Chapter 11: I Thought I Could

Mark's eyes flickered between the lawyer and Callie as he waited for some sort of explanation from either of them, before his eyes finally settled on Callie – who had this guilty look on her face. Mark narrowed his eyes as he sat forward at the edge of his seat. "Despite the fact that your bones healed perfectly," Callie started and Mark could easily see how she avoided his gaze and tried to focus on the woman sitting beside him, "Your tendons have weakened due to multiple surgeries." Callie explained, "That reduces your chances of walking again to…sixty percent."

"What?!" Mark bellowed, pushing the seat back into the wall from the force of his motion as he shot up to his feet. "Why the hell are we only learning this now, Calliope Torres?!" Mark demanded as he glared at her through cold eyes. He couldn't believe it – his best friend. Callie Torres is his best friend – they've been there for each other through the better and the worst. When she was in a coma, he wouldn't leave her side or at least, he was there for her. And she was there for him…but right, he couldn't look at her as his friend.

"Doctor Sloan, I need you to calm down." The lawyer said briefly, still seated.

Mark turned to her furiously, "Shut the hell up!" He growled and turned back to Callie, "What the hell happened to the oath you took, doctor?" Mark barked bitterly, and he almost regretted the flinch he saw run through Callie's body, almost being the key word.

"Mark," Arizona started as she stood up and touched his arm, "Mark!" She called out again and forced him to look at her, "This is no way to deal with this." Arizona rationed calmly, but he could see how hesitant he was about his words.

Mark lowered his voice into a threatening tone, "Don't you dare defend her, Robbins. I-"

"I am not defending her." Arizona shook her head quickly, this time, her voice was more confident. She turned to look down at Callie, "I don't believe she didn't even tell me or you about this." Arizona muttered through her teeth, but she turned back to Mark and lifted a perfectly delicate, blonde brow, "But this is no way to deal with this." Arizona whispered, her eyes widening momentarily as she gestured her head down, and Mark stared at her for a brief moment before he realized what, or who, she was talking about.

Mark's eyes drifted downwards, looking for the top of Lexie's head – except she wasn't beside him. When Mark looked back, he saw Meredith had wheeled her back and was kneeling down in front of her, talking to her. Mark frowned for a moment, his eyes found Meredith's as he almost stepped forward- but she lifted her hand and shook her head. Mark frowned and hesitated, before he looked up again, his eyes found Derek's and Derek nodded slowly. Mark sighed, deciding it would be better if he listened to Derek, and slowly sat down. Arizona did the same. The only sound that broke the deadly silence of the room was Cristina, as she shifted in her seat and looked at the lawyer, "I think this meeting's pretty much over. You can show yourself the way to the door."

Mark's eyes drifted back to the lawyer who opened her mouth to protest, before she looked at him and swallowed thickly before she started collecting her papers and stood up.

"The meeting's not over."

Everyone turned back to look at Lexie who stared directly at the lawyer, before she glanced at Meredith and tilted her head towards the table. Meredith took a hesitant breath but eventually caved and pushed Lexie towards the table again. Lexie leaned forward and looked down at the table for a minute. The lawyer remained quiet momentarily, before she sat down again. Lexie looked up at her again, "So how do my chances of walking affect this case?" Lexie asked, her voice so remote that everyone stared at her for a brief moment before they turned back to the lawyer, urging her to answer the question.

"Well," The lawyer started and cleared her throat once, "You are the only one with injuries that still very much have an effect on your personal and professional life."

"That's true." Lexie answered clearly before anyone could.

"And you're missing out on many opportunities as we speak, because of your…condition." The lawyer continued and Lexie looked down before she nodded slowly. The lawyer simple wrote that down, "And your personal life? Your life…is a challenge now, with the effects of your injuries?"

"I think this has become a private interrogation session." Derek interrupted, "If we are to raise a lawsuit, then all of us must have a take on this." He said and glanced sideways at Lexie.

"Of course, of course, but right now, Doctor Grey's case is the strongest exhibit we have now." The lawyer explained.

"We're not having a lawsuit." Lexie started as she looked at the lawyer.

