"Alrighty... x-rays look good. Rib fractures on the left side are still visible but showing signs of remodeling. Right tibia is doing wonderfully, too, but she will need physical therapy once it is healed. " Abby hums, walking into the room and putting the x-rays on the light box. Clarke stands and joins her as they both look at the scans.
"Told you they did a good job on that." Clarke nods in agreement as they examine the films in front of them.
"They did." Abby hums with a nod back. "And she is already responding well to the reduction of meds I began her on after lunch, too...," Abby continues, finger on her mouth as she studies the films for anything she could've missed. Clarke turns and looks at her mother, dumbfounded by this statement.
"Well, no fucking wonder she was able to fight me so much when I tried to stop reading!" Clarke mutters in disbelief at being told fucking nothing about this and only gets a subtle smirk from her mother, who is still deep in doctor mode.
"I am okay with beginning to slowly prep her for eventual discharge when she is comfortable. As long as she goes home with you to your townhome." Abby concludes, turning with a pointed look at her child.
"Like I would let her go anywhere else in this state," Clarke mutters back like it was obvious.
"Had to check to make sure. I would keep her here longer if she weren't going home with you." Abby admits without hesitation.
"I would, too, for the record. I don't trust her ass not to try something I tell her not to do." Clarke mutters in agreement, sending a snort of laughter out of Abby.
"Did she really try to play off like nothing was wrong like Deb told me she did?" Abby smirks curiously.
"Yep. Even tried to talk me out of it until we drugged her ass so she couldn't anymore." Clarke deadpans.
"God. Worse than your father was." Abby mutters in exasperation.
"I know, right!" Clarke exclaims in agreement.
"I can hear you...." Lexa groggily groans at them as they turn in amusement back at her.
"That's okay. You can't understand a word of it anyway." Clarke grins teasingly, earning a sleepy middle finger shot in her general direction since both Lexa's eyes are still closed.
"Sorry to wake you, honey. Your x-rays just came back and are looking great. So you can go ahead and go back to sleep now." Abby whispers, walking back over to Lexa and protectively pulling up the blankets, tucking the brunette in.
"Mmmm, 'kay..." Lexa mumbles and is already snoring before she can even finish her sentence. It has Clarke struggling to stifle her laughter and a firm smirk on Abby's face.
"I should call Indra...." Clarke thinks out loud, earning a glance of confusion from her mother. "Oh... that's the name of Lexa's assistant at Polis Power and Conservation... brought that big ass basket with the COO and VP or something." She explains with a yawn as Abby hums in recognition. "They are sorta like her family. Next of contact, I guess you could say... other than me." She shrugs with another yawn as she slumps on the couch next to Lexa.
"I'm her doctor today. Why don't you get some rest with Lexa, and I will update the family for you." Abby suggests watching another big yawn erupt from her kid's mouth that all but seals the deal.
"You sure?" Clarke asks, already kicking her shoes off as Abby hands the blankets to her kid.
"Mmhmm... done a thousand of these. Most never have a clue who I actually am anyway." Abby shrugs, earning a smirk from Clarke as she pulls her phone out to send her Mom the contact info.
"Thanks, Mom." Clarke yawns before rolling over and putting her phone on the windowsill.
"No problem. I will call her from my office so you two can rest." Abby whispers and pulls the blankets up over Clarke's shoulders. Kissing her forehead and turning to do the same to Lexa. Earning a smile from the tan face as she snuggles into her bear a bit more. Softly tiptoeing out of the room and notifying the nurses' station not to disturb them before heading up to her office.
Abby sits at her desk, running Lexa's and Indra's names through her computer to familiarize herself with whomever she will be speaking with. At least to find out the last name since her kid just put INDRA, polis power lady. Nothing else, if it is even a man or a woman, she will be speaking to. Clicking on the first website brings her to a web page of the board of directors for the Polis Power and Conservation Company. The first picture she scrolls to has her freezing momentarily as her eyes widen. Reading and re-reading those words over and over again.
Lexa Woods
Founder, Owner, and Chief Executive Officer
"Wait... The entire thing? Seriously?" Abby mutters, somewhat impressed.
