(no subject)
Title: Ready For A Fall (6/?)
Author: Chelle Storey-Daniel
Pairing: Addison/Mark, Callie/George, Callie/Alex (friendship), George/Izzie (implied)Summary: Sometimes it hurts to fall, but if you're lucky someone may catch you. And they may be falling, too.
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*~*~*~*~*~
"How long was she without oxygen?" Derek asked, checking the EKG readout.
"Seconds," Addison said. "She only stopped breathing for a second. She was choking and Mark ... he did the Heimlich."
Derek glanced from Addison to Mark, but said nothing to the other man. Instead, he turned to Bailey and watched as she lifted the fourth container that had been taken from Callie’s stomach. "Is she clear yet?"
"No."
"There’s no sign of narcotics. I checked with the lab." Derek confirmed and leaned down, doing a sternum rub on Callie’s chest. She made no move to push him away. "How long has she been unconscious?"
"She’s been in and out of it since we found her," Alex said, stepping up beside the bed. Without even realizing it, he had taken Callie’s limp hand in his. "What about the fumes? From the car?"
"It’s a big garage," Mark pointed out. "And it’s well ventilated."
"Fumes? Why am I just now hearing about fumes? Was this a case of too much to drink or a suicide attempt?" Bailey stared from Alex to Addison. "Well? Which is it?"
Alex looked down at Callie. There was blood still trickling from her nose and he reached down, wiping it away with his thumb. "It was just an accident," he finally said, even though his conversation with her replayed in his head. "That’s all. Just a stupid mistake."
"After she’s clear go ahead and use the charcoal." Derek took the chart from Izzie and glanced through it. "She’ll need an MRI. That much alcohol-"
"Don’t say it. Don’t even think it," Addison snapped. "There is nothing wrong with her brain. She -"
"She’s one of us. We’re going to run every test that we have," Derek replied, scribbling a couple of notes before he shut the chart. "Draw some more blood and see where we’re at with the alcohol and check her ALT and AZT, we need to keep an eye on her liver. Page me when the results are in."
Izzie moved around the bed, pulling on a pair of gloves and grabbing an empty vial. Alex, who was still holding Callie’s hand, snatched the vial from Izzie and said, "I’ll do it myself."
"Karev," Dr. Bailey warned. "You are not on duty. You are a visitor."
"She’s not touching her." Alex filled the vial and handed it off to Izzie, glaring at her. "You must be so happy. You’re living the dream. You get to reap what you sowed first hand. You get to watch her fall."
"Shut up, Alex," Izzie growled.
"I do have to give you a little credit, Iz," he replied. "I’m surprised you’re not cutting *her* wires and tubes just to make sure she’s completely out of the picture. There’s one lesson that apparently stuck."
"Okay, that’s enough!" Bailey pointed at the door. "Stevens, get that to the lab right now. Karev, go wait outside."
Cristina, who had collected the fifth container, said, "She’s clear."
"Start the charcoal," Bailey told her. "I’ll go talk to O’Malley."
George had been coaxed into an empty seat behind the nurse’s station. He sat with his head resting in his palms and when Miranda touched his shoulder, he jumped to his feet. "How is she?"
Miranda explained as best and as gently as she could and then said, "George, do you think she did this intentionally?"
"We had a fight. I - I shouldn’t have let her go. She was upset and - and did she take those pills, Dr. Bailey? Did she?"
"No. She didn’t."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "We checked her stomach contents and Derek confirmed it with toxicology."
"So it’s just alcohol?"
"I wouldn’t say *just*, George. It was a lot of alcohol and apparently no food at all, but her heart looks good and she’s getting plenty of oxygen. We’re going to take her down for an MRI and then we just have to wait."
"Can I see her?"
"Yes." Bailey stopped him as he moved away, her hand resting on his arm. "She looks bad. Be prepared for that."
George swallowed hard, his eyes on hers. He nodded his head slightly, then walked across the hallway and entered Callie’s room. He was vaguely aware that Addison and Mark left the room and glanced only briefly at Cristina as she continued to administer the charcoal. The steady beeping of Callie’s heart should have reassured him, but the blood on her face and the color of her skin was more than he could handle. Tears blurred his vision as he let the rail down and sat next to her. He brushed her bangs aside and leaned forward, kissing her forehead softly, breathing her in. His cheek lingered next to hers and he whispered, "Come back to me. You have to come back. Please don’t go. Don’t do this."
His pleads remained soft for a few moments, then he laid his head against her chest and began to cry in earnest. And his prayers were loud enough that most of the ER staff heard them.
*~*~*~*~*~
Doctors are required to have a certain level of desensitization. They’re forced to deliver bad news with a professional and courteous attitude and they can’t become emotionally involved. Ever. As Addison stood in the hallway listening to George, she felt her own resolve break and mumbled something to Mark about getting coffee. The look she gave him implored him not to question and when he nodded his understanding, she walked slowly down the corridor.
She headed out into the fresh air and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. When she blew her nose a moment later and turned to throw the tissue in the trash, she saw Alex sitting a few feet away. She joined him on the bench and said, "When you called me you said you thought Callie was trying to kill herself in the basement of the Archfield."
"Yeah."
"So, why did you tell Miranda that she wasn’t?"
"I was scared when I called you," he replied.
"That doesn’t change what she did."
