Stitches of Survival

Get Up, Stand Up

Chapter Forty: Get Up, Stand Up

*~*~*~*

"Did I miss it?" Jackson asked as he joined Mark and I in the second floor lobby, everyone having gathered to see Webber off since he'd finally been discharged from the hospital.

"No," Mark shook his head.

"Oh, you could stab me in the leg with a scalpel!" I suggested only to earn a confused look from my brother and an eye roll from my husband.

"What is she talking about?" Jackson asked. "Should I get psych?"

"She's trying to find an excuse not to go to Kepner's bridal shower," Mark explained to him. "She doesn't seem to care that Kepner went to hers when we were getting married."

"Mine wasn't at work in the middle of the day," I pointed out. "The point of a bridal shower is to get drunk. Plus all her sisters are going to be there. Can you guys blame me for not wanting to be stuck in a room filled with chirpy redheads?"

"You'll survive," Mark patted me on the shoulder as we saw the doors that led to the patient wing opening. Everyone turned their attention to the nurse wheeling Webber out into the lobby and we clapped.

"What are all of you doing here?" Webber looked around at all of us in surprise.

"We came to see you off," Meredith smiled at him.

"We couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye," Arizona shook her head.

"We'll miss you," Callie added.

"I'm just going home. I'm not retiring," Webber reminded all of us. "But first, I just need a vacation from all of you."

*~*~*~*

"The cameras are only recording the doctors and the surgical field," Owen reassured Nathan's parents later that morning as Cristina and I joined him and Ross in the PICU room. "Your son's identity will be completely protected."

"Good morning," Cristina greeted them.

"Big day," I smiled.

"We're just hearing about the cameras," Ashley voice broke as she spoke.

"Sorry?" Cristina's eyes widened slightly at the new information, as did mine.

"We just told the Glaziers we have a lot of people who'd like to observe, so we've set up a live stream." Ross explained for us.

"Okay, but I think we would feel better if we knew the focus was on our baby, not putting on a show." Don spoke up as he rested a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"The cameras are there so that, in success, other doctors can learn this technique to help other kids like Nathan," Owen reminded them.

"No," Ashley shook her head. "No, that doesn't work for me. He's a baby. He's a baby."

"Ashley. Ashely, look at me," Cristina told the woman as she stepped forward. "I will be performing the operation. And my only focus will be your son. That is all I care about, okay? That's it."

"We'll be back in a little bit," I sent the worried parents a small smile before I followed the others out of the room.

"You spring this on me the day of surgery?" Cristina narrowed her eyes at Owen and Ross once we stopped down the hall.

"What?" Owen's brows furrowed together.

"This circus?" Cristina scoffed.

"Ross said that this came from you," Owen gestured to the resident.