A/N: You would think that the chapters would come flowing out because I have so many ideas of how I want to end this story, but getting them to flow together is proving to be a lot harder than I thought... Sorry.
This might be a short a chapter but its packed with tons of information and clues. (Not to mention that its been a really long time since I posted an update. I'm horrible, I know... sorry).
Chapter nine
I feel my grip on the car door go tighter as Teddy comes flying up to two slow moving semi trucks. She manages to squeeze her BMW in the small gap between them before flooring it again.
'Holy shit,' I say to myself as I turn around to see both semi trucks flashing their lights and honking at us. "Um, Ted." I say as I turn back around in my seat, now facing the front of the car. "I know you want to get to your wife and daughter, but maybe you should slow it down just a little bit." I pause for moment, "not much we will be able to do if we become trauma alerts at Seattle Grace."
"Yeah, and according to the police there won't be much we can do if the Road Truck Killer kidnaps my wife." Teddy says back as she weaves in and out of traffic. "I love my wife, and I love her even more when she is alive and in one piece."
"You raise a valid point." I say.
"Good, now shut up and let me drive." Teddy barks at me.
I just nod my head and close my mouth while I continue to white knuckle the door handle. After about 10 minutes of 'Oh my God, I'm going to die' Teddy and I finally make to her apartment. Or should I say Penthouse.
A good year after Teddy and Addison got married they moved out Addison's luxury apartment, and bought a more beautiful, more luxurious penthouse right in the middle of Seattle. They live on the 33rd floor at the 1920 building on 4th AVE. Their penthouse is 6,000 square feet, with an additional 1,000 square foot balcony. It has 3 bedrooms plus a media room, and 3.5 bathrooms. This is just their 'apartment'. Addison wants to by a house…A house. If she needs 6,000 square feet for an 'apartment,' can you imagine what their house is going to be like? I guess this what happens when you marry a woman whose parents are filthy rich and give their daughter a $25 million trust fund, and opened up a $30 million trust fund for their granddaughter.
Teddy is on edge for the entire elevator ride, and to be honest I can't blame her. I would be freaking out if someone tried to attack my wife and kids. The elevator dings, and before a woman's voice says "floor 33, going down." Teddy is out of the elevator before the door fully opens. I find myself hot on her trail while the two of us run down to the far end of the hallway.
Within seconds Teddy unlocks the door to her 'apartment'. "ADDISON!" she screams.
When you first walk into their 'apartment' you are standing in a hallway that forces you to choose between door number one on your left or door number two on your right. Door number one leads to the master side of the house, or the side where the master bedroom is. Door number two leads to where bedroom two and three are located, as well as, the media room.
"ADDISON," Teddy screams as she turns and opens door number one. As we walk through door number one, we enter a small private foyer that forces you walk straight ahead and off towards right a little. After we walk through private foyer number one, we enter a small entry gallery that has a door to our left and a doorway to our right. "ADDISON," Teddy screams one more time. This time her voice cracks and the beginning of complete break down is starting to make itself known the more Teddy calls for an unresponsive Addison.
This time after the third call the door to our left, the master bedroom door, opens and Addison emerges. Addison is wearing a pair of light green sweatpants that spell out Army horizontally on the right leg and she also has on a white woman's tank top. Her hair is up in messy bun, and her eyes are puffy from crying. The second her eyes land on Teddy she goes running into her arms, before completely breaking down. Addison is trying to tell us what happened but we can't make out anything that she is saying. It only takes a good minute of loud crying before Madison gets upset and starts to cry as well. The two of them break apart and before they can walk towards the master bedroom I stop them. "I got it," I say.
"Thank you," Teddy mouths before Addison buries her face into Teddy's chest. Teddy and Addison walk through the doorway on the right that leads to the dining room and wine room, while I enter the master bedroom. When I enter the master bedroom I turn to my right where the 'library' once was. 5 mouths ago Addison made Teddy and I change the library into a nursery for Madison. When I enter Madison's temporary room I walk over to her crib, which is right by the window with a beautiful view of the Puget Sound.
