Hold On To Me (Marina)

17.Shelter

17.

Yes I know, I know you've been hurt before
And life will lay you low, oh, of that I'm sure
[...]
I'll be shelter, keep you safe and warm
(Joy Oladokun-Shelter)

Carina hated night shifts, but she had no choice. She and Maya had decided not to ask any leave, to ask for it once Keira was discharged. Since Carina worked at Grey Sloan, she was the one who spent the majority of time with the girl, but the firefighter managed to go to the hospital every time her shift ended. They tried to alternate as much as possible, but when they both had to work the other doctors stayed with the teen, so that she wasn't alone. On the other side, Keira wasn't feeling any better. She had started seeing a psychiatrist, but she didn't really open up with anyone, not even with the therapist. She struggled eating and sleeping and she spent her days in silence, barely talking, scared of everything and everyone. And how could you blame her, after all?

"Hey!" Carina greeted Bailey, entering Keira's room. "How is she?"

"She is sleeping for now. She was exhausted." Miranda answered. Carina put a strand of hair behind her own hear and sat down next to the bed. She gazed at the girl. She looked so pale and in distress, even if she was sleeping.

"I'll leave you two alone." Bailey said and the OB/GYN mouthed a tiny thank you. She let out a sigh and checked the time. It was quite late and she was tired too. She took her phone and decided to video-call her wife, hoping she wasn't on a call. When a yawning Maya appeared on her screen she couldn't help but smile in relief.

"Ciao."

"Hey." Maya greeted her, still half-asleep.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Don't worry, I wasn't asleep yet.". It was a lie and Carina knew that, but she appreciated it anyway. "How are you doing?". Carina waved a hand through her hair and quickly glanced at Keira, who kept sleeping in a not too much peaceful way.

"I'm a bit jealous of your bed right now." she said, chuckling. "But I'm happy I can be here with her. Today was tough, her session with the psychiatrist must have been quite difficult."

"I wish I could be there." Maya claimed, sadness in her voice. "Is she sleeping?"

"For now." Carina responded. "What about you? Jack told me you had a huge call."

"Yeah, a level 4 fire. It was a painting factory, a whole mess." Maya explained. "But hopefully tonight I will be able to sleep and tomorrow morning I will join you, so that you can go home and have a shower at least."

"Very kind of you." Carina joked. "But at least I smell like disinfectant, you're the one who stinks like a barbecue.". Maya lifted her arm and smelt her armpit. Carina made a disgusted face.

"Maya!"

"What? I wanted to prove you that I don't stink." the firefighter replied. The Italian rolled her eyes and shook her head. She was about to say something, when she heard someone screaming. She froze. Keira.

"I... I have to..."

"Text me later, please.". Carina nodded and turned off her phone, then rushed to the girl. She was having a nightmare and kept screaming and crying. She started writhing in her bed and managed to get the IV out of her arm.

"Stay away from me! Stay away! No!" she kept crying and Carina felt heartbroken herding her like that. A nurse entered the room, but the OB/GYN gestured her to step outside. She didn't want the girl to wake up and found herself surrounded by unknown people.