"She told me where she was, Addison. If she wanted to die she would have hung up the phone."
Addy chewed her bottom lip, then nodded. "I guess that’s one way to look at it."
"That’s the only way I *will* look at it," he said. "It wouldn’t make sense otherwise. She was fine. She was doing so much better."
"It’s my fault, I think. We had a fight. Last night. It was bad. It was really bad." Addison sighed. "It was about you."
"Me?"
"You and her."
"What?"
"I think it’s wrong for the two of you to do what you’re doing. Whatever it is."
"You don’t know what we’re doing, but you feel qualified to tell us it’s wrong?"
"What *are* you doing?
"We’re friends."
"Are you, Alex? You’ll have to forgive me if I feel the need to remind you that you never even talked to her until your ex-girlfriend slept with her husband. I could be wrong, but it seems pretty evident to me that you’re trying to hurt Izzie Stevens. If that’s the case then you’re using Callie and I don’t like that one bit."
"I like Callie. I like hanging out with her and if I get the added bonus of driving Izzie insane by doing it then you’ll have to forgive *me* for not really caring."
"Stevens left you for Denny. That’s what I heard."
He nodded.
"You were in love with her."
He nodded again.
"You still are."
He shook his head. "No. I’m in love with who she used to be. I’m in love with the optimist, the pretty girl who gets in your face, tells it like it is, and demands that you respect her for her brain. The goofy girl who laughs at funerals and cries at weddings. That person died with Denny. I don’t know who she is anymore."
"So, what are you doing with Callie?"
"Making her feel better."
Addison studied his profile. "Why?"
"Because I can." Alex finally looked at her. "I’m not going to do anything to her, Addison, if that’s what you’re worried about."
"She still loves George, you know."
"Why do you think I made sure Meredith called him?" He shrugged. "It wasn’t because I wanted the guy around."
"Just be careful, Alex. Okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"A woman who has had her heart broken is usually very easy to take advantage of and most of the time they welcome the relief. Don’t let her think that you feel anything for her if you don’t."
"It’s not like that."
"Really?" Addison arched an eyebrow. "Do you usually come rushing up on the white horse to save the damsel the way you did tonight?"
"This particular damsel is a special case," Alex replied. "She knows my secrets."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Finding someone that you can talk to about anything is rare. I trust her."
"So, that’s it then? She’s a confidante?"
"Why are you pushing this?"
"You kissed me."
Alex’s eyes widened. "No, you kissed me and I thought I made it very clear that I wasn’t interested. I hate following the crowd and Yang and Gray already have the whole intern and attending thing down."
"Yeah, but-"
"And correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Mark Sloan answer your cell phone when I called?"
When Addison looked away, Alex smirked a little and stood up. He looked down at her and said, "If I was a betting man I’d say that having your cake and eating it too isn’t all it’s cracked up to be."
"You’d probably win that bet."
"I’m going back in. You coming?"
"In a minute," Addison replied, watching as he walked away. She leaned forward after a minute, buried her face in her hands and said, "God, this sucks."
"Private conversation? Or can anyone join?" Derek sat down next to her. "How are you holding up?"
"By a string," she admitted. Her chin trembled at the confession and she exhaled slowly. "It’s bad, isn’t it? Worse than-"
"No." Derek shook his head. "It’s not the worst I’ve seen and it’s certainly not going to kill her."
"There’s always a but."
"But you know that the liver and the brain, all of it, could be affected," Derek watched her for a second. "When did you become such good friends with Torres anyway?"
"After she slept with Mark. We bonded over the horror of it all. It’s funny, you know, I should have been angry or hurtful to her, but I couldn’t be. I needed a friend and there she was."
"And if you hated every woman that Mark has slept with that wouldn’t leave many females for you to bond with."
"That’s very true." She smiled a little, then looked at her ex-husband. "Do you think it’s possible for a man to change? A man like Mark?"
Derek considered the question thoughtfully. When he finally spoke, it was with sincerity. "I have known Mark my entire life. You’ve heard about his past, but I lived it with him. I remember him climbing in my bedroom window because the yelling was so bad at his place. Hell, we could hear it. You know, his father was sick and his mother constantly had men coming and going."
"You told me."
"You would have to see it to understand exactly how horrible it really was. You asked me if I thought it was possible for him to change and the answer is yes, but that’s not really the question you should ask."
"What should I ask?"
"Are you the one who *can* change him?" Derek shrugged. "Do you want to?"
"I want to believe that my marriage didn’t fall apart for nothing. I want to believe in something. I want to want him without being afraid of what it will do to me if I have to worry where he is every second. I want to trust him. I mean, I need to trust him again. And I really can’t yet." Her expression changed suddenly. "And that is exactly how Callie feels about George and I am the biggest ass on the planet."
Derek laughed now. He genuinely laughed and Addison found that she couldn’t help but join him. "Life is cruel and disturbing," she finally said.
"Yes," he replied. His pager went off and he stood. "Labs are in. Let’s go check on your friend."
*~*~*~*~*~
Izzie saw Louise first and her stomach dropped a little. She felt like someone who was being sent to the principal’s office. George was undoubtedly going to tell his mother what had happened and Louise, well, Izzie didn’t want to think about that. She tried to duck into a linen closet, but the older woman spotted her and hurried forward. "Dr. Stevens! Oh, thank heavens! Have you seen Callie? I can’t find George and-"
"He’s in one of the family rooms. I - I’ll show you."
