Chapter 3

The past few days had left Derek consumed with worry. After Lucas's disappearance from Mercy West, he and Deb tirelessly searched the surrounding areas, convinced that someone who had suffered such severe injuries would not be able to move far. Dr. Kepner had informed them that Lucas's stitches were still healing and that he had mild internal bleeding, indicating that he might still be in close proximity. Determined, they spent the entire night scouring the vicinity, refusing to give up. But as the clock struck 2:00 am, exhaustion and disappointment forced them to reluctantly abandon their search. Debra promised Derek that she would continue the effort and keep him updated if she discovered any leads.

As if Derek's worries weren't enough, Meredith had returned from her vacation, adding another layer of complexity to his already burdened state of mind. He couldn't decide whether or how to inform her about the existence of her half-brother. The internal struggle within him intensified as he contemplated whether it was even necessary to share this information with her.

And to top it all off, the departure of Dr. Burke, who had entrusted Derek with the difficult task of informing Cristina, Burke's now ex-fiancée, about his sudden absence, only added to the mounting problems stockpiling on his plate.

"What got you lost in thought?" Dr. Bailey inquired, grabbing some disposable gowns to prepare for the influx of patients. It had been just a few minutes since Dr. Webber announced multiple Motor Vehicle Collisions (M.V.C.) being brought to the hospital.

Derek, evading the question, replied, "Just a lot on my mind, it seems."

Joining the conversation, Dr. Webber interjected, "I hope you're ready to handle what's coming. We'll need all hands on deck for the incoming patients."

Derek reassured them, "Don't worry, I'm prepared." He decided to set aside his personal problems for the time being, knowing that the immediate priority was providing the necessary medical care to those in need.

Soon, the Emergency Room of Seattle Grace Hospital buzzed with urgency as multiple individuals were swiftly brought in. Among them were patients with specific injuries: one with a spinal injury, another with a severed arm while pregnant, one with a knee injury, and the last with a visible head injury.

Dr. Shepherd, after an awkward encounter with Meredith and Lexie was quite surprised to find out that Lexie was yet another sibling of Meredith but decided not to think about it too much for the time being since he was called upon to consult on two of the M.V.C. patients. He wasted no time in attending to the patient with a spinal injury, carefully examining the X-rays taken by Dr. Yang.

As he studied the images, a solemn expression washed over Derek's face. "The back of his skull is completely disconnected from his first cervical vertebrae," he stated, his voice filled with seriousness.

Dr. Yang, her voice tinged with disbelief, added, "He's been internally decapitated. Holy crap."

Derek nodded, confirming the gravity of the situation. "Indeed. 90% of these die in the field"

Curiosity mixed with concern, Lexie questioned, "And what about the remaining 10%?"

"I've never personally witnessed a survivor," Derek responded, his tone conveying the rarity of such cases.

Lexie's voice carried a glimmer of hope. "But there's always a first time, right?"

Aware of the immense challenges ahead, Derek shared his treatment plan with the patient, explaining the necessary steps for recovery and the tough operation ahead. He also instructed Cristina to contact the patient's family, recognizing the importance of their support during this critical time. With a sense of purpose, he swiftly moved on to his next consultation.

"What do we have here?" Derek inquired, his eyes scanning the patient's chart as Dr. Stevens, the resident in charge, briefed him on the young male before them.

"Male, likely aged 12 to 15, presenting with a head injury and loss of consciousness," Dr. Stevens explained, passing Derek the patient's chart. "We also discovered some older injuries upon further examination. He has a healing black eye, and upon removing his shirt, we found stitches and evidence of broken bones, possibly sustained in the past few days. It's unclear whether he received any treatment for those injuries."

Derek's eyes widened with shock as he looked at the patient's face. "Lucas," he murmured under his breath.

Dr. Stevens, equally taken aback by Derek's reaction, asked, "You know this kid?"

Derek's expression became conflicted as he replied, "Not personally. But I know his name, Lucas Grey. Please arrange for a CT scan and MRI immediately. I want to ensure we assess any potential brain injuries and check for any lingering damage from his previous wounds."

"Okay," Dr. Stevens acknowledged, swiftly contacting the imaging department to prioritize Lucas for the necessary scans.

Derek soon left the room back with the same if not greater conflicted feeling he had earlier in the day.

One hour later. Meredith, Cristina, Alex, and Stevens could be found in the hospital's skills lab.

Meredith carefully attended to the severed arm, ensuring it was meticulously cleaned and ready for the upcoming reattachment procedure.

"Cool, severed arm," Stevens and Alex remarked simultaneously, eliciting a spirited response from Meredith. "My severed arm!" she exclaimed, her tone a playful blend of jest and seriousness. The operating room had always been a coveted space for the doctors, and any opportunity to be involved in a surgery as unique as reattaching a severed limb was undeniably intriguing to them all.

"You guys want to know something interesting?" Stevens interjected, taking a seat and observing Meredith's meticulous preparations.

"What?" Cristina asked, her attention momentarily diverted from her own upcoming surgery—an operation involving a patient who had experienced internal decapitation, a surgical rarity that fascinated her.

"Apparently, my patient's name is Lucas Grey," Stevens revealed.

Curiosity piqued, Alex chimed in, "Is he Meredith's relative or something?"

Meredith, still focused on her task, interjected with a hint of detachment, "I don't know any Lucas. In fact, I'm not familiar with anyone from the Grey side of my family. My mother and father never really introduced me to anyone". For a moment, Meredith paused and corrected herself, "Well there is that Molly girl and Lexie girl, I met".

Unraveling the puzzle, Stevens glanced at Meredith and continued, "I'm not sure if he's related to you, but Derek seems to know the kid's name. He didn't provide much explanation, so I looked him up online. That's how I learned about Lucas Grey."

Intrigued, Alex pressed for more information, while George entered the skills lab, receiving warm greetings from Cristina.

Steven began recounting the tragic story of Lucas Grey—a young boy who had endured a turbulent journey through the foster care system and narrowly escaped a harrowing incident when one of his foster parents attempted to harm him due to him discovering their drug addiction and prostitution problem.

The room fell into a contemplative silence, the weight of Lucas's story hanging in the air, leaving the doctors with a profound sense of empathy and pity for the young boy whose path had been marred by such adversity.