Chapter 16: With a Little Help From My Friends
Summary: Amelia convinces Erica to go to Seattle to get Derek's help after learning there might be something wrong with her pregnancy.
Once two o'clock came, Amelia awkwardly stood outside Addison's office door for a minute. She saw her writing something while sitting at her desk and wondered if it was too late to back out. Amelia took one more deep breath before opening her door. She was disappointed that she didn't get paged for a last-minute surgery that would've let her skip the appointment. Then again, Charlotte probably was the reason for that. She could run, but she knew Addison would track her down and make her get it done one way or the other.
"Right on time," Addison smiled as she got up.
"Let's just get this over with," Amelia said.
"Oh, come on," Addison chuckled as she put an arm around her.
"She didn't mean that, Jellybean," Addison added playfully as they walked toward an exam room.
"Now it's a jellybean?" Amelia asked.
"Well, I'm not calling it a squash. And I'm not just gonna call it a fetus either. Not when it's my niece or nephew in there," Addison said.
"I guess that's fair," Amelia sighed as Addison gestured for her to sit on the exam table. Addison chuckled as she got her stuff ready.
"Is this because I called Liv a sweet potato?" Amelia joked.
"No. Well, maybe a little," Addison chuckled.
"So, do you wanna know? The sex?" Addison asked as she squeezed the petroleum jelly onto her stomach and smeared it with the wand.
"Yes. No. I…I don't know," Amelia said indecisively.
"Alright, well, we can keep it a surprise then," Addison said as she waited for the picture to show up on the ultrasound.
After another minute, they could see the fetus on the screen. Addison looked closely as she inspected the baby. The baby was the appropriate size. She could see the baby's eyes and ears, and Amelia was right; it was a girl, but she promised she wouldn't say anything. As she inspected closer, she could see an irregularity with the baby's heart.
She wasn't sure, but it looked like it could be VSD. The only way to know for sure was to hear the baby's heart. But Amelia was a doctor, too. She'd hear the heart murmur. She could just use her stethoscope, but Amelia might ask to hear the heartbeat, anyway. Amelia would become suspicious if she didn't let her hear the baby's heartbeat.
"Addie?" Amelia asked, sensing something was off.
"I don't want you to freak out," Addison started.
"Well, too late, because now I'm freaking out," Amelia said, straightening up slightly.
"Relax, Amelia. She might have a heart defect," Addison explained calmly.
"What? What kind of defect? And did you just say she?" Amelia asked, panicked.
"A VSD," Addison said calmly, feeling guilty she accidentally slipped on the baby's gender.
"...And yes, I did say she. I'm sorry. I know I said I'd keep it a surprise," Addison apologized.
"That's the least of my worries right now," Amelia said, sighing as she laid back.
"It's gonna be okay, Amelia. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out," Addison said as she turned up the volume on the ultrasound machine.
After a minute or two, they heard the baby's heartbeat. And it took a minute, but Addison heard the heart murmur. When she looked back at Amelia, she knew she heard it, too.
"It's true, isn't it?" Amelia asked, her eyes starting to well up.
"We still have to run a few more tests to be sure, but I think it is," Addison said honestly. There was still a chance she was wrong, but she was rarely ever wrong, medically speaking. But she'd still run the tests to confirm her suspicions.
"I can't do this, Addie," Amelia started to panic.
"Yes, you can," Addison reassured her, turning down the volume on the machine and grabbing Amelia's hands to hold.
"No, I can't. I didn't sign up for any of this. I'm a mess; I can't take care of a tiny human," Amelia said, feeling the weight of the pressure on her shoulders.
"Yes, you can," Addison said again, sterner this time.
"We are going to get through this. Together. Whatever it is," Addison added, putting her hands on her shoulders now. It was like Addison knew that's where she held the tension, and something about her pushing her shoulders down gently made her feel better.
"We'll just take it one step at a time. I'm gonna run a few more tests and then I think we should bring Sam in," Addison said nonchalantly as she moved to prepare the next few tests.
"Sam? Absolutely not. Sam doesn't even know what's going on in his own kid's life. There's no way he'd be able to keep this a secret," Amelia said.
