Aria walked briskly down the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest. The constant rush of hospital life was something she was used to, but today was different. Today, it was a newborn in crisis, and she had to be ready to face whatever came their way.
As she passed Arizona, her colleague and friend, Arizona gave her a quick, sharp command. "Aria, ride with Alex. He's on a baby run."
Aria didn't hesitate. "Yeah, I'll go change."
"Make it fast," Arizona shot back, urgency heavy in her voice as she turned away.
Aria nodded, knowing that time was of the essence. She quickly ducked into the locker room, pulling on her scrubs with practiced efficiency. This wasn't her first rodeo, but the weight of the situation had her moving faster than usual.
In the car, the sound of rain pounding against the windows felt deafening. Aria kept her gaze forward, but her mind was on everything except the road ahead. She could feel the tension in the car—the unspoken weight Alex carried. He'd been quiet since they'd left the hospital, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror every so often, but his mind was elsewhere.
She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Alex, it's not your fault, you know," she said quietly, her voice soft but firm.
Alex turned to look at her for a moment, clearly caught off guard. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his confusion evident.
"Meredith and Derek... losing Zola. It's not your fault," she continued, her eyes locking with his, trying to get through to him. "You need to stop feeling guilty. This isn't on you."
Alex didn't answer, his eyes drifting back to the road. Aria could tell he wasn't ready to talk about it, so she let it go. There was nothing she could say right now to lift the burden he was carrying. All she could do was be there for him.
They finally arrived at the hospital, and the moment Aria stepped inside, the gravity of the situation hit her like a wall. The emergency room was a flurry of activity. Nurses and doctors moved in and out of rooms, their faces etched with concentration and worry. Alex led the way, and Aria followed closely behind him, trying to gather herself for what they were about to face.
"Hey, we're here to pick up a newborn and take her to Seattle Grace," Alex called out, his voice strong, commanding.
A man with dark hair and a tired expression approached them. "You must be Alex Karev and Aria Grey. I'm Jordan Wagner. Glad to see you guys."
Alex shook his hand, introducing them both. "Yeah, I'm Alex. This is Aria."
Jordan's face turned serious as he gestured toward a small, incubator-like bed where the baby lay. "Okay, listen. She was born six hours ago. Right away, we noticed trouble breathing, and her stomach looked distended, so we put in an NG tube. But the X-ray showed that it's just coiling in her chest. We've done everything we can to keep her breathing, but it's been a struggle."
Aria's heart sank as she approached the baby, her mind already processing the critical condition she was in.
Alex turned to Jordan. "You don't have a neonatal mask?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.
Jordan shook his head. "We're not set up for neonatal or OB. She was an emergency delivery. Otherwise, we would've sent her to the hospital in Leavenworth."
Aria moved closer to the monitors, quickly analyzing the data flashing on the screen. "Pulse ox is 79. Respiratory rate is 80. She's got retractions," she said, her voice calm but urgent.
"How come she's not intubated?" Alex asked.
"The smallest tube we had didn't fit," Jordan explained. "Please tell me you brought a neonatal tube."
YOU ARE READING
Shooting Stars
Fanfiction"But he's Evil Spawn." "Don't you think I know that. I didn't wake up one day and suddenly decide I was going to be in love with Alex Karev." Being the daughter of a world renowned surgeon was never destined to be easy. The first born of the Grey tw...
