Chapter 44
Season 7, Episode 1
(Disclaimer: Not all medical terminology, diagnoses, and/or treatments will be accurate because I am not a doctor. Remember: this is fiction. Just read and enjoy the story)
(Trigger Warnings: Talk of self-harm/suicide/injury/guns)
Present Time: Third Person POV
Nightmares.
It's a common and often constant symptom of trauma. The human brain remembers the traumatic event and replays it every time the curtain is drawn and sleep takes over. Some have said it's a survival tactic to remember the threat and avoid it. Truth is, no one actually knows.
People deal with the trauma differently. Some run while others hide. A fight or flight instinct takes over and there is nothing left to do but act on reflex. A month after the shooting, no one was fully recovered. The mental trauma can't be taken away that easily. How do you heal a wound you can't see?
"Oh, Dr. Bailey. Welcome back." Webber says with a soft smile as Bailey pushes through the growing crowd in the lobby of the hospital. The shooting hit her hard mentally and she decided to go home to spend time with her family for a month.
"Thank you, sir." She says, returning the gesture. Standing in the same building she once feared for her life feels strange. The shooting still feels like yesterday even after being away so long.
"We missed you here. The place isn't the...same." He trails off, both of them knowing that statement is true in more ways than one. "Did you get cleared for surgery?"
"What do you mean...cleared? Who has to clear me?" She asks at his change in topic and he nods in understanding, knowing she must not have been caught up to speed.
"Derek brought in an evaluator to sign off on all surgeons. Make sure they're ready to operate after...well, you know." He explains and she nods, stopping him from going any further. They stand in an unbreakable silence, a gloom hanging over the hospital that everyone can sense. Then, Bailey suddenly remembers.
"Oh, uh, how is she?" She asks, concern lacing her tone as she desperately waits for good news about one of her fondest residents.
"Honestly, I'm not sure." He says with a disappointed sigh, wishing he had more to give.
"That poor girl," Bailey mutters to herself with a shake of the head. It's just not fair.
Everyone is gathered in the lobby waiting for Derek since it's his first official day back to work as a surgeon since his recovery. On the other side of the hospital, he walks in, Meredith at his heels until April Kepner runs up to him.
"Chief Shepherd, you're back!" She says with a grin, a mountain of files in her arms as she starts to trail him down the hallway.
"Morning." He says to her quickly, more focused on getting through his first day.
"Okay, so before you say anything, I know I'm technically going behind Dr. Nelson's back and it's your first day but Dr. Torres said─" April starts to ramble, fishing through all the files and scans in her arms to find the right one.
"Spit it out, Kepner," Derek says with a sigh, knowing that her ramble could continue for a while if he didn't urge the point from her. She giggles nervously as she pulls the right scans from the pile, handing it to him.
"Here." She says quickly, handing him the scan and the moment he looks at it, his eyes widen. He holds it up to the light of the hallway as he walks. "Dr. Nelson has already done four surgeries to repair the damage but I know that if you could─"
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How To Save A Life (Grey's Anatomy)
Fanfiction**author currently on hiatus** Audrey Karev has worked her whole life to make it mean something. When she is finally accepted into a surgical internship program, she doesn't expect to get in a car accident on the way to her first day. This story fol...
