Derek opened his eyes abruptly, desperate to breathe fresh air and fill his lungs with oxygen. His heart beat uncontrollably in his chest, threatening to burst out abruptly from its cavity. With the little strength he had, he raised his hand to his chest trying to calm the wild beating he felt. However, a mix of surprise and fear overtook him as he saw his fingers stained crimson.

Amelia panicked and ran to Derek's side. Her eyes reflected a mix of agitation and desperation at the uncertainty of the situation. Without thinking of the consequences, she stepped into Gary Clark's path, raising her hands in a sign of surrender. Adrenaline quickly coursed through her body, clouding her judgment and making her an easy prey for the armed man.

"My name is Amelia ... I am ... I am 34 years old ... I ... am the youngest of five siblings. We all grew up in New York ... when I was five years old, my father was shot. And ... and my father died. My life fell apart that day! I ... please ... I can't go through this again ... I ... "

Derek, staring into Amelia's shadowed face, felt a lump in his throat. He knew this could be the last moment they shared, and the weight of that possibility pierced his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. He tried to say something, but the words were trapped in his mouth, seized by the fear and weakness that took over his body.

Amelia felt her racing pulse resonate in her ears. Fear was a monster threatening to devour her, but her determination to protect Derek kept her firm. She knew that confronting an armed man was a risky bet, but the love she felt for her brother was stronger than any fear.

Gary, on the other hand, observed the scene with a dark expression on his face. Frustration and resentment had eroded his sanity, making him a sinister and vengeful being.

"I have a mother who will worry about me! I have four siblings... I ... I've barely lived. Nothing interesting has ever happened to me in life ... my brother is the most special thing I have, please! I beg you not to kill him! " Amelia shouted.

Derek remained on the ground, coughing. He was bleeding rapidly. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He felt a mix of sadness and anger burning inside him, knowing that all his dreams, plans, and future could be erased with a single shot.

His mind filled with the last memories of moments shared with Addison and their daughters, the hugs, the kisses, and the laughter. All of it could vanish in an instant, and that idea filled him with anguish.

"Mr. Clark ..." Derek muttered, barely.

A dozen SWAT policemen peered down the hallway. Gary Clark noticed them and rushed out, leaving Derek lying on the ground.

"Derek!" Addison ran towards him once she saw they were alone.

"Ad..."

"Stay strong! Okay? You have to stay strong!" she knelt in front of him and put her hands on his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. "I love you, Derek! You have to stay strong! Don't die, please!" she pleaded through tears.

"Addison, go... before he shoots you too..." he said almost breathlessly, between coughs.

"Don't die! Do you hear me? You can't die!" she pressed harder on his chest. "I can't live without you. If you die, I'll die."

"I just called the police," Amelia approached.

Addison didn't even register Amelia's words; she was distraught speaking to Derek as the pool of blood beneath him grew larger.

"DEREK, PLEASE!"

"The police won't come for us, not in time... no..." Amelia said, trying to think of a quick solution.

Derek closed his eyes. He was almost unconscious, almost without energy.

"DEREK, WAKE UP!" she kept shouting. The words came out more and more sharply from her throat.

"What will we do, Addie?... He has to go to the operating room... and... I have to do something..."

"Derek, you can't leave me! Do you hear me? We have three children, Derek! We need you here! Stay awake! Do you hear me?" she shook him hard, but he barely reacted.

Amelia ran down the hallway, looking for help. She ran desperately, trying not to let the inevitable tears blur her vision. She had no time to stop and cry or suffer for what had happened; she needed to find a solution. She needed to help. She had to do everything possible to prevent history from repeating itself in her family.

Unknowingly, she ran into April. She was sitting in one of the corridors, scared. She was still in shock from the scene she had witnessed.

"April, I need your help," she said as she grabbed a wheelchair.

"I... "

"Derek is losing a lot of blood! I need someone to help me, we have to take him to the operating room. Let's go now.

"But I'm just a resident, I..."

"LET'S GO NOW, DAMN IT!" she shouted, enraged.

April got up from the floor and did what her superior ordered her.

