Romancing Dr. Bailey

It Happened One Night

90% of the time, Miranda wanted to cut. Anytime she was about to enter a surgery, no matter how big or small, she felt butterflies. Butterflies. They were in her stomach. These butterflies were different from the ones that she felt around guys she liked or had crushes on. She knew that the butterflies were from excitement. Surgery exhilarated her, it gave her a rush. "You're ready?" Meredith asked her picking up the chart for Mrs. Johnson.

"Yeah. I am. I'll see you up there." Meredith nodded and walked away.

Before she went up to the operating room, Miranda went by the daycare. She looked through the door and spotted her son. He was sitting on a beanbag in the corner reading a book. Watching him put a smile on her face. Miranda moved out of the way of a parent wanting to see their child. As she headed to the operating room, she pulled her hair into a semi-tight ponytail. Meredith was in the operating room talking to a scrub nurse and someone she assumed was the anesthesiologist or another assisting attending. Miranda started to scrub in as Mrs. Johnson was being put under the anesthetics. She scrubbed and took her time making sure there would be no chance of infections or transference of germs from her hands. Before she opened the door to the operating room, she prayed to God asking that He would give her the will, knowledge and skill to perform greatly. "Dr. Grey, are you ready?"

"Yes, Dr. Bailey. I am," Meredith said nodding.

"Okay, well, scalpel," Miranda began and she started to cut. As she and Meredith worked, Miranda looked up and glanced around the room. She looked at the monitor and checked the stats. Then, she looked down and looked at the doctor working on a newspaper right below the machine. "Dr. Warren, is that you?" Miranda's heart raced. The guy didn't look up. Shoot! And she was embarrassed. Miranda, she thought to herself, every anesthesiologist couldn't be Ben.

"I was wondering when you'd notice me," Ben said looking up finally. She watched as his eyes got thinner that signaled that he was smiling. Miranda put her head down to look at the open body of Mrs. Johnson and smiled. Meredith was looking at her. "How have you been, Dr. Bailey?"

"I've been good. Working and cutting like surgeons do." She smiled beneath her mask.

"Funny. How's LT?" He asked putting his crossword puzzle on the stool in front of him.

"He's good. I just saw him. Reading."

Ben looked at Miranda and replied: "What a nerd." The room filled with laughter.

"Dr. Bailey, does that look like a tumor?" Meredith said seriously. Miranda looked down and felt the mass that Meredith was talking about. She cursed underneath her breath.

The surgery was over. Thank God it was over and Mrs. Johnson was being moved to recovery. Meredith had already left the scrub room and gone up to talk to Mr. Johnson. Miranda continued to wash her hands. This was her favorite part. It was so quiet in the room, only the water ran hitting the sink. She looked into the operating room and watched as Ben walked back in. He sat down on his stool and started to write on a chart. Finishing up and drying her hands, she watched him work. He was diligent and never looked up. She knocked on the glass and his head popped up. His facemask was off and he smiled and motioned for her to come inside of the room. She put the towel that she was using to dry her hands in the bin and walked into the operating room.

"Before you ask, no, I didn't put myself in this surgery with you," Ben commented reading her mind. "But I definitely enjoyed myself. You did well." Miranda was quiet and she found herself looking everywhere except into Ben's eyes. "We make a great team." He stared at her and waited for her to speak. She didn't because she didn't want her voice to betray her, but she couldn't not say anything.