Bev mentioned she worked at Polis Energy but working at and OWNING are different things. Up to this point, Abby hadn't even considered searching Lexa's name. With her workload, the doctor barely had time for something like this. Most days are a whirlwind at best. Literally, from the moment she wakes up to the second her head hits the pillow at night. She wouldn't trade it for the world, but it can be exhausting too. Plus, with how many patients come into this hospital, she can barely keep any of them straight anymore as it is. Her brown eyes blink as she sighs and sits back in her chair, impressed by someone as young as Lexa founding an entire power company that literally runs a major city like Polis.
Idly scrolling down, she finds pictures of the COO, and the VP like Clarke told her about. Honestly, she thought her kid was just tired and randomly said the first positions in a big business she could think of. She didn't believe it was real... well, until now, with confirmation in front of her. Both women look to be about the same age as Lexa, give or take a few years. The one under them is the person that brought Abby here in the first place.
Indra Von Trikru
Executive Assistant to CEO
"Von Trikru... interesting." Abby hums and scribbles the last name down on a notepad in front of her. Turning to scroll back to the contact info Clarke sent her before pulling the hospital phone line closer. Carefully dialing the number and leaning back in her chair with a sigh as the line rings.
"Polis Power and Conservation Corporation, this is Indra Von Trikru. How may I direct your call?" An authoritative voice quickly answers, and just like that, Abby decides she likes this woman.
"Yes, this is Dr. Abby Griffin..." Abby replies as the woman goes stark silent on the other end. "... Clarke's mother...." She attempts hoping this helps.
"Clarke?!" The woman asks quickly.
"Yes. That would be my daughter. I took over Lexa's case since I insisted Clarke take family leave while Lexa is healing." Abby voices in a professional tone of voice.
"Oh... well... that was nice of you..." Indra replies in a rather high voice.
"Well, it helps that I am the Chief of Arcadia General...." Abby chuckles back softly.
"Arkadia..." Indra states unfamiliarly.
"The hospital where Lexa is currently being treated. Arkadia General Hospital..." Abby clarifies with a raise of an eyebrow.
"OHHH... right..." Indra exclaims, shaking her head, trying to clear the shock she just received at this single unexpected phone call. "And you're the chef?" Indra mutters back absentmindedly.
"No, no... Chief means I run the hospital." Abby chuckles with a smirk.
"... the entire thing?" Indra mutters back in disbelief.
"Yep. The entire thing." Abby laughs with a nod.
"Huh... well, that would be convenient." Indra agrees, dumbfounded.
"Especially when your kid comes in with an injured fiancé you knew NOTHING about," Abby mutters in exasperation.
"You knew nothing either, huh?" Indra asks with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"NOT A SINGLE THING! Don't tell me they didn't tell you either!?" Abby exhales incredulously.
"Nope. Never said a word... which is quite impressive since it's hard to sneak stuff past me...." Indra admits.
"Woman after my own heart." Abby nods with a smirk.
"Can't say I am surprised, though. Lexa has always liked to keep things to herself. A little stunned, yes. But not all that surprised in the end." Indra admits with a deep sigh.
"Mmmm... Clarke is the same way sometimes. Other times it's the total opposite. Honestly, it's a bit like whiplash." Abby mutters, rolling her eyes and hearing a chortle at the other end of the line.
"I could see that from meeting her the other day," Indra admits with a smirk. "One minute saying nothing of value, the next saying far too much than you really want to hear."
"Yep. That would be my kid. Far too much like her father." Abby admits. "Which reminds me. Clarke mentioned just a couple of minutes ago wanting to call you to update you on how Lexa is doing."
"Everything okay?" Indra asks, notably worried.
"Oh yes. Everything is fine! Clarke just looked so exhausted when she said it, so I offered to do it for her as the current doctor on Lexa's case. Just to let the two of them get some sleep." Abby explains calmly.
"Looked that way the other day, too," Indra notes in agreement.
"It can be hard to get a good night's sleep here at the hospital if you aren't a patient... That is why I wanted Clarke to take family leave until Lexa heals. To be honest, it was one of the first policies I passed as chief surgeon." Abby professionally discloses.
