Miranda heard the loud banging on her door and she quickly got up to go see who it was. She knew Ben was on-call tonight so it couldn't have been him.
"Tucker what is going on?" Miranda asked after opening the door. He was holding Tuck in one arm. She noted that he looked stressed and worried.
"I need you to take Tuck for the weekend."
"Why is everything ok? You're scaring me." She responded reaching her hand out for her baby.
"My mom is in the hospital. I don't know what's going on. The doctor said she would tell me more when I got there. She said some other things, but I don’t know what the hell all of that means."
"Okay calm down everything's going to be alright. Tell me what she said exactly."
"She said a pnemotho-- he paused trying to pronounce it.
"A pneumothorax."
"Yes that's it."
"She has a punctured lung. Its a serious but not a fatal condition. She's going to be fine. She mostly like suffered a fall and her rib bone punctured it and the pleural sac surrounding the lung." Miranda explained. "Sit down for a second and breathe. Then we will go to her."
"You're coming with me?" He asked sitting down on the couch.
"Yeah I can help and you need someone there with you. Just because we got a divorce doesn't mean we're not still family."
"Miranda I don't know what to say. Thank you." Tucker stated before pulling her in a hug. "Too much?" He questioned.
"Too much." She agreed.
"I'm going to book you and Tuck a ticket now."
"Ok let me go pack us a bag." She stated before getting up and walking to her room.
She reached for her phone on the nightstand to let Ben know what was going on and realized it was dead when she was met with a black screen.
"Ugh." Miranda groaned setting it on the bed. She went to her dresser drawers and grabbed two pair of pants and nice blouses.
She quickly packed Tuck a bag and met Tucker at the front.
"What time is the flight?"
"I was able to get last minute flights in an hour."
"Ok. We probably should be leaving then. It takes 20 minutes to get there.
"Alright thank you for coming with me again."
"Don't keep thanking me. Its fine. I need to call Richard to cover me though. My phone is dead."
"Here his number is still saved."
"Thanks." Miranda replied scrolling through his contacts to find his number.
"Tucker Jones." Richard questioned concerned.
"Hey its me." Miranda stated.
"Bailey you're with Tucker?" He inquired and she could hear the amusement in his voice. He was such a gossip.
"Uh not like that. Tucker's mom is in the hospital with a pneumothorax so we are flying out there. Can you cover my shift tomorrow? I'll push my surgeries until Monday morning, but Mr. Ostrum has a tumor debulking that can not wait."
"Ok. I'll take care of that and cover your shift. Let me know how things go with his mom."
"Will do and thank you Sir."
"No problem Bailey."
Miranda hung up and handed him his phone back.
"So..." Tucker asked wanting to talk.
"So what?"
"Your new man is ok with you leaving with me?" He asked snarky.
"Unh-uh. We are not going to talk about him." Miranda said firmly shaking her head.
"And why not?"
"Because I just said so."
"How long have you two been dating?"
"What do you not understand?" She asked turning her head to look at him fully.
"Mandy its a simple question."
"Don’t call me that and we've been dating for 8 months now."
"So in the middle of our divorce?" Tucker stated with hostility in his voice.
"You were dating in the middle of our marriage so what’s the problem." Miranda snapped.
"Do you love him?" He asked next, but it was almost a sadness to his voice that she didn't understand.
"Yes I do." She answered quickly.
"How do you know?"
"What?"
"How do you know that you love him?"
"Well for starters I love the sex." Miranda replied smirking.
"Miranda." He fumed. She watched as his jaw clinched and he looked back towards the road. After a minute of silence Miranda rolled her eyes.
"Oh now you don't want to talk no more?" She questioned confused.
"Mandy If you think I want to hear about you having sex with someone else. You're delusional."
"I'm delusional. It seems to me that you are. What did you think was going to happen when we divorced."
"I didn't want a divorce you did." Tucker said forcefully.
"You didn't give me any choice and if you didn't want one you damn sure didn't fight me on it. Lets be honest you did not want me and to answer your question I know that I love him because he loves me. He loves every single part of me. I don't have to change. I don't have to compromise. The only thing I have to do is be Miranda and that's enough for him." Miranda expressed and sat back looking at the road.
The two parents sat on the plane with Tuck in between them. It was late and most passengers were sleep, but she couldn't find sleep. She forgot to bring her phone charger so her phone was still dead.
Miranda would be a liar to say she wasn't nervous to see her former mother in law again. Two years ago she tried to convince Tucker to move her out to Seattle when his father passed, but he didn't listen to her. Tucker's brother was in the military and stationed over seas and his sister lives in California so it wasn't like she had any immediate family out there other than her two siblings.
