It was now 2 weeks since the accident and Megan up, walking, and getting stronger by the day and Megan had only seen the girls a few times since that day she gave Todd the Divorce papers. Megan was now home which meant that she was back living with her mother and Megan knew that she had to get out of there so she called Sam Todd's real estate agent friend.
"Hi Sam its Megan, I know I shouldn't be calling you but, I need to find an apartment and you're the number one real estate in Philly" Megan said
"Hi Megan, it's no bother Look I'm sorry what happened with you and Todd" Sam sympathised
"It's fine"
"So what were you looking for in particular?" Sam got out his folder and started look at the apartments that were for sale
"Well a three bedroom apartment that's close to work and the girls school"
"In that case I have 2 gorgeous apartments that might catch your eye so... how about you come by the office in let's say half an hour I can round up some information and photos for you to have a look at?" Sam looked at the clock on the wall.
"That sounds great, thank you so much Sam" Megan put the phone down and smiled hoping today she would find a nice apartment so she could escape her mother once again and having her own apartment would mean she would have a better chance at winning the custody battle which was in a few days time.
Megan grabbed her keys, got into her car and started for the real estate office that Sam managed
"Hi I was looking for-"Megan started asking the receptionist before Sam cut her off
"Megan right on time" he went up and kissed her cheek "lovely to see you come this way" Megan followed him into his office "please have a seat can I get you coffee?"
"No thank you" she smiled sweetly
"So here is the first one" Sam handed Megan the information and photos, after a few minutes of flicking through deciding it was not for her
"I don't think this is quite what I am looking for Sam it's nice but not quite right" Megan handed Sam back the paper work.
"This is number two which Is similar to the first one it's local and not far from the girls school and not far from work but it's a different design and shape also a bit bigger" Megan took the information and began rifling through it all, what she saw was perfect
"I love it Sam, how is this place available?"
"Well it just went up on the market only an hour ago so not many people have seen it"
"I love it, I will take it" Megan beamed
"You haven't see it "Sam chuckled because that was the thing he liked about Megan if she saw something she wanted she had to have it
"Well I have seen the photos... so how quick can you sort it out?" Megan asked
"How about a couple of days?" Megan put on a bright smile
"How about Tomorrow"
Sam chuckled "I will try Megan" Sam got up and shook her hand
"It was good seeing you again Sam and thanks for all your help"
Megan made her way home feeling a bit better than before and made herself a cup of coffee only to feel her hands go numb making her drop her mug full of hot coffee
"Shit" Megan tried bring the feeling back to her hands and wriggled her fingers but they were still numb but minutes later, they came back so she put the numbness to the back of her mind, cleaned the mess, made a new cup of coffee then went into her room and studied for her first operation back at work. The operation was in a few days time so she studied whenever she could which helped take her mind of the up and coming custody battle for the girls.
-
Megan was sitting on the couch reading when she heard a knock at the door she ignored it thinking it was one of her mother's friends
"Megan be a dear and get the door would you?' Joan called from her office
She signed before putting her book down and walking towards the door to see Sam standing there with a big grin on his face
"Sam what are you doing here?" Megan asked confused
"Hmm something to do with your new apartment maybe...."
"Oh my god really?" Megan could not believe her ears
Sam smiled before handing Megan the keys and some paperwork "sign these and drop them off at the office in the next couple of days"
"Thank you so much" Megan could not stop smiling
As soon as Sam left Megan went in search of the phone book after minutes of pulling apart the kitchen draws she found it, searching for removal companies finding a cheap and fast company she rang one
"So when do you need the truck to come by miss?" a gruff voice asked over the phone
"Is four ok?" she asked
"Someone will be there at four goodbye"
Megan hung up then looked at her watch she had two hours to pack that will be enough time I only have clothes and a few bits of furniture as Todd the asshole kept everything she thought to herself
"Mom where are the moving boxes?" Megan called from the kitchen
"In the garage, why?" Joan came out of her office
"Thanks" Megan ran towards the door that lead to the garage "I'm moving out in a few hours"
Joan stood shocked one moment her baby was moving in with her the next she was moving out again.
Megan met the removal truck at her new house it took them around half an hour to move all her things inside and in the middle of the open living room and kitchen, she wrote them out a check and then walked over to the massive window in her living room that over looked the city. Once Megan had unpacked a bit, she slumped down on her sofa with a glass of wine and looked round with a satisfying smile upon her face.
-
The day of the custody battle came faster than expected for Megan took a deep breath before stepped into the court with her lawyer at side while Todd was representing himself so he sat alone. The judge came into the room and everyone stood up and then sat down seconds later.
Megan glanced over at Todd who was staring straight ahead then back at the judge.
"Today's case Mr Fleming verse Dr Megan Hunt over the residence of their 2 children Maddie 9 and lacey 7," the judge read out to the court.
"That is correct your honour" Todd said approaching the bench.
Through the whole case, Todd gave his version of events and then Megan's lawyer spoke up on her behalf.
"Your honour my client has a stable job and a more than suitable place for both girls to live" Megan lawyer, said.
"Your honour if I may?" Todd spoke up
"Yes Mr Fleming?"
"Dr Hunt may have a more than suitable place for the girls to live but she has a very demanding Job that would take up majority of her time she even told me herself," Todd said glancing at Megan who shook her head at Todd.
