Olive was in her majestic room, located in the tallest tower of the castle in the forest, as she prepared for the upcoming ceremony ball in honor of the Great King.
The little princess was trying on silk and brocade dresses in her royal wardrobe. Each garment was more beautiful than the last, with exquisite embroideries and details that reflected the carefulness and dedication of the castle's seamstresses.
She stood in front of the mirror, admiring her reflection in the emerald green dress she held in her hands. The color of the fabric enhanced her fiery red hair and made her light eyes shine.
As Olive deliberated between the green and the blue, two fairies appeared in the room. The green fairy, with shimmering wings, perched on the golden frame of the mirror and whispered to the princess:
"Choose the green one, Olive. It complements perfectly with your eyes and red hair. It is made especially for you."
The pink fairy, with her delicate and ethereal figure, floated around the young girl and said:
"No, Olive, do not listen to her. Choose the pink one. It matches perfectly with your rosy cheeks. It will make you shine!"
However, the girl was also weighing between the purple one, similar to the color of her favorite princess Rapunzel's dress. The princess of golden braids would also be present at the ball, and she did not want to copy her outfit.
After much reflection, Olive smiled and chose the blue one, her beloved father's favorite color. Holding the blue dress in front of her body, she twirled excitedly, letting the fabrics soar and dance with her.
"Fairies, I need your help to braid my hair," said the princess as she sat on the dressing table.
The fairies smiled cheerfully and without delay, they got to work on their majesty's request.
However, minutes before finishing her braid, Olive felt a shiver run down her spine as she heard a loud rumble coming from below. The sound was deafening, like the roar of a cannonball crashing against the castle's stones.
"What was that?" she asked, trembling with fear.
The fairies exchanged concerned glances and the pink fairy replied:
"They are the giants, Olive. They have come once again to attack us."
The princess's face turned pale as she realized that the giants were threatening the lives of her father and everyone in the castle.
"We must escape, Olive!" exclaimed the green fairy urgently.
Although terrified, Olive nodded with determination and opened the secret door behind the wall of her bed. Behind it, a narrow passageway was revealed that led to the castle's internal stairs. These were not just any ordinary stairs, but an impressive spiral of at least 2500 steps.
"Not this way, Olive. It's dangerous, there could be collapses. We have to go out through the balcony," exclaimed the blue fairy.
"I have to go for my father, he is in the hall."
"There's no time to go for him, we have to get out of here! We have to go out through the window!"
"I'm sorry, I won't let him die."
Olive's heart pounded as she descended the stairs, leaving the fairies behind with her. Suddenly, the steps began to disintegrate under her feet, collapsing into a great void filled with boiling lava. However, the brave princess was determined to reach her goal: her father.
As she descended the stairs with desperation, a male voice echoed in the distance.
"Get out of here!"
The voice was authoritative and full of concern. Olive, however, couldn't leave her father amid such a dangerous threat.
"I can't leave without him!" she replied with courage and determination.
"There's a shooter in the hospital. Get out of here right now, it's dangerous. You have to find a place to hide."
The castle walls shook more and more, and the lava approached dangerously as Princess Olive struggled to quickly descend the spiral stairs. Dodging falling pieces of stone, her heart beat strongly as she approached the lower level.
"Ols, your father was shot. Your mother and Aunt Amelia will take him to the operating room."
"Daddy, hold on! I'm on my way!"
As Olive descended, her steps echoing on the stone staircase, she could see through the gaps in the walls how the giants continued to destroy the castle with their powerful forces.
"Get them out of here, Mark," a female voice could now be heard.
"I can't give up now! We will not let them destroy our home!" she shouted, breathing heavily, without stopping.
The lava was getting closer and closer as Olive took each step faster. Her legs burned and her muscles fought against fatigue, but her determination didn't waver. Her thoughts focused only on her father and finding a way to rescue him.
"Ols, do you want us to go to my house? We can make popcorn and watch Tangled..."
"No! I have to save my father!"
However, just as Olive's bold steps took her closer and closer to her destination, a new deafening noise was heard in the castle. The ground shook beneath her feet and the girl could not maintain her balance. In an instant, her foot slipped and she found herself losing control of her body.
Fear overwhelmed her as she fell freely into the abyss of boiling magma. Terror paralyzed her and, with anguish, she closed her eyes tightly, pressed her nose with one hand, and prepared for the inevitable impact.
