Through Love Alone

45: Alex

Meredith POV:

It wasn't often that Addie and I collaborated on a surgery together. But when we did? Well, it always found its own ways to get interesting. Tonight, Addie and I were both scrubbing in on a surgery to remove a tumor from a woman's liver while also maintaining the health of her unborn baby.

Since it was a Friday night, Cora was out at her friends house while Amelia watched over Clara at her place. So, even though we had a surgery to complete, it was still a child free night!

"Celebrate after?" Addison asked, as we walked down the hall to scrub in.

"Of course," I smiled. "Let's make sure we have something to celebrate first," I added, not wanting to lose touch of the seriousness of the situation.

"Mer," she paused, putting her hand on my shoulder. "Have some confidence. You know that this surgery is not above what you're capable of. What we're both capable of."

"I know," I smiled, placing my hand on top of hers and gently bringing them both back down to hang. "We just have to stay focused. I mean, you're used to operating with your other world in your mind by now. Me? I'm still adjusting."

"What other world?" She asked.

"You know, the world with our family," I answered. "I mean, I used to have Derek to come home to. And before that I had the intern frat house. But they were always at work too. I'm not used to the separation we have now. The kids are in a totally separate world. It's hard to keep it that way."

"I know what you mean," she said comfortingly, moving her hand back up to the small of my back while we paused at the nurses station. "You just have to remind yourself that the kids are safe and happy. Clara's with her Aunt and Cora's with her friends. And we'll be back with them."

"Life's not always so full of loss," she added, breaking the silence. "Life's been unfair to you. Life's unfair to everyone: that's a fact. But it's been especially unfair to you. But you have to live for now, just knowing what you know and living in the moment. And right now, you have me and our patient to look after. And that much isn't changing. Not right now."

"Okay," I said softly.

"Okay," she said, taking my hand once more as we picked up our pace to the scrub room.

*

"Okay, Mrs. Evans," Addison said once everything was all set in the OR. "Are you feeling ready?"

"Yea," she sighed. "Yes I'm ready. Well, can you walk me through it one more time?"

"Of course," she smiled. "First, Dr. Grey is going to make a small incision right here," she said, pointing to the area. "And then, once she's near the liver, she'll work slowly to excise the mass. We want to get the whole tumor, but that's just our goal. We can go back in if we have to. And I will be here the whole time to make sure your little bean is safe and sound."

One of the many things that I love about Addison is how she's no different with her patients than she is with Clara or I. Well, of course she's professional, but she talks to them like family. She never asserts herself as if she's smarter than them, or more powerful. She just talks them through it all.

"Okay," Mrs. Evans said.

"Alright," I smiled. "Go ahead and count back from ten."

"Ten, nine, eight," she began, as the anesthesia quickly took over and brought her to rest.

I stood on the right side of the table, with Addison directly across from me. Bohkee, my favorite scrub nurse, stood right beside me. Bohkee had been with me almost my entire surgical career. She's one of my oldest friends. A few years back, her family had brought her back to LA. It was a nice surprise to find her working here. Life's funny that way, I suppose.