S C H M I C O || A collection of short stories

When Words Fail

Nico let out a stressed sigh as he slipped off his rubber gloves, discarding of them in the bin beside him. He needed a moment to breathe, yet again. He was alone, being the last one to scrub out the surgery. Webber's little speech to him gave him so perspective on the world around him, now that he finally had some time to take it in. That strange feeling of guilt sat deep in his stomach, festering, knowing how many people he'd snapped at the past few days.

He hadn't ever meant to get snappy at anyone. Not Teddy, not Levi, not Taryn, not Richard. It was like he knew it was going to happen but there was nothing to stop him. It was as if he was trapped in his own mind and he was screaming to be let out but something was keeping him trapped in there, with someone else- someone who wasn't him- controlling his every word.

He stared blanky out at the theatre in front of him, eyes fixed on the now empty room. Just a few days ago, he'd been standing there, staring down at the man he had just killed, with no idea what to do next. He wasn't even sure it was real half of the time- not until someone just had to remind him about it. Everyone knew- news spread fast at Grey-Sloan. Especially news like that.

With a heavy sigh, he shook himself back into harsh reality. There were patients he needed to tend to. Obviously, quite a lot, considering how much his pager was going off. He checked it, brows furrowed deeply together.

911. All hands on deck.

He wondered how long he'd been off in his own world, ignoring the shrill beep that broke the empty silence around him. He cursed beneath his breath as he set off, rushing out to get to the ER as fast as he could without tripping or smacking into anyone else.

What he hadn't expected was the sheer volume of patients that were hovering around the ER. Both patients and people waiting to hear what had happened, waiting to hear about their loved ones.

He looked around, slightly overwhelmed by everything until he spotted Bailey, who was trying to desperately (and unsuccessfully) to calm an anxious bunch of people who were waiting to hear news on their loved ones. He jogged over to aid her, hoping he could disperse the crowd so the ER would be an easier place to navigate.

"Please, we will update you when we know what is happening! Can you all please-" Bailey tried to yell over the crowd but they just weren't listening.

"I want to know if my daughter is here!" An obviously distressed woman called out, many of the others agreeing with her. Bailey let out a frustrated sigh, knowing it was a useless attempt trying to get through to them.

She was about to speak up again and try her best, only to have Nico speak up before she could get a single word out. "Everyone, if you are uninjured you need to leave and go wait! We need to get the patients through and treat them as fast as we can, but we can't do that with you in the way. If you could all make sure you are clear of the ambulance bay and the ER, that will be great. We will update when we know what is happening and who we have!"

The crowd seemed to listen to Nico as they tuned in to what he was saying, the crowd slowly and hesitantly beginning to disperse just moments after he finished. Bailey turned to face Nico, giving him a thankful smile as she placed her hand on his arm.

"Thank you, Dr. Kim! I thought they would never leave!" She huffed out in relief before regaining her composure, snapping herself back into work mode. Then, her face dropped as she looked up at Nico, her hand coming up to rest over her chest.

"Dr. Bailey, are you alright?" Nico questioned, reaching out to rest his hands on Bailey's shoulders to steady her.

Bailey shook her head, sucking in a sharp breath. "The pile-up- They were in it. We haven't seen them yet and we don't know-"