CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVEMELONIE'S POV

   "Melonie!" Alex chased after me through the hospital as I was quickly walking away, ignoring him. "Melonie, please. We need to talk."

   I quickly turned to face him. If looks could kill, he'd be dead by now.

   "There's nothing to talk about, Alex," I scolded. "Hunt's waiting for me."

   I ran away, but before I got to trauma bay, everyone was standing in front of the TV. There was a news story playing.

   "A major Seattle-area shooting..." the reporter said. "We have reports that a gunman has opened fire on students and faculty."

   I looked over and saw Lexie in tears. I walked over and before I could talk to her, she collapsed into me and I wrapped my arms around her, comforting her.

   April was crying too, but I couldn't care less. I would choose my sister over my backstabbing best friend any day.

   "Bailey?" I looked at Miranda. "Bailey, fill us in."

   "Again, that's at Pacific College," the reporter continued. "We now take you live to our on-scene reporter. Students and faculty are still in the building."

   I get it now. About five months ago, there was a shooter in the hospital. I wasn't there because I was still in recovery. But, Lexie was there, and she was held at gunpoint. So was April and Cristina. Derek and Owen were shot. The most tragic thing was that we lost a lot of doctors.

   "I'm trying to get some answers, but what we know so far is that a gunman opened fire at Pacific College and there are at least a dozen-" The reporter put his hand to his headpiece. "Okay. Okay. There are at least twenty victims."

   "Okay, everyone, we need to go!" Owen raised his voice and we all followed him to trauma bay. 

   We put on our trauma gowns and gloves. April and Lexie were still crying and everyone else had glum facial expressions.

   "There are fifteen ambulances on the way, maybe more to come," Owen said. "First one is three minutes out."

   "People." Richard stood before us. "Our own trauma is fresh, and we are going to have feelings today, and there is no shame in that. What I want to say is, what we went through six months ago, they are going through right now, which makes them our brothers and sisters... which makes them fellow travelers, which makes them our own. So, to the very best of our ability, we are gonna do our work first. And, you're gonna have your feelings later." He went back to his spot.

   "Grey." Owen looked at Lexie, who was sniffling. 

   "I'm fine," Lexie sniffled again. "I'm fine."

   "You should sit this one out," I sighed, placing my hand on her shoulder.

   "No, I'm okay."

   "Go to the pit, make sure we're stocked," Mark told her. "Call the blood bank-"

   "I'm fine," Lexie fought.

   "Call the blood bank," Mark pushed. "Tell them to give us all the O-Neg they have."

   Lexie finally gave up and walked inside as the first ambulance came by. April and Richard ran and took the first patient, one of the police officers.

   Derek and Meredith got the second ambulance, then the third one came. 

   "Other Grey, you're with me, let's go!" Owen called, and I rushed over.

   "Jared Swork, 20 years old, single entrance wound to the left fifth intercostal space. No exit wound. Lost vitals in front of us. This is the emergency thoracotomy we called in about," the paramedic informed us.

   "You did a thoracotomy in the field?" Owen asked him, taking the chart.

   "I didn't."

   He opened the doors to the ambulance and we saw Cristina sitting on top of the patient, pumping his chest, which was gushing blood.

   "I had to crack his chest," Cristina said, out of breath.

   Cristina got onto the gurney as we rolled it out of the hospital, still beating on the man's chest.

   "Cristina-" Owen tried, but I cut him off.

   "Can you feel the lesion?" I asked.

   "Yeah, he's got a big hole in his right ventricle, and as long as I keep my hand here, I can feel a good heartbeat," Cristina told me.

   "Cristina," Owen said again.

   "What?" Cristina snapped her head to face him.

   "You're going to the O.R.?" Owen asked.

   "She's got her hand on the hole, Hunt," I pointed out.

   "I'll be fine," Cristina told him as we rolled the gurney into the elevator.

   Once we got into the O.R., I put a gown on Cristina as she kept her hand on Jared's chest. Teddy walked in after she was done scrubbing.

   "You paged me?" Jackson asked as he walked in. "Yang?"

   "She was at the scene," I told him.

   "He's got a tear on the right ventricle, and there could be torrential bleeding once we get in, so I just wanted a little back up," Teddy said.

   "I'm right here," I pointed out.

   "Oh, I'm sorry, Grey, but Jackson's going to scrub in... you can, um, go take a break," Teddy smiled, trying to make it better.

   "You've got to be kidding me," I raised my voice, and Teddy just looked at me.

   I rolled my eyes and took off my gloves, slamming them into the trash can before dramatically walking out. 

   I found Derek and I ran up to him.

   "Please give me something to do," I begged. "Altman just kicked me out of the O.R. so Jackson could scrub in."

   "Sorry, Mel, I'm about to go into surgery, and Alex is scrubbing in," he sighed. "I would give you something if I had something." He patted my shoulder. "I think I saw Mer go down to the cafeteria though. At least that'll give you someone to talk to."

   I just groaned and headed down to the cafeteria. I can't believe Jackson just took my surgery right in front of me. I was all scrubbed and stuff too.

   I plopped down at the table that Mer and Lexie were sitting at. 

   "I just kicked out of the O.R.," I sighed.

   "What? Why?" Lexie asked.

   "So that Jackson could scrub in." I rolled my eyes. 

   "Jackson took your surgery?" Mer took a bite of her salad.

   "Yep. What a trader," I said.

   Suddenly, April sat down. I just stared at her for a second.

   "I have to go." I got up. 

   "Melonie, are you serious?" April called after me. 

   "Do I look like I'm joking?" I walked out of the cafeteria. 

   I sat on a bench outside of one of the O.R.s and leaned my head against the wall. There was nothing for me to do, and my day was just getting worse.

