Growing Pains

7

"Can't you see I'm busy here? I have a patient." Dr. Grey placed a stethoscope over the man's chest to listen to his breathing. She looked at the man. "Do you feel flushed? Any heart palpitations?"

"Uh..." The patient glanced nervously between the nurse and Dr. Grey.

Olivia saw security approaching with who she presumed to be was the ER director. Not wanting to disrupt things further and cause a scene, she raised a hand as if to say 'got this' and carefully approached Dr. Grey. "Doctor?"

"I told you-"

"I understand." Olivia discreetly showed her badge. She pulled Ellis to the side. "Listen, that man is a suspect in the shooting, and if he's not in serious condition, the police would like to question him, is that alright?"

Ellis glared at the nurse, "As long as they get his ultrasound."

"Of course." Olivia nodded to the nurse, who huffed and went to get the equipment. "Now, Dr. Grey, don't you have a surgery you had to get to? You were in such a hurry this morning..."

"Right- thank you for reminding me. A Cholecystectomy. Or was it a colon resection? I can't remember. I had it written down here..." She reached into the pockets of her lab coat and came up empty. "Oh, where are my notes?" She checked her shirt pocket, and spun around frantically. "I..."

Olivia could see the evident panic in the woman, "I think I saw them over here," she said, guiding Ellis down the hall to a staffroom.

"Oh good."

They entered the room and Olivia closed the door. Ellis peered into the room and stopped. Confusion colored her face,"What am I doing here? What's happening?"

"Dr. Grey..." Olivia said softly. "Do you know where you are?"

"I..." She swallowed, and her face turned a shade paler. "I need to go home... I need to go home."

"Ellis, I'm a detective. Your maid called me this morning and reported you missing. She was worried because of your Alzheimer's. I can't take you home just yet, I need to take you to the station until your daughter gets here."

"I knew I couldn't trust that maid, but Meredith insisted," Ellis sat down, it was clear that the recent events had drained her.

Olivia sat beside her, "It's a good thing she did... with all the chaos going on it's a good thing I was sent to find you."

"The shooting."

"Yes."

"I don't know what came over me this morning. I've already resigned from performing surgery... but today-"

"You were moving and you got confused."

"You don't know what it's like- to have decades of knowledge and experience ingrained in you as surely as the abc's or the multiplication tables, but the instant you need to recall it?" Ellis shook her head. "I have lists and journals and calendars marking appointments and medications and things I am supposed to do- but my mind forgets to even look at it. I can tell you in minute detail the steps to a very complicated surgery... but I can't even tell you how I got here today."

The detective sighed deeply, "I'm sorry..." she said sincerely.

"There is nothing to be sorry for," Ellis said. "Well, I suppose I will have to go with you."

xxx

"Hello?" Meredith called into the brownstone. "Margarita? Mom?" She plopped her bag by the door and took a few more hesitant steps in. What was going on? The moving truck was still outside the door, there was boxes everywhere still... she thought most of this would be done already.