chapter four ━ sister, sister
( season three, episodes two & three )

❝See? You look sad again.❞

"𝐈𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍 order, Abigail."

Abby turned her head and looked at the lawyer with a frown. "'Congratulations'?" she repeated slowly. "'Congratulations'? There is nothing here to be celebrated."

"No, I—" The lawyer stumbled over his words and Abby faced the front of the courtroom once more. "I just mean—"

"I know what you meant," she interrupted, glancing at him. "Wrong choice of words. There is no congratulations. No celebrations should take place. He got what he deserved. The end."

"Of course." The lawyer nodded. "I just think that—"

"I would stop," she said. "Before you finish that sentence."

Abby let out a breath and made her way to her patient's room, walking in. "I hope you gave me a good intern today, Bailey," she said before turning to her patient and his sister. "Good morning, Benjamin, Ruth."

"Good morning, Dr. Thompson," Ruth replied.

"It doesn't feel like a good morning to me," Benjamin said. "I have to have brain surgery today. Pretty scary. Plus, my sister is nervous. When she gets nervous, she sweats, and the windows in here don't open, so it's pretty rank."

Ruth looked at him. "Benjamin."

"Was I rude, Ruthie?" he asked and Bailey handed Abby the chart.

"Let the doctors talk."

Abby nodded at Cristina to present. "Benjamin O'Leary, thirty-two, in for the removal of a brain tumor that's pressing on his frontal temporal lobe. Clearly, it's affecting his impulse control."

"It makes me say everything I think," Benjamin told them, looking at Abby. "Which apparently is annoying. This doctor looks annoyed." Abby glanced at Cristina. "Although it's hard to tell 'cause she always has kind of an uptight look on her face." The interns all chuckled and the attending let out a breath. "Am I annoying you?"

Cristina shook her head. "It's fine."

"You can't say it's fine," Ruth said to her. "He doesn't perceive sarcasm or irony. If he's annoying you, you have to tell him."

Benjamin shrugged. "Maybe I'm not annoying her, Ruthie."

"No, you are," Cristina confirmed.

"Dr. Yang..." Bailey said in a warning tone.

Cristina pointed at him. "He asked!"

"Okay, Benjamin," Abby said, clearing her throat, and trying to bring the conversation back to his upcoming surgery. "Dr. Yang — pinched and annoying though she may be — is gonna prep you for surgery. And do either of you have any questions for me?"

"Is there a reason why you look sad today?" Benjamin asked and Abby raised her eyebrows. "Because ever since you've come in here, you look as though you've had your mind on something else. What, did someone die?" She let out a breath. "I'm sorry, was that rude?"

Abby smiled tightly. "I'll be back before your surgery." She let out a puff of air as she walked out of the room, running into Derek in the process. "You know, there are times when I enjoy a good brain tumor and times when I don't. This is one of the times when I don't."

"I take it you have a tumor?" he asked.

She nodded. "A tumor that makes the guy very blunt and honest," she replied, handing the chart to a nurse. "Oh, you look tired? He points it out. You look sad? He points it out. Nothing gets passed the guy."

"Come to think of it," Derek said and she looked at him. "You do look kind of sad."

"Gee, thanks," she replied sarcastically. "That's just what every girl wants to hear. That they look sad."

"No, that—that's not what I meant," he stuttered. "I just meant... that you don't seem as upbeat as usual."

Abby frowned. "I don't think that's any better."

Derek was about to reply when they both heard Cristina's voice. "I'll think about that in the future, Mrs. Burke."

"Mrs. Burke?" Derek repeated, walking over to the intern and dragging Abby with him. "Preston's mother?"

"Yes." The woman nodded. "And you two are?"

"Derek Shepherd," he replied. "And this is Abigail Thompson. We're the surgeons who operated on your son."

Mrs. Burke smiled. "Oh, thank you," she said, shaking their hands. "Both of you are brilliant surgeons." She turned to Abby. "And he's handsome, too." She smiled faintly. "Your mothers must be very proud." Derek saw Abby's blank expression at the mention of mothers out of the corner of his eye before his attention was taken by Mrs. Burke once again. "Do you mind, Dr. Shepherd, if I borrow your young intern for a quick cup of coffee? I'll bring her right back."

"Oh, she's Dr. Thompson's intern."

Abby smiled. "Not a problem," she said. "Go right ahead. I'll have Dr. Grey cover for Cristina."

"What?" Meredith asked, turning to look at the woman. "I heard my name."

"Uh, Dr. Grey is very busy," Cristina told Abby. "She has charts to do for Bailey. Bailey's on the warpath. Uh, not the German warpath," she added to Mrs. Burke. "It's a hospital warpath. It's—It's—"

"I'll take care of Bailey, okay?" Abby said, quieting Cristina.

Derek smiled at them. "Enjoy your coffee date, ladies. Very nice meeting you, Mrs. Burke." Abby nodded and followed Derek. "See?" She looked at him. "You look sad again."

"Shut up."