The 5 hours flight was finally over and they grabbed their bags from the overhead and exited the plane.
Tucker got a taxi and asked for them to be taken to John Hopkins hospital.
Getting out on the emergency room side they made their way to the desk.
"Hi. We're here to see Michelle Jones." Tucker greeted. They watched as the woman began searching on the computer.
"What relation are you?" She questioned.
"Tucker Jones, her son."
"Ok she is in room 405. Let me get you all visitors passes." She stated reaching down and they heard a printer going.
Miranda put the sticker on her chest as well as Tucker who was holding a sleeping Tuck.
Knocking on the door softly, she opened it before letting Tucker go in first.
"Hey mom." He spoke softly.
"Hey." She answered after clearing her throat. "Ooh look at My grandson. He is getting so big." She noted.
"He really is." Miranda agreed.
"Miranda. You're here?"
"Hi Ms. Michelle." Miranda smiled brightly. "I wanted to come see about you and to be here for him." She pointed at Tucker. "He was freaking out."
"Thank you."
"What happened?"
"I fell walking down the stairs. When I went to get up. I was in excruciating pain and it hurt to breathe."
"Mom this is why I told you to move the masters to the downstairs room."
"I know, but I like my room where it is."
"Where's your chart? Miranda asked looking around at the foot of the bed.
"I'm not sure."
"Ok let me find out." Miranda hit the button for the nurse to come and they waited.
"Mrs. Jones." The nurse smiled walking in. "Oh your family is here." She smiled.
"Yeah they just got here."
"Did you need something?"
"Yes. Can you page the on-call attending over this case and let him or her know that the family is here and would to speak with them.
"Ok no problem."
After a while a woman in a white coat came into the room. "Good evening." She greeted.
"Good evening. I'm Dr. Miranda Bailey, I’m the Chief of General surgery back in Seattle. What was her oxygen levels when she was brought in?"
"88%."
"Ok and how much of the lung collapsed? Can I see the scans?"
"It was a large portion and I'll get you those scans in a second."
"So what method did you use? Needle aspiration or chest tube insertion?"
"Chest tube insertion."
Miranda walked over to Michelle's bedside. "May I." She gestured to the blanket.
"Go ahead." Miranda lifted the blanket and her nightgown to see the work they did. She looked down at the drainage device connected, checking to make sure there was no blood in the tube.
"Everything looks good but she’s needs a new patch because this one is lifting on the sides."
"I will send a resident in to change it."
"Thank you."
"No problem can I assist you with anything else besides those scans?"
"No I'm great. Thanks." Miranda smiled before she left out.
"Thank you Miranda for coming. I haven't seen you in ages." Michelle smiled at her.
"Its been about two years." Miranda stated doing the math.
"How are you?"
"I'm great. Everything's great."
"Last time we spoke you were trying to decide between two different paths."
"Yes. I had wanted to take a pediatric fellowship, but I couldn't." Miranda responded and narrowing her eyes at Tucker.
"Why couldn't you?"
"I was given an ultimatum. The fellowship or my marriage." She answered truthfully. "I didn't take the fellowship because I needed to have more time for Tuck.
"Are you happy?"
"I'm very happy. I went with my first choice general surgery. I go to work in the morning and I'm home at night with my baby unless he's with his dad. But other wise how are you?"
"I've been good. Just taking it one day at a time. I have blankets for you."
"I figured you would have crocheted something."
"You know me." She laughed.
"I'm mad I forgot to grab Tucks pictures from the house before we left."
"It's okay. I'm sure you all left in a rush. You guys want to stay at the house or did you get a hotel."
"We're staying at the house."
"You should probably go. Its already super late and William looks uncomfortable in that chair." She pointed.
"Are you going to be ok by yourself?" Tucker asked quickly.
"Maybe me and Tuck will go and you stay." Miranda suggested.
"I'm going to be find, plus this chair isn't big enough for him."
"Are you sure mama?"
"I’m sure and tired." She laughed. " I will see you guys tomorrow morning and I will call you when the doctor comes in."
"Ok love you."
"Love you too and Good night, well morning."
The next morning Ben got off work and went home to sleep. He normally would have just went to Miranda's apartment and got into bed with her, but he was extremely tired and her apartment was further away than his.
After sleeping for 2 hours. He got up and took a shower. He previously texted Miranda good morning before laying down, but didn't get a response. Calling her phone, he frowned when she didn't pick up. He figured she must have been at work.
Ben could have sworn she didn't have to go into work until later in the afternoon. They had a conversation yesterday about him washing her car. Maybe she was just sleeping. Shaking his head he put on some clothes to go jogging.
Miranda woke up the next morning and got dressed. She walked towards the other guest bedroom to check on Tuck but didn't see him. Walking to the front of the house. She saw Tuck at the table eating breakfast and Tucker cooking something.
