Why me? ~ mark sloan

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

*FOUR MONTHS LATER*

***

"Okay," Vanessa wrapped Mark's Seattle Grace Mercy West coat around his shoulders and he turned his head to smile at her, "I'm gonna go say goodbye to the others."

She walked to the small group of people and they all turned to her as she approached. She started on the left, hugging Lexie tightly.

"Have a safe flight - have fun in the surgery. Don't let the others dumb you down." She advised and Lexie nodded, smiling.

She hugged each of the people in turn - including Arizona because she had taken Alex off of the case - and turned to Mark who was stood behind her. He smirked at her and she reached up to kiss him. 

As she pulled away she placed her hands on his chest, "I have a really bad feeling about this." She admitted and Mark moved his head down slightly to catch her gaze.

"Everything is going to be just fine - promise." He kissed her again before joining the rest of the group and walking away and out of the hospital. 

Vanessa took a deep breath in and tried to breath through the wave of panic she felt was about to wash over her but she knew there was nothing she could do as she walked quickly away to a bathroom and threw up in the toilet.

She wiped her mouth and walked to the sink, washing her hands and drinking some of the water coming out of the tap. She leaned on the counter and looked into the mirror. She saw the tears leave her eyes and then she felt the tightness in her chest as she gasped for air but couldn't find it.

The stress of not knowing - the uncertainty - was getting to her and she just needed to calm down. She imagined Mark there and she could almost feel his touch on her back. Her breathing started to slow and she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand as she heard the door opening.

"Vanessa?"

"This is the girls bathroom, Karev." She sniffed and he walked up to her, pulling her into as tight of an embrace as he could with her eight-month-pregnant belly. 

"They're all fine - they're gonna ace the surgery, come back and everything is gonna be fine. They even managed to move it up so that it wouldn't be near the due date - so in a month you will be here with Mark, ready to give birth - with him." He assured her as he pulled away from the hug and held her at arms length.

"Yeah, you're right."

***

"Matches. Yes, God. Finally. Fire. We can build a fire." Cristina picked up the box of matches.

"We should. They'll see a fire. Let's get a fire started." Meredith agreed as she worked on Derek's hand. 

"Yeah, Mark. We need- we need to start a fire," Cristina called, "Mark! Mark! You have to help." 

"I-I'll figure out how to get it started." Meredith offered.

"No, no. You know what he doesn't get to do this. He doesn't get to stop helping. I'm sorry he's thinking about leaving his family - Vanessa and the kids - but we all have people and we're still helping. He has to help because the sky is falling, Mark." Cristina yelled, walking over to Mark.

"Cristina." Derek tried.

"No, no, no. You know, if there's one thing that I've learned with all the-the bombs and the guns to my head and-and the buses running down my friends is that I am not interested in dying. I want to get out of here, and I want to go home. And everyone has to help. Mark, get up. Get up and help, Mark," Cristina placed her hand on Mark's shoulder as his head started to fall, "Mark? Mark? Mark?"