lights of the city, but the stars that were visible shined brightly with all their might to shine through the light of the city and make themselves known.

We walk onto a catwalk that stretched the entire distance of the lobby, on the other end were more double doors and directly to the right of those doors was a single door labeled Dr. Webber, Chief of surgery. This door lead to what I assumed was his office, from the outside you could see directly into it due to a wall of widows. I followed them into his office and he went and sat behind his desk. Izzie closed the door and I stood their silently, wondering what was going to happen next. The chief looked at me for what seemed like forever and then he sighed. "Never in all of my years here at Seattle Grace have I seen someone do something so reckless, and quite frankly stupid."

What he said caught me off guard and I just stared at him for a moment before regaining my mental composure, "I-i'm sorry?" I said, not quite sure how to respond. Just a second ago he was just commending me for what I had done, now he's going to lecture me like I work here?

He looked at Izzie, "Dr. Stevens should not have let you do what you did, she should have waited for the sedatives." He said.

"I-" Izzie began, but I quickly interrupted.

"It was my Idea, She didn't really have a say in it, I just kinda took over."

Dr. Weber took a small breath and looked at me, "Why did you interfere with another doctors duties to her patient?"

I had to think about my answer carefully, "I had to, that patient was dangerous, Dr. Stevens wouldn't have been able to calm her down. That woman would have cut her to pieces."

"So you decide to take it upon yourself?"

I nodded, a bit nervous. I felt like little kid that had been sent to the principles office for stealing some other kids candy.

"Why?" he asked

I thought for a moment " Because, over at Seattle Presbyterian, they call me …uh.. The patient charmer." I said.

His brows pulled together, "Excuse me?"

I heard Izzie silently chuckle behind me and I instantly kicked myself for coming up with such a stupid excuse. "uhh, Yeah! See, I just have this natural presence, it -for some reason- calms patients, or anyone for that matter."

He smiled, "The patient charmer?"

I looked at the floor embarrassed, "Yes."

"I think that is a very suiting nick name." He said, leaning forward In his seat. "I don't think you ever told me your specialty."

I looked at him, "I-I didn't?"

He shook his head.

Crap, Now what. "Umm." Suddenly I had an idea, "Yes I did. I just explained my specialty to you."

"Your specialty is calming people down?"

I nodded, "I know it sounds really weird, but back where I work, we have a program with certain doctors who are trained in this sort of stuff. We're the only hospital in the Seattle area that does it. It's sort of a spiritual thing you know?"

"Ahh." He nodded as if he understood but I could tell he didn't. "How successful is this program?"

"Oh! It's pretty successful, of course it's a great deal better than using a sedative, it saves the hospital a lot of money a year."

He looked interested in knowing more, "How come I've never heard of this program?"

I put my hands behind my back, "Well with all due respect, if you had a program at your hospital that save you a lot of money a year, would you want everyone to know about it?"

"Well, I suppose not." He was actually believing me, hook, line and sinker. He stood up and turned to look out of the windows out at the cat walk and all of the people walking below in the lobby. "So, how much would it cost to get you to come and work for me?"

I could have sworn that I heard him wrong and I turned to Izzie who shrugged. "Umm Excuse me?"

"Having you on the staff could cut the cost of sedatives and syringes and would save the other members of the staff a lot of trouble and unnecessary injury. How much?"

What had I just gotten myself into? "I umm. I dunno. I mean I cant just quit my other job."

Izzie nudged me in the arm "C'mon on" She mouthed. I looked at her and then slowly back at the chief who had turned in my direction now. "I just-"

"How about you take some time off of work at Seattle Pres. And come and see how it is here. If you don't like it, don't think that its for you, then you can go back to Seattle Pres."

I thought about it and sighed, "How long?"

"Hmm. A month?" He purposed.

I looked at Izzie who looked hopefully back at me. "Ok, I will. I try it out here."

He smiled "Ok. So it's decided. You work here temporarily for a month. You start tomorrow. Be here at 5:00."

I gave a half smile and my heart broke, "You mean in the afternoon right?"

He laughed, "We start bright and early here at Seattle Grace/ Mercy West."

I faked a laugh as best I could "Right, ok. 5:00 in the morning it is." I looked at the digital clock on his desk and it was already midnight. This was going to be great, psycho patients and five hours of sleep.

"Dr. Stevens can show you the on call rooms, in the morning you'll get you own pager and a Settle Grace Badge. "

"Ok." I said turning to leave with Izzie "Thank you for the opportunity Dr. Webber" I smiled.

He looked at me with the same look Izzie had given me earlier when I had said her name. My smile quickly faded, I forgot that he had never told me his name before. He opened his mouth to speak but I stopped him "It's posted on the door."

"Ah, oh yes. Ok. I look forward to tomorrow Dr. Kepner."

I smiled and nodded "Me too chief." But that was far from the truth.