"Good morning I made a quick breakfast." He stated sitting food down in front of her.
"Good morning and thank you. This looks good."
"Thanks. I was thinking for dinner tonight I would make braised short ribs with gravy, green beans and mash potatoes."
Miranda looked over at him skeptically. "Really my favorite meal. I don’t know when's the last time I had it."
"Remember when I first made it for you."
"Yeah the summer before my junior year of college. You decided to be romantic for a date and cook for me. Are you going to be able to cook tonight, your mom will still be in the hospital for few more days."
"Yeah we will go there and sit with her and most likely come back here. You know Tuck can't sit still one spot for too long."
"That is true. What kind of phone do you have? My phone is dead and I need to charge it up."
"Why so you can talk to him?"
"Why does everything come back to him? I haven't ask you anything about the woman you're seeing."
"I'm not seeing anymore."
"That's unfortunate. You should get back out there. Date around." She suggested.
"I'll take you to a store to get a charger. When we leave the hospital. Does that work for you ?"
"Uh yeah."
Coming back from his jog, Ben called Miranda again and when she didn't answer he put his phone down and took a shower. Putting on clothes he drove over to her place and parked beside her car.
Was she just ignoring him? He knew she couldn't be sleep for this long. Ben sat for a second and tried to think of something he did.
Thinking quickly Ben drove to the store around the corner and bought her some red roses. He took a deep breath and use his key to come in.
"Miranda look I'm sorry for what ever it is that I did." He spoke loudly holding the roses up.
"Miranda you can stop ignoring me and just tell me what it is?" He huffed walking to her bedroom.
He pushed the door open and saw the room completely it empty. Walking to the bathroom, that was empty as well.
"Mmm." Ben thought. Did she ride to work with someone.
Ben walked into the kitchen and put the roses in a vase and grabbed his keys leaving out. He rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a breath. He was a little worried about her and didn't know if he was being dramatic.
Later that evening, Miranda finally put her phone on charge and helped Tucker with cooking even though he insisted that she just sit down. She didn't want him to think him cooking for her was more than it was. She didn't understand his suddenly nice behavior towards her, the compliments and constant trips down memory lane. It was throwing her for a loop.
"Dinner was great. I'm going to get Tuck a bath and down for bed and then I'll help you clean the kitchen up."
"Sounds like a plan. I could help you with Tuck. We could read to him like we use to."
"Sure." Miranda eyed him and he followed down behind her.
She felt his eyes on her ass and turned quickly to glare at him.
"Sorry. Old habits never die."
"You're pushing it." She warned.
Once they got Tuck down they laughed at his snoring.
"Lets clean this kitchen old man."
"Old man. I'm two years older than you."
"And that makes you old." She laughed.
"You liked it?"
"You're right. Miranda was in love with the senior football player."
"Remember that day you hit me with your oboe and I had to pay and get it fix because the keys broke."
"Yep you were flirting with the girl and pissed me off. My last year of doing band in college."
"I wasn't flirting with her she was flirting with me."
"I know that now, but at the moment I didn't. I wasn't secure in myself back then. I was 18 and inexperienced."
"You were beautifully inexperienced though."
"I still am beautiful."
"Absolutely stunning."
"Thanks. Hand me that aluminum foil." She pointed and Tucker walked to grab it."
Miranda bent down in the refrigerator to put the left over dish away. Closing the refrigerator she felt Tucker grabbed her waist pushing her against it softly.
"Tucker what are you?" Miranda started but was caught off guard with his kiss.
Miranda pushed his chest to stop him and backed away in shocked. She wiped her mouth staring at him.
"What is wrong with you?" Miranda growled.
"I'm sorry." He started still staring at her lips.
"Why did you do that?" She hissed.
"Miranda I miss you."
"No you don't."
"I do. I miss you and I love you." Tucker assured touching her hand.
"Tucker you are just going through something right now with your mom. You don't mean what you're saying."
"I do mean what I'm saying."
"Tucker I'm with someone. I have a boyfriend who I love."
"You're are just going to throw us away."
"Tucker the us is already thrown in the trash. You should have figured this out months ago. You wait until our divorce is final to want to make move. You think I'm stupid. You met Ben now all of a sudden you want me back..... I uh need to go."
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"I know. I just need to leave."
"Miranda."
"Tucker it's fine. I'm fine. I'm booking a flight to go home now. You can bring Tuck when you come back, just take him by my parents house before you leave. Also you need to try to convince your mother to move out to Seattle. She is getting older and needs someone closer to her."
"Miranda you don't have to leave."
"I do. It was nice being around you again and being cordial, but we won't ever be a thing again."
