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It was 7 p.m. when Amelia Shepherd was wheeled into Grey Sloan Memorial. This time, she wasn’t a doctor—she was a patient. She had been calmly walking with her son when she noticed a someone's child break free from his mother’s grip and run toward the road. Amelia managed to pull him to safety just in time, but unfortunately, she herself was hit by a car. Four of her ribs were broken, and her spleen began to bleed. She needed surgery, but all she could think about was her son. Link and Jo had left for the week to visit family, so Scout was left with her, and no one can take care of him. Amelia refused the surgery, mentioning her son, and didn’t let any interns come near her to prep her.
Rumors spread quickly in the hospital, and, of course, Monica heard about it at the nurses' station. She was just finishing her shift and decided to drop by and see what she could do to help.
“Scaring the interns as usual, Dr. Shepherd?” Monica said, picking up the tablet with Amelia’s information. “Amelia, you need surgery. Why are you resisting?” she asked, bewildered.
“Scout is there all alone, and neither Link nor Jo can pick him up—they’re out of town. I can’t leave my child alone in the hospital!”
“Hey, don’t worry so much. I’ll take care of him.”
“Would you really do that?”
“Of course. I spend most of my time with kids anyway; it won’t be hard.”
“But weren’t you going home?”
“That's right, but we’ll wait here until your surgery is over, and then I’ll take Scout home with me.”
“I don’t even know how to thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
In the waiting room, Monica noticed Scout, small and nervous, sitting on a bench clutching a toy car. His eyes were cautious, glancing from person to person as if trying to make sense of the situation. Monica took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. She needed to be calm and confident to reassure the boy.
She knelt in front of Scout and gave him a gentle smile.
“Hi, Scout,” she said, taking her time not to frighten him. “I’m Monica, a friend of your mom’s. She asked me to sit with you for a bit while she gets some help.”
Scout looked at her seriously, his lips trembling, but he nodded.
“Is Mom hurt really bad?” he asked quietly, his voice filled with worry and a maturity beyond his years.
“She’ll be fine, Scout. Your mom’s a real hero. You know how she helps people every day, right? Today, she just needs a bit of help from the other doctors,” Monica replied, holding his hand to comfort him.
Scout slowly nodded, trying to be brave. Monica could see him relax a little, sensing her confidence. They stayed in the waiting area until she was informed that Amelia was in the OR. Knowing the surgery could take hours, Monica suggested, “How about we spend some time at my house? It’ll be more comfortable, and I know we have great cookies and cartoons.”
Scout looked at her and finally gave a small smile.
“Will you bring me back later? So Mom can find me when she wakes up?” he asked.
“Of course, I promise,” Monica replied. She understood how important this was to him and held his hand as they walked to her car.
Meanwhile, in the OR, doctors fought to stabilize Amelia. Her condition was serious, as the spleen injury could lead to significant blood loss. But everyone in the room knew how strong Amelia Shepherd was. She had survived so much and always came out victorious, and her colleagues believed in her strength this time, too.
When the surgery was over, Monica got the message that Amelia had been moved to a room and was waking up. She had been worried about Amelia all night, though she tried not to show it in front of Scout. She brought Scout back to the hospital and led him to his mother’s room. Amelia was still weak, but her face lit up when she saw her son and Monica beside her. Scout ran to her bed, hugging her, while Monica smiled and stepped back, giving them a moment.
Later, when Scout had fallen asleep at Amelia’s bedside, Monica approached and whispered, “You’re a real hero, Amelia. I can’t imagine where you find the strength to be so strong for all of us.”
Amelia looked at her with gratitude and gently squeezed her hand.
“Thank you, Monica. You have no idea how much your help means to me.”
At that moment, Monica realized she had fallen for this stubborn neurosurgeon.