❝𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐋'𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃❞ ɢʀᴇʏ·s ᴀɴᴀᴛᴏᴍʏ

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

back, and with some stuff with me :)

"How is pancreatic divisum treated?" Addison asks absentmindedly, turning the pages.

"Ha, that's a good one. Dorsal duct sphincterotomy. So, Meredith's stepmom of sorts died the other day. Must be hard on her, Susan was such a good woman. Sometimes she would buy our groceries and do our laundry, can you believe it? She was admitted for hiccups and next thing I know she's having surgery. There were complications, according to what Bailey said —I didn't want to ask Mer, this is a difficult subject for her— and Mer was the one who told her father. It turns out he blamed her for Susan's death. He railed against her because Susan trusted her enough to come to Seattle Grace," Maddox relates, popping some chips into her mouth. "Today is her funeral. She came willing to attend, but it's a tough situation, isn't it? Your father abandoning you to have another family, and that woman being so nice? It must have been hard for Meredith not to hate her."

Maddox gradually stops talking when she sees Addison peering at her over the top of her glasses. "You guys have weird lives —today's exam day and all you can do is gossip?" Addison takes off her glasses and Maddox smiles a little. "I don't know if I should be worried or really impressed."

"It's not gossiping. It's telling my girlfriend everything that goes on in my life. Or my friends' lives. Anyway, go on."

"Okay, girlfriend," Addison points out, smiling but sweetly. "What is the most common cause of diarrhea in hospitalized patients?"

"C. Diff, which can cause toxic megacolon, perforations, sepsis and death. It's what killed Susan Grey," Maddox mentions and her smile fades a bit.

Addison looks up, impressed. "These are Torres' study cards. You've gotten every single one of them right —what are you, some kind of child genius?"

"You know when people say that gifted kids usually show their abilities early and so they impress at a young age, but then years go by and they get the hard blow of realizing that their talent as a child was just a phase and when in college they can't even remember how to form a simple sentence?" Addison nods, listening intently. "Yeah, that didn't happen to me. It's just that I retain more information than the rest. It also helps that I have a good memory."

"Okay, now you're just being a smartass."

Maddox hops down from the break room countertop with a grin. "I'll prove you wrong when the test results come in. If I've read about the question before, chances are I know the answer."

Addison rolls her eyes as she walks out of the room with Maddox at her heels. "All this confidence will bite you in the ass if you don't study at all. You're a doctor, you're obviously smart, but this is the most important exam of your life."

"Okay, mom," Maddox drags out the last word, bored. "What's in it for us today —another massive casualty? Life-threatening heart surgery? An extremely rare case of glass bones?"

"No, no and no," Addison replies. "Besides, the Chief has made it clear he doesn't want the interns around. Put them away until they leave were his exact words."

"Tough crowd today," the brunette mutters, sniffling. "I'm going to find me a study buddy. Have fun today, I won't." Maddox yells down the hallway, trying to incite an embarrassed reaction in Addison that she definitely gets as people turn to watch their exchange of words. Maddox walks away laughing as Addison avoids the stares of her peers.

"Good morning to you too," Derek smiles beside her, as if appearing out of nowhere. "I love seeing people embarrassed, especially Addison. You're confident in your knowledge then?"