You Know Better
Title: You Know Better
Characters: Bailey, Alex
Word Count: 470
Rating: PG-13
Status: Complete
Summary: A continuation of the scene between Bailey and Alex in episode 4.02, Love/Addiction. It just had to be done.
PLEASE REVIEW!
Seattle Grace Hospital
Alex sat in the gallery, his eyes staring hard at the wall while Bailey yelled at him. He heard every word, heard everything she said to him about getting in the face of a drug dealer and asking if he was stupid. Who knew? Maybe he was. As her rant finally ended, Alex thanked her, no emotion in his voice.
“No,” Bailey let out a shuddering breath, “thank you.”
Subconsciously, Alex began to bite the inside of his cheek, scenes from earlier that day repeating in his head followed sharply by memories from years ago. He'd done it again. He just never learned, did he?
Bailey sighed. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“The kid deserves better,” Alex said, mentally fighting to keep his voice hard as memories began to play across his mind. He could almost see them playing out on the glass across from him. A teenager fighting, a child screaming, fathers taking everything they'd been given for granted. “Nothing gives you an excuse to risk your kid's life.”
Bailey turned to Alex again, about to snap at him that he didn't have the ability to decide that when a paper flashed across her memory.
Name: Alexander Karev
Age: 7
Ailment: Two broken ribs and serious bruising along torso and arms. Allegedly fell down stairs. Bruises on arms resemble hand prints and person to admit the child (father, Lucas Karev) appears to be intoxicated. Abuse is suspected.
Note: Third visit this month. Child Protective Services contacted.
She squeezed her eyes shut to banish the vision, opening them again and placing a motherly hand on his arm. “You can't try to fix what he did by endangering yourself.”
Alex caught the protective hiss behind the 'he' and nodded, lowering his gaze to the hands in his lap. “You read my file.”
Bailey shrugged a shoulder. “Had to check for a history of concussions. You were-”
“-Unconscious and unresponsive for two minutes, I know.”
Bailey sharpened her look, hitting Alex's arm where she'd had it resting. “Don't get smart with me, boy. You know procedure.”
Bailey didn't need to say it for Alex to hear the, “You've known it for years.”
“Your head hurt?”
“I'll be fine.”
Bailey clenched her jaw, staring at Alex and resisting the urge to slap him again. “You're coming in first thing tomorrow morning for tests.”
“I'm-”
“You're lucky we're not keeping you for observation.”
Alex didn't reply, that being enough to tell Bailey that he'd be there. Neither spoke again, deciding instead to watch the surgery below. It was just how they were, an unspoken understanding that what he had done was stupid and dangerous, but that, even if she understood only vaguely, she understood why.
And for now, that was enough.
He'd just better never do it again.
The End
Characters: Bailey, Alex
Word Count: 470
Rating: PG-13
Status: Complete
Summary: A continuation of the scene between Bailey and Alex in episode 4.02, Love/Addiction. It just had to be done.
PLEASE REVIEW!
Seattle Grace Hospital
Alex sat in the gallery, his eyes staring hard at the wall while Bailey yelled at him. He heard every word, heard everything she said to him about getting in the face of a drug dealer and asking if he was stupid. Who knew? Maybe he was. As her rant finally ended, Alex thanked her, no emotion in his voice.
“No,” Bailey let out a shuddering breath, “thank you.”
Subconsciously, Alex began to bite the inside of his cheek, scenes from earlier that day repeating in his head followed sharply by memories from years ago. He'd done it again. He just never learned, did he?
Bailey sighed. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“The kid deserves better,” Alex said, mentally fighting to keep his voice hard as memories began to play across his mind. He could almost see them playing out on the glass across from him. A teenager fighting, a child screaming, fathers taking everything they'd been given for granted. “Nothing gives you an excuse to risk your kid's life.”
Bailey turned to Alex again, about to snap at him that he didn't have the ability to decide that when a paper flashed across her memory.
Name: Alexander Karev
Age: 7
Ailment: Two broken ribs and serious bruising along torso and arms. Allegedly fell down stairs. Bruises on arms resemble hand prints and person to admit the child (father, Lucas Karev) appears to be intoxicated. Abuse is suspected.
Note: Third visit this month. Child Protective Services contacted.
She squeezed her eyes shut to banish the vision, opening them again and placing a motherly hand on his arm. “You can't try to fix what he did by endangering yourself.”
Alex caught the protective hiss behind the 'he' and nodded, lowering his gaze to the hands in his lap. “You read my file.”
Bailey shrugged a shoulder. “Had to check for a history of concussions. You were-”
“-Unconscious and unresponsive for two minutes, I know.”
Bailey sharpened her look, hitting Alex's arm where she'd had it resting. “Don't get smart with me, boy. You know procedure.”
Bailey didn't need to say it for Alex to hear the, “You've known it for years.”
“Your head hurt?”
“I'll be fine.”
Bailey clenched her jaw, staring at Alex and resisting the urge to slap him again. “You're coming in first thing tomorrow morning for tests.”
“I'm-”
“You're lucky we're not keeping you for observation.”
Alex didn't reply, that being enough to tell Bailey that he'd be there. Neither spoke again, deciding instead to watch the surgery below. It was just how they were, an unspoken understanding that what he had done was stupid and dangerous, but that, even if she understood only vaguely, she understood why.
And for now, that was enough.
He'd just better never do it again.
The End