She stared at her in disbelief, "But Doctor Grey, your-"

"My injuries are imposing a challenge to my professional and personal life. My injuries put me in a wheelchair with a forty percent chance of never getting out of it-"

"And a fifty-five percent chance you may use crutches for the rest of your life if the physical therapy manages to get you up on your feet." The lawyer interrupted, reciting from the paper she held in her hand. Lexie immediately clamped her mouth shut for a moment. Mark and Arizona turned to Callie again, but Callie was staring down at her own hands. The lawyer started again, "These statistics are very valuable to us. If we raise a lawsuit and win, this could change your life. If there is a possibility of regaining your ability to walk through surgery, the win of the lawsuit could cover all the expenses. We-"

"You!" Lexie snapped as she slammed her hand down on the table, and everyone was taken aback by the outburst of the younger Grey, even Mark. "You are the only one who may gain from this." Lexie whispered through her teeth before she let her shoulders relax momentarily, "No more surgeries. No more talk about the lawsuit. No more you. You are vile and voracious and cold and egotistical. You need to get out of here." Lexie muttered as she glanced sideways, her eyes meeting Derek's, Meredith's, Cristina's, Arizona's, then Mark's before she shook her head. "If we were to raise a lawsuit, you will need a unanimous vote, right?" Lexie muttered as she looked back at the lawyer, who nodded slowly – apparently still in trance.

"Count me out." Lexie spoke out very clearly and very sharply, her tone ending the discussing as her hand fell on the controls of her wheelchair, the controls she refused to use because she had once hoped to get out of the wheelchair – but now that she knows there are chances she may never get to do that, she decided she better start to get used to it now. And so she moved her wheelchair to the door, opened it, and left the room. It was easy to use, just like using an RC toy – so Lexie didn't manage to screw up her dramatic exit.

"My advice is that you try to talk some sense into her. This lawsuit is very good shot for all of you." The lawyer spoke once Lexie's wheelchair had sounded away into the long hallway. Cristina turned to her with a frown on her face, "I will call another meeting in a week." She said.

Cristina stood up, "Good. We need to think. So….like, leave." Cristina lifted her brows as she ushered her out of the room. The lawyer stood up and left the room – and hell broke loose again. But this time, it wasn't Mark yelling, it was Meredith.

"Did you see what you've done!?" Meredith exclaimed as she stood up. Derek placed his hand over her shoulder, but she shook it off as she trudged around the table towards Callie. Mark was still seated, confused as he watched the eldest Grey loose her grip. Shadow Shepherd excused himself and scurried out of the room, and Teddy followed his lead.

Bailey, on the other hand, put herself between the furious Grey and Torres, "Calm down, Grey, before you do something you'll regret."

Meredith's eyes drifted down to Bailey, the anger in them only quenched by the respect she had for the woman before she looked up again, and then turned her glare to Mark, "What the hell are you still doing here? Go find her."

Mark froze beneath her glare before he took a deep breath and nodded once as he scrambled out of the seat. Before he left, he turned back to Derek, "Your wife better not beat up my best friend." He muttered through his teeth, and stormed out of the room. Despite the fact that he was beyond furious and hurt by his friend, he still cared – and that was why Mark Sloan was, is kind of an idiot.

Mark took the stairs, as he figured it'd be faster, and ran across the reception like a madman. However, he stopped running when he neared the main entrance, and saw Lexie standing by the coffee stand to get herself another coffee. She looked up at Mark, pursed her lips for a minute before she nodded once and looked down. Mark slowed himself into a walk and hesitantly placed his hands over the handles of the wheelchair, before he pushed her back up to her room to after picking up the kids from daycare. They grabbed their things and exited the hospital. They headed home for the first time in two months.

Mark eased Lexie into the car gently after putting the three kids in the car. The drive home was silent as they got lost in thought. The only sound was from the two babbling boys in the back who both fell asleep soon after the car started. Lexie carried in one of the boys in her good arm while Mark carried the other. Mark and Lexie decided to use the spare bedroom on the main floor so Mark didn’t have to carry Lexie back and forth up and down the steps.

Lexie wheeled herself away into their room while Mark put the kids to bed. Mark started after her, but Lexie glanced over her shoulder, "I need a minute, Mark." She muttered, and he hesitated before he sighed and stepped back. He watched as she was in the room, and turned to swing the door shut, her eyes barely meeting his. Mark flinched when he heard the lock click, before he sighed and sat down on the couch, covering his face with his hands.

However, his peace was disrupted when he heard a loud crash coming from the bedroom and he shot up to his feet. Mark walked up to the door and knocked loudly, his hand reaching for the knob before he cursed under his breath when he remembered that she locked it. "Lexie?!" He called loudly and banged his fist against the door again, "Lexie?! Can you hear me? Are you okay?!" When he got no answer, he sucked in a sharp breath as his heart hammered against his chest, "I'm breaking the door!" He warned once before he took a few steps, and angled his shoulder forward then charged at the door.