   "Melonie, I need you." April started to run past me.

   "Nope."

   "Okay, look, I know that you hate me right now, and I would hate me too if I were you, but this was not my decision. Dr. Webber requested you, so you're going to come help," April demanded.

   I groaned and stood up, following her into a patient's room. Richard filled me in on what was going on and we got to work.

   A nurse came in with the patient's scans and we examined them.

   "He's got some blood in his chest, but the bullet's not there. It's not in his arm or his leg..." Richard examined the scan. "Kepner."

   "Um... uh," April stuttered, and I rolled my eyes. "We should put in a chest tube, and get some studies to see what kind of damage we're dealing with."

   "Is there any chance we can wake him up while we're waiting for the studies?" the police officer that was in the room asked.

   "We could reverse his pain meds, but it would be a pretty traumatic awakening," I sighed, pulling out my stethoscope and holding it to his heart. "He'd be in a lot a pain."

   "I'm getting all sorts of conflicting reports as to what the shooter looks like," the police officer responded. "You know, kids in shock, they don't remember, but cops are trained to remember. I don't know if there's a second shooter or if this is some kind of plot, but until I have a positive I.D., I've got nothing. Believe me, Faz would rather feel some pain if he can I.D. the shooter for me."

   April and I looked at Richard.

   "Okay, I'll reverse the meds," Richard sighed. "Grey, let's set up the chest tube."

   "Chief Webber." Arizona burst into the room. "This guy you replaced me with is a study in incompetence."

   "Not now, Robbins," Richard said.

   "Yes, now, because Dr. Incompetence is about to hack off a perfectly good leg," Arizona fought.

   "Robbins, I'm pretty busy here. What do you want me to do?" Richard asked.

   "Give me privileges."

   "It's all hands on deck. Of course you have privileges," Richard agreed.

   "Okay, thank you." She ran out of the room.

   "It's not an easy day to be the man in charge," the officer said.

~

   "Alright, he's ready," April said as we finished some scans.

   "Look, I'm gonna push the Naloxone. He's gonna wake up and he's gonna hurt," I warned the officer. "So talk quick, okay?"

   "Ready."

   I pushed the syringe into him and pushed the Naloxone. Faz, the patient, woke up and groaned in pain.

   "Faz, it's Marty," the officer said. Faz groaned again. "Can you hear me?"

   "Oh, God. It hurts," Faz cried. Suddenly, he let out a scream. "Oh, God!"

    "Faz, I need you to describe the shooter," Marty tried, holding Faz's hand. "Can you do that for me, bud?"

   Suddenly, the monitor beeped rapidly and we noticed that Faz was now unconscious. I grabbed a tube and started to gently run it down his throat.

   "April!" I shouted, and she ran over to help me. "Come on, come on. Press on the cricoid more, I can't see the chords." April did as I told her. "Come on, Faz, Stay with me."

   "Grey." Richard rushed into the room.

   "His vitals started dropping. X-rays were clear, no bullet, so we did an ultrasound," I informed him. "We did find blood in the belly."

   "Come on."

   We got the tube into his throat, and we followed Richard out of the room, rolling Faz's gurney out with us.

   Once we reached the trauma area, Richard went up to Owen as April and I payed close attention to Faz.

   "Chief, you should stay in that trauma room, there are no O.R.s," Owen told him. Owen pointed to a doctor. "Get the chief an anesthesiologist."

   "What? I-I got a cop with blood in his belly, the same cop that took down the shooter," Richard explained. "You're saying I have to operate on him in a trauma room?"

   "I'm saying, it's your best option right now," Owen raised his voice.

   Faz's monitor started beeping rapidly.

   "Sir, his pressure's dropping," April said.

   "Hunt, I hope you know what you're doing." Richard ran over to help us.

   "Grey, lock him down in there and get me a major procedures tray now," Richard instructed, and April and I rolled him into a trauma room.

   "Wait, Melonie!" Jackson pulled on my arm, and I let April take Faz into the trauma room.

   "What do you want, surgery stealer?" I crossed my arms. "Is the surgery done yet?"

   "No, and while we've got a cop bleeding out down here, she's occupying a perfectly good O.R., going to extreme measures to save the damn shooter," he ranted. "I tried talking to her, b-"

   "Wait, Altman's guy is the shooter?" I asked. "Does Cristina know that?"

   "Yeah. So does Altman. I walked out," Jackson told me.

   "No, you stole that surgery from me, so you're going to go back in there and suffer," I demanded. "Besides, save that guy. He shot himself to get out of jail time. Don't let him win."

   "But-"

   "Go!" I pushed him. "I have a bleeding cop to get to now." I walked off.

~

   After the surgery, I walked over to Marty, where other cops surrounded us. Marty looked at me, and I sighed.

   "He's fine," I smiled.

   "Oh my God. You're kidding me," he sighed of relief.

   "Well, it was touch and go for a while, but he's gonna be fine," I told him, and the other cops all smiled.

   "Thank you," Marty said. He held out his hand for me, which I shook.

   I walked away, where I ran into Alex, but I kept walking.

   "Melonie, come on. We live together. You can't ignore me forever," he called after me. 

   "Yes, I can," I replied blankly.

   "We really need to talk." Alex ran after me, standing in front of me so I couldn't leave this time.

   "There's nothing to talk about, Alex," I said. "You cheated on me. With my best friend. I mean, I guess I should have expected it. People warned me about you, saying how you've slept with half the hospital. I should have known better. So, really, I'm more mad at myself than I am at you. I was the stupid one for trusting you." I looked down. "You know, I defended you. Now I feel like an idiot. You humiliated me. I can never forgive you for that." I walked away, leaving him standing there.

~

Word Count: 2207