CODING ━ grey's anatomy

chapter three

"That bad?"

"Worse than bad," she shook her head, taking a step back from the curb as a stray bicyclist sped closely past her. "Like, I'm from Bed-Stuy, and they're too loud for me, kind of bad."

Her cellphone pinged, and she flipped it open.

Grinning at the text she'd recieved, she quickly began typing back, choosing to ignore how Derek stared over her shoulder at what she wrote. After spending a solid thirty seconds typing no more than 10 words—absentmindedly, she prayed that one day they'd invent a touch-screen for these things—she hit send.

Derek nudged her arm. "How's he doing?"

That was the pressing question; how her step-father was doing, or more specifically, how his heart was doing.

Physically, and metaphorically.

Cassie had lost her mom not even a year ago, but she'd been prepared, as the cancer was a long fight. But her stepfather? He'd lost the love of his life and was at risk of losing his own life, all before the age of 50.

"He's... fine. Sent me a picture of a cat."

"He got a cat?"

"No, I think it lives at a bodega."

Derek hummed, shifting back and forth on feet. Another bicyclist sped by, and Cassie pulled him back from the edge of the curb just in case. Footsteps sounded from behind her, and she looked down to see Bailey waiting to cross the street as well.

"Well, either way, send him my best—"

"Shut up."

Their gazes snapped towards Bailey.

"Excuse m—"

"Shut. Up."

Cassie wasn't sure why a conversation about her sick stepfather warranted such a rude request of silence, but it was Bailey asking, and so she didn't bother questioning it. The last thing she needed was to be put on scut for something as stupid as talking.

Derek didn't have the same qualms.

He tilted his head, oblivious to the fact that Bailey was clearly not listening to a word he said. "You realize that I'm an attending and you're only a resident, right? That you work for me?"

(When the older woman started to mumble to herself, Cassie began to wonder if she was suffering from a psychotic break.)

The crosswalk remained red, and Cassie was beginning to become wildly impatient at the long wait.

"I know I've forgotten something... something is happening today... I know I should know what it is... but I just can't... remember..."

Blinking at her, Cassie and Derek shared a look.

"Alright..." Derek drawled, "Nice talking with you, Dr. Bailey. Great conversation."

Slightly concerned but far too tired to do anything about it, Cassie sent her resident a half-smile, before turning back to face the road.