THE FIRST DAYS HAVE ALWAYS meant change, new challenges, new beginnings; at least for Maddox. She feels like she's finally leaving behind a stage of her life she no longer wants to remain in, anchored to memories of the past she still can't forget, finally ready for the moment she's been waiting for practically her entire life. Putting aside the dysfunctionality of her family and the loneliness of her new life, Maddox feels she is ready. And if she's not, she'll learn to be, because that's what she's always done.
Seattle Grace doesn't bring those new beginnings. It brings back memories, both good and bad, and though Maddox tries to make a list of good things and bad things that have happened to her there, her mother's cancer pushes through all the positive things and squashes them down like ants. Still, the hospital's intern program is incredibly attractive, with amazing doctors and even better facilities and technology, and Maddox finds it strangely difficult not to sign her name up for the program. Against all odds, she's happy when she sees that she's accepted. Perhaps because she wants to change the imprint this hospital left on her life when she was just a child.
The faces are also familiar. She spent two long years there, trying to find a balance between college, so far from home, and her mother's illness. The doctors and nurses are getting used to her face, especially since she wants to go to medical school and seems to be really well informed about her mother's treatment. She's just a child, Bailey and Webber thought constantly, but it was amazing her ability to keep a cool head in a situation that must have been breaking her down inside.
So when Richard Webber sees her name on the inscription, he doesn't hesitate for a second to accept her. She's in the top tier of Harvard graduates, she's younger than most of the interns, and she's proven to have experience in that kind of situation.
"I must admit I'm surprised to see you here," Webber tells her when he sees her get out of the car. Maddox raises her head, first with a frown but then relaxing.
"Yeah, well, it's kind of surprising to me, too. It's almost like coming home, isn't it?" Maddox smiles a little, picking up her backpack from the passenger seat. "Mamá wanted me to participate in this program. I guess it's not hard to forget that the man who created it was the man who saved her life."
Richard just nods. "Good. Nothing like that ever happened again?"
Maddox shakes her head, grunting from putting her backpack on her shoulder. "She's all right. After recovering, with me being in Massachusetts and Dennis out there lost, my parents decided to leave cold, rainy Seattle and go to a quieter climate. They seem to like Los Angeles a lot. They bought a house there and now I see them only twice a year. The dream of every child going to medical school who barely has time to breathe without feeling guilty that they're wasting time."
Webber lets out a chuckle. "Welcome to Seattle Grace, Dr. Easton."
"Only six women out of twenty," says a blonde girl next to her. Maddox looks away from her locker, and sees that there's another girl who also stops sorting through her belongings.
"Yeah. I hear one of them is a model," she replies. She's a brunette, with Asian features, and Maddox can sense that she's hungry for competition. Then she looks at her. "Are you the model?"
"What? Oh, no."
"Seriously, you think that's going to help with the respect thing?" The girl picks up her hair, a little grumpy, and Maddox wonders why. "Which resident you assigned to? I got Bailey."
"The Nazi? Me too," the blonde girl replies.
"The Nazi? Why do they call her that?" Maddox interjects with a slight frown. She seemed nice to her. Maybe a little cold, but professional, so she settled for it.
"You got the Nazi? Me too," a boy behind them interrupts before Maddox can say her too. "At least we'll be tortured together, right? I'm George O'Malley. We met at the mix. You were wearing, uh, a black dress with a slit up on the side, strappy sandals.... Now you think I'm gay. Uh, no, I'm not gay. It's just that, uh, you know, you were very unforgettable and..."
"Cute," Maddox mutters under her breath, and the Asian girl shares a knowing look with her.
"O'Malley, Easton, Yang, Grey, Stevens," Maddox soon discovers she's been talking to Yang and Grey —Maddox wonders if Grey is related to Ellis Grey, one of the greatest surgeons—, O'Malley joins them and soon a blonde girl stands next to him. "Bailey's down the hall."
"That's the Nazi?" Yang murmurs, impressed. Maddox stifles a smile.
"I thought the Nazi would be a guy."
"I thought the Nazi would be a Nazi."
"Maybe it's professional jealousy. Maybe she's brilliant and they're calling her a Nazi out of jealousy. Maybe she's nice."
