Fallen Angel // Alex Karev

Chapter 2

Its lunch now and I'm glad to be away from Izzie Stevens. That girl could talk for all of America. I am currently in line waiting to get my food when someone slides up next to me "so your the feisty new girl" he says and I turn to him. He has a wonky smile, dark brown hair that matches his eyes and I cock my head "feisty? And how would you know that?" I ask a smile on my face, the man shrugs "I heard you snapped at Burke. That takes balls"

I finish getting food and the man follows one "I'm Derek Shepherd. Head of Neuro" he introduces himself as he takes a seat opposite me "Andy Tearney, head of Peds" I say. I bite into my sandwich "where are you from originally?" Derek asks, I swallow my bite and answer "Fairbanks, Alaska although we moved around a lot. Mum's army" this seems to impress him as he asks more questions.

By the end of lunch we are joking like we have known each other for years. I go over to the trash to throw my things away when the blonde girl, Izzie Stevens comes over to me "I got the labs you requested" she says handing me the paper. I glance over it and bite my lip "her white cell body count is still really high" I groan "we will have to open her up" she nods and before she leaves I catch her sleeve "tell the others. You can all stand and watch the surgery" she nods her head her eyes lighting up.

As I am making my way back to the Peds unit I get paged to the pit and head over there straight away. When I get there, there is a little boy being rushed in by paramedics "what happened?" I ask heading into the trauma with him. "We we're hiking and he slipped off the ledge. I couldn't catch him in time" an older man tells me, "are you his father?" I ask getting out my stethoscope from around my neck and put it to his chest "yes I am, it was my weekend with him" the man tells me. I frown rechecking what I'm hearing "someone get him out of here" I call to the others around me and one of the interns tries to escort the boys father out "before you go what's his name?" I ask and the man hesitates "Charlie" I nod and signal for someone to get him out.

I turn back to the boy and say "his breathing is weak, possible collapsed lung page cardio" I then move and check his stomach, it's doesn't seem ridged but I ask a for a scan on his stomach. I sigh as I watch the screen and sigh sadly "blood in his stomach, he has internal bleeding probably a angiodysplysia we need to get him into surgery stat. Tell Cardio to meet us there" a nameless intern nods and we start to wheel him up to OR 4

———

In the OR, after I scrub in I ask for a ten blade and start cutting into the boy, I make sure the interns are watching and I start the surgery.

Halfway through and twenty minutes later cardio still hasn't turned up and the boy's oxygen levels are slowly declining "where is cardio?" I call and everyone just gives me shrugs I turn to one of the nurses "page them again" and they do. Finally 15 minutes later someone shows up "nice of you to show up doctor Burke" I say as I start closing him up "I hope I wasn't wasting your time with this boy" if he is even listening to me he doesn't respond he just starting working . I roll my eyes before scrubbing out and watching from the wash room.

"Doctor Tearney" someone calls, I move my eyes away from the operation to a man, well boy really with short brown hair and intern scrubs "yes?" I asks shortly, pissed off at Burke for taking so long. The guy looks almost shy maybe even shocked "doctor Shepherd asked you for a consult" he says and I nod "I'll be right there...." He goes slightly pink "Karev" I frown "right" and I turn my attention back to my surgery.

——-

I do the consult before going to the ICU to check on my patient from earlier. Burke is also there, the father coming back with a coffee "hello sir" i greet with a smile "I'm doctor Tearney I am the surgeon that saved your son's life" he shake his hand "one of them" Burke corrects and I refrain from rolling my eyes. The man has tears in his eyes "I've called his mum, is he going to be ok?" I nod my head still smiling "yes thanks to the quick response time and action" I give the other doctor the side eye "we were able to save your son's life. He will be out for a few more hours and when he comes around it's likely he won't be able to speak for a few more because of the injuries he sustained to his lungs but he should recover nicely"

The man starts laughing, tears in his eyes and he clasps both his hands over mine "thank you so much" I smile and squeeze his hands gently "go be with your son" he wipes his eyes and goes into his sons room. Burke is about to walk away when I call "Doctor Burke" he stops and turns to face me "doctor Tearney" he replies with a sarcastic smile. I walk up to him and fold my arms "I don't know if it's because I bruised your ego or because I'm new or what but you can not be late to a surgery like that. Especially a 911, that boy could have died because you could not be bothered to show up and that is called being a bad surgeon and you would have had to tell that lovely man in there that his son died because you got your ego bruised" and then I storm off.

At the end of the hall my interns are waiting all wide eyed "what are you staring at? Get to work" and the rush off like a bunch of rats.