Hell's Angel

Chapter 39

April, Meredith and I are all standing at a desk in the main hall, doing our own work as my colleague and pain in my ass, Stark comes over. April looks panicked and starts talking, turning her chart towards the older man "I smoothed out some bumps in the NICU surgery protocol if you wanted to..." He looks up from his phone, hands a nurse a chart and walks away, not even acknowledging the red head at all. Meredith looks up, a smile on her face and I join her over the other side of the desk "you crushed his heart April." She says seemingly entertained "and none of us knew he had one. So that's impressive."

I give her one of my charts and April replies "it's inconvenient. I need him to sign this." She walks away. I shake my head as Meredith chuckles to herself "you are kind of evil." I say patting her on the back, she looks over at me with a big smile on my face "come on. Stark and Kepner, its pretty funny." I roll my eyes but smile anyway.

"Evil, Grey. Evil." I say. Richard Webber comes walking over to us, just coming in for a days work and says "morning." Meredith pretends to be busy, picking up charts and looking around a little flustered "good morning." She replies absently and Richard points at the chart she is holding. "Another Alzheimer's patient?" He asks and the blonde nods her head gently, flicking her bangs from her eyes "yes, sir." She answers innocently and Webber smiles at her awkwardly. I clear mt throat and scratch the back of my neck "I'm going to go." I say and slip away from that very awkward, very tense situation.

-

"Wow that kid looks screwed." Alex says coming into the x-ray room where Arizona and I are staring at scans. "He is." Arizona replies, feeling the heat of his body close behind mine "he has five different cardiac and abdominal defects. I'm supposed to operate on him next week." I cross my arms "That's awesome." Alex says "can I scrub in?" Arizona nods her head, crossing her own arms "yeah, if you can get us to Africa." She turns to him "I was supposed to go back there next week, but now I have a very sick little girl of my own and a fiancée in the ICU."

Alex pulls a face and suggests "fly him out here." I sigh and a run a hand through my short hair. "Yeah, we've tried." I say "but you cant imagine the red tape and the money." It's true, this is all we have been working on since she got back, finding a way to help these sick kids half the world away. "And there's a dizen more like him that I want to do the same thing for." Arizona adds turning back to the scans "we are trying to find someone to help him out over there. I just..... I made a promise, that's all."

My pager beeps and I look down at it "I have a consult with Stark." I say and the other two laugh. I shoot them both looks "it's not funny, sometimes it sucks being the boss." I gently place a kiss on Alex's mouth before heading down to meet with Stark.

-

Five Weeks Later

Stark and I are sitting in front of Alex, who is flipping through paper working as he explains "I'ver got eight patients lined up from three African countries, all through the Namboze clinic. There's a... wait. Here cardiac defect, brain tumour, an idiopathic gangrene case. When do we get to see that right? What else?"

I feel bad for him because I know how hard he has worked to bring this about but he is nervous and so messing things up. "Oh!" he says throwing a hand up in the air "and Hunt, he got me in touch with a military guy about ground transport. And he also volunteered to operate, pro bono. So I've got him and Robbins, Bailey, Sloan, Shepherd, Andy..." Stark waves his hands around and says "stop, cutting him off."

I sigh and rub my forehead knowing that he is only going to make this a headache for everyone involved by finding a 'problem' with it somehow. "How you gonna pay for all this?" He asks and I sit back in my chair giving my boyfriend and confident, subtle nod. The younger man scratches the back of his head "well, that's why I'm talking to you two." He says "I need two paediatric surgeons to sign off. I mean, they're incredible surgeries. On kids."

Stark nods slowly "ok, this is coming out of my budget?" he asks and I roll my eyes, he gets a small percentage of the money going towards our surgeries because of his position. If I didn't need a second signature I wouldn't have bothered to consult him at all, but since I cant choose Robbins since this was partially her idea my only other option was Stark. Alex looks at me for help but I stay quite "I'm saying." He turns back to the male attending "if I do all the logistical cap, I mean its a project the hospital should fund, right? I mean, its worth..."

Angrily Stark cuts him off "nothing. That's what it's worth. No." He laughs and leans back in his chair "I'm sorry." We sit in silence expecting him to say more. When he doesn't.t Alex clicks his tongue and starts gathering his papers "right. I should have known what'd you say." Robert stands up and wags a finger "no. You don't get to do that. You don't get to ask me to fund a plan this half-assed and then paint me as somebody who want to deny health care to Third World kids." I frown and tilt my head, swinging from side to side in my chair.

"Isn't that what you're doing though?" I ask innocently, clasping my hands together "I mean you are the only one who has a problem with it. The only one." I stand up and both men look over at me. "Robert, he doesn't have to paint you as the bad person. You did that yourself." I make for the door and he calls out "I'm not signing the damn paperwork." I open the door before turning back to him "then I will find someone who will."

-

Twelve Weeks

"what's this?" Jackson asks as Alex hands him a file. I standing at the desk flipping through my post-op notes from last night "your African kid." Alex explains. Cristina snorts from where she is sitting at the computer "that's happening?" She asks and I nod my head, closing the files "tonight. The first group gets here tonight. I've been telling you this all week." Alex sounds panicked, on edge "look each of you gets your own kid. Some of them will be travelling with family, a few of them are orphans, so you are in charge of your kid alright?" he starts handing out more files "you're like their ambassador. Wait. You cant have her. You'd be awful to her"

Lexie laughs as she takes her file "he's melting down." She says through her smile and Jackson smirks along "train wreck." I kick his foot and give him a warning look making him shut up as I snap "he wouldn't be such a train wreck if you guys actually took him and this project seriously." There is a pause before Cristina gets up and muses "Evil Spawn is now Mother Teresa." And this one makes me laugh. Alex glares at me and I peck him on the cheek "I love you." I say "I have a surgery but I'll see you later." He nods kisses me on the lips.

As I walk away I hear the others start to tease him and I shake my head, laughing quietly to myself "children." I Mutter, heading up to the OR floor.

-

That night I got out with Lexie and Jackson to meet the bus rolling in. When we get out there I spot Alex picking up a baby and bringing him down, others following suit. "I need a wheel chair!" he orders and I smile gently, the way he is holding the child and the soft expression on his face makes me excited to start a family with him.

He spots us and waves us over "Lexie! Avery! Come over." I walk slowly over and stand by his side as everyone climbs out of the bus "I'm proud of you Karev." I say turning to look at him, he gives me the biggest grin. "A very long way from that evil intern you were." I muse and we both laugh before jumping into action.