"She's the model," Maddox whispers to Yang, who nods slyly. They approach Bailey, who raises her head in disgust, and when her eyes stop on Maddox, Maddox sees recognition in her eyes.
"Hi, I'm Isobel Stevens, but everyone calls me Izzie."
Bailey stares at her for a few moments, and the five interns fall silent in fear of the response. "I have five rules, memorize them. Rule number one: don't bother sucking up. I already hate you and that's not going to change. Trauma protocol, phone lists, pagers. The nurses will page you, you answer all pagers at a run," The five rush to grab the pagers when they see Bailey run off. "Run! That's rule number two. Your first shift starts now and lasts forty-eight hours. You're interns, grunts, nobodies, the bottom of the surgical food chain. You run labs, write orders, you work every second night til you drop and you don't complain," everyone remains silent, waiting for new rules or orders, as Bailey leads them around the hospital. Maddox realizes how big it is and thinks she'll be lucky if she doesn't get lost. Bailey opens a room with bunk beds. "On-call room. Attendings hog them, sleep when you can, where you can, which brings me to rule number three: if I'm sleeping, don't wake me unless your patient is really dying. Rule number four: the dying patient better not be dead when I get there. Not only would you have killed someone, but you would have woken me up for no reason. Is that clear?" Maddox nods inevitably, but next to her, Grey raises her hand. "Yes?"
"You said five rules. That was only four," Grey seems to hesitate a little, but then Bailey's pager beeps, almost as if it was staged.
"Rule number five: when I move, you move," Bailey rushes out, and the five look at each other quizzically but go after her, recording the last rule. "Get out of the way!"
"Oh, I heard we got a wet fish on dry land?"
"Absolutely, Dr. Burke."
"Dr. Bailey, let's shotgun her."
"That means every test in the book: CT, CBC, chem seven, tux screen. Cristina, you're on labs. George, Maddox, patient work up. Meredith, take Katie for a CT. She's your responsibility now," Bailey orders.
"Wait, what about me?" Izzie asks.
"Honey, you get to do rectal exams," Bailey looks her up and down and shares a knowing look with Maddox, winking slyly at her.
The girl sighs, feeling a bit tired already. Her first patient, Katie, has been having seizures and, thankfully, they've managed to stop them. However, Maddox would have liked to have stayed on the case as Meredith and is now stuck in the routine of patients who will probably be discharged today. Maddox leaves the room at the same time as she watches the gurney being dragged by Meredith toward the elevators.
"At least it's better than doing rectal exams, huh?" George smiles beside her, holding the charts they collect on the counter.
"Yeah, I guess so," Maddox shrugs. "Listen, did you hear what they say, that every year the resident picks an intern to do an operation? I think Cristina has said it before, but no one seems to talk about it."
"I've heard it before, but maybe it's just an myth. Considering what Bailey said, maybe we're the ones they're putting through surgery. Is it normal for her to hate us so much?"
Maddox shrugs as she glances at her charts. "I guess no one likes having to babysit rookies, right? Let's show her we're not a burden, and then she'll stop pulling us away from these cases."
"Or ordering us to do rectal exams," George laughs, and Maddox laughs with him.
"Good morning, Mr. Savitch. We're Drs. O'Malley and Easton and we're here to follow up with you. How are you feeling?" Maddox introduces herself in her most charming voice.
"So far, so good. He seems to have responded to the medication he was given earlier."
George auscultates his chest, nodding. "Yeah, sounds good."
"He'll be fine? You'll be fine," his wife gives him a short kiss on the forehead, more relieved.
"If we don't count the fact that my bacon days are over, sure."
"You've got a bypass surgery tomorrow with Doctor Burke. I hear that's good. And after that you can have all of the bacon-flavored soy products you can eat," George smiles softly at the man.
"Kill me now," the patient says sarcastically, smiling, but George doesn't seem to understand.
"Well, we assure you you won't die on our shift, or Dr. Bailey would murder us all," Maddox smiles, and both the man and his wife share a soft laugh with her. "Now let's get an IV in your arm so you can recover nutrients after the tests, okay?" Maddox informs them, and out of the corner of her eye she sees the man Bailey has named Dr. Burke. She's torn between impressing him herself or having George do it, so, confident in her abilities, she lets George take the lead. "Do you want to do it yourself?"
