THE END OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP 3x23

"What have we got?" Charlotte asks Addison urgently. "Maya?" Charlotte looks from the girl to Addison.

"And Dell," Addison responds looking over to where Dell is seated.

"M.V.A. She's in labor, uh, we were on our way here, and some guy blew right through a red light. Her contractions are two minutes apart, pain at a seven, maybe a eight," Dell informs Charlotte as he tries to stand to see Maya.

"Sir, you need to sit down," One of the E.R. residents told Dell.

"Sit down," Charlotte looked right at Dell as he sat down.

"I'm fine, okay? Maya's— ow."

"He okay?" Charlotte asked concern written all over her face.

"So far, some lacerations, probably a fractured wrist," The resident tells her.

"We need a fetal doppler, and where is Radiology?" Addison shouts as Charlotte comes back towards Addison and Maya.

"How you feeling, sweetheart?" Charlotte asks.

"I'm okay. The contractions were pretty bad, but it's much better now with the epidural," Maya speaks slowly.

Addison looks up, "What epidural? Dell?"

Dell shakes his head slightly as to not alarm Maya.

Charlotte picks a tool up off the tray and slides it down Mayas foot, "Maya..how's that feel?"

"What?" Maya asks, still talking slowly.

"I'll page neuro surg," Charlotte tells Addison pulling her pager out.

"Call Amelia," Addison adds quickly.

"She doesn't work here," Charlotte reminds her.

"Call Amelia," Addison says without looking up. "Sam's in the O.R. Call, uh, Athena. Nai's on her way. She knows about the labor, but nothing else."

"Addison, did she break—" Dell tries to stand up but Addison quickly stops him.

"Dell, sit down. I need a C.T. of her spine. Now, please," Addison spits out orders and then looks down at Maya, "Hey." She runs her hand over Maya's hair, smiling down at her.

🪷

"Amelia," Athena says, surprised.

"Athena," Amelia says, taking a step towards Athena.

Athena doesn't step back. She swallows, and takes a step forward. When Athena doesn't say anything after that, Amelia looks down at the ground and back up. She looks to the side and hits the stop button on the button pad.

"I'm sorry for whatever I did," Amelia inhales deeply.

"You didn't do anything," Athena shakes her head.

"I don't want you to not talk to me," Amelia walks forward again and takes Athena's hand. "I feel like it's my fault that you pushed me away."

"It's not your fault," Athena responds quickly. "I mean, partly."

"What do you mean?" Amelia tilts her head.

"You deserve better than me," Athena nods. "I'm so fucked up. There are things you don't know. You'd be so mad if you knew, Amelia."

"No, I won't be. I promise," Amelia puts her hand on Athena's cheek. "I'm just as fucked up as you are."

"Okay," Athena sighs, nodding.

They look into each other's eyes until they are both leaning in and Amelia's back is against the elevator wall.

Both women's pagers ring before they get too far.

"Nine-One-One," Both women swallow before hitting the stop button again, making the elevator move.

"Come see me later, we'll try this again," Athena smirks and winks at Amelia.

They try to make themselves presentable before the elevator opens again.

Amelia hurries off towards radiology to meet Addison, Naomi and Maya.

"See right there?" Amelia points to the scan on the wall, showing Addison and Naomi. "Fracture at L-Two and then another chard of bone here at L-Three. The baby was stabilizing the whole area. So when you shifted the uterus, all hell broke loose," She rubs her hands together. Looking from the scan to Addison.

"So what are our options?" Addison asks.

"Well, Nai, how about you grab a cup of coffee, and we can talk about it a little—"

"Just answer the question," Naomi cuts Amelia off, preparing for the worst.

Amelia looks down, and Addison looks over at Naomi, "Nai, I think that Amelia wants to brainstorm for a little. So it's— it's easier when the mothers not here—"

"Well, I— I'm sorry if this is difficult for her. Just stop managing me. Spit it out."

"Okay," Amelia nods at her. "If we take out the baby, the cord strokes out. She's paralyzed from the waist down for life. If I decompress the cord anteriorly, we could loose the baby." Amelia points to the scan. "If I do a posterior approach, we could lose the baby. If I try to repair the artery first, she could bleed out on the table, and I kill them both. Does anybody have a preference?"

Naomi looks down at the ground, wishing she would have taken that damn coffee.

🪷

They all rejoin back in Mayas hospital room. Pete, Athena, Amelia, Addison, Gabriel, Sam and Naomi. And by her side was her husband, Dink.

