Endless Fights-3

Tough Choices and Waffle Sundays

Are you excited for Addison to come back? I loved it when she was here early in season 18 and can't wait to watch more of her.

3rd Person POV

"I'm sorry, but it sounds like you want me to terminate my pregnancy." Veronica says in disbelief to the doctors standing in front of her.

"Oh, man." Jeremy turns away.

"We need to begin treatments as soon as possible." Jo tells her.

"And the baby couldn't survive them." Bailey adds.

"So the baby's healthy. The thing that's wrong here is me, right?" No one answers Veronica. "Well, how much time do I get? I mean, if I do what you're asking and I get all the treatments, how much time will I have?"

"Less than a year." Bailey answers which cause Veronica to start crying.

"Then what is the point? Why can't we just wait until after the baby's born, and then you can nuke my body full of chemo all you want?"

"You're not listening. She's not listening." Jeremy is trying to keep it together. "They're saying...that without the treatments, the cancer will kill you before the baby's even born. In a month, two months, you'll both be dead."

"I went to court to fight a traffic ticket so I could save $360 so we could buy an organic crib mattress. This is how my day started. And now I'm..." Jeremy rubs her back, trying to calm her down. "All day long, I have been thinking that there is... there's a reason was in that line. There's a reason that I met you. And I don't believe in God or fate or anything."

"She doesn't at all." Jeremy confirms.

"But this is it?" Alex is avoiding her gaze. "I met you so you can tell me that our baby has to die and then go crawl off somewhere and die myself. These are my options? Just death? And more death?" Veronica is nearing her breaking point.

"I was paged." Gen shows up, and Alex lets out a sigh of relief.

"Dr. B..."

"Veronica, Jeremy, this is our Chief of Fetal surgery, Dr. Gen Benoist." Alex introduces.

"Hello." Veronica greets Gen.

"Hello Veronica, I have looked at your labs and scans and understand you have advanced pancreatic cancer at about 18 weeks pregnant."

"Yes."

"Alright. Dr. Bailey, what is your course of treatment?" Gen asks.

"Neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Shrink it small enough to resect." Bailey tells Gen.

"Tell me there is something you can do." Alex pleads with his friend.

"With something this advanced, there is a high risk for both Veronica and her baby. It would be irresponsible to..."

"What about a Whipple?" Alex blurts.

"A Whipple?" Bailey questions him.

"A what?" Veronica asks, concerned.

"The baby wouldn't survive being under that long." Bailey argues.

"Then we do it open." Alex looks to Gen, seeing if she's on board with this. "Cut the time in half."

"Forgoing the first round of chemo and replace it with a surgery." Gen says as she understands what Alex is saying.

"Exactly. It would remove the cancer from the pancreas without harming the baby, then close Veronica up." Alex looks to Veronica now, who is filled with so many emotions.