"Why are you crying, baby." I say as I pick up Madison. Her diaper is dry, so she doesn't need to be changed. When I turn around I see towel on sitting on the rocking chair, and quickly I put two and two together. "Are you hungry?" I ask, almost expecting her to answer me with words. I don't want to be rude and go find Teddy and Addison and be like your daughter is hungry and your nipple will go a lot further than mine. So I walk out of the master bedroom, and walk through the entry gallery and through the dining room and enter the kitchen on my right side. The stove, refrigerator, and counter prep area is along the wall to my right, while the sink and breakfast bar are in the middle of the kitchen to my left. I walk over to the refrigerator and get a pre made bottle before I walk over to the sink. "Are you a diva yet, baby?" I say as I turn on the sink. While the water heats up, I hold the cold bottle up to Madison, and surprisingly she takes the bottle cold. Not being too fussy, no offense to Addison, but that is a full on Teddy trait right there. It takes Madison 15 minutes to finish the bottle; after she is finished I rock her to sleep, before I place her back into her crib.
Once Madison is settled, I walk out of the master bedroom and start to look for Teddy and Addison. When I walk back into the dining room instead of turning to my right, which leads to kitchen I continue to walk straight ahead into the living room, which is to my left. The dining room, living room and entertainment room are wide open with no doorways, it just one massive room that Addison turned into three different rooms.
I take a seat on the couch that is across from the couch that Teddy and Addison are sitting on. "What happened?" I whisper, more towards Teddy.
"I was…" Addison stops to let out a sob.
"Hey, it's ok." Teddy says as she rubs Addison's back, "take your time."
Addison nods her head and takes a few minutes to collect herself. "I was watching TV and playing with Madison in the media room, when I heard the doorbell ring. I thought it was weird because we weren't expecting anything or anyone, so set Madison down and slowly made my way to the door. By the time I got to the door the doorbell rang again and that time it was followed by a knock. I don't know why but I got really scared for some reason, and didn't want to open the door. So instead of opening the door I asked who was there. A man's voice was on the other side, and he said he was with maintenance and he was here to fix our heater. I told him that it was mistake and that nothing was wrong with our heater, but he wouldn't take no for answer. He just started going on about technical things about a broken heater and how it might be working just fine now but it will for sure break down in the next few days. Since he wasn't taking no for answer I finally got upset with him and opened the door." Addison pauses as she tries to push back her tears. It takes her another two minutes before she is ready to finish her story.
"When I opened the door I was expecting to see one of the maintenance men in their usual brown t-shirt and brown pants, but I didn't see that when I opened the door."
"What did you see?" Teddy asks.
"A tall hooded figure wearing all black with latex gloves." Addison chokes out before she leans over and starts to cry again in Teddy's chest.
"Did he get into apartment?" Teddy says as she wraps her arms around Addison, and looks over towards me.
"No," Addison says through Teddy's scrub top. "We fought at the door for a few minutes. When I saw that he wasn't with maintenance I tried to close the door, and he tried to force his way in. He stopped and left me along when I managed to slam the door on his fingers. I think it was his left hand, and his four fingers got stuck in the doorframe. He let out a yell before he used all of his force to get his fingers out of the door."
"So he left after he got his fingers out of the door?" I question.
Addison just nods her head. "He left, and I ran back to the media room and called Teddy and the police."
The second 'police' come out of Addison's mouth the doorbell rings, which causes Addison to jump.
"I'll get the door," I say as I get up from the couch. After all I'm a serial killer who knows how to fight. Both clean and dirty depending on the occasion. I get to front door and without hesitation I open the door to reveal two uniformed Seattle Police Department police officers.
"Mrs. Montgomery?" a tall blonde haired man says to me.
