No Going Back: A Marina Story

2: Being Here Is Enough

"Oh, Carina"

Carina snapped her head up from her knees as Teddy entered the room, dropping her knees to the bed, looking into Teddy's eyes with despair, silently pleading for help. Comfort. Teddy practically ran to her friend, pulling the brunette into her chest as Carina's body wracked with sobs.

"It's okay, breathe. Breathe Carina, I need you to breathe," Teddy tried to pry Carina's head from her chest, but it was like the more she spoke the more Carina gasped for air. Carina continued to choke on her sobs, gripping the back of the blonde's sweatshirt. It was like she wanted to burry herself inside of Teddy, an attempt to hide from the horror that was now her reality.

"How could she do this to me?" Carina gasped continuously between sobs. Teddy continued to encourage Carina to breathe, rubbing up and down her back firmly. As the cries slowed, the brunette's tears still flowing freely, she began to lift her head away from Teddy's chest.

"Carina tell me what happened. Take a breath and explain, please," Teddy pleaded, desperate to know what was going on in her friend's mind. She stared into Carina's bloodshot, puffy eyes, reaching out to place her hand on the brunette's. "I'm here, you can talk to me,"

They now sat facing each other on the bed, Carina's back still to the headboard, Teddy right opposite her friend, staring into her broken gaze.

"I woke up to her phone buzzing, it wouldn't stop. I- I went to silence it but when I looked at the screen I saw these texts, from some girl named Leah," Carina managed through hiccups. "when I looked she was saying how she missed Maya, how- how she wanted to see her again. She said she lo-"

Carina let out the broken sob she had been holding back, her tears refusing to stop.
Carina couldn't bring herself to say it, to say the thing that broke her the most. Leah loved Maya. How could that have happened? Not that Maya wasn't loveable, she was, but how long had they been seeing each other to be able to get to this point?

"Wha- what do I even do? She slept with her, Teddy! She would've come home and slept with me after that," Carina cried. "mi sento così disgustoso" She whispered, barely audible. Carina was internally scolding herself, why did she even stay with Maya after the first time? What is she doing wrong? Is she not a good wife? Is she not good enough?

Teddy could literally see the cogs turning in Carina's head, "Okay, listen" The blonde said firmly, squeezing Carina's hand. "We can get you tested to make sure you're clean, Carina that's not an issue. Just know that this is not your fault, you've done nothing wrong, Maya is solely to blame for her actions. Not you."

Carina nodded slowly, allowing Teddy's words to wash over her. Washing away the shame and the embarrassment. Teddy pulled her friend back into her chest, allowing her to cry. "Carina what can I do?" Teddy asked.
The brunette just clung to the blonde tighter, unable to speak through her sobs, silently communicating that Teddy being there was enough.

              ———————————————

Meanwhile, Maya was running. She shame and guilt chasing her, hot on her heels. She didn't know where she was running to, or even how long she had been running for, but the balls of her feet burned and her chest ached.
The next thing she knew she was approaching Andy's apartment building. Why would I run here? Then Maya came to an abrupt stop, slamming her hand against the buzzer.

Please be home. Please be home Please-

"Hello?"

"Andy!" Maya gasped out. Struggling to get enough air into her lungs. Then she felt her head spin, and her ears started ringing. Then everything went black.

"Maya! Oh my God Maya!" Andy screamed, running out of her apartment building to find Maya laying outside of the door. A small pool of blood surrounded her head, dying her blonde hair an awful shade of red.

Andy immediately fell to her knees placing her index and middle finger just below Maya's jawline, desperately looking for a pulse. "Please be alive," She pleaded under her breath. After a few seconds Andy feels the most faint pulse, and she quickly released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

Without second thought, Andy scoops Maya up off the pavement, one hand under her knees and the other supporting her neck. The Latina races to her car, managing to open the back door and slide Mayas limp, pale body across the back seats. Andy then races around to the drivers side door and hops in, throwing on her seatbelt, putting the car in drive then calling Grey Sloan.

"Grey Sloan Memorial ER?"

"This is Captain Herrera of station 19. I have an Unresponsive thirty-five year old female with an activity bleeding head trauma from a collapse and a thready pulse. I'm pulling up in five minutes. I need you to page Dr. Bailey, Dr. Shepherd and Dr Hunt to the ER right now!"

"Ma'am Dr. Shepherd is in the OR, she won't be available when you arri-"

"I don't care where she is! My Lieute- my best friend is dying in the back of my car! So I don't care where Dr. Shepherd is right now. I need her to be in that fucking ambulance bay when I get here!"

"ma'am-"

"Two minutes!"

Andy kept her foot heavy on the gas pedal, listening closely for any changes in Maya's breathing. Just as she pulled up to the ambulance bay, spotting Owen and Miranda waiting with a gurney, and now Amelia jogging out of the automatic doors, Andy could no longer hear Maya's breathing sounds.

She slammed on the breaks and ran around the car to open the back door closest to Maya's head. "Help! She's not breathing!" Andy cried out in desperation to the three surgeons running towards her. The four of them then reached into the car and slid Mayas body out and onto the gurney. Time then started to slow for Andy, her adrenaline now crashing, the severity of the situation revealing itself.

"Andy!"

"Andy!"

The fire Captain whipped her head around to her name being called by Miranda "Sorry-" She murmured, running alongside Maya's gurney.

"How long has she been out-" Amelia started as they stopped in Trauma room two, starting the process of intubating Maya. The sight enough to make Andy shiver in fear and discomfort. But those thoughts were swiftly cut off by the piercing voice that was Owen Hunt's.

"She's coding!"

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Authors notes: I'm sorry...Let me know your thoughts!

I'm really loving the Teddy/ Carina friendship I won't lie😁.

Let me know what you're all thinking for future chapters. And don't forget to vote please💌!