No Time | Grey's Anatomy // Book 1 // COMPLETED |

73 | Scar

"Fifth year is the hardest year of your residency." Owen told us as we gathered in the lounge, "Every surgery you do will go on your record, the wins, and the losses."

Just then, Meredith walked in wearing pink O.B. scrubs. "What did I miss?" she asked, sitting down beside us.

"You're O.B. now?" Jackson asked her, "Oh, the mighty have fallen, huh?"

"She misses Zola." Alex spoke up, "Her uterus hurts."

Christina turned back to the boys. "Oh, leave her alone, dirtbag." she said before turning to Meredith, "You are embarrassing me."

"I'm getting to deliver babies." Meredith defended herself, "I'm making life, you know?"

Cristina nodded, "Yeah, you know what? You're making me gag. Okay, slumming it in O.B. for a few weeks is okay. Whatever; but wearing the vagina squad scrubs in public? It's...ugh. We have standards, Meredith."

"It is extremely important that you rack up as many good outcomes as possible for your boards." we focused on what Owen was saying again, "I am implementing a system. I will receive an email if any of you exceed more than ten bad outcomes in your O.R. Ten...any more is unacceptable. Welcome, Dr. Kepner."

Owen greeted April as she rushed in late. "Sorry. I got stuck in the lab with Bailey," she said.

"I don't care where you were." Owen sighed, "I care that you already have, let's see...uh, two bad outcomes in your O.R."

"Ohh." everyone joked.

Alex smiled, "Loser."

Owen turned to Alex, "Of course that's nothing compared to Karev's impressive five bad outcomes."

"Oh!" April grinned.

"I keep getting dud patients." Alex tried to make up excuses.

Owen shook his head, "Tell it to your board examiners. The point, people, is to keep our bad outcomes to a minimum, or you will be hard-pressed to find a fellowship next year."

"Who are you texting?" Meredith looked over Cristina's shoulder.

Cristina smiled as she looked up at Owen, "Who do you think?"

Just then, Owen's phone went off. Looking at it, he sighed, "Uh, Dr. Yang, are you sure that you're getting all this down?"

"Mm-hmm." she nodded, "Bad outcomes are bad, which is why I have zero so far. A perfect record I plan to continue during my ortho rotation this week. No one dies during a hip replacement."

"Let's hope." Owen finished the meeting so we could all get to work. As we all stood up to get to our patients, Cristina stopped me. "Who are you with?" she asked.

"Altman and Karev." I groaned.

Alex walked over, "Hey, Altman's not that bad. She never loses patients."

"Oh, I know." I told him, "It's you I am groaning about. You better not rub any of your bad luck off on me because I only have, uh, how many bad outcomes?!" I shouted the last part.

"Only two bad outcomes for Forrest!" Owen yelled seconds later, as if on cue.

"That's only three less." Alex scoffed as we walked out of the room.

I turned to him and stuck out my bottom lip, "But, Alex, that's three lives. Three mothers, or fathers, or brothers and sisters that you killed."

"It wasn't me!" he shouted as we split ways so I could go grab the patient's chart, "They were dud patients!"

About ten minutes later I walked into my patient's room where Teddy and Alex stood waiting for me. "Sorry, I'm late." I handed Teddy the chart, "The nurse's station was backed up with everyone getting their charts."

"Not a problem. We just got here ourselves." Teddy told me before motioning for Alex to start the presentation.

Alex nodded, "Chuck Cain, seventy-one. Came into the E.R. last night after a syncopal episode. The scan showed a narrow aortic valve that we will replace during an open-heart procedure."

"Open heart?" Chuck asked, sounding a little worried as he tossed the remote for his T.V. aside.

"It's a safe surgery. Don't worry." Alex assured him.

Chuck took his glasses that he had been wearing off, "I don't care about safe. I care about the scar. How big?"

Alex thought for a moment, "Ten inches at most."

"Ten?" Chuck folded his glasses up and placed them on the table to his right, "Nope. Not doing it."

We all shared a worried glance. "Trust me." Alex sighed, "A-a scar is a small price to pay for how much better you're going to feel."

"How old do you think I am?" Chuck asked.

"You're seventy-one," Alex said for a fact because that's what his chart said.

Chuck nodded, "Because you read the chart. But if you didn't, you'd say sixty, right? Look, I'm in incredible shape, and the ladies agree. But look, the minute you open up my chest, I'm done. There's no more meeting women at the pool with a scar like that. I mean, all they'll see is a future of doctor's appointments, hospital visits, and...and bad sex. So, no. No open heart surgery."

"Look, Mr. Cain-" Alex started.

"We'll investigate alternatives." Teddy cut Alex off as she smiled at Chuck."

Chuck seemed pleased. "And get me a decent pillow while you're at it." he ordered, "My ass has got more cushion than this thing."

Teddy gave him one last smile before the three of us left the room. "Wow, this man is high maintenance." I sighed.

"Yeah." Alex agreed, "Well, let's go find some alternatives."

"I'm right behind you," I told him as I followed him down the hall.