Oxytocin: The Head & The Heart || Amelia Shepherd

chapter one: mending

Lydia Reynolds is a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon from Miami, Florida that moved across the country for a once in a lifetime opportunity to work at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Of course she jumped at the opportunity. She had no reason to stay in Florida with her mom gone and her fiancée having left her in the dirt with nothing but a broken heart and a title. Plus, now she could be closer to her younger brother and try to salvage what little relationship they had left. With him being a firefighter at Station 19, they were bound to cross paths and she didn't want to risk it being under terrible circumstances.

Although the hospital had been undergoing some troublesome times as Covid-19 blew through the nation and the residency program being shut down, it was still the place to be. It had some of the most renowned and remarkable surgeons working under its roof and Lydia was ecstatic to get a chance to work with each and every one of them including the one and only, Maggie Pierce. She had looked up to Maggie for quite awhile, she was a literal genius amongst her peers and Lydia was the same. She always found herself wanting to pick Maggie's brain about certain things that she had endured when trying to make it in life as a person with a higher IQ and now would be her chance.

Standing in her empty apartment, staring at the blank walls with no decor or lighting on, Lydia smiled slightly. She had finally made it, a place where she had wanted to be for years now and it was happening at lighting speed. She wasn't due at work until the next morning so now it was time to unpack, unwind, and possibly see her brother for the first time in years. She had to admit, she was terrified to finally see him. It had been so long and she knew things had changed between them. They definitely wouldn't be the inseparable siblings they once were but she had hope they'd be close once again.

Box after box, Lydia unpacked her belongings and began to decorate. Her new home felt as if that's exactly what it was.. a home. She hung her favorite paintings on the wall and color coordinated her wardrobe. She even alphabetically placed each herb on the spice rack.

Time was flying by pretty quickly now and thankfully, she was pretty much done with the housewarming.

She pulled out her phone and typed in her little brothers contact information and dialed until he answered.

"Hello?" He answered, confused as to why he was receiving a call from her.

"Hey Nick.." She responded, trailing off as her nerves settled in. She wasn't sure how he'd take the news of her being in town or if he'd even want to see her after all this time. Things hadn't been left on a good note when he left their hometown while their mother was sick but Lydia never blamed him for it, even she could barely stand to see their frail mother in such conditions.

"Hey Lee. Is everything okay? Something wrong?" He questioned, concern laced in his voice.

"No, I called to tell you that I'm in Seattle. I live here now."

"Wait, what? Really?" He paused, "Why the sudden move?"

"I was offered a job at Grey Sloan and couldn't pass it up. And hey, maybe I just wanted to be closer to my little brother." She chuckled, hearing him chuckle along with her.

"Lee! You've wanted to work at Grey Sloan for years! We have to celebrate!"

Lydia smiled, hearing him say that made her have a huge bout of hope, "We should. I, uh, I don't go to work until tomorrow. Know any good spots around town?"

"Know any good spots? Lydia, I practically know only the best spots." He chuckled, "Okay, there's a bar nearby the hospital, it's called Joe's. Meet me there in an hour."

"Okay, Joe's, yeah, I'll see you then." She said, smiling as she hung up the phone.

She wasn't expecting such a warm welcome from him, it shocked her to say the least but now her biggest worry was what to wear to this bar.