Survivor

Chapter Twenty-Five

The loud blaring of monitors causes Meredith to sit up sharply from where she was, dozing on a couch in Olivia's ICU room. After years of being a surgeon and middle of the night 911 pages, she's wide awake and alert in an instant.

Lindsey stands from her seat, a look of shock on her face as her bloodshot eyes widen in horror. Meredith is on her feet by the side of the bed, eyes glued to the monitor connected to Olivia's bed.

"Stats are dropping! Can I get some help here?" She shouts, moving to check Olivia's fresh surgical scar on her leg. Maggie had gone to get coffee, and Derek is now standing next to Lindsey, staring at Meredith with his jaw hanging open, terrified. Nurses rush in quickly, taking in the scene and moving to assist Meredith.

"Help her! Help her, please!" The blonde begs, her voice cracking.

Before Meredith can respond, the monitor flatlines. Slamming a hand on the code button, without thinking she begins chest compressions. Over the intercom, the code blue is announced to the whole floor and the crash team comes bursting in through the doors, followed quickly by Callie.

"What the hell happened?" The ortho surgeon demands, moving to Olivia's leg. She inhales sharply when she sees it. "Compartment syndrome, the femoral repair didn't hold."

"She's in V-Fib! Paddles!" Meredith commands, glancing at the monitors as paddles are placed into her hands by a nurse.

"Meredith, we need to relieve the pressure from her leg!" Callie argues. 

"It's not going to matter if she has a leg if she's dead!"

"We're not going to get her back with her leg in this condition!"

"Meredith, shock her. If we don't get her back after one Callie will relieve the pressure and we'll try again." Cristina's voice effectively ends the argument from the doorway where she stands, having just arrived. They don't have time to be yelling at each other right now. The other doctors snap into action.

"Charge to two hundred. Clear!" The shock jolts through Olivia's body.

"No change. Scalpel!" Callie holds her arm out and a nurse places the instrument into her gloved, expert hand. The Latina quickly reopens Olivia's surgical incision, and blood comes flooding out, all over the floor and her shoes.

"Oh my god," Lindsey has to turn away, her stomach rolling. Derek shields her, turning his gaze away as well. Blood doesn't sit well with him, especially when it's pouring like a waterfall from his agent. Cristina instantly shows them out of the room and Lindsey quickly empties the little contents of her stomach into the nearest trash can.

"Charge again!" Meredith demands as soon as Callie gives the okay. "Clear!"

No change.

"Charge to three hundred!" Meredith orders again, tears in her eyes.

Flatline.

Meredith goes to continue compressions as Callie holds pressure on the leg, but when there's no change after a minute, the room seems to still.

"No! No, we're not giving up! We're not going to let her die! Olivia has to live! She's stronger than this she-" Meredith is cut off as Cristina moves her away from Olivia's body, the hollow sound of a flatline fills the room, and tears flow steadily from Meredith. Callie steps forward, glancing at her watch.

"Time of death, 5:17." She announces solemnly.

A scream can be heard from outside, and Lindsey collapses into a ball, viciously sobbing as Cristina pulls Meredith from the room, still crying as well.