Untouchable

Chapter Eight

Evangeline

"What makes her different?" Carina asked as we were sitting in the waiting room, waiting for Amelia to get finished with a few tests.
"What do you mean?"
"You said you don't do relationships. You only do one night stands. What makes Amelia different?"
"Honestly? I don't know. I'm drawn to her. I constantly think about her. It feels like I have bugs in my stomach when she walks in the room."
"Butterflies, not bugs." Carina said with a chuckle.
"You know what I mean. I haven't get this way about anyone, ever. I just want to be there for her, I want to protect her."
"That, my dear sister, is love." She squeezed my shoulder.
"Love?" I scoffed.
"Love." She said with a nod.

"It's too early for it to be love."
"I knew I loved Maya on the second day. It took her some time to catch up, but she did." Carina said with a shrug.

Amelia came out of the room, and I stood up quickly.
"It didn't grow any, so that's good." Amelia shrugged.
"Anything else principessa?"
"Yeah they scheduled my surgery for Wednesday."
"As in three days from now?"
"Yep..." She rocked on her heels and looked at the ground.
"Okay. Um, is there anybody I need to call? Your Mom? Sisters?"
"No. Absolutely not. They don't get to come for my tumor." Amelia scoffed.

"Okay, then what can I do?"
"Can we go to the beach?"
"Of course we can. Come on, we'll go get the stuff and go right now." I took her hand, and let her out of the room.

I put the sunscreen on my face, and leaned back on my elbows to watch Amelia.
"Can you help me put it on my back?" She asked.
"Sì principessa." I moved to sit behind her as she handed me the sunscreen.
I gently started massaging it onto her back, and I immediately felt her relax.
"What's on your mind?" I asked.
"A tumor."

I stopped moving my hands, and we both fell silent.
"Okay. I'm dark and twisty Amy, I'm all for the dark humor. But that wasn't funny." I felt my eyes fill with tears.
"Oh it was a little funny. Don't you- are you crying?" She turned to face me.
"No."
"Liar. Don't cry, please. I don't want our last days to be spent crying." She wiped a tear off of my face.
"What do you mean our last days? You're not dying. You're not leaving."
"You don't know that. This surgery is risky. I could die. I could be gorked."
"Amelia Frances Shepherd!
"I'm being serious. I want to spend my possible last days with you, and the rest of my family." She pushed a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Baciami, bella."

She smiled, and pressed her lips against mine.

*Surgery day*

We were all standing in Amelia's room, waiting for them to take her back to surgery.

"He seems arrogant enough." Maggie said.
"He's a show boat. And he works best under pressure. So Andrew, ask him questions during surgery, make him show off. And if I make it through-"
"When." I interrupted Amelia.
"Early recovery protocol." Andrea said.
"Thank you. Okay, Meredith. If I die-"
"You are not going to die." Meredith interrupted her.
"But if I do, you call my Mom. I'm sorry but she likes you."
She turned to look at Maggie, "And you. Take my room. It's way better. I kinda scammed you on that."
"Stop it." Maggie sighed.
"I told you her room is way better." Alex muttered.
"And Evangeline. If I'm gorked do not over think it, do not visit me, just park me somewhere and go on with your life."
"Amy please cut it out." I sighed out.
"And if I need unplugging, April has been named my power of attorney."
The room fell silent as we all stared at April.

"What? Was I supposed to say no?" April asked.
"She likes me, she'll be there for you, but we're not so close that she'll let emotion dictate her decision."

Amelia smiled softly and looked around the room, "I don't know what's me and what's tumor talking, but in this moment I love you people tremendously." She reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing tight.

Tom let me walk back to the operating room with her, but he wouldn't let me stay. I had to sit up in the gallery with everyone else.
"Do the pose." Amelia said.

We all stood in the super hero pose, everyone silent.
"I love this. Are there really studies on this?" Tom asked.
"Yep." She sighed out.

She laid down on the table, and waved to everyone watching from the gallery.
"Hey, I'll see you on the other side, okay?" I said as they hooked her up.
"Okay. Kiss me one more time."

I leaned down, and put all of my feelings into this kiss to her. The kiss that could quite possibly be our last.
I stepped back, and watched as they placed the mask on her face.
"Solo supereroe pazzesco. Ti amo, Amelia Shepherd." I said as she fell asleep. (Only freaking super hero's. I love you, Amelia Shepherd.)

I sighed and walked out of the room, and made my way to the gallery.
Meredith met me in the hallway.
"Did you mean it?"
"Mean what?" I wiped the tears off of my face.
"Le hai detto che la ami?" (You told her that you love her?)
"Parli italiano?" I gasped. (You speak Italian?)
"Basta cavarsela. Lo intendevi dire?" (Enough to get by. Did you mean it?)

"Yes. I meant it with everything in my body." I felt more tears running down my face.