𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 ━━ 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐤 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝

forty three | beth

"One sparkle pager for a Dr. Cristina Yang."

The woman instantly sits up in Meredith's bed, the covers no longer hanging over her head. I flash Meredith a quick grin before turning to Cristina.

"With the clinical trial failing after failing. . .I haven't been able to really use the sparkle pager." I walk over to the bedside. "It needs a good owner who will actually accept surgeries." And I place the pager in her open palm.

"If I were the kind of person who kissed people, I would kiss you." She looks up at me.

My back falls against the cushioned mattress. "Don't mention kissing to me."

"What's wrong in Fairytale Land where all your dreams magically come true?"

"The clinical trial's been putting a lot of pressure on us, and. . .he bought this bottle of sparkling apple cider to open when we succeed with the treatment of a patient. And it just sits there, taunting us because we can't succeed!"

"Feel better?"

"So much better, thanks."

First thing at the hospital, I have the interns arrange our most promising patients of the clinical trial before meeting Derek behind the nurses' station.

"Patients number twelve and thirteen are. . .Jeremy West and Beth Monroe." I pass out the organized files. "Jeremy has been suffering from grand mal seizures, and Beth's completely paralized on her right side. Your choice as to who we see first."

"Jeremy's surgery is today, Beth's isn't until tomorrow." He reads through the highlighted information. "They're young."

"Makes them more resilient."

----------

"Dr. Grey. Is this him?" Beth greets me with a knowing smirk as her parents help her into the hospital bed.

"Him?" Derek turns to me with a similar expression, although it doesn't reach his eyes.

She adjusts the pillow behind her head. "Oh, you know, she has a pet name for you. The Seattle Grace Brain Butcher."

"Beth." Her mother lightly scold. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, no. That's fine. That's fine." Derek reassures the family of three before shaking each of their hands. "Hi, I'm Dr. Shepherd. Nice to meet you."

"So, come on. Tell me, how does this work?" Beth questions.

Her father is quick to speak up. "You're going to inject a live virus into her tumor? And that's safe?"

"The virus is still in testing stages." The neurosurgeon discloses. "I've made some adjustments that I hope will destroy the tumor."

"Hey, tumor destroyers." She nods her head in approval. "I like that."

"Has this ever worked before?"

". . .no."

"So, I'm your lab rat."

"Beth."

"I'm just saying if this works, my name will go down in the annals of some medical book. That's kinda cool." Beth glances up at her dad.

"Not if I beat you to it."

The five of us look towards the door to see our other clinical trial patient, Jeremy West.

"Jeremy."

"You know each other?"

"You didn't call. I thought you backed out."