Breakdowns - Part 1
Andy finds out Meredith has COVID
Andy was sitting at the table in the beanery, holding a cup of coffee, when Ben came in talking to someone on the phone.
"Yeah, I just miss you." Andy looked at Ben, knowing he was talking about Miranda and gave him a sad smile. There was a pause and with Ben's next words, her heart stopped. "How's Meredith doing?
"Meredith? What happened to Meredith?" Andy asked, standing up from the table, and walking closer to Ben, not caring that she interrupted their phone call.
"Um, Miranda, Andy's here and she wants to know what's happening with Meredith," Ben told her, putting the phone down on the counter and putting it on speaker.
"Bailey, what's going on?" Andy's panic was clear to Miranda, even over the phone.
"Uh... Andy, she..." Miranda stuttered, not knowing how to give this news to Andy over the phone.
"She what? Come on, one of you please tell me what's going on." Andy asked, her worry growing.
It was silent between the three of them for what seemed like forever when Ben cleared his throat and Andy looked at him.
"She has Covid, Andy," Ben told her, and Andy felt her heart drop. She dropped onto one of the stools at the kitchen island and just looked down.
"How bad is it?" Andy asked, trying to hold herself together. "Is she awake? Is she on a vent?" Andy asked, looking at Ben.
"It isn't good, Andy," Miranda admitted, and Andy's frown deepened. "She isn't on a vent but we're getting to the point where it's seeming more and more likely." Andy looked at the phone, not knowing what to say.
Andy stood up a minute later, not saying anything and walked out of the beanery. She walked through the lounge and into her bunk room. She sat down on the bed and stayed like that. She just continued to sit on the bed, looking forward, ignoring her phone that was lighting up.
I cannot handle any more loss, and that sounds selfish, but I'm feeling selfish.
You know, I-I put up a strong front, Robert, but I feel brittle. I feel like a strong wind could break me.
Andy was thinking about that conversation she had with Robert on inspection day. She had lost Ryan. She had lost her father. She had found out her mother was alive. And now, one of her closest friends was close to being put on a vent. Andy felt her eyes tear up. She moved back and leaned against the wall.
I can't lose anyone else.
That thought is what caused her the first tear to fall. She remembered the first time she met Meredith in the breezeway at Grey-Sloan.
"No, Kepner, you and Grey, you need to meet the other rig. His younger brother got thrown by the blast. He was bleeding out from the abdomen, and, well, one of our team, she just shoved her hand in there." Ben told them. Meredith and April looked at each other, a knowing look and then rushed over to the ambulance.
"Uh, 10-year-old make with a penetrating..." Before Andy could continue an intern cut her off.
"Why is your hand inside him?"
"Because he was bleeding a lot."
"Take it out of him!"
"You look 12. Can you find a grown-up to tell me that?" Andy asked, not willing to move until she was told to by a surgeon.
