[ 1x03 winning a battle, losing the war - part 1 ]
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Mackenzie was comfortably asleep, no dreams clouding her deep sleep. The door creaked open and a light shone on her face. She tried to ignore it, but a finger poked her shoulder.
"What?" she grumbled, trying to ignore whoever was interrupting some of the best sleep she's gotten in a while.
"I think I saw a rat in the attic," whispered George.
She opened her eyes and saw George's disheveled hair and frightened eyes above her. She glanced at the clock. It was two in the morning; she had at least three more hours of sleep. "And what do you want me to do about it?"
George couldn't seem to find the words. "I - um, I just thought-"
"Get in and put a pillow between us," she answered for him. George was never going to get a girl if he couldn't form a coherent sentence in front of one.
Mackenzie closed her eyes and tried to settle back into the bed. She felt the bed dip behind her, George getting in as well. Her mind brought back a memory that was buried deep in her brain, one out of many she decided to lock away after med school. As she closed her eyes, the memory came flooding back all too quickly
The apartment was quiet as Mackenzie slept, another day of classes wearing her out. Her other roommate - who she got placed with at the beginning of the semester - was snoring lightly in the other room.
Her phone rang on her bedside and although she could hear it in the depths of her mind, she ignored it, wanting to get as much sleep she could before another day of classes. Once it rang again, she had to wake up. It must be important.
She opened her phone. "Hello?"
"Kenzie," Alex's voice cracked as he answered. "Please come open your door."
He hung up right after and Mackenzie quickly got up from her bed. Making sure she didn't wake up her roommate, she tiptoed to the front door and opened it. Alex stood before her, his eyes a deep red. He rarely looked like this, only when...
"Come to my room," she said, putting an arm around his waist and bringing him to her room. She sat him down on her bed, placing a hand in his, her other running slowly through his hair. He was shaking beneath her."Take your time."
She learned to give him a couple of seconds, even minutes, to talk about what happened. He wasn't the most open guy; it took a while for him to finally tell Mackenzie about his past about six months into their relationship. It was horrific: him traveling from foster home to foster home and having a deadbeat dad and mentally ill mother.
It explained his panic attacks he had once every few months when he had to go and visit his family to check up on them and do some bills. She never brought up the subject of family as her's wasn't as great, but even if it was great, she wouldn't remind Alex of his undesirable past.
It had to have been a couple minutes of Mackenzie comforting him before he spoke. "I think I saw my dad."
Mackenzie's breath hitched. "Are you sure..."
"I think so," said Alex with a flat tone, like he had saw a dead body. "He looked the same, just a bit older."
Mackenzie's heart clenched at the flash of pain that crossed her boyfriend's face. "What happened after you saw him?"
Another moment of silence.
"I wanted to kill him," he stated. She flinched at the word 'kill', but knew he was more violent with his choice of words when it came to his dad. "Then, I thought of you and I didn't go over to him. I left and came here."
Mackenzie hugged him, wishing she could transfer some of his pain to her. Her hugging however did seem to work as he stopped shaking under her.
"Can I..."
"You can stay here tonight," she finished for him. "Come on."
Alex stayed at her apartment a majority of the week, so he had clothes and bathroom essentials here at all times. They were in the early talks of moving in together next semester.
Mackenzie laid back down and Alex wrapped an arm around her as she rested her head on his chest.
"You're the only person I care about in this world," his angelic voice soothed her and she moved in closer to him. "You have a place in my heart no one could ever have."
Alex had never gotten this vulnerable with her. She could tell he feared the future and settling down, but with this, she took it as a good sign that he was hopefully leaning in the direction of forever with her.
Soon enough, Alex's breathing became light and he was fast asleep. Mackenzie felt secure in his arms, like nothing would ever hurt her when she was with him.
Little did she know the man who held her heart would be the one to crush it.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Mackenzie's morning was busier than she anticipated. The "Dead Baby" Bike Race was today and it brought in many injured bike riders with bone fractures, scrapes, and bruises from all over. George had explained what the race was with many details; he was eager that everyone's attention was on him finally.
