IRIS | MARK SLOAN

buried in disciples (3.)

As I sat next to Jess, holding her hand whilst Dr Smith grafted together her burnt skin, I played her whole story over in my head.

Callie was assessing the damage she'd done to her hips and lower body whilst Mark was sewing up her facial wounds. My heart sunk at all her pain.

"Did you want to die?" I blurted out.
I even surprised myself saying it out loud.

"It wasn't the plan, it's just so we can be together. No more barriers, just pure love and happiness."

"Suicide is not the only option. You don't have to-"

"My parents are sending me away. They're going to try and change my mind, they're going to make me hate Aliyah, and teach me to be a lady."

"Those don't work sweetheart, they never work." Mark reassured her, standing over her gently.

"Is that even legal?" Dr Kat asked returning to assure me he'd sent in the scan orders. I gave a threatening glare for his unnecessary comment.

I pulled my chair in, closer to her bedside and held her remaining hand out of plaster.

"Jess, I'm going to tell you something personal about myself alright? I like men, romantically sometimes, and I like woman too. It's a big big part of my life, and it's something that's never gone away."

Callie stopped for a minute and looked at us.
"They don't work, I know that first hand. It never changed my mind about women." She added.

My heart melted at the fact that Callie felt comfortable enough to come out to us here. She'd never said anything before, even though we'd been friends since I got here, considering she was Head of Ortho and most often, we receive kids with broken bones on the pediatric floor.

"You can't call my parents. Please don't call them. Their the whole reason I'm even here." Jess begged, tears falling down her face and neck.

Mark, Callie and I all exchanged looks of worry as we all knew her parents were already on their way here. I wished I could take away all her pain, but all I had to do was watch and let her grow from it.

There was a knock on the door, it was one of "my" interns from earlier, Yang. She came in quickly and poked her head from around the door.

"Dr Bailey wants you to know that Jessica's parents are here, and they're demanding to see her." She stated, gripping the door with her left hand.

"Don't let them in please! You can't let them in!" Jess screamed, getting distressed and flaming her arms.

Callie rushed to hold her down and comfort her before she did any more damage to herself with one arm already in plaster and the other in bandages.

"Mark, call a psych consult." I whispered to him.

"I'm sorry honey, but you're only 15. That means we legally had to call your parents. If you want, I can stay with you the entire time since I'm not busy, or Dr Grey can stay with you." i reassured her, speaking calmly and trying to calm her down.

"I want you." She whispered to me.

"Bring them in." I replied, nodding to Cristina.

Mark and Callie finished up their bandaging and I helped Jess sit up in her bed and feel more comfortable. I walked out of the room briefly to grab her some water and came back to her mom obsessing over her bedside. Her dad stood in the back of the room silently, a judging look on his face.

My heart sunk again.
She's just a kid, she doesn't deserve this.

"Finally, a doctor. What happened here? What happened to her?" The mom demanded, being overly assertive and rude. I was taken aback by her attitude having just met her a second ago.

"Your daughter sustained a broken left arm, a sprained right wrist, broken pelvis, six cracked ribs and multiple second degree burns from the train." I relayed to them as I poured Jess the water and passed it over to her, which she drunk gratefully.

"And they said she got hit by a train?" The dad said, moving closing to her bedside. His eyes now showed genuine concern for his child, more than Jess's mom eyes did. He looked worried for her.

"What in Jesus' name were you doing out there? Do you want to die? Is that what you are trying to do? Trying to kill yourself?" Her mom screamed at her.

"Ma'am calm down, or else I will be forced to call security." Caliie said, appearing from behind the curtain, concerned for both Jess and I.

"I am Elizabeth Matthew, a child of God. I will not calm down! My daughter tried to kill herself so she could escape the loving church retreat she'll be embarking on to heal her sins. All this lesbian nonsense needs to be repented by the Lord. I will not allow her to get away this easy. She needs help!"

"Get away this easy? Your daughter nearly died today and all you are worried about is her camp? That camp won't work, they never do. She doesn't need you, she will go out into the world and live her life without needing you in it, and her and her partner don't need ignorant people like you ruining it." Callie shouted back. It was a full on screaming match at this point and Bailey had rushed over to see what was going on. Just as she opened the curtain, Elizabeth swung at Callie's face.

Callie dodged the punch.
Elizabeth didn't dodge Callie's though.

It all played out in slow motion after that.

I grabbed Jessica's bed and unlocked the wheels. We rolled her out into the hallway and into a safer and more comfortable ward whilst she awaited surgery on her pelvis. Her mom was now on the floor being arrested by security for attempted assault of a Doctor, and seemingly assault of an officer since she had just punched security as well.

Callie was led away by Bailey into another room to get her hand checked out and Mark followed Jess and I into a new room. It was all so eventful.

"Thank you, for getting us away. She's crazy, I only stay for Jess." Her dad said, thanking us.

"All in a day's work. And all before lunch as well." Mark laughed, his stomach rumbling.

We both turned to leave the room but I overheard Jess asking her dad something and faltered outside the door for a moment. It broke my heart.

"If you only stay for me, please leave her. She's never going to understand, and I love you so much, I can't bear to lose you too." Jess cried.