You, Love

Chapter 11: Since U Been Gone

 They had sex.

On Christmas Day, it was to calm Alex's nerves about his test. Then the next day, it was good luck sex. Then it was to ease his nerves about taking the test. Then celebratory sex when they got his positive results. Then, they celebrated the celebration.

Five mornings after Christmas, Fallyn wasn't sure why they were still having sex. Just that she didn't want to stop. And, clearly, neither did Alex.

She woke up on the fifth morning in his gloomy bedroom, early-morning light fighting through the blackout curtains.

Alex was on the other side of the bed, his back to her. He wasn't a cuddler, which was fine. They'd been closer, but Fallyn wouldn't feel comfortable cuddling him.

She wasn't sure if he was awake as she slid out of bed. He was still, but tense; Fallyn wouldn't be surprised if he ground his teeth while he slept. But he didn't stir as she found her clothes on the floor and put them on languidly. She wasn't sure if she wanted him to be awake.

Nothing against Alex, but it was probably for the best that he slept through her leaving. Talking to him was still a struggle, especially after sex.

She closed the door quietly behind her. It wasn't bad, but she wasn't proud of it either. At least the walk of shame was short.

...

When she arrived at the hospital, it became immediately apparent that something was

wrong with Addison.

These days, it seemed like something was always wrong with Addison. Be it a tricky patient or Meredith Grey or her stupid husband. But, today specifically, Fallyn couldn't figure out what it was.

She was walking funny. With an uneven, hobbling gait that couldn't be attributed to new shoes because it was just so strange. It was like the friction of her thighs was causing her pain, like she was chafing with every step. And the face she made while she walked down the stairs looked like she was about to keel over dead. Fallyn couldn't help but stare.

Addison suffered mostly in silence as they made their way to the natal wing for rounds. Mostly silent— Addison grunted a little with every step, practically whining when they had to wait for the elevator. Fallyn looked at her out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing.

It wasn't until they got into the empty elevator that Fallyn had to address the elephant in the room. Addison had started shifting on her feet, making a weird little side-to-side motion and screwing her eyes shut.

"Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd," Fallyn began quietly. Addison stilled immediately— Fallyn suspected she hadn't noticed she was moving at all. "Are you... alright? You seem kind of..." She let the end of the sentence hang in the air. You seem kind of in pain.

Addison turned to her, eyes wide. "Dr. Glenn, I need you to do an exam on me."

"An exam?" Fallyn asked. Her mind immediately ran wild with brain tumors and heart tumors and ovarian tumors. Was her mentor about to die? "What kind of exam? Are you okay?"

Addison looked down, pointedly, at her skirt. "I think I have a rash."

Oh. Fallyn went immediately red. "O-oh. And you want me to give you an exam. A vaginal exam."

Fallyn was almost completely sure that she couldn't give her mentor a vaginal exam. And Addison was almost completely sure that she didn't care, which is why, as soon as the elevator came to a stop on the natal wing, Addison led Fallyn to the nearest empty exam room.

Addison sat on the exam table with a kind of desperate fervor. She didn't even bother to take her shoes off as she put her feet in the stirrups, just hiked up her skirt and dropped her panties.