Stitches of Survival

Start Me Up

This chapter is dedicated to @meredithsyang

Chapter Six: Start Me Up

*~*~*~*

"What is this, everybody got paged?" Jackson asked.

"It's that time of year again. The chicks have hatched." Alex grinned.

"Is that some sort of a code?" April frowned, just as lost as Jackson.

"Those chicks." Alex nodded at where Webber and Lexie were leading a group of medical students towards us as we joined the rest of the residents at the nurses' station.

"Oh, first-year med students." Cristina sighed. "Too dumb to find the toilet."

"Good morning." Webber greeted all of us. "Behind me stand the interns and residents of tomorrow. Today you will show them what it's like to be a surgeon. When you go into surgery, they go into surgery. When they have a question, you will answer."

"It's like court ordered community service." Cristina muttered under her breath, making Meredith and I chuckle.

"I'd rather be picking up trash off the side of the highway." Meredith whispered back.

"Fred Wilson, you're with Dr. Yang." Lexie started to list off the pairs. "Kira Donnelley, with Dr. Grey. Hudson Powell, with Dr. Watley. Laurel Pinson..."

"Mine." Alex whispered hopefully when they saw how attractive the woman was.

"Mine." Jackson shook his head.

"Laurel, you're... with Dr. Karev." Lexie informed the woman. Edward Taylor, Dr. Avery. Kim Peterson, you're with Dr. Kepner."

"Mr. Powell." I smiled at the young man as he walked over to join me.

"Dr. Watley." He shook my hand.

"I'll be picking my chief resident in a few months..." Webber spoke loudly, making all of us look over at where he was speaking with Cristina. "And you're still a prime candidate."

"The race for chief resident is on?" Meredith questioned.

"Sine when?" Alex asked.

"Uh, how long have you been evaluating us?" April frowned.

"Since your first day here." Webber said.

*~*~*~*

"I mean, I get it. She's got a hang-up about me being perfect." Arizona told Mark, Alex, and I as we all stepped out of the elevator, Hudson and Laurel following behind us. "You know, everything comes easy for me, and I don't have any flaws, and now that I've clearly made a mistake, she's just gonna pound the crap out of it."

"So you don't think you're perfect?" Mark laughed.

"No. I have lots of flaws." Arizona shook her head. "I'm competitive, I'm a workaholic, I smoke when I'm stressed. It's disgusting."

"Well, I'm sure she'd love to hear all those, along with any other real faults you come up with." Mark said.

"You were that guy on Seattle Med, right?" Laurel asked Alex. "The one who made a trachea from scratch."

"Well, stem cells, not scratch." Alex said, making me roll my eyes. "But yeah, that's- that's me."

"Badass." Laurel complimented him. "I'm really interested in regenerative medicine."

"Yeah?" Alex looked impressed. "I'll show you a bladder we're growing in the lab after rounds. Ladies first."

"You're her teacher, Alex." I reminded him.