"Well, we're still gonna need some kind of cardiothoracic surgeon," Addison said. Ignoring the personal dig at Sam. She knew Amelia tended to lash out when she was upset or angry.
"Fine. As long as it's not Sam, and it's not some amateur resident," Amelia replied.
"Alright, I'll make sure it isn't Sam," Addison chuckled.
Later in the day, Addison called Derek as Amelia asked. She had some time before her next patient, and if she waited till later, she'd be too busy juggling things with Olivia to remember to ask him about Erica's surgery.
"Addie, hey. You're on speakerphone," Derek said when he picked up. From the background noises, it sounded like he was in surgery.
"You're in surgery?" Addison asked.
"Yup," Derek replied.
"What's up?" Derek asked.
"I was hoping I could ask for a favor," Addison started.
"What does she want now?" Derek asked jokingly. Addison giggled along.
This phone call may be for Amelia, but she knew Derek was referring to Olivia. The last time she called for a favor, Olivia asked for a new bike. There wasn't anything wrong with her last one, but Olivia insisted she needed a new one. When Olivia started crying about how all her friends had this new bike and that they made fun of her for not having one, Addison caved. She agreed to get the bike without asking Derek first. Which is why Addison asked for a favor last time.
"Nothing this time, thankfully," Addison said.
"Then what is it?" Derek asked.
"It's Amelia; she wants your help with a surgery," Addison said simply.
"Why didn't she just ask me, then?" Derek asked.
"She didn't think you'd agree to it," Addison replied.
"Why?" Derek asked, suddenly suspicious.
"It's risky. And experimental," Addison said.
"How risky and how experimental?" Derek asked.
"I don't know all the details, but it's a tumor resection that needs to be done in 90 seconds," Addison said.
"90 seconds? Is she insane?" Derek asked. Addison sighed.
"Derek, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. It's for a friend," Addison said.
"90 seconds," Derek said again.
"90 seconds," Addison said. She heard him sigh on the other end.
"When can she get here?" Derek finally asked.
"I'm not sure yet, but I'll have her call you," Addison said.
"Thank you, Derek," Addison added.
"Bye, Addie," Derek said.
"Bye, Derek," Addison said before hanging up.
Later that night, she told Amelia that Derek agreed to the surgery. Amelia was ecstatic and after making some phone calls, Amelia, Olivia, and the Warner-King-Freedman family were all scheduled to fly out to Seattle the next week. Addison knew she couldn't keep her sister's whereabouts from her daughter, so she agreed to send Olivia with the group. Even if it meant she'd end up missing more school than Addison would like because she was bound to stay past the weekend. Addison was sure of that.
When Addison told Olivia she'd be visiting her dad again, she jumped up and down excitedly and immediately wanted to start packing. But with it being bedtime, Addison told her they could start packing after she got back from school the next day. Not that she needed to pack since Derek kept clothes for her in Seattle, but Addison humored her and always packed a few nice things she knew Derek wouldn't necessarily have around because he didn't think Olivia needed to dress so nice all the time, at least that's what he said.
Amelia was nervous, but she was praying things would go well. She needed Erica to be okay. Even if it was just to give Mason a little more time with his mom.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Addison asked her sister, watching her pack.
"I think I have to. It's Erica. I think I can do it with his help, Addie," Amelia said, sitting down.
"And you think it'll work?" Addison asked. Amelia shrugged.
"I have to try. Mason deserves his parents," Amelia said firmly.
"So, does this mean you'll tell Derek about the baby?" Addison asked with a pointed look. She was in her second trimester and could start showing at any time.
"No. There's no reason to tell him," Amelia said dismissively. Addison just sighed. So much for getting her to open up.
"And you're okay with taking Liv with you?" Addison asked.
"Of course," Amelia said, giving her a look.
"I don't think she'd ever forgive me if I went and didn't take her," Amelia added. That much was true. Addison chuckled.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?" Addison asked again. She'd asked earlier the week before when Amelia first told her about her plan, but Amelia refused.
