Code Blue | Grey's Anatomy // Book 2 // COMPLETED

78 | 11:05

Bright lights. The paramedics shine bright lights into your eyes when you've been in an accident to check your responses. But what they forget is that they're shining a bright light into your eyes, and if you're still conscious, having a bright light shone in your eyes is the last thing you want after being in an accident.

I groaned, which was my way of telling them to get the light away, except they didn't stop. That meant one of two things. One, they heard me and were choosing to ignore me because they were doing their job, or two, I was in much worse condition than I knew and what I thought was an out loud groan, could have just been an internal groan...which meant I was too weak to make basic sounds.

My eyes kept darting around, looking for any familiar faces. I worked in a hospital but yet I knew none of these paramedics. They acted like they knew me, though. I could faintly hear them tell me that everything was going to be okay as they loaded me onto a stretcher and into the back of an ambulance.

The sirens filled my head as the ambulance took off and it wasn't until now that I started to feel the pain. It was literally everywhere. My legs, my arms, my head, my stomach...oh, God, my stomach. I couldn't do anything to tell the paramedics about my baby, but thankfully I hadn't gotten far from the hospital, and practically everyone there knew I was pregnant.

Before I knew it the ambulance stopped moving, the back doors flew open, and it began; my journey to recovery or death. "Ellie Forrest, twenty-nine, car accident." the paramedic called out.
 
"Did you say Ellie Forrest?" I heard someone ask before Owen's face was right over mine, "Ellie? Can you hear me? You're going to be just fine, okay?"

As they wheeled me into the hospital, I used every ounce of energy I had to reach out and touch Owen's hand. Seconds later he looked down at me, worry on his face, "I know. Everything's going to be just fine. Someone page Peds and Ortho! Also, can we get Alex Karev down here?!"

The stretcher stopped as they brought me into a trauma room. "What do we have?" Arizona asked as she entered the room, her face falling when she saw me, "Oh, my God! Ellie! What happened?"

"Car accident." Owen huffed as they started to examine me, "Jackass tried to run the red. Ugh, there's too much damage right now to get a C.T. We need to get her into an O.R. right now!"

I wished that I could talk to them. Just talk to them and let them know that I could hear them. But I couldn't. They started to wheel me up to an O.R. and it was all a blur. People ran past, recognized me, stopped and started talking to me. Telling me the same thing. You'll be okay, I'll pray for you. The usual.

They pumped me full of drugs as soon as we got into the O.R., putting me to sleep. I remember thinking to myself, they needed me asleep before they started talking because if I could hear them, which I could, I would understand every single word they said. I would know what was wrong with me based on who they brought in. I was a patient, so they needed me not to know.

And trust me, I was all for that. I didn't want to know. For all I cared, they could put me to sleep and wake me up when I was all better.

════(A few days later)════

After what felt like being asleep for months and being numb forever, I re-entered the real world in one quick second and every single one of my nerves was on edge. I could feel everything. I didn't want to open my eyes yet. In fact, I half hoped that if I kept them close, I would fall back into my painless slumber. Of course, I knew that wouldn't happen, so slowly I started to open my eyes.

The light spilled in through the crack in my eyelids so fast, I shut them closed right away. It wasn't like waking up and adjusting to the light. No, this was like experiencing light for the first time in my life. Slowly, I opened them again and managed to get them wide open.

A small wave of relief washed over me as I looked around and noticed the all too familiar look of the I.C.U. My room was empty, but every once in a while a nurse or doctor would walk by outside. I would have stayed there for a while and just observed if I didn't hurt so bad. So, reaching over, I lucked out and was just able to press the coding button. Someone was about to have a quick scare, but nothing like a friend almost dying to get you on your toes.

About ten seconds later, Callie ran into my room. She didn't even notice my eyes open but instead searched the room for the person who pressed the button. "Took you long enough." I wheezed out, my voice dry and quiet from not being used in a while, "Ten whole seconds to get to me? I was coding, Torres!"

She looked to me and a large smile appeared on her face as she rushed over, "Oh, my God. You're okay! How-how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling pretty good considering some asshole tried to have a game of bumper cars with me." I gave a small smile back, "You guys are actually pretty good at your jobs, considering I felt like how my car looked after the accident."

"You doubted us?" Callie asked as she pulled up a chair beside me, "Ellie Forrest, where is your trust?"

"Apparently too much of it was on my damn seat belt because it didn't do a whole lot for me." I tried to keep the mood light, "How long have I been out?"

Callie thought for a moment, "About two days."

My eyes widened, "Well, damn. I have missed a lot of work. I had a sheep thing with Meredith for her portal printing."

"Meredith was fine. We're all fine." Callie assured me, "I'm, um...I'm just gonna page Arizona really quick."

"Why are you going to page-" I started, but then it all came rushing back like water off of a waterfall, "Oh, my...my baby. Is, is she okay? What happened?"

Callie pushed me back down as I tried to sit up, "Let me page Arizona and she can explain everything to you."

"O-okay." I tried to hold back tears and stay optimistic.

Looking down at my rather flat stomach, I felt empty. My baby was not inside of me anymore. Minutes later Arizona walked in, with Owen, Meredith, and April at her side. "Hi, Ellie." April greeted me, "How are you?"

"I'll be better when I find out where my baby is," I answered.

Standing up, Callie let Arizona sit down where she was. Arizona took a deep breath and looked me straight in the eyes, "Ellie, when you arrived at the hospital, your injuries were less extensive than we had originally thought. Bones were smashed in your left shoulder and left hip, but miraculously, your injuries were surprisingly minor. Upon inspection we realized that in the accident your body had been turned, so most of the force was taken front on. Your baby started having d-cells and you went into premature labor on the table. There was nothing we could do to stop the labor, so your baby girl was born at 11:02 at night, and passed away at 11:05. We did everything we could, but despite our best efforts, we could not save your daughter. I'm sorry, but she died in Alex's arms."

I didn't cry when she finished. I didn't sob, I didn't move, I didn't breathe. I froze. "Someone will be in with a birth certificate for your daughter sometime today," Arizona said before she and everyone else left the room.

Looking up, I saw Alex standing outside, staring in at me through the window. His face was blank. No emotion. Just staring at me.