"How would you know that would happen Mr Fleming?" the judge asked
"Well your honour there has been many times where Dr Hunt has missed events like her daughters second birthday and many times where she was unable to pick her own children up from school because she was busy at work"
"Dr Hunt do you have anything to say about that statement?"
Megan slowly stood up on shaky legs "Your honour Todd- Mr Fleming and I work the same hours so I don't see how that plays a part in any of this"
"and yet I was there for every play date, school event I was there every day to pick them up and I was there telling them why their mother wasn't tucking them in or kissing them good night""
After several words passed backwards and forwards through the court, the judge spoke up "alright there will be a twenty minute recess while I go over everything and make my decision"
Megan went outside needing air she walked over to a quite bit near a garden bench and sat down unable to stop the tears so she just let them come out. Megan sat for a good ten minutes sobbing her heart out over this whole situation, taking a deep breath she wiped away the tears and made her way to the ladies bathroom, where she wiped away the tears and then replied her makeup. Once she looked half-decent, she started for the room where her fate would be decided but Todd blocked her way at the doors
"Look Megan I'm sorry but I think this is the right decision"
Megan just glared at him pushing past him and into the room; not wanting to talk to the man who was taking away her children for that reason and another was she was afraid that she would start crying again but not being able to stop herself this time.
The judge was silent for a moment, which was making Megan's heart race, and then the judge spoke
"The court rules in favour of.... Mr Fleming, Dr Hunt you will have Lacey and Maddie every second weekend where you pick them up from school Friday and then drop them off first thing at their fathers Mr Flemings on Sunday and if you are unable to do this simple task Mr Fleming will gain full custody of your daughters" the judge slammed down the hammer
Megan cried out while Todd looked please, Megan got up and as fast as she could left the court house not wanting to be anywhere near it tears streaming from her face as soon as she was outside she collapsed to her knees and burred her face in her hands sobbing so hard it hurt
Todd followed Megan making sure she was alright but the sight he saw broke his heart he had never seen her so broken he stopped watching he for a moment before slowly making his way over to her "Megan are you alright?" he asked in a soft voice
She stopped crying and stood up not bothering to wipe away the tears that this man had cause and looked him right in the eye "you have destroyed my life taking away my children and all but, you know other than that I'm fine" sarcasm dripping from every word one last glare at him she turned on her heels and made her way to her car where she cried until no more tears fell.
When Megan got home the last thing she expected was too she her mother sitting in her kitchen drinking wine
"I heard" Joan got up and hugged her daughter
Megan would normally pull away but she was too weak and at that moment, she needed a hug, someone to tell her it will be all right in the morning
After a few minutes Megan slowly pulled away "a man who works the same hours as the mother is a good provider and a mother works the same hours is what we call an absentee mother" Megan quoted the judge "that's what he said the judge can you believe that" slumping down on the couch she kicked her shoes off and closed her eyes wanting it all to just go away
-
It was now the day of the big operation for Megan had rehearsed the operation so many times she was feeling very confident, Megan scrubbed in for the operation on Mary Alice who had a tumour on the optic nerve, which was an extremely dangerous operation meaning if anything went wrong it would kill the patient not matter how big or small it was.
"scalpel" Gwen handed Megan the scalpel, things were going well and Megan was feeling confident that she could remove it all but suddenly she felt the numbness come over her hands just as she was extracting the last piece which was the most tricky part, Mary Alice's stats began to fall and panic hit the room and she went into respiratory arrest and flat lined on the table before anyone could do anything about it, Everyone tried to revive the young girl but there was no hope she was gone. Megan took one last look at the young girls pale face before storming out of the OR chucking her mask to the floor and rushing through the hospital passing nurses, patients and doctors until she was outside, it was raining heavily so it wasn't long before she was soaked but not caring she stood in the rain letting it fall on her face and Megan for the first time after losing a patient she sobbed.
First, she lost her children to her career and now she had lost her career. Megan walked back into the hospital and went to see the family to tell them what happened then she would see the CEO of the hospital and inform them of her error and how she was closing down her practice.
Megan saw Mary's mother sitting in the relative room so she walked in, sat down next to Mary's mother Pam, and took her hand in her own.
Looking at her with a hopeful face "I'm sorry Pam but ... Alice "Megan never got to say anything more because Pam burst into tears.
"How...I thought you said... everything would be fine..." Pam managed between sobs
"I'm sorry Pam... It was my error that cause Mary's operation to fail and again I'm so sorry" Megan went to walk out leaving a very distressed mother with one last look behind her she made her way to the CEO 's office.
Megan told the CEO everything and she told her that there would be an enquiry and that she was suspended but Megan told her there and then that she was closing down her practice, before leaving she gave Megan a card with a name and number
Megan read the name "Dr Kate Murphy?"
"She's a good friend of mine and I have heard rumour's she's looking for a new ME so if you're interested give her a call"
-
Megan had lost her daughters to her career and now lost her career as a neurosurgeon all because of one mistake on that dull and rainy day in Philly.
Megan sat on her sofa with a glass of wine like most nights that's what she normally would do just sitting and looking out at the city but tonight she decided to make a call that would possibly change her life.
"Kate Murphy"
"Hi I'm Megan... Megan Hunt"