On Call | Grey's Anatomy // Book 3 // COMPLETED

9 | The Harper Avery Award

"Do they know where we are?" Owen asked as we stood outside the hospital waiting for Cristina's cab to pick her up.

"I was very specific," Cristina assured him.

Meredith crossed her arms over her chest, "Well, I hope this cab doesn't make you miss your flight."

Just then Meredith's pager went off. "Oh, god." Meredith huffed as she grabbed the device, "Oh, my bypass patient's in V-Fib. I got to-"

Seconds later my pager went off as well for the same patient.

"Go, go, go, go." Cristina told us, "Save a life."

Meredith smiled, "Okay, good luck."

I nodded, "Knock 'em dead."

"Okay, thanks." Cristina watched us take off.

Rushing back into the hospital the two of us made our way to the O.R. where the patient was waiting for us. Without wasting a second we started the surgery, as we didn't have a lot of time.

Seemingly finishing the surgery in record time, the two of us bolted out of the O.R. and towards the lounge to grab our luggage. "There you guys are." Owen huffed as the two of us took turns changing in the bathroom.

"We had surgery." I told him, "Can you really blame us for saving a guy's life."

"Let's just go." Owen huffed once we were ready, "The cab's here."

Walking out of the hospital and piling into the cab, Owen turned to the driver and took a few seconds to put his seat belt on. "Airport." Owen breathed out and the vehicle started to move.

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Music played softly over the speakers as people started to enter the large room. Owen, Meredith, and I sat together at a table, dressed as nice as we had been in a long time. "Where is she?" I tried to search through the crowds of people.

"Oh." Meredith looked down as her phone went off, "It's her. Cristina?" she answered the phone, "Where are you? Are you at the table?"

Seconds later Meredith placed the phone back down. Looking up at the doors through the heads of people who were already seated, we saw Cristina walk through the doors in her black dress, looking as beautiful as ever. She stared down at her ticket before finally making eye contact with us as we stood up.

Cristina's face washed over in confusion for a moment before a huge smile replaced it. Walking over, she sighed in relief. "Owen." she gave him a hug before making her way over to us, "Oh, thank you. Thank you."

"I finished my speech." Cristina told us as the four of us sat down, "I have it right here. It took me six hours in a middle seat with a mini bottle of overpriced tequila, but it's gracious and not braggy. I think you'll like it."

The audience erupted with applause as Catherine Avery herself took the stage. Moments later silence filled the room and Catherine began, "Surgery is the boldest and most fearless of the healing arts. The Harper Avery award celebrates those who have destroyed the obstacles, altered the direction, and invented the future of how we are to live and heal and thrive. The surgeons in this room are redefining medicine for generations to come. And so I am very pleased to announce this year's winner. The Harper Avery award goes to...Dr. Ronald Myers, Johns Hopkins Hospital."

My head snapped in the direction of Cristina and I watched how her face stayed the exact same, while also changing completely. Before she was optimistic, ready, and focused. Now, she was destroyed. She brought her hands up and clapped, a small smile on her face. She had lost.


Surgeons are trained to go it alone, to be solo artists, to be mavericks, both in and out of the O.R. But the truth is, we are never alone. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We stand side-by-side with the colleagues who have supported us, prepared us...for the moment that every surgeon lives for...when it all comes down to your training, your choices, your wits, your hands, your stitch...when it all comes down to you.