Bishop-DeLuca One Shots

2. Little One

"Bellissima [beautiful]" Carina says with a smile, as she helps Pru up after helping change Pru's clothes. The two were now in the day room together, having just finished cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Carina had handled the majority of the cooking, with Pru playing the best sous chef in assisting the Italian by pouring in ingredients and stirring pots and pans. Now the rest of 19 was preparing the table. Pru had spilled some gravy on her shirt, so Carina decided to help her change into a new dress before the start of the dinner. 

Once all dressed, Pru gets up and walks towards her baby bag filled with her clothes and reaches inside to grab something. The little one then walks back to Carina, handing the item over to the Italian doctor.

Carina smiles as Pru hands over a pair of pink socks. The Italian crouches down to meet Pru at eye level. "Bambina, you have your socks and shoes on already, but how about I tell you a very special secret, hmm?"

Pru nods her head in approval then makes the move to sit on Carina's lap as the Italian kneels down towards the floor. 

"You know pink is a very special color, you want to know why?" Carina says softly as Pru settles on the Italian doctor's lap. Once again, Pru just nods her head and waits to hear the answer.

"It has magic" Carina reveals and Pru's eyes grow wide as she glances down to look at the pink socks in the Italian doctor's hands, not knowing that her favorite color was so special. Little Pru turns her head to look at Carina, her eyes silently asking the doctor to tell her more. 

Carina only smiles softly in response as her brown eyes meet smaller brown ones. "I wear this color every time I have to help bring cute little bambinas like you into this world. The color pink gives me luck, strength and bravery- because sometimes it can be hard to deliver babies. But this color right here-" Carina gestures to the pink socks once again, "helps get rid of all the scary feelings so that each baby can be delivered safely" the OB tells the little one. 

Pru smiles at the doctor's words, remembering something that her dad once told her. "Like how you helped Auntie Maya bring me into this world when I was born?" 

Carina laughs softly in response, not aware that Pru knew of the OB's involvement in helping deliver her. Maya had called the Italian that day to ask for the proper protocols and instructions to follow in delivering a baby outside of a hospital. Due to the snow storm then, Grey-Sloan had reached its patient capacity and Pru had to be delivered at the fire station.

At the time, the OB was quite certain that Maya already had the basic knowledge of how to deliver a baby, and with Ben at the station too, he could have easily offered his medical knowledge. But the Italian doctor didn't complain, she would gladly take any time and opportunity to get to talk to the blonde firefighter. They had only just met at Joe's bar previously, and Carina wanted to continue to get to know Maya better. Besides, Maya insisted that she needed an expert's advice. The baby was Dean's, and Carina knew that the fellow firefighters were all like family to one another. So it was important for Maya to delivery the baby safely- and who better to get that advice from but that of an OB.

"Sì, just like how when you were born" Carina affirms with a soft smile. The OB  then makes the move to help Pru stand up for the second time and turns the little one around so that they face each other, brown eyes meeting at eye-level once again. "Now, look at you" the Italian says, softly poking the tip of Pru's nose, which made the little one giggle. "You are strong and brave now too" Carina tells Pru in a matter-of-fact, Pru smiling brightly at the Italian doctor's words. 

Pru then leans forward and wraps her little arms around the Italian's neck, "Thank you Auntie Carina."

For a second, Carina is taken back by the gesture as she feels her heart fill with so much love and ache. Pru had yet to still fully understand what Dean's death meant, but yet the little one was still walking around with so much love in her heart. Children may be young, but sometimes they were the better humans in this mess of a world. Carina wraps her arms around Pru, and makes the move to carry her and hug her tight.