alaska | grey's anatomy

⇢ CHAPTER 67

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"Okay," Arizona continued, "so we're agreed that the Peds and adult E.R.s will be combined to save on personnel?"

"Yeah." Cristina nodded and everyone else followed in mutters of agreement before someone entered the room.

"I'm sorry, guys." Jackson apologized, walking into the room with folders, a huge binder, and a box of donuts that had yet to be unveiled-- either way, Holly smiled at the sight, "I was running on time, and then my last rounds' patient turned into a crier." He placed the box of donuts in the middle of the table and whispered, "Pow."

Holly held in a chuckle at his sound effect before reaching over to grab two donuts, handing one to Derek-- and with some hesitation, the man eventually grabbed and bit into it.

"Uh," Meredith interrupted the small awkward silence that drowned the room, "we were discussing the reopening of the E.R. and the trauma department."

"Oh," Jackson nodded, trying to find the papers for that in the sea of files in front of him, "yes. Um, I'm not ready for that just yet."

"If you need more time with the material," Derek pointed out after swallowing his bite, "we can go ahead--"

"No, no," Jackson assured, "I've--I've read it. Uh, it's just that the Foundation feels like the E.R. is not a foregone conclusion." His information made the others tilt their heads, "They need a site visit, a chance to look over the numbers. It could be a month before a decision."

"Okay." Arizona released a chuckle as Meredith took a donut and Holly immediately brought her head down as she ate her own doughnut, feeling a conflict arise in her, "The Foundation knows we plan on getting our Level I trauma designation back, right?"

"They know that's the idea," Jackson nodded, "yeah."

"Uh," Callie reiterated, "it's the fact."

"I think we should table this until we can bring in Owen." Cristina shrugged, "Uh, he'll have a lot of thoughts on this, too."

"Yeah--"

"That's--" Jackson interrupted the chorus between the surgeons, "that's the other thing."

"What other thing?" Holly asked, looking between Jackson and the other doctors.

Jackson noticed the looks from the doctors as he cleared his throat, "Okay... since we are starting fresh, the thought is that new leadership would be good for morale."

Holly raised her brows and took a sip of her coffee as Cristina tilted her head, "What, like, uh, Chief of Surgery?"

"Oh," Callie shook her head, "no way."

"Firing Owen?" Meredith frowned her eyebrows.

"Okay," Cristina commented, "we're not firing Owen."

"Okay, well," Jackson nodded, "the Foundation thinks that--"

"Your mother." Callie corrected.

"The Harper Avery Foundation--"

"Your mother, Avery. Just say it."

Holly looked between the two and muttered, "I-I don't think--"

"It's a recommendation." Jackson fixed as Cristina smiled tightly.

"It's an inappropriate one."

"Oh," Callie nodded at Cristina, "tell your mom that. This is bull--"

"And this is going nowhere." Arizona noted, "I have surgery."

"Yeah." Derek nodded at him and Holly, "Us, too. We should get back to this."