SHE | alex karev

chapter forty nine

"Billie." He ran to her aid. "You're freaking out. We both know what happens when you freak out: you overthink. If you overthink, then you're gonna mess up. So relax! I know it's probably no help at all that I'm saying this to you, but trust me, you'll like having a brother. And you're just... you're perfect the way you are, okay? You don't have to act any differently for him. He'll love you either way." Billie smiled softly. "Now get changed, we gotta head out."

"Yes, sir." She did an army-salute, satisfied with his response.

☆

With her hands on the pockets of her lab coat, Billie walked into a purple-lit skills lab, where Mark was growing skin flaps. When he heard the door open, he turned and smiled widely at the sight of her.

"There she is," he said, maneuvering his instruments over the growing skin flap in front of him.

"So this is it, huh? I'm impressed, babe." She nodded in genuine surprise.

"Amazing, right? Pulled a couple stem cells from the baby in utero. Six weeks later, I have grown skin. Like God."

"Like God, indeed." Billie smiled, but then touched the following topic with apprehension. "I heard Addison's back, yeah? How's that?"

"Oh, she was just here, actually. It's good to see her again, LA seems to be doing her fine." Mark smiled, then turned to the younger girl. "Anyway, why don't you lock the door and we tear one off right here, right now? It's been a while since the last time we did it."

"Jesus, Mark." Billie chuckled. "I'm not sleeping with you."

"Why not?"

"Well, I-" she began, but then swallowed thickly. "-have a boyfriend?"

"Wait, what?" Mark's head whipped in her direction, shock taking over his expression. "Since when? Wait, are you back with Karev? Oh, God, what is it about him that's got you so crazy? Is he, like, I don't know, hung or- or what?"

"What? Alex is not hung!" Billie laughed amusedly, but immediately shook her head in regret. "I- I mean, he's, uhm- he actually kinda is hung, from what I can... remember, but that's not the point! I'm not dating Alex, it's not him."

"Then who is it?"

"Just-" She gulped. "-someone. I gotta go."

"You're running away from your problems!" Mark exclaimed as she fled the room in a hurry.

"Isn't that what I do best?" she retaliated.

☆

"Wanna talk about it?"

Billie had noticed Jay staring longingly at Robbie from across the room, sad-stricken features that lacked all sorts of discretion. Ever since she had caught them in the scrub room, the resident hadn't been exactly informed on the status quo of whatever the hell had happened, but it's not like she hadn't been meaning to ask. She even had a few possible theories to it.

"What?" Jay frowned at the words, snapping out of her daze and immediately craning her back in presence of her boss and role model.

"You wanna talk about the weird staring you got going on with Keys or you just... wanna keep on with it and feel miserable for the rest of your internship?" Billie arched an eyebrow in query, watching as her intern shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

They stood in silence for a second before Jay finally sighed in defeat. "Well... you like girls, right?"

"Yes, I do. Why?"