~•~

"Addie, you have to prepare him. April and I will look for Teddy, maybe he's still on this floor," said Amelia once the three of them were in the operating room.

"Okay..."

"Everything will be fine. I promise you. We'll be back soon."

Addison nodded. Amelia and April left, leaving her alone with Derek.

"They will look for Teddy... everything will be fine," she whispered to Derek, who was already lying on the operating table with his chest uncovered.

His skin was completely pale, his lips dry, and he was breathing with difficulty, but still conscious. He nodded his head with great effort.

"Kiss me..." he murmured.

Addison was surprised by his request and leaned in to kiss him gently.

"I promise I won't die..."

"Good, because it would be the worst way to leave me."

Derek wanted to laugh at his wife's joke, but it only made the wound hurt even more.

"Ouch..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"I love you, Addie... in case I don't survive today, I want you to..."

"Shh. Don't talk. Don't strain yourself... everything will be fine. Okay?" she gently caressed his face. "Everything will be fine."

~•~

"It's creepy how quiet it is..." said Amelia, peering down the hallway. April was clutching her arm, trembling with fear. The two of them walked cautiously, searching for Teddy.

"He's here!" whispered April, nervously.

"He's not here."

"He's here. He'll come out and shoot us!"

"Can you please be quiet?" Amelia said, releasing herself from April's grip and pressing her against a wall. "You're scaring me, and I don't have time to lose my mind right now! My brother is dying, Addison is in bad shape, I'm not doing well either, so... shut your fucking mouth. I am your superior, and if I say there's no one here, it's because there's no one here. Okay?"

"Okay... AAAAAHHH!"

One of the doors to operating room 4 suddenly opened, causing both of them to scream in fright.

"Shh, you shouldn't be walking around here," said Cristina.

She and Jackson peered through the door. Amelia sighed angrily and turned towards her.

"Damn it, Yang."

"Is that blood? Are you guys okay?" he asked, astonished.

"Yes. We're fine. I came to look for Altman."

"She's not here," Jackson replied.

"And Hunt?"

"They left."

"They left?!" she exclaimed, bringing both hands to her head, worried. "Derek got shot! He has a bullet wound in his chest. And he needs surgery right now. Tell me there's a doctor on call on this floor!"

"The only attending here is you."

"But I don't know anything about cardio or trauma! I hate blood, that's why I chose neuro! Damn!"

"There are two nurses and an anesthetist in the OR. Find them, April," ordered Cristina.

"What are you saying?" Amelia asked.

"Tell them to prepare for a cardiothoracic surgery."

"What? But what will we do if we don't have a surgeon?" asked April nervously.

"We have a surgeon."

"What do you mean? Who will operate on Dr. Shepherd?"

"I will," affirmed Cristina.

Amelia simply nodded in agreement.

~•~

"Can you do this, right? Are you sure?" asked Addison, approaching Cristina in the operating room laundry room.

"Every bullet wound is different... there is no clear pattern. Half of it is instinct, and half is improvisation... and I am very good... for a resident, I am very good," she replied without looking at her.

Addison sighed nervously and covered her face with both hands.

"Dr. Montgomery Shepherd, you cannot be here. You can't come in."

Addison took her hands off her face to look at her.

"I can't do it if you're looking at me with 'please, don't kill my husband' eyes."

"We are ready to start," April came out of the operating room door.

"April... Dr. Montgomery and Dr. Shepherd will stay here, sitting on the floor."

"What? No. I am going in. It's my brother!" said Amelia approaching.

"Do you want me to kill him? Is that what you want?" Cristina replied.

"No. They are right. We will stay here," said Addison holding onto Amelia's arm.

"I will do the best I can."

Both nodded and sat down. Cristina put on a mask, took a deep breath, and walked through the operating room doors.

~•~

"All these years... it's been more than seventeen years of marriage... in total, it's almost twenty-three years together... it's more than half of my life with him. So many dreams, so many moments lived by his side. We were classmates in medical school. We became doctors, together. We did our residencies, together. We got married... we had a dream wedding. We became parents... we have two beautiful daughters and... we have a third baby on the way," she said, her voice interrupted by sobs.