"I'm sure," Amelia insisted.
"Plus, I don't wanna take you away from Jake," Amelia said teasingly.
"He'll be fine," Addison chuckled.
"Yeah, but will you?" Amelia asked jokingly. Addison rolled her eyes.
"Plus, you'd abandon poor Milo. How could he ever recover?" Amelia asked sarcastically.
"When's your flight again?" Addison asked, choosing to move on from her earlier questioning.
"I'm picking Liv up from school and going straight to the airport," Amelia grabbed her suitcase.
"Do you want me to send her back on Sunday or let her stay in Seattle for longer? I don't know how long we'll be. I'm guessing at least a week," Amelia asked.
"Let her stay for the week; she's missing school, but I can't deny her the chance to see her dad," Addison said. Amelia nodded, hugging her.
"I should get going. I'm taking everyone in my car 'cause I have the trap for Liv," Amelia said after they pulled away.
"Tell everyone I said hi," Addison said.
"Will do!" Amelia said before leaving.
Amelia made her way out, heading toward her niece's school. She was a little early, but that was okay; she could grab Olivia early and beat the after-school crowd.
Olivia's face lit up when she saw her aunt at her classroom door. It wasn't even time to go home yet!
"Lia, what are you doing here?!" Olivia asked after her teacher excused her from her seat.
"Picking you up early! Grab your bag and let's go!" Amelia said, her voice full of enthusiasm for the little girl.
"What are we doing?" Olivia asked, her voice full of wonder.
"We're going to go pick everyone up then we're going to Daddy's, remember?" Amelia reminded the girl.
"Oh, yeah!" Olivia's eyes lit up as she went to tidy up her desk before moving to her cubby to grab her stuff.
Once she had her stuff, the pair headed out. Amelia got Olivia in her booster seat before driving across town to Cooper's place, where the other four were waiting. They packed their bags and got settled in the car while Mason worried he'd get stuck entertaining Olivia for the entire trip. It wasn't that he didn't like her, because he di, it was just they didn't have much in common because he was a boy and older, but thankfully Cooper sat in between the two kids, leaving Charlotte and Erica to sit closer to Amelia.
On the flight, Amelia gave Olivia the window seat, sitting in between her and Charlotte. She had to admit she wasn't a fan of the flight. Or at least the baby didn't. Either way, Olivia was entertained with her few toys and books, which left Amelia trying to converse with Charlotte while simultaneously trying not to throw up.
"So, how are we getting there?" Cooper asked, looking around the SeaTac airport. He wondered what Amelia had planned because, knowing her, she had something.
"Well, lucky for you, I know people," Amelia smirked. It was fun for her to withhold answers from Cooper. He was a child and fell for it every single time.
"I have a ride for us, but if you want to rent your own car, feel free," Amelia offered jokingly, throwing him a bone after seeing his frown. She knew they wouldn't go out of their way to rent a car if they already had a ride.
"Who's coming, Lia? Is it Sloan? 'Cause Mommy doesn't like it when she drives me. She says I'm too little to be in the car with her, even though she took me to the Selena Gomez concert," Olivia asked, looking around to see if she could spot anyone she knew.
After a few minutes of everyone waiting around, a man slowly walked over, putting a finger to his lips, indicating for everyone to be quiet. He walked up to Olivia, who was none the wiser, and tapped her on the shoulder, waiting for her to turn around. Amelia held back a laugh.
Olivia turned around, confused, until she looked up.
"Uncle Mark!" Olivia exclaimed, reaching up, so he'd pick her up, which he happily obliged.
"Hey, Little Red," Mark chuckled.
"Dr. King, pleasure as always," Mark said, gently grabbing one of her hands and kissing her hand. Cooper couldn't help but stare.
"Pleasure's all mine as long as your friend can help Erica," Charlotte teased. Olivia looked between the two.
"Well, you're here, aren't you?" Mark asked coyly. Charlotte smiled, humoring him.
"You know Charlotte, too?" Olivia asked, wide-eyed.
"Yeah, we met a few years ago," Mark said.
"How come I didn't know that?" Olivia asked, confused.
