𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐝 | 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ 𝟎𝟔 ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Steve watched closely as Lexie reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black devise. It was a pager. One that wasn't in use and had the batteries taken out.
"I read a book." She twisted the pager around in her hand that didn't shake. "About the History of Mass Murders in the US. That's - that's the actual name of what happened at the hospital. A- you can't call it a terrorist attack because the murders weren't in political nature and we weren't the victims of a serial killer because Mr Thompson must have had to murder several people over a period longer than thirty days in order to qualify as a serial killer. We - we could call it a spree killing which is defined as killings at two or more locations with no break or pause in between because Mr Thompson shot a guy in his car before he got to the hospital, but I'm not sure that counts as a true location because it was so close to the hospital. Which means it was a mass murder. Because it happened at one place by one person and more than four people were killed." Lexie ranted, stuttering like usual. The noise of the gun shots piercing through her brain making her flinch a few times. She turned around to face Steve who was watching her with a surprised face.

"Freaked out yet?" she nervously chuckled, fidgeting with the pager in her hand. 

"Is that why your hand trembles?" Steve grabbed ahold of the girls shaking hand, a feeling of sympathy washing over him. He looked down at the girl who was fragile but strong. It was only a matter of time before she broken down though.

"I- my - I got shot and thrown into across the OR room. I tried to run back to my her because the - the beeping wouldn't stop," she sucked in a deep breath, looking up as to throw her tears back down, "but he, he - he grabbed ahold of me and picked up a scalpel that had scattered to the floor when I had knocked over the tray of instruments. He used it to stab my hand. That's what this scar is from." Lexie raised her none trembling hand to her left shoulder, holding onto it, while raising the back of her left hand to show Steve the scar. 

"Lexie, you can stop." Steve shook his head.

"No - it - it's- I, I need to talk to someone about it other than Tony." She wiped away a stray tear, shaking her head. Laura was right. - talking about it hurt but it lifted a weight off of her shoulders. "My biological sister was killed. Before I was shot I was trying to save her -she had gotten shot in the head and I was the only Neurosurgeon left in the hospital - most people had evacuated or didn't get a visit by Mr Thompson. I remember asking Jack, my intern for that week, to hand me a drill. I had a plan to do burr holes. But then he walked in - and he, he -I was shot because I wouldn't stop operating on her. But then I couldn't carry on and she bled out because he shoved me out of the way." She took another deep breath as Steve led her down to the edge of the bed, gently pushing on her shoulder so she would sit. He sat beside her, holding onto her left hand. "He shot her," she spoke with a shot of venom in her words, "because she delivered the news that his son had died - this was a few months prior to the shooting. His son died of cancer and there was nothing, nothing my sister could have done. She was an intern for God's sake. I mean- who the hell shoots someone because their son died of cancer?" She questioned Steve, in a high pitched tone. "She - she didn't deserve it." Lexie shook her head.

"What was her name?" Steve asked politely in a quiet voice.

"Kara. Spelt with a K. She would always say that to anyone she hadn't met before. Never with a C." Lexie chuckled, whipping her tears with her bare wrist. 

"Here," Steve got up and went to the ensuite bathroom to gather some tissues before coming back and handing her them.

"Thanks," Lexie muttered. 

"I'm sorry for pouring all of that on you." She held her head in her hands.

"Don't be sorry. It sounds like you went through hell and are still going through hell - but look at you, you're managing. That's something to be proud of." Steve tried to encourage her to stay strong.