season 3 episode 6
veronica watched on with the others as cristina ordered around the woman writing on the or board, before she moved her out of the way and began writing on it herself. she ignored the others bitching as she watched on. sure, she thought it was suspicious and burke didn't seem like the type to let sex dictate his work life, so she was pretty sure something else was going on. but it wasn't her business.
cristina bailed on drinks with meredith and veronica because she had to study for a surgery.
veronica sighed, "i'm going to just go to bed early then, no offence mer, but i am dying here."
veronica's early night didn't happen when meredith woke her up to talk to her about derek being with another woman.
"that mcbastard. i bet she wasn't that tall and hot, you probably imagined it. in the moment, because you were hurt or some shit like that. anyway, he's a mcbastard and his perfect hair doesn't change that."
"you're right."
"ditch mcdreamy, he's not worth it, even if the sex is great. get a vibrator, take yourself on a date, boom, he's replaced," veronica advised.
"ronnie!"
"what? it's true."
---
izzie was back at work and veronica, although still sightly annoyed at the whole situation, was glad she was back. surgery was what she enjoyed, so she should be able to do it. as long as she didn't cut anymore lvad wires.
turns out she was shadowing one surgeon a day, that day was meredith's, who happened to be with veronica that day.
izzie was rambling on about being fine with the pair being the boss of her for the day, when she bumped into a man with derek.
"dr stevens, welcome back," he greeted. "meredith. meredith." he was trying to get her attention to talk to her in private.
"sorry it's not like i can leave. i gotta stay by my bosses side," izzie joked.
"and i don't wanna leave," veronica added, shrugging.
it was then that a woman joined them, the woman who had been in derek's trailer.
"okay, the trailer sucks, but in the light of day the land is nice. seattle's pretty in the daylight. plus you have your thing for ferries," the woman told.
"ferry boats," meredith and derek corrected at the same time.
"right, whatever."
"meredith, this is my sister nancy," derek introduced.
"sister? you're one of derek's sisters?" meredith questioned, obviously relieved.
"well, i knew you didn't think i was the wife, seeing as how you already ran her off," she commented.
"you mean the one that cheated on derek and that meredith didn't know existed?" veronica defended. "talk about being a-"
derek quickly interrupted her, "nancy is visiting from connecticut. she's on her way home now. straight back home."
"well it was nice to meet you," meredith spoke.
"okay."
"yeah, i can't say the same thing," veronica told with a smile.
with that she walked off with meredith and izzie.
"mcdreamy's sister is mcbitchy," izzie joked.
veronica laughed.
"and so is ronnie, apparently," she added.
"oh please, i just gave her back what she was giving. she was being a bitch so i was a bitch back."
she shrugged again, not caring if nancy didn't like her.
---
veronica bumped into mark on her way to her patient.
"oh hey, dr sloan," she greeted.
"sweetheart, hi." there conversation stopped when he called out to someone. "nancy-pants."
"oh god, her again," veronica muttered.
"oh you," nancy spoke.
"don't be mean to my friend and i won't be a bitch," veronica replied before walking away.
she went straight to lunch in really old guy's room. she was playing cards with george and meredith. meredith won pretty quickly before going to talk to derek because george had spoken to callie. they had some deal, they wouldn't talk to either of them.
---
veronica watched as george packed for a camping trip with derek, richard, and burke. alex had messaged her before saying he was also going and veronica knew george didn't know and she didn't say anything. she wanted the chaos.
she had been given the leftovers of the treats izzie had baked. she was quietly eating them as they left.
---
"derek's camping. taking time, getting space," meredith spoke as they stood staring at the or board.
"prestons do not go into the woods. a guy named preston is going to get his ass kicked by a squirrel," cristina told.
"it's basically a slumber party. we do it inside, they do it outside. that's the only difference," izzie added.
"plus ours are more fun. we have warmth and internet and tv," veronica muttered.
mark approached the four, "have you seen what's his face?"
"you mean alex karev," veronica replied, rolling her eyes at him. "you should probably learn his name if he's going to be on your service."
"i know your name, sweetheart, isn't that enough?"
"no. plus you call me sweetheart not my name, so how do i know you're not lying? anyway, his name is alex, learn it."
"poor bastard seems to get a thrill out of tagging along after me," he said, ignoring what she had said.
veronica scoffed, "he's camping."
"well in that case how would you like to get a thrill out of tagging along after me?" mark flirted.
