𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 ━━ 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝

seventy four | silence

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Dr. Phoenix? Dr. Phoenix, can you hear me?"

"I. . .plane. The-The plane."

A pale white strip of gauze is secured around my head, the matted blue scrubs having transformed into a hospital gown.

"Cristina. I-I need Cristina. Where is she?"

The glimpse of Derek's muffled screams against a ragged t-shirt, Meredith's hands sticking a safety pin into his arm.

"And my husband. I need my husband."

A clear oxygen tube invades my nostrils, and I try everything to take it off.

"Alright, alright. Hold on." An unfamiliar woman restrains my wrists. "You've been in a plane crash. I can't let you leave this hospital room."

"I want my dad."

- - - - - - - - - -

"I made you breakfast."

Silence.

"Blueberry waffles. It's your favorite."

Silence again.

"Leven, can you talk to me?"

"She shouldn't have died."

- - - - - - - - - -

"All she ever does is sit in his room. And talk to him."

"It's like she's incapable of anything else."

"Well, what do you expect? They were in a plane crash."

The newest batch of interns linger outside of the exam room, where the blinds stand mostly shut but leave room to look inside.

"What's the dessert of the day?"

Sitting in the hospital bed is a well and awake Mark Sloan, his palms rubbed together in anticipation of what's inside the tupperware.

"Just snickerdoodles."

"They're not just snickerdoodles. Nothing beats your snickerdoodles, Lev." He takes one out of the container. "How are you doing? How's the old ball and chain?"

"Good. We're both good."

"She's the only kid of legendary Lennox Phoenix, married to the Derek Shepherd, and best friends with Yang and Grey."

"Which one?"

"Does it matter?"

"Why not?"

"You didn't hear about the Greys, did you?"

Mark takes the cover of the container and hurls it towards the glass window. The interns disperse from their personal viewing window at the sudden noise, muttering excuses under their breaths and getting back to work.

"Don't listen to them, you hear me?"

"Yeah. Okay."

"Don't do this. Don't shut us out."

- - - - - - - - - -

"Just. . .try and keep talking to her. She'll have to respond some day."

"Alright. Thanks, Cristina."

The call ends with a click from the cellphone before falling to the nightstand with a clatter. His side of the bed dips as he moves under the covers.