"Addie, stop crying. It's not good for you. Try to stay calm," he reached out his hand, and she took it.

"Derek would've been so happy to know he'd be a father again but... now he's there... on a gurney, with a resident's hands inside him... not knowing if he will ever see his daughters again...," she cried again, louder.

"Everything will be okay. Let's trust Cristina."

"I need to see his eyes again, hear his voice again. I need to hug him again. I need to kiss him again. I need to have him by my side again...

"I need to get high," Amelia said.

"Amelia, what are you saying?"

"I can't bear this situation while sober, Addie. I need oxy. I need to disconnect from this reality."

"Oxy? Amelia, this is serious. How long have you been taking oxy?"

"I don't know, Addison. This isn't the time for you to scold me. We need to stay calm and pray that Derek gets better, and I could use a tranquilizer right now."

~•~

"Do you feel anything? Do you see where the blood is coming from?" asked Jackson.

"Not yet. Damn it, I can't see anything. Give me suction," Cristina requested.

Jackson obeyed. He was helping her.

"Oh no... no, no, no..."

"What's wrong?"

"It's next to the aorta."

"You can do it," he affirmed.

"I already know that! I just wanted it to be easier! Not the most difficult repair in the history of the world! I... I don't know what to do."

Jackson looked at her nervously.

"She has massive bleeding in the lungs," said Cristina, probing inside Derek's cavity, "there's a bullet lodged next to the aorta and a large hematoma... Would Teddy use a graft or clamp and suture?"

"She..."

"Pig or cow."

"What?"

"Pig or cow, Cristina," she said to herself.

Jackson didn't understand what she was referring to.

"Clamp and suture. Definitely. Give me a clamp."

"Wow, what guts."

~•~

"Should I go see if Arleth and Olive are okay? Where's Mark?

"No. Mark is safe."

"How can you be so sure? God, I shouldn't have left them alone. I am a mess as a mother!"

"You did the right thing, Addison. You're protecting them from being exposed here. Stop thinking about it, they're okay."

The door suddenly opened, revealing a worried Owen entering the laundry room.

"Owen! Thank God. Derek was shot," Amelia said as soon as she saw him enter. "There was no cardio or trauma team, we didn't know what to do. Cristina is operating. She told us we couldn't watch, maybe she needed help.

"Oh...," he said, looking through the window towards the operating room. "It looks like she's doing okay... But I'll go in and see what I can do..."

Owen grabbed a face mask and turned towards the operating room, very cautiously. Gary Clark was inside, pointing the gun at Cristina's head.

"Hey, aren't you going to wash your hands?" Addison asked.

"I'll evaluate first. If she needs me, I'll wash... Cristina is right, you should stay here. Is that clear? Don't move.

They nodded and Owen went in.

"Okay, a real surgeon just arrived. That's good... it means Derek will be okay," Amelia murmured.

As soon as Clark saw Owen entering, he aimed the gun directly at him.

"Calm down! Tell me what the problem is here...," Owen exclaimed.

"Owen...," Cristina whispered tearfully.

"I'm here..."

The man quickly aimed the gun at Cristina's head again.

"Owen!"

"Listen! Talk to me."

"Stop operating on him!" demanded Clark, "let him die. Leave him there to die.

Cristina was crying. Tears were streaming down her face in desperation, but she didn't release the forceps.

"Do you want me to shoot you?! STOP OPERATING ON HIM!" the man shouted.

"No!" she cried.

"Cristina...," Owen whispered.

"No. Jackson clamps the entry to control the bleeding and for visualization.

"Don't dare..." said Clark, aiming closer.

"Clamp the entry so I can see!" she pleaded.

Owen tried to approach but the man also aimed at him.

Bohkee passed the forceps to Jackson and he quickly did what Cristina asked.

"Don't come closer," said Clark.

"Owen, I can't stop. I have to...," Cristina exclaimed tearfully.

"I know. Keep going...," he said.

"Stop or I'll shoot," threatened Clark, aiming again at her.

"Listen! She's the woman I love. If you shoot or touch her, I'll kill you!" Owen shouted.

"And I told you not to come near! I might shoot you first, then her, and then Shepherd. Is that what you want?"