"I understand. At least let me book you a flight home. It's the least I could do."
"It really is." Miranda chuckled. "I'll take the latest or the earliest." She told him before walking to go pack her stuff.
"They have an 11:59pm and you would land 9 tomorrow morning."
"That's great. I'll take it."
"Ok."
"You want me to drive you with moms car?"
"No Tuck is sleep. It's no need to wake him. I'll get a cab."
"Alright."
Ben checked for her at the hospital, but he didn't see her scheduled for any surgeries. He asked around and no one had seen her the whole day. Checking with her friends they hadn't seen her either. Now he was officially worried. The tiny infuriating woman was no where to be seen, her car was parked at the apartment complex and her phone was going straight to voicemail.
He went back to her house and waited sitting on the couch. The next morning, when the door opened up and Miranda walked through he sat up and looked at her.
"Where were you?"
"Hey, Tucker’s mom took a fall. She broke her rib and punctured a lung so I went to Maryland with him and Tuck to check on her."
"You've been gone for a day and a half. You didn't think I deserved so much of a phone call. I have been calling you, coming by here. Your car's outside. Nobody at the damn job knew where you were, but you were just with your ex-husband."
"Benjamin now’s not the time to be jealous. Tucker is my son's father and she's his grandmother."
"Miranda I am not jealous. I don't give a damn about that or him. What I give a damn about is you. You are inconsiderate."
"I'm inconsiderate." Miranda snapped not in the mood for this.
"What the hell else do you want me to call it…selfish and insensitive."
"I'm not doing this with you." She responded. She didn't even get in the house good and was already arguing with someone else. She honestly was tired.
"Good because I'm done." Ben replied.
"What?! What are you done with? Our relationship?"
Ben scuffed and walked out the door, slamming it closed.
Miranda eyes watered and she wiped her face. She looked at the roses on her counter top and pouted.
Miranda plugged her phone in and as soon as it came to life, she gave him a call. She didn’t mean to be frustrated with him. She looked at his missed calls and sighed. Miranda decided to give him some time to cool down and maybe he would call her back. She laid down in bed and took a small nap.
3 hours passed and Miranda rolled over looking at her phone and nothing. She got up and put her shoes on leaving out.
Miranda opened the door to his apartment and looked around. Everything was quiet and dark. She closed the door and locked it before walking to his bedroom.
She pushed the door open and looked him in the eyes and he adverted them turning the other way.
Miranda sighed and pulled the covers back to slid into the bed. She draped her body across his, forcing him to turn his body so she was laying on top of him.
"Benjamin I am sorry. I was wrong. I was going to call you when I was initially leaving. You were my first thought, but my phone was dead. I figured I would charge it up on the plane and call you when I landed, but of all things I forgot my charger. Once we got to the hospital I was there for a while and then we went to Tucker’s parents house to sleep. The next morning we went back to the hospital and we stayed there again for a while. Leaving there we stopped to the store to get a charger and I charged it up, but then Tucker kissed me and told me that he was in love with me still. So I knew I had to get the hell out of there. I was tired and angry at Tucker, I shouldn't have picked a fight with you. I don't know what you were done with, but it can't be us because I don't want us to be over." She explained in a rush and he could hear her voice staring to break.
"Miranda calm down. I wasn't saying that we were over. I was saying I was done with the conversation."
Miranda took a breath and looked into his eyes.
"I was worried about you. The night before you asked me to take your car to the car wash. You weren't answering, you weren't home, your car was outside and nobody knew where you were. I waited all night for you."
"I'm so sorry." Miranda said softly rubbing his chin.
"It's ok. Don't do that again please." He said seriously.
"I won't." She promised.
"So how do you feel about Tucker?"
"Huh?"
"How do you feel about it? The man that you were in love with and married to for over ten years just kissed you and told you that he still loves you. You didn't want the relationship to end so..."
"Benjamin I'm in disbelief. I don't know why he thought it was ok for him to do that. I would never go back to him if that's what you are worried about. I will never be enough for him and he only wants me back because I'm seeing you. Who I love. I love you so much Benjamin Warren."
"I love you too... you want me to talk to him?" Ben asked rubbing her back.
"No absolutely not. Let's just let it go." She replied quickly before laying her face in the crook of his neck. Miranda peppered his neck with kisses before sitting up and straddling his waist.
She leaned down to kiss his lips but was shocked when her lips met his hand as he held it up stopped her.
"You was just kissing your ex husband."
"Ben. I did not kiss him. He kiss me."
"Either or, his lips were yours so yours won't be on mine." He joked.
"Even after I brushed my teeth and wiped my face?"
"Nope." Ben laughed at her face.
"Kiss me now." She demanded.
