Chapter Five: Help!
The days wore on and the doctors continued to make little progress. Despite the regular checkups, Natalie's condition went undiagnosed. The Chief frequently made calls to Dr. Holden with Natalie's most recent medical information.
After nine days, the doctors made a horrific discovery. Meredith had been assigned to Natalie's case that day and was performing the weekly CT Scan. When she saw the unfamiliar masses appear on the screen she immediately paged Addison and the Chief. When they arrived, Meredith silently pointed to the image of Natalie's lungs. Addison quickly sat down and put her face in her hands, ignoring the tears that were threatening to fall. The Chief swore under his breath and left the room.
Addison was silent while the Chief talked to Natalie and her parents. She had been unable to meet her niece's eyes as she heard the news that her lungs were being attacked by a new band of tumors. As soon as she left the room, Addison began to feel dizzy and a wave of nausea washed over her. She swayed on the spot and ducked into the nearest restroom. She barely made it into the stall before she started retching. Feeling weak and vulnerable, she continued to lean over the toilet as the last of her breakfast reappeared. She flushed the toilet and slowly stood up, making her way over to the sink. She splashed cold water on her face and rinsed her mouth out before exiting the bathroom. She had made it five feet when she heard someone call her name.
"Dr. Montgomery?"Addison slowly turned to see Alex leaving a patient's room.
She covered her mouth slightly to hide her breath. "What is it Karev?"
His eyes narrowed. "Are you alright? You look pale."
"I'm fine," She told him as she leaned against the wall for balance.
"Are you sure? Why don't you sit down for a few minutes?"
Head spinning, she carefully nodded. "Maybe for a few minutes."
Alex helped her into an empty on call room and onto the bottom bunk.
"Are you okay?" He asked her again.
Her voice shook when she spoke. "G-Grey found tumors on Natalie's lungs."
Alex was silent. He sat down next to Addison and put an arm around her shoulders. Her heart fluttered at the gesture and subconsciously, she leaned her head on his shoulder. He rubbed circles into her back and her eyelids slowly drifted shut.
"Thank you Karev," She whispered.
Addison woke to the sound of her pager beeping. She sat up and nearly hit her head on the top bunk. Then the memories came rushing back, Natalie, getting sick in the bathroom, Alex. She glanced around the empty room, feeling slightly embarrassed. Hurriedly, she left the room to answer her page, searching her pocket for a breath mint.
She entered room 2027 to find a very pregnant patient named Delilah Turner and her husband, Bill. Addison learned that the couple was expecting quintuplets and that Delilah had been refered to her for her C-Section. Addison gave Delilah a check up and monitored each of the babies. She assured the couple that each baby was developing well and that all five appeared to be quite healthy.
After the exam was over, Addison retreated to her office. She rinsed her mouth out with mouthwash and gulped down a pill for her pounding head. Determined to avoid Alex or any other reminders of that morning, Addison hid in her office, catching up on paperwork until it was time to go home.
Author's Note: Greetings, faithful readers! Thank you for the reviews. I'm sorry I took so long to load this chapter and I'm sorry it's so short. As a warning, the next chapter is short too. It didn't feel right to combine them though. Important things are happening soon, in real life and in the story.
It is with great regret I tell you that tumors were found on Natalie's lungs. I don't know the exact date so I picked one that kind of fit with the timeline. Also, Delilah, Bill and their quints are fictional. I felt like Addison needed a new patient to take care of. Also, they play a crucial role in later chapters.
Check out my profile page for pictures of Natalie and more info about her. Keep reviewing! I appreciate them so much.