"Because you were too little," Mark said.
"By the way, this is Erica. Erica, this is Mark," Charlotte introduced the two.
"AKA the girl with the inoperable tumor," Erica joked.
"Well, you're getting the best neurosurgeon in the country, so I wouldn't worry about it," Mark reassured her as they kept walking.
"Hey!" Amelia yelped, offended by him saying Derek was the best and not her.
"One of the best," Mark corrected himself, chuckling. Amelia glared; she didn't care that her brother was older, she wanted to be told she was the best.
"You are here for your brother's help, so…you know," Cooper said, interjecting. Amelia didn't say anything back but glared at him as well. Charlotte slapped his arm in response but chuckled as they all walked out of the airport.
"You really think he can save my mom?" Mason asked, looking up at Mark.
"I think if anyone can do it, he can. With Amelia's help, of course," Mark said, adding that last bit to appease Amelia while he opened the car door.
Amelia picked up a squirming Olivia, dropped her into her booster seat, and strapped her in, much to her dismay. Everyone else piled in while Mark put the luggage away. Once everyone put on their seatbelts, Mark drove off, heading toward the hotel he once called home for an extended time a few years back. Now that he was a grown-up with two kids and a stable relationship, he owned a modest four-bedroom house near the hospital.
Olivia deflated upon seeing the hotel. She'd been so excited to see Daddy, but now she had to wait even longer! Who knew when she'd see him now?
She sighed loudly, slumping back in her seat and rubbing her eyes. She'd gotten good about napping on the plane ride, but she was too excited because this time, she had Mason, Charlotte, Uncle Cooper, and Miss Erica. Mostly because she was too busy playing with her toys.
"Is it nap time, Liv?" Mark asked, looking back through the mirror.
"No," Liv said stubbornly.
"I wanna see Daddy," Liv added.
"And you will. But first, we've gotta drop off everyone else's luggage," Mark said as he parked the car.
Olivia pouted angrily, staring out the window and kicking her little feet in protest. She wanted to see Daddy now. Not whenever the adults felt like it.
"Hey," Amelia turned in her seat to look at the girl.
"Close your eyes and when you wake up, you'll be with Daddy. He doesn't know you're coming, so it's gonna be a big surprise," Amelia insisted. Olivia huffed. She didn't like being told to take a nap; she wanted to see Daddy.
Amelia rolled her eyes. This girl was stubborn. She claimed she was too old for naps, but her actions screamed otherwise. She very much still needed naps and got cranky when she was tired.
Mark motioned for Amelia to help her friends inside the hotel. He'd stay in the car with Olivia and convince her to take a nap. Mark knew Amelia had gotten her own hotel room this time instead of crashing with whoever had a free bed. Usually, it was the spare bed in Olivia's room at the frat house. He figured she must've gotten into it with Derek recently and was only here to help her friends, so she didn't want to deal with him. Amelia agreed reluctantly, not wanting to leave Mark to deal with a cranky kid, but she knew he could handle Olivia, so she caved.
"Liv, I'm going in with everyone. You're gonna stay here with Uncle Mark," Amelia informed the girl, who was pretending she couldn't hear.
"Livvy, can you hear me? I need you to answer me," Amelia called, looking back at the little girl.
"Go," Mark nodded his head toward the hotel. He was used to Olivia pouting whenever she didn't get her way.
Amelia sighed, giving in after one more look at her niece. She grabbed her suitcase as she slipped out of the car to follow the others to check in, which she did after finding the four at the reception desk. She heard Cooper comment about how fancy the place looked, and Amelia held back a laugh, realizing Charlotte did the booking. Cooper would never pick a place like this.
After checking in, Amelia went straight up to her room, suddenly exhausted at being around so many people she knew with no escape. She felt the need to hide. Amelia stared at herself in the mirror while flattening down her shirt. She knew she couldn't see anything, but she was being paranoid. This was going to be her secret for as long as possible.
"Maybe I should change, just in case," Amelia mumbled to herself, rummaging around in her suitcase to find something looser.
