Chapter Text
When the day is finally over, Addison can't help but welcome the relief that spreads over her, with how her shoulders relax and her jaw unclenches. She hates it, because she loves her job, she loves that she was able to teach doctors about the importance of OB/GYN work with Roe v. Wade overturned, but it's been so exhausting ever since she had taken up with the PRT. Bailey's idea for her to do that was a great one and Addison would never regret it - she'd make the same choice over and over again if she had to . . . Still, there was no denying it had taken a mighty toll on her. Not only did it keep her away from doing the work as a surgeon that she adores, but it keeps her away from her husband and her family and friends.
Not to even mention - the protestors.
Addison had known it would be bad, she and Derek had lengthy conversations about it beforehand, him expressing his never-ending worry and her taking it into consideration. No matter how much she prepared herself for it, though, it didn't compare to what she actually faced. How angry people were when they screamed in her face that she was murdering innocent babies, when they'd crowd around the PRT and hit the doors, the window being smashed (which she never told Derek about, actually). It had been a great shock and now, Addison's gotten used to dealing with it. The more she deals with it, the more exhausting it becomes. Addison's burnt-out, yet she doesn't want to take a break. She doesn't feel like she's able to. People will die without her.
Leaning against the wall of a hallway, Addison lets out a long breath that she feels like she's been holding ever since she arrived. Her anxiety and stress levels have been fluctuating all day, with the mass of protestors screaming outside the clinic - which she blames herself for, of course - to when they threw a rock through the window that gave an intern a concussion and finally, the clinic being put on lockdown. A part of her is tempted to cancel the dinner she has planned with Amelia tonight, wanting to rest up for when Derek and Mark return in a couple days. Yet . . . She knows Amelia's worried about her. She wouldn't be surprised if Amelia had already called Derek to tell him that something's up, with how the brunette had looked at her this morning.
With pity, with regret, the kind of look that Amelia hates when Addison gives her when she knows something's wrong. It's a reminder that she's not invincible like she wants to be, like how she thinks she's convincing everyone else she is. It's annoying.
So, she has to go to dinner, to avoid the onslaught of Amelia's fuss and concern.
"Everything alright?"
Addison peeks her eyes open (not even realizing up until that point that they were closed) to another concerned face, that of Miranda Bailey's. The redhead is reminded of how she broke down in front of Bailey today in the storage room of all places, finally admitting to someone that she feels the weight of the world is on her shoulders and she's being actively crushed by it.
She quickly nods. "Yes, yes. Did you want to walk out?" She asks, boosting herself off the wall and straightening herself up.
Bailey nods and fixes Addison with a look that tells her she doesn't quite believe that everything's fine, but has decided not to push it. "The police got the protestors under control but there's going to be one posted at the back exit, just to be safe," she says.
Addison hates the fact that the precaution is even necessary, but she goes along with it. As they reach the exit, they join a few other doctors. Addison recognizes two interns, Dr. Yasuda and Dr. Kwan, as well as Dr. DeLuca and a few of the OB/GYN residents whom Addison taught today. Getting outside, the police gestures for them to cross. As they do, one of the residents - Tia, Addison remembers her name as - drops her purse, which spills out onto the road, and bends down to pick it up. Addison quickly goes to help.
"Oh, thank you," Tia says, blushing as she hurries to gather her things.
"Of course," Addison says, gently placing some of her stuff back into her purse.
Tia pauses, looking up at her, as if she's contemplating something, then says, "Dr. Montgomery, I wanted to talk to you today, about the protestors. I posted online-"
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
Bailey's desperate, frenzied cry strikes fear in Addison's body. Both she and Tia turn around and rise to their feet quickly, seeing a black car coming speeding at them. Acting quickly, Addison does the first thing she can think of - she shoves Tia back, pushing her out of a way. Before she can even think about following her or moving herself out of the way, the car slams straight into her. She rolls onto its hood but, as the car continues at the same speed, is quickly thrown off and she smashes onto the pavement. The lights go out. The world fades away.
///
Addison isn't the only one who's been dealing with fluctuating anxiety, Amelia's been feeling it too. It settled in when she first saw Addison, particularly how tired she looked, and how she seemed to just brush off the fact that the put the PRT in hiding from the press so easily. Amelia had to fight the urge to call Derek right then and there. It climbed throughout the day when she heard from Teddy about the growing number of protestors and then shot up unexpectedly when Teddy placed the clinic under lockdown. Amelia's finger hovered over Derek's contact in her phone after that, but she stopped herself, reasoning that Addison would call Derek if she felt it necessary. The anxiety started to slow down when the police got the protestors under control and was manageable for the rest of the day . . . Until she saw her pager go off with a notification that the hospital was on lockdown now. Essential personal and patients only.
