DINNER & DIATRIBES. . . JACKSON AVERY!

chapter thirty-four: poker face

"Fifth year is the hardest year of your residency. Every surgery you do will go on your record, the wins and the losses." Owen tells them all, standing in their lounge. Meredith walks in while he's talking, joining Briar at her bench. She's wearing pink scrubs, since she's been on an OB rotation at her own request. "In just a few months, you will . . ."

Owen goes on to talk about their boards while Meredith asks what she missed, and Jackson leans in to whisper to her, his hands landing on Briar's shoulders to steady himself.

"You're OB now?" He questions, his breath tickling Briar's neck and making her shiver. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen, huh?"

"I dare you to say that to Addison Montgomery." Briar whispers back, smirking when his face falls. "I'll call her right now."

"Please don't." Jackson hisses, shaking his head frantically and almost making Briar laugh.

"She misses Zola. Her uterus hurts." Alex tells Jackson, grunting when Briar punches him in the stomach.

"Oh, leave her alone, dirtbag." Cristina defends, turning around and giving him a disgusted look before turning to Meredith. "You are embarrassing me."

"I'm getting to deliver babies. I'm making life, you know."

"Yeah, you know what? You're making me gag. Okay, slumming it in OB for a few weeks is okay. Whatever. But wearing the vagina squad scrubs in public? It's–ugh. We have standards, Meredith!"

"It is extremely important that you rack up as many good outcomes as possible for your boards." Owen is telling them, and Briar perks up. "I am implementing a system. I will receive an email if any of you exceed more than ten bad outcomes in your O.R. Ten–any more is unacceptable. Welcome, Dr. Kepner."

Briar pats the spot next to her, and April drops down in it, panting.

"Sorry. I got stuck in the lab with Bailey." She explains in between breaths, looking exhausted. She's helping Bailey with the diabetes trial, since Webber passed it onto her. Bailey had asked Briar, Alex, and Jackson for their assistance, but they had all turned it down. Briar is too busy trying to max out her surgery hours for both of her desired specialties, along with studying for the boards.

"I don't care where you were. I care that you already have, let's see . . . two bad outcomes in your O.R." Owen tells her, holding up his tablet while April's eyes widen in horror.

"Ooh." All the residents gasp, making Briar snort even as she grabs one of April's hands.

"Loser." Alex makes fun of her, causing Owen's focus to narrow in on him.

"Of course that's nothing compared to Karev's impressive five bad outcomes." He announces, while April turns and laughs mockingly in his face.

"I keep getting dud patients. We all have bad outcomes." He defends, but Owen shakes his head.

"Not all of you, actually. Maybe you should ask Sinclair for advice, since she has zero." He suggests, and Briar shrugs when Alex looks at her with betrayal.

"The point, people, is to keep your bad outcomes to a minimum, or you will be hard-pressed to find a fellowship next year." Owen continues, ramping up the panic in the room.

✦

"Briar, I need you to move back in." Lexie rushes out as soon as she sees Briar, reaching out and tugging her to a stop. "Seriously, like, today. I need you to move back into Meredith's today."

"Uh, why?" Briar asks, amused at the panic on her face.

"Because Derek has complained about you not living there five separate times today, and I can't take it anymore. Also, I miss you, but Derek really misses you."