"What happened to Callie? He - he said that she’s sick, but no one wants to tell me anything."
"Uh, George needs to explain it, Mrs. O’Malley, I can’t really give you any information."
"But, I’m family. Dr. Stevens, she’s my daughter in law and we talk all the time."
"I understand, but-"
Cristina and Meredith came around the corner pushing the gurney that Callie was lying on. Louise drew up short and gasped, instinctively reaching out and stopping them. "Oh my god, Callie? Honey?"
"Mrs. O’Malley, you need to come with me." Izzie put her hand on the older woman’s shoulder.
"What’s happened to her? Was it a car wreck? There’s blood. And why is that tube in her mouth? Harold - Harold’s esophagus was-"
"Mom?" George rushed forward and put an arm around his mother. He didn’t let his gaze linger long on Callie’s face because to do so would have finished him off, he was certain of that. "They’re bringing her back from an MRI. We just - we have to wait for Dr. Shepherd to tell us what they find."
"Oh, Georgie, did you call Melana?"
"Who?"
"Her mother, son. Her mother needs to be here. Oh, she’ll be devastated. We’ve been planning the party together and she’s so excited to meet you and see Callie and-"
"You’ve been talking to Callie’s mom?"
"Oh, every day. She’s a wonderful lady and Callie’s her baby, her only little girl."
"Mom-"
"We have to call her."
"We will."
Izzie watched as Louise leaned over the stretcher and gave Callie a kiss on the cheek, then let George lead her away. She glanced at Cristina, who was staring at her. "What?"
"Was that as awkward for you as it looked?" she asked. "You know he’s gonna tell her, right?"
"Let’s just go," Meredith said, pulling on the gurney. "Izzie, can you let Derek know that the MRI is done?"
"Whatever." Izzie stood in the hallway a moment longer, watching as Callie disappeared back into her room.
*~*~
"What happened to her, Georgie?" Louise had taken a seat and watched as George paced the length of the room. "Sit down, son. You’re going to need your rest."
"It’s my fault. She did this because of me."
"Did what? Georgie, you’re scaring me."
George flopped into the seat beside her and leaned his head back against the wall. "I’ve ruined everything."
"What do you mean?"
"She said she’s divorcing me and-"
"What?! Honey, you two just got married and it’s new and -"
"I slept with Izzie," he cut her off. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her, couldn’t bare to see the look of shame that was undoubtedly on her face. When she didn’t reply, he said, "I was drunk and she was drunk and it just happened. Callie and I had been fighting and I left and - God, I should have stayed, Mom. I should’ve stayed and worked through it, but I didn’t and now - now she’s - Callie’s miserable and she could die."
The minutes dragged past. Louise said nothing and the silence was deafening. George finally cleared his throat and said, "This is the part where you tell me that you raised me better than that and I’m a huge disappointment and -"
"What happened to her, George? What happened to Callie?"
"She’s got alcohol poisoning. Enough to kill her. Enough to damage her brain. Enough to - enough to leave me and I can’t stop her this time. I can’t chase after her like I always do and even if I could ... I’ve given her nothing to come back for."
"Alcohol poisoning," Louise repeated. "But Jerry had that after a few beers and he-"
"They think it was intentional." George finally looked at his mother and the hurt on her face caused him to crack. "And so do I. What I did to her - Mom, I’ve already killed her she was just taking care of the rest."
Louise watched her son fall apart and finally put her arms around him, holding him close. They cried together and were still hanging onto one another when Ronnie and Jerry arrived. Louise didn’t tell them much and when George shot her a look of gratitude, she winked at him and gave him a little smile. It had the effect she hoped it would. He calmed down and sat next to her again. She patted him on the arm and excused herself.
In the women’s bathroom, she made one of the hardest phone calls of her life. She could tell that she had woken the other woman and had not even given the time difference a second thought. "Melana? This is Louise?"
"Oh! Goodness, hello!" Melana replied sleepily. "I hope you are well."
"I’m fine." Louise took a deep breath and said, "I’m sorry to call you like this, but well, I’d want to know if it were me."
"Know what?"
"Callie’s been admitted to the hospital. She’s very ill. You may want to come."
"Κύριε έλέησον!" Malana exclaimed in Greek. "Raphael! Raphael, wake up! Something has happened to Calliope."
A moment later, Raphael Torres was on the phone and Louise, who had not spoken with him much at all, found herself practically shaking at the third degree he issued. He gave her his cell phone number, took hers, and informed her that they would arrive within seven hours. She didn’t have to wonder how he could make that happen. The air of authority with which he spoke would likely have caused God himself to blanch at the idea of not being able to catch a flight out. He thanked her, wished her well, and ended the call. Louise closed her phone and rejoined her sons.
The minutes stretched into an hour, then two. During the fourth hour, Dr. Bailey came out and assured them that they were not forgotten, but they were still running tests and had no additional information. Jerry eventually dozed in the corner and Ronnie went in search of food. He came back with sodas and cakes and handed them out. The rustling of Louise’s bag eventually woke Jerry up and he kicked Ronnie for not bringing him anything. "You were asleep, dude," Ronnie said. "And with your stomach? You better not eat or drink anything unless you’re waiting in the car."
