Fallen Angel // Alex Karev

Chapter 58

"We got you a present" Mark tells Callie as the three of us walk down the halls of Seattle Grace hospital "I told you; you can't give me money. Even if you are both fancy surgeons" she says, she starts walking the wrong way so I gently guide her down the right path, physically of course not metaphorically because I am not even on that path anymore. "I am not your charity case" she continues "not your mistress. I am your friend. Your equal" I roll my eyes and we finally enter the right room "it's not money" I insist.

Callie's face falls and she puts her hands in her pockets "really? I was just doing the 'poor but proud' thing for show." I shake my head and Mark opens another door "better than money. Wait" and then we here the screams. Inside the trauma room is a girl and who is pretty banged up "she fell out of a tree and broke all of her limbs" I say smiling in satisfaction as we watch our friends face light up "oooo" she says "this is better."

I leave those two to it and head down to the coffee cart, my phone buzzes and it's a text from Jackson.

'I had fun last night hope we can do it again - J'

I shiver and glance around, it's ok Andy, no one knows you slept with someone that wasn't Alex and if they did who would blame you? You aren't even together anymore. But why do I feel like I have betrayed him anyway? I look back down at my phone and quickly reply to him.

'I had fun too - A'

Of course I ignore the last part of his text, I wouldn't want him to get the wrong impression because last night was a mistake, even if I did enjoy myself it can't happen again. I get to the front of the line and order my coffee before heading up to the peds floor.

Before long I am called down to the pit to examine a little girl, she is sitting on a bed, no visible wounds on her. I sit down and flash her smile "hey Maddy, I'm Doctor Tearney would it be ok if I examine you quickly?" I ask and she nods. I move my chair closer to her and punch her elbow with my gloves fingers "ok Maddy, how's this feel?" I ask "does it hurt when I do this?" And she shakes her head. I continue smiling at her, her big round eyes looking up at me "good" I praise and I move my hand to her face "what about this cut? Can you tell me how you got this big cut on your face?" Her mum comes over then before her daughter can even open her mouth.

"She's scared" the mother says pulling her daughter close to her "she's scared she did a bad thing and you're gonna take her away." I sit up straight, dropping my hand from the girls face. The chief, who is standing behind me says "the police will want to talk about how Maddy got the gun." She looks down at her child who is looking at me as I add "we called social services and they'll be here soon. They'll give you the support to come back from this." I then turn to address the little girl "and nobody's gonna take you away from your mum, ok Maddy?"

The mum has tears in her eyes and she answers my earlier question "it hit her in the face. The gun, the kickback." I'm caught a little of guard, not really sure what to say to that so I just make a small noise "huh" before I say "this doesn't look like...." But she cuts me off "that's how she got cut" I glance at Richard but neither of us say anything "her daddy shoots targets in the backyard. He put the gun down for a minute. It was really stupid. She never meant to hurt him."