That Would Be Enough-Grey's Anatomy AU Book 5

Chapter Five

"I am a rock. I am an island. That's the mantra to pretty much every surgeon that I've ever met. We like to think we're independent. Loners. Mavericks. That all we need to do our jobs is an OR, a scalpel, and a willing body... But the truth is, not even the best of us can do it alone. Surgery, like life, is a team sport...and eventually, you've gotta get off the bench and decide...which team are you batting for. The thing about choosing teams in real life... It's nothing like it used to be in gym class...being 1st picked can be terrifying and being chosen last...isn't the worst thing in the world. So we watch from the sidelines...clinging to our isolation...because we know as soon as we let go of the bench...someone comes along and changes the game completely" 

"and everyone's competing for a love they won't receive"

While Holly was asleep, George was trying to soothe Heather.

Lucy and Alex were in the kitchen, getting food in silence. She sat down at the table with her cereal. He did the same. She got up. "Lucy, can we talk?" he asked. "I thought we were cool". She looked at him and sighed. "I'm gonna have my breakfast in the living room", she said.

The residents were getting ready for work in the dressing room. "You have to assign one of your interns to me", George said. "All my interns are dead weight. Jacobs is average", Cristina said. "Cristina, you need to stop being so nice", Lucy said sarcastically. Meredith was holding a copy of the medical magazine which had Derek on the front cover for their clinical trial. "I don't need the credit, but the clinical trial was my idea", she said. "I had to beg him to do it". "The Shepherd Method, it just sounds like he's saying "hey, I have a big dick", Lucy said, sighing. The girls chuckled. "Attendings always screw you when you screw them", Cristina said.

The residents were following Bailey. "You're all off your assigned services today", she said. They all started to complain about not getting to do what they were promised by their attendings. "Today is not about you", Bailey said. "Today is not about services or your careers. This day is about me. I've spent a lot of time putting together this project and it is dear to me, so it's dear to you. We can only pull this off if we work together as a team. We work as one to represent the hospital". "Why do you need 15 surgeons for one surgery?" Lucy wondered.

"It's not one surgery"

They entered the clinic. "It's 6 kidney transplants in 6 OR's, all at the same time", Bailey said. "It's called pair matching kidney donation. 6 people donate a kidney to total strangers, 6 other people get kidneys from total strangers. Another name for it is a domino surgery". They all happily looked around at the patients.

"This is Stan Mercer, he has chronic renal failure", Bailey presented. "His wife Nancy wanted to donate, but she wasn't a match. She'll instead donate to Sally Chen, while Stan will get a kidney from P.J. Walling. P.J.'s father Kurt will get a kidney from Lindsay Herman". They all looked puzzled except for Lexie who had already memorized the situation. "There's a board in the conference room for those who can't remember it", Bailey said, noticing their looks. "Why do all the transplants have to take place at the same time?" Kelly wondered. "It's so no one backs out at the last minute", Holly replied. "The entire project is a house of cards: if one person backs out, it falls apart", Bailey stressed. "Therefore, you should all treat your patients with excellent care and make sure they're happy". "I heard that at another hospital, a resident got to keep a diseased kidney in a jar", Cristina said. "I want one". "If she gets a kidney, I get one", Lucy said. "Nobody is getting a kidney", Bailey assured.

"Stan is old", P.J. said, who was going to be donating his kidney to Stan. "He's only 22 so everyone over 40 is old to him", his father Kurt said.

"I turned 23 in August"