You Promised | Mark Sloan ✓

09┃heart transplant gone wrong

"He went into v-fib."

"I can see that. Give me the paddles. Lawrence, take over compressions!" Burke instructed, and Norah immediately jumped into action. "You gave epi?"

"Three rounds and shocked him twice."

"I'm going to hit him again at 360," he announced, "Clear!" Norah removed her hands from the man's chest, and everyone took a step back. Burke shocked him, but the heart monitor went into a continuous beep. "He's asystolic."

"I don't get it," Alex frowned. "I mean, if the guy's already dead..."

"And now his heart has joined the rest of him," Burke confirmed.

"We can't use it..." Norah shook her head.

"No, we can't. The muscle is dead. The heart is useless." Burke stood for a moment, staring at the heart monitor... before he sprinted out of the OR.

"Dr Burke!" Alex called out, but the attending was already gone. He looked at Norah, who was just as confused as he was, and the both of them ran out following the attending.

❦ ❦ ❦

THE GROUP OF SURGEONS sat around in the conference room, waiting anxiously for UNOS's answer regarding the transplant list. "Your guy's on an LVAD? He's probably up and walking around," Erica Hahn scoffed. "My guy still needs his dobutamine drip."

"That's the best you can do?" Burke argued back, "He can climb Mount Shasta on a dobutamine drip."

"As of this morning," the man on the phone spoke, grabbing the surgeons' attention. "Dr Hahn's patient was 22 hundredths of a point ahead."

"That's basically a tie," Burke noted with his brows furrowed.

"Except that Dr Hahn's patient was admitted into the transplant program before Mr Duquette."

The surgeons in the conference room were quiet, and several triumphant grins were coming from the staff from Mercy West Hospital. "How long before?" Burke asked.

"17 seconds."

❦ ❦ ❦

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING about, Izzie?" Denny questioned, confused at the blonde's words.

"In order for you to get the heart, you would have to get worse. Much worse," Izzie tried explaining. "And you would have to do it very quickly."

"Well, I don't see that happening," he furrowed his brows at her, "You see that happening?"

"I am going to make it happen."

As Izzie went to shut the blinds in the room, Denny felt a surge of panic rising in his chest. He tried to convince Izzie not to do something stupid that might ruin her medical career, but she was not listening. They were quarrelling, bickering; shouts were exchanged and tears were shed.

"I'm not saying that he doesn't deserve this heart. I'm sure he does. But so do you. So do you!" Izzie panted. "And if you tell me any more crap about heading towards the light or looking down on me from heaven, I swear I will kill you myself, right now."

"Izzie, I'm gonna be alright," Denny stared into her eyes, "Alright? You don't have to worry."

Izzie shook her head and let out a dry laugh. "What about me?" she bellowed, "What about me when you go to the light?"

"Izzie..."

"No! I get it, okay? I get it," she shouted as tears ran down her cheeks, "You'll be okay, you'll be fine, but what about me? So don't do it for yourself. Do it for me!" the blonde's voice cracked, "Please! Please, Denny! Please do this for me! Because if you die-Oh, god, you have to do this. You have to do this for me, or I'll never be able to forgive you!"