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

27 | Years Apart

Opening my eyes, I groaned at the sound of my pager going off. Reaching down from the bed, I picked up the device and checked to see what it was. Of course, like always, it was a trauma coming in.

I was still in the on-call room bed with Owen, and I didn't want to wake him, but the pager was something that no surgeon could sleep through. "It's mine," I told Owen as he groaned.

"Good." he chuckled as he rolled over and went back to sleep.

Standing up, I started to put my clothes back on in the dark room. On-call rooms had no windows so that you could sleep in the middle of the day without the sunlight bothering you. Once I was ready, I headed out.

After dealing with the first trauma that came in, Webber called me over into one of the trauma rooms. "This is Owen's mother." Webber explained to me, "She slipped in the shower. Could you check her out while I go get Owen?"

"Owen's mother?" I panicked, but before I could say anything else, Webber was gone.

After introducing myself and starting some tests to see if her head was okay, the curtain slide open. "Mom!" Owen gasped, "What happened?!"

"For heaven's sake, Owen, shut that curtain. Everyone can see me." Owen's mother, Evelyn, tried to cover up with the pink housecoat she was wearing. "Already gave half the neighborhood a free show just by getting in the ambulance."

The young paramedic who was by Evelyn's side nodded. "She fell in the shower, right through the glass door."

"Did you slip?" Owen asked, "I told you you need a support bar in there."

Evelyn groaned, "Oh, those things are so ugly."

"She said she got dizzy." the paramedic told us.

"Dizziness, huh?" I started treating the cut on Evelyn's forehead, "I'm not surprised with a laceration like this. You had quite a fall. I-I think we should get a head C.T."

The paramedic looked at me. "She said she was dizzy before the fall. All morning, actually."

"We got this from here." Owen told the paramedic, "Thank you. You can step outside."

Evelyn shook her head. "No, I want him to stay. John was with me when it happened."

"I know, Mom." Owen chuckled, "You've been great, thank you. My mom's really grateful. But he's done his part now, Mom, so..."

"No, I don't mean since I fell." Evelyn explained to her son, "He was with me when I fell."

Owen cocked a brow as I understood what was going on. "I-I-I don't understand." Owen looked at his mother.

"Well, I wasn't with her in the shower. I was, uh...I was making us some breakfast before I went to work." the paramedic told Owen and stuck out his hand, "Owen, I'm John. As in... 'John.'"

Owen was still confused. "Yeah, I-I still don't understand."

Evelyn swallowed hard. "Honey, John and I, we're-"

"I thought you told him."

"Told me what?" Owen questioned, "Is somebody gonna tell me what the hell is going on?"

"I think what they're trying to say is John is Your mother's boyfriend," I explained to Owen.

Owen took a few steps back as he glared at his mother and John. It was clear that he was not taking this as well a some might have hoped. But to be fair, John was obviously much younger than Evelyn. "How long has this been going on?" Owen asked.

"She was dizzy when she first got out of bed. We thought she was just hungry, so I-I-" John started.

"That's not what I-" Owen grumbled, clearly frustrated, "Have long have you two been..."

Evelyn sighed. "In a relationship?"

"Mom, please. Please don't use that word." Owen begged.

"Evelyn, any changes in vision?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"No, dear."

"We've been together a little under a year," John said.

Owen's jaw nearly dropped. "A year?!"

"Webber, what do you think? More X-rays, maybe, on her left wrist?" I questioned, trying to move this awkward encounter along.

Webber didn't catch on at first, though. "Uh, I-I didn't realize she had hurt-"

"Just to be safe." I urged.

"Sure, sure." Webber finally nodded, "That's a fine idea, Forrest."

"Owen, John's very nice." Evelyn spoke, "I think you two have a lot in common."

John nodded. "She talks about you all the time. She's so proud. I'm thrilled that we're finally meeting."

"How old are you?!" Owen demanded.

Evelyn scrunched up her eyebrows. "Don't be rude."

"Thirty-five," John answered.

Owen scoffed, "He's young enough to be my brother. Does he have access to your financial information...your pension fund?"

"Owen Hunt!" Evelyn rose her voice.

Shining a light into Evelyn's eyes, I continued the exam. "Okay, pupils are equal and reactive. But I'd still like to get that head C.T. just to rule out a bleed."

"This is a serious relationship," Evelyn said.

"'Serious'." Owen mocked, "Sure, okay. Seriously weird, seriously misguided."

John leaned in closer to Evelyn. "Not that we don't have our fun."

"Hey, hey, hey, stay away from her! You hear me?!" Owen yelled.

John held his hands up. "Whoa, buddy, calm down."

"I'm not your buddy, okay?" Owen told him, "I'll be changing her passwords, her locks, her phone number. If you so much as attempt-"

"Hunt!" Webber called him, "Let's take a walk. Take a walk."

As Owen stormed out of the trauma room, I took a breath, glad that that was over...for now. Turning to Evelyn, I explained the tests we were going to run before I got started.

Taking Evelyn up to the C.T. machine, I got her settled before I moved into the control room. "I don't like this." Evelyn started to move her head around.

"Mrs. Hunt, I know this is hard, but I need you to not move." I explained over the intercom.

"I think I might be done. Am I done?"

I shook my head. "Not quite yet. Try focusing on your breathing."

"I'm not usually like this." Evelyn exhaled deeply, "I was in the military. I served in Vietnam. I don't panic. I think I'm just upset."

"Well, you did have quite a fall," I said.

"Not about the fall. About Owen." she told me, "I didn't mean for him to find out like this. He has a right to be a little surprised...shocked. But how does he think I feel? A guy like John chasing after a fossil like me. It was weeks before I even realized he was dating me. And then, one night he kissed me, and...I'm not stupid. I know how we must look together. I know what people must think of us. "He's conning her. She's buying him. It's a joke." It's what I'd think. But then he kissed me. And when he kissed me...we were exactly the same age. All those years between us disappeared. John always says, "Ev, there's no difference between us except a bunch of years. And, frankly, they're years I wish I'd spent with you." Owen's always worried that I'm lonely. His dad died 32 years ago, so he worries. But I'm not lonely. I'm having the time of my life."

Getting up, I walked into the C.T. room and pushed the button that slid Evelyn out of the machine. "Am I done?" she asked.

"In order for me to get a clean C.T. scan, I need for you to be perfectly still, which means-" I started.

"No talking."

I nodded. "Not talking. John sounds amazing."

Evelyn smiled. "Doesn't he? It would be so much easier if he were my age. But I got to tell you, it's so much nicer that he isn't."

Evelyn gave me a wink as she laid back down. Chuckling, I turned the machine back on and Evelyn slid back in. She reminded me so much of Owen and I kind of hated seeing him mad at her.