Jerry responded by taking the food out of Ronnie’s hand and slapping him on the back of the head. "The only thing wrong with my stomach is that you’re around."
"Boys!" Louise scolded. "Stop it!"
Twenty minutes later, Derek walked in and George jumped to his feet. "Dr. Shepherd?"
"Have a seat, George." Derek introduced himself to the rest of the O’Malley family and sat opposite George. "I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to speak with you. Unfortunately something like this is a waiting game and we’ve been monitoring everything very closely. The good news is that she’s is responding well to treatment. Her heart’s strong and her B.A.C. has dropped to point zero seven. That’s better than I had hoped for at this point and I think we owe that to Mark and Addison. They forced her to vomit, which purged her system of some of the toxins. The bad news, George, is that the level of alcohol that we pulled out of her system would have been fatal if it had gone untreated. She ingested enough to kill someone double her size and that’s a problem. We have a problem. It’s very important that you tell me the truth. Is she binge drinker?"
"No." George shook his head. "No, she’s never had more than a couple of drinks with me. Occasionally at dinner she has wine or a mixed drink, but she’s never even gotten tipsy."
"Just as a precaution I’m going to have Psych take a look at her."
George had expected it. "Okay. What - how about her breathing? Is she breathing on her own?"
"Well, we’re going to check and see. We can’t take her off the respirator unless you give us permission to do so. Dr. Bailey put the tube in as a precaution because with Callie slipping in and out like she was she could have stopped breathing at any time. We’re going to take her off the machine when and if that’s okay with you, you’re welcome to be with her, and see how her oxygen levels stand. If she can maintain into the nineties on her own then we’ll take the tube out." Derek stood. "We won’t know until she wakes up if there are any other issues."
"Do you have to do this right now?" Louise asked Derek.
He shook his head. "No. It’s a big decision and not one that should be taken lightly. Feel free to discuss it and then let me know what you decide."
"Her parents should be here soon. They’re one the way." Louise looked at George and said, "You should wait for them. Just in case."
"You called them?" George asked her. When she nodded, George swallowed hard and looked back at Derek. "Has she regained consciousness at all?"
"She’s coming around. A few minutes ago she pushed my hand away when I did a sternum rub and that’s a good sign. She’s also fidgeting and -"
"I don’t want her to wake up with the tube, Dr. Shepherd. That’ll scare her and I don’t want her scared."
Derek glanced at Louise, then back at George. "She could wake up any time."
"Then take her off. Do it now. Do it before she wakes up and realizes that she might not be able to breathe." George slowly got to his feet and turned to his mother. "Do you want to come with me?"
"Of course."
George walked into the hallway and waited for her to follow. Ronnie and Jerry were both abnormally quiet and he wanted to thank them, to tell them that it was a nice change, to make a joke. Anything to lighten the mood, but he couldn’t. He said nothing, even as Ronnie clapped him on the shoulder and said that they’d be waiting for him. As his mother emerged and he took her hand in his, it crossed his mind to invite his brothers into Callie’s room, but he just couldn’t. If she - no. He couldn’t.
Addison and Alex were standing on one side of Callie’s bed. Addison was holding her friend’s hand and she smiled a little when George and Louise walked in. "I think she’s trying to wake up," she told George. "She keeps lifting her hands."
George hurried across the room and looked down at her. "Callie?"
Derek moved behind George and flipped a switch, effectively cutting off the support of air and then stepped back into the shadows to wait. George looked at the monitor, his eyes never wavering from the oxygen level that was currently at ninety-nine. The seconds ticked past and the number dropped four points, then five.
"Derek?" Addison commented as the number dropped into the eighties.
"Wait for it," Derek replied.
A pin could have dropped and startled the entire room. Nobody moved, no one seemed to breathe, least of all Callie. The number plummeted further still and Derek glanced at his watch. "Thirty more seconds and we’ll turn it back on."
"Please, Callie. Breathe, baby." George, who had taken her hand in his, squeezed it. "Come on! You can do this!"
"Fifteen seconds," Derek said.
"SHIT!" Addison cursed so suddenly and with such force that everyone jumped. "Callie? Callie! YOU BETTER BREATHE, GOD DAMMIT!" Addison shook her, hard, gripping both of her shoulders now, practically climbing on top of her. "BREATHE! I WILL KICK YOUR ASS IF YOU DON’T BREATHE! DO YOU HEAR ME? IF YOU DIE I WILL KILL YOU! AND MAKE IT HURT! YOU WILL PAY!"
Alex grabbed Addison around the waist and pulled her back. And Callie took such a deep breath that it seemed to suck the air out of everyone else. Her eyelids fluttered open and she reached her free hand up, feeling the tube in her mouth. Addison grabbed her hand and said, "Leave it alone."
"Oxygen’s at eighty-eight." Alex put a hand on Callie’s leg and said, "You can do better than that, Torres. What the hell?"
The machine eventually stopped beeping as Callie’s number slowly climbed out of the danger zone. George was crying and he wiped his face and leaned down beside her. "Good job," he whispered, kissing her temple.
She groaned then and pushed at him. George moved back a little and she held a hand up shaking her head no.
It was very clear that she didn’t want him near her.
*~*~* ~*~*~
This could be the video and song for this fic. This girl is amazingly talented.
