Shooting Stars

CHAPTER 13

Aria jumped up onto the counter beside Mark, balancing easily as she sat there swinging one leg, her chart tucked against her lap while they all waited for the hospital's new teaching rankings to be uploaded.

There was a kind of restless energy in the room, the sort that only came when all of them cared too much and wanted to pretend they didn't. Residents and attendings hovered nearby, trying to look casual while very obviously waiting. Bailey stood at one computer. Mark leaned beside another. Meredith, Cristina, and Alex were all close enough to pretend they weren't invested and far too close to be convincing.

Aria, for once, was actually in a good mood.

Not because of the rankings, though she cared. Not because she'd slept much, because she hadn't. But because she'd spent the morning in peds before this, and there was something about babies — their tiny fingers, sleepy sounds, the softness of them — that always pulled her out of her own head a little.

Meredith looked up at her from where she stood near Bailey. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

Before Aria could answer, Mark grinned.

"She's getting some."

Aria smacked the back of his head immediately.

Mark yelped. Meredith snorted. Cristina didn't even bother pretending not to listen.

"That is not the reason," Aria said, rolling her eyes. "And if it was, it would be none of your business."

Mark looked deeply unconvinced.

"And babies have me in a good mood," she added, smile returning just slightly.

Across the room, Alex looked up at that.

He didn't say anything, but Aria felt it anyway — his attention settling on her for a second too long before he looked away.

Things between them had been strange ever since the kiss.

Not bad.

Not exactly.

But careful.

Too careful.

They'd barely spoken unless it was work-related, both of them dancing around that moment like ignoring it might somehow make it smaller. Izzie, of course, had noticed almost immediately. She kept watching them both with far too much curiosity, like she was waiting for one of them to combust.

Aria shifted on the counter and looked back at Bailey. "So? Has it been uploaded yet?"

"Not yet," Mark answered for her, glancing up at the screen.

Aria gave him a small nod of appreciation.

Then her pager went off.

Of course.

She checked it, sighed, and hopped down from the counter. "Well. That's my cue. See you later."

She slipped off before anyone could drag her into more waiting, heading toward the peds wing with the easy, practiced pace of someone who didn't need to think about where she was going.

Behind her, Alex watched her leave.

Again.

And hated that lately he seemed to do that a lot.

⸻

By the time Aria stepped into the trauma room, Betty was already there — frightened, disoriented, and asking the same question she'd apparently been asking every few minutes since arriving.

Betty's husband was on another bed nearby, and before Aria could even speak, Betty's eyes landed on him.

"That's Vincent!" she cried, immediately trying to move toward him.