___________________________

𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐘 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 in the cafeteria with a pen in her hand, but she wasn't writing. She spun the pen in her fingers, staring at the blank checkbook in front of her. She felt a pit growing in her stomach and she ran out of the cafeteria, hurrying to the nearest bathroom and throwing up the contents of her stomach.

She felt a mixture of sweat and tears on her face as she sat down and leaned against the door of the stall.

She stayed in that position until she got a page. Looking down, she let out a heavy sigh and stood up. She made her way to the mirror, splashing water on her, trying to erase any trace of tears. She examined her appearance; her hazel eyes slightly red from the lack of sleep; her dark brown locks that went unbrushed and tangled. She gurgled some water in her mouth, trying to relieve it of the bitter taste.

With one last glance in the mirror, she left the bathroom and walked toward the surgical floor. She tied on her scrub cap that was covered in various ocean creatures; her sister loved sea creatures. She tied on the back of the cap just as the elevator doors opened and she walked into the scrub room where she found Cristina, back from her coffee date with Mrs. Burke.

She stared at Benjamin through the glass while scrubbing in. "When the tumor's removed, is it gonna bring his old personality back?" Cristina asked the neurosurgeon.

Abby turned off the water. "If we get the tumor out and Benjamin lives, anything else is icing on the cake." She opened the doors. "Shall we, Dr. Yang?"

She walked out into the OR and slipped on the gown that the nurses were holding out. She looked around the room and saw Derek sitting in the gallery with the other interns.

"Well, it may not be nighttime, but it's a beautiful night to save a life, wouldn't you say?" She looked down at the bare surface in front of her and nodded. "Alright. Ten-blade, please."

Abby made the first cut of the surgery and Cristina was right next to her, consistently dripping liquid onto the exposed brain.

"You see that right there?" Abby asked Cristina. "It's too close to the cavernous sinus. Suction." Suddenly the monitors started going off and she looked up. "Damn it. I've got a bleeder. The brain is starting to swell."

"V-fib!" a nurse called.

Abby shook her head. "His heart can't take it," she said, setting down the instruments. "Yang, get those paddles. Move."

"Clear."

"Come on," Abby groaned. "Come on."

"No change."

A nurse looked at Abby. "Epi and Atropine are in."

"Still in v-fib," Cristina added.

Abby sighed. "Shock him again."

___________________________

"𝐒𝐎, 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐎𝐑 mill is that you're ending your marriage today," Abby said, walking out of the hospital with Derek after her surgery.

He looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. "How do you know that?" he asked.

She shrugged. "News travels fast here. Are you ready for that? I mean, it's a big change. You'll always love her in some way, right?"

"I will," he agreed with a nod. "But it's for the best. There's too much happening, and it's not good for either of us."

"My suggestion?" she asked. "Talk to her. Not just hand her divorce papers. I bet it helps to talk through it."

Derek nodded. "Thanks. Hey, uh, you want to get a drink at Joe's?"

"I would," she replied with a smile. "But I have plans with someone tonight."

"Date?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly. Raincheck?"

"Sure. Have a good night."

Abby walked out to her car and stared out the windshield before driving to her destination. She stared at the entrance before walking inside.

"Well, hi, Abby."

She smiled, signing in. "Hi, Shiela. How is she today?"

"She's actually having a really good day," Shiela replied. "She's been asking for you."

"Really?" she asked, looking down the hall. "It feels like that hasn't happened in years. So she knows what happened to Aiden?"

Shiela nodded. "Go on. She'll be happy to see you."

Abby let out a breath and walked down the hall, stopping outside of a door. She knocked softly before walking in. "Hey, snowball."

"Abby!"

She smiled and kissed the top of her sister's head before sitting on the chair next to her. "I've missed you, Ana. How are you?"

"I'm good," Anabel replied and Abby smiled which faltered as she began looking around the room. "Where's Aiden? Did he come with you?"

Abby's heart sank and she cleared her throat. "No, Anabel, he... he died. Remember?"

"No." Anabel shook her head. "No, I was just talking to him. We were in the backseat of the car. Where is he?"

"You two were in a car crash," she replied softly. "Aiden died. On your fifteenth birthday. Remember?"

"No! No, you're lying."

"Snowball, I promise, I'm not," Abby said, grabbing her sister's hand. "It's why you're here. You had a s—severe head injury. Please, try to remember."

"Where's Mom?" Anabel asked, starting to sound close to tears. "I want Mommy. And Daddy."

Abby sighed and stood up. "Okay. I'll go get them." She kissed her sister's forehead. "Happy Birthday, snowball..."

She walked to the door and paused when a picture caught her eye. She took hold of the framed photograph; the twins stood side-by-side in front of their older siblings in front of their house. Everybody looked their happiest.

"Ana," Abby said to her younger sister. "Look straight ahead. Aiden, stop hitting your sister."

"But she stole my lollipop!" Aiden protested with a pout. "She had four, that one was mine."

Abby sighed. "I'll buy you another one, okay? Let's just get this picture over with. Everybody smile."

"You talk so differently to them than you do to me," Adam said.

