trauma [m.s]

viii.

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no one believes that their life will turn out just kind of okay. we all think we are going to be great. and from the day we decide to be surgeons, we are filled with expectation.
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"hey, george, how's your dad?" chloe smiles, turning to the intern as they, along with the four other interns, walk through the ped's ward.

"uh, he's good. the whole family is here," george tells her with a lighthearted chuckle. "he has another surgery tomorrow."

chloe gently squeezes george's arm as they turn into their patient, heather's, room, where callie is already stood waiting.

the bathroom door then opens, and a teenage girl walks out, her back bent at a permanent 90 degree angle.

"you okay, honey?" her mother, rhada, asks, walking over to her daughter.

"yeah. can you just help me..." heather groans.

"mm-hmm," rhada nods helping her daughter back to her bed as the interns all stare at her.

"scoliosis?" meredith guesses in a hushed voice.

"looks like a birth defect," cristina furrows her brow.

"looks like hell," alex remarks.

heather grunts and sighs as she is seated on the edge of her bed and chloe steps forward to help settle her onto the bed.

"what are you all staring at?" heather snaps at the interns. "really, if you're expecting me to be the brave and heartwarming differently-abled girl, that isn't gonna happen, so go ahead and do your thing."

"may i?" chloe gestures to heather's hospital gown and rhada nods in approval, allowing chloe to unbutton the gown in order to display heather's spine. "stevens?"

"heather douglas, 17, past medical history of vater syndrome," izzie steps forward to present.

"which is?" chloe turns to her as callie steps around the bed to look at heather's spine.

"vater syndrome is a genetic condition that affects the vertebrae, anus, trachea, oesophagus, and renal system," izzie tells the attending.

"wow. give this girl a medal. she memorised the whole acronym. which i assure you is a hell of a lot easier than living with it," heather rolls her eyes, and izzie's mouth falls slightly open as chloe buttons heather's gown back up.

"stevens," chloe presses when the intern remains silent.

"right. um, heather is- is in today for lithotripsy to remove kidney stones and a thoracoplasty to alleviate pressure on her lungs," izzie continues presenting the case.

"can i ask- i- i know i'm just supposed to be here to remove a few ribs, but i'm wondering if you've ever tried anything more radical to treat the spinal curvature?" callie chimes in.

"let's see. if by 'more radical', you mean having a steel rod inserted into my spine, then, yeah, we've tried," heather's voice is laced with sarcasm as she moves to sit back on the bed with the help of her mother. "the rod just bent."

"removing the kidney stones may seem minor, but it will really improve your quality of life," izzie attempts to reassure her.