Army Goddess

Chapter 15: Horrible Torture

♤Season 8, Episode 11♤

Angela sighs, thinking about the past two weeks. Teddy has been steadily ignoring her. Yang has refused to tell her anything about what has been happening between the two of them. And with Mark being on the conjoined twins case, she has been lonely and boring. No interesting cardio cases have came in for her, which means that she is alone with her thoughts.

A Karev alone with their thoughts is like leaving a baby alone with legos, the outcome is not a good one.

So instead of letting the thoughts fester, Angela has listened to her therapist and started journalling again. Her journal was almost full, "Damn, I didn't think I had that many problems. I need someone to talk to."

"Are you talking to yourself? That's a sign of craziness," Mark surprises her.

"You done with your part of the surgery?" She asks, accepting the coffee he hands her.

"Yup, first part at least. Beat Avery time wise too," He brags, kissing her, "You journalling?"

She nods, sighing and closing the notebook, "Yeah. I had a small panic attack this morning when I started overthinking and then my therapy session this morning had me recounting some of my time over there. Since I'm at work and can't drink, this was the next best thing."

"Altman still not talking to you?"

"No. It's probably for the best. She's grieving and if she snaps at me, I'd probably retaliate. I just with that Yang would tell me-"

Kepner interrupts them, "Dr. Karev?"

Angela turns to the redhead, "Yes, Dr. Kepner? Is something wrong?"

She starts fidgeting and stuttering, "We-well, uh, it's, uh, it's about Dr. Altman and Dr. Yang."

"What?"

"Dr. Altman had Cristina retell Henry's surgery almost 20 times. The way Dr. Yang is reacting, it's like this isn't the first time she's had to do it."

"I knew something was going on," Angela slams her hand down on the counter in front of her, "Damn it, Yang! Okay, thank you for telling me. I'll handle it."

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Angela walks into the gallery of the conjoined twin surgery to find the fifth year residents all watching. She sees Yang in the front row, "Dr. Yang, can I have a word please?"

"Actually, I'm watching-"

"I don't know what in my tone made you think you had another option. A word. Now," Angela steps back and allows Yang to make her way out into the hallway but stops when she sees her brother smirking and chuckling, "Don't laugh, Karev. From what I heard, you let an old man con you out of a huge part of this surgery. Almost unworthy of the Karev name."

As she walks out, Alex calls after her, "He's a shark, I tell you, a shark!"

Seeing Yang leaning against the wall in a secluded part of the hallway, Angela stands in front of her with her hands on her hips, "Really? Two weeks and you didn't say a word to me? Were you saving them all for Teddy and her sick, twisted torture?"

"I didn't think it really mattered. I have it handled," Cristina argues.

"No. No. You don't. Yes, Henry died on your table, but mine as well. Teddy has no right to be doing this to you and you should have said something. The next time your in surgery with Altman, you page me," Angela tells her. 

Cristina gulps, "It's fine. I'm fine."

Angela shakes her head, laughing, "No, you're not. And that's okay. Cristina, it was traumatic for you to find out that Henry died on your table. Teddy is only making this harder on herself and on you. As your mentor and as your friend, I will not allow this to continue. So, next time you are in that OR with her, not scrubbing in, you page me. Am I clear?"

"Yes."

"I care about you, Cristina. You are my friend. I will protect you however I need to. Trust me. I have your back," Angela puts a hand on her shoulder.

♤♤♤♤

After getting a page from Kepner, Angela quickly moves to her OR. Putting her scrub cap and mask on, Angela opens the door and cuts Yang off, "Dr. Yang, you are dismissed."

Knowing better than to argue with Angela at the moment, Cristina quickly leaves the OR as Teddy disagrees, "Wh-no. You can not come in my OR and tell my residents what-"

"Are you using Dr. Yang surgically? Or as a storyteller? When you are done with this surgery, come find me and we'll talk. But you are done torturing Cristina Yang. If you call her in here again for any other reason than as a surgeon, I'm getting the Chief involved," Angela leaves the OR.

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Sitting in the attending's lounge, Angela watches as the attendings from the conjoined twin surgery come in, "I know you guys just had a super successful surgery, but Dr. Altman is due in here in about five minutes and we are gonna have a huge talk. Anyone who doesn't want to be in firing range better hurry on out."

Owen, being the only one to ever really see them argue, is the first one to change and pack up, "Yeah, I'm gonna go."

Mark looks over to his girlfriend, "You want me to stay? Be supportive?"

"No right now. This is something that has been two weeks brewing."

The other attendings all quickly clear out, Mark kissing Angela once, "I'll be in the daycare with Sofia once you're done."

Teddy closes the door behind her once she enters the locker room, "You had no right to enter into my OR and demand I run things a certain way."

"I had every right to speak up for resident. Dr. Kepner came to me today, feeling unsafe to operate in your OR today. You are torturing residents, and frankly, yourself. This has to stop."

"I lost my husband!" Teddy yells at her.

"I know!" Angela yells back, "I was there. I called time of death. 8:52 pm. If you wanna torture someone, torture me. I was the attending, I should have done more."

"You should have," Teddy cries.

Angela sniffles, "I know. And I'm sorry. But what you are doing to Cristina is horrible. I won't allow you to continue."

Teddy glares at her, wiping her tears away, "I am the head of cardio. You can't tell me how to treat my residents."

"I can when it's horrible. T, I am your best friend. I love you and I know this hurts. I know you want more than anything a person to blame, and I will be that person. But you need to grieve. You need to stop reliving. If you need to scream or cry or punch something or getting drunk, I am there for you. Hell, I'll be your punching bag. Just stop torturing yourself," Angela cries, hugging Teddy who cries into her shoulder.

"He's gone. He's really, really gone."

"He is. I am so sorry, T."

Teddy falls to the floor, sobbing as Angela falls with her. The two women holding each other. Hearing the door open, Angela looks up and sees Cristina poking her head in. Waving at her, Angela encourages her to come in and join the hug.

Looking up, Teddy sees Cristina, "Cristina...I am so sorry for the last two weeks. You did everything that I would have done. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry about Henry," Cristina says, sitting on the floor next to them, but not hugging.

Angela starts laughing quietly, "My therapist is gonna be so happy we got through this. Or sad. I now don't have to schedule an extra appointment with her each week."

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AN: there will probably be some underlying tension between Teddy and Angela still, but their friendship is important and I haven't been showcasing it as much as I should. And Angela being protective over Cristina is mentor goals in my opinion.

This episode had me in my bently feels and reminded me that I could never write a romance or relationship as amazing as Dr. Ben Warren and Dr. Miranda Bailey's.

QoC: Should Angela and Mark break up before the plane crash or stay together until Mark says adios world?

Thank you for all of the votes and comments and reads!!!!