The hum of Grey Sloan Memorial was constant, a familiar backdrop of beeping monitors, the rapid shuffle of shoes on the tile floor, and the low murmur of hurried conversations. It was another day of life-or-death decisions, of high-stakes surgeries, and the relentless pressure of being the best of the best.
Dr. Y/n Montgomery, the new Head of Neurosurgery, fit into that world seamlessly—or at least, she appeared to. Her white coat flared out behind her as she strode through the halls with her signature stiff gait. She kept her head high, her expression neutral, and her words few. The arrogant and distant facade she maintained was in stark contrast to her late predecessor, Derek Shepherd. Derek had been loved—warm, approachable, the hospital's "McDreamy." Y/n was none of that.
But Y/n's best friend, April Kepner, knew better. April had been around long enough to understand that Y/n's cold, distant behavior wasn't who she really was. Beneath that sharp exterior was someone nervous, uncertain—someone who had spent her entire career trying to escape the shadow of her older sister, Addison. Y/n wasn't arrogant; she was terrified of failure, terrified of not being enough.
April also knew that Y/n's walk wasn't the result of arrogance or some haughty stride. No one knew, but Y/n had a paralyzed leg—an injury from a car accident years ago. She wore a stabilizer under her scrubs, allowing her to move and, most importantly, perform surgeries without anyone questioning her ability. It was her secret to keep, and April respected that. She would never betray her friend's trust, even if it meant watching the hospital gossip tear Y/n apart.
Across the hall, at the nurse's station, a group of surgeons had gathered during a rare break between surgeries. Alex Karev, Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, and Arizona Robbins leaned casually against the counter, exchanging stories and complaints in the way only seasoned doctors could.
"Have you worked with her yet?" Alex grumbled, his arms crossed over his chest. "She acts like she's the second coming of God or something."
Cristina snorted, not looking up from her tablet. "That's because she's Montgomery royalty. Addison's little sister. She's got a reputation to uphold."
Meredith took a sip of her coffee, her eyes flicking toward the patient room where Y/n was standing. "She's good, though. You have to give her that. She wouldn't be here if she wasn't."
"Yeah, she's good, but she's a nightmare to work with," Alex muttered. "I asked her a simple question about a neuro consult, and she barely looked at me. Just dismissed me like I was a dumb intern."
"To be fair, you probably were being dumb," Cristina quipped.
"Thank you, Yang," Alex shot back dryly.
It was then that Arizona Robbins chimed in, her voice carrying a hint of exasperation that none of them were used to hearing from her. Arizona, the usually cheerful, easy-going pediatric surgeon, rarely had much to complain about.
"Honestly, she's so frustrating," Arizona said, rolling her eyes. "I don't get it. She walks around here like she owns the place, like she's better than everyone else. The attitude, the coldness—it's just too much."
Cristina raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You sound like you have feelings, Robbins.
Arizona flushed slightly but quickly shook her head. "No, no. It's just—she's so arrogant. She never smiles, never makes small talk. It's like... she's always walking around with a chip on her shoulder. And, I mean, have you seen the way she walks? It's like she's got—"
"Arizona."
Meredith's quiet, warning tone stopped her mid-sentence. Arizona frowned in confusion, but before she could ask what the problem was, she noticed the sudden shift in her colleagues' expressions. They weren't looking at her anymore.
