In My Blood

Chapter 2

Mark Sloan's Point of View

FLASHBACK July 2010

I can hear Addison's desperate, weeping sobs all the way down the hallway and to the elevator. The transplant team stops me there. They will not let me onto the operating room's floor. They won't allow me into the room, or even into the gallery. I made a promise to Addison though, that I would take Heavenly as far as they'd allow me to. I need to go to Addison. I should scoop her up into my arms and hold her, let her know that she is not alone. I can't break my promise, no matter how much it kills me to do so. Addison isn't thinking of herself right now. She is overcome with grief, and she doesn't want our daughter to be alone.

There is a child in a room down the hall screaming at the top of their lungs for pancakes. The mother is adamantly telling the child 'no' that they have surgery soon, and cannot have pancakes until afterwards. My mind flashes back to just a few days ago at the breakfast able. We were having pancakes. I am so thankful now that I said yes to Heavenly's silly little request.

"I want chocolate!" Heavenly declares.

"You have to eat your breakfast first." I say, looking over at her from the top of the paper that I am reading. She is glaring at her pancakes with a dissatisfied look on her face, so much like Addison's when she's upset about something.

"I don't like pancakes." She informs me. "I haven't liked pancakes in a million years, since I was a tiny baby! It's Willow who likes pancakes." She says, speaking of her best friend from next door.

"How about something else then?" I ask her. Addison her in another one of those 'bow to toe' outfits. Addison changed when she became a mother. Heavenly isn't dressed in Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton. Addison was of the opinion that children should look, and dress like children. In practical, comfortable things that they can play in. I don't know if this is what I would call practical, but Heavenly seems happy enough. Her hair is done in pigtails this morning secured with little brightly colored spiral ribbons.

"Poppa please?" She asks, looking up at me with those eyes. They are so blue, so piercing just like Addison's when she wants her way. She puts her bottom lip out slightly, and that in addition to the big eyes reminds me so much of that orange cat from Shrek. How many times has she and Willow watched that silly movie? Normally they're into princesses, but that movie seems to be the exception. She's wearing a little striped dress with a flower that matches the ribbons in her hair. She gives me a look she knows that I cannot resist. Addison has trained her well in the art of getting her way. We sit there, glaring at each other, a momentary standoff, before I give in, as I always do, how could I not?

"Okay fine." I say, and she giggles happily, does a little dance. "But you still have to eat something else, and you can't get chocolate of your pretty dress. Your Mommy will get us both if she has to change your outfit before daycare today." I say this in a playful tone and she laughs. Her eyes light up, a huge smile making its way across her face.

"We could prank her!"

"Another day." I promise, knowing Addison wouldn't be pleased with anything that makes her late for work. I hand Heavenly one of her mom's expensive chocolates that she insists we keep stockpiles of in the kitchen, she pops it into her mouth in one bite.

"See. Nofthing on my dress." She says proudly with her mouth full. I should say something about speaking with food in your mouth, and how it's impolite, but I let it slide, going back to my paper for a moment. When she has finished her candy I gently nudge her plate towards her.

"Now some of your fruit and pancakes little one. Your Mommy cut them into stars for you and everything today. How special."

"You're the best Poppa ever!" She gives me a chocolate covered kiss on the cheek, before going back to her food, and eating several bites of each fruit and pancakes. When she is finished I pick her up, spinning her around. She shrieks with laughter. I sit her down on the sink and wipe her hands and mouth with a clean rag. I hug her, and tell her that she's the best princess in the entire world, and I am the luckiest man alive to be her Poppa.