Lover // g. o'malley

Break on Through

In surgery there is a red line on the floor that marks the point where the hospital goes from being accessible to being off limits to all but a special few. Crossing the line unauthorized is not tolerated. In general, lines are there for a reason. For safety. For security. For clarity. If you choose to cross the line, you pretty much do so at your own risk. So why is it the bigger the line, the greater temptation to cross it?

Outside of the hospital is a thick, red line. I walk up to it to find George, Izzie, and Cristina staring at it. Oh, I see what's going on here. Nurses. There is a huge group of nurses protesting in front of the hospital. They even formed a picket line. They're chanting the words 'Fair hours, fair wages!' They're also holding many different signs, waving them up in the air.

"Can't. Can't, can't cross the picket line. I can't," George mumbles to himself. Izzie just nods at him, looking confused.

"I don't like it either George, but what choice do we really have here? Okay you took an oath to heal people. Remember what you said on your first day? You're a healer," I remind him.

"Dad's a truck driver. Mom's a teacher. The evening news shows me crossing the picket line... they'll outlive me just to pee on my grave," George tells us. Izzie and I look at him confused.

"Has there been any blood yet? Heard they brought scab nurses," Cristina tells us. We all just shake our heads at her.

"I think the nurses know that we are on their side," Izzie suggests.

"Don't cross the line!" a nurse yells at us. Cristina and I both flip her off.

"Don't they?" Izzie asks quietly.

"Well, we're doctors. We have sick patients inside. We have surgeries," I tell Izzie.

"Okay... then you go first," Izzie suggests.

"You know what, screw it," I tell them. Cristina nods and we cross the line together at the same time. The nurses started throwing food at us but I think we both dodged all of it.

"Yeah, I'm doing my job! Doing my job! Ha-ha!" Cristina taunts as we enter the hospital.

Eventually, Izzie makes it inside but George does not. Cristina heads off somewhere while Izzie, Alex, and I are waiting for our new resident to meet with us. "Yes, yes that's him. He's been published twice and he's flawless," I point out while a man walks by.

"Oh, I don't want that guy. That guy's a freak. He doesn't let you speak in the OR," Izzie complains.

"Yeah, but he's flawless," I tell her.

"I think it's him. What's his name again?" Alex asks as another man walks by.

"Oh yeah, mouth breather guy. But he'll let you do a procedure on your own if he likes you," Cristina tells them.

"What are we doing over here?" Meredith asks as she walks up to us.

"Trying to figure out who they're going to pick for Bailey's replacement," Alex tells her.

"Yang, Stevens, Grey, Lopez, O'Malley, Karev!" we hear a voice yell. We all turn around, minus George since he's still outside, and hear the voice coming from the stairs. It's a really, REALLY cheerful female doctor coming down the stairs walking over to us.

"Here you are! I was looking for you guys in the locker room but you weren't there and I thought well maybe my interns are looking for me too and then I come out here and here you are. Yeah. You guys look like a great group. Which is awesome. Because my horoscope said it's going to be a very challenging day and I was a little worried but no you guys... yeah, you look like a good group. Which is great! Because we're all going to have so much fun! Hi. Hi, first of all hi. Hi!" she says, while going to hug Cristina. Alex, Meredith, and I are all holding in laughs while Izzie is glaring at us.