Everyone looked at each other in silence. The tension and fear were paralyzing.

"I didn't come for this... my wife is dead, and he's responsible. I came for justice. Eye for an eye. The only person I care about is Shepherd... now back off!" he ordered.

Owen took a few steps back in silence.

"And you, get away from the bed," he said, aiming at Cristina again.

"Please..." she pleaded.

"SHOOT ME!" Amelia shouted, entering through the door.

"Amelia...," Addison whispered behind her.

"You want justice, don't you?" Amelia approached the shooter. "Your wife died. I know what happened. Derek told me the story. We lived together... He is my brother. He's my favorite brother. And I know I'm also his favorite sister...," she said, tears streaming and her voice breaking, "If you want to hurt him, the same way you're hurting... then kill me. I'll be your eye for an eye.

Gary Clark changed his target to Amelia, pointing firmly.

Amelia closed her eyes and sighed softly.

"Tell Derek I love him, and I'm sorry."

"Amelia, please...," Addison begged, crying.

"Addie, I have to do it. Derek needs you, the girls need both of you... nobody needs me. If someone has to die, it has to be me. Please, go away.

"Is she Shepherd's wife?" asked Clark, now aiming at Addison.

"Don't shoot her!" Amelia yelled furiously.

Gary was getting closer to Addison, making her tremble in fear, unable to stop crying.

"Wait, she's pregnant! Would you shoot a pregnant woman? Please," Amelia pleaded.

As Gary Clark hesitated nervously, Jackson and Owen looked at each other. They were both thinking the same thing.

Jackson gave the go-ahead to Owen, and he decisively lunged at Clark. The man shot him without a second thought, causing him to fall unconscious to the ground.

"NOOOO!," Cristina shouted.

"Quick, do it quickly, he'll shoot again," said Jackson, looking at her.

"Raise your hands!" said Clark, aiming at Cristina and Jackson.

"Done! You see? I stopped. I stopped," exclaimed Cristina, crying.

"Listen to me. In a few seconds, the heart will pump blood to your chest," said Jackson, "and then it will stop beating. You'll see it on the monitor. Just wait. It will stop.

"Please, don't stop!" Addison shouted and choked with tears.

"Shut up!" Jackson snapped.

Amelia and Addison cried, terrified, almost breathless.

"No...," said Addison as she saw Derek's vital signs drop.

The vibrating sound of the machine indicated that the pulse had dropped to zero. Derek was dead.

"NO! DEREK!," cried Addison with all her strength, still crying.

"See?... it's over. He's dead," said Cristina.

A wave of despair washed over Addison as she watched in disbelief at Derek's lifeless body. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Time seemed to stand still, and emotions swirled inside her in an unbearable whirlwind of pain. Each heartbeat transcended her body, constantly reminding her that her world had crumbled.

Tears began to flow uncontrollably, forming a salty river down her pale cheeks. A heartbreaking sob escaped her throat as her trembling hands clung to her beloved's lifeless hand.

She had just witnessed the death of the love of her life with her own eyes. In an instant, their entire history, all their dreams, all their moments together, had come to an end. Her whole world had collapsed.

Amelia, still in shock, watched from a distance, trapped between her anguish and the inability to console her sister-in-law. She was motionless, silently observing everything.

The horrific scene before her transported her back to that fateful day of her childhood when she witnessed the loss of her father.

Memories intertwined with reality, reliving the trauma and helplessness she had experienced back then. Her legs trembled and threatened to give way under her weight, but she was determined to remain standing, at least for Addison.

"Derek!" The most heartbreaking cry escaped Addison's lips, filling the air with her immense pain. Her tears turned into anguished sobs as she knelt, letting reality sink completely into her being.

Each time her chest rose, it was a heavy, painful burden to bear. The physical pain of her sadness was as intense as the emotional pain.

Gary Clark lowered the gun and left the room slowly. Watching as Addison writhed in pain on the floor, holding her now-deceased husband's hand.

"Derek... Derek..."

Silence took over the room, only broken by Addison's heartbreaking sobs. Each tear that fell to the ground seemed like a drop of hope fading into darkness. Both women were in an abyss of despair, bound by immense pain. It was a struggle that neither of them had imagined facing and threatened to drown out every trace of light in their lives.

