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

ninety - six - "herman/robbins center" - ninety - six

"Almost half of this country doesn't go to the doctor when they should. Many don't have access but a lot of others, they just don't want to because they don't believe anything is actually wrong. Most patients put off facing the truth for as long as possible. And we get it. We do it, too. We ignore things. we stay under the covers. We don't pick up the phone. We don't face the music and all that crap. But the longer we hide, the worse it can be. So open the test results. Have the hard conversation. Say what you mean. Good or bad. You may be surprised at what you find. And at the very least, you'll know what you're dealing with."
-Meredith Grey, S16E11, "A Hard Pill To Swallow"

"The human body is a terrible liar. Whatever secrets it's hiding, it will tell them all eventually. Leprosy, chicken pox, tuberculosis, HIV, we can carry these for years with no physical symptoms. But given enough time, the signs will always show up. The real question is, what are your body's secrets? And are you ready to know? When the body reveals its secrets, there's no turning back. The good news is, when the truth is out, you'll know what you're dealing with. The bad news is, it might already be too late to do anything about it. At that point, all you can do is hope you're ready for what comes next. Hope it isn't over. Hope to be saved from loss and pain and despair. And most of all, hope that there's something left to save."
-Meredith Grey, S16E12, "The Last Supper"

""I needed more time." I can't tell you how often I've heard surgeons say this after losing a patient. We think in time. We talk in time. Doses per day. Life expectancy. Take two and call me in the morning. And what is a heartbeat if not a ticking clock? A clock that's always counting down. The heart beats until it can't. Our limbs move until they don't. Our brains imagine futures we'll never see. We're struggling to overcome a simple, inescapable truth: everything ends. But for every clock that counts down, another restarts. Time goes on, and when one thing ends, something new always begins."
-Meredith Grey, S16E13, "Save the Last Dance for Me"

"We give children stickers and lollipops after they visit the doctor. We congratulate them for putting on a brave face. Needles in their arm. Strangers inspecting their bodies for signs of illness. "Here's some candy, kid. Try to smile." We do it to adults, too. It's considered impolite to discuss your cancer diagnosis at a dinner party. You're supposed to smile, make small talk, suck on the invisible lollipop. Because for some reason, someone decided a long time ago that naming pain is impolite, that hiding it and hiding from it makes more sense. It doesn't. It's a lie. A lie that both comforts and destroys us. A survey showed the typical adult says "I'm fine" 14 times a week. But less than one in five of them means it. Our default is to put on a brave face. But sometimes it's braver to admit something's wrong. Because pretending everything's fine eventually catches up to you. And when it does, you better hope you can repair the damage that's already done."
-Meredith Grey, S16E14, "A Diagnosis"

One month passed, then two, then before everyone knew it, four months had passed by since Anna and Owen joined Alex and Richard at Pac North. Not to mention, Anna was officially a medical school graduate. Her actual graduation ceremony would be in a few weeks, but her years of hard work were finally paid off. She couldn't believe it.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Alex leaned back in his big, comfy chair behind his desk, throwing the little foam ball to Anna as she entered his office.

Anna caught the ball, tossing it back to him while taking a seat, "Okay, chief. Shoot."

"I know Grey Sloan means a lot to you," Anna caught the ball, listening to him, "Even more when it was Seattle Grace, and I know Shepherd left a legacy there, but how would you feel about doing your internship here? Then, you'd be free to go scouting hospitals where ever you wanted."