"gross. please don't flirt with me. besides, dr bailey makes the assignments."
"dr bailey says it's fine," bailey informed as she approached. veronica stared at her. "go."
veronica huffed, "fine, but i won't be happy about it." she walked off with mark.
they went into the elevator. veronica glanced towards him.
"okay, before you start, there are rules to this friendship thing or whatever. and they're long overdue," she started.
"there are rules?"
"yes. number one, no flirting. second, no talking about derek and meredith, that's none of your business. and c, no giving me the face. go it?" she listed.
"the face..."
"the mcsteamy face. it doesn't work on me. i'm immune," she finished.
"you know, if i had gone off to the woods, i'd have invited you to keep me warm," he responded.
she stared at him, "breaking rules one, two and three. god. if i had known you would be like this i would have never offered my friendship."
"i'm hurt."
"shut up."
he began to ask about meredith and derek, she tried to dismiss at much as possible before they walked into a patients room, where the conversation ended.
"my knight in shining poly-cotton," one of the women spoke as they walked in.
"good morning, donna. vicky. how was the trip?" mark greeted.
"smooth, perfect," donna answered.
"speak for yourself," vicky muttered.
"she's still having some penis issues," donna told.
"i'm sorry...am i missing something?" veronica asked.
"i think you're missing the fact that dr sloan is planning on removing my husband's penis this afternoon," vicky informed.
veronica nodded, "oh and your husband is?"
donna spoke up, "right here."
"oh hi, nice to meet you," veronica smiled holding out her hand for her to shake.
mark handed her the file to read.
"donna gibson, 34, in for sexual reassignment surgery," she read out. "okay, essentially, today we are inverting her penis?"
"you know the steps for a vaginoplasty?" mark asked.
"yes."
"well if you want to get in on this surgery- did you say yes?"
"yes. i had a friend who was raising money for bottom surgery, or a vaginoplasty as you called it, so i looked into what she was looking at having done," veronica explained. "i wanted to understand it better."
donna raised her eyebrows, "really?"
"yeah, she never did raise the money for it but a woman can have a penis just like a man can have a vagina. she kind of came to terms with it, unlearnt all the transphobia that had been jammed down her throat."
veronica sent a smile to donna, who seemed more comfortable around the younger doctor.
"we just need to run a few pre-op labs. make sure everything's in working order," mark interrupted.
"then surgery today?" vicky sought.
"big day donna. you excited?"
"excited doesn't begin to cover it," donna answered.
mark took her hand, "you're gonna do great."
veronica smiled slightly at the scene in front of her before the pair left the couple alone.
"you never fail to surprise me, veronica," mark complimented.
veronica paused slightly, "you just called me veronica."
"and you never failed to use the right name and pronouns," mark replied. "and know the steps of a vaginoplasty."
"all things that should be respected. what am i gonna do, deadname them? fuck off am i gonna be that ass."
"what about the surgery?"
veronica shrugged, "i'm a loyal friend. i don't know. i like learning and i like supporting my friends."
veronica spotted cristina and meredith as she was walking, she excused herself to rush over to them.
"guess whose removing a woman's penis today?" she exclaimed.
"you got an srs? seriously?" cristina spoke..
"she's one of sloan's patients."
"oh that should be me. i should be turning a penis to a vagina. That should be my penis. just because sloan has a crush on you," cristina complained.
"sloan does not have a crush on me! he likes flirting, that's it. i just happen to be there," veronica denied, pushing her lightly. "and have boobs."
cristina glanced at her chest, "you do have good boobs."
veronica smiled, "thanks."
---
when izzie complained about "heal with love" sydney being her peer councillor, cristina used it to get out of fishing through a patients poo.
veronica was standing, waiting for some labs back.
"i'll trade you," a voice called out.
"vicky," veronica greeted, grabbing her coffee.
"insurance forms. donna gets the surgeries and i do the forms. super fun," she informed.
veronica sat across from her, "well, you seem to be handling this remarkably well."
"well i left at first. when she- when he told me." veronica frowned as she spoke. "you plan a life together you know? kids and... suddenly that's all out the window. suddenly your husband is this other girl in your house who's borrowing your eye liner and waxing her legs."
"but you came back, why?"
"honestly, right now, i have no idea. i'm really going to miss the penis."
veronica smiled before going back to the form she was filling out.
