The Lieutenant's Love

Damage Case

"Karev, sit down," Addison said.

"I can't see," Alex said.

"The only thing I want you to do is to sit at that fetal monitor and watch that baby's heartbeat," Addison said.

"So now I'm a babysitter?" Alex asked.

"Ok, retractor," Dr Bailey said.

"Addison, we're ready for you," Dr Webber said.

"Uterus is protected. Baby's heartbeat?" Addison asked.

"146," Alex said.

"Ok, baby's safe. You can proceed with the mother," Addison said.

"Lungs are damaged pretty badly," Burke said.

"Pressure just bottomed out," The anesthesiologist said. Blood started spitting out at Dr Webber.

"Let's transfuse," Dr Webber ordered.

"Four quadrant packing. Come on, people, get me some lap pads," Dr Bailey said. They worked to stop the bleeding.

"There's too much bleeding, she'll never last. Shepherd?" Dr Webber asked.

"Damage control," Derek said.

"Addison?" Dr Webber asked.

"If you want the baby to live, damage control," Addison said as we both stepped in to help.

"Burke?" Dr Webber asked.

"Damage control," Burke said.

"Everyone knows the rules. We're gonna move as rapidly as possible. Don't worry about finishing repairs. For now we're on crisis management people, just get it done. Once she reaches the triangle, we stop. No exceptions," Dr Webber said.

"Why's he talking about a triangle? What triangle?" Alex asked.

"Blood stops clotting, her muscles produce acid and her organs get cold," Cristina said.

"You're talking about the triangle of death?" Alex asked. Everyone kept working but things weren't getting better.

"Ok, we've reached the triangle, people. Hands out," Dr Webber called. Addison pulled her hands out and I followed suit. The other surgeons continued working. "Hands out! Damn it, stop! Everybody stop!"

"Cristina, let it go," Dr Burke said.

"Slow. Erratic. But it's a heartbeat," Dr Bailey said.

"Baby's holding steady," Addison said.

"Bring out the plastic," Dr Burke said.

"Plastic? We're not going to close?" Cristina asked.

"No. We're going to keep her open, cover her with plastic, and get her to the ICU," Dr Bailey said.

"And then what?" Alex asked.

"And then we're gonna see if she survives," Dr Webber said. A pager went off.

"Dr Sloan, Dr Torres is asking for you to scrub in on Noah Reynold's surgery in OR 6," Maria, one of the scrub nurses called.

"Go," Addison said. I yanked my gloves off and left.

Timeskip

I was walking down the hallway having just left Denny's room where he asked me about when I had heart surgery. Izzie had told him. My pager went off. I walked back down to the OR floor to the scrub room.

"You look pissed off," Addison said.

"I uh don't want to talk about it right now," I said. "Maybe tonight we could talk,"

"Are you okay?" Addison asked.

"I'm good," I said tying a mask over my mouth. Addison and I walked into the OR. Addison was talking me through what she was doing when Alex burst in.

"Melanie's crashing," Alex said. "You hear me? She's crashing,"

"I'm elbow deep in a patient's uterus, Karev. What do you want me to do? Leave this woman and her child to die?" Addison asked.

"I'm doing my job," Alex argued back.

"Sage, go help. I'll be in as soon as I can," Addison said.

"Okay," I said. I followed Alex to the OR next door snapping my old gloves off.

"I said Montgomery, not Sloan," Dr Webber said.

"She's got a patient on the table next door. You've got me until she can get here," I said. "Gloves," I said. The scrub nurse gloved me up. "How long has she been down?" I asked looking at the monitors of Mel.

"Five minutes," Cristina told me.

"I'm gonna do a C-section," I said.

"Yang. We're going to pack away the intestines. I'll expose the uterus," Dr Bailey said.

"Call pediatrics," Dr Webber said to a scrub nurse.

"10 blade," I said opening my hand. I was handed a scalpel. I made the incision and pulled the baby out carefully. Alex cut the cord. The baby was blue. We rushed over to the incubator and began working on the baby who was yet to cry. Addison walked in.

"Chief," Addison said. The baby started crying.

"There we go," I cooed softly.

Timeskip

I was in the locker room changing.

"Denny said you talked to him. Thank you," Izzie said. I spun around on my heel tossing my scrub shirt in a basket.

"No. Don't thank me. You backed me into a corner Stevens. You read my medical records all so that you could convince a patient, a dying patient to keep fighting a fight that he's 95% already lost. You told him about a time in my life that I don't talk about to anyone, not even my own damn girlfriend. So don't you dare stand there smiling thinking you did a good thing today because you didn't," I spat. "Honestly if it wouldn't get me kicked out of the program I'd put your ass on the ground," I said turning to leave.

"Do it. I'm sure your girlfriend will get you back in. You are sleeping your way to the top," Izzie said. I spun back around.

"Careful up on that high horse of yours Barbie. Someone might break its legs out from under it if you're not careful," I said throwing my bag over my shoulder before walking out.

Timeskip

I walked into the apartment. Addison walked towards me. I dropped my bag on the floor and set the rest of my things down before walking over to her and burying my head in her neck.

"I've got you. Just tell me what you want," Addison said rubbing my back.

"I'm okay," I said.

"I've known you for 16 years. I know when you're not okay," Addison said.

"I had to have heart surgery when I was found. Because of the lack of minerals and vitamins I was intaking my heart was pretty weak. The surgeon that operated on me told me that with the damage to my heart, I was lucky to be alive. It wasn't a good time for me. Stevens found it in my file and then told Duquette before paging me to his room to get me into talking him into keep fighting," I said. "I would just very much like to punch her in the head," I said.

"Okay. Let's order in and cuddle," Addison said.

"Yes please," I said. Addison grabbed my hand and led me to the bedroom.

"What do you want? Pizza? Greek? Chinese? Thai?" Addison asked.

"Pizza please," I said pulling my shirt off and leaving myself in a sports bra and sweatpants.

"Okay," Addison said getting into bed. I walked over and cuddled up to her.

"Thank you," I mumbled against her neck.

"I love you," Addison said kissing my head while she ran her hand through my hair.

"I love you too," I said.