Remedy

Just Like a Pill

Amelia was scrubbing in for a surgery when she got the call. Meredith was also assisting in the surgery so she was scrubbing in as well.
"Scarlett's fine, right?" Amelia asked in a worried tone. Then, before letting Meredith breathe a word, she added,
"I mean she usually answers her texts instantly. She's constantly on her phone. What teenager isn't? You don't think she doing drugs, do you?"
Meredith just gave her a look and said,
"So, she didn't answer right away. That doesn't automatically mean she's doing drugs."
"But still. It's been almost fifteen minutes," Amelia explained as she finished scrubbing her hands.
Before Meredith could reply, Levi, the intern who Amelia gave her phone to to watch walked in. The phone was buzzing.
"You told me to bring you your phone when Scarlett responded. She's calling you right now," Levi said and held up the phone.
"Answer it and put it on speaker," Amelia told him. She couldn't use her hands since she just finished washing them. Levi did what he was told.
"Hello?" Amelia asked when Levi held the phone up.
"Dr. Shepherd?" Scarlett asked in a broken voice. Instantly, Amelia knew something was wrong.
"Scarlett, what's going on?" Amelia wanted to know. Scarlett sniffled on the other side before saying,
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do it anymore. This is too hard."
Amelia took the phone out of Levi's hand and took it off speaker phone. Then she turned to Meredith and said,
"Someone has to page Tom. I can't do this surgery anymore."
Then she walked out and put the phone up to her ear and said,
"Okay, where are you?"

Within ten minutes, Amelia pulled up to the bus station to find Scarlett sitting all by herself clutching the bottle of pills in her hand. Amelia got out of the car and took a seat next to Scarlett.
"Please. Let me get high just this once. I had a really bad night," Scarlett pleaded with tears in her eyes.
"Scarlett. Why don't we talk first?" Amelia asked.
"I can't do this anymore," Scarlett said to her.
"You can't do what anymore?" Amelia asked, eying the pill bottle nervously.
"I don't know. Life?" Scarlett said, but she phrased it as more of a question.
"Can I see the bottle please?" Amelia asked softly. Scarlett nodded silently and loosened her grip on the bottle, giving Amelia permission to take the pills from her. Dr. Shepherd carefully took the bottle away from her and then pulled her into a hug. Scarlett finally let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. Then the water works started again.
"You're okay," Amelia told her in a soothing voice as she rubbed her back.
Scarlett began to shake as she cried.
"You did the right thing by calling," Amelia assured her. When Scarlett calmed down enough, Amelia pulled back and asked,
"Did you eat dinner?"
Scarlett wiped away her tears and shook her head.
"Alright. Well, let's go then," the woman said and stood up. Scarlett stood up and sniffled. Then Amelia walked around and got in her car and Scarlett did the same.

Amelia drove Scarlett back to the house and the whole car ride, Scarlett explained what happened at her house.
"I can't go back there," Scarlett said at the end of her story.
"Do you have any other family in the area?" Amelia asked.
"My grandparents are the closest, but they live in California," Scarlett explained.
As Amelia pulled up to her house, Scarlett asked,
"Wait where are we?"
"We're at my place. You can stay here tonight," Amelia told her.
"Really?" Scarlett asked.
"Yeah. I live with my two sisters and their kids so I'm sure there's enough room for one more," Amelia said with a small smile as she got out.

Maggie was in the kitchen preparing dinner while the kids were watching a show in the living room.
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be in surgery?" Maggie asked when Amelia walked into the house.
"Something came up," Amelia told her. Then Maggie looked passed her and her eyes widened when she saw Scarlett.
"Oh hi," Maggie said with a forced smile. She didn't realize Scarlett was standing there.
"Scarlett will be staying here tonight," Amelia stated and gave Maggie a look.
"Great. I hope you like pizza," Maggie said with a nervous smile as she held up the pizza dough she was making.