---
veronica stared at the labs in front of her, hating what she was seeing. she was waiting for sloan, to tell him the news.
"hey, sweetheart," he greeted.
she sent him a weak smile, handing the labs over without a word. it was just her luck to have to tell someone they had breast cancer and to be on yet another case involving it so soon after the other. it was still fresh to her. she took a deep breath and went with mark to inform donna of the horrible news.
"i'm sorry donna, the labs don't lie," mark informed.
"breast cancer?" donna asked.
"i'm sorry, i'm really- the needle aspiration showed abnormal cells in your tissue. rare, but it happens," mark explained.
"so the hormones i've been taking have been feeding the breast cancer?" donna questioned.
"yes, that's why we need to stop the hormone therapy and start the treatment."
"or the cancer will get worse. the operation?"
"there would be no point. once we stop the hormones your breasts will shrink, your facial hair will grow back," mark told.
"she'll be a man again," vicky concluded.
"she will have a more masculine appearance yes, but that doesn't take away from the fact she is a woman," veronica answered.
"what if we do the operation? i keep taking the hormones, what then?" donna sought.
"donna you really want to treat this now while it's still in its early stages," mark advised.
"so, if i keep taking the hormones?"
veronica sighed, "you'd be feeding the cancer."
"i could die? are you saying if i become a woman, i could die?"
veronica glanced to mark, hoping he would answer as donna was staring at her to answer.
---
veronica was sat at the nurses station, filling in donna's file, "so what happens with donna now?"
"she goes back to being an unhappy man who's stuck with a penis. there are millions of us out there," mark replied.
"you're unhappy with your penis?" veronica asked.
"i could be a lot less unhappy." veronica stared as he gave her the mcsteamy face.
"breaking rule three," she sing-songed. "plus donna won't be an unhappy man, she'll be an unhappy woman, outward appearance has nothing to do with gender, she is a woman. that's how she identifies."
mark nodded, "you're right. which is why you should-"
"i'm gonna stop you there. you're making the face again, which means inappropriate comment, which means i don't wanna hear it," veronica interrupted.
she was smiling as she spoke. mark sloan was nowhere near as bad as she originally thought he was.
"dr sloan?" vicky spoke as she approached. "you have to talk to her, she wants to go through with the operation."
veronica watched on as mark tried to convince donna to stop the hormones and the surgery. vicky decided because donna was going to continue the hormones and have the surgery, she couldn't stay around. she couldn't watch her kill herself.
maybe it was being put on two breast cancer cases so close together or that donna was going to die because some higher power decided her being a woman was going to come with such a high price. whatever it was she found herself crying in a supply closet.
she heard the door open, and quickly hid around the corner.
"sweetheart?" mark called out. "i saw you come in here."
she stayed quiet, back facing where he came in from.
"there you are."
veronica stayed facing away, "here i am. listen, i just need a minute, i have a... stomach ache."
her voice was shaky, so she knew she gave away that she was crying.
"sure."
"sloan, i-"
he had turned her around, seeing her tear-stained face.
"what's wrong?"
"she has breast cancer. all she wanted was to live her life the way she wanted, to be herself and she has fucking breast cancer. it's so fucked up. the universe gives her the wrong fucking sex at birth and then gives her breast cancer. the universe gave the lady last week a baby and then fucking cancer that she thought was a milk duct. why?" she took a deep breath. "the universe is a massive asshole. i hate it. i fucking hate it."
mark pulled her into a hug without another word. he gently rubbed her back, shushing her as she cried.
"and i know i shouldn't be getting emotional because i'm a surgeon and we see shit like this all the time but-"
"it's okay, ronnie."
---
the surgery happened and vicky came back to support donna. veronica listened to her as she spoke about why she came back, nodding along. she smiled lightly, glad that they had each other, even if the universe decided to give donna cancer.
alex had come to the hospital to see veronica at the end of her shift. she was walking into the lobby when she spotted him.
"hey, you're back early," she voiced.
"yeah, george and i had a fight," alex informed.
"over?"
"callie's sleeping with sloan," he told.
"oh shit."
"yeah."
veronica sighed, "my patient had breast cancer because of her hormones. all she wanted was to be a woman, and she got breast cancer."
"wanna go for a drink?" he asked.
"oh god, yes. i need one."
so, the pair went to joe's. alex helped to get veronica's mind off of the entire day, while mark sloan watched them laugh and joke and talk for hours as he drank alone.