George hesitates. "Oh, me, yeah, sure."
Maddox smiles at Mr. and Mrs. Savitch to reassure them, because even they seem to sense how nervous George is. Maddox clutches the chart with patient information as George tries to find the patient's vein, who hisses in pain every time the boy misses. Dr. Burke raises his eyebrows, as if he expects something else. Or as if he expects just that.
"I can do this," Maddox curses herself internally for allowing George to make a fool of himself in front of Burke, who continues to watch the scene. "Don't worry, Mr. Savitch. This will be ready in a jiffy, see?" The needle sticks gently into his skin, piercing the vein, and Maddox smiles. "It's our first day here, excuse us if we're a little nervous."
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Savitch," Burke enters the room, and the two interns immediately fall silent. "I hope Drs. Easton and O'Malley have informed you of the surgery for tomorrow. You get your rest and don't worry about anything. If you need anything, push this button and a doctor will see you immediately. If you'll excuse us," Burke smiles in a strange, almost charming way, and Maddox is struck by the ability of seemingly serious people to adopt a positive, friendly attitude. The three leave the room, George and Maddox expecting some sort of scolding. "Good attitude in there, O'Malley. Just make sure you don't puncture the patient's arm next time. Good technique, Easton. You and I are gonna have so much fun together."
"Good afternoon, interns," Burke introduces himself in the cafeteria as they eat. George and Maddox share a look, the former terrified, the latter curious, because they know they don't have a resident, they have an attending doctor. "It's posted, but I thought I'd share the good news personally. As you know, the honor of performing first surgery is reserved for the intern that shows most promise. As I'm running the OR today, I get to make that choice," the five look at each other expectantly. Maddox can almost feel Cristina's breathing quicken, wishing it could be her, wishing she could impress anyone who gets in her way. Burke drops a strong hand on Maddox's shoulder. "Maddox Easton."
"Me? Thank you, Dr. Burke," the girl hesitates. She feels the disappointed looks from the others, but especially from Cristina, burning with desire to know what she's done to earn that first surgery.
"You'll scrub in for an appendectomy this afternoon. Congratulations. Enjoy."
Burke leaves, and the atmosphere is more heated than ever. Cristina can barely look her in the face, but Maddox doesn't mind too much for two reasons: first, she doesn't owe her anything, and second, she's earned an operation for her gifts, so she's going to enjoy it. George congratulates her with a broad smile, even Izzie squeezes her hand in support. Meredith simply raises an eyebrow, and it's enough for Maddox to know that envy isn't gnawing at her.
"I've seen her file, Chief Webber showed me. We've known her since she was just a girl, her mother came here when she was diagnosed with cancer and Easton hasn't left this hospital since. She's the top of her class, I assure you she didn't get into the program by chance. She's not your guy," Bailey protests behind Burke.
"Oh, she is, alright."
"Every year you pick your guy and then every year your guy suffers more than any other intern."
"You terrorise one and the rest fall in line," Burke smiles enigmatically.
"I get it, okay, and I respect it, but Maddox Easton is a puppy, she does not deserve being your guy!"
Later that afternoon, Maddox is ready. She's disinfected her hands and forearms up to three times and her heart is racing faster than she'd like to let on, but it's her first surgery and she wants to make sure she's ready for it. Seeing so many professionals around her doesn't do much to calm her nerves, but much less so the show and the crowd forming up in the room, where she can see all the other interns through the mirror, and can almost hear them conspiring against her, against her success.
"She's gonna faint. She looks like a fainter."
"10 bucks says she messes up the McBurney."
"15 she cries," Cristina adds from above.
"Up at 20 at a total meltdown."
"50 says she pulls the whole thing off," Meredith interrupts them. They all stare at her, even Izzie, who frowns a little.
"Come on, she might be good if she's being trusted by Burke, but it's her first surgery. She's not pulling it off."
"That's one of us, down there. The first one of us. Where's your loyalty?"
In the operating room, Maddox crunches her fingers, rolls her neck several times and takes deep breaths. She's nervous, but she can't let the hyenas up there laugh at her, let alone disappoint Burke.
