Fallen Angel // Alex Karev

Chapter 9

After I am done with my part of Annie Connor's surgery I head out wanting to check on my other patients but I bump into Stevens and Karev "ah good Ive seen you guys" I say catching their attention. Can one of you check if I have any surgeries left today?" They share a look and Izzie automatically says "I'll do it" and I smile "great my files are in my office" I turn to Karev, both of them looking at me like I've grown a second head or something "I'll help you in the pit" and off we go.

"I hate this" Alex says as we leave Doctor Stevens behind "I'm sorry?" I ask as I look at the file Izzie gave me and he sighs "not you. This. Everyone is scrubbing in somewhere" I nudge him playfully and close the file "bright side, we have the run of the floor" Alex laughs like he finds something funny and then asks "great. Want to do it in the stairwell?" I pull a face "you never know what could happen" he insists and I roll my eyes "keep dreaming boy keep dreaming"

Someone is laying in a bed in the corridor and just as Alex walks past he leans over and throws up all over him. I snort, while he gives me a glare "that's instant karma Karev" and this time he pulls a face at me. "I'm changing" he says patting the guy on the back "I'll page you if I need you" I say and before I say anything else he is off "you do that" he calls. I can't help it I have to watch him as he disappears and I find myself smiling and when I realise I immediately stop and head the opposite way.

———-

"Mrs Harper let me show you the chest films" I say leading a brown haired lady to a white screen as she watches her husband being wheeled away on a bed. I place the films on the white screen for both of us to see "we were able to relieve the obstruction of his chest tube, so the build up of fluid you see should resolve itself soon" I tell her calmly as I can see she is visibly upset about this situation, I take the films down and she still looks at me expectantly "which translates as he should be home in no time" and the woman relaxes.

I give her a smile and head away "he was making waffles" she says cutting my short, I turn to face her "I'm sorry?" I ask kindly yet confused, "he was making waffles" she says again pulling her red coat around herself "he was mixing the batter, and then he was on the floor" I feel bad for them, they seem like a nice couple but before I can say that a nurse comes rushing over.

"Andy, we need a central line run in 204" I frown and watch as he walks past "page Doctor Karev" he shakes his head simple and gives me an annoyed look, like I'm wasting his time "he's not answering". Groaning I turn back to the woman "I am so sorry. I'll be back" she nods and waves me off and I head to room 204. Damned Karev, is this my punishment for keeping him out of the OR for the week?

"Any pain here?" I ask pushing on the mans stomach "no" he says and I push again in a different place and look over to him. "Here?" He says no again and I nod just as my pager starts beeping. I look down to it but a nurse comes in before I can read it "Doctor Tearney, I need you to check the x-ray in 2103. 2118 needs post-op notes" as he is talking I open this mans file and start writing in it. Where the hell is Karev?

"And Jane's wondering if you wasn't her to start feeding 2112" he finishes "I'm going on break" and he is about to move from the door when I say "ok yeah, before you do that, could you page Karev again?" I head out of the patients room leaving him in peace. The nurse frowns "I already paged him" he says in a frustrated tone and my pager starts going off "again?" I ask sweetly and he does although he gets no answer.

It takes me a second but then I realise where he must be and go racing up the stairs, ignoring my pager and bursting through the gallery door to the OR of Annie Connors. I look around and find Karev sitting at the front "Karev!" I say in an angry tone making everyone in the room look up, include Alex "you are needed downstairs" he groans but gets up from his seat "you can't be serious" he mutters as he strokes past me and I say "I am very serious" he smirks down at me then "you just want to spend all your time with me" this time I roll my eyes "whatever helps you sleep at night buddy" and he smiles.

As we head back down the stairs I am not watching where I am going and walk into a trolley of medical supplies, smashing my face against it and I curse. "Damn it" I say wincing as I step back "are you ok?" Alex asks panicked and I nod my head "yes Karev I'm fine let's just carry on" my pager is beeping and we continue down the hall where I hear someone saying "no" a lot.

I rush in to the room, it's the same patient from earlier, the one who was making waffles "what have we got?" I ask, Alex trailing after me. I grab my stethoscope from around my neck as the nurse fills me in "pressure plummeted to 64/22 and he has runs of V-tach that aren't perfusing. CPV is sky high" I press the bottom of the stethoscope to the mans chest and start to listen "give him dopamine, ten mikes" I order Alex looks at the chart "he's already maxed out" I pause thinking of what I need to do. The patients lovely wife, or who I should say was lovely starts shouting at me "do something! What's the matter?" Which really isn't helping "get her out of here" I order and they do.

"It's a clot" I mutter "a big one" I then say I am going to open him up here and the nurses start to prep me. Alex watches from the door in wonder "why isn't he helping" the woman screams "get her out" I order harsher then I intended to but I really need to focus otherwise this could go badly. "Take a breath Andy you will be fine" Alex says noticing how tense I am and I nod, ignoring the look he is giving me. I move over to my patient and start to cut.

————-

"No pulse" Alex says monitoring the screen, I still haven't gotten the clot out "I can't get it out" I admit panicking slightly "I need more suction. More" the beeping is incessant and almost driving me insane "he's bradying down. You have to get that clot" he says and I scoff "oh wow it's not like the patients life is int the balance" I say sarcastically, Alex then looks at me "ok how about this" I wait for him to continue while also trying to find this clot "if you save this mans life I will take you out for drinks" I look over to him "are you flirting with me right now?" I ask and he shrugs "I have my hand in a mans chest and you are flirting with me Karev"

I get the clot out and sigh, his pulse creeping back up "it worked didnt it?" He asks and I look down at my hand "you just needed to relax" I look over to Alex who is looking almost proud of himself "well done Karev" I say and we share a smile.

—————

That night I walk with Derek out to the parking lot "wait" I say holding up my hand "she actually said 'I got myself into this mess and I can get myself out'?" He nods his head and I whistle "boy you better get out of there, that girl is going to break your heart" we stop at my car and Derek shrugs his shoulder putting his hands into his jacket pockets. "Maybe I want her to" and I cock my head "you sound so pathetic right now" he shaves me playfully and we laugh "I'm serious, I don't want you to get heartbroken Derek so be careful"

I unlock my car and Derek asks "you going home?" I laugh shaking my head "with the day I've had? I'm going to Joe's for a drink" he nods and we say goodbye.

At Joe's I sit at the bar and order myself a beer, "fancy seeing you here" a voice says as someone slides in next to me, it's Karev. "Fancy that" I mutter taking a swig, "how did you do that today?" He asks after a moment of silence. I look over to him, he had a buttoned shirt on, the top two buttons loose and he smells like cinnamon "do what?" I ask taking another swig "perform surgery on that guy in the patients room, I mean that was incredible" I sigh placing my drink down on the bar and turning so I face him completely "I wouldn't have done it, couldn't have done it if you hadn't of helped me" he suddenly goes really shy and shrugs me off "I was only flirting, I really didn't do anything" I finish my drink and pay for it.

Standing up I pull my bag into my shoulder "well thank you anyway" I say and head off home.