"I can't wait to bring them home," Indra admits in a motherly tone.
"That is what Clarke, and I were talking about today, actually. We did a re-scan on Lexa to check how the healing progress was coming along. And both are coming along wonderfully. Still broken but showing signs of clear healing already, which is what we want to see. Her responding well to treatment and her pain medications made me feel comfortable to begin getting her ready to discharge to go home in the next couple days..." Abby discloses.
"Really, so soon?" Indra asks in surprise.
"Well, granted they go back to Clarke's townhome. It's literally right down the street from the hospital and also conveniently comes with the surgeon who did the surgery watching after her own fiancé. Otherwise, I would keep her at the hospital longer." Abby admits honestly.
"I have to admit having Clarke there to help when Lexa is allowed to come home... especially with all her injuries I saw... It would really help my anxiety level. I was hoping that she would stay with Lexa for some time after, to be honest." Indra sighs in agreement.
~~~
When Indra and Abby finally hang up with one another, Indra stays in the same spot for quite a while. Contemplating all the thoughts swarming in her head. Griffin. That name did not come with the word trust. Ever. Yet, she couldn't help liking Clarke's mother. It was like meeting the mother-in-law for Indra. She had always considered Lexa, Anya, and Luna her own children, despite never being legally allowed to adopt them. Not being a young single mother who got pregnant at 16 and could barely make ends meet. Regardless, she had always treated them as her kids and still does to this day. Ensuring they were clothed, fed, educated, and cared for to the best of her ability. Even when it was hard, and money was tight. Each came to her tiny apartment when they aged out of the system at 18. They stayed together through the years as a pack. A family of their own making, regardless of what the paperwork said.
After meeting Clarke in the hospital, even Indra couldn't deny the connection she sensed between them. And Indra NEVER got the vibe she usually did from someone she needed to be wary of. And after this long, her instincts were always right. Plus, Lexa was alone with her several times that day when they visited her. If Lexa was in trouble and fearful of being there, there is NO doubt in Indra's mind that Lexa would have never hesitated to speak up at that moment. I mean, she even disclosed that Clarke had saved her life. Something Indra inherently knew she had never voiced to any other living soul until then. Indra could read it all over that child's face. That is why she had hugged Clarke before they left. She could tell there was something there. That Clarke might know more than she was leading on, but she couldn't prove it. Just had a feeling, which is precisely why the fear that radiates through her with that last name hits so hard. If Clarke DOES know, these are dangerous waters. So, after relentlessly going back and forth in her mind, Indra finally gives up. Ordering that phone to be expressed and shipped to Lexa's hospital room.
~~~
Abby is lounging at the nurses' station reading her book when a very nervous-looking young man wearing a package delivery uniform turns down their hallway, pushing a towering pile of packages on a dolly. Packages fall to the floor every couple of steps in a loud ruckus. There is a groan as the dolly is heaved back up right before a scrawny young man with red hair and freckles quickly moves in front of the dolly to pick up the packages. Moving again behind the dolly and grunts as the heavily laden dolly leans back towards the man and continues down the hall. Every couple of steps, this process repeats itself, much to all the nurses' and Abby Griffin's amusement. Abby had been camped behind the nurses' station reading while her kid and Lexa slept. Visiting and answering questions casually as she waits without a care in the world.
By the time the red-faced young man approaches the counter, it's been a solid ten minutes. The nurse smirks at the young man, having watched the entire escapade with nothing else to do other than the paperwork she had been avoiding.
"May I help you?" Arlene asks, smirking.
"I have a package here for...." The young man begins and pauses to look down at his clipboard. "Ms. Alexandria Woods, Room 803."
"Miss Woods is sleeping at the moment and is not to be disturbed. You can leave it here, and we will deliver it to her when she wakes up." Arlene informs him casually and looks back down at her paperwork.
"Umm... But they paid for the express premium shipment." The young man voices back, frowning at the clipboard.
"Good for them, now just leave it here, and we will give it to Miss Woods when she wakes up," Arlene repeats, not even looking up from her paperwork.
