Before We Turn to Stone

Season 16, Episode 19: Love of My Life

"You will remember

When this is blown over

Everything's all by the way.

When I grow older

I will be there at your side to remind you

How I still love you (I still love you)."

* * *

"I hate these things," Alex grumbles. He resists the urge to tug off his tie and throw it into the milling crowd in the hotel lobby. 

"Really? I kind of love them." Maggie is all fresh-faced and dewy, her eyes sparkling.

"You love sitting around listening to self-important blowhards try and convince each other they're the smartest nerd in the room? I don't know why I had to come; Hayes is here, there's no reason for both peds chairs to attend."

"Besides the fantastic company," Maggie jokes, pretending to be offended.

Alex rolls his eyes. "You're fun, Pierce, you're not that fun."

"Where's your sense of wonder?!" she demands. "This is like a science fair and the Olympic village, all wrapped up in one – minus all the sex, obviously." She folds her hand around his elbow and sweeps her hand through the air like she's reading a marquee. "The Surgical Innovation Conference! All the best nerds coming together to show off how smart they are and hopefully make a ton of money doing it!"

Alex grins at her reluctantly, mostly just because he can tell how hard she's been working to cheer him up: sharing her trail mix on the plane, cracking jokes on the Uber ride to the conference, offering to buy him a commemorative T-shirt. He doesn't know if Mer put her up to it or if he's really just that much of a sad sack, but either way, he appreciates the effort.

"So what do you want to do first?" Maggie pulls the agenda out of her purse and scans it eagerly. "Richard isn't presenting his PathPen until tomorrow, but there's an R&D panel in half an hour, or an alternative medicine presentation, or a heart valve happy hour."

"That one," Alex says immediately. "Free booze."

Maggie chuckles and puts the agenda back in her bag. "Perfect. Follow me."

* * *

The hotel bar is nice: sort of gilded and modern, lots of sparkly light fixtures and mirrors. Alex avoids the crush of cardio surgeons who are all exchanging creds and sidles up to bar. He finally gives up the ghost and loosens his tie, then orders a beer for him and a merlot for Maggie, who stepped away to say hi to a colleague she knows from the conference circuit.

He pulls out his phone and quickly snaps what is probably only the second selfie he's ever taken. He taps out, Made it to LA, and sends it.

A few seconds later comes the response.

Ritzy place. Nice tie, Dr. Karev.

Thanks. Did you ask them?

Alexis wants a seagull. Eli says a surfboard. Sooooo let's go with t-shirts for both.

He laughs. Sounds good, he replies.

Have fun. Talk tonight?

Talk tonight.

"Checking in with Jo?"

He starts as Maggie takes a seat on the stool next to him. "No, uh..." He slips his phone back into his coat pocket, then nods his thanks to the bartender who has just delivered their drinks. "Actually it's... my..."