Counting To Fifteen [Grey's Anatomy]

chapter four - accidents

Daisy and Calypso were both in bed by the time Mark got off of his hospital shift, purely because it was 2 AM.

He was exhausted, and he couldn't wait to go to  sleep. Miss Browning in Room 233 had been exceptionally bitchy today, something that Mark didn't love having to deal with.

He sighed as soon as he opened the apartment door, met with immediate silence. It was bizarre, considering there's usually a decent amount of noise.

Mark yawned as he walked over to the kitchen, heating up yesterday's leftovers, because nothing says healthy dinner quite like leftovers at 2 AM.

Mark concocted an entire plan while he waited. He would change out of his scrubs while the food heated up, eat, take a shower, and finally get some sleep before he had to go in at noon.

Phase one of the plan began as Mark retreated down the hallway towards his bedroom, wanting to get out of his hospital uniform.

The plan was interrupted, however, when he heard quite a bit of rustling around.

He figured it was nothing, maybe one of the girls having trouble getting to sleep or something.

But it wasn't even coming from either of the bedrooms. It was coming from down the hallway, and Mark frowned at that.

Mark followed the rustling sounds all the way to the laundry room at the end of the hall.

He flipped on the light switch and was surprised to see Calypso standing there, resembling that of a deer in headlights.

Mark was stunned for a moment, not quite sure what was happening. His usually neat laundry room was in shambles. Drawers were left open, bedsheets were half-stuffed into the washing machine, and the big bottle of liquid detergent was in Calypso's hand. It appeared to be heavy, because she had spilt some of the blue liquid onto the hardwood floor.

"What..." Mark trailed off, not even able to ask what had happened as his eyes scanned the room again and again. He wasn't even sure what the possible explanation for this was. Sleepwalking? A 2 AM science experiment?

Calypso was usually a cheery kid, and Mark had never seen her do anything other than smile.

But her bottom lip pouted out as she stood there, her glossy eyes spilling tears as she let out a loud sob.

Mark immediately panicked. He wondered if he looked angry. He hadn't meant to, because truthfully he wasn't angry at all. He just wanted to know what happened.

"Woah, it's fine. It's good, I just-"

"I'm sorry." Calypso continued to cry loudly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I...I didn't mean to, I'm sorry."

Mark was incredibly confused, and he was about to try asking what had happened when he focused more on the particulars. Upon more intent observation, Mark noticed that the pink sheets half-stuffed into the washer belonged to Calypso. That and the dark circle on the girl's pajama bottoms made it clear she had had an accident.

"Oh, did you...?" Mark trailed off yet again, Calypso crying out even louder.

Mark wasn't sure why she was so upset though. She was six, it was common for six-year-olds to wet themselves every now and then. Maybe it was a little embarrassing for her, but it wasn't anything to break down over.

Mark wasn't particularly good with kids. Babies he was great with, but that was only because they couldn't form opinions. This kid seemed to calculate his every move.

Some help from the pediatric specialist would be perfect right about now, but Mark had no doubt that Arizona would scream at him if he dared call and wake her up right now.