With a sharp scream, Olive abruptly opened her eyes and found herself panting in her room, in her house, in Seattle. Darkness reigned around her, only interrupted by the faint light of the fluorescent stars on her curtains. Her eyes met the familiar sight of her stuffed animals lined up on the shelves and the walls adorned with her favorite drawings. Even Milo, her cat, slept peacefully at her feet, curled up.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she realized that everything she had experienced a few moments ago had been just a dream. The frantic beating of her heart began to gradually decrease, but the feeling of fear still enveloped her.
Clutching the sheets, the little girl realized with horror that, once again, she had wet the bed while sleeping.
~•~
"Mom..." Olive whispered in Addison's ear, shaking her shoulder lightly to wake up her mother.
"Hmm?"
"Mom."
"What's wrong, Olive?" She asked without even opening her eyes. It was two in the morning and she was really tired after the scene they had lived with Amelia.
"Mommy..." Olive continued calling her, increasingly distressed.
Addison opened her eyes with difficulty and saw that the little girl was crying.
"What's wrong, Ollie?"
"It happened again..."
"What thing happened?" She asked confusedly.
Olive did not respond, she just looked into her eyes, as if she was on the verge of bursting into tears, feeling the discomfort of the soaked pajamas against her skin.
"Oh... it happened again... it's okay. I'm coming..."
Addison carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake Derek, and went after the girl to her room. Like last week, she had had an accident while sleeping.
She changed the wet sheets, took a clean pajama and a towel, and took Olive to the bathroom for a quick shower. Then she dressed her and stayed with her in her bed.
"Don't tell anyone, please," she begged her, looking at her with guilt-filled eyes.
"I won't tell anyone, Ollie."
"Not even Dad."
"Okay... anyway, there's nothing to be ashamed of... this can happen to anyone."
"Really?"
"Yes..."
"Has it happened to you too?"
"Well, not anymore. When I was a girl, it may have happened a few times... we have to see a doctor and make sure you're okay and..."
"I don't want it to happen to me ever again," she said, starting to cry.
"Shh... don't cry, sweetie. It's okay..." she gently surrounded her with her arms, providing security. "Tomorrow we'll go see Arizona and she'll tell us what's going on... you don't have to worry."
~•~
After making sure Olive was deeply asleep, Addison went downstairs to the kitchen, as she did night after night when everyone else was resting.
It was three in the morning and silence enveloped the house, interrupted only by the faint hum of the refrigerator.
She walked to the cupboard and picked her favorite wide-mouthed crystal glass. Then she turned her attention to the carefully organized wine bottles in her small cellar. With delicate fingers, she selected a Cabernet Sauvignon, her choice for the night. She examined the label, pausing at the subtle printed letters outlining the origin and characteristics of that wine.
She sat at the table, uncorked the bottle, and poured its contents into the glass. She brought it to her lips and began to savor it slowly while playing with the buttons on her phone.
It felt strange now not having to leave a voice message for Amelia, as she had her there, just a few meters away in her room. The very idea that she could have heard all of her catharsis through the phone filled her with a deep sense of shame.
Discomfort permeated her as she imagined Amelia's expressions upon hearing all her confessions, fears, and frustrations poured out without filter.
However, to not break the tradition of the nights, she picked up her phone again, but this time she chose another recipient from her contact list.
"Richard... it's me, Addison. Sorry for the hour. I hope I didn't wake you up, you're probably sleeping right now, it's just that... I was thinking about what we talked about yesterday afternoon and... meet me next Monday at the hospital for my final return."
Addison sent the voice message, poured herself another glass of wine, and closing her eyes, felt the rough liquid joyfully descending her throat. It was all she needed at that moment.
"Since when do you have problems with alcohol?" Derek asked, appearing at the kitchen door with Arleth in his arms.
Addison choked on her drink and started coughing, surprised that he was there. He never came down at that hour.
"Oh, I... it's not what you think, Derek."
"The bottle is less than half full. I think it's exactly what I think."
"I couldn't sleep after what happened with Amelia, I... I don't have a problem with alcohol. Why do you assume that?"
"You stopped breastfeeding Arleth."
"What? Of course not, it's just that..."
"Don't lie to me! I'm tired of your lies. You always leave when you're going to feed her, I haven't seen you breastfeed her once since I've been here."
"It's not like that..."
"Olive told me, even she at six years old noticed. There are no more bags of breast milk in the refrigerator. You bought bottles of all colors imaginable."
"That's not related to..."
"I can see how the bottles in the cellar change place every day, how new ones appear and others disappear. I find some empty glasses in the sink. You have hangovers in the morning and avoid making eye contact with me. So stop lying to me, Addison. Because I know everything. How long have you been drinking?"
