𝙸𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙲𝙸𝚃 𝙰𝙵𝙵𝙰𝙸𝚁𝚂 - 𝙶𝚁𝙴𝚈'𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙾𝙼𝚈

𝟷𝟹

NOTE: What the fuck do you mean I haven't updated this story since January oh my god I am so sorry, I did not realize writer's block was kicking my ass this bad. Double update to make up for it AND WE'RE FINALLY DONE WITH SEASON ONE AFTER THIS EVERYONE CHEER.

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S1 E9

The knowledge that her mother was on the next flight from New York to Seattle was the only thing Angie could hold on to to keep herself from spiraling. After she'd gotten off the phone, she remained pressed against that wall for a long while, slowing her breathing and leveling her blood pressure. Finally, after several bouts of counting and wondering if stealing someone's Xanax was worth losing her job, Angie peeled herself away from the wall and numbly made her way through the hospital.

Derek and her father had both vanished from the MRI scan room, but Angie easily found the former at the nurse's station, handing his patient rotation off to a different neuro attending. When he spotted Angie striding toward him, his eyes widened imperceptibly, but he didn't get a chance to say anything before Angie was grabbing his arm and tugging him into an empty exam room and shutting the door behind him.

Angie took a moment to ensure the door was locked and no one would come bursting in before she turned to face Derek again with a soft sigh. She looked him up and down for a long moment while he stood there, eyes flitting between her and anything in the room he could shield himself with.

Then, without saying a word, her fist shot out, slamming into Derek's shoulder. He let out an immediate groan of pain, coming up to clutch his shoulder as Angie huffed with newfound relief.

"That was for lying to me about my dad," she grumbled, shaking out her hand. Derek winced, still massaging his shoulder, but sighed in acceptance.

"Fair enough," he muttered back as Angie ran her hands down her face, beginning to pace the length of the exam room.

"Alright. Mom's on her way, we have the scans, I'm sure Dad's being very picky about his operating staff...what's the plan?" she demanded, turning to Derek expectantly. Derek only stared back with a raised eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest.

"The 'plan'?" he echoed, slow and doubtful. Angie nodded back as if it was obvious, still pacing back and forth.

"Yes, Derek. The plan. For when we cut into my father's brain and make sure we don't hit his frontal lobe or that he won't lose his eyesight—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Derek cut in quickly, stepping forward. "We are not doing anything. I am going to do this surgery, and you and your mother are going to sit in the waiting room like a normal family does."

Angie's jaw fell open in disbelief, and she froze in her pacing to look Derek dead in the eyes. "You're joking, right?" she scoffed, but Derek remained firm.

"You, of all people, should know that family doesn't operate on family."

"I...Derek, this is completely different!"

"I actually don't think it is."

"He's my dad!"

"Which is exactly why you can't be there," Derek insisted. "You are a terrifyingly talented surgeon and an incredibly intelligent woman. But you...how do I say this?"

Angie's brows narrowed at him, and she folded her arms in front of her chest. "I'm what?" she demanded. Derek watched her for a moment, clearly turning his words over and over in his head.

"When you get worried, you tend to be very..."

"Passionate? Determined? Focused?"

"Bitchy," Derek declared finally. "You turn into a raging bitch that puts every socialite in the Upper East Side to shame. And you're a huge pain in the ass, but that's typically an every day thing."