Bailey came up to the interns once they had put on their yellow trauma gowns. She sent George to the O.R to help with Chief Webber and Mackenzie felt a pang of jealousy go through her. Her face meant business and everyone went quiet. "Okay, people, rules of trauma: don't mingle with the E.R interns - they don't know their ass from their esophagus. Sew fast, discharge faster. Get bodies up to the O.R. And don't let me catch you fighting over patients. Got it? Come on. Let's go."
Once they turned the corner, everyone gasped. Groaning of injured patients and all the doctors swiftly going through each patient was all Mackenzie could see.
Cristina was practically drooling at the scene in front of her. "Oh, it's like candy, but with blood, which is so much better!"
Mackenzie scanned the crowd, eyeing for any patient that popped out at her. She spotted a man to her left and something pulled her over to him.
"Later losers," she whispered and walked swiftly over to the man.
"Hi! I'm Dr.Sloan and I'll be treating you today," she stated, already doing examinations on his body.
"Stupid guy in front swerved right into me," he groaned, holding onto his shoulder. "We bumped heads and when I hit the concrete my shoulder popped."
Mackenzie nodded and examined his pupils with her flashlight. She grew concerned. "I'm going to get you a C.T and a neuro consult. Can I have your name?"
"Lewis Ortega."
That name struck a familiar part of her brain. She studied his face, trying to see past the scrapes. "Pardon me, but I swear I know that name from somewhere."
Lewis studied her face as well. "What was your first name again."
"Mackenzie."
A smile flashed across his face. "Mackenzie Sloan! God, how could you forget your first boyfriend?"
"Your first what?"
Mackenzie spun around and saw Alex looking at the two of them. He was in the middle of suturing up a guy with a nasty cut on his arm.
"Stay out of this," she told him, shutting the curtain between the beds. She turned back to him, "I'm so sorry I forgot, it's been a while."
"No worries," he chuckled. "You look just as beautiful as the last time I saw you."
"My god," Alex's voice was muffled by the curtain.
Lewis smirked and ignored the doctor who kept making comments. "I can see you're living the dream."
"And you're...biking?" she asked. "Much different from being a lawyer."
"I always take a couple of weeks off for this race," said Lewis. "Have some fun. Get injured. Let myself heal up. Then, go back to work and do it next year."
Back in their more prestigious lives in New York, Mackenzie and Lewis were sort of a "golden couple". They both came from rich families, but Lewis' was more well-put together than Mackenzie's. They dated for most of high school before moving on with their lives when they went to very different colleges. It was a mutual break up, but he'd always be known as her first boyfriend.
"I see Mark sometimes," he said. "He asks about you and how you're doing."
She scoffed. "He should text me that himself."
Lewis nodded. "That's what I tell him, but he always waves me off. He's kept to himself."
Not the only guy in my life who's like that Mackenzie thought. One of them was right behind the curtain.
"As much as I'd love to talk more, we need to get you in for a C.T," said Mackenzie.
She was about to get another doctor to help, but Lewis grabbed her arm. "Is there any way you'd go on a date with me after I get out of here? Not a date date, but just to catch up..."
Mackenzie was taken aback by his offer. She could see behind his eyes that he really wanted this to be a romantic type of date. She flipped back and forth between answers, the wound from Alex still jabbing at her heart some.
The curtain flew back behind her and Alex pushed up the bars on his bed. "Alright, Lewis, I'll roll you to C.T."
"Alex!" she tried to push him away, but he was too strong for her.
"Just helping my fellow intern out," Alex smiled.
Mackenzie followed him to C.T, but made sure to page Derek as she went up as the pupils not dilating worried her a bit
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
lewis ortega is played by joe keery
there will also be more alex & mackenzie flashback scenes as this season progresses
hope you all are liking it so far!