"I don't need to be here. They just want to observe me and make sure I don't pass out again," Charlotte says, not looking at Arizona.

"Mm. Not a bad idea," Arizona leans on the doorframe.

"How's the patient?" Charlotte asks, looking to one of her best friends.

"You need to let me send April down here," Arizona said, trying to get Charlotte to consider.

"Yeah, no," Charlotte shakes her head, licking the spoon.

"She is freaking out. She locked herself in her office and no one can get her out," Arizona laughs.

"Well, it was an accident, I'm fine," Charlotte shrugs.

"Did you hear me? She won't come out. We have patients."

"I'm aware of that, Arizona," Charlotte looks at her.

"Then let me send her in here."

"Fine. Just— tell her to bring me food please," Charlotte gives in. "Actual food."

"Thank you," Arizona smiles. "I'd much rather be kicking ass in my peds ward than have all the residents come up to me asking where the chief resident is."

❄️

When April walks into Charlottes hospital room, the brunette is watching crappy hospital television.

"Hi," April clears her throat, making Charlotte look at her.

"What took you so long?" Charlotte asks and April lifts the brown bag of food.

"I went to get you food like you asked," April sat in the chair beside the hospital bed.

"You didn't have to leave the hospital for food," The brunette smiles. "You could've just gotten me hospital food."

"The only good food here, is pizza. And it's not pizza day," April shrugs, smiling back.

"Fair point."

The red head and brunette talk until April is paged to go down to the pit for an incoming trauma.

"I'll see you later, Brown."

"See you, Kepner."

❄️

"Get up," Cristina says as she comes into Charlottes room.

"No. I'm under twenty-four-hour observation because you almost killed me!" Charlotte yelled back.

"I revealed an arrhythmia you didn't know you have. I probably saved your life. I'll run and E.K.G. on you later. Just get up," Cristina pulled the blanket off her legs.

"You're supposed to have my back. I have issues, alright? I'm not always the nicest person. To you, or to any one else. Ask April—"

"April?"

"—or— or— Alex. But that doesn't mean you have to pull me out of bed. And for what?"

"Oh, for the love of g—"

"No! I just wanted one thing for myself. One thing I could have here around the hospital, except for the fact that I'm 'The Hospital Whore'. You have a lot of things. You're like the best surgeon in our group! And I'm just pathetic. I don't have anybody! You guys are all I have. You have to forgive me. Forgive me for wanting to be the gunther," Charlotte rants.

"Whatever! Forgiven. Just..get up out of the damn bed," Cristina watches as Charlotte nods and stands out of the bed.

Cristina tells Charlotte the plan on the way to the examination room. Her and Alex would be working together, to make sure Derek and Meredith didn't loose Zola.

"Where have you been? We've been trying to reach you for hours," Derek said, walking faster than Cristina around the corner.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte and Alex hear Meredith mutter.

The two doctors share a look. Each equally anxious as the other.

"Where's Zola?" Derek asks as Cristina walks over to them.

Meredith, Derek, Cristina and Janet watch Alex and Charlotte take care of Zola—the two who have been helping her all along.

"Ever since her surgery, Zola's had weekly blood tests, and, uh, the results we got today were a little weird, so we wanted to take a look at her," Alex nods at Derek, slightly smiling towards him.

"Yeah, and, you know, with babies, I mean, when a doctor calls— I got worried, so I just rushed her right in, and I must've left my phone in the day care center," Meredith says, lying right through her teeth.

"And your pager," Cristina reminds her.

"My pager I had to turn in because they fired me."

"What's wrong with her?" Derek asks.

They look to Charlotte—the best liar of them all, "Her white count was elevated. Fourteen-point-five. Um, we just wanted to make sure there wasn't a post-op infection or a C.S.F. leak or something. Um, on our exam, she looks fine. No signs of spinal shock." Charlotte smiles looking down at Zola.

"We re-ran her C.B.C., and her white count was eight. Totally normal. Must have just been a stress reactant..or a fluke in the labs, 'cause, uh, well, she's fine," Alex finishes, looking at Derek.

"It's true," Derek nods. "C.S.F. leaks are a problem with Spina Bifida babies. That's..that's great that you caught that."

❄️

As soon as Janet leaves the room, the five of them get out of acting mode.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this.. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Alex apologizes.

"I know. I know."

Alex leaves the room and Charlotte stays.

"I still don't understand what you possible could've been thinking," Derek walks towards Meredith.

"They fired me," Meredith starts. "Janet basically told me they were gonna take Zola away. I mean, possibly send her back to Malawi. You and me? I just needed some time. I just needed to hold her and look at her and just think about how everything.. everything got so screwed up. You should take Zola. Janet has a problem with me, not with you. And we need to do whatever we can to make sure they don't take her away, and if that means that you have custody of her and I don't, well, then that's what we need to do."

"You're not fired," Derek says after looking to make sure Charlotte and Cristina aren't looking. "Richard's gonna take the fall for you."

"What? He can't do that. I'm not gonna let him do that," Meredith shakes her head.

"Yes, you will. If you want to keep this baby, you will let him protect you."

❄️

Despite April being upset Charlotte up and got out of bed, she enjoyed her company. They talked until Callie walked away with Arizona and Mark.

"M— maybe we should leave, too. I mean, I'm sure they don't want us just sitting here staring at them."

"I don't know," Charlotte shakes her head. "I would want everyone here for me if I was going through this. And— they're trying to keep a family together. That's.. not easy. You know, it can't hurt to stick around and make sure they're okay."

They both watch the hospital room until April starts talking, "You see, this— this is why you were almost the gunther. I have terrible leadership instincts." April looks down.

"That doesn't make me a better leader. A better person maybe, but—" Charlotte chuckles as she stands.

"Uh," April laughs.

Charlotte walks around the front of the nurses station and April follows. They watch as Derek and Meredith take their time saying goodbye to Zola. Alex joins them.

Once Janet takes Zola away, Derek takes a short look at Meredith and walks out of the room. Charlotte walks into the room and takes Meredith's arm. She walks her out of the room and out of the hospital.

If she were to lose Ana, she wouldn't know what she'd do. Especially after loosing her the first time.

Charlotte drives Meredith home.

"You know I lost Ana after my parents died?" Charlotte asked. Not expecting Meredith to reply. "I did. And I did everything I could to make sure I got her back. And I did. Which is what you should do. You know? We're all here for you."

"I know."

haven't updated this
in a hot minute

anyways i love this couple