"So you switch out peoples organs?" Zola asked her mothers new partner.
"I do, when someone can't use theirs anymore we do a transplant for someone who can utilize those organs."
"Hmm, interesting."
"You know, transplant surgery is the best speciality."
"Nope." Zola popped the 'p' "Neurosurgery is."
"Whatever you say Zola." Nick raised his hands in defense and smirked at the young girl.
"As much as I love to talk about surgery, I want to hear about everyone's day." Meredith conjectured at the end of the pairs conversation.
"I scored two goals at soccer!" Bailey excitedly said, leading the other children to add in about their day. The night continued with the children's banter until it was time for Meredith to start the children's bedtime routines. Nick situated himself of the couch and pulled out his iPad. He had been in an ethical debacle, did he procure organs from an anacephalic baby? A pregnant woman had come into Grey Sloans ER, and Jo had read a case where they procured organs from an anacephalic baby, so she reached out to Nick to see if he'd lead it.
"Whatcha up to?" Meredith jumped onto the couch beside him.
"Ethical debacle."
"What is it?"
"Anacephalic baby. Do I procure the organs? It's been up for debate in the medical community for years. You can't declare them brain dead because they have a working brain stem, but they have no brain so they're basically just a body."
"In my experience you sometimes have to do the quote on quote 'wrong thing' to get to the right thing."
"I'll bring it up to your Chief tomorrow hopefully she'll approve."
"With a move like this, your probably gonna need board approval as well." Nick rolled his eyes to this.
"It can never just be simple at your hospital."
"Nope!" Meredith giggled.
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"38 week mother pregnant with an anacephalic baby." Nick presented as he talked to the board and attendings who would later vote on the final decision. "She has decided to donate the baby's organs. So this meeting is to get the approval of the board. It's not officially passed by UNOS but is authorized when a panel votes on it."
"How do you declare the baby brain dead when they have a working brain stem?" Maggie asked as she leaned into her chair.
"They have no other functionality, all their brain stem does is keep their body functioning for a couple of hours."
"How many times has this been done?" Teddy asked as she fidgeted with a pen cap.
"A handful of times in the US." Nick confirmed.
"Is it ethical?." Winston asked.
"It's been up for debate for years, but with a panels approval the medical board will sign off." Nick then directed his attention to the OB in the room. "Dr Deluca are you certified for organ procurement on a baby?"
"I'm sorry I'm not, I can refer you to people who are though." Carina responded.
"Dr Addison Montgomery. She'll do it." Amelia spoke up, looking at the place where she was picking at her nail.
"Okay perfect,I'll contact her." Nick jotted down the name on a sticky note so he'd remember for later. "Chief Bailey do I have your approval?"
"You do, and you have access to a transplant team here." The meeting adjourned and Amelia left as quickly as possible.
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"You doing okay?" Addison carefully walked in the chapel, expecting to find her little sister there. She had gotten a call from Dr Marsh and was on the first plane out to Seattle.
"Yeah." Amelia whispered, making room on the bench for the latter. Instinctively, Addison wrapped her arm around the now grown up woman.
"A lot of other babies are gonna be saved." Amelia whispered, it was the mantra that got her through the day of her own son's organ procurement.
"Your right."
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"Full house tonight." Addison whispered to Amelia as they stood in the corner of the Grey home. "You okay? I know it's not been an easy day."
"Yeah, just thinking."
"Im surprised no one has asked your opinion in this topic." Amelia simply just shrugged. "No one knows, do they?"
"No, no one here knows other than Link and Owen."
"Amelia." Addison lightly scolded, she knew it was a difficult topic, but Amelia processed her emotions out loud with other people. For her to not tell her sisters about her first son was unhealthy for her.
"I can't be here." Amelia set down her glass of water on a small coffee table in the corner. "Will you come upstairs with me?"
"Of course." Addison followed Amelia up the old stairs, the pair going unnoticed by the mini dinner party downstairs. Safely upstairs, Amelia dug through her closet looking for a box.
"I haven't opened this since I left L.A" Amelia sighed as she joined the redhead on her bed. The pair leaned against the headboard, and Amelia put her head on her sisters shoulder. It felt safe, familiar, almost like she was back in high school crying on Addison's shoulder. Except these tears weren't over a boy who didn't like her back or a bad test grade. It was over her firstborn, the one who saved a whole lot of other babies.
"Do you want to open it?" The younger sister nodded her head in approval. Addison carefully lifted the lid to reveal a light blue hat, a baby blanket, sonograms, and a watch.
"He was so tiny." Amelia smiled as she stroked the blue cap. "A lot tinier then Scout."
"He did a lot of good Amelia, his life meant something."
"I know I just feel guilty, I get to love Scout and teach him how to be a good human and just experience him. I didn't get that with Christopher, he deserved that." The younger one's voice broke.
"I'm so sorry." Addison wrapped her arms around her sister, not minding the tears that were falling on her blouse. What had happened was unimaginable, she never had words of comfort for the neurosurgeon.
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Amelia settled into the gallery situating her son in her lap. She broke him out of daycare, maybe it was twisted to show her almost two year old an organ procurement of a baby with no brain. But some part felt right, she wanted to show him what his big brother did.
"So Aunt Addie is taking her organs." Amelia whispered to her little boy. "And they're gonna give her organs to babies who need them." Obviously the boy was oblivious to what was going on, but he seemed to understand this was something that was important. He was being well behaved and solemn, not his usual rambunctious self (which he gets from his mother).
"She's gonna save a whole lot of other babies. She's magical like a unicorn." Scout absentmindedly played with his mothers fingers as she spoke to him. "Your big brother did this."
"He didn't have a brain, so he couldn't live."
"But he donated his organs, and saved a lot of babies. Just like this little girl is going to do."
"I called him my unicorn baby, he did magical things." Amelia listened as they listed off where the organs were going to and for whom. "I wish you could've met him. I just know he would've been the best big brother." She kissed the side of his head, and left as they were procuring the heart for Huston, she couldn't bear to listen to the flatline.
