When you wake up, you never really think about what can happen in seventeen seconds let alone one second.  But so much can happen in even just a second that you don't have time to process it all.  Having the profession as a doctor allows you to live in the moment.  To not take life for granted because you never really know when it will be your last.  Or in my case of delivering babies - someone's first breath.  

-

Alison was meeting up with Anthony today as they thought it would be a good idea to meet before the prom.  That way it wouldn't be awkward when the dance is.  Alison decided to wear her favorite pair of white pants, a nice royal blue blouse where the sleeves went halfway and she wore her black booties.  She had decided to wear gold eyeshadow mixed with some matte browns to make her blue eyes pop and Alison wore her hair down in soft waves.  Before she left she spritzed on some of her favorite perfume.  It would also be the outfit she wore to work later on.

They would be meeting at a nice bistro in town that was also close to the hospital just in case she got called in for any emergencies before she actually went to work.  She didn't have to go in until later since there weren't any deliveries planned so far.

Alison had to admit that she liked the finer things in life.  Who didn't?  An overpriced salad though that was half the price of a store bought one?  It was ridiculous but Alison did it anyway.

"Anthony?" She asks quizzically unsure.

"Yes," he grins at her showing his pearly whites and she smiles back.  "Alison, right?"

"Yes.  It's nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice meeting you also," he says as he hugs her.  "I have to tell you I'm kind of surprised you agreed to this?" He said as they were led to their table.

"Addison told you?"

"Yeah," he lets out a laugh as they take their seats.  "It's okay.  She's been trying to set me up too with all of her friends."

"What made you say yes?"

"I liked hearing that you were good with kids.  I have a four year old son and I liked that you're a doctor.  What made you decide to say yes?"

"Really?  Most people when they hear that I'm a doctor they run mostly because I often times spend more time at the hospital than I do my own home.  I guess I chose yes half to shut Addison up finally and the other half I was curious about you.  What's your sons name?"

"Well, trust me, I know all about long hours in the office.  It sucks sometimes especially when it takes me away from time with my son but I just try and balance work and my personal life.  His name is Bentley."

"So how do you do it?  Balance your work life and personal life, I mean.  It must be hard..." Alison trailed off as they were then given their food that they had ordered.

"It's hard at first but it gets better once you get into the routine.  But enough about work - tell me about yourself."

When Alison was with Anthony she realized how easy it was being with him.  She felt as though she could be herself with him.  That there was a sense of carefree when they didn't talk about work or the struggles of it.  His wrinkles on the sides of his eyes more prominent as he smiled big making Alison smile as well.  They talked about each other's past.  How he was a single dad raising his four year old son.  How his girlfriend had left after giving birth to Bentley because she didn't want to be a mother.  She didn't feel she was good enough.  Alison told him of her struggles with dating in the past, hence her reservation for wanting to accept Addison's blind dates.  They both had their skeletons but felt it was easier to talk about it now instead of later.

*

"Addison?" Alison called out to her boss as she stared out into space.  "Addison!"

"Huh?  What?  Oh you're here," she let out a sigh of relief.  "Thank God.  I finally have some normalcy around me."

"Things have been that wild without me?" Alison teases.

"You have no idea," she groaned.  "Derek and Meredith aren't speaking to each other and Doctor Burke left to the other hospital to get the heart for his patient."

"Denny's getting a new heart?" Alison asked excited for Doctor Burke's patient.

"I guess.  Wait," Addison stopped talking for a minute still looking frazzled and a little dazed.  "That's what you get out of the two things I told you about?"

"No," she laughed and sat down across from her fellow doctor.  "Why are you so concerned about Derek and Meredith not talking?  Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Your his best friend," Addison came up with an idea.  "Maybe you can talk to him?  See what's going on..."

"No!  Absolutely not.  Out of the question, I refuse."

"Oh come on," Addison begged with pleading hands and giving her friend sad eyes.  "Can you please do me this one favor?"

*

"Hey Derek," Alison greeted her person with a smile on her face.

"Hey," he smiled back at her.  "What has you so happy today?  Did you say yes to Addison's friend?"

"Yes, I did," she nods her head.  "So you and Meredith..."

"Oh, I see what this is," he let out a sarcastic laugh.  "My wife put you up to this didn't she?  

"Come on, Derek," Alison says actually agreeing with Addison.  "You can't tell me something still isn't going on between you two."

"Actually nothing is going on."

"Really?" she gave him a deadpan look, unimpressed with his obvious lie.

"Really!  Look, we've even stopped talking."

"Oh yeah, like that helps," Alison let out an unattractive snort.

"I thought you would be happy about this," Derek says a little disappointed in his friend.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you told me to stop playing the victim..."

