Wisps of smoke

Chapter 20: Little More Dark and Twisty

Addison's POV

I grimaced in pain as Alex helped me into the black wheelchair at the foot of my bed. My leg constantly hurt and the idiot doctors did nothing to help.

"Where are we going again?" I asked as Alex started to wheel me through the white halls.

"We are all meeting up. To get out of here. Also, Richard said the construction team just broke ground on the new hospital." Alex said smiling briefly for a moment.

"Great. I haven't really seen anyone. How's Lexie? I haven't heard anything from her?" I asked. The last thing I had heard about her was that she was awake. That was over two weeks ago.

"She's doing better. Mark has been helping Richard and Miranda change her bandages, and her burns are getting better." Alex pushed me up to a door. He leaned over my chair and I got a glimpse of the small circular scar resting on his shoulder. Pushing the door open I tore my gaze away from the scar and gasp as I looked inside the room.

The room was obviously Meredith's. Her bed was in the centre and she was connected to too many wires to count. Multiple IV's, central lines. She had a oxygen mask resting on her lips. Her face was still extremely swollen and she had more bandages and casts on her body than skin.

Derek reached across her carefully removing the mask. He had bags under his eyes, a pinkish cut on his head and his wrist was in a cask. But he smiled at Meredith. She offered him what looked like a painful grimace in return.

Christina and Owen were sitting together on the other side of Meredith's bed. She was talking animatedly to him. Her curly hair was pulled up into a loose bun and a few open cuts were visible on her face.

Owen had what looked like broken ribs from the way he was hunched over. But he smiled and laughed at Christina as she playfully rolled her eyes at him.

There was another bed in the room. Lexie was resting in it. Her bed was pushed to the upright position and Mark was laying across it joining in with Callie and Arizonas talk whenever he pleased. Lexie's hair was cut in uneven sections no doubt from where it was burned.

Mark was looking rather good, compared to everyone else. From the way Lexie blushed when he spoke to her, he was no doubt back at his sexual jokes.

Arizona had burns covering her entire right hand and side. They were not as bad as Lexie's, but most definitely still painful. She was started in a wheel chair wincing as she reached up to tuck a strand of hair between her ears.

Callie had what looked like an oxygen tank on the ground next to her. She was not using it, but kept a tight grip on the mask in her hands.

Richard and Miranda sat talking to George and Izzy who were still fighting from what I had last heard. Both Miranda and Richard were mostly unscratched and had regular clothes on rather than the ugly hospital gowns.

Izzy was seated in a wheel chair with a blanket tossed over her lap. Her amputated leg was straight out in front her her and she nervously pulled the blanket down further every few seconds.

George had a set of crutches resting on the ground beside him. White gauze covered his lower calfs that were easily visible in his shorts. He also looked tired, with big bags under his eyes. And messy hair.

"Hey guys." Alex said stepping into the room. Everybody stopped and looked at us.

"Addy!" Callie called from her seat. "Glad to see your okay!"

I smiled and soon everyone was talking again. 

Meredith's POV

I watched as Alex wheeled Addison's into the room. She had a cast wrapped around one leg and a few scratches on her head. Sometimes I couldn't help but envy everybody else. None of them had a major concussion, or was paralyzed in one leg, looking at amputation. None of them had PTSD or nightmares so bad the entire hospital woke because of their screaming. But I knew there was nothing I could do. I mean it was my fault I got hurt, I did kill Mr. Williamson's son.

I was pulled from my thoughts by Derek laying a hand on my shoulder. I flinched and he quickly removed his hand. Looking sad.

"De..." I started to say, but was cut off by Alex who was beginning to speak.

"Okay, so you probably all know we need to get the hëll out of this place. The last time the doctors came to check on any of us, was when they sent Mer into a... episode."

I could feel everybody's eyes on my and I looked down wishing Alex would stop talking about me.

"That was two weeks ago. We need to find a way to bring everybody back home."

I knew what home he was talking about. It was a home. Everybody stayed there and it was close to the hospital.

"Our... house." I croaked out wincing at the pain from the ugly bruises surrounding my neck.

Everybody smiled, George and Lexie laughed a bit because it was true, it was our house. Almost everybody in this room had stayed there at one time.

"But how are we going to get everything there." Derek asked. "We need medicine and IV's and possibly a defibrillator." I knew he was talking about me, everybody knew he was talking about me.

"We will find something. We will be okay." Alex said looking around the room.

"How do you know that?" Owen asked. "We need a hospital and if you haven't noticed the only thing left of ours is smoke and ashes!"

"We are all going go be fine. A little more dark and twisty, slightly bloody and broken. But that's what makes us human." Alex said looking around at us.

Christina stood up and walked next to me. "I'ma be super dark and twisty if Owen doesn't stop mentioning the wedding stuff. Like give a woman a break! I'm dying here!" Then she 'fell' backwards dramatically onto my bed and my leg. I cried out in pain and Christina shot up ignoring the glare Derek sent her way.

"Can you feel this?" She asked tapping my toes that stuck out from my cast.

I nodded my head and Derek smiled. I still didn't get it. Then I realized something I was no longer paralyzed. Alex was right, we are going to be okay.

Hey sorry for the long wait. I am swamped with stuff. I will try to update sooner this time and I hoped you enjoyed!