Author: Chelle Storey-Daniel
Pairing: Addison/Mark, Callie/George, Callie/Alex (friendship), George/Izzie (implied)Summary: Sometimes it hurts to fall, but if you're lucky someone may catch you. And they may be falling, too.
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Three
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Five
*~*~*~*~*~
"How long was she without oxygen?" Derek asked, checking the EKG readout.
"Seconds," Addison said. "She only stopped breathing for a second. She was choking and Mark ... he did the Heimlich."
Derek glanced from Addison to Mark, but said nothing to the other man. Instead, he turned to Bailey and watched as she lifted the fourth container that had been taken from Callie’s stomach. "Is she clear yet?"
"No."
"There’s no sign of narcotics. I checked with the lab." Derek confirmed and leaned down, doing a sternum rub on Callie’s chest. She made no move to push him away. "How long has she been unconscious?"
"She’s been in and out of it since we found her," Alex said, stepping up beside the bed. Without even realizing it, he had taken Callie’s limp hand in his. "What about the fumes? From the car?"
"It’s a big garage," Mark pointed out. "And it’s well ventilated."
"Fumes? Why am I just now hearing about fumes? Was this a case of too much to drink or a suicide attempt?" Bailey stared from Alex to Addison. "Well? Which is it?"
Alex looked down at Callie. There was blood still trickling from her nose and he reached down, wiping it away with his thumb. "It was just an accident," he finally said, even though his conversation with her replayed in his head. "That’s all. Just a stupid mistake."
"After she’s clear go ahead and use the charcoal." Derek took the chart from Izzie and glanced through it. "She’ll need an MRI. That much alcohol-"
"Don’t say it. Don’t even think it," Addison snapped. "There is nothing wrong with her brain. She -"
"She’s one of us. We’re going to run every test that we have," Derek replied, scribbling a couple of notes before he shut the chart. "Draw some more blood and see where we’re at with the alcohol and check her ALT and AZT, we need to keep an eye on her liver. Page me when the results are in."
Izzie moved around the bed, pulling on a pair of gloves and grabbing an empty vial. Alex, who was still holding Callie’s hand, snatched the vial from Izzie and said, "I’ll do it myself."
"Karev," Dr. Bailey warned. "You are not on duty. You are a visitor."
"She’s not touching her." Alex filled the vial and handed it off to Izzie, glaring at her. "You must be so happy. You’re living the dream. You get to reap what you sowed first hand. You get to watch her fall."
"Shut up, Alex," Izzie growled.
"I do have to give you a little credit, Iz," he replied. "I’m surprised you’re not cutting *her* wires and tubes just to make sure she’s completely out of the picture. There’s one lesson that apparently stuck."
"Okay, that’s enough!" Bailey pointed at the door. "Stevens, get that to the lab right now. Karev, go wait outside."
Cristina, who had collected the fifth container, said, "She’s clear."
"Start the charcoal," Bailey told her. "I’ll go talk to O’Malley."
George had been coaxed into an empty seat behind the nurse’s station. He sat with his head resting in his palms and when Miranda touched his shoulder, he jumped to his feet. "How is she?"
Miranda explained as best and as gently as she could and then said, "George, do you think she did this intentionally?"
"We had a fight. I - I shouldn’t have let her go. She was upset and - and did she take those pills, Dr. Bailey? Did she?"
"No. She didn’t."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "We checked her stomach contents and Derek confirmed it with toxicology."
"So it’s just alcohol?"
"I wouldn’t say *just*, George. It was a lot of alcohol and apparently no food at all, but her heart looks good and she’s getting plenty of oxygen. We’re going to take her down for an MRI and then we just have to wait."
"Can I see her?"
"Yes." Bailey stopped him as he moved away, her hand resting on his arm. "She looks bad. Be prepared for that."
George swallowed hard, his eyes on hers. He nodded his head slightly, then walked across the hallway and entered Callie’s room. He was vaguely aware that Addison and Mark left the room and glanced only briefly at Cristina as she continued to administer the charcoal. The steady beeping of Callie’s heart should have reassured him, but the blood on her face and the color of her skin was more than he could handle. Tears blurred his vision as he let the rail down and sat next to her. He brushed her bangs aside and leaned forward, kissing her forehead softly, breathing her in. His cheek lingered next to hers and he whispered, "Come back to me. You have to come back. Please don’t go. Don’t do this."
His pleads remained soft for a few moments, then he laid his head against her chest and began to cry in earnest. And his prayers were loud enough that most of the ER staff heard them.
*~*~*~*~*~
Doctors are required to have a certain level of desensitization. They’re forced to deliver bad news with a professional and courteous attitude and they can’t become emotionally involved. Ever. As Addison stood in the hallway listening to George, she felt her own resolve break and mumbled something to Mark about getting coffee. The look she gave him implored him not to question and when he nodded his understanding, she walked slowly down the corridor.
She headed out into the fresh air and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. When she blew her nose a moment later and turned to throw the tissue in the trash, she saw Alex sitting a few feet away. She joined him on the bench and said, "When you called me you said you thought Callie was trying to kill herself in the basement of the Archfield."
"Yeah."
"So, why did you tell Miranda that she wasn’t?"
"I was scared when I called you," he replied.
"That doesn’t change what she did."