The lock came off after the third charge, and his eyes dropped to the ground to Lexie's body lying there, face down. Mark's eyes widened as he immediately knelt down and sat her upright into his arms, frowning as his eyes met hers, and she was…awake. She was conscious. There was a small gash on her forehead, dripping blood on face – but it didn't look deep. Mark examined it gently, "Does it hurt?" He asked, before he looked down at her face again. And she was holding back laughter. "Lexie?"

And then she laughed, and she kept laughed until she was blue before she sucked in a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Lexie gasped and shook her head, "It…hurts.." She whispered once through her endless laughter, before she looked up at Mark, "I tried to stand up!" Lexie exclaimed, "I thought I could balance myself on my hands." She explained as she reached with her good hand to touch the dresser, "I was stupid..I put all of my weight on my left hand. Can you believe it?" She mused and shook her head, like she was telling a funny story, before her laughter got louder.

Mark stared at her for a long, silent moment, before her laughter died away and she pursed her lips, "It's not funny." Lexie muttered and shrugged once, "That's okay. It's okay." Lexie shook her head, "Don't look so concerned. I'm not going crazy. I'm dealing…with the news I just got." She explained briefly and sighed heavily, "I know that because I aced my psych clerkship. But you know that."

Mark sighed, "You are unbelievable, Lexie Grey." He mumbled as he got up and held her close in his arms, inhaling her scent once before he walked towards the bed and set her down at its edge. He walked back to the kitchen and grabbed a kitchen cloth to wet it with warm water, before he jogged back to the room and beside Lexie to touch her forehead and wipe away the blood, before he pressed the dry part of the cloth against the gash, "Hold this while I call someone at the hospital to get me some stuff to fix that." Mark instructed and Lexie nodded with a brief smile before she grabbed the cloth and held it there.

Mark walked out of the room, keeping Lexie in his line of sight as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Arizona's number. He waited until she finally picked up, "Mark, hey, is Lexie okay?" She immediately asked, and Mark felt momentarily grateful for the blonde's concern.

"Actually, that's why I'm calling." Mark answered, "She's fine. I think. But she kind of tried to stand up and apparently, fell and hit her head against the dresser. So can you just find me some saline, a 6-0 Nylon suture, a 5-0 suture needle and…just get me the whole kit, alright?" He sighed briefly as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, of course! I'll send it with an intern in a few." Arizona nodded once, "Are you sure she's okay, Mark?"

Mark stared at her briefly as she peeked down at the cloth and scrunched up her face before placing the cloth against her forehead, "I am not." He sighed into the phone, "But I'll make sure. Don't worry. Be quick, Robbins. I don't want a simple gash to get infected. The last thing she needs is to be put under anesthesia again so I can debride that laceration."

"On my way to the ER now. I'll be quick." Arizona hung up and Mark sighed as he put his phone down before he turned back to Lexie, "Hey Lex, you want to have some pizza?"

Lexie looked up at him and pursed her lips in thought, "I want extra cheese topping." She smiled at him and Mark shook his head at her once, smiling briefly as he again dialed a number on his phone, this time ordering pizza.

Once he was done with the order, he heard a knock on the door. Mark lifted a brow as he trudged towards the door and opened, only to be met by a tiny intern, staring up at him with wide eyes as she held out the supplies to him. Mark scrunched up his face as he took the things from her, "What's your name?" He demanded.

"Brooks. Heather Brooks." She stammered, and Mark rolled his eyes.

"Advice for the future, Brooks. Don't show your boss that you're scared – or trust me, you won't be seeing the inside of an OR for a very long time." Mark warned, before he nodded her off and watched her scurry away. Mark sighed as he shut the door, "This is why I don't work with interns." He muttered to himself before he walked back towards the bedroom and laid the tools Arizona sent on the bed before he looked up at Lexie, "Hold still." He instructed as he removed the cloth and put on the gloves, and then picked up the syringe to uncap it, and push the tip of the needle into the gash so he could push the anesthetic into the laceration. He heard her gasp silently and scowled, "It won't hurt now."

"I know, Mark. I'm a doctor too." Lexie rolled her eyes once before she pursed her lips, "At least, I used to be." She finished, and Mark hesitated as he soaked the saline into the small swab before shaking his head to dab it gently against the gash to sanitize it. Mark tilted her head sideways gently, checking for any skin that needed to be debrided – but there was none, so he proceeded to pick and extract the suture from its pack, holding it carefully with the needle-holder, maneuvering within his fingers with ease as he tugged the suture needle through the skin carefully, following a technique he knew would barely leave a scar at all. Because Mark Sloan knew that – he was one of the best at his field.

