Emma sat down on the bench in the viewing room watching over Georges's surgery. Izzie looked at Emma and asked, "Do you think he'll be okay?"
Emma nodded, her eyes focused on the surgery below. "George is in good hands. Dr. Bruke knows what he's doing. Just trust the process."
The door opened and Meredith walked in. She walked in front of Emma and grabbed her hand pulling her away into the corridor.
"What's up Mer?" Emma said looking at her concerned.
"Derek is a doctor here," Meredith whispered shakingly.
Emma raised an eyebrow, trying to process the information. "Wait, Derek? Seriously? Do you mean, McDreamy Derek? Well, this hospital just got a lot more interesting." She couldn't help but add a playful smirk, lightening the mood despite the unexpected revelation. "You're totally fucked, wait actually that's what you did yesterday," Emma added with a wink.
"Emma, where's my sympathy?" Meredith hissed
"Emma grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Sympathy? Mer, you're a Grey. We don't do sympathy; we do dramatic life events and conquer them with sass and a touch of sarcasm. Now, let's go back and witness the magic in George's surgery. Derek's presence can wait."
They walked back into the viewing room and sat down.
"He's going to faint. He's a fainter," an intern said
"Naaah, code brown for sure right in his pants," another one replied.
"He's all about the flops, he's going to sweat himself unsterile," another intern added.
"Ten bucks says he messes up the McBird," a fourth intern said.
"Twenty says he cries," Cristina joined
"I'll put twenty on a total meltdown," an intern said.
"Fifty says he pulls the whole thing off," Meredith said. Everyone in the room turned to look at her and Emma smiled at her. "That's one of us, down there. The first one of us. Where's your loyalty?" she said. There was a tense pause in the whole room.
"Seventy-five says he can't even ID the appendix," Cristina interrupted.
"I'll take that action," Izzie agreed and Meredith shrugged rolling her eyes and Emma put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Burke said something to George and then picked up his scalpel.
"Here it comes," Meredith said. They all cheered as George walked over to the patient on the table. Burke motioned for them to shut up.
George cut the patient open with precision. The sterile scent of the operating room enveloped him as he skillfully navigated the layers of tissue, exposing the appendix. His movements were deliberate, a dance of practised expertise, and the room hummed with focused concentration.
As George delicately removed the inflamed appendix, the room held its collective breath, and for a moment, the only sound was the gentle whir of machinery.
"Told you he could do it," Meredith smirked.
However, just as he lifted the problematic organ free, a sudden, loud beeping noise reverberated through the operating room.
The abrupt noise startled everyone, and George's eyes widened in a mix of surprise and concern. The beeping seemed to echo, demanding attention amid the otherwise controlled environment of the surgery.
"Uh-oh, what's that sound?" Emma quipped, breaking the momentary tension with a touch of humour.
Izzie, her eyes darting between the surgical field and the monitors, spoke up, "It's the heart rate monitor. The patient's heart rate just spiked."
The beeping persisted, filling the room with urgency. George, with a furrowed brow, continued to work swiftly, determined to address the unexpected complication. The surgical team, though momentarily thrown off balance, rallied around him.
"He's choking," Cristina said.
"Come on, George, you got this," Meredith encouraged, her eyes fixed on the monitors.
"That's a 007," an intern said.
"007?" Izzie asked
Emma, keeping her eyes on the monitors, took a deep breath before responding to Izzie's inquiry about the code. "It means patient not breathing, Licensed to kill" she explained matter-of-factly.
Meredith turned to Emma with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "God, Emma, you really have no filter, do you?"
Emma shrugged, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Why sugarcoat it? We're in a hospital dealing with life and death. Might as well call it what it is."
--
The day unfolded with the relentless rhythm of a busy hospital. Emma, caught in the delicate dance of balancing personal and professional dynamics, continued to work alongside Meredith on Katie Bryce's case. As they delved into the medical intricacies, the hospital corridors whispered with secrets, both shared and hidden.In between consultations and tests, Emma couldn't shake the awareness of her newfound connection with Arizona. The supply closet encounter lingered in the back of her mind, a clandestine thread woven into the fabric of her day.
Amid the medical urgency, Emma seized a moment to step outside Room 102, seeking a breath of fresh air. The hospital rooftop offered a temporary escape from the intensity below. Leaning against the railing, Emma pondered the complex web of relationships within the hospital.
Her reverie was interrupted by the appearance of Arizona Robbins, the pediatric surgeon who had become an unexpected part of Emma's world. Arizona's presence stirred a mix of emotions, and their eyes locked in a silent acknowledgment of the uncharted territory they now navigated together.
"Everything okay?" Arizona inquired, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern and curiosity.
Emma nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Just taking a moment. It's a lot to process, you know?"
Arizona's gaze softened, understanding the weight of the situation. "Yeah, it is. But we'll figure it out."
As Emma shared a condensed version of what happened with Arizona, they found themselves joined by George, who seemed to appear at the opportune moment. He greeted them with a friendly smile, blissfully unaware of the nuances at play.
"Hey, what's going on?" George asked, his eyes darting between Emma and Arizona.
"Just a moment of contemplation on the rooftop," Emma replied vaguely, exchanging a subtle glance with Arizona.
George, sensing the unspoken tension, decided not to pry further. "Got it. Well, if you need a break or someone to talk to, I'm here."
As George walked away, leaving Emma and Arizona to their shared complexities, the rooftop encounter became a pivotal moment. The bond between Emma and Arizona, now entangled in the intricate tapestry of Seattle Grace Hospital, hinted at a story yet to unfold in the bustling corridors and quiet corners of the hospital.
