Chapter Thirty-One

"Derek Shepherd ... multiple hand fractures with a median nerve injury. Arizona Robbins ... open femur fracture with resultant above-knee amputation. Lexie Grey ... deceased. Mark Sloan ... deceased." I sat next to Derek in the conference room as the hospital's lawyer spoke with all of us about the lawsuit that they were taking against the airline. Callie, Hunt, and I were all present, her on Arizona's behalf, he on Cristina's, and me on Mark's. I wasn't sure why they had asked me to step in for Mark, but I had. Not wanting the loss of his life to go overlooked by anyone. "This doesn't include extreme..."

I stopped paying attention as our lawyer began to speak with the airline's lawyer, both of them trying to get the other to see their point.

"-wish for me to extend their deepest condolences." The airline's lawyer apologized for our losses for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"How is ... how is the investigation going?" Derek asked, cutting the man off.

"Have they found what caused the crash?" Meredith added, sitting up in her chair a little straighter.

"The investigation could take years. That's why we want to help you put this tragedy behind you." The man tried to tell us.

"I think you mean, your clients would like to put it behind them." Our lawyer disagreed.

"So I am authorized at this time to propose a onetime settlement. Bayview aeronautics takes your loss seriously." The man handed me a paper that was folded in half. I glanced down at the number but quickly passed it on to Derek. I didn't care about the money, there was no amount that would make up for Mark's death. "Now the settlement agreement must be unanimous, and it releases Bayview aeronautics from any and all other claims, known or unknown, but ... most important, it will allow you to put this painful time behind you and move on with your lives. We would like an answer within the next three days though."

"We'll think about it." Our lawyer assured him after everyone had seen the offer. I just shook my head though as the meeting was wrapped up and we all got up to leave. I walked down the hospital hallway with my swollen stomach sticking out in front of me.

No amount of money would be enough.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey, Alex ... Why did an intern just give me a compliment on the crown moldings in my empty house?" Meredith asked Karev as she walked into the attendings' lounge as I sat on the couch, looking over the charts for one of my patients. "Are you still sleeping there?"

"Chicks like it better than the on-call room." Karen shrugged as he ate his cereal.

"Okay, that's disgusting. Now I have to have the place tented." Meredith frowned as she held out her hand. "Give me back my key."

"You don't even live there anymore." Karev pointed out ."What do you care?"

"Key. Please." She left no room for questions as the door opened again to reveal a young red haired woman rolling in a suitcase, a large smile on her face.

"Hey, you guys." She greeted everyone as she sat her suitcase next to the couch I was on. "Can you believe we're in the attendings' lounge?"

"April, what are you doing here?" Meredith questioned the woman.

"Oh, uh, Hunt came and got me on the farm in Moline. I was giving the pigs their breakfast, and I turn around, and there's Dr. Hunt, offering me my job back." The woman, April, smiled brightly as she explained it to everyone. "He didn't tell you guys?"

"Did anyone else see Dr. Hunt in the barnyard?" Meredith asked her.

"When he appeared unto you, was he glowing at all?" Karev smirked as the door opened yet again, this time Avery came walking in with what looking like vomit on his scrub top. It took him a minute to notice April there, but when he did his eyes seemed to double in size.

"April?" He looked at her in disbelief.

"Hunt hired her back." Meredith informed him. "We think."

"It might have been Jesus." Karev added.

"I thought you went to Tulane." April seemed just as surprised to see Avery.

"Uh, yeah. No, I-I-I changed my mind." I couldn't help but notice how Avery glanced past April and at me as he said this. I tried my best to pretend as though I hadn't though as I tried to return my attention back to my charts.

"Hey, you people are attendings." Miranda's outburst made me look up again to see that Avery had taken off his scrub top and was changing it for a clean one. "You do not change clothes in front of everyone like animals or interns, because nobody wants to see all that."

"Apparently Kepner does." Karev chuckled.

"What? N-no, I d ... I don't." April stuttered. "I-I wasn't e ... I ..."

"Gotta go." Meredith said as she picked up some papers from the table.

"Me too. Welcome back." Karev told April as he abandoned his cereal and headed out of the lounge. I gathered my own things and got up to leave, but paused in the doorway.

"Welcome back April." I told her.

"Who are you?" Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Brianna Howards." I introduced myself and I could see something in her just click.

"I didn't realize you worked here now." She said, glancing down at my six month pregnant stomach.

"For a few weeks." I nodded. "I need to go and check up on a patient, but maybe we can speak later?"

"Sure." She just nodded as I hurried out of the room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I got your text." Karev asked as he joined Callie and I in the ER as we pulled on trauma gowns to go out and meet the ambulance, our interns at our sides. "What do we got?"

"Sixteen-year-old kid, fished her out of the sound, sailing accident." Callie informed him as Wilson reached around him to grab a gown for herself.

"You mind?" Karev frowned at her.

"Sorry." She apologized as we all headed outside with our gowns and gloves on.

"Why are you following me?" Karev asked her when he noticed her coming out too.

"I'm your intern for the day." She informed him.

"Oh. Well, hello, intern." Karev said. "You have a name?"

"Jo Wilson." I answered for her. "How is it that I know your intern's name, but you don't?"

"I don't pay attention." He shrugged before returning his attention to Wilson. "Oh, nice. I like chicks with boys names."

"Karev." Callie warned him

"What?" Karev shrugged. "I do. It's hot."

"Stop sleeping with your coworkers. It ruins them." Callie told him.

"I slept with you." He reminded her.

"And now I no longer sleep with men." She pointed out as the ambulance came up and we all hurried out and helped the paramedics get the girl out on the stretcher. We rolled her inside and transferred her onto one of the beds.