What if We Don't Die?

Chapter 1

Mark, Cristina, and Meredith walked towards the dull banging noise until they saw the ripped-off wing of the plane. The noise appeared to be coming from underneath.

As they got closer, they discovered that someone was hitting the wing with a seatbelt. "Lexie." Mark said. It felt like someone had just stabbed him in the heart and twisted the knife.

All three quickly made their way over to her. Mark slid down onto the floor. "Lexie. Lexie." he called her and checked her pulse, feeling that her heart rate was way too fast. He was freaking out inside, but he knew he had to keep it together because she must've been scared enough already.

"How is she?" Meredith pressed nervously. It didn't look good. How would they get Lexie out of there? Would that even be much help? She probably had multiple critical injuries, lying under that plane wing for hours.

"She is awake and responsive." Mark replied, only turning to them for a second. He didn't want to take his eyes off of her.

"I knew you'd show up." Lexie said weakly, with a slight smile on her face.

He was enamored by her once again. She was probably in unbearable pain right now and was being crushed by tons of metal, and still, she managed to give them a smile. "How are you doing in there?" he asked. He was scared as hell, scared to lose her, but he hid it in his voice.

"I'm-I'm great."

He could see that she wasn't. She had dried blood on the side of her mouth and a fast heart rate that would indicate that she might have a collapsed lung. And in that case they would need to hurry because she wouldn't make it much longer. He could only see a part of her upper body, her left arm and her face. Was the rest even there anymore? She would be loosing way too much blood way too fast. But he knew he had to push those thoughts away because he had no idea how bad it actually was. They would have to free her first, then assess her injuries, and then treat them. That was the right order to do things, the methodical way they learned in med school on how to approach a trauma situation like this one. There was no room for fear or chaos.

"Yeah? Good girl. We're gonna get you out of here. OK?" he promised, trying to seem calm.

"Okay." She nodded as much as she could move her head.

He looked at her for a few more seconds. He would give anything to trade places with her, to take her pain, to save her. Then he got up from the ground to face Cristina and Meredith. "She's tachycardic and short of breath." he told them, worried.

"We have to find Derek." Meredith said, looking at her best friend for approval to leave. Cristina nodded. "Okay, you know what? We've got Lexie. So go. Find him."

But Mark stopped her. If he hadn't been so focused on Lexie, he would have unleashed his unfiltered rage on the blonde. How could she possibly want to leave her most likely dying sister? She might not live for much longer, and still she'd rather search for Derek than spend her last minutes with her. Not that Mark didn't get her, Derek was his brother and he wanted to know if he was alright as well, but Lexie was right in front of her, and she knew for sure that she wasn't okay. "We've gotta get her out of there, Meredith." He looked at her, as if he were saying that if she left now, her sister would die, and it would be her fault.

The blonde sighed, thinking of her husband, wondering if he was alive or not, somewhere in those woods. It was an impossible choice to make. Derek could be dying and needing her help right now, and every minute would count. But Lexie needed her too.

"Meredith!" Mark shouted, as she just stood there, doing nothing.

"Alright." she agreed. She would help Lexie first, then hurry to find Derek. She knew she would never forgive herself if something happened to either of them, but she would certainly feel guilty for the rest of her life if her sister died because she didn't stay to help.