r a i n y d a y s >>> greys anatomy

c h a p t e r e i g h t

"hey, shepherd."

"hey madelyn."

"i'm sorry about the brain dead guy. sucks."

"yeah, it does. it's more common then you think, though."

"i wish there was a way to cure brain death, like how you can defibrillate a heart, just shock the brain back into working, you know?"

"unfortunately, it's impossible."

"i know, i know. i'm not stupid, just, sad."

"it's okay."

"i'll see you around, derek."

"see ya around, mads."

💙💙💙

"absent corneal reflexes." madelyn pointed out.

"it's been fifty-five minutes. if he doesn't respond to tests in the next five hours, what?we're supposed to just stand here and watch him die?" argued izzie.

"if he doesn't respond to these tests, it's because he's already dead." madelyn explained.

"technically. legally." izzie muttered.

"actually, izzie. actually dead." madelyn snapped.

"he's breathing. he has a heartbeat."

"look at his eeg. there's no higher brain function. he'll never talk, move, or think again. there's no one in there. think like a doctor, izzie."

"he could wake up. what about a miracle. there are medical miracles you know."

"i know." shepherd appeared out of nowhere.

"you're right. miracles happen. people do wake up. that's why we do a series of tests over a set number of hours. so when we call 'time of death', we know that we've done everything to make sure it's actually time of death, that there isn't going to be any miracles."

izzie looked down, avoiding eye contact and handed derek the chart.

"this is the hard part. to stand around as surgeon and not cut. that's what 'do no harm' means." he said before leaving the room.

"i wish he'd just go into the light already so i can get another case."

izzie shot madelyn a mean look.