"No, I'm Arizona, a friend. Mrs. Montgomery is in the living room." I say as I step to the side to let the two men in.
Once the two men are in the 'apartment' I close the door and lead them to living room. When we get to the living they take Addison's statement. As she retells the story again, I notice that my Passenger is also listening to story and while she tells the story he breaks down every aspect.
As Addison describes the fight at the front door, the Passenger brings something to my attention. It's not a man…
That could be a valid theory, nothing about Addison screams physically strong. Addison is the product of private school. From kindergarten to medical school she has gone to a private school, and the bullying and self-defense you learn at private school is way different than the public school setting. Addison can knock you down and beat you up with her words, while I, the product of public school, take a more physical approach.
According to science, Addison should have lost that fight. Addison shouldn't be here, and Teddy should be clinging on to her daughter while slowly turning into a hot mess for each passing second Addison is missing. But that's not the case; Addison put a fight and managed to break this…person's fingers on their left hand. Or maybe the Passenger is wrong and it really was a man trying to break in, and the fight or flight instinct kicked in. The adrenaline to not only protect your 1-week-old daughter but yourself as well might have kicked in and people become a lot stronger when their life is in danger. I know this all to well because a few of my past victims have put up one hell of fight before I could finally knock them out.
While Addison answers questions, I ponder about the gender of her attacker. In total it's about 30 minutes later when the police finally leave.
"I don't want to stay here while that killer is on the loose." Addison says to Teddy when she reenters the room after showing the police out.
Teddy lets out a small sigh, before putting her hands on her hips. "We have no where else go." Teddy says back. "Staying at a hotel is going to be way worst then staying here. Do you know how easy it is for someone to get a key to our room."
"I don't care where we go, Theodora, I don't want to be in the apartment alone. It's big and now every time the doorbell rings I'm going to freak out." Addison says with a raised shaky voice.
"Addison…" Teddy says in a sigh.
"Stay with us," I say joining in on the conversation.
"No," Teddy says while shaking her head. "We can't do that. I can't do that. I'm going to put your family in danger as well."
"Ted, its alright. Ever since that Sadie Harris stalking incident, and the time Dr. Stark tried to kill Callie and I." (And me being a serial killer.) "Callie has put the house on lock down. You have a better chance of breaking into Fort Knox before breaking into our house." I pause for moment. "Callie gets her best friend, I get mine, and kids get their favorite aunts."
Teddy and Addison don't say anything as they look at each. Addison is down for this idea, and Teddy is slowly starting to side with her. "The only thing I ask of you, is don't give my wife baby fever again. Three kids are enough."
Both Teddy and Addison let out a small chuckle. "I can live that, can you, Theodora?" Addison asks.
"Yeah, I can." Teddy says finally agreeing with Addison.
After our conversation it takes Addison and Teddy another hour to pack the things they will need. Once the car is packed Teddy drives with Addison and Madison, in Addison's Porsche Cayenne. Of course Addison drives a Porsche, when your richer than richer you drive whatever the hell you want. While I drive behind them in Teddy's BMW.
When we pull up to a red light, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I don't usually text and drive, but since I'm at a red light, I take my phone out and look it. It's a text from
Callie.
'Where are you? Lauren says she saw you and Teddy leave your office in a rush. But when I checked the OR floor and cardio you two are no where to be found.'
'I went back to Teddy's apartment with her. Someone tried to break into their apartment while Addison and Madison were inside.'
No more than two seconds after I hit send. Callie calls my phone.
"WHAT?!" she somewhat yells in my ear after I hit accept.
"Yeah, someone tried to break into their apartment, but Addison was able to fight him off and managed to break four of his fingers on his left hand."
"Oh my God, how is she? Is she ok, where she, where are you?" Callie starts to question.
"She's fine, Teddy and Addison are a little shaken, but they pack some of their things and they are going to stay with us until Nick can find and stop this guy."
