Last Hope - (Sarah Paulson & Holland Taylor)

FROZEN

TW : PTSD, Panic Attack

Sarah POV :

I tried to explain to Dr Grey the state of Lizzie the better I could. She seemed worried as well and she said she would come straight. I heard the doorbell and I immediately opened the door.

"Hi Sarah." She said sternly.

"Hi Meredith, thanks for arriving here so fast. She's upstairs." I said looking down.

We went upstairs and we walked past my bedroom. Dr Grey saw Holland laying on our bed.

"Is Holland fine ?" She asked, her eyebrows frowned.

"She is just shocked, but she'll be fine, I hope so." I answered weakly.

We entered Lizzie's room and she was in the same position than when I left her, few minutes ago.

"She's like that since a very long time now, I don't even know if she blink." I said worryingly.

Dr Grey said nothing and set her tools on Lizzie's desk. Then, she stood next to her and went to grab her arm, to take her blood pressure.

"Wait !" I said. "She is very sensitive when we touch her. I think, I mean, I hope she can hear us, so I usually ask her before touching her. Even if she doesn't answer me, I think it makes her more comfortable."

Dr Grey nodded and asked Lizzie if she could touch her arm, but unsurprisingly, Lizzie didn't move, and didn't say anything so Dr Grey took her blood pressure, her heart rate, and did a complete check up.

"So her physical health is fine, she is a little pale and weak but nothing alarming. But her mental health is preoccupying. I think she just stopped, like she froze, she paused because it was all too much for her."

"And what can we do to make her 'live' again ?" I asked.

"For now, we need to let her rest. You can help her close her eyelids and then wait for her to fall asleep. Then we'll see when she wakes up, but for now, she just need rest, and to be taken care of."

I smiled to Dr Grey and walked her to the door. I thanked her and she promised to come back the next day to check on Lizzie, and eventually on Holland. When I closed the door behind her, I sighed. Everything was too much for me too, and I needed to rest, but I needed to keep an eye on Lizzie too. So I decided to sleep on her convertible)sofa for the night, after closing Lizzie's eyelids.

The next morning, I woke up early. I immediately went to check on Lizzie, and she hadn't moved all night. I went to my bedroom and Holland was snoring. I kissed her cheek and went to my bathroom. I put cold water on my face, and took some deep breathes.

"You're okay Sarah. You're fine. Holland is fine. Lizzie's gonna be fine. Everyone is okay. Everything is fine." I drank a glass of water and came back to Lizzie's bedroom. I sat on an armchair next to her bed.

"Lizzie, can I hold your hand ?" I asked her, already knowing that she wasn't going to answer me.

I slowly reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"You're okay sweetheart. I'm here for you now, you can wake up whenever you want, I'll stay here by your side the whole time, I promise."

–

A day passed and Lizzie was in the same state. I tried to open her eyelids, but it just made her stare at the ceiling, so I close them again. I was worried because I couldn't make her eat or drink so I called Dr Grey. She said that she was in her car and she could be here in ten minutes. I waited and she arrived quickly.

"Did something changed ?" She asked me.

"No, everything's the same as yesterday. I'm worried Meredith. I can't feed her, she must be so weak. I don't know what to do."

Dr Grey gave me a sympathetic smiled but didn't answered. We went upstairs and when we entered the room, Lizzie wasn't in her bed anymore. I suddenly felt panic creeping inside my body.

"Oh God, she was here two minutes ago !" I screamed.

"No need to panic Sarah, look." Said Dr Grey, pointing a corner of the room. Lizzie was in a ball, her knees against her chest and her head resting on them.

I approached her slowly, I didn't want to scare her.

"Lizzie sweetheart it's me, it's Sarah. Are you with me ?"

She raised her head but she was still staring at nothing. I sat in front of her and after asking her of I could hold her hands, I took them in mine, even if she didn't answered me.

"Come back to me Lizzie, I'm here now." I tried to talk to her, and she her eyes started to flutter.

"Good girl, you're safe here, please come back with me, I got you." I said putting her on my lap. She was so tense, but I tried to make her relax. She softly moved her arms and she put them behind my neck. I held her few minutes and then I looked at Dr Grey. She was waiting for me to pull away so she could check on Lizzie, so I did. I carried Lizzie's frail body and laid her on her bed. She suddenly seemed so tired, but she was back, my sweet girl was back.