"Okay, Easton, let's see what you can do."
Maddox can't help but look up, and sees that the room is still filling up. There's a boy leaning in the doorway, chewing on something and looking at her curiously, and Maddox bites her tongue to keep from saying anything to them. "Scalpel," she says to the nurse, and her audience starts clapping and cheering as Maddox holds up the scalpel. The girl shakes her head, but remains focused on the patient in front of her. She presses down on the skin with the scalpel, a trickle of blood trickling out of the wound, but the pressure is good enough to open the patient. Next to her, Burke nods, still silent. With the next tool, she clamps the wound. "Clamps," the nurse leaves the clamps in her hand to remove the appendix. "Okay, I'm there."
"Damn, she opened up. I lost," complains an intern upstairs, grunting.
"I told you, she's gonna pull it off," Meredith smiles.
"Scalpel," Maddox hands the scalpel back to the nurse, and pulls the appendix out of the patient's body. "Appendix is out."
"Not bad," Burke nods.
"Thanks."
"Now, all you have to do is to invert the stump into the cecum and simultaneously pull up on the strings, but be careful not to break them," Burke says aloud, slowly, aware that this is the first operation. Maddox nods, trying to hide the trembling in her hands as she moves them to follow Burke's instructions. "That's perfect. Now close carefully. That's it. Congratulations, Dr. Easton. First successful operation. I recommend all of you up there to lay off the bets and learn from your colleague," Maddox smiles broadly under the mask, so much so that her cheeks ache. Burke congratulates her again. "I'll see you later."
"What did you guys bet?" Maddox asks breathlessly when she sees Bailey's four other interns. None of them say anything; in fact, none of them seem to look at her. "Come on, I'm not going to get mad. George?"
"I didn't bet anything. I'm broke," he shrugs.
"Izzie said you wouldn't do it," Cristina reveals, holding a chip to her mouth.
"Cristina!" Izzie gasps. "Well, Cristina bet $15 that you'd cry."
"Freaking hyenas," Maddox mumbles. "Didn't anyone think I could do well?"
"Meredith bet 50 on you," shrugs Cristina. "That's the first of the signs that makes me think she's mentally deranged."
"I hate you all."
"Don't be like that, Maddox. At least we don't call you 007," Cristina shouts behind her, and Maddox slyly gives her the finger.
George runs to stand beside her, because Burke is with the patient from yesterday morning and they are the interns. "Who's 007?"
"You're 007," Maddox replies.
"I put you on a bypass machine, which pumps blood for your heart. I fix it and take you off the machine and I'm done. Simple procedure," Burke relates to Mr. Savitch just as George and Maddox enter the room.
"Morning, Mr. Savitch."
"So, I shouldn't worry?"
"I'm very good at what I do. Still it's a surgery, there are some risks. I'll see you in the OR this afternoon, Mr. Savitch," Burke nods and purses his lips into a thin line. "Doctor Easton, a word?"
"Of course, Dr. Burke. I'll see you later, Mr. Savitch," Maddox taps the metal bed to say goodbye with a smile. She closes the door on her way out, and Burke waits for her in the hallway with his arms crossed. "Is there a problem, Dr. Burke?"
"None at all. I just wanted to congratulate you on yesterday's operation. You showed good skills even though it was your first day. I was surprised, so I wanted to apologize if there was any pressure. You're not a puppy, Dr. Easton. Have a nice day."
"Hey. I know you've been the only one of the vultures to root for me. Literally," Maddox approaches Meredith in the hallway, who seems distracted by what she's reading on her chart, but raises her head when Maddox speaks. "So I want to return the favor. You've been on Katie's case from the beginning, so you'll know better than anyone. My proposal is that I help you and you scrub in."
"I'll work with you, but I don't want to be involved in the surgery. You can scrub in."
Cristina appears on Meredith's other side, frowning. "Are you kidding me? Hey, Maddox. This is the biggest opportunity any intern will ever have."
"I don't want to spend any more time with Shepherd than I have to."
"What do you have against Shepherd?" asks Maddox, surprised.
"If we find the answer, the operation is yours," Meredith tells Maddox. "