Code Blue | Grey's Anatomy // Book 2 // COMPLETED

84 | Bully

Cancer is a biological bully, always picking a fight, and it'll sneak up on you. It'll wait until the body feels safe, until it feels healthy and strong, that's when cancer will move on in and get bigger and bigger. The body never even sees it coming...because cancer is the master of surprises.


The lobby was packed that morning. Doctors, nurses, pretty much anyone who worked in the hospital was gathered around. "What'd I miss?" Meredith walked over to Cristina and me.

"Owen and Emma are moving in together." Cristina huffed.

"He holds a meeting for that?" Meredith questioned.

"Thank you all for coming." Owen started to speak, "I know you're all busy, so this won't take long. The board has just approved a new non-fraternization policy. This hospital has to be a safe work environment where our focus remains clearly on providing the best patient care possible. Moving forward, all relationships with co-workers will be discouraged. And all relationships between superiors and subordinates is strictly prohibited. You will all receive a copy of the new rules. Your supervisors will arrange meeting to go over the details. And that's it. Let's get back to work."

Conversations started up instantly, followed by many groans and loud sighs. This new rule would not we welcomed with open arms.


"Coming through!" the paramedic yelled as he entered the E.R. with a stretcher.

April and I rushed over, "What do we got?"

"Lisa Campbell, thirty-two, found in an apartment trash chute. Compactor tore her leg up pretty good before it jammed. Lost a lot of blood in the field, but vitals are stable."

"Why was she in a trash-" I started.

The paramedic shrugged, "Foraging for food, probably."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Lisa spoke up, "I'm not homeless. I don't forage. I have a PhD."

"On my count." April announced as we got ready to move her from the stretcher to the bed, "One, two, three. Okay, start her on one gram of cefazolin."

"We need to clean this out." I looked to the patient's leg, "Page plastics."

"All right, Lisa. Is there anyone you'd like for us to call?" April asked as she started to cut the temporary splint away from the leg.

Lisa nodded, "My boyfriend. I was in that trash chute for two days. He's probably worried sick. His name is Ted. If his wife answers, hang up and try again in an hour."

April gave me a look before she removed the splint, revealing a severely cut up leg and pulled apart leg.

As I left the trauma to April and Jackson, I caught up with Cristina, Meredith, and Derek in the hall. "I know. But I will see you before you leave." Derek said to Meredith.

"Where are you going?" Cristina asked.

Derek looked to her before he took off, "Uh, actually, I have another interview with the White House."

Cristina rolled her eyes, "Oh, show-off."

"Hey, you two want to sleep over?" Meredith asked us, "You can help me try and figure out why my research isn't working. And you can help me with the kids. Oh, Ellie...is it too soon?"

I shook my head, "Oh, stop worrying about me like I'm your grandmother about to drop dead. I would never pass up the opportunity to see Zola and Bailey. Baby Bailey, that is."

Cristina clicked her tongue, "Mnh-mnh. Sounds like fraternization."

"We could talk about Owen and Emma," Meredith suggested.

"Oh, what's there to talk about?" Cristina sighed, "They're moving in. Whatever."

Meredith thought for a moment, "I have wine."

"I'll be there." Cristina nodded as she split ways with us.

"Yeah. Figured." Meredith smirked as we entered the lobby. Hearing yelling, we looked up to the balcony and saw Jo and Alex yelling at each other.

"No, I'm not!" Jo screamed. I had no clue what they were fighting about, but they certainly had an audience.

Alex huffed, "Oh, so, what, you're just gonna roll over and let the hospital tell you who you can be with?"

"There isn't a choice!" Jo started to cry.

"There's always a choice!" Alex retorted, "You can choose to make the best out of a bad situation. You can choose to act like an adult. You can choose not to pick a fight in front of the entire hospital. You want to walk around here and pretend like we don't mean anything to each other? Fine. I'll make it easy for you. We don't mean anything to each other, not anymore, 'cause we're done!"

"That is not what I want!" Jo called after Alex as he stormed off, "Alex!"

Once the yelling had stopped, Jo looked down and locked eyes with some familiar faces before running off.

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The sound of owls could be heard faintly as the three of us sat in Meredith's living room that night, drinking wine. "Emma probably keeps a nice home, has window treatments, uses placemats," Cristina said.

"Oh, placemats are overrated." Meredith took a sip of her wine.

"I want him to be happy," Cristina admitted.

I nodded, "That's very big of you."

"I'm enjoying torturing Derek." Meredith referred to the fact that they hadn't had sex in over three weeks, "Does that make me a terrible person?"

Cristina tried not to laugh as she finished off her glass, "Mnh-mnh. It's weird, though. It's really over."

"I'm empty." Meredith looked to her glass.

"Yup." Cristina stood up, "That window is closing. She is gonna give him babies, and then he's gonna be somebody's daddy. And then it's really over."

"But you guys are divorced and seeing other people." I reminded her, "Doesn't that mean it's really over, anyway?"