Once he was done, he wrapped it all in the medical waste bag Arizona also provided and sealed it tightly, setting it aside – reminding himself to take it to the ER on their way to the session tomorrow. Mark smiled at Lexie, "There, as good as new." He concluded as he eyed his work, "Am I great or what?" He gloated briefly, and watched as she laughed, before he leaned forward to peck her lips. Lexie looked up at him for a moment, "I thought I could do it." She started.

Mark sighed and took a deep breath, "Lex, you know as well as I do that Jared said no stress exactly because of this. You can't just decide to-"

"No, Mark." Lexie interrupted before she spoke again, "I thought I could do it." She said, emphasizing every word leaving her lips. Mark stared at her for a moment, not really knowing what to say.

He saw her eyes well up and immediately put his arms around her as she sniffled. "Hey, hey…" He sighed as he cradled her head against his shoulder and rubbed her back gently, "Shh…it's going to be okay, Lexie. It's going to be okay."

“I think we should go to sleep.” Lexie sniffled.

“Okay.” Mark helped her lay down and she laid there staring at the ceiling for a while. She thought for a while about everything she was just told. Finally, she closed her eyes. Lexie groaned when she turned her alarm the next morning. She knew she would have to go back to the hospital in a couple hours and try and defy the odds she was given last night. She really didn’t want to but Mark got her up and helped her take a bath before she got dressed and Mark put her in her wheelchair. Mark went up to get the boys as Lexie wheeled herself into the kitchen and sighed. All she wanted was to hold her boys again. They were almost six months old now. They were going to start crawling soon and cutting teeth. All Lexie wanted to do was help and that was exactly what she couldn’t do.

Mark and Lexie headed to the hospital and dropped the kids off at daycare. They went up to physical therapy where they spent a few hours. Lexie really wasn’t having it so they ended up cutting the session short. Mark and Lexie left and went to grab a cup of coffee where they found Izzie standing.

“Hey,” The blonde greeted with a smile. “So you got discharged?”

“Last night.” Lexie smiled. “I’m really happy I’m back at home.”

“So, how’s physical therapy going?”

“It’s going. I guess.” Lexie sighed and her face dropped.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Lexie sighed grabbing her coffee in her right hand. “We have to go get the kids.”

“Oh, okay.” Izzie frowned. “I’ll see you later.”

“Mark?” Lexie said later at home. They had already put the kids to bed and gotten in bed themselves. “What am I going to do if I can’t walk again?”

“Lexie,” Mark sighed. “you can’t think like that.”

“You heard Callie yesterday.” Lexie defended.

“Yes, I did.” Mark stated. “You will never walk again if you don’t stop thinking like that. You will walk again.” Mark emphasized every word as he got up and turned off the light. He came back and laid in the bed. It took Lexie a while before she slept. She knew it was going to be a long war.

Mark stared down at Lexie, sighing once as his eyes flickered to the alarm clock on the nightstand. Anytime now, it'd ring. Mark figured he really didn't need to sleep now that it was minutes away from having to be awake. Mark tilted his head against the headboard and sighed briefly as he pursed his lips, wandering again into his thoughts, considering again the matter of the lawsuit. He hated that they had to meet behind Lexie's back. Derek wanted the lawsuit, so did Arizona – and Mark too was convinced that raising a lawsuit was the best option. Meredith and Cristina were the ones who took Lexie's side of the situation.

He could understand why Cristina too would not want to think of the crash – he could easily remember the time she spent staring at the wall like was an open-heart surgery. However, what he couldn't understand why Meredith didn't want it. Mark, personally speaking, wanted closure. He wanted to put it behind him, and even when a settlement would do that, there will somehow still be a part of him that will always be reminded of that crash. He desperately wanted to believe that the lawsuit might put an end to that. Put an end to his and Lexie's torment. To everyone else's. It was not a simple matter. Nothing had been simple in his life since he moved to Seattle.

The alarm snapped him out of his epiphany, and Mark blinked once as he glanced around, before his eyes fell back on Lexie's sleeping form as he felt her stir and hum slowly. He watched with a small smile as she reached with her left hand to stop the alarm then flutter her eyes open, before she propped herself onto her right elbow to turn to Mark. Her hand, her left hand, fell to caress his cheek gently. Mark leaned into her touch, and Lexie smiled at him sleepily, "I get my arm back today, Mark." Lexie whispered, and Mark placed his hand over hers to hold it within his hold, tilting his lips into the palm of her hand so he could place a small kiss there, and exhale briefly, before he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.