Try Again

Homecoming

Heads up: This takes place during season 13. Derek has not died and Callie hasn't gone to New York.

It's Cristina's first day back and unfortunately, bad timing.  The hospital is chaos with an unmanageable amount of traumas coming in. Screams of pain and horror from patients fill the atmosphere and there's no room for panic on behalf of the staff.

Meredith and Cristina walk through the halls like old times. They celebrated over tequila at Meredith's house during the weekend and got totally drunk. Talking through FaceTime and phone calls is one thing but meeting your best friend face to face after years go by is something else. Meredith filled Cristina in on everything that has changed while they laughed all through the night.

"I can't believe you had another one," Cristina says. "You pop those babies out like no tomorrow."

"I know, I know. It was totally unexpected," Meredith responds. "But we're happy. And his flight leaves tomorrow so he'll be back soon." Meredith had to tell Derek the news over the phone because of his time spent in D.C. but he was absolutely thrilled.

"And Ellis? You named her after your mother? I did not see that coming."

Cristina gets paged and looks up at Meredith again. They exchange understanding looks before parting.
"Don't get too great of a case, remember you're not staying here!" Meredith teases while walking backwards.

"Watch it be a valve replacement," Cristina laughs as she makes her way down to the pit.

Entering the pit was a complete and utter maelstrom. A truck crashed into an event downtown and dozens of people were injured. No sense of composure was present and the patients were scrambling with terror. Cristina looked around, trying to find a patient she could possibly get ahold of.

"Yang?" A voice called from behind.

"Cristina Yang?" It echoed again. It was Maggie Pierce.

"Oh, hey. Yes, it's me." Cristina answered.

"Maggie Pierce. I haven't seen you since the interview. To this day I'm surprised you chose me," she nervously continued. "We sure have heard a lot about you since then. Harper Avery, right?"

Cristina smiled. After an incredible amount of dedication and hard work, she was able to finally win one. No words could explain the satisfaction and pride she felt when giving her speech. The moment plays in her mind like a movie.

All it takes is one person, one patient, one moment to change your life forever. It can change your perspective, color your thinking. One moment that forces you to re-evaluate everything you think you know. Do you know who you are? Do you know what's happened to you? Do you want to live this way?

"Yes, just last year."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks... So Meredith's long lost sister, huh?"

"She told you? Yeah, it's a long story." An awkward silence arose between them.

"Are you here assigned to a specific case or just open to taking any? Because we have a lot going o-"

"Dr. Pierce! We paged cardio minutes ago, we need you right now. We believe she'll need an endocardial stripping of the left ventricle."

"Hold on!" She turns to Cristina. "I guess that's me. Maybe I'll see you later?" she suggests before hurrying off.

Cristina forgot for one second that she isn't a fellow at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital anymore. She felt a fleeting sense of disappointment, but then remembers that she is the director of cardiothoracic surgery in Zurich. At this very moment though, she needed to get some blood on her hands.

New faces that she's never seen before tend to the patient's needs. Before she knows it, she's made her way out of the pit, having been no help. The other residents rushed to the scene and trolled for cases long before she arrived, which is no surprise. She remembers the days when she would do the same.

Needing quiet time to collect her thoughts, she looks for a place where no one else would think to go. The vent.