On Call | Grey's Anatomy // Book 3 // COMPLETED

26 | Hear Hoofbeats, Think Horses

We teach residents, "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." It means that the most obvious answer is usually right. It keeps doctors from heading down the wrong path. It helps us stick to the truth. It helps us save lives. It's part of what makes me a good surgeon. When I hear hoofbeats...horses. I always think horses. Even when I shouldn't.

My breathing was heavy as Owen laid on top of me, both of us still fully clothed but as engaged with each other as we could be. I was just about to reach and pull Owen's shirt off when his pager sounded. "No!" I grumbled as he stopped and looked to the device.

I knew what it meant, but I really didn't want him to go. "I have to." Owen sighed as he gave me one last kiss, "We'll continue this later, I promise."

Propping myself up with my arm, I watched Owen grab his coat and leave. Huffing, I stood up and exited as well. A few steps down the hall, however, Meredith grabbed me and pulled me into another on-call room. "Meredith, what the-" I questioned as I saw Alex sleeping on the bottom bunk of a bed.

"Ow." he groaned as Meredith crawled in next to him, pulling me to sit on the edge like we were a family.

"I called Derek," Meredith told us.

Alex glared at us. "I'm laying here. I'm sleeping."

"A woman answered his phone." Meredith sighed.

"There are two empty beds. Pick one." Alex ignored her.

"One empty bed. I'm up here." Maggie popped her head down from the top bunk, "A woman answered his phone?"

Alex huffed, "Who's phone?"

"Derek's phone," Meredith repeated.

"What kind of woman?" I questioned.

"Doesn't matter." Alex looked at me.

"It matters." Meredith, Maggie, and I told him.

Meredith thought for a moment. "She was perky, and she sounded happy and tall, with a lot of great hair."

"Hold." Alex narrowed his eyes, "You saw her? How did you see her?"

"I didn't." Meredith told him, "I heard her voice, her perky, happy, tall voice."

Maggie shook her head. "I hate voices like that."

"You can tell by the voice?" Alex asked.

Maggie looked down at us. "What did Derek say?"

"I didn't talk to him." Meredith answered, "Now I keep going to voicemail. My short, twisty, mad voice keeps going to voicemail. He's not cheating on me, right?"

"He's not cheating on you." we all assured her, trying to keep her hopes up.

Just then, mine and Meredith's pager went off. "Trauma." I sighed as the two of us stood up and left the on-call room.

Heading down to the E.R., Owen directed Meredith and me into the trauma room a male who had been hit by a car that crashed into his house.

We were only in there for a few minutes before Owen, Callie, and Stephanie joined us. "Paramedics couldn't get a line." I told them, "He's hypotensive and needs fluids asap. We should start a central line."

"Is this the husband?" Callie asked.

Meredith nodded, "Tom Vinson. His wife is next door. His B.P. is dropping. Let's order some O-neg!"

"Edwards, help me with this binder," Callie instructed.

Stephanie paused. "Oh, I thought I was on Dr. Grey's service, so-"

"If we don't assess this pelvic fracture, he could bleed out and die. End streak." Callie referenced the fact that Meredith hadn't lost a single patient in months, which had all of the residents excited.

"Now, if he dies from the pelvic fracture, isn't it technically on you, not Dr. Grey?" Stephanie asked as she helped Callie with the binder.

"Edwards, zip it." Meredith shushed her as the monitors went off.

Owen rushed towards us. "He's in V-fib. Starting CPR."

"Grab the paddles." I ordered, "Charge to two-hundred. Charged. Clear."

Everyone held their hands up and away from the body as the shock emitted. "He's back." Owen grabbed the stethoscope from around his neck.

"His B.P. is not fluid-responsive." Meredith announced, "He's most likely bleeding inside. I need that ultra-"

"Oh, God, it hurts!" the man's body suddenly lurched forward as he started to scream, startling us all a little.

Meredith moved so he could see her. "Tom, listen. We got you, okay? Let's push 50 of fentanyl. Tom, we have you. It's okay."

"Oh, God, where's Blair?" Tom asked about who I could only assume was his wife, "She's pregnant."

"We know." Callie assured him, "She's in the hospital, Tom."

"Is she hurt? Is our baby okay? I need to see her. Let me see her."

I looked down at the panicking man, "Tom, you are seriously injured. You need to settle down and let us do our job."

"Blair!" he shouted, causing the monitors to go off again.

"His pressure's dropping again. Let's hang another unit." Owen spoke, "We need to take him straight up. We ready?"

"Yep." we all agreed as we started wheeling the gurney out of the room.

As we got out into the E.R., Arizona wheeled a woman over to the bed. "Hey." the wife I assumed, Blair, smiled, "You okay?"

"Blair, baby, I can't see you. I can't turn my head." Tom mumbled.

"That's okay." Blair told him as she grabbed his hand, "It's okay. I'm right here, Tommy."

Tom took a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

"You know me. I'm...I'm tough."

"How's the baby?"

"Great." Blair tried not to cry, "He's, um...he's doing backflips right now. I think he hears your voice."

Tom chuckled weakly, "I'm not feeling so great."

Arizona gave us a nod and we pushed Tom into the elevator. "I love you," Blair called.

"I love you, too," Tom said back as the doors closed.

As Tom waited in the O.R. while the nurses got him ready, Owen, Callie, Meredith and I got our scrubs on. "Okay, Grey, Forrest, we will take care of the pelvic packing." Owen said, "Torres, reduce the femur fracture."

Callie nodded, "Mm-hmm. Any word on the driver?"

"Alzheimer's." Webber answered as he walked in, "He thinks he's in a shoe store."

"Oh." Callie sighed as Maggie walked through with a huge ice pack on her face. "Oh, my God. Are you okay?"

Maggie shrugged it off. "It's nothing. It's fine. Did Derek call?"

"Nope," Meredith replied.

Maggie sat down beside us. "He will."

Meredith took a look at the small bandage on Maggie's face. "We'll see."