Tonya walked into the hospital, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. She had an air of defiance, but her expression faltered the moment Alex stormed toward her, his face flushed with anger.
"You did this!" Alex yelled, his voice echoing through the corridor. "It was you, wasn't it?"
Tonya froze, her eyes darting to the room where Alexis lay unconscious. "What are you talking about?" she stammered.
Alex stepped closer, his voice trembling with fury. "Don't play dumb! Alexis drank something that was poisoned, and the only people she's been around are you and Steve. What the hell did you give her?"
Tonya's face paled, but she raised her chin. "I didn't do anything! We brought her tea as a peace offering, that's all."
"A peace offering?" Alex shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "How convenient that your 'peace offering' almost killed her!"
Meredith stepped in, placing a hand on Alex's arm. "Alex, calm down. Let's focus on Alexis right now. We need answers, not accusations."
Alex shook her off, still glaring at his aunt. "If I find out you had anything to do with this, I swear—"
Tonya's voice broke as she cut him off. "She's my daughter! I would never hurt her!"
Alex scoffed, his anger undiminished. "You let Steve treat her like garbage her whole life. Don't act like some saint now."
The tension was thick, and several staff members had stopped to watch the confrontation. Inside the room, Alexis remained still, oblivious to the chaos outside.
"Alex," Mark called from the room. "We need you back here. Now."
Reluctantly, Alex turned away, throwing one last glare at Tonya. "This isn't over."
Tonya stood there, visibly shaken, as Alex walked back into the room to focus on saving Alexis. As the surgeons worked with precision under the bright operating room lights, a soft gasp from Alexis caught everyone's attention. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, and for a brief moment, her eyes cracked open.
"Whoa," Mark muttered, startled. "She's waking up."
"That's impossible," Alex said, glancing up from his position at the surgical table. "She's under anesthesia. Alexis, can you hear me?"
Her lips moved faintly, and her gaze darted around, dazed and unfocused. It was clear she was disoriented, her body struggling against the heavy sedation.
"She shouldn't be waking up," another nurse said, her voice filled with concern. "Her vitals are still stable, though."
Alex leaned in closer, his tone soft but firm. "Alexis, you're safe. You're in surgery. Just stay calm."
Her eyes flickered closed again, and her body relaxed as if the momentary burst of consciousness had drained her.
"Let's finish this quickly," Mark said, his voice steady as he refocused on the task at hand. "We don't need any more surprises."
Alex nodded, glancing once more at Alexis's face before turning his attention back to the surgery. He silently vowed to figure out what had caused her to wake up—and to make sure she pulled through this.
