Stitches of Life

Begin the Begin

Chapter Nineteen: Begin the Begin

"Listen up, people, new year, new rules." Webber told everyone as he stood on the stairs, looking around at everyone that had been gathered. "Or should I say, new year, and we will be enforcing the rules mandated by the residency review committee. There were too many mistakes made last year. Fatigue played too big a role. Exceeding eighty hours of work per week will not be tolerated."

"We get to have lives?" Meredith raised a brow at Alex and I as we all stood together.

"I get to spend time with my son." I smiled at the news.

"Or get dirty with a certain cop." Alex smirked.

"Sullivan, you were on call for twenty-eight hours. Leave when you hit thirty." Webber continued. "Grey, you were here until two am last night, see you at noon."

"I get to go? Free time?" Meredith looked surprised at the news.

"Run before he changes his mind." Alex told her.

"Oh, and, people, our nurses are gonna have to work extra hours to compensate, so treat them well." Webber added as everyone began to disperse. "Cranky nurses don't do us any good."

"Oh, well, maybe you can cheer them up." Izzie commented as she and George walked over to where Alex and I were standing. "You know what? My new year's resolution was to let it go, and I am. I have. I've let it go. I apologize."

"You do?" George looked surprised at her.

"I do." She nodded. "How'd your test go?"

"I feel pretty good about it, but I won't know for a few days." Alex shrugged.

"We're all pulling for you." Izzie told him.

"We are?" George frowned.

"We are." I smacked him on the back of the head.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Denny Duquette." Bailey smiled at the man laying in the hospital bed as Izzie, Alex, George, and I followed her into his room, Izzie and Meredith both being sent home do to the rules being enforced.

"Hey, Dr. Bailey." The man, Denny, smiled back at her.

"I hope seeing you here means they finally found you a heart." Bailey said.

"No offense, doctor, but I'm not a big fan of hospitals." Denny shook his head. "It'd take something pretty special to get me in here."

"And what do we know about Mr. Duquette?" Bailey looked around at the rest of us.

"Capricorn, single, loves to travel and cook." Denny said, his eyes trained on Izzie.

"Denny, be quiet." Bailey rolled her eyes at him. "Let her show off."

"Denny Duquette, thirty-six, admitted today for a heart transplant necessitated by a viral cardiomyopathy." Izzie presented.

"And what does that mean?" Bailey tested.

"That his heart is unable to fill and pump blood normally." Izzie told her.

"Good." Bailey nodded. "Denny, this is Dr. Stevens. She'll be tending to you prior to surgery."

"So I guess I'll be seeing you around, Dr. Stevens." Denny smiled at her as Bailey led us out of his room.

"No one enforced an eighty-hour work week when I was an intern." Bailey muttered as she led us down the hall. "A hundred and ten, a hundred and twenty hours suited me just fine. I learned more 'cause I worked more."