If I Lay Here {Book 1} - Grey's Anatomy AU

17 Seconds

Season 2, Episode 25: 17 Seconds
Overall Episode Number: 34
Created by: Shonda Rhimes

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In life, we are taught that there are seven deadly sins. We all know the big ones:  gluttony, pride, lust. But the sin you don't hear much about is anger. Maybe it's because we think anger's not that dangerous. That we can control it. My point is, maybe we don't give anger enough credit. Maybe it can be a lot more dangerous than we think. After all, when it comes to destructive behavior... it did make the top seven.

- Meredith Grey

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Meredith, Mackenzie, Derek, and Addison were at Finn's vet clinic. Doc had gotten worse, and after Finn ran some tests, the vet discovered that Doc had bone cancer.

"That's it? That's your diagnosis?" Derek asked incredulously.

Meredith nodded. "Yes, he said bone cancer, so that would be his diagnosis."

Derek rolled his eyes at Meredith. "I heard him. I was double checking."

Addison, Mackenzie, and Finn can sense the tension in the room.

"I still need to do a bone scan to see how far it's spread. Osteosarcomas are aggressive, but we can try and treat it with chemo or remove the tumor entirely. If it's spread too far, we may have to amputate the limb." Finn explained.

"At that point, should we even bother?" Derek asked dryly.

Meredith scoffed. "Oh, right. Let's just let him die."

"I don't want him to suffer, Meredith."

"Right," Meredith said unconvincingly.

Mackenzie felt her heart break with sadness. One, there was a very high chance that Doc had bone cancer. And two, Derek and Meredith were fighting almost constantly. It made the tension unbearably thick for Mackenzie.

All she wanted was for her dog to not be sick and for Derek and Meredith to stop fighting.

It was going to drive her to her breaking point.

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Addison, Mackenzie, Derek and Meredith are in an elevator at SGH. The tension was just as thick as it was in the vet clinic.

"So what's... I mean, is there something going on?" Addison asked, attempting to break the awkward silence.

"No." Derek and Meredith answered. Their tones were a bit angry.

"Did you guys have a fight or something?" Mackenzie asked gently. She was hoping that her mother and one of her good friends wouldn't be as aggressive if she talked to them.

Derek and Meredith both gave the girl gentle looks. "No," they answered as softly as Mackenzie had spoken.

Addison cleared her throat. "So... we're all still... friends?"

"Yes," the two surgeons replied.

Derek and Meredith exit the elevator, and Addison is left standing confused in the elevator with Mackenzie.

Mackenzie played with the hem of her shirt. "I just wish they'd stop with their petty arguing. I'm not watching more people that I love argue with each other. I can't do it; it's going to drive me crazy."

Addison kissed her stepdaughter's head. "I'm sure they'll be okay, sweetheart. Don't worry about it, all right? This is something you don't need to worry about."

Mackenzie nodded and left the elevator with her stepmother. She knew she didn't need to worry about this, but she just couldn't help it.

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