She looked at him. "Well, they don't annoy me as much as you do. Oh, come on, Adam, smile. Why is it so hard to get this family to smile?"

FLASH.

Abby let out a breath and set the photograph back down, glancing at her sister once more before leaving the room. She bid Shiela a good night and walked out to her car. She fiddled with the locket around her neck, unclasped it, and looked at the picture of the twins inside. They were around four years old and their mother had taken them to a photographer for their birthday. Anabel sat on a chair and Aiden sat on the arm of the chair, his arm wrapped around his sister's shoulder. She smiled softly at them as tears filled her eyes.

She wiped them away and sniffled before starting the engine and driving to the cemetery. Aiden had been buried in New York where the family was from, along with their parents, but Abby had arranged for him to have a headstone in Seattle where Anabel was receiving treatment.

She walked the familiar path and her eyes landed on her younger brother's tombstone, filled with flowers she had brought. She bent down, picking away the dead petals and replaced them with fresh flowers.

"Hey, snowstorm," she said, tracing her brother's name with her finger. "We miss you. Anabel misses you." She shook her head. "This is wrong. I shouldn't be talking to your grave. You and Anabel should both be here and fine. But that son of a bitch—"

"Abby?"

She tensed at the voice and stood up, turning to face the man she had once called a brother. "Adam."

"I didn't think you would be here."

Abby nodded, biting her lip. "I could say the same about you."

"I—" He let out a breath. "When I found out you moved his grave here, I've been visiting every week. Just to talk to him and ask for his forgiveness."

"Why?" she asked. "Because it's your fault? Because you're the reason I had to bury my fifteen-year-old brother and commit our sister? I bet you have a lot to be forgiven for."

"It's why I moved to Seattle," he said. "I heard you left San Francisco. And... I wanted to make amends. We only have each other now."

"And who's fault is that?" she questioned, starting to walk away. "You've been asking me to forgive you for years and maybe one day I will. But today is not that day. Goodbye."

___________________________

𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐊 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 their patent's room and greeted the man on the bed. Derek turned to their intern.

"Mr. Tesselt's having a corpus callosotomy," he said. "What's that gonna look like?"

Cristina turned to the man. "We'll be severing some of the fibers that connect the right and left hemisphere of his brain..." Abby nodded. "... to prevent the spread of seizure activity from one half of his brain to the other."

Abby smiled with a nod. "Good. Right."

"Daddy's letting them chop his brain in half because Daddy's a big dummy," his wife said, bouncing their son in her arms. "Yes, he is."

Derek and Abby looked at each other while Mr. Tresselt sighed. "They're not chopping my brain in half, Leanne."

"Chop!" she said, seemingly not hearing her husband. "Right down the middle."

"Taylor should be functioning much like he does right now," Derek told her.

"Really?"

Taylor looked at his wife. "I'm having five seizures a day, Leanne."

"I know that."

"You don't leave me in a room alone with the baby," he continued. "You think I don't notice? You ask your mother to come by every time you need to take a shower."

Leanne shook her head. "That's not the reason."

"It's because you think I'm a danger to the baby. And I am."

Abby let out a breath and turned to the couple. "Look, if you're not sure, for any reason, we can wait."

"I want to be able to take care of our baby," Taylor said. "Please, Leanne, we already agreed. Please."

The three surgeons looked at Leanne and she nodded. They left the room and Abby gave Cristina the chart before following Derek in the other direction. "So, how'd your talk with Addison go?" she asked.

"Oh, it was fine." He shrugged. "You know, until I saw the guy she was sleeping with get out of the shower."

"Oof."

"Yeah." He sighed. "How about you? How was your night with your mystery person?"

She chuckled. "It was, uh... it was fine. Could have been better. I will take you up on that drink though, if the offer is still on the table."

"Yeah, yeah." He nodded. "Tonight?"

"Looking forward to it."

Before long, they were paged back to Taylor's room and Abby took the chart while Derek shined a light in his eyes. "His seizure lasted about a minute, and he was post-ictal for five," Cristina told them.

"Is the baby okay?" Taylor asked.

"He's fine," Cristina reassured him.

Abby let out a breath. "Well, this shouldn't interfere with his surgery, assuming we're still going forward."

"Honey?"

They all looked at Leanne who nodded. "Yeah. I guess we don't have any other choice."

Derek nodded. "Alright, Leanne. Dr. Thompson and I are going to do everything we can, okay?"

"It's not gonna be a walk in the park," Abby added. "But we're gonna take care of him."

"Okay."

Derek followed Abby out of the room and sighed. "Can you imagine? Five seizures a day. The deterioration of his brain. Soon he'd be aging, but his brain wouldn't." She nodded though remained quiet. He looked over at her. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Fine. Do you have any siblings?"

"I do. Four sisters."

"Four sisters," she echoed. "That's a lot of sisters. I have a sister. Anabel. She's six years younger than me. She's my snowball. The best person in my life."

"She sounds nice."

She nodded. "She is. I wish we'd seen what she could do out in the world..."