"She told me where she was, Addison. If she wanted to die she would have hung up the phone."
Addy chewed her bottom lip, then nodded. "I guess that’s one way to look at it."
"That’s the only way I *will* look at it," he said. "It wouldn’t make sense otherwise. She was fine. She was doing so much better."
"It’s my fault, I think. We had a fight. Last night. It was bad. It was really bad." Addison sighed. "It was about you."
"Me?"
"You and her."
"What?"
"I think it’s wrong for the two of you to do what you’re doing. Whatever it is."
"You don’t know what we’re doing, but you feel qualified to tell us it’s wrong?"
"What *are* you doing?
"We’re friends."
"Are you, Alex? You’ll have to forgive me if I feel the need to remind you that you never even talked to her until your ex-girlfriend slept with her husband. I could be wrong, but it seems pretty evident to me that you’re trying to hurt Izzie Stevens. If that’s the case then you’re using Callie and I don’t like that one bit."
"I like Callie. I like hanging out with her and if I get the added bonus of driving Izzie insane by doing it then you’ll have to forgive *me* for not really caring."
"Stevens left you for Denny. That’s what I heard."
He nodded.
"You were in love with her."
He nodded again.
"You still are."
He shook his head. "No. I’m in love with who she used to be. I’m in love with the optimist, the pretty girl who gets in your face, tells it like it is, and demands that you respect her for her brain. The goofy girl who laughs at funerals and cries at weddings. That person died with Denny. I don’t know who she is anymore."
"So, what are you doing with Callie?"
"Making her feel better."
Addison studied his profile. "Why?"
"Because I can." Alex finally looked at her. "I’m not going to do anything to her, Addison, if that’s what you’re worried about."
"She still loves George, you know."
"Why do you think I made sure Meredith called him?" He shrugged. "It wasn’t because I wanted the guy around."
"Just be careful, Alex. Okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"A woman who has had her heart broken is usually very easy to take advantage of and most of the time they welcome the relief. Don’t let her think that you feel anything for her if you don’t."
"It’s not like that."
"Really?" Addison arched an eyebrow. "Do you usually come rushing up on the white horse to save the damsel the way you did tonight?"
"This particular damsel is a special case," Alex replied. "She knows my secrets."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Finding someone that you can talk to about anything is rare. I trust her."
"So, that’s it then? She’s a confidante?"
"Why are you pushing this?"
"You kissed me."
Alex’s eyes widened. "No, you kissed me and I thought I made it very clear that I wasn’t interested. I hate following the crowd and Yang and Gray already have the whole intern and attending thing down."
"Yeah, but-"
"And correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Mark Sloan answer your cell phone when I called?"
When Addison looked away, Alex smirked a little and stood up. He looked down at her and said, "If I was a betting man I’d say that having your cake and eating it too isn’t all it’s cracked up to be."
"You’d probably win that bet."
"I’m going back in. You coming?"
"In a minute," Addison replied, watching as he walked away. She leaned forward after a minute, buried her face in her hands and said, "God, this sucks."
"Private conversation? Or can anyone join?" Derek sat down next to her. "How are you holding up?"
"By a string," she admitted. Her chin trembled at the confession and she exhaled slowly. "It’s bad, isn’t it? Worse than-"
"No." Derek shook his head. "It’s not the worst I’ve seen and it’s certainly not going to kill her."
"There’s always a but."
"But you know that the liver and the brain, all of it, could be affected," Derek watched her for a second. "When did you become such good friends with Torres anyway?"
"After she slept with Mark. We bonded over the horror of it all. It’s funny, you know, I should have been angry or hurtful to her, but I couldn’t be. I needed a friend and there she was."
"And if you hated every woman that Mark has slept with that wouldn’t leave many females for you to bond with."
"That’s very true." She smiled a little, then looked at her ex-husband. "Do you think it’s possible for a man to change? A man like Mark?"
Derek considered the question thoughtfully. When he finally spoke, it was with sincerity. "I have known Mark my entire life. You’ve heard about his past, but I lived it with him. I remember him climbing in my bedroom window because the yelling was so bad at his place. Hell, we could hear it. You know, his father was sick and his mother constantly had men coming and going."
"You told me."
"You would have to see it to understand exactly how horrible it really was. You asked me if I thought it was possible for him to change and the answer is yes, but that’s not really the question you should ask."
"What should I ask?"
"Are you the one who *can* change him?" Derek shrugged. "Do you want to?"
"I want to believe that my marriage didn’t fall apart for nothing. I want to believe in something. I want to want him without being afraid of what it will do to me if I have to worry where he is every second. I want to trust him. I mean, I need to trust him again. And I really can’t yet." Her expression changed suddenly. "And that is exactly how Callie feels about George and I am the biggest ass on the planet."
Derek laughed now. He genuinely laughed and Addison found that she couldn’t help but join him. "Life is cruel and disturbing," she finally said.
"Yes," he replied. His pager went off and he stood. "Labs are in. Let’s go check on your friend."
*~*~*~*~*~
Izzie saw Louise first and her stomach dropped a little. She felt like someone who was being sent to the principal’s office. George was undoubtedly going to tell his mother what had happened and Louise, well, Izzie didn’t want to think about that. She tried to duck into a linen closet, but the older woman spotted her and hurried forward. "Dr. Stevens! Oh, thank heavens! Have you seen Callie? I can’t find George and-"
"He’s in one of the family rooms. I - I’ll show you."