"Since you got shot, I suppose..."
Derek took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face, rubbing it on his features.
"You've been drinking for twenty days..."
"Not twenty... maybe thirteen..."
"Two weeks of drinking, it's the same thing. Are you drunk all the time?"
"Of course not, Derek. How do you think I would take care of the girls if I were drunk?"
"I don't know, I wonder the same. How do you manage to take care of the girls while drunk?"
"I'm not drunk, I've never reached that point... I have a high alcohol tolerance... you know that."
"Yes, the alcoholic gene runs in your blood."
"Oh, if we're talking about genes then yours..."
"Don't bring my sister the drug addict into this right now. We're talking about your problem."
"You're bringing her up. I didn't say anything."
Derek sighed and sat next to her at the table, looking at her with worried eyes. It had been a while since he had stopped to look at her like that, she seemed to be broken inside. As if she were constantly holding back from falling apart in front of everyone.
"Can we talk about this?"
"I don't want to talk..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You're hiding something. I know you. What is overwhelming you, Addie?" he said softly as he moved the glass away from her hands.
"It's just that... Derek, I almost lost you. Every time I close my eyes, that scene keeps repeating in my head. I can still hear the screams, the shots... I can see my hands getting wet on your blood-filled chest, trying to stop the bleeding... Desperate Amelia looking for help... April and Amelia carrying you on the stretcher to the operating room... Cristina operating... Gary Clark entering the operating room... Gary Clark pointing the gun at Amelia, pointing it at me... the shot at Owen... Your heart stopping almost at the end of the surgery... Derek, you were dead in front of my eyes for ten minutes. I lost you for ten minutes!"
"Addie, I'm so sorry..."
"I cried desperately in front of your lifeless body for ten minutes until you came back after the third electric shock. There were three times when I thought you wouldn't return! After twenty days, I still can't sleep. I can't stop thinking. I can't rest and... the wine helps me silence that constant murmur in my brain. It helps me relax and... What I did for Arleth..." she said, looking at the baby in Derek's arms, with a lot of guilt, "I didn't want to harm her. I didn't want to transmit this feeling to her. I didn't want to give her my tainted milk. She doesn't deserve this and... I'm not the strongest person, Derek. I fell and... I don't know if I can get up so easily. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get out of this."
Derek took her hands and squeezed them tightly, feeling all the helplessness of seeing her go through that unfair situation.
"Addie... you are strong. You are very strong and brave. I can't even imagine everything you went through if I... if I had been in your place... I couldn't have survived if I had lost you if I had seen you in the operating room like that... I remember when Olive and Arleth were born, my soul was destroyed seeing you suffer in labor, and... no, definitely I couldn't have seen you unconscious in the operating room. You don't know how sorry I am that you had to go through that, really. But... we are all fine, right? Many people, many of our colleagues were not as lucky as I was, and... Addie, please. Stop suffering for this. I'm fine and I'm here with you, getting stronger and more independent every day... I'm here with you and with the girls. We're all together again, all healthy and safe."
"Derek... not all..." she said, looking into his eyes, on the verge of tears.
"What do you mean by that? Of course we are, Addie. Amelia may be a mess but... I'll talk to her tomorrow morning and we'll solve the problems we had... she's okay and I'll make sure she finds the help she needs to overcome this addiction... we'll be okay again. I promise you. I love you, you know that?" he said, lifting her chin slightly with his hand. "I love you like I've never loved anyone in this world and I'll do everything possible to bring back that beautiful smile to your face. Agreed?"
Addison nodded, letting even more tears escape from her eyes. She needed to tell him about the miscarriage, she needed him to understand that much of her suffering was due to that. She opened her mouth to finally let out that secret, but, as she was used to in her life as a mother, Arleth began to cry. Derek had gone down with her to prepare her a bottle, but after what had happened between them, they completely forgot that the baby was hungry.
"I'll prepare her a bottle..." Derek said, getting up from the chair gently with Arleth in his arms.
"Give her to me, I can prepare it..."
"No. I want you to go wash your face and go to bed. Go rest. I'll take care of her until she falls asleep."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Go to sleep."
"Alright..."
"I love you, Addie. Everything will be fine."
She just looked at him and smiled half-heartedly. She turned around and disappeared up the stairs.
~•~
"Hey hello, Ollie! It's been so long since I last saw you, you're so big!" exclaimed Arizona as she opened the door to her office.
"Hi, Aunt Arizona!" The little girl ran to hug her, as she always did when she had an appointment with her pediatrician.
