𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢, 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 - 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙮'𝙨 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙮 (ON HOLD)

eighty - six - "ellis alexandra shepherd" - eighty - six

"Life doesn't owe us a thing. It just is. Like a river, it goes where it goes. You can try to fight against the current. Or you can learn to ride it. As surgeons, we dedicate ourselves to an endless fight against the current. All day, every day, we fight against the current. Sometimes we lose, sometimes we win. Sometimes, the current carries us exactly where we need to go. And sometimes, it slams us right into the rocks."
-Meredith Grey, S14E18, "Hold Back the River"

"When you’re little and you announce to your parents that you want to be a doctor, they’re thrilled. You practice medicine on your stuffed animals and you dream. The dreams turned to plans: pre-med, med school, residency, fellowship. It takes almost 15 years to prepare to be a surgeon, but no matter how much you prepare, 15 years isn’t enough. We spent our childhoods writing our dreams in diaries. As adults, those dreams quietly come true every single day. Only sometimes, we forget to notice until it’s too late. So slow down and take it in. Let yourself feel it. Because sometimes, even the most beautiful dreams disappear when the sun comes up."
-Meredith Grey, S14E19, "Beautiful Dreamer"

"Adrenaline is the body's response to stressful situations. It's one of many vital chemical compounds our bodies produce that alter our state of consciousness. Oxytocin makes us feel bonded with others. Dopamine makes us more alert and motivates us to seek reward. A lack of serotonin has been linked to depression. GABA, an amino acid neurotransmitter, helps reduce anxiety. And endorphins create a heightened state of happiness. Like the kind we feel when we win. Surgeons can benefit from altered states of consciousness, but only when they're achieved naturally. The lows drive us to do better. The highs of saving a life are the rewards of a job well done. And then there are times when our state of mind is altered and it has nothing to do with brain chemistry. New opportunities open us up to greater possibilities. New information and a new perspective can permanently shift our consciousness and the way we see the world will never be the same."
-Meredith Grey, S14E20, "Judgment Day"

"Bello's from El Salvador?"

"Barely. But if we don't come up with something, they're going to put her in a van, put a bag over her head, and send her back there."

"I don't think that's how it works."

"Still, I need ideas. Don't you know anyone?"

"What?"

"Your dad... he was a drug dealer, right? Isn't there an underground or something?"

"My dad was a drug user. He didn't know crap. You know who you should talk to?"

"You're going to need $1,500. You're going to go to New York, and you're going to talk to a guy named Mikey. I'll vouch for you. Mikey will file a false police report and get you a death certificate. It's usually from someone who died in another country. The tricky part is getting the corpse, but Mikey has some sort of side hustle with the city morgue. That was my Plan B. I legally changed my name, and I moved states. But I was just hiding from a person, not a whole country."

All the interns at Grey Sloan were bummed about Bello's leave to work for Dr. Yang in Switzerland in order to avoid the immigration agents showing up and removing her from the country despite her dreamer status. Though, a buzz was in the air later that week as everyone gathered in the auditorium for Surgical Innovation Prototypes Day. Meredith had been talking about it nonstop around the house and invited Anna to join her for support. And so, that's how Anna found herself at the hospital early in the morning with Bailey and Ellis in the daycare. She had flashbacks of baby Zola crawling around the different colored puzzle piece mats and still couldn't believe she was already off in elementary school.