⇢ CHAPTER 32

couple days ago, we're at the grocery store, Gary and I, and the next thing I know, I'm flat on my back in the frozen foods section." Mrs. Clark summarized for Holly, Lexie, Webber, and April.

Mrs. Clark chuckled as Gary looked at the doctors, "She fainted."

"And I've never fainted." Mrs. Clark added, shaking her head, "I never seen anybody faint. I don't believe in fainting."

"Did you hit your head?" Webber asked.

"I would've if this one hadn't caught me." Mrs. Clark laughed, her hand going to her husband's arm.

"Mrs. Clark is anemic and guaiac positive," Holly started, "so there's definitely some internal bleeding."

"It looks like it's coming from a--"

"Friable tumor near the ampulla of vater." April interrupted Lexie, pointing at the spot in the scan with a smile directed towards Webber.

"Yes," Lexie smiled tightly, "thank you for that, Dr. Kepner."

"Dr. Swender told us the biopsy showed the cancer was back." Gary Clark voiced, "But she said you might be able to take it out."

"There's a chance I won't be able to go in as deeply as I'll need to," Webber clarified, "but I promise to do everything I can."

Gary sighed, looking down at his wife before nodding, "Anything you could do."

"We appreciate it, Dr. Webber." Mrs. Clark smiled as her husband nervously stood next to her, "Thank you." 

✧

"Dr. Webber," Holly looked up from the open body cavity in surgery as she questioned, "did you consider doing a whipple on Mrs. Clark?"

"I did," Webber confirmed, "but since the cancer came back, I think I can do a local resection and get the entire visible tumor." He paused, noticing April looking at the gallery, "Dr. Kepner, are we boring you?"

"No, sir." April spoke, looking back down as Holly's eyebrows frowned before realizing he talked about April, "I just-- I wasn't expecting Chief Shepherd to be up in the gallery during a general surgery." Lexie, Holly, and Webber looked up to see, "But I guess that's the Chief's job, right-- evaluating, observing?"

"Dr. Kepner," Webber reminded April, "you're in O.R., and the only one observing and evaluating right now is me."

"Yes, sir." April nodded, "I'm sorry, sir."

They continued to work until Holly looked over at her sister, who was still looking up at Derek, and frowned her eyebrows, whispering, "Apes."

April quickly moved her head back down, not realizing Lexie had noticed.

✧

Holly smiled, walking up to Gary Clark in the waiting room before speaking, "Mr. Clark."

Gary stood up, looking at Holly with concern, "How is she?"

"She's fine." Holly assured, "She did great in surgery. She was a total trouper. The surgery went great. And we got all of the tumor with good margins."

"Oh," Gary laughed in relief, bringing a hand to his head, "thank God. Ohh. Dr. Kepner, thank you. Thank you so much." Holly nodded as Gary exhaled deeply, "My wife keeps telling me... I need to be more manly about all this. I mean, she's the one with the cancer. She's afraid I'm the one who won't make it."

Holly chuckled, "I think you both are doing just fine." She gestured behind herself, "Would you like to see her?"

"Can I?"

Holly nodded again, "She should be waking up any minute."

✧

Holly had her arm looped with Gary Clarke as they approached his wife's room, comforting his nerves. 

"If there's not," Webber told April and Lexie after informing them they needed to check for any brain activity, "then we need--"

"She-- she looks great." Gary stammered, smiling as he un-looped his arm and brought a hand to his chest in relief. Holly frowned her eyebrows at Webber, Lexie, and April, having caught the stress in Webber's voice from when they walked inside, "Oh, thank God." Gary Clark held Webber's arm, "Dr. Kepner told me you got the tumor. Thank you so much, Dr. Webber. Can I wake her?" 

Gary Clark walked over, sitting next to his wife on her bed as Holly whispered to April, "What happened?"

"Sweetheart?" Gary chuckled lightly, bringing a hand to cup his wife's cheek, "Oh. You still sleeping?" Holly took note of the ventilator system, "The doctors said you did great in there." April took one last look at the couple before walking away, making Holly look at Lexie, "Honey? You wake? Alison?"

✧

"She could wake up, right?" Gary Clark asked, looking at the doctors after they informed him of his wife's state, "I mean, people wake up from comas all the time."

"I'm sorry." Webber apologized, "Your wife's coma is irreversible. Dr. Grey," He looked over at Lexie, "would you explain it, please?"

Lexie exhaled deeply before looking at Mr. Clark, "Mrs. Clark's scans showed a massive hemorrhage in her brain. And the E.E.G. showed minimal brain activity."

"But that means there's hope, right?" Gary shifted his stance, "Because... at least there's activity. And--" Gary placed a hand on his wife's chest, "and her heart is still beating."

"Only because the mechanical ventilator is breathing for her." Holly explained.

"When we turn the machine off," April continued, "the heart won't get the oxygen it needs, and it will stop."

"Why would you turn it off?" Gary asked, getting defensive, "People can live for years on these machines."

"Mr. Clark," Webber reminded, "the advanced directive your wife signed specifically requested no mechanical ventilation."

Gary repeatedly shook his head, "She filled that form out three years ago when the cancer was first diagnosed. The doctor told her she had six months to live. And she held on for another three years." He paused briefly, nodding, "She'll come back from this, too. You'll see. You can't unplug her."