Saving Us

Triggering

One month later....
Claire and Morgan are on Neil's rotation. Claire has an idea for a surgical procedure. Claire is pitching it to him while Morgan left to get some coffee. Neil is sitting next to her on the couch and listens as she starts to explain.

"So... I was thinking maybe we could do a CABG surgery."
Neil raised his eyebrows.
"Claire, I..."
"Just hear me out, okay."
He nods.
She continues to explain.
He sighs once she is done and stares into space.
She puts the folder on the coffee table.
"Neil."
He looks at her.
"I know you've never done this before. Neither have I."
He scoffs.
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"
She smiles.
"No, but we can use a simulation to try it out first. And we'll do it together."
He smiles and nods.
"Okay. Well, let's wait for Morgan and you two can get consent from the patient."
She nods.
He touches her shoulder.
"Good work."
She smiles and moves his hand away as Morgan walks in.

"So, come up with a plan?" asked Morgan.
Neil nodded.
"You two need to get consent from the patient."
"Wait. What's the procedure?" asked Morgan.
"I may have brainstormed. Just a bit while you were out."
Morgan sulks and raises her eyebrows.
"CABG." said Neil.
"But we've never..."
"I know." said Claire.
Morgan's face lit up.
"We could do a simulation. In the Skills Lab."
"Dr. Browne actually just suggested that we do a simulation there." said Neil.
"Great minds think alike." she said, winking at Claire. Claire smiled.
Neil heads towards his office and then turns around, seeing the two of them standing.
"That consent form isn't going to sign itself."
"Right." said Morgan, as she takes a sip of her coffee before she and Claire leave.

They explain the procedure to the patient, Paisley, and get her consent. Claire and Morgan leave the room while Claire sends a message to Neil.

"We got the consent."
"👍🏼. Head to the Skills Lab. I'll meet you there."
Morgan notices.
"So... How's the wedding plans coming along?"
Claire looks at her.
"I'm not discussing any plans with him right now. I told him that we got consent and he said we should head to the Skills Lab."
"Figured, but I didn't imply that you're discussing it with him now. Surely you guys are talking about the wedding outside of work?"
Claire looked at her, quite sarcastically.
"Please. Go ahead. Talk louder so the entire ER can hear you."
Morgan looks at her.
"Sorry."
"Only a few people know about us."
Morgan looks at her.
Claire sighs.
"We've been pretty preoccupied with work at the moment. Besides, it's only been a month."
Morgan rolls her eyes and they enter the Skills Lab. They find Neil there already, setting the instruments, surprisingly.

"You're here. Great. Dr. Browne, you're my first assist."
Claire nods.
"Okay. Let's do this."
He hands them the VR glasses and starts the simulation.
It runs smoothly to Neil's surprise.
He sighs of relief.
"Okay. I think we need one more run through and then we can head down to the OR."

They scrub in and start the surgery.
"I can't seem to get a clear view. Can we..."
Claire pulls the light towards Neil and he smiles.
Morgan smiled at the two of them and looked down at the patient.
"Retractor." said Dr. Browne.
She passed it on to Dr. Melendez as she knew he would need it at that specific moment.
He looked at her again, raising his eyebrows.
"Thank you, Dr. Browne."
She nods.
"Forceps." said Dr. Melendez.
Morgan hands it to him.
She looks back and forth at Neil and Claire. She shrugs her shoulders and clears her throat.
"Dr. Melendez. How are the wedding plans coming along?"

He looked up at her and then at Claire.
"You guys are engaged?" asked JL.
"Great." said Claire, under her bretah but loud enough for Neil to hear.
Neil nodded.
"Why are we only finding out now?" said JL.
Neil chuckled.
"It's only been a month."
"Congratulations." said Nurse Petringa to Claire and Neil.
Claire and Neil smiled and nodded.
Silence.
Nurse Petringa and Nurse Fletch looked at Neil, along with Morgan.
He can feel their stares.
"I know you're looking at me to answer the question, but there's nothing to say. Claire's been busy and so have I. We never really spoke about it much. Also, we'd like to enjoy our engagement period." he said, focusing on the patient.
"That's all?" said Morgan.
"I think let's focus on the patient." snapped Dr. Browne.
The nurses exchanged looks with each other while Morgan stared at Claire with surprise washed across her face.
Neil looked at Claire. He exhaled.
"Claire's right."
They continued and Morgan and Claire stayed behind as they closed up the patient.
They did not speak.

After the surgery, Claire headed back to the residents' lounge after Morgan.
Morgan walked out and stopped as Claire was about to enter.
"Morgan."
She turns around.
"I'm sorry. For snapping earlier."
"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have nagged."
Claire nods.
"Well, I'm going to grab a drink with Park and Shaun. You want to come along?"
Claire shakes her head.
"No. You guys have fun."
"Ahh. Date night. Have fun." said Morgan, leaving.
Claire smiles and shakes her head.

She opens the door and takes a seat on the couch. She holds her head in her hands and looks at the floor. She then looks up and stares into space. Neil walks to the door with his briefcase, ready to head home.
He opens the door.
"Hey. You okay?"
She breaks free from her trance and nods.
She doesn't convince him as he puts his briefcase on the coffee table before joining her on the couch.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily."
She looks at him.
"What happened in surgery? I've never seen you lose your cool during a procedure with anyone. Not even Morgan."
She looks at him.
He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head, holding her hand.
She exhales.
"I'm sorry. Not just for snapping like that."
He nods, waiting for her to explain further.

"But also for pretending that I'm too busy to talk about wedding plans."
He frowns.
She sighs.
"The truth is, I've been thinking about us. Getting married and all. But mostly about the part where I walk down the aisle to you."
He smiles.
"Well, I think about that moment a lot too."
She smiled and let go of his hand.
"But not in that way."
A confused look paints his face.
He then realises what the issue is.
"Your dad."
She looks up at him and nods.
"I haven't seen him or spoken to him in ages."
"Well, maybe you should. Claire, you want him in your life, don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess, but I don't know where he is."
He touches her shoulder to comfort her.
"And I don't want him to be a part of it and then disappear again." she continued.
He nodded.
"Claire, if you don't try to find him, you're always going to wonder: What if?"
She sighs.
"You're right."
He gets his briefcase and extends his hand out to her.
She gladly takes it and walks out with him.
He turns to her before they get in the elevator.
"Also, I'll help you find him."
She nods.
"You seem to forget something."
She looks back at him.
"Claire, you're not alone anymore."
She exhales and smiles, nodding at him.