"I appreciate the gesture, Ma'am, but I can't do that." The young man says firmly, and Arlene looks up with eyebrows raised at him, right along with the rest of the people behind the nurses' station. "I am sorry. I don't mean to be rude. But I am not allowed to hand over her package to anyone but Miss Woods. The instructions were clear, and I can't afford to lose this job. I have mouths to feed at home." He states firmly despite the waver in his voice.
"Mouths to feed. What are you like...." Arlene mutters, frowning.
"Sixteen, Ma'am. My father died in a car accident that left my mother paralyzed from the waist down a year ago. I have five younger siblings at home, and our coverage is very little. No one else will hire someone as young as me. Trust me. I have tried." The boy urges, looking close to tears.
Abby stands up halfway through the sentence and makes her way to the young boy.
"Matt, is that right," Abby kindly asks, reading off his name tag.
"Yes, Ma'am." The boy nods, standing up straighter.
"I admire your work ethic." Abby compliments with a smile.
"Thank you, Ma'am. They were kind enough to give me the night shift so I could still go to school. It doesn't pay much because I am so young. But it was better than nothing." Matt replies shyly.
"How much is not a lot?" Abby frowns, not liking the sound of that.
"Five dollars an hour," Matt replies as every nurse looks over wide-eyed at the boy.
"I make fifty cents more per package if I deliver them quickly." Matt urges like it seals the deal and magically makes it all better.
"Uh-huh...How about this...." Abby sighs, shaking her head. "You leave the package here. It looks like you still have quite a few packages to deliver in the hospital. Am I correct?" She asks, gesturing with her head to the dolly.
"Yes. I do..." The boy nods slowly, unsure where the conversation is going.
"So when you finish, just stop by our floor on your way out and see if the package is still here. If she is still asleep, I will sign off on it myself. And if your boss doesn't like that, I will hire you myself." Abby states with finality.
"Umm...and... who are you?" Matt asks doubtfully, not seeing a name tag or a nurse uniform on the random woman behind the counter. As far as he knows, this is some random patient talking to him, not someone who works here.
"Dr. Abigail Griffin, Chief of this hospital, and it just so happens that Miss Woods is my future daughter-in-law," Abby smirks in reply as the boy gapes at her.
"Are you really?" He exhales in wide-eyed wonder, setting off the nurses behind her in stifled laughter.
"The one and only." Arlene chortles in confirmation as the boy looks at her. Every nurse behind that counter and a couple of x-ray techs also nod in confirmation.
"Here. This is my business card for confirmation. Now get a move on and deliver the rest of the packages. I will still be here when you finish. My daughter and her fiancé aren't going anywhere anytime soon. I promise." Abby assures as the boy takes her card.
"Gee, thanks. Dr. Griffin." He grins and puts the package behind the counter in front of Arlene. "Give me an hour tops, and I will be back down here," he assures and spins on his heel to push the cart back down the hall.
"It will be sitting here waiting for you," Abby assures as she sits back down to guard said package just like she promised.
"I give him at least two hours." Arlene finally whispers when the boy finally makes it back down the hall, packages spilling over and causing him to have to stop to pick them back up.
"You're on," Abby smirks, turning the page in her book.
~~~
Forty-five minutes later, they hear the squeaks of the wheels on that dolly start to echo down their hallway. Abby grins over at Arlene, who huffs in amusement, standing up to get the poor kid a cold soda from the vending machine. That boy is red-faced and breathing heavily with sweat trickling down his face, but that grin has never been bigger when Arlene hands him the cold soda.
"That is for you from the cafeteria for working so hard." Abby smiles, gesturing to the lunch tray on the counter in front of him.
"Really?!" He asks, stunned.
"Mhmm.. and we already have a bag of sandwiches for your siblings and your mother to take home with you." Abby grins and pulls the paper bag to put on the counter next to him. The boy's eyes almost fall out of his head, and he looks at the chief speechless. "Now, how about you sit down and eat before you leave here, and we talk about this job of yours." Abby voices in an offer and pulls a chair up next to her.
"Okay." Matt nods, grinning with half a sandwich already in his mouth.