The Song Remains the Same

Chapter 15

The morning meeting was normally a quick affair, touching base with their nearly ego maniacal leader and getting on with their work of saving lives. It was a strange scene to walk in to see all of their compatriots lining the walls of the conference room instead of seated and waiting for Ellis Grey to make her appearance. Today all of the chairs at the table were occupied by the newly minted first year Attendings.

“What's going on in here?” Callie asked, leaning over to whisper to Addison.

She shrugged, not really sure herself. “They were all just sitting there when we came in.”

“Well, screw that,” declared Arizona at normal volume, spinning her chair around with a single jerk on the back and handily interrupting her fellow's conversation. “Karev, you're in my seat.”

Alex Karev jumped up immediately, straightening his glasses as he held the chair for her. On the other side of the table Charles Percy abandoned Derek Shepherd's chair only a half second later, stumbling over the chair's base. The other residents looked undecided about giving up their chairs, Meredith Webber smiling up at her father as Richard stepped up behind her and waited patiently for his wife. Cristina and Callie eyed each other for a long moment but neither moved. Cristina had softened up since she'd become friends with Meredith, but she was still fairly scary.

Ellis breezed in a moment later without a second glance at the awkwardly lingering surgeons and their proteges that were filling the seats at the table. “Ah, good, everyone's here. We can get started.” Her seat was empty and she took her chair as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. “Dr. Robbins, what's the status on our conjoined twin surgery?”

Arizona pulled her notes up without missing a beat. “Everything's ready, everyone's prepped, and the patients will be arriving later today.”

“Actually, they're not,” Ellis corrected her, drawing every eye in the room. “Seattle Grace is the preeminent teaching hospital in the country. Our fellowship level surgeons are comparable to other hospitals' second tier teachers.” The seated residents looked pleased with themselves while their mentors all waited for the other shoe to drop. Ellis Grey wasn't the type to bestow compliments on people she saw as beneath her. “They're prepped for the procedure, so we will be sending them to Boise.”

It got a reaction from the rest of the gathered surgeons. “Whoa, no, what?!”

“Dr. Grey, all due respect,” Arizona said, standing up to take the lead. This was her case, and she trusted Alex Karev, she'd trained him, coached him for this surgery even, but this was her procedure.

“This is not a discussion, Dr. Robbins,” Ellis cut her off. “They've been trained by the best. The best surgeons come from Seattle Grace.”

“This is not a typical procedure,” countered Arizona stubbornly. She could feel the others' eyes on her, Alex standing behind her with his arms crossing his chest. She wasn't going to let Ellis Grey risk patients' lives because it was better press for her hospital to send untested surgeons to a smaller hospital as some kind of gesture of benevolence.

“Dr. Karev, are you prepared for this surgery?” Bypassing her Head of Peds, Ellis spoke directly to her student.

He hesitated, glancing around the room before his gaze locked with Arizona's. They held the contact for a tense moment before he looked away, giving Ellis a firm, confident nod. “Yes, ma'am, I am.”

“Very well then,” she declared, the tone in her voice declaring the matter finished. “Dr. Karev will be going for Peds; Dr. Percy, Neuro; Dr. Avery, Plastics; Dr. Yang, Cardio; and Dr. Kepner, General,” she recited the assignments. “Your plane leaves tonight at ten.” She glanced at Owen suddenly. “Dr. Hunt, are you still riding along?”