"Derek, I said that because I want you to be with who you truly want and love.  And I don't mean who you used to love.  She hurt you.  And even though I love her and she's my boss, you're my person.  My person comes over my boss any day.  She broke your trust.  But I think you fell out of love with her a long time ago.  Now, all you have to do is decide who does Derek truly want.  We both know the answer you are just too damn stubborn to admit that.  But if you do - that would make me happy because you're happy."

"Really?" Derek asked his wife and they were walking through the hallways later on that day. "You make my best friend come up and talk to me?"

"What was I supposed to do, Derek?" Addison asked flailing her arms. "You don't talk to me!  I needed to find out information and I got it.  End of story."

"Except that it isn't the end of story, is it Addison?"

"Are you in love with Meredith Grey?"

"No," Derek lied but he kept a straight face anyway.  

Addison scoffed and shook her head before walking off.  She wasn't sure why she was still with him anymore to be honest.  She wasn't sure why he was still with her anymore.  They tried to get back where they used to be before she cheated on him with his best friend Mark but they failed.  

They tried and they failed.  

To make matters worse - Derek wouldn't admit to anyone not even himself that he was actually in love with Meredith.  She wasn't sure why he wouldn't admit it.  Maybe part of him was scared. Or that he wasn't sticking to his end of their wedding vows - but the trust was obviously broken now.  There was no regaining it if he was already checked out mentally.  

Addison wasn't sure what part scared her the most.  Living a life without Derek or living a loveless life with him.

-

Seconds turn into minutes.  Everything can change.  Your whole life can change based on a decision you made so quick that you didn't have time to really even process.  Sometimes you don't even recognize yourself when you are making them.  But you make them anyway because at the time it seems like its the only option you have.  The only second.  

-

"That was my point Derek, she's not coming back!" Addison exclaimed to her husband.

"A little sensitivity would be nice here, okay?  They love their daughter.  They don't want to let go."

"What they are doing is not about love, Derek!  I-it's well it's like you."

"Excuse me," Derek said offended.

"Like how you pretend to love me but really you are just using me to fill some need you have to be a good guy."

"Now's not the time to talk about this.  We'll talk about this later," he said wanting no further discussion about the subject but his wife had other plans.

"Walk away?  That's all I get?" Addison yelled as she flailed her arms up and down.

"Calm down, please," Derek begged his wife.

"What?  You aren't going to yell at me, call me names?  Or I don't know ignore me in an elevator."

"What do you want from me, Addison?"

"I want you to care, Derek!  I sleep with your best friend and you walk away!  He comes out here for me and rubs it in your face and still you get a good night sleep.  What do I have to do?  Oh, I know!  Maybe what I should do is go out on a date with the vet because that seems to be something that sends you into a blind rage.  Oh but that won't work either because I'm not Meredith Grey!"

Derek glanced down to see their fellow coworkers looking up at them as Alison stood next to Meredith.  Her mouth was slightly ajar and her blue eyes saddened for her best friend.  

"Well, that was awkward," Alison commented.

"Yeah no kidding," Meredith agreed with the resident.

"It's like I always say... Fries before guys," and with that she walked away as Meredith watched her with a small smile on her face.

She knew that Alison and Cristina didn't really get along.  She understood to a certain extent.  Cristina was a pretty unhappy person unless it had to do with surgery and Alison was more upbeat, happy and fun.  It was more just personality conflicts if anything.  But she knew that they respected each other knowing that they both had their field specialities that one could do and the other couldn't.

*

"Izzie what are you doing?" O'Malley asked his best friend only to be ignored.

"Okay, Denny.  Now I am cutting the chord to stop your heart.  It will be okay though because Doctor Burke is on his way.  He will be here any second."

"It's okay, Izzie.  I trust you.  I love you."

"I love you too," she murmured but still George heard.

*

Everyone in the ER paused and stopped what they were doing when they heard gunshots going off.  Everyone except Alison and Bailey.  After the shooting seemed to stop, adrenaline kicked in and they rushed out the ER doors and stopped to look at the scene before them.  

"What the hell was that?" Alison asked as she felt her heart pounding.  She had known earlier that there were victims from a shooting and it made the hairs on her arms shiver as goosebumps appeared.

Alison and Bailey ran out and saw a patient who had been discharged dead when Alison also saw a pair of blue scrubs not too far away from the patient in a pool of blood.  Alison checked for a pulse - it was weak but still there.  She started performing chest compressions on her fellow doctor as Bailey was checking on the patient from earlier.  

"Shit!" Alison yelled.  "Bailey we need back up!  Doctor Burke can you hear me?  Wake up!  Damnit, wake up!"

-

A lot can happen in seventeen seconds.  Some good and some bad.  It's always the unexpected that leads us to the path of the unknown.  What happens after those seconds are up though?  

--

a/n: i hope you all are doing well!  i'm so excited to write the prom chapter you guys have no idea.  only two more chapters left and then moving on to season 3 where mark will come in.  

what do you think of anthony so far?  you'll read a lot more about him in the prom episode.