Is Forever Enough?

Chapter 56

Addison felt stupid as she sat in her dark office struggling to stop the tears form flowing down her cheeks. She had held it in since admitting Meredith into the hospital and two hours later, she couldn't hold it in any longer. She hated telling any patient bad news, but when the patient was a good friend...it got even more complicated. Leaning her head against the desk she let it hit with a dull thud, the usually confident doctor was anything but sure of herself as she banged her head over and over again. It wasn't hard enough to actually cause pain, but it released some of the tension that had been building up.

"You know...people get admitted to the psych ward for that."

Lifting her head in surprise she looked up to see Mark hovering over her desk. Pushing the hair back behind her ears, she managed to compose herself in order to pretend she hadn't been crying. She wiped her eyes as nonchalantly as possible and asked, "What are you doing here?" He smirked at her and pulled a white tube out from under his lab coat.

"The architect dropped off the latest plans today...I figured you'd want a look before we sent them back." If he noticed her teary eyes, he didn't say anything as he handed her the tube. It was the 5th and he was hoping final version of plans. She had already vetoed 4 others...for various reasons, and he was hoping the new one would pass muster. Nodding her head she just sat the cylinder beside her without a second glance.

That wasn't what he expected, and he looked at her in shock. "Are you ill? You mean you don't want to see if the master bedroom issue got resolved? What about the walk in closet, I think this one is bigger than our whole apartment." He teased, but was actually really serious, the past few times she had practically destroyed the plans trying to eagerly rip them out of the tube. Looking up at him, his playful eyes met her dreary ones and he instantly knew something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" He could tell now that he was looking at her that she had been crying. But, she seemed to be hiding the fact and he didn't want to call her out on it. Clearing her throat she managed to get control of her emotions long enough to tell him about Meredith.

"I had to admit Meredith this morning..." She looked up so that she wouldn't have to see his concerned expression. She wouldn't be able to keep the tears from falling again if she saw him openly worried. Letting out a breath she internally battled with her mind not to cry again. She was strong, she was the best, she could handle anything, at least that's what she told herself. Some would find it sad that she didn't feel comfortable enough to break down in front of her husband, but Addison didn't feel comfortable letting anyone see her not at the top of her game. Mark was the same way, which is why their relationship worked. It was flawed, and abnormal, but made them both happy, and that's really all that mattered.

"You had to admit her? As in, she is now a patient?" He was kind of shocked, and didn't try to hide that fact. Taking in a deep breath the tears finally stopped stinging at her eyes and she felt confident enough to look at her husband.

"That's generally what we call sick people staying here...her high blood pressure has turned into preeclampsia. She almost passed out today it was so high. Thank god someone had some sense to page me." Mark sat down, in confusion and stared at the long forgotten tube that, until seconds before, had been his main concern of the day.

"How come I didn't know about this?"

"I've been back and forth between her room and Mrs. Jenkins all day...I'm sure Derek hasn't left long enough to tell anyone anything."

"I'm the chief!" He huffed and crossed his arms causing her to roll her eyes.

"Well...I'm telling you now. Meredith is here till she delivers...which means you'll probably be sans a department head."

"You think he'll take off?" He asked incredulously.

"Do you know the same Derek I do? He hasn't left her side all day, he nearly killed himself getting down there to see her in the first place...there's no way he'll be working." Mark let out a sigh, knowing it was true. It amused him that his friend got so panicked over things, but he also knew that he'd be the same way if Addison were ever admitted. It was just easier to pretend like he would be calm, cool, and collected Mark.

"True, he can't just take two months off though, he's kind of important.." Addison's features changed immediately and she spoke so softly he almost didn't hear her reply.

"It's not going to be months."

He swallowed hard, knowing she was about to tell him something bad. It was an instinct doctors had. They could read each other's tones easily, it was almost like they practiced in med school how to give bad news easily and effectively while acting like they weren't destroying someone's life. "It wont be?' He questioned, already knowing the answer by her somber expression.