Cristina grabbed a new bottle of wine from the kitchen before walking back over, "Oh, come on. You guys should know better than anyone that that is not true. But somebody's daddy? You kind of can't get between that."

Just then, the front door flew open and Derek rushed in. "You're supposed to be on a plane." Meredith stood up.

"They called me before I even left to go to the airport and cancelled the interview." Derek closed the front door.

Meredith looked to her husband, "Well, what does that mean?"

"The President dumped him," Cristina spoke up, the alcohol obviously affecting her.

"Shh!" Meredith hushed her.

"You know, I'm out." Cristina grabbed my arm, "We're out. You guys, uh, have, uh, a good night. We're catching a cab. Bye, bye, bye. Kiss to the girls."

Once outside, I offered to give Cristina a ride home since I hadn't actually had that much to drink, but she insisted that she was fine. I tried to persuade her, but Cristina was a tough nut to crack. So, after five minutes of begging, I got into my car and drove home.

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The next day my schedule was completely full of consults and all of my surgeries being pushed due to a boatload of incoming Traumas. Disappointed, I was looking forward to heading home when I got called into another board meeting.

"Really?" Alex stormed into the room, his break up with Jo being fake, "Webber told on us?"

Owen sighed, "None of us want to be here, Karev."

"Then why are we?" Alex challenged.

"You're having a relationship with a subordinate, and that is against policy." Owen explained.

"Can we not talk about my personal life?" Alex asked as Joe, who was sitting in one of the chairs, looked to him.

Owen placed his hands on the table, "I'd love to not talk about it, Alex. But you are making me. Now, I realize that we cannot legislate for romantic feelings."

"Okay, obviously, what you do at home is your own business." Derek cut in.

Callie nodded, "Look, we're just asking that, at work, things remain strictly professional."

"Oh, that's crap!" Alex argued.

"Alex." I tried to stop him.

Alex huffed, "Oh, it's okay for you all to flaunt your relationships and your rings and your...your-your happy, little lives just because you're married?"

"Karev, just sit down." Owen remained calm.

"No!" Alex refused, "I'm not gonna let a bunch of hypocrites tell me to keep my pants on at work when this place was built on all of you feeling each other up in our on-call room! I'm done! Punish me! Whatever!"

With that, Alex turned and left the room. I watched as April and Jackson gave each other a look.

Jackson took a deep breath, "Okay, so, this is not how we wanted to tell you guys this, um, because it could look like we're trying to get off the hook, which we are not. But we-"

"We are married." April finished.

Callie smiled, "What?"

Jackson nodded, "Yes, April is my wife."

"So our supply-closet activity breaks no rules," April stated.

"Since when?" Meredith asked.

"Since the wedding," Jackson answered.

"My other wedding." April clarified.

Cristina sat forward, "Kepner, you continue to surprise me."

"Congratulations." I smiled.

April smiled wide, "Thank you. So, I sh- I should probably go." she looked to Jo, "I'm so sorry. Good luck."

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Walking into Joe's that night, I saw Owen sitting alone at one of the booths. Making my way over to the bar, I ordered a drink before sliding in across from Owen. "Hey, mind if I sit here?" I asked.

Owen looked up at me, his face looking a little sad, "Oh, uh, no. Go ahead."

"Thanks." I took a sip of my drink, "Bet it's been a long few days for you. With this new rule in place and no one agreeing with it."

Owen nodded, "Yeah, it's been rough. Also, April and Jackson married?"

"I know!" I giggled, "Things just move so fast around here sometimes; I can barely keep up."

"I know how you feel." Owen sighed, "Can I tell you something?"

I looked up at him, "No." Owen gave me a look. "Yes." I told him, "Of course, yes. Go on."

Owen took a deep breath, "I broke up with Emma just now. Literally, she left right as you walked in."

"Aww. How come?" I questioned, "Everyone really liked her."

"I think I'm still in love with Cristina." Owen confessed, "That's pathetic, right? I mean, we got a divorce!"

"Would you believe me when I say that I had the same conversation with Cristina last night?" I smiled, "No, it's not pathetic. You know what is, though? The fact that I'm one of the only people in our group yet to be married."

"It's not as great as it sounds," Owen told me.

After an hour or so of drinking, we both stepped outside to get a cab. Once getting one, we drove to my place first, where Owen insisted on walking me up to my door.

"Well..." I unlocked my front door, "It was lovely drinking with you."

Owen chuckled, "You, too."

Sometimes things happen in the blink of an eye, without any reason behind it. Like a kiss. So there I stood on the doorstep of my house at eleven at night kissing Owen Hunt. Moving to Seattle has done one thing for sure...make my life more confusing than I ever thought it could be.


You can try to hide from a bully. But hiding won't work for long. There's really only one way to win. You have to fight back. And if you're lucky enough to get out alive...take just a moment to celebrate...before you put your guard back up, ready to fight the next one.