Shooting Stars

CHAPTER 20

Steve is not a lip reader. None of the interns are lip readers. You have to wait for the attendings to vote, just like we did when I won."

Bailey stood in front of them all with her arms folded, looking deeply unimpressed by the collective desperation of the residents around her.

Cristina looked up immediately. "You won your solo surgery?"

Bailey turned slowly toward her.

"I'm going to pretend you did not feel the need to ask me that, Yang."

The room went still.

"Of course I won," Bailey continued, her voice sharpening with pride. "I was good. I didn't cut LVAD wires or put my hand in bomb body cavities or have my interns operating on themselves. I was special. I was young, gifted, and Black, and everybody knew it."

No one dared interrupt.

"The attendings knew it. The Chief knew it. I didn't have to act like I could read lips." Bailey's eyes swept over all of them. "I just did my work. Calmly. And waited for my name to be called."

There was a beat of silence.

Then Lexie came hurrying in, practically breathless.

"It's done!"

Everyone turned toward her.

"Whatever, Helen Keller," Alex muttered.

Aria smacked him across the back of the head without even looking at him properly.

He winced. "Ow."

"No, I'm serious," Lexie said, eyes bright with excitement. "The Chief sent me. They made their choice."

Immediately the residents around her surged upright, all restless energy and nerves and excitement.

Chairs scraped.
People moved.
Voices started all at once.

Alex stood too, then turned when he realized Aria hadn't moved.

"Are you not coming?"

Everyone seemed to look at her then.

Aria glanced down at the pager in her hand, the smallest smile flickering at her mouth as it buzzed again.

"I'm not bothered about the solo surgery," she said simply. "And I'm needed in the NICU."

She slid off the counter and walked away before anyone could challenge her on it.

Bailey watched her go with a look that was difficult to read.

Alex watched her longer.

Because he believed her — mostly.

Aria really did love peds.
She really did care more about medicine than competition.

But he also knew there was something else underneath it.

Something quieter.

Something she hadn't said out loud.

⸻

Elsewhere, Meredith walked with Sadie, already regretting it.

"Tell me everything I need to know about Karev," Sadie said, glancing sideways at her.

Meredith frowned. "Why?"

Sadie shrugged. "I'm his intern. He seems cool enough at your house."

Meredith looked at her for a moment, instinctive suspicion rising immediately.

Because no matter how much she was trying to make peace with Sadie being here, no matter how much she was trying to believe this time would be different, Meredith still knew Sadie.