"Okay. He's gone. Give me 4-0 sutures with mattress stitches. Jackson, give me his vital signs," Cristina said quickly, returning to the operation.

"Pulse at 128. Blood pressure fluctuating," Jackson reported.

"Addison...? Is Owen dead?" Cristina asked, continuing to operate.

Addison looked confused, not understanding what was happening. Amelia remained motionless, staring into nothing.

"Dr. Montgomery Shepherd! Is Owen dead?" Cristina repeated.

Addison quickly approached him, rested her head on his chest, and could feel the beating of his heart.

"He... he's alive. Unconscious, but alive."

"I need you to take Owen to the operating room across and remove the bullet. Ask Amelia to help you."

"Cristina..."

"I can't talk! I'm trying to save your husband, please go and try to save mine."

Addison nodded.

"Amelia, help me carry him."

"I...," she murmured. She was still disoriented. She didn't understand what was happening or what her sister-in-law was asking of her.

"Amelia! Hurry!"

~•~

"Do you know anything? How's Derek?" impatiently asked Mark, still holding Olive in his arms, clinging tightly to his neck.

"I still haven't heard anything about him," said Richard.

"Do you know anything about Addison? And Amelia? How are they?"

"The last update from Amelia is that they took Derek to the OR. They needed to operate on the gunshot wound before he bled out. The hospital is still on lockdown until they capture the shooter, no one can enter."

"Is my dad going to die?" asked Olive, tears in her eyes.

"No, Ols. Of course not," Mark responded, nervous.

"And my mom?"

"No, everyone is okay. You don't have to cry."

"There have been confirmed 23 deaths and 12 critically injured. The number keeps rising and a complete perimeter of the hospital has not been conducted yet," said Richard, distressed.

Olive cried even louder. There were more and more police and ambulances surrounding the area. From Mark's arms, she watched as stretchers came out one after another with unconscious people covered in blood. Others cried others screamed in pain. It was all desperation.

"Take them away from here, Mark," said Callie, approaching with a sleeping Arleth in her arms.

"I can't leave, I need to know how Derek is."

"The girl is getting traumatized here, Mark. Go home. Arizona and Sofia are there."

"Ols, do you want to come to my house? We can make popcorn and watch Tangled," he offered, looking at the little girl.

"No! I want my mom and dad!" she cried.

"Or do you want to go with Lexie to visit Alex? Do you want to see Seattle Pres Hospital?"

"No!"

"I promise we'll come back later and you'll be with your parents... everything will be okay. We'll get burgers and ice cream on the way. It'll be fun!"

"Nooo!"

~•~

"I'm not doing so bad, I'm fine," Owen complained as Addison stripped off his clothes in the operating room.

"Stop moving," she said, holding him firmly to keep him from getting up from the gurney.

Amelia held his head and cleaned the wound with a damp gauze.

"Upper left shoulder. It went through both sides," Addison said, rolling him onto his side on the gurney. "You'll be fine."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you," he said, trying to get up again.

"Don't try to get off the gurney!" Amelia pushed him back against the gurney.

"We need to irrigate and apply antibiotics. I'll work on the shoulder and..." Addison stopped speaking suddenly, pressing her eyes hard.

Amelia was surprised by that. She could tell something was hurting her. She knew his expressions too well.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes... I... I'm fine," she lied and winced slightly.

"Oh my God. Did you get hit by the shot?" Amelia asked nervously.

Owen also looked at her, concerned.

"No... I wasn't shot. I'm fine."

"You could be concussed and not even know it. Let me examine you and..."

"I... " she paused briefly to take a breath and continued, "I'm fine."

"There's blood running down your thighs," Amelia exclaimed, looking towards the lower part of Addison.

"I... " she murmured with a strained voice, "I'm having a miscarriage."

"Oh, Addie..."

"We need a stapler, lidocaine, morphine, and irrigation trays. Come on, stop looking at me like that. Are you going to help me or not?" she asked nervously, trying not to break into tears.

Amelia nodded her head.