"I don't know. When I left, Cristina said she was okay," George tells the three.
"Nobody goes what she went through and is totally over it by now," Izzie countered.
"Cristina can," George stated.
"If she says she's alright, we should believe her," Emma offered with a shrug.
"She's fine," Meredith adds.
"Too fine. She's cold," Izzie replies.
"Oh, she's always cold. Leave her alone," Emma tells them waving her off.
"No, she's hardcore. She's got ice in her veins. She does what she has to do to get through it," George says.
"She lost a baby. She lost a fallopian tube and she's acting like she doesn't even care. She's all 'Hello, I'm a totally fine person.' Okay, she's my friend too but she's acting like she has no emotions or warmth, like she's missing a soul," Izzie rants.
"Those are just some of Cristina's characteristics," Emma replied, a hint of frustration in her voice.
"God, she's going to make a great surgeon," George remarked.
"George!" Izzie exclaimed, disapproval lacing her tone.
"It's true. You show no weakness, you make it to the top," George replies.
"Cristina and I handle things similarly," Emma declared, rising from her chair. "We prefer to keep our emotions private. Excuse me, I need a drink."
--
During morning rounds, Bailey addressed her interns with a stern expression. "I want everyone focused today. With Cristina out, we're short an intern and I have a feeling it's going to be one of those days. And Karev sees the chief by the end of the day," Bailey declares to her interns while making rounds.
"What for?" Karev questioned, a furrow creasing his brow.
"Do I look psychic to you?" Bailey retorted. "He's the Chief. He asked. You go."
Meredith leaned towards George,"what did he do now?" Meredith whispers.
"Maybe he gave the chief syphilis," George quipped, a mischievous glint in his eye, as they enter the patient's room.
As they entered the patient's room, they were greeted by a lively story. "So we're in the middle of the Belizian jungle and this jaguarondi jumps out and bites one of the guides," the patient recounted, gesturing dramatically. "They all look at me. They're yelling, 'You're a doctor, help me!' This is one time a PhD does no good."
""I'm sorry, did I miss the bell for social hour?" Bailey interrupted, her voice dry. The crowd dispersed sheepishly.
"Tales of missionary life," the patient explained with a smile.
"You're a missionary?" Izzie asked, surprised.
"Like the position?" Emma whispered to Meredith, who tried to stifle a laugh.
"No, my parents," the patient chuckled. "We traveled a lot. They still do."
"Oh wow. This stuff looks great," Izzie commented, eyeing the artifacts on the table before catching Bailey's disapproving look. "Ummm, this is Dr. Burke's patient, Kalpana Vera—"
"Kull-Punna," the patient interjected, her voice laced with a foreign accent. "Named by the villagers in Nepal."
"Uh, she presents with multiple syncopal episodes and ventricular arrhythmias," Izzie continued, regaining her composure.
"So you've been passing out?" Bailey asked, directing her question to the patient.
"Yeah, and having palpitations," the patient responded, nodding.
"Past medical history of rheumatic heart disease with mitral valve stenosis," Izzie informed them.
"They had to ship me from Zambia to the states for three months of treatment when I was eight," Kalpana explained. "Rheumatic fever almost killed me."
"Dr. Stevens, what are the primary causes of ventricular arrhythmias?" Bailey inquired.
Izzie opened her mouth to start but was interrupted.
"Valvular disease, mitral valve prolapse, stimulants, drugs,and metabolic abnormalities," Cristina answers for her standing in the hallway, with a hospital gown and holding her IV stand with the IV in her arm. Everyone stares at her in silence, "What."
"Out!" Bailey boomed, her voice echoing down the hallway.
"I'm fine," Cristina argues.
"Out! You better be in your room by the time we round on you," Bailey decares.
"And when will that be?" Cristina asks.
"In 15 seconds." Bailey starts to count down, "14, 13, 12, 11,"
Cristina, with a determined push, turned the IV stand and began to wheel herself back towards her room. But the loose hospital gown gaped open in the back, revealing a glimpse of her underwear. A collective snort of laughter erupted from the interns.
"Nice panties, Yang," Alex teases.
Cristina grabs the back of the gown.
"In your dreams, Evil spawn," Cristina retort closing her gown as she walks off.
--
They all enter Cristina's room where she was on her bed and her mother was on the couch.
"Cristina Yang, three days post-op from a unilateral salpingectomy," Meredith announced, her voice professional.
"And ready to get back to work," Cristina added defiantly.
Helen's eyebrows shot up. "Is she, though?"
"I'm taking solids and my pain is controlled with oral meds. I'm ready," Cristina nods.
"Didn't the nurse mention a fever this morning?" Helen pressed, her gaze flickering to Bailey.
A beat of silence hung in the air. Cristina flushed a faint pink. "Mom..." she groaned.
Bailey's gaze sharpened. "Cristina, did you have a fever?"
"Temp spiked to 101 last night. Big deal," Cristina says rolling her eyes.
"She pulled two double shifts with the flu last month," George piped up helpfully.
Cristina shot him a withering look. "Thank you, George," she muttered.
Bailey's expression remained stern. "Appreciate the dedication, Yang, but you're on bed rest until your temperature normalizes."
"I keep telling her that there's more to life than surgery and career," Helen, Cristina's mother sighs.
Emma leaned towards Meredith, a playful whisper. "She's the complete opposite of our mum, right?" Meredith stifled a giggle, nodding in agreement.
Cristina shot her mother a mock glare. "Go reupholster something, would you?"
"Look, I need you to relax, shut up and get better. You're a patient this week so you can be a doctor next week. Understand?" Bailey declares at her before the interns left the room and started heading to the next patient.
The interns filed out, heading to the next patient. Emma lingered behind, a sugary smile plastered on her face. "Uh, Dr. Bailey, have you had your... morning coffee yet?" she inquired, her voice dripping with faux concern. "I could fetch you a muffin? Miranda? Dr. Bailey? Momma B? Best. Doctor. Ever?"
Bailey rolled her eyes, a small smile betraying her facade. "Alright, alright. Go get me a blueberry muffin. And make it snappy."
"You're the best!" Emma chirped, scurrying off before Bailey could change her mind.
--
Hiii:) so sorry it's been a while! Getting closer to the holidays! Sorry it's a short one today.
