The Lieutenant's Love

Crash Into Me

"I will. So what am I drinking tonight?" I asked.

"He likes beer," Ray said.

"Sounds good," I said. Stan's wife Sara arrived. We all stood aside and let Sara say goodbye to her husband.

"It's time," Dr Webber told Meredith and me.

Timeskip

The fire service had gotten ready to pull the rig apart so that we could get in there.

"Gentlemen, the moment they pull apart the rig, we're gonna come in and grab you," Dr Webber said.

"You take Stan, first," Ray said.

"Once we get in there and assess, then we'll see who goes first," Dr Webber said.

"No, you take Stan first. You take Stan first," Ray said.

"Ray. I think I'm gonna be okay. I'm starting to feel a little better," Stan said.

"Don't you screw with me," Ray said.

"No. No, I'm probably not as bad as I think. I'm probably just paralyzed. Richard, Sage, you think maybe that I can get out of here just paralyzed, right?" Stan asked. Meredith, Dr Webber and I looked at each other.

"It's possible. It happens," Meredith said.

"Yeah just hold on," I said.

"Really?" Ray asked.

"See," Stan said.

"Okay. Okay," Ray said.

"Is my wife inside? She won't see any of this?" Stan asked.

"No," I said.

"You'll be where I can look at you?" Stan asked.

"I'm right here, where you can look at me," Meredith said.

"Then let's do this," Stan said.

"Try to live, man," Ray said.

"You, too," Stan said. The fire brigade began working to stabilise the ambulance.

"Stop. Stop. Stop! Stop! Make them stop! Stop! Stop!" Meredith yelled.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dr Webber asked.

"It's Stan!" Meredith yelled.

"Ray. Ray's back. It's in deep. He'll bleed out if you move us," Stan said. I looked up and saw the oxygen regulator embedded into Ray's back.

"It's the oxygen regulator. It's embedded in his back. Ray! Ray, you still with us?" Dr Webber asked.

"I'm here, chief. I'm still here. But my pulse is weak," Ray said.

"Okay, he's sweaty and breathing fast, and with the angle of that regulator," I began.

"It's cardiac tamponade," Meredith finished.

"If that regulator caused a tear in his heart and we move him, the regulator could move," Dr Webber said.

"It'll make the tear bigger," Meredith said.

"Please let's don't flood my heart. Please," Ray said.

"We'll stabilise him in the ambulance. Stan. You're a hero, man. You saved Ray's life," Dr Webber said.

"Stan? Damn it, Stan. Stan," Ray tried. Stan didn't respond.

"Go get the ultrasound so we can be sure, and bring a crash cart just in case, and go find where Hahn is," Dr Webber said.

Timeskip

Ray had begun to freak out in the ambulance.

"Please, please. I-I can't be in here! I'm gonna die in here!" Ray yelled.

"No, no, Ray, Ray! Ray, you can't do that. You have to stay perfectly still. You cannot move," Dr Webber said.

"Ray, look at me. Don't look at Stan. Look at me. You are not gonna die today, okay? Say it!" Meredith said.

"I'm not gonna die," Ray said.

"You are not going to die today," Meredith said.

"He'll need a pericardiocentesis if it's a tamponade, but we need to get an ultrasound to be sure," Dr Webber said.

"I'll do it," I said.

"Shut up. Don't be stupid. I'm going in," Meredith said.

"Meredith..." Dr Webber and I said.

"I can fit and I owe you. My father gave you a black eye," Meredith said. Once Webber agreed Meredith started slowly climbing into the ambulance through the window.

"Take it slow, Grey. There's ... there's glass all around you," Webber said.

"Here," I handed her some equipment.

"We're losing him, chief," Meredith called.

"Okay, get in there, Grey. Don't worry about Stan. Just get in there," I said.