The reaction to the last chapter has been amazingly overwhelming. It has been amazing. This chapter is going to dive into why Mark called Addison. Thanks again for all of your continued love and support!
It had been a day and Lexie was unbudging in her decision to refuse surgery in order to allow her baby extra time to develop. Mark resorted to calling Addison, hoping that she would be able to figure out some kind of procedure that could deliver the baby safely so that Lexie could have her surgery and she tole him she would be on the next flight out. He was determined that this time, he would not let her go. She didn't come back to him just so he could lose her again. While waiting, Mark spent every minute by Lexie's side. He sat, he prayed, and in between he tried to talk sense into her.
"Can I ask you something?" He asked her, pressing her hand to his cheek.
"It better not involve the word surgery." She stared at the tv.
Mark grabbed the remote, shutting the tv off. "Lex."
"Mark. I don't want to go through this again." She answered, fidgeting with her nasal cannula that supplied her oxygen. "I made my choice. Please respect that."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"What are you talking about?" She looked at him weakly.
"What am I supposed to do when you're gone?" He started to grow angry. "You're going on and on about how you will be okay and our son will be fine, but what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to keep going?"
Lexie sighed. "You'll keep going because you'll have to. You'll have Daniel and I know that seeing his face everyday is going to be reason enough for you to get up in the morning."
"It's not enough." He shook his head.
"How can your child not be enough?" She looked baffled.
"How can you contemplate leaving your son without a mother?"
Lexie tried to push herself up in her bed, and began to cry. "This decision has killed me. I don't wanna leave you! I don't wanna leave my baby! It's the last thing that I can dream of doing...ever! I can't risk both of us by doing this, if I have to sacrifice myself for this child, then that's what I will do. I don't want to do it, but, damn it, I'll do it."
"I love you for that." He told her, holding her face in his hands. "But, baby, please...I need you to have this surgery."
"No." She shook her head. "You think you need me, but you don't. You are already a father. I watched you with Sloane and you are an amazing dad. I know you didn't get to be a dad with her much, but you will this time. So, I don't worry leaving Daniel with you, because I know he's going to grow into a good man and that's because of you."
"No." He began to cry.
"There's some things I want you to promise me though." She sniffled and nudged him, trying to get him to focus. "Promise me that you'll send him to public school. I don't want him thinking he is better than anyone. I would like him to take part in some kind of sport. Let him get dirty, let him play and be carefree and adventurous. I want him to know the correct way to treat a girl and I want you to take tons of pictures. Even if you think it's unimportant, capture it, because I can promise you, later it all will be."
Mark looked up with tear filled eyes.
"I want him to laugh...all the time. You, too. Laugh with him. Stupid, crazy, loud as ever laughter. Okay?" He nodded in return. "And I want you to tell him how much I loved him, everyday. Every morning and every night. So he knows that I have never forgotten."
"I'll make sure." He held her hand for dear life.
"Okay." She sighed, suddenly breathing heavier.
"Lexie?" He asked. "Are you okay?"
She began to wheeze and her eyes slowly closed as monitors and alarms began to beep rapidly.
"No!" He yelled, punching the blue button. "Lexie! I need a doctor in here, now!"
"What happened?" Callie asked, barging through the swinging doors.
"She just stopped breathing." He answered, collasped on the floor holding his head in his hands. "They rushed her into surgery. I told them to do whatever they had to do to save her."
"What about the baby?" She asked.
"They are doing an emergency C-section. I called Addison and she is flying in. It doesn't look good for either of them right now." He started to fall apart.
"Okay." Callie grabbed his hand. "Come on."
"Where the hell are we going?" He asked, appalled that she would try to get him to leave.
"The hospital chapel." She replied. "You and I are going to pray."
"Damn it, damn it, damn it." Dr. Bailey cursed. "I need to get in there, now. Her vitals are dropping."
"Okay, I am pulling the baby out, now." Dr. Melendez replied. "I got it. You're clear. Nurse Anna, close, please."
"Alright, people. Let's do this." Bailey stepped up onto her footstool. "Scalpel."
"Do you think the damage will be easy to repair?" Owen asked, as he retracted.
"It would have been if she had the surgery when I wanted to do it. Who knows what this extra couple of days has done?" She responded. "How is baby boy Grey, over there?"
"Not a boy." Dr. Melendez said. "It's a girl."
Miranda laughed. "Well, I'm sure Mom and Dad were not expecting that. What do you say we fix this girl up so she can meet her little girl?"
Owen smiled under his mask. "Let's do it."
"I don't pray much." Mark told Callie.
"God knows who you are, Mark. You don't have to know how to talk to him. Just...be."
Mark sighed. "I need her, Callie."
"Don't tell me, tell Him." She gestured. "I'll give you some time alone."
"Damn it, damn it, damn it." Miranda cursed as she suctioned. "I can't get this patch to hold. The tissue is too fragile."
"We can try to use a different patch." Owen suggested.
"Any other options are going to require that we close her up and if we close her, then we might as well just call time of death right now." She said, determined, before looking at Lexie's face. "You do not get to die on my table, do you understand? You don't get to leave anybody, not under my watch, alright? Damn it, get it together, Grey!"
Owen looked at her before turning to the nurse. "I need more suction. Come on!"
"I know I'm probably not your favorite guy." Mark knelt on the floor, speaking to anyone who might hear. "I have screwed things up pretty royally over the years. I guess what I am saying is that, I know I have been far short of the person that I should be...but Lexie. She brings me closer to that person than I have ever been before. So I thought, I'd just ask...if you could bring her back to me. She's so good and pure and beautiful. She deserves to be a part of this world so much more than I do. So if you could look past all the crap I've put everyone through and just do me this solid, I'd be forever grateful."
"Let's use the water and see if there are any leaks." Miranda stood back slightly as Owen poured the water. "Inflate."
Owen laughed. "It's looking good."
"Okay." She added. "Let's go ahead and start closing. If she remains stable for the next few days, then I think we're okay."
"Thank you, Dr. Bailey." Owen said with a smile.
"My pleasure, Dr. Hunt."
Callie nudged Mark as she saw Owen and Miranda coming through the door.
"What happened?" Mark asked frantically.
"We replaced the original patch with a stronger, thicker patch, which seems to be holding just fine right now. We are going to observe for a few days, but it looks like she might be fine." Owen explained.
"And the baby?" He added, terrified.
"The baby is good. Vitals are strong and stable. At the most, you are looking at a week in the NICU, until weight makes it up to four pounds." Miranda smiled. "Oh...and it's a girl."
"What?" Mark confirmed with a mixture of shock and happiness. "Yeah, your baby came out missing a certain appendage. Congratulations, you have a daughter."
"Oh, my...a daughter." He stuttered. "Callie, I have a daughter."
"You can see the baby if you'd like." Bailey offered. "It will still be awhile before you can see Lexie."
"Yeah."
Mark sat in the NICU, with a finger inside the incubator, stroking his daughter's soft, perfect skin.
"I don't know what to name you." He said out loud. "You were supposed to be a boy."
He listened to the rhythmic beeping of the machines.
"Anyway, I'm your daddy and I love you very, very much." He said with a grin. "And you're never gonna be alone."
This chapter came out soooo quickly so I hope it didn't lack any in interest. I love that you guys love this story and I can't wait to continue it for you! Thank you sooo much! XOXO