Chapter 1: Incoming

"Come on, we have one incoming!" Cristina yelled to the nearby interns as she hurried by them. She snapped on her gloves the ambulance pulled into the emergency bay.

She pulled the door open as the paramedics came around and her two interns showed up behind them. "Two victims: A woman and her three-year-old child. The rest of the family was checked out and released with minor cuts at the scene," a muscular man said as he pulled out the first gurney. "It was a pretty bad car accident."

Cristina just nodded, "Dr. Hall!" she called to the female intern who looked up, alarmed. "Take the woman. Clean her up and report back to me right away."

"Okay," Dr. Hall said as she led the gurney into the hospital, the paramedic informing her of the woman's status.

Cristina got into the ambulance and pulled out the second gurney as the paramedic who has been driving came to the back to help her. "She seems to be better off than her mother," he explained.

"All right, Dr. Moore! You're taking the little girl. Report back to me before you do anything," she ordered as the male intern took the gurney.

"It was a car accident?" Cristina asked the paramedic before he could run off with Dr. Moore.

"Yeah, the woman was in the passenger seat and the little girl was behind her. They were switching lanes sharply and an SUV rammed into them on the highway. The rest of the family was fine and the driver of the other vehicle walked away as well. He's lucky," the paramedic explained.

"Yeah, except for the fact that this woman's husband was stupid enough to run into him," Cristina mumbled in response before heading into the ER.

"Dr. Yang?" Cristina stopped when she saw Dr. Bailey hurrying over to her. "The Chief told me we had one incoming. Is it bad?"

"Car crash. Two victims. One looks pretty bad."

"Well, where are they?" Bailey asked, slightly irritated.

"Dr. Hall and Dr. Moore took them to trauma," Cristina explained as she noticed one of her interns hurrying over to her.

"Dr. Yang?" Dr. Hall asked as she hurried over to her. "I examined Mrs. Douglas. She's stable. She seems to have a fractured right arm and a large head contusion. Other than that she has a few cuts and a lot of unexplainable bruises."

"Unexplainable? Dr. Hall, this woman was just hit on the right side by an SUV bigger than both of us. She is obviously going to have bruises," Cristina answered, trying to pretend that she wasn't being embarrassed in front of a superior.

"They aren't fresh," Dr. Hall said, jumping in. "They all seem to be of different ages. I think she may have taken a few beatings," she added, looking at both of them for approval.

Cristina sighed as Dr. Moore hurried over to them. "The husband is on his way," he said quickly.

Cristina nodded and turned back to Dr. Hall, "Have the police question him before he sees her. It could be spousal abuse and we don't need him intimidating her. Once she regains consciousness question her as well without him there or even her knowing that he is in this hospital. We need to make sure that they're stories line up." Dr. Hall nodded before Cristina turned her attention towards the other intern. "Dr. Moore?"

"The little girl is also stable and awake. A few minor cuts and a broken wrist," he answered.

"Any old bruises like her mother?" Cristina asked.

"No," he reported.

"Good, now both of you need to get orthopedic consults. Get Dr. Matthews. And Hall, get the mother checked out by Dr. Shepherd for her head injury," Cristina said before sending her interns off.