𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐋𝐔𝐕? ─ Jackson Avery

⸻ eight

      "OK, HOLD IT STEADY. CHANG, GET IN THERE," Owen said as they slowly and carefully tried to maneuver the fish hook out of the patient, Walter's, ribs. Her yellow trauma gown was splattered with blood, as were everybody else's. 

"What do we have?" Teddy asked as she entered the room. "Oh my god."

"Here we go," Owen said before using the red bolt cutters to cut off a good chunk of the fishing hook. 

"Fishing boat accident," Meredith told her. "Something fell on him." 

"And the hook?" Teddy asked, placing her stethoscope in her ears. 

"Looks like he fell on it," Derek said as he watched the monitors. Suddenly, they began beeping rapidly.

"Pressure's at 68 systolic," Owen reported.

"Tracheal deviation," Teddy said, holding her stethoscope to his chest, "and absent breath sounds. Get me a 14-gauge needle." 

"Right behind you." Jackson brought her the needle and Walter's son, Doug, appeared in the doorway.

"Dad? What are you doing to him?" Doug asked.

"Grey, get him out of here," Owen ordered and Lexie tried to lead him back to his room. Walter groaned but Doug still wouldn't leave.

"Dad I—I don't know what happened," Doug sputtered out. "I had the rope in my hand one minute, and—"

"Doug, come on," Alex cut him off, appearing behind him.

"No!" Doug refused. "I did this. I—I'm sorry. Dad, I'm so sorry." 

"It's ok, it's not your fault," Lexie tried to assure him.

"Of course it's his fault?" Walter shouted, beginning to sit up. Sage and Jackson quickly pushed him down but that didn't stop him from reprimanding his son. "I was thrown on top of this shark hook because he let go of the rope. Who the hell's fault is it?" 

"I think we should leave the hook in before we get to the O.R.," Sage observed. "He'll lose too much blood too fast."

"Dr. Chang is right," Owen agreed. "Leave it in until we get upstairs." 

"I'm feeling a depressed skull fracture," April said, feeling around the man's head. 

"All right. Go ahead and order a head C.T.," Derek told her.

"Right away, chief." 

Jackson glanced at Sage with a playfully gleam in his eyes and tried to hide a grin.