PLAYING WITH FIRE

Chapter 49: Brian Surgery

Meredith and the others exchanged glances. It wasn't unusual for traumatic brain injury victims to have memory loss.

Amelia spoke up, her voice laced with concern. "It's okay, Maya. You had an accident. You hit your head. Do you remember that?"
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Maya said "No."

Meredith's expression was pained. She could only imagine how confused and scared Maya must be feeling at that moment.

Amelia spoke again. "Okay, that's okay. You sustained a serious head injury, so memory loss is normal. But we're going to do everything to make sure you get better. You're in good hands, Maya."

Maya, her eyes wide and fearful, looked around the room at the sea of worried and familiar faces. Her mind was fuzzy, her thoughts disjointed.

She tried to sit up, but Bailey stopped her. "Hey, hey, you need to stay lying down. You've been through a lot and you need to rest."

Maya, her face etched with pain, relented and sank back into the bed, her eyes still darting around.

Amelia, not missing a beat, tried to keep her calm. "Maya, do you know where you are right now?"

Maya's voice was a whisper, her eyes glazed over with pain and confusion. "I...I think I'm in the hospital."

Bailey nodded, a slight smile on her lips. "That's right. You're in Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital. We're going to take good care of you. Just relax and let us help you."

Maya tried to nod, but the movement made her grimace. She clenched her eyes shut, a low groan escaping her lips.

Owen's brow furrowed as he looked down at her, his voice laced with concern. "Maya, does your head hurt?"

Maya nodded, her face scrunched up in pain. Her words came out in a halting, whispered breath. "Yes...it hurts...so much..."

Meredith, her eyes flicking between the monitor and Maya's face, spoke up. "I'm going to give you something for the pain. It'll help you feel better."

Maggie chimed in, her expression serious. "We're going to need to keep a close eye on her. That headache could be a sign of increasing cerebral edema."

Bailey, still monitoring Maya's vital signs, spoke up. "Her BP is up again. We need to get her stabilized."

Owen and Meredith exchanged a worried glance, the gravity of the situation hanging heavily in the air.

Amelia, her gaze fixed intently on the monitor, spoke up. "Her intracranial pressure is definitely increasing. We need to consider a burr hole for surgical decompression."

Maggie, her demeanor serious, agreed. "It's a temporary fix, but it could help alleviate swelling while we figure out a long-term solution."

Meredith, her mind going a mile a minute, nodded. "We need to prep for surgery, stat."

Bailey was already on the move, gathering the necessary equipment and supplies.

Meanwhile, Owen looked down at Maya, his expression conflicted. He knew surgery was their best option, but he also knew the risks.

Meredith, her voice ringing like a bell, barked out orders. "Maggie, prepare for the burr hole procedure. Bailey, get the OR ready. Nurses, we need a full crash cart and a team of anesthesiologists."

Amelia, her features set in a determined frown, spoke up. "I'll scrub in with Maggie. We'll do everything we can to keep her stable."

Maya, despite her confused and frightened state, seemed to sense the gravity of the situation. Her eyes widened as she looked around, trying to make sense of the flurry of activity around her.