With Addison not yet showing up at the spot in the Attendings lounge that she and Amelia were supposed to meet at, the neurosurgeon had a sinking feeling that the lockdown must be related to the clinic.
Amelia sets off in hopes to figure out from someone what's going on. Thankfully, it isn't long before she spots Richard, but the man's face as he walks up to her makes her heart drop into her stomach. Something's really wrong.
"Richard?" Amelia says, barely even able to get his name out with the worry that's washing over her.
"There was-" Richard begins to explain, but switches gears. "-Amelia, something happened outside the clinic. Involving one of the protestors, we think."
Amelia feels her chest tightening. "What happened?" She asks, seconds away from losing it.
Richard swallows, not even sure he can say it. "Addison," he chokes out, trying not to get emotional for her sake. Amelia stares at him, her eyes as wide as a baby deer's. She's frozen, unable to do anything but wait for him to say something that will either ease or inflate her worry. "She was hit by a car."
"What?" Amelia says, the response coming automatically. Her brain can't process it - it's so unreal.
"She just got to the ER. Bailey's with her," Richard continues.
That's all Amelia needs to hear to spur into action. She takes off running, the fear settling deeper and deeper into her body with every step that she takes. All she can think of is Addison, her sister-in-law, the woman who's more a sister to her than her own biological sisters. She has to be alright. Not only is Amelia unsure how she'd even carry on without Addison, but she knows that if something were to happen (she won't even allow herself to think that far, to name the possibility of losing her), it would destroy Derek and Mark. They all need her. The people she saves needs her. Her family and friends and coworkers need her. The goddamn world needs her. But - it's not about who needs her right now. It's about her. Amelia has to make sure she's alright.
"Addison!" She calls out like a reflex once she gets to the ER and sees a familiar redhead lying in one of the beds. A small part of her feels relieved that she's conscious, even if she does not look happy whatsoever. The closer she gets, the more she scans Addison over, looking for any injuries. There's already gauze on her head, Amelia notes.
"I'm fine, it's just my shoulder," Addison says, a little too quickly for Amelia's taste.
"Did anyone page Link?" She asks, glancing around to see if he's near.
"Bailey did," Addison says. Amelia follows her gaze to see Bailey standing with a few other doctors, notably Dr. DeLuca and Owen. They're crowded around a pregnant woman on a gurney.
"Addison-" Amelia starts to say, even though she's not quite sure what that will be.
"I pushed her out of the way and she fell," Addison whispers, her eyes stuck to the woman like they're glued.
There will be time to assure her that what happened to Tia is not her fault, but Amelia's more concerned about her injuries right now. "You hit your head, did you lose consciousness at all?" She asks. When Addison still stares at Tia, Amelia adds, "Addison?"
"I-yeah. For a couple minutes, I think," Addison murmurs, her attention split.
"What about any changes to your vision? Headache? Dizziness?" Amelia persists, grabbing her pen from her pocket to check Addison's eyes.
"Not a lot," she still murmurs, causing Amelia to huff at the unclearness as to what she's answering. She shines the light in Addison's eyes just as Link arrives to assess her shoulder.
Amelia shuffles back, letting him do his exam. She watches for a second before someone bumps into her from behind and she hears a nearby tray clattering to the ground. She turns around only to see that it's Dr. Kwan and quickly takes note of his blown pupils and disoriented behavior. "Weren't you the one that was hit in the head with a rock?" She asks, remembering hearing about one of the protestors throwing a rock through the window.
"Uh, yeah," Kwan mutters, scrambling to pick up the things on the tray that fell.
Amelia sighs and bends down to help him. "Did anyone check you for brain damage?" She asks pointedly.
"I'm fine," Kwan insists as he stands.
"I'm really tired of people saying that," Amelia mutters, turning back around to Addison and Link. "I have to go get him a CT, but I'll be right back. Link, watch her, she might have a concussion."
She gets a thumbs up from Link and then hurries off, practically dragging Kwan behind her and ignoring his protests. Little does Amelia know that by the time she gets Kwan a head CT, things will take a turn for the worse.