#satanisaddizen

@answerstosatan @satanisaddizen

In the wake of his marriage nearly crumbling to dust, Alex knew something needed to change. Years were shed off his rugged good looks the second it finally clicked. The topic had been on the table for some time, but the sheer enormity of the challenge intimidated the ped’s surgen, if he was being honest with himself. His wife was more than capable, of this he was sure. She had the experience and the sufficient knowledge and professionalism he lacked. 

The stress had been eating away at them for months. The amount of fights they had shared was just insane. It was just getting bad and he knew it. It was either about money or time or purpose. Their schedules were constantly clashing. Alex simply missed working with Addison and following a case with her. They had always operated seamlessly together every step of the way, and over the last few years their connection had only seemed to have grown. 

Sometimes all it took was one look across the room, mouth masked, and he knew what she was thinking. A nod, a subtle twitch. They were magic together. 

But they couldn’t be magic together when they weren’t at their best and lately Addison and Alex had been far from their very best. Instead of tearing into each other all the time and bringing their score to what he decided couldn’t be any greater than a five, they needed to go back to being a ten. As surgeons. As partners. As parents. 

When he arrived home at close to nine, it was to the sight of Addison and Gabriel curled up on the couch in front of the TV. “Hey Dad.” Gabriel greeted right away, the light of the screen reflecting his pale face. “We were just about to watch a movie, you wanna join?” Gabriel knew things between his parents had been tense lately, and Alex knew he knew it too. “Um...” Alex hesitated, running his hand over his face. He was tired and had been hoping to talk to Addison, but that damn son of his looked so hopeful. He shared a quiet glance with his wife before replying. “What movie?” Then he shook his head. It didn’t matter. “Can I have a shower first? I smell like surgery. Just start it without me and I’ll join.”

@answerstosatan @satanisaddizen

Dear Holly,

Alex groaned from where he lay on a bed in the SGMW burn unit. It had been a long few hours since the fire, and if the pain wasn't keeping him awake, the ped's surgeon would probably be passed out right now from exhaustion. His right torso, arm and shoulder was gently swaddled with gauze bandages, protecting his raw wounds from the outside until further inspection and debridement could be undergone. Already he'd been moved more than was considered normal for adequate healing, but Addison (and Alex) had wanted the best treatment. As it was, the best burn unit this side of Washington was currently governed by none other than their very own Mark Sloan.

So far he was loaded up with antibiotics and morphine, but the analgesic's soothing effects were starting to wear off. He was still sluggish and drowsy, his stomach upset, but the pain was an ever lingering reminder that needed to be addressed. Already, he was dreading what he knew was to come. The nausea mixed with the feeling of his skin being stabbed by a million knives was not a pleasant mixture. "I think I'm gonna be sick." He complained to his wife who had dutifully stayed by his side for the past hour and a half, clutching a mask to her face.

Running through the halls, Alex paid no attention to anything around him. He wasn't even expecting for anyone else to be up her, aside from the obvious: a kid on the run and Dr. Lawson. "Chad?" He said while opening doors and ducking his head into the room before quickly moving ahead. A kid could be anywhere in the hospital. He'd learned that the hard way on multiple occasions. Sometimes Alex had spent hours trying to hunt down a kid who'd simply found him or herself spooked by medical talk or other sights, sounds, and smells in a hospital.

There was definitely a lot to be frightened of in Seattle Grace Mercy West right now.

If the general chaos and confusion of frantically running nurses hasn't done the trick, a whisper of the word 'fire' or even the slightest breath of an explosion could have sent Chad into a fear-induced panic. Now it was dark with blaring sirens and flashing lights. Enough to make a child faint. All it took was a single second for a kid to slip under the radar, and then there were about a million places could be. Cupboards, closets, under spare gurneys or beds, behind curtains and nursing stations. Alex definitely had his money cut out for him, but time was not in his favor this time.

Already the smoke was heavy, wafting up from the third floor. If he pressed his hand to the tiled floor, it would be dangerously warm. He was near the end of the ped's half of the fourth floor and approaching OBGYN. If Chad wasn't here, he was going to have to submit himself to the thought that he had somehow found himself downstairs. But that was a thought that could wait until he was absolutely certain.

(Obviously set during med school)

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The fact that she had spent most of her childhood in wealthy quarters and embassies had immunized her to amazement caused by architectural extravagance and oversized properties. Her analytical mind couldn’t help, but wonder how long it had taken Alex to convince himself that his own home wasn’t mocking his modest upbringing. Those were all superficial thoughts, but her experience had taught her that most beings spent their entire life fighting insecurities that found their roots in the most superficial surfaces. They would all argue that their insecurities grew deep inside their soul, but in reality they were wrong. Their insecurities’ roots might run deep, but insecurities usually resided in matters of appearance, not just physical appearance, but also appearance in the sense of perceptions.

 Alex opened the front door and she entered unceremoniously, they weren’t the most demonstrative pair. He told her that Addison was in the nursery and she promised him that she would keep a close eye on her. After a long pause he left not without difficulty. She dropped her bag on a free chair and went to the nursery to announce her presence. Just like Alex had predicted she found Addison there, most would have made the mistake to say that she was just there and doing nothing, but Florence knew that for Addison being there was everything. Trying to avoid a situation where the red head would feel like she was being observed or analysed, Florence made her presence known immediately. “Hey, I’m sure my presence is being imposed on you, but Alex thought someone shuld be in the house with you.” She shrugged and didn’t let Addison respond. “I have not eaten, if you don’t mind, I’ll go use the microwave.” This time she politely waited for a sign that Addison was giving her permission to use her kitchen appliance.

 She went back to the kitchen and put the homemade soup in the microwave, when the machine beeped she took two bowls and poured the hot liquid into them. She took the tv dinner type table she had found in what she assumed to be Alex’s playroom, put a bowl on a platter with a glass of water and brought everything to the nursery. Without explaining what she was doing, she installed the table close to Addison and put the platter on it. “There was enough for two.” She said without emphasis or underlining meaning. She did make a short pause, to try to make Addison understand that she wasn’t being avoided and then she went back to the kitchen to eat the content of her own bowl.