Light ► JACKSON AVERY

chapter one

"ROOM 205, CODE BLUE!" appeared on Layne Sung's pager, hanging from her light green scrub pants. The moment that she read the message, she broke out into a sprint. She easily swerved around other medical professionals, not wanting to bump into anybody. In a split second, she pushed open the door to the stairs - not having the time to take the elevator. She knew that she would regret this later on in the day, but she didn't have the time. Her patient didn't have the time. Forgetting about her own troubles, she almost flew over the steps with how fast she was going. Once she landed on the floor of her patient, she pushed her body even harder. However, at the end, it didn't really matter. She was already too late. The moment that she entered the room, the resident in charge called out the time of death.

"Time of death, 09:45."

Layne went with her hands through her hair as she walked closer. The code team started clearing out, taking the carts of appliances with them. She let out a sigh as she took in the body. The patient, Mr. Silvester, had been in and out of the hospital for the last couple of years. She had been with him from the very beginning. Now, she would no longer be able to hear adorable and heartwarming stories about his children and grandchildren. An odd feeling settled in her stomach.

"What happened? I thought that he was doing well after his last surgery." Layne had visited him once he had gotten back from the recovery room. He had seemed to be doing well. Mr. Silvester had greeted her with a big smile, like always. He had went on to tell her that her kind words had helped him make it through the surgery. His children had received a call from him, letting them know that he was going to be just fine. After years of scares, he finally had certainty that he would be able to live a few more years with them. However, then a couple of hours later, things had apparently taken a turn for the worst, while Layne had been with another patient a couple of floors down.

Meredith Grey, who was standing on her left, looked at her, "His heart had become too weak after the last surgery and couldn't handle the pressure anymore. While I was checking his vitals, he started flatlining," Layne had her hand over her right knee as she tried to control her breathing after pushing her body so hard. "Are you okay? I know that he's been you're patient for 5 years now. Must be hard to lose someone you've been looking after for so long."

"I'm fine, thank you. Just a little bit out of breath. I'm really going to miss this guy. He was one of the nice ones. He never once complained throughout his whole journey. He always saw life on the bright side. Also, his eldest daughter bringing us cookies was an added bonus." Layne said, putting on a smile as she left the room with Meredith behind her. She tried to keep the conversation light and positive. Once they were outside, she took the chart, which Meredith held out for her.

"Do you want me to call the family?"

"I'll do it. It's not a problem, Meredith. Me calling might make it a little easier for them, since I've known them for almost 5 years now. Losing their father will already be enough for today."