Paradise-Grey's Anatomy AU Book 8

Chapter Three

"You work, you study, you prepare. Months and years leading to one day. The day when you step up. On that day, you have to be ready for anything. But there's one thing you can never quite prepare for. The day when you step down. Sometimes, it happens in an instant. We step up. We become a leader. We see a path forward. We see a path, and we take it. Even when we have no idea where we're going" 

"don't talk, just hold me closer"

A nurse wrote Shepherd, L on the surgical board.

Meredith, Cristina and Lucy walked down the hall together. "So, what's going on? Anything new on Zola?" Lucy asked Meredith. "Oh, no. We were supposed to hear yesterday, and then yesterday, they said today, so is it up yet?" Meredith replied. "Don't know. You okay?" Cristina answered.

"I have no choice. I'm clipping my first aneurysm today"

"Well, I've got a valve replacement. My valve replacement. Altman just has to shut up and watch. I hope I get a good OR"

"Ooh, me too", Lucy said. "I'm doing a knee replacement". Alex approached them. "Is it up yet?" he asked, before kissing Lucy on the cheek. "Not yet", she said.

"Hey, you heard about Zola?"

"I haven't heard anything", Meredith said. "And she's clipping her first aneurysm", Lucy added. "Are you sure you don't want to start with something simpler?" Cristina asked Meredith. "Yeah, like juggling chainsaws", Alex said. "Oh, thanks. That's helping", Meredith said. Jackson and April came over. "Hey, is it up yet?" Lucy asked them. "It's going up now", April said. "Hey, you heard anything?" Jackson asked Meredith. "Haven't heard anything", she said. "How are you even here?" April said.

"Well, there's nothing I can do, and I have to do something so I might as well do this"

They approached the surgical board. "It's up", they said in unison. "OR 3, yes!" Cristina exclaimed, reading her name. "I love OR 3!" "Bowel resection? I thought you had a Peds case", April said to Alex. "I switched last minute", he said.

"You can't just switch"

"Plastics. I thought you were the Gunther", Cristina said to Jackson. "Wasting all your capital on boob jobs, huh?" "It's a cleft lip. I'm changing a kid's life today", he said. "Look at Kepner, she's fixing a bum knee. Way to shoot for the stars, kid". "Hey, watch what you say about knee surgery", Lucy snapped. "Okay, guys. You also start teaching skills labs today", April said. "I made up a schedule for the month. It's up on the board in my office".

"In your what?"

April opened the door and led them into her office. "When did we get this?" Cristina asked. "We didn't. It's for the chief resident, actually", April answered. "This is good. I can sleep on this", Alex said, sitting on the couch.

"Yeah, I got that on Craigslist. It's mine"

"We got a fridge?" Lucy said excitedly, opening it. Jackson knocked over a plant and picked it back up again. "Okay, guys", April said. "Why is my name on this?" Cristina asked, reading a board.

"These are this month's intern skills labs. Each of you has been given one skills lab to teach"

"No, I can't teach today. I'm on a mitral valve"

"Okay, well, then just switch with one of these guys"

"Aneurysm", Meredith said. "I got a baby's face", Jackson said.

"Guys, come on. I divided these up fairly"

"You come on. Every surgery we do this year could end up the oral boards"

"And they love picking the crappy outcomes", Alex added. "This could affect which fellowship I get", Cristina said. "I mean, it's not just life or death, April. Now it's our careers". "Okay, how's this? Whoever has the worst outcome today teaches all the skills labs for the whole month", Lucy suggested.