After trying on several outfits, she quickly approached meltdown mode. She felt like everything she tried on would reveal her secret. Amelia knew there was nothing to see, but she knew it was there. If she knew, everyone else would know, too.
"Amelia? Are you in there?" Charlotte asked, knocking on the door. Mark asked her to go back into the hotel to check on her. It wasn't like her to take this long.
Amelia jumped just a little, checking her watch, clearly shocked at how much time had passed.
"Yeah, just a second," Amelia called out, looking at herself in the mirror to make sure she looked composed before she went to answer the door.
"Hey, everythin' okay?" Charlotte asked.
"Yeah, I just…don't know what to wear," Amelia admitted, chuckling in embarrassment.
"Tryin' to impress someone?" Charlotte asked, raising an eyebrow. They were here for work as far as she knew, but maybe the younger woman had a secret lover that she wasn't aware of. It was unlikely, but she never knew with Amelia.
"What? No. I just wanted to look a little more presentable. I feel like I'm constantly on display here," Amelia said, slightly defensive.
"Alright, well, let's see what we've got here," Charlotte said, deciding to let it go for now.
Amelia stepped back, allowing her in, still a bit nervous to get too close to anyone that wasn't Addison or Jake in fear they'd find out.
"It's stupid, I know," Amelia admitted pitifully. She debated making up an excuse but thought that was too close to lying, something she didn't do.
"It's not stupid," Charlotte told her.
"You're a girl. You're bound to have a wardrobe crisis at some point," Charlotte added.
"I guess you're right," Amelia sighed, fidgeting with her sleeves while standing around awkwardly. She felt exposed while letting Charlotte look through her stuff.
"Why're you so fidgety?" Charlotte asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I'm fidgety because I'm about to work with my brother, who is overly critical of me, and always has been. I'm sure that if he had it his way, I probably wouldn't even have a relationship with Liv," Amelia said, unsure if Charlotte even believed her half-lie.
"Hmm, sure," Charlotte accepted. She didn't fully believe the younger woman, but she was willing to let it go. Some places just made people antsy.
Amelia fidgeted some more, thankful Charlotte believed her.
"Okay, here. Try this on," Charlotte handed Amelia some clothes.
Amelia took the clothes as she headed to the bathroom. Normally, she wasn't shy and wouldn't have hesitated to strip in front of Charlotte, but not today.
"What are you hidin' Amelia?" Charlotte asked the younger woman.
"What? Nothing. Can't I change?" Amelia asked, pretending to sound annoyed. She knew Charlotte was onto her.
"You're not exactly shy, Amelia. Why start now?" Charlotte asked.
"Because I just am, okay? Why? Is that a crime now?" Amelia asked, getting irritated with her friend. The irritated tone set something off in Charlotte.
"Are you usin' again?" Charlotte asked bluntly.
"What? No! What the hell would make you think that?" Amelia asked, offended and upset at the accusation.
"Cause you look high, Amelia. You're always late, you're fidgety, and you're suddenly shy about changin' in front of me. You're hidin' something; needle marks if I had to make a guess," Charlotte said.
"I'm not high, Charlotte," Amelia said in an annoyed tone. It didn't help her case with Charlotte, who knew just how irritated someone could get when they were high on oxy, Amelia's drug of choice.
"And I never used needles, even when I did get high. I took pills and drank sometimes, but never needles," Amelia said.
"Like hell, you aren't," Charlotte argued.
"Get outta there. I will not help you hide your dirty little secret. You and I both know that I know firsthand what that's like," Charlotte added.
"I'm not high, Charlotte," Amelia hissed, poking her out of the bathroom door, half-changed into the clothes Charlotte gave her.
The two came face-to-face, which didn't help Amelia. Looking her friend in the face just made it harder for her to lie. And she realized she couldn't anymore. Not to her.
"I'm pregnant," Amelia blurted out angrily, right above a whisper. They were the only two in her hotel room, but she was paranoid in thinking someone could be listening in somehow. Charlotte's eyes widened.
"I'm pregnant, okay?" Amelia said again, quieter than before.
A/N: Chapter title inspired by the song, With A Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles.