"What happened to Callie? He - he said that she’s sick, but no one wants to tell me anything."
"Uh, George needs to explain it, Mrs. O’Malley, I can’t really give you any information."
"But, I’m family. Dr. Stevens, she’s my daughter in law and we talk all the time."
"I understand, but-"
Cristina and Meredith came around the corner pushing the gurney that Callie was lying on. Louise drew up short and gasped, instinctively reaching out and stopping them. "Oh my god, Callie? Honey?"
"Mrs. O’Malley, you need to come with me." Izzie put her hand on the older woman’s shoulder.
"What’s happened to her? Was it a car wreck? There’s blood. And why is that tube in her mouth? Harold - Harold’s esophagus was-"
"Mom?" George rushed forward and put an arm around his mother. He didn’t let his gaze linger long on Callie’s face because to do so would have finished him off, he was certain of that. "They’re bringing her back from an MRI. We just - we have to wait for Dr. Shepherd to tell us what they find."
"Oh, Georgie, did you call Melana?"
"Who?"
"Her mother, son. Her mother needs to be here. Oh, she’ll be devastated. We’ve been planning the party together and she’s so excited to meet you and see Callie and-"
"You’ve been talking to Callie’s mom?"
"Oh, every day. She’s a wonderful lady and Callie’s her baby, her only little girl."
"Mom-"
"We have to call her."
"We will."
Izzie watched as Louise leaned over the stretcher and gave Callie a kiss on the cheek, then let George lead her away. She glanced at Cristina, who was staring at her. "What?"
"Was that as awkward for you as it looked?" she asked. "You know he’s gonna tell her, right?"
"Let’s just go," Meredith said, pulling on the gurney. "Izzie, can you let Derek know that the MRI is done?"
"Whatever." Izzie stood in the hallway a moment longer, watching as Callie disappeared back into her room.
*~*~
"What happened to her, Georgie?" Louise had taken a seat and watched as George paced the length of the room. "Sit down, son. You’re going to need your rest."
"It’s my fault. She did this because of me."
"Did what? Georgie, you’re scaring me."
George flopped into the seat beside her and leaned his head back against the wall. "I’ve ruined everything."
"What do you mean?"
"She said she’s divorcing me and-"
"What?! Honey, you two just got married and it’s new and -"
"I slept with Izzie," he cut her off. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her, couldn’t bare to see the look of shame that was undoubtedly on her face. When she didn’t reply, he said, "I was drunk and she was drunk and it just happened. Callie and I had been fighting and I left and - God, I should have stayed, Mom. I should’ve stayed and worked through it, but I didn’t and now - now she’s - Callie’s miserable and she could die."
The minutes dragged past. Louise said nothing and the silence was deafening. George finally cleared his throat and said, "This is the part where you tell me that you raised me better than that and I’m a huge disappointment and -"
"What happened to her, George? What happened to Callie?"
"She’s got alcohol poisoning. Enough to kill her. Enough to damage her brain. Enough to - enough to leave me and I can’t stop her this time. I can’t chase after her like I always do and even if I could ... I’ve given her nothing to come back for."
"Alcohol poisoning," Louise repeated. "But Jerry had that after a few beers and he-"
"They think it was intentional." George finally looked at his mother and the hurt on her face caused him to crack. "And so do I. What I did to her - Mom, I’ve already killed her she was just taking care of the rest."
Louise watched her son fall apart and finally put her arms around him, holding him close. They cried together and were still hanging onto one another when Ronnie and Jerry arrived. Louise didn’t tell them much and when George shot her a look of gratitude, she winked at him and gave him a little smile. It had the effect she hoped it would. He calmed down and sat next to her again. She patted him on the arm and excused herself.
In the women’s bathroom, she made one of the hardest phone calls of her life. She could tell that she had woken the other woman and had not even given the time difference a second thought. "Melana? This is Louise?"
"Oh! Goodness, hello!" Melana replied sleepily. "I hope you are well."
"I’m fine." Louise took a deep breath and said, "I’m sorry to call you like this, but well, I’d want to know if it were me."
"Know what?"
"Callie’s been admitted to the hospital. She’s very ill. You may want to come."
"Κύριε έλέησον!" Malana exclaimed in Greek. "Raphael! Raphael, wake up! Something has happened to Calliope."
A moment later, Raphael Torres was on the phone and Louise, who had not spoken with him much at all, found herself practically shaking at the third degree he issued. He gave her his cell phone number, took hers, and informed her that they would arrive within seven hours. She didn’t have to wonder how he could make that happen. The air of authority with which he spoke would likely have caused God himself to blanch at the idea of not being able to catch a flight out. He thanked her, wished her well, and ended the call. Louise closed her phone and rejoined her sons.
The minutes stretched into an hour, then two. During the fourth hour, Dr. Bailey came out and assured them that they were not forgotten, but they were still running tests and had no additional information. Jerry eventually dozed in the corner and Ronnie went in search of food. He came back with sodas and cakes and handed them out. The rustling of Louise’s bag eventually woke Jerry up and he kicked Ronnie for not bringing him anything. "You were asleep, dude," Ronnie said. "And with your stomach? You better not eat or drink anything unless you’re waiting in the car."
