xxxix. just like spider-man
3.16

"Hi. I'm Atlas." Atlas had gotten up with great struggle, but now he was kneeled down beside the little boy that was trapped.

"H-hi. I'm Ben. My-my dad calls me Benny." The six-year-old looking little boy stuttered.

"Benny. How old are you? You look six." Atlas looked around for any one else that could help. There was no one, and that worried him. But he wouldn't let Benny see that.

"I'm six. My sisters nine." Benny lifted up six fingers to show his age.

"Woah! Benny, can you feel this?" Atlas said, attempting to be calm as he lightly pressed a nail into the boy's thigh, not to far from where the metal was trapping the boys leg.

Benny shook her head, tears spilling from his eyes as he whimpered. "No."

The metal was heavy, but Atlas could lift it; that wasn't the problem. The problem was that if he lifted the metal off Benny's leg before the limb was receiving oxygen, the sudden rush of blood may cause the boy's heart to fail completely, and Atlas didn't want that.

Atlas had one option, he needed to perform a bilateral fasciotomy, in order to relieve the pressure in the leg and restore blood flow.

He had done it twice, once in his intern year and once in his fourth year of residency. He really didn't think he could do this now.

"Okay," Atlas said out loud for what seemed like the millionth time. "Benny, I need to make a cut on your leg, otherwise it won't feel any better. It might hurt a little bit at first, and it will be scary, but then it will be all better. Do you understand?"

Benny shook his head and continued to cry, resting her head on Atlas hoodie that had been pulled off. "No."

"Who's you favourite superhero?" Atlas asked.

"Spider-Man. He's so cool in the comics. My daddy reads them to me."

"Benny," Atlas sighed, "I need you to be brave, alright? Like Spider-Man. Can you be brave?"

With tearful doe eyes, Benny looked up at him. "Okay."

Atlas had wouldn't stop shaking as he held the sharp piece of glass between his fingers. The shock had begun to wear off, leaving him with a pounding headache and and a burning sensation in his chest (something that kept coming back).

Atlas finally looked down at himself, nearly jumping at the sight of his state.

Cuts and bruises were visible under his ripped clothing, though they didn't hurt all that badly. What concerned him, was the blood soaking the lower half of his shirt from an unknown source. Probably a deep cut that he hadn't felt yet.

The little boy turned his head to the side, getting a better view of Atlas. "No, I want my daddy."

Atlas sighed. "I know, buddy, but we gotta do this. You're so brave, Benny. I know this is scary, but can you keep being brave for me? Just like Spider-Man."

Atlas took a deep breath, moving the glass closer to Benny's skin. He gave Benny one last reassuring smile.

And then, he made the cut.

"I know it hurts, I know," Atlas sympathized as he ran the shard of glass vertically down Benny's leg. "It's almost over, it's almost over." He repeated.

Benny screamed at the top of his lungs. It made it difficult for Atlas to concentrate on what he was doing, but he didn't blame the little boy for doing it.

Soon, blood began gushing from the cut. Atlas removed the sweater from the boy's mouth, applied pressure to the cut, and tied a tight knot to keep him from bleeding out.

With a grunt, he lifted the piece of metal and tossed it to the side and away from them.

The leg from what he could see, slowly regained color, making Atlas smile in relief.

He saved Benny's life.

He moved to sit while Benny calmed down. He was taking a moment for himself to avoid an oncoming panic attack. He looked out into the calm water, avoiding looking at the burning ferryboat not too far away.

Everything was okay now.

Until it wasn't.

Atlas squinted, his gaze latched onto something floating on top of the water. No, not something — someone floating on top of the water.

Someone with blonde hair, wearing blue scrubs just like the ones his younger brother and sister had in their locker back at the hospital.

It finally clicked after a few seconds.

"Oh god," he gasped, his hand flying over his mouth to quiet himself. "Oh my god."

"Are you okay?" Benny wondered.

"Benny," Atlas said calmly, maybe even deathly calm. "I need you to yell. See those yellow tents over there? Your gonna want to yell until someone else comes from over there. If you think you can get up, go get the people in the bright coats, and bring them here, now."

Benny frowned not liking the idea of being left. "But—"

"Please," Atlas said leaving now room for discussion. "And tell them to hurry. Because I don't think this will end well."

╚═ ☆ ═╝

"HEY! Help!"

Derek and Oliver looked up from their patient, snapping their gaze upwards immediately to the source of the familiar voice to them both.

"Atly?"

"Love?"

Atlas panted, spotting both the boys from several yards away, screaming their name as he came up from the entrance to the water. "Derek! Oliver! HELP!"

What Derek and Oliver saw in that moment, was an image they would never be able to get out of their heads. Atlas came up the stairs, dripping wet, supporting the weight of a dead Meredith Grey in his arms.

"Oh my god," Oliver mumbled, tears filling his eyes as he sprinted over to take his girlfriend's unconscious body from his brothers arms.

"She's dead, Derek," Atlas cried, his heart thumping in his chest, eyes wider than any other time, his tears mixing with blood and salt water. "I-I think she's dead."

Oliver  looked between them. "Atly, are you—"

"I'm fine!" He yelled and pushed his brother toward an ambulance. "I'm fine, but she's not! You need to do something!"

In a split second, Oliver mad the choice to leave Atlas with Derek and focus on Meredith. Atlas seemed to be fine, where as Meredith definitely wasn't. It was the only logical option. And Derek would be with Atlas now.

Atlas watched as Meredith was loaded into the ambulance, Oliver doing compressions, and spared one last concerned look at his brother before the ambulance doors shut.

"Atlas?" Derek looked to his boyfriend with wide eyes, watching as his chest moved slower and slower.

Atlas collapsed. And Derek reacted just fast enough to wrap his arms around Atlas and help him to the ground.

"Hey! Someone help me!" Derek yelled as he looked over his boyfriend.

The shirt Atlas had been wearing was lifted and that's when Derek saw the large cut on his lower abdomen and the green-purple bruise that covered Atlas's chest.

"Help!"