overprotective | greys anatomy

39

"merry christmas!" meredith shouted running into paiges icu room.

"it's christmas already? i've been here for that many months?" paige groaned.

merediths smile faded. "paige. we're trying to make the best out of your situation please try and work with us here." meredith argued.

paige rolled her eyes and went back to reading her book. meredith set a bag on the table and walked out. once paige knew meredith was gone, she pulled her full-of-pain body over and opened up the bag, looking inside. she saw four boxes. christmas gifts, she assumed. one from amelia and link and betty and the baby, one from meredith and andrew and the grey shepherd kids, one from alex and jo, and one from arizona. paige reluctantly smiled, feeling like a little kid as she opened up the presents with a smile on her face.

—

"paige meyers, age twenty. shes been in resting hospice care for the past few months. we ran her labs today and there's no change." levi said, his voice getting quieter as he spoke. meredith nodded and took the interns out of the room. "i took my boards today." levi whispered to paige in excitement. "i might get to be a real doctor!"

paige laughed. "you've always been a real doctor. you're gonna pass and you're gonna do great things. and if they decided to send you away i promise i won't interrupt a board meeting and tell them to let you stay."

levi nodded in embarrassment. "you remember that?" he asked.

"mhmm." paige nodded her head, laying back in the bed.

levi smiled and ran out of the room to find his interns. on his way out, he ran himself right into april.

"my favorite resident." she said, sarcastically- referring to levi.

"how's the married life?" paige mocked.

april chuckled. "it's fun and hard and happy and sad and exciting all in one."

"that's how i felt coming here. it was scary, starting over, but i wouldn't change it for the world."

april smiled, "i'm so glad you came in here that day. you've changed lives, paige meyers."

paige smiled, forcing tears not to come out of her eyes.

—

a few hours later, amelia and bailey walked into her room. "you ready?" bailey asked.

paige nodded her head and relaxed, letting a resident take her out of her room and into the operating room. paige was ready.

"why are we doing this? she's gonna die. we shouldn't put her through more surgeries we should just make her comfortable." amelia said.

"there's still a chance she can come back from this. any chance we have we're taking it." bailey said.
—

"the surgery went well, not as well as we hoped, but well."

"my organs are failing." paige whispered.

"it's worse than we thought. your decreasing rapidly. we can put you on transplant lists but-"

"no." paige interrupted. "i don't want to be on any lists. i don't want more surgeries. i just wanna spend the rest of my life here, with all of you." paige took a deep breath. "and i want to sign a dnr. i don't want to be a vegetable."

"are you sure?" amelia asked.

"yes." paige whispered with a raspy voice.

—

it was new year's eve, paiges favorite holiday. a whole holiday dedicated to fresh starts and taking chances. unfortunately, paige had to spend it in a hospital bed.

"so." link said, running into paiges room. "i had an idea."

"terrible way to start a sentence." paige teased.

link rolled his eyes. "amelia and i are gonna have our annual new year's eve party here, in your room."

"what?" paige asked.

"yeah. we can put the countdown on your laptop. we can bring food and drinks and everyone will show up all dressed up and we will count down and celebrate the exact same way we would at my house. new years wouldn't be the same without you."

paige smiled. "you'd do that for me?"

"of course i would." link said, grabbing her head and placing a kiss on her forehead. paige smiled and watched him walk away, realizing how lucky she was to be so loved.

—

that night, the whole friend group crowded into paiges room. she sat up in her bed, wearing a sparkly jacket to cover her iv and pale, skinny arms. meredith and maggie had done paiges hair and makeup, made her look beautiful, even though everyone said she didn't need it. the couples held each other close, watching the minutes pass by. she took a look at all her friends, she was so lucky. as the ball dropping got closer, paige finished her sparkling soda and chocolate cupcake and moved closer to the end of her bed. betty sat next to her, putting a reassuring hand on her thigh.

"thirty seconds til midnight!" andrew shouted. the room got quiet and everyone set down their drinks.

"ten."

"nine."

"eight."

"seven."

"do you still think midnight kisses are stupid?" betty asked teasingly.

"three."

"your such a dork." paige teased back.

"one."