Jerry responded by taking the food out of Ronnie’s hand and slapping him on the back of the head. "The only thing wrong with my stomach is that you’re around."
"Boys!" Louise scolded. "Stop it!"
Twenty minutes later, Derek walked in and George jumped to his feet. "Dr. Shepherd?"
"Have a seat, George." Derek introduced himself to the rest of the O’Malley family and sat opposite George. "I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to speak with you. Unfortunately something like this is a waiting game and we’ve been monitoring everything very closely. The good news is that she’s is responding well to treatment. Her heart’s strong and her B.A.C. has dropped to point zero seven. That’s better than I had hoped for at this point and I think we owe that to Mark and Addison. They forced her to vomit, which purged her system of some of the toxins. The bad news, George, is that the level of alcohol that we pulled out of her system would have been fatal if it had gone untreated. She ingested enough to kill someone double her size and that’s a problem. We have a problem. It’s very important that you tell me the truth. Is she binge drinker?"
"No." George shook his head. "No, she’s never had more than a couple of drinks with me. Occasionally at dinner she has wine or a mixed drink, but she’s never even gotten tipsy."
"Just as a precaution I’m going to have Psych take a look at her."
George had expected it. "Okay. What - how about her breathing? Is she breathing on her own?"
"Well, we’re going to check and see. We can’t take her off the respirator unless you give us permission to do so. Dr. Bailey put the tube in as a precaution because with Callie slipping in and out like she was she could have stopped breathing at any time. We’re going to take her off the machine when and if that’s okay with you, you’re welcome to be with her, and see how her oxygen levels stand. If she can maintain into the nineties on her own then we’ll take the tube out." Derek stood. "We won’t know until she wakes up if there are any other issues."
"Do you have to do this right now?" Louise asked Derek.
He shook his head. "No. It’s a big decision and not one that should be taken lightly. Feel free to discuss it and then let me know what you decide."
"Her parents should be here soon. They’re one the way." Louise looked at George and said, "You should wait for them. Just in case."
"You called them?" George asked her. When she nodded, George swallowed hard and looked back at Derek. "Has she regained consciousness at all?"
"She’s coming around. A few minutes ago she pushed my hand away when I did a sternum rub and that’s a good sign. She’s also fidgeting and -"
"I don’t want her to wake up with the tube, Dr. Shepherd. That’ll scare her and I don’t want her scared."
Derek glanced at Louise, then back at George. "She could wake up any time."
"Then take her off. Do it now. Do it before she wakes up and realizes that she might not be able to breathe." George slowly got to his feet and turned to his mother. "Do you want to come with me?"
"Of course."
George walked into the hallway and waited for her to follow. Ronnie and Jerry were both abnormally quiet and he wanted to thank them, to tell them that it was a nice change, to make a joke. Anything to lighten the mood, but he couldn’t. He said nothing, even as Ronnie clapped him on the shoulder and said that they’d be waiting for him. As his mother emerged and he took her hand in his, it crossed his mind to invite his brothers into Callie’s room, but he just couldn’t. If she - no. He couldn’t.
Addison and Alex were standing on one side of Callie’s bed. Addison was holding her friend’s hand and she smiled a little when George and Louise walked in. "I think she’s trying to wake up," she told George. "She keeps lifting her hands."
George hurried across the room and looked down at her. "Callie?"
Derek moved behind George and flipped a switch, effectively cutting off the support of air and then stepped back into the shadows to wait. George looked at the monitor, his eyes never wavering from the oxygen level that was currently at ninety-nine. The seconds ticked past and the number dropped four points, then five.
"Derek?" Addison commented as the number dropped into the eighties.
"Wait for it," Derek replied.
A pin could have dropped and startled the entire room. Nobody moved, no one seemed to breathe, least of all Callie. The number plummeted further still and Derek glanced at his watch. "Thirty more seconds and we’ll turn it back on."
"Please, Callie. Breathe, baby." George, who had taken her hand in his, squeezed it. "Come on! You can do this!"
"Fifteen seconds," Derek said.
"SHIT!" Addison cursed so suddenly and with such force that everyone jumped. "Callie? Callie! YOU BETTER BREATHE, GOD DAMMIT!" Addison shook her, hard, gripping both of her shoulders now, practically climbing on top of her. "BREATHE! I WILL KICK YOUR ASS IF YOU DON’T BREATHE! DO YOU HEAR ME? IF YOU DIE I WILL KILL YOU! AND MAKE IT HURT! YOU WILL PAY!"
Alex grabbed Addison around the waist and pulled her back. And Callie took such a deep breath that it seemed to suck the air out of everyone else. Her eyelids fluttered open and she reached her free hand up, feeling the tube in her mouth. Addison grabbed her hand and said, "Leave it alone."
"Oxygen’s at eighty-eight." Alex put a hand on Callie’s leg and said, "You can do better than that, Torres. What the hell?"
The machine eventually stopped beeping as Callie’s number slowly climbed out of the danger zone. George was crying and he wiped his face and leaned down beside her. "Good job," he whispered, kissing her temple.
She groaned then and pushed at him. George moved back a little and she held a hand up shaking her head no.
It was very clear that she didn’t want him near her.
*~*~* ~*~*~
This could be the video and song for this fic. This girl is amazingly talented.