"Ok," Callie says in a small whisper. "I just got an incoming trauma page, but once I'm done with that I will be home with the kids."
"Ok," I say before Callie and I hang up on each other.
After I hang up the phone with Callie it takes us about 10 minutes to get back to my house. We park the cars in front of the house, before Teddy and I unload the Porsche while Addison sits in the living room with Madison.
With Teddy and I working together, it only takes us 45 minutes to unload the car and set to the guest room to her and Addison's liking. As Teddy and I walk downstairs I hear the familiar giggling and screaming followed by the tiny footsteps of my tiny humans as they chase each other into the living room. By the time they enter the living room, Teddy and I are at the bottom of the stairs. Usually when my tiny humans see me they scream 'mommy' and then bombard me with hugs and kisses, but not today. The moment they lay eyes on both Teddy and Addison, they scream "Aunt Teddy, Aunt Addie." The names are yelled unison, but they aren't together. Jackie is the one who yelled Addison's name, while William and Sofia yelled for Teddy. After they yelled for their favorite aunt they split up and run towards them. Jackie makes a beeline for Addison. William and Sofia making a beeline for Teddy.
Since Callie got home rather quickly, I'm guessing her trauma wasn't that serious and she was able to pass it to one of her co-workers. After the kids say hi their aunts, they do their daily weekday routine which is go upstairs to their rooms, or sit in the kitchen and do their homework. Seeing how the adults want some grown up time, Callie sends our tiny humans upstairs to their room to do homework.
Addison is sitting in the middle of couch still holding onto Madison, when Teddy comes and sits right next to her on her right side. I chose to sit in my lazy boy chair, while Callie sits across from me in the love seat. No one has the chance to say anything, because the moment we all sat down, Mark and Lexie come running into the house through the front door. Mark and Lexie along with Teddy and Addison have keys to our house, thanks to Callie.
"Callie told us what happen," Mark says breathlessly as he takes a seat next to Addison on her left side. "Are you okay, is Madison alright?" Mark asks with concern.
"Yeah, we're fine. Just a little shaken, that's all." Addison says in a small voice.
"I'm so sorry you guys, this is all my fault."
"Mark, stop. This isn't your fault." Lexie says as she takes a sit next to Callie on the love seat.
"Yes it is, Lex. All of my friends and ex's are dying because of me." Mark says as he turns over to look at Lexie.
"I don't get it. How is this your fault?" Callie asks as she looks back and fourth between Lexie and Mark.
Mark is about to answer when I feel my phone vibrate in my pants. Mark says something but don't really hear him because I'm wondering why Nick is calling me.
"Arizona, is everything alright?" Callie questions when she sees me staring at my phone.
"Yeah, everything is fine." I say with a light smile. "I have to take this." I raise my cell phone and get up off the love seat and walk into the study down the hall and out of hearing range.
"Nicolas," I say after I accept his phone call.
"I'm officially on my last life." He says instead of greeting me by name.
"What makes you say that?"
"A jogger found another body." Nick pauses as I hear him flipping through his notes. "A Dr. Reed Anderson."
"Let me guess, you found the body at the 1920 building on 4th AVE in Seattle Washington."
The line is silence for a few seconds. "How did you know? There are no media trucks here yet." Nick questions.
I take one more glance at my living room before I fully walk into the study, "let's just say that the next victim on The Road Truck Killer's list is sitting in my living room along with the man that has inspired these killings."
"I'll be there in ten." Nick says quickly before he hangs up the phone.
I put my phone in back in my pocket before I rejoin everyone back in the living room.
"…See that is everyone from my past. You can't tell me that I'm not the reason behind all of this." Mark says as I rejoin the conversation.
"I think if you were connected in all of this the police would harassing us none stop about people that you might have pissed off because you couldn't keep it in your pants." Lexie says.
"Trust me the Seattle Police Department isn't as smart as you make them out to be." Callie says as she takes a quick glance over towards me.
