Paradise-Grey's Anatomy AU Book 8

Chapter Eighteen

"We have a phrase in the operating rooms: don't pet the lion. It means, no matter how nice a tumour looks, how small it is, how perfect its margins may be, it's still a tumour. It's still dangerous, and it can bite. We've all heard the warnings and we've ignored them. We push our luck, we roll the dice, we play with fire. It's human nature, when we're told not to touch something, we usually do even if we know better. Maybe because deep down we're just asking for trouble"

"hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling"

Aurora was pouring coffee and she and Owen reached for the milk simultaneously. She let him take it. "Aurora, it's been a week", he said. "At some point, we have to talk". She didn't answer and just made her way to the bathroom.

"A lion? An actual lion?" Lucy questioned as Meredith told her story. "Looking at me like I was lunch", Meredith replied.

"Are you sure it wasn't a mountain lion, or maybe a well-fed cat?"

"I was staring at Simba"

In a crowded elevator, Derek was holding Zola and talking to Mark. "It walked across the road, right in front of us", he said. "I feel like Julia and I are at a crossroads", Mark said. "It's been five months. Maybe it's time to take the next step and ask her to move in".

"Did you hear what I said? It was a lion"

"You like Julia, right?"

The doors opened and they got out. Kelly stood in the corner of the elevator, thinking about everything Mark had said.

In Teddy's research lab, Teddy, Cristina and Beck were ready to start working. "So I dissect out and remove the animal cadaver hearts", Cristina said. "Then I insert them with the catheters and begin injecting them with the solvent". "Correct. And, Jacobs, why do we do that?" Teddy asked. "To drain the hearts of their existing cardiac cells so all that's left is their extracellular matrix", Beck explained.

"Like stripping a house down to its frame only. We are scrubbing away cells of hearts, actual hearts. We are wiping them clean till they're blank. And then in theory, when we inject them with stem cells..."

"They'll live again"

"Let's grow ourselves some new hearts"

Alex came in. "Dr Altman, I traded with Kepner. I'm on your service today", he said. "Are you up on my patients?" Teddy replied. "Karev? Karev, can you focus?"

"Yeah. Sorry"

"That's the ER. Let's go. Happy scrubbing"

She left with Alex, leaving Beck and Cristina to continue the lab work.

Kelly caught up with Derek in the hallway. "Are you gonna tell Mark to move in with Julia?" she asked him. "I mean, what do they even really talk about?. You know, she sews eyeballs for a living. It's gross. I mean, plus, she has really thin hair, which can be a sign of early menopause".

He shook his head.

"We don't talk about stuff like this"

"We don't talk about stuff like this"

"But could we?"

"I'm not gonna tell Mark what to do. He's probably gonna move in with her no matter what I say. Unless he knew he still had a shot with you. Mark's happy with Julia, so only do something if you really want him back and not just because he's with someone else"

Owen took Beck out of the lab to talk to her. "Aurora's not talking to me", he said.

"She'll come around eventually"

"I know you know"

"Huh?"

"She walks away every time I try to talk to her, so just let her know how sorry I am. I wish I could take it back, if I could. It was just sex"

"Wait, stop"

"I wish I could stop. I mean, I don't relish discussing my own personal failings with you, but..."

"You cheated on Aurora?"

"You didn't know?"

"No! Oh, my God. I can't believe you. I thought you couldn't get any worse but you've managed to stoop so low you're practically underground"

"Beck..."

"I have to talk to Kelly"

"Wait, don't..."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not done with you yet"

"Beck..."

"Stop talking to me. She knew we would hate you, she didn't want us to hate you. Do you know what that means? It means she's planning to forgive you or she's desperately trying to find a way to forgive you. And it doesn't matter if it was just sex. She didn't want us to know, okay? And now I do, so don't"

Kelly got into the elevator where Mark already was. "Lobby?" he asked.

"Lobby"

They stood in silence until the doors opened. "Parking lot?" he said.

"Parking lot. You know what? I forgot that I have some charting to do, so have a great night"

She pushed the elevator button and he nodded, walking off.

Owen came home, holding a take-out bag but Aurora was sitting at the table eating cereal. He sat down across from her and started unpacking his food. She stopped eating her cereal and launched the bowl at his face. She watched him calmly as milk and cereal dripped from his face. 

hope you enjoyed! comment your opinions! song is the lion sleeps tonight by the tokens