"Hi, Arizona," Addison also greeted her, entering with the baby in her arms.
"Sit on the examination table, Ollie. Let's check you."
The girl climbed on the table, with her mother's help.
"Well, what has been happening, sweetheart?" Arizona asked as she took out her stethoscope to listen to her lungs.
Olive looked at Addison, waiting for her mother to speak for her. She was very embarrassed to have to say it herself.
"We've had some... nighttime accidents..."
"Oh, I see."
"Olive is embarrassed to talk about this, but it has been worrying me... she has always had very good bladder control, in fact, she left diapers before she turned two and we never had problems after that, but now... I don't know. Could she have a urinary tract infection? Or some problem with her bladder?"
"Well... the first thing we will do is take a urine sample to rule out any bacterial infection and confirm the functioning of the kidneys."
"That sounds good."
"But after that, there are several emotional factors that may be causing this. It is very common that at her age, some emotional problem or post-traumatic stress triggers nocturnal enuresis."
"Oh..." Addison rubbed her eyes with sadness, realizing what her colleague meant.
"Stress, significant life changes, such as the arrival of a new sibling, school, changes in the daily routine, or... traumatic events can emotionally affect a child and negatively impact the normal function of the bladder and the muscles that control it. It can increase urine production or cause involuntary bladder contractions, resulting in these nighttime accidents..."
"I... had overlooked the fact Olive was also in the shooting, and... she was also afraid for her father... During the first days when Derek was hospitalized, she slept with me, then... she was alone. And I think I may have neglected her..." Addison started to cry.
"Listen, Addison... this is not your fault," Arizona approached her, and gently put a hand on her back. "We are all affected by this. Me, Callie, Mark... even Sofia can sense the tension in the air. You don't have to blame yourself. This has affected all of us."
"I know. It's just that... I should've realized sooner."
"Look, nocturnal enuresis is often transient and improves once the underlying cause is addressed. We already know that what may be affecting Ollie is post-traumatic stress from the shooting. She needs more emotional support and... she will be fine. They are much stronger than us adults. Isn't that right, Ollie?" she asked, looking at her.
"I don't know, my dad is stronger than me."
Addison laughed through tears.
"Let's make a list of things you need to do each night to prevent it from happening again. Will you help me write down the recommendations? What color paper do you want?"
"Orange!"
"Great option. Orange..." she said, taking out her orange prescription pad. "Okay, the first thing we will do is the order for the urine analysis, just to make sure. Okay, Ollie?"
"Yep."
"Then, before going to sleep, you will go to the bathroom to empty your bladder."
"Okay."
"We will regulate fluid intake at night. Ollie, you won't drink a lot before bedtime. This will prevent your bladder from filling up quickly during the night."
"Okay."
"There are mattress protectors that are easy to change and clean in case of accidents. I recommend buying one to protect the mattress in case it happens again."
"Are you going to put Arley's diapers on me?"
"Ollie, no," Addison laughed.
"I don't think it's necessary, Ollie. You haven't had too many accidents. I'm sure it won't happen again. You're a very healthy and brave girl."
"Am I?"
"Of course you are. You'll see, you'll be fine. I want you to come see me as soon as you have the results of the analysis, okay?"
"Okay."
"Thank you, Arizona," Addison smiled at her.
"You're welcome. It's always nice to see you. And you, Baby Arley? Are you almost six months old already?" asked with a childish voice, looking at the baby.
"Yes, she turns six months old on the 24th."
"It's time to start introducing solids into her diet. Are you ready to try solid food, baby?"
"Can she eat burgers?" Olive asked.
"Oh, no. Not yet. She still doesn't have teeth, right?"
"No, not yet," said Addison.
"But she can start eating cereals, fruits, and boiled vegetables. Without salt, oil, sugar, or dressings included, of course."
"That sounds disgusting."
"Olive, don't say that!" scolded Addison. "So... can we start giving her food now?"
"Yes, you can start slowly. Remember that the introduction of solid foods should be gradual and that every baby is different. Start with small amounts and see how the baby reacts to each new food. It is important to remember that breast milk or formula remains the main source of nutrition for 6-month-old babies. Solid foods are only complementary and should be introduced gradually while the baby continues to breastfeed or bottle-feed."
"Arleth no longer breastfeeds," Olive said.
"Olive..." murmured Addison.
"But does she drink formula?"
"Yes, of course. I've had some problems with breastfeeding, related to... well, everything that has happened in the last month. And... I don't think I'm going to breastfeed her anymore," said Addison, pursing her lips, a clear sign that she was uncomfortable.