"I'll be surprised if it's weeks." Her words hit him hard and he leaned back in the chair to ponder it in his head.

"But that's..."

"Soon." She finished for him and took the white tube in her hand and slowly undid the lid. The last thing on her mind was the house, but she had to do something to keep her mind off of Mark's worried face. It was going to break her, she'd cry again for sure and knowing she had to meet back with Meredith and Derek she didn't want them to know how upset she was.

"Wow...this is bad." Mark replied, more to himself than to Addison. The full weight of her words were hitting him like a ton of bricks. "How did they take it?"

"Not too great...I don't blame them."

"How bad is it....really?" He asked her, wondering if she had sugar coated things for their anxious friends.

"It's not the worst thing I've seen, but...she won't make it full term...and her blood pressure is still really high if it stays that way we'll have to deliver...there's just no alternative...I'm going to get her started on magnesium tonight, and if it doesn't work..."

"Then you'll induce her?" He asked. The only stuff he knew about obstetrics was what she told him every now and then.

Shaking her head she let out a sigh and looked at the plans she had rolled out onto the desk. "The babies haven't shifted yet, she'll have to have a c-section at this point." He replied to her sigh with his own. He was worried for his friends, they really didn't need anymore drama.

"How is Derek handling it?"

"Do you even have to ask?" She replied arching an eyebrow at him. Her eyes were still scanning the plans, but he could tell she wasn't really reading them.

"Right...no...he's probably already moved into her room."

"He's trying to." She smirked, and rolled them back up so they could fit neatly into the tube.

"How do you plan on keeping Meredith here?"

"She doesn't have a choice in the matter." Addison told him sternly and handed the plans back to him. "These are good. Ask him when he can start."

"What? That's it?" He couldn't believe she said okay to them after just a few minutes...it was so unlike her, but he wasn't about to argue as her other eyebrow shot up. "I told Derek I'd let him see them before we started...he wants to make sure we're not building something crazy.."

"I think Derek has a little too much on his mind right now." She told him honestly, and Mark realized that was probably true.

"You're right, I'm sure he won't mind.." He replied, though something in his head was telling him Derek definitely would not like the house they had chosen. It was nothing like the simplicity of Meredith and Derek's.

Addison was staring off into space again and he stood up knowing he had to get going but not before asking, "Are you ok?" She thought about lying, but he could see right through her anyway. Shaking her head no she leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"It's just...they don't deserve this..." The raw emotion in her voice was unmistakable.

"I know...it's really not fair." He told her in agreement, for once showing just as much emotion as her. He felt for the couple. They were the only family he had, Derek was like a brother to him and he couldn't fathom what would happen if things weren't ok. The air around them tingled with emotion and finally Addison waved him off with a shake of her hand.

"You need to leave before I get upset." He grinned at her despite his obvious sadness.

"I know a few remedies for being upset." His insinuation was not lost on her, but she ignored it and waved him off again.

"Mark, you're on thin ice." She warned, but he could tell by the glimmer that appeared in her eyes that she was anything but angry.

"That's ok...I like ice...you like ice...especially when it's.."

"Go!" She interrupted, not giving him a change to finish what she knew was coming. He walked to the door, throwing the tube up and catching it like a child would throw a ball. But before he made it to the door he turned back to offer one last attempt at humor. It was the only way he knew how to comfort sometimes.

"Since Derek's obviously out of commission for awhile...I was thinking I'd get to work keeping it alive...you know...I'll have sex for the both of us." He had to duck as a pen came flying in his direction and with one finale smirk he left the room, only to have it falter the minute he stepped back out onto the hospital floor. His wife was usually so confident about her skills and her specialty, seeing her shaken up made him think things were worse than they seemed, and he wasn't sure he could handle that...he wasn't sure any of them could.

A/N: I know super short compared to normal updates but I will update more as the day goes on. I'm bored but I'm also supposed to be cleaning my room for when my Grandma comes into town later this week.