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“And that’s what she said. And you know what, I-” Cristina cuts herself off at a loud repetitive thump–- bang, bang, bang, bang. It didn’t echo (thank god, another shooting is the last thing they need right now); in fact, it sounded like something soft was hitting something hard over and over.
Finally, it goes quiet. She turns to Meredith, who just stares a little anxiously at the flights of stairs under them.
“What was that?”
She edges her way down the stairs slowly and finds a crumpled form at the bottom of the stairs on the first floor. She glances towards her blonde friend and smiles, “It’s okay. Someone just fell.”
The form slowly moves into a sitting position, but they don’t stand. She watches for a minute before rolling her eyes. Great, now this person is her problem.
“Hey. Are you okay?” she asks, trying to sound genuine when all she wants to do is get back to finding a cool surgery. She tilts her head and attempts to listen while Meredith starts to slowly make her way out of the stairwell, walking back up them to the second floor.
“Where are you going,” she hisses.
“Derek needs me,” she says in lieu of an actual good explanation with a shrug. Her back finally hits the doors and she pushes them open with a wink and a shit-eating grin.
“Meredith, I swear to god-”
The door shuts and she disappears down the hallway before Cristina can finish her sentence. Whatever, she didn’t have anything planned anyway.
She sighs and makes her way down to the patient who has yet to respond.
“Are you okay?” she repeats, staring them down. They finally turn to her and she has to keep in her laughter by holding her breath.
“George??”
George’s face turns red with embarrassment.
“Did you just- fall down the stairs-” she cuts herself off and starts laughing, doubling over and holding her stomach. “Oh, god.”
“Shut up!” He tries to stand but winces hard and doesn’t make it up. She frowns, realizing this might be more serious than she’d thought.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, I’m okay.”
She rolls her eyes. “George, if you don’t tell me, I’m leaving. I have surgeries to get to. I’ll help you, but we need to be fast about this.”
“All right. It’s my leg.” He gestures to it and she comes closer, carefully bending over him. She rolls up his pants leg and glances at the skin. It’s not broken, but there is a bump.
She lightly presses it and he recoils significantly, paling at the throbbing pain rocketing through his leg. He can’t breathe. It hurts so much that it almost doesn’t hurt at all. He squeezes his hands into tight fists and takes a deep breath as he tries to control his reaction to the pain.
“It’s broken,” she says. “It has to be.”
“Fuck.”
“All right, come on. I’ll get you to an exam room.” She helps him to his feet and he leans heavily on her. Luckily she’s stronger than she looks, so she easily takes him to the closest exam room.
“I’m calling in someone from orthopedics.” He gives her a sad look and she shakes her head.
“No, I don’t want to treat your broken bone!”
“Can you stay until they get here?”
She sighs but relents by sitting herself in one of the plastic chairs by the examination table. “You know you’re going to need an X-Ray.”
“I know… I just want to hang out for a little while before you go.”
“All right. But if I miss any surgeries, that’s on you.”
“I’ll give you one free surgery I’m assigned to of your choosing,” he offers. “So you’re not missing out.”
“Deal!” She’s suddenly smiling and apparently very happy to sit with him. He laughs.
They chat a little until the doctor comes in, and then Cristina leaves him there.
Later, though, when he’s struggling with his things in the locker room after their shift is over, she takes them from him with a huff. He blinks up at her, crutches under both arms and a cast on his leg.
“Don’t act so surprised! I’m not that terrible!”
He laughs as she carries their things to the parking lot. He eyes his car and she rolls her eyes again.
“Don’t even think about it. I’m taking you home.”
He smiles once more at her, grateful for her help. “If you tell anyone about this, I’m going to end your life,” she threatens. He nods solemnly at that, but it’s accompanied by a small grin.
The days go by and she continues to help him in small ways - pushing people out of the way for the elevator, offering to carry his things when he can’t, helping him get through doorways. He appreciates her immensely, but of course he doesn’t say much to anyone else. Before anyone else can help, she’s there already doing whatever is needed - getting him food, for example.
God, he loves his friends. He smiles at her and she rolls her eyes as she carries his food for him.
“When you’re better, I’m kicking your ass.”
He grins, “Will you take care of me then, too?”
“Hell no!”
They laugh together, and everything feels better.