"It's okay, it's a personal decision. As long as Arley keeps drinking milk and gaining weight, there is no problem."
"Okay... Olive, say goodbye to Arizona and thank her for everything."
"Thank you, Arizona," she smiled.
~•~
"Where is Addison?" Derek asked as he walked down the stairs. He had woken up and hadn't found either her or Arleth anywhere.
"I don't know, she's your wife, not mine," Amelia replied, annoyed. She was in the kitchen pouring herself a glass of green juice.
"Aren't you planning on going to work? I mean... it's a workday and..."
"What does it matter to you?"
"Can we treat each other like civilized people without aggression?"
"Oh, says the one who relentlessly attacked me last night."
"Don't act innocent, Amelia. You wished me dead. I haven't seen you for three weeks, I worry about your well-being, and the first thing you tell me is that you wish I had died. Do you really think that's the most appropriate thing to say to someone who almost died in a shootout?"
Amelia looked down, ashamed. She regretted saying that, but she was too proud to confess it.
"Can we have a fresh start? I promised Addison that after everything that happened, we would all be united and..."
"Is it the peace bullet that attacked you? You get shot in the heart and suddenly you're the Pope. 'Peace be with you'; 'love one another'," she said mockingly.
"I can't with you. I'm trying to make peace with you. I'm trying to make up for yesterday's argument. I'm holding back my urge to yell at you, insult you, and kick you out of my house, but I'm not doing it because you're a crazy sick person who is capable of disappearing again and overdosing if you point out all her flaws."
"Screw you, Derek," she said, walking away through the back door while flipping him off.
~•~
"Shepherd, I'm glad to see you here. I've been waiting for you to come for weeks," Richard said, in a very serious tone.
"Oh, hey, Richard... I... hmm... I'm sorry... I was... I needed to clear my mind," replied Amelia, looking down.
"Where have you been?"
"At... at my partner's house."
"Amelia, I think you know very well the reason why your brother was promoted to chief of surgery last year."
"I suppose so..."
"I had problems with alcohol. I am an alcoholic."
"Okay..."
"I became obsessed with vodka... whenever I drink, it's vodka. I have a weakness for white drinks. I would drink half a bottle in one night. Or have a quarter cup of vodka and pancakes for breakfast... I even needed it to function and..."
"Okay, I understand. It's not necessary to explain everything to me."
"I was in treatment for five months. Look..." he said showing her a bronze medal, "I've been sober for five months. When I reach six months, I'll get a silver medal. And when a year is up, a gold one."
"I don't understand what you're getting at, sir."
"I needed help to recognize that I had a problem. I needed to step away and leave my work in other hands to take care of my health. It was probably the hardest moment of my life. The most humiliating, but... it was for the best. Now I have a support group that I go to twice a week, and sometimes even three or four times, depending on how much talk I need. I am proud of that achievement, of being able to quit alcohol and resume my position, but..."
"Wait a moment, did you get your position back? What happened to Derek?"
"Derek quit."
"No. Impossible, he wouldn't quit from this. He would sell his soul to the devil to be in charge. He even traded his own daughter for the position," she laughed ironically.
"Derek quit, Amelia. He sent his letter of resignation two weeks ago. I'm the chief of surgery again. And as your chief of surgery, I suggest you go seek help."
"I don't need help."
"I just confessed my problem to you, you can stop denying yours. I want to be someone you can trust. I want to help you. I want you to get out of this addiction because you are so young and so talented, you have a bright future, and..."
"Richard, with all due respect, you are not my father. You are not even close to me. You cannot claim that I have a problem and..."
"I'll suspend you until you get professional help, Shepherd. You'll be forbidden from seeing, treating, or approaching your patients. You won't be able to enter any operating room until you present me with a document certifying that your body is free of drugs and alcohol."
"I'm clean!"
"And I have waist-length golden hair."
"I'm not lying..."
"If you're not lying, then you can go to the lab right now and take a blood sample and share the results with me."
"I..."
"Amelia, you should be grateful that I'm not firing you, or worse, reporting you to the medical board. They could revoke your medical license if I inform them."
"I know..." she said with tears in her eyes.
"Seek help in Narcotics Anonymous. Do therapy. Talk, express yourself, scream what you feel. Channel your emotions in a way that is not with substances. Recover. Be strong. Your place here will be waiting for you. You are a very important pillar for this hospital, don't let yourself crumble."
"Okay..."
"Anything you need, I'll be here."
"Thank you, Richard."