"Hypothermia?" Sam asks Gabriel with a confused tone.

"You lower the body temperature, you decrease metabolic demands and you limit damage to the spinal cord. Gives Dr. Shepherd a lot more time to work and maybe she's got a shot at avoiding paralysis," Gabriel suggests a new plan.

"Yeah, but there's a baby inside of her. Hypothermia?" Addison's eyebrows knit together.

"It would kill the baby," Naomi tells him.

"It may kill the baby," Gabriel starts. "It'll save the spinal cord."

"It may save the spinal cord," Pete corrects.

"So— so if— if we save her child, then we ensure that— that's she's paralyzed for life, but if we kill the baby, then— then she will walk again?" Naomi thinks aloud. "Is that what we're saying?"

"Look, i'm not usually the glass-half-full guy in the room, but she's not gonna die. I understand that's progress from the initial diagnosis," Gabriel looks between Sam and Naomi.

"But she may never walk again," Sam clenches his jaw.

"A chair is not a death sentence. I mean, people told me that every day, and as much as it made me want to smack 'em in the face, they were right," Gabriel admits.

Everyone stays quiet for a few seconds.

"Save her legs," Naomi breaks the silence. "I— I want her to walk again."

"Wait. Wait," Sam puts his hand up. "What about the baby? That's a full-term child that she's carrying."

"I— I am aware of that, Sam," Naomi closes her eyes and nods.

"You have wanted this child gone since the moment it's been conceived—" Sam starts shouting.

"Don't you— don't you dare," Naomi opens her eyes and looks at Sam. "This is your daughter in this bed!"

"—the moment it's been conceived! What's the deal, Naomi?"

"Okay, stop it. Stop it. Both of you," Addison puts a end to their yelling and bickering. "Just take a breath. Everyone, just.."

Addison runs her hands through her red hair and Naomi looks over at Maya.

Athena looks towards the ground, thinking. Amelia wraps her pinky around Athena's and she looks over at Amelia slightly and smiles faintly.

Athena looks up and looks over at Maya's husband and babies father.

"Dink," Athena speaks up, earning everyone's eyes on her. "You're her husband..the father of her child." She stands on her heel and nods.

"I don't, um.." Dink sits up straight nervously, "I don't know how to..I mean, can't you save them both?"

"Why didn't I think of that?" Amelia says in a low voice, hoping no one heard her. Although, Athena and Addison did.

Athena squeezes her pinky.

"Amelia," Addison scolds.

"I'm a kid," Dink stands up, "They don't teach you how to choose between your paralyzed wife and your dying baby in— in— mathletes. I mean.."

"It's okay," Athena said.

She felt for him. She really did. They really do not teach you how to choose between things like life or death in school. In her case, they didn't teach her how to choose between convincing her mother to get treatment for her heart disease or to agree with her step-father in letting her mother live the rest of her short life at ice hockey practice.

"You heard the man," Sam shakes his head. "You're gonna have to save 'em both."

Gabriel looks to Amelia, "How fast are you?"

"I'm fast, but..this is a long shot," Amelia shakes her head.

"If the baby's temps not down for too long.." Gabriel trails off.

"It's not ideal, but..you'd have to be pretty damn fast." Addison looked around.

Charlotte peeks in the room, "Sam. I'm sorry. I need you. Patients ready for bypass."

"Okay," Sam whispers and walks out of the room.

Addison walks after Sam and Athena and Amelia share a look.

Everyone go their separate ways.

Amelia and Athena end up outside, soaking up the cold evening air.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asks Athena.

"Yeah," Athena lies.

She'd always been the best at lying.

"So, I overreacted— and was really harsh the other day when," Athena swallows, "I kicked you out."

Amelia looks over at Athena, her hands in her pockets.

"Yes.." Amelia trails off questioningly.

"I mean we've already been out a time or two..so I guess, I was wondering if you..maybe..you don't even have to if you don't want to— but maybe you..never mind this is stupid," Athena shakes her head.

Amelia stares at Athena as she rambled nervously. Amelia found it adorable. "Whatever it is, yes. Yes," Amelia smirks and wraps her pinky's around Athena's and kisses her.

"So you'll be my girlfriend?" Athena ask warily.

"Yes, yes, yes," Amelia nods and kisses Athena again.

And despite the situation they were in, and where they were, it felt right. It always felt right with Athena.

Until it didn't.

the ending i have planned
for this act 🙏🏼

1 more chapter babes!!