Omelia

Hold Me

This was the twelfth time Owen had tried to call Amelia.  Each time he dialed her number, it went straight to voicemail.  He hadn't heard from her at all today and after what happened in the OR, he had to speak with her.  

He tried again, maybe twelve was his lucky number.  

Ring,

Ring,

Ring,

"Hello, you have reached the voicemail of Dr. Amelia Shepherd.  Please leave your name, number, and brief message, and I will get back to you ask soon as I can."

"Damn it!" Owen said under his breath.  He threw his phone to the passenger seat of his car.  Amelia had left the hospital a little over an hour ago.  Owen was so tied up in paperwork, he didn't even look for her to say goodbye.  Not that he really needed to; there was no definite status of their relationship despite how badly he wanted there to be.  Amelia made him feel in ways he had never imagined possible.

He pulled his car beside the trailer which still resided in Derek's backyard.  Unlocking the door, a little piece of him hoped that Amelia would be inside waiting for him.  Much to his dismay, the trailer was empty with no sign of Amelia anywhere.  

Owen tried calling her phone again, but in pattern, it went to voicemail.  He paced in circles, wondering where she could possibly be.  Collapsing on the bed, he held his head in his hands.  Amelia could be anywhere doing anything and there was nothing he could do to stop it.  What if this time, instead of handing the oxy over, she actually took it. Maybe she was passed out, drugged nearly to death.  Owen's head was sprinting in circles and he couldn't turn it off.

He tried to lay down and get some sleep.  Chances were, Amelia was fine and he would see her tomorrow.  But something just kept tugging in the back of his mind, telling him that something was wrong.  He got up, threw on a t-shirt and jeans, and set out to find the woman he wanted.

Owen decided to check her house; it made the most sense. He knocked three times on the front door with no answer.  Maybe Amelia was sleeping.  He tried yelling her name  and knocking again.  

Nothing.  

There had to be a spare key around here.  Owen looked under the mat, in the flower pot, and even under the loose rocks in the landscaping he helped Derek plant years ago.  He checked the porch light, and right where the bearings met the wall, a small key was stuffed between.  He grabbed the key and shoved it into the lock, turning it and opening the door.

"Amelia, I'm coming in now," Owen somewhat awkwardly announced.  The living room looked empty and dark except for the one lamp in the corner she must have left on.  Owen meandered towards the kitchen and still didn't find a trace of Amelia.  He sat down at a chair by the dining room table and listened to the silence.  He tried to put the pieces together, but they just weren't fitting.  

As Owen sat and listened, he heard the sound of a faint trickle; like water was running. Amelia must've just been in the shower.  But in the shower for over an hour? That wasn't like her, Amelia took quick and efficient showers.  

Owen ran up the stairs, almost tripping over his own feet.  As he got closer to the bathroom, he was able to hear faint cries coming  from behind the door. 

He knocked, and the cries came to an abrupt stop.  "Amelia, it's me."

"Go away Owen," she sniffled as if she was trying to pull herself together.

"I can't until I know you are okay," He leaned against the door.

"I'm fine, I promise," Amelia said, wishing that Owen would just leave her alone.  Sometimes, he reminded her of a lost puppy who just needed someone to guide him.

"No, you're not," Owen said, and twisted the door knob. He stepped inside the bathroom to find the air thick with steam.  The shower curtain was pulled across so he could only see the shadow of the figure that is Amelia Shepherd sitting inside.  Her knees were pulled into her delicate frame and she looked so fragile.  

"Owen, leave!" Amelia screeched. 

He took off his shoes, socks, and emptied his pockets.  Pulling back the curtain, he set eyes on the naked form.  Her pale skin was flushed bright pink from the pounding of the hot water against her back. Her hair was damp and spread over her shoulders.  Her head was resting on her knees, wrapped tightly around by her arms. 

"Owen, get out or I'll call the police!" Amelia's voice was strained and laced with desperation.

"No, you won't," He stepped into the shower, fully dressed as not to suggest anything, and sat behind her.  Owen wrapped his strong arms around her delicate ones, and rested his head against her shoulder.  She turned to face him, eyes red from crying, and collapsed against his chest.  The sobs came fast and heavy like bats out of hell.  Owen held Amelia as she cried for Derek, Ryan, her baby, and her father.  The screams escaped from her tiny body like they had been trapped for way too long.  

"It's been one year," she said in between sobs.

"I know, and you're not alone in this.  I promise you, you're not alone," Owen stroked her hair which was tangly and wet.  "We can get through this together, every step of the way.  I'll be there to hold you."

"Hold me then," Amelia said and snuggled her way into his chest which was damp from the water that was cascading over both of them.  Owen obediently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.  Even over her own cries and the sound of the shower, Amelia could hear his strong and reassuring heart beat.  

"I'll hold you, and never let you go," Owen said as they laid together in the bathtub letting the hot water flood over them.