I just smile to myself, before I look over towards Lexie. "Did you get a good look at his face?" Lexie questions.
"No," Addison says while she shakes her head. "He was my height and about my size dressed in all black. He had a hood over his face and black bandana around his mouth and dark sunglasses over his eyes."
Great he looked like the Unabomber.
"He had pale skin, like paler than Arizona."
Just smile and give a small head nod at her dig to me. She was just attacked so I'll let it slide.
So now we are dealing with a Unabomber that looks like Casper the friendly ghost with man hands.
Addison makes the transition from telling us about her attacker to telling Callie, Mark and Lexie about how the attack took place for the third time this afternoon. When Addison is done with her story, the five of them jump a little when they hear the doorbell ring. They look at each other in confusion because to their knowledge we aren't expecting any more guests.
"It's Nick," I say as I get up from the couch and walk over towards the front door. "He wants to talk to Addison and Mark, about The Road Truck Killer. He is probably one the smart ones on the police force, I think he has a 100% solve rate so Lexie, you and Mark might be getting harassed starting now until the remainder of the case." I say right when reach the front the door.
"Great," Lexie says under her breath.
With a smile I open the door and let Nick inside. After a quick round of introductions, Addison and Nick go into the study for about 45 minutes, followed by Mark. Mark and Nick spend about 2 in half hours talking. During those three hours Callie moved over towards Teddy is and is now holding a playing with Madison, while Lexie, Teddy and I play with my tiny humans.
Once Mark and Nick are down talking, Mark joins Lexie, Teddy and I on the floor in front of the TV, while Nick walks towards the front door.
"Arizona," Nick says.
I look over towards him and he nods towards the front the door. I take the hint and get up off the floor and walk outside with Nick.
"So I take it the three in half hours got you no where?" I say breaking the silence when I see Nick walking next to me deep in thought.
"No, it's just a combination of things that are getting to me." Nick starts out. "One I'm pissed that Virginia rode Mark's original statement off like it was nothing. A lot of light bulbs would have went off sooner if I had known about him earlier. Two, we're still trying to find the truck stop this killer uses to kill his victims, and finally. Why would Lexie marry a man that is a cheater? I mean once a cheater always a cheater, and Mark is living proof that."
I just give him a shrug as we come to a stop in front of Nick's car. "Love makes you do some pretty crazy things." I say as point back at my house.
"I guess so," Nick says with a slight chuckle.
"And rest stops are the last place you want to look at if you want to find your killer."
"What do you mean?" Nick questions.
"I've killed one or two, seven, truckers in my day. And I can speak from personal experience that rest stops aren't as secluded as you think. You have prostitutes and drug dealers always knocking at your door, and you have people who want to rob you and whatever cargo you happen to be carrying. That is too much attention for a smart serial killer. This killer doesn't want to get caught and isn't looking for that rush of almost getting caught. He doesn't kill his victims quick and easy, he's slow and he likes to take his time. He's playing a game with them, a game takes several days, not several minutes." I pause for a moment to think. "He's not driving or killing these people in a semi truck like the media believes. There is no place you can hide a semi truck with a cut up body inside, and if that person is alive you can bet your ass they are screaming for help when they hear the smallest form of life outside." I shake my lightly and bite my lower lip while I think for a moment. "He's killing these people inside a house." I say as look around my street.
"A house?" Nick questions as he stops taking notes to look at me.
I just nod my head, "yeah, a house. A low to mid range house. The type of house that no one would start asking questions if you chose to pay for it in cash. The house will be in a neighborhood were the neighbors know you, but don't really know you. They just know that you go to work in the morning, come home late at night, and stay in on the weekends."
"Kind of like this neighborhood?" Nick says.
"Nothing like this neighborhood." I correct. "My house was a pretty penny, and if I said I wanted to pay cash for this house a lot of red flags would have gone up. I may be a surgeon but I don't make enough to pay for this house in cash. And because the homes in this neighborhood are priced in the low to mid millions everyone knows everything about everyone in this neighborhood. They know what I Callie and I do for a living, they know our kids and where they go to school, they even know our dogs and what their favorite treats are. You're not murdering people in a neighborhood like this."
Nick gives out a light sigh before slightly nodding his head. "So the murders might be happening in house, that was paid for in cash."
"Normally cash would be a bad thing, but for this case it might be a good thing." Nick doesn't say anything to me as he silently tells me to continue. "A lot criminals use cash to help stay under the radar, but there is no way for you to buy house without someone seeing your face."
"He could be renting house. A lot of people are starting to rent houses instead of buying them."
I just shrug and nod my head. "True, but the landlord still sees and know who their tenants are."
Nick let's out another sigh before he chuckles to himself. "It looks like it's going to be long night for me."
"How so?" I question.
"My navel team is going to Florida to talk to FDLE about the Powell's. Virginia is using her team to search to rest and truck stops, and even when I tell her that it is a waste of time she won't listen to me because she is right and everyone else is wrong. Which leaves me and only me to look into any real estate abnormities in New York, Washington D.C, Illinois, Georgia, and Washington. I would ask you help but…" Nick trails off as he turns to look at my house.
"You don't want to interrupt my nightly routine." I say with a shrug and a head nod. "Playing with the kids until dinner is ready. Then eat a nice family dinner followed by a family Disney movie. After the movie I put the kids to sleep and then I have hot, wild sex with my wife."
"I'm leaving," Nick, says with a straight face as he opens the driver side door. I just grin at him as he gets in and starts the engine. When Nick leaves my street is when I go back inside.
Once I close and lock the door, I notice that everyone has split up. Lexie, Teddy, and Mark are with Sofia and Jackie in the formal dining room coloring in their two foot Disney princess coloring book while Christmas music plays in the background. Addison is in the kitchen sitting at the breakfast bar with Madison right next her. Callie is standing in front of the stove making dinner with William standing on a stepping stool on her right side helping Callie make dinner.
Since I'm not allowed in the kitchen while Callie is cooking I join Lexie, Teddy, Mark and the girls in the dining room and help them color. Together the six of us finish our two-foot mural of Aerial and Prince Eric standing next to each other on beach. After a quick debate we decide to hang the mural downstairs in the basement next to the Snow White mural we finished two weeks ago. By the time we get upstairs Callie lets us know that dinner is ready.
Because of the kids, dinner is filled with smiles and small talk. Tonight Callie made the twins' favorite, lasagna and garlic bread. After dinner we decide to watch the Little Mermaid, I wonder way. After dinner, Mark and Lexie go home for night while Teddy, Addison and Madison go up to their room. Callie and I do the nightly ritual of checking for monsters, reading bedtime stories, and listening to bedtime stories. After the kids are asleep I go straight to bed because unlike Callie and the kids, I have a very early day tomorrow.
As soon as my head it the pillow its time for me and only me to get up at five in the morning. Dr. Crossman, another pediatric surgeon in my department is in England for some conference, and I said that I would cover for him while he was gone. That means I get to work 12-hour shifts for the next 3 straight days. I'm half asleep as I take a shower, get dressed and drive to the hospital.
Somehow I manage to make to the hospital safe and sound. I'm a little more awake by the time I make it to the attending's lounge. After I get changed and put my stuff away I make my way upstairs to the fifth floor, peds. I scan my badge and the glass door open to reveal Alex waiting for me.
"Morning boss," he says as he hands me a large cup from Starbucks. "I got you some coffee on my way in this morning because I know it's been a few years since you worked a seven to seven."
He does have a point, I have gotten used to working 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
I just smile at him as I take the coffee and take a sip. I love pumpkin spice.
Still silent I turn to my right and start to walk towards my office.
"So I took the liberty to rearrange mine, yours and Dr. Crossman's schedule for the next the three days. I put them all together and ranked them based on severity. Since you're the pro you get the most severe, while I get the less severe. And I got Morgan to cover the ER for the next three days." Alex says in one breath.
I stop to turn and look at him. He smiles back as he hands me my tablet. "Aren't you happy you didn't give me away four years ago."
"Very," I say as I take the tablet out of his hands.
"Your first surgery is at eight and should run you until about 11:30." Alex says to me.
"Ok," I say as I look at my other two long running surgeries. "I have just one question."
"Cafeteria opened up at 6:30." Alex says already knowing my question.
"Well since you did my morning work for me, I'll be in the cafeteria eating breakfast." I say as I give the tablet back to him.
Alex walks back to the nurse's station while I walk over to the staircase and go down to the ground floor where the cafeteria is.
The eggs, hash browns, biscuit and oatmeal are nothing compared to Callie's breakfast, but I manage to choke it down. After my horrible breakfast I go to the OR for my first surgery of the day. I have an aortic value replacement with Yang, on a nine-year-old boy named Bradley.
It takes Yang and I the full three in a half hours to complete our surgery successfully. Yang and I are in the middle of scrubbing out when she looks over to me. "Since you are more of people person than I am, and you talk to parents our a daily basis, do you want to talk to the parents and prepare them for what they are about to see?" Cristina asks.
"He's your patient, the parent's know you more than they know me." I say back.
"Dr. Crossman did all of the talking."
Somehow I'm not surprised about that.
"Fine, I will do your job and talk to the parents." I say with a sigh.
"Thanks," Yang says completely ignoring my insult.
The two of us exit the scrub room, Yang goes to the right while I go to the left. "He's going to room 1824," Yang says to the two OR techs that are helping wheel Bradley upstairs to ISC.
Yang and the techs go to the patient elevator while I go outside to the waiting room. I manage to find the Smith's on my own. It takes me about 15 minutes to explain that their son is going to be in the intensive surgical care unit for the next five days, and that even though their son is fine he has to be connected to respirator. Once I explain everything and answer their questions I show them up to the 8th floor where their son is.
After I leave the Smith's, I go back to the fifth floor because I believe we have the better vending machine in the hospital. I grab a bag of jalapeno cheddar chips and a bottle of Gatorade for a nice snack before my second surgery of the day, a gastrostomy tube replacement.
After my snack I find myself back in the OR with just me and some of my favorite OR nurses. The surgery goes smoothly, and since Allison was my patient to begin with her parents are fully prepared for anything and everything they might see, so talking to them about the surgery is a lot shorter compared to Bradley's parents earlier that morning.
I have nice hour break before my last surgery at 4 with Dr. Canner. I spend that hour in the cafeteria eating a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a Dr. Pepper. Half way through my cheeseburger, Meredith joins me.
"Dr. Canner called me this morning asking if I could cover for her during your Renal Artery Stenosis surgery this evening." Meredith starts, "She said that she hurt her hand yesterday and would be out of commission for the next few days."
The last part of Meredith's statement doesn't sit well with the Passenger. He start to grumble as he tries to make his way to the front seat, but with one long and hard internal push from Dr. Robbins he stops and returns to his corner mad because I'm refusing to listen to him right now.
I don't feel sorry for him. He knows the rules, when I'm wearing my scrubs he is to sit in the corner and not say a word, tiny humans first, murder second. When he finally shuts up I use the rest of my hour break to help fill Meredith in on my case with patient Christopher Donovan.
The Renal Artery Stenosis is only a temporary fix. Chris has been turned down by UNOS twice, because of what he did with his new kidney. According to hospital rules if he gets turned down a third time he will have to leave. It's sad to think that this young man is about live a very short life because he couldn't stop taking supplements that ended up hurting him and not helping him.
Meredith, being the outstanding surgeon that she is, was able to caught up and suggest a few things that Julia and I had missed. My surgery with Meredith runs until 6:30, but I end up staying overtime because Ms. Donovan wouldn't stop crying when I told her about the possibly of her son dying. Without a new kidney, and soon, there is really nothing else Julia and I can do to help save Christopher's live.
I end up staying at hospital for another a three hours doing one of the worst parts of my job. Talking to Ms. Donovan about her options and what happens next for Christopher. Unless Chris gets a new kidney, the Donovan's are about to enter a dark time in their life.
After my depressing talk with Ms. Donovan, I shower and change into my street clothes before heading home. It's around 10 pm when I get home so my tiny human are already passed out in bed. That motherly instinct kicks in and I find myself checking on the three of them before I place a kiss the top of their heads. Callie, Teddy, Addison and Madison are sleeping as well so I'm downstairs with Hilton eating the grilled chicken, sweet potatoes and broccoli that Callie made for dinner. After I eat and clean up my mess, I quickly change into my pajamas and get into bed with Hilton and my wife.
Hilton doesn't get the change to lie down to between us because I immediately scoot over to Callie's side and wrap my arm around her. I place a kiss on the exposed part of her neck before I too fall asleep.
At some point between 10:45 and 5 am, I find myself on my side of the bed. I'm facing towards my nightstand when I hear small footsteps enter our room. The steps make a beeline right towards me.
"Mommy," William whispers to me, "there's a monster outside, and I'm scared. Can I sleep with you?"
Monster is William's term for his nightlight went out and like all kids his age, little man is scared of the dark. The events of my 15-hour shift cause me to be lazy, as I nod my head and let William climb into bed with Callie and I, instead of getting up changing his nightlight and re checking his room for monsters.
William climbs over me and crawls to the middle of the bed between Callie and I. With a huff, Hilton gets up from the center of the bed and moves down towards the end of the bed, while I roll over and wrap my left arm around William. William curls up into a tight ball before he starts to fall asleep again. His shallow even breathing on chest helps me fall back into a dreamless sleep.
When I go to sleep, I stay asleep until my alarm goes off at 5 in the morning. Since William and I cuddled all night, I turn around to turn off my alarm. When I turn to face my nightstand, I see Sofia laying on her stomach with her right half hang off the bed, and left half resting comfortable on the bed. I turn off the alarm while I think about last night, mainly because I don't remember Sofia getting into the bed with Callie and I. When I turn around, I'm forced to think harder because Callie is laying on her back sprawled out with Jackie's head resting on the left side of Callie's stomach making her body perpendicular with everyone else on the bed.
The only tiny human I remember talking to me was William. He asked for he could sleep with me, not him and his sisters. A small whine from the doorway gets my attention; I look over to see that Hilton has to go outside. I get out of bed and start to walk towards the door. When Roxie seems me walk towards the door she jumps off the bed and follows Hilton and I downstairs. I open the sliding glass door and let them out. The second they make it to the grass the sensor light in the backyard turns on.
For the second time this morning I feel my face contort with confusion as I step outside barefoot. There is fresh layer of snow on the ground, however there is an even fresher set of footprints in my backyard. The footprints end at the back of house, but I follow them to driveway and then out towards the street. I glance down both ends of the street to see nothing out of the ordinary, so I turn around and walk back to the back sliding glass door. I look at the footprints one more time at the back of house before I look around, standing in place. I'm in the middle of looking around when I hear and feel a deep sigh come for the Passenger.
Look up…
I do, the footprints stop just below the guest bedroom where Addison, Teddy and Madison are currently sleeping. Looks like I should have gotten off my lazy ass to investigate the 'monster' my son heard last night.
If the unpleasant thought of the possibility of my best friend, her wife and daughter being in danger, the Passenger chooses now to tell me about why he was so antsy yesterday when I was talking to Meredith.
Dr. Canner called me this morning…She said she hurt her hand yesterday…would be out of commission for the next few days…
I think its time for the Passenger and I to become more acquainted with Dr. Julia Canner...