Eight Lives, One Heart

Eight Lives, One Heart 15 ❤️

The tension in the emergency room was palpable as Alexis was rushed in on a gurney, unconscious and critically injured. Her family, her cousins, and friends from every corner of her life were already waiting at Grey's Hospital, each of them battling their own fears. The team at the hospital was prepared for what lay ahead, but nothing could prepare them for what had come through the doors.

Alex stood by the window, watching with a mixture of disbelief and terror as the doctors rushed Alexis into the trauma bay. His breath hitched, his mind racing with the thought that he might lose her. His cousin. His friend. The one who always fought so hard, no matter the odds.

Dr. Mark Sloan's voice broke through the chaos. "Code Red! We've got a critical patient!"

The room went silent for a moment as the doctors scrambled to respond. Mark turned to Alex, trying to give him some comfort, but his eyes spoke volumes. They had to act fast.

"She's family, Alex," Mark said softly, his hand resting on the window next to Alex's. "We'll do everything we can."

Derek Shepherd, Meredith Grey, and other doctors moved quickly, prepping Alexis for surgery. They were experts, but this wasn't just any patient. This was Alexis Black, someone they all cared deeply for.

The cousins—Tyler, Owen, and John—stood together, watching helplessly. Their eyes never left the doors of the trauma bay. In that moment, they couldn't see the doctors, couldn't see the machines. They only saw their cousin—their sister—fighting for her life.

Alex stood there, hands clenched into fists, struggling to hold it together. The air in the hospital felt thick and heavy. He knew that Alexis had always been strong, but was she strong enough to fight through this?

As the minutes stretched on, the hospital suddenly became eerily quiet, except for the faint hum of machines. And then, as if on cue, a song began to play softly through the hospital's speakers. It was one of those songs that seemed to capture the moment perfectly, the weight of the situation too much to bear.

"Say Something" by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera.

The first note hit, and Alex felt as though the world around him was crumbling. The words came like a wave, pulling him under, even as the doctors fought for Alexis's life.

"Say something, I'm giving up on you..."

Tears welled up in Alex's eyes as he pressed his hand against the window, unable to look away from the room where his cousin was fighting for her life. The words of the song felt like a cruel reminder of what they might lose.

He whispered, barely audible through the thick emotion, "Please, Alexis. Please don't give up. We're not ready to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you..."

Mark's eyes flicked toward Alex, his own heart heavy with the same grief. Mark had known Alexis for years—watched her grow up, fight for the things she loved. He had seen her overcome so much. But this time, it felt different. This time, it was a battle she might not win.

"Say something, I'm giving up on you."

Tears spilled down Alex's face, and he couldn't help but think about the times he'd almost lost her before. Their late-night conversations. Her laughter. How she would always give everything to make sure everyone around her was okay, even if it meant hurting herself.

Tyler, Owen, and John were all standing there, equally torn by the sound of the song echoing through the halls. They couldn't speak. The pain was too much to put into words.

And then, as if the weight of it all was too much, Alexis's ghostly figure appeared beside Alex. She was standing in front of him, transparent, yet somehow real—her eyes filled with sorrow, but also with the unmistakable strength that defined her.

She reached out, her ghostly hand brushing against Alex's. She couldn't speak, but she felt everything that he did. She, too, felt the words of the song in her soul.

As the song continued to play, Alexis's ghost began to sing, her voice barely a whisper in the air. It was as if the song had become their shared bond, their unspoken conversation.

"And I will swallow my pride... You're the one that I love... And I'm saying goodbye."

Alex's heart broke as he heard her voice, even though it was only a whisper in the air. He could feel her presence, her love, wrapping around him like a warm embrace. But the song was clear: this was a goodbye, even if it wasn't the one he was ready for.

Through his tears, Alex finally managed to speak. "No, Alexis. Don't say goodbye. You can't. You're my cousin. You're my sister."

"Say something, I'm giving up on you..."

The final note of the song hung in the air, the words unspoken yet echoing in their hearts. Alexis's ghostly figure stood beside him, her presence undeniable as the song came to a close.

Just as the song ended, something shifted in the operating room. Alexis's heart rate steadied, and the doctors took a collective breath of relief. Alexis, despite everything, had fought back.

Alex wiped the tears from his eyes, his heart hammering in his chest. He wasn't ready to say goodbye. Not yet. Not ever.

And as Alexis's ghost disappeared, fading into the background, he knew that she wasn't giving up. Not on him. Not on her family. She was a fighter, just as she always had been.

The doctors emerged, and Mark gave them a faint but hopeful nod. "She's not out of the woods yet, but she's a fighter. She's still with us."

Alex didn't have the words. He simply placed a hand over his chest, feeling the weight of everything that had just passed. He wasn't ready to lose her—not today, not ever.

Tyler, Owen, and John all came together, standing by Alex's side. There were no words needed. They had all shared the same hope, the same fight for Alexis's survival.

And as Alexis lay in the operating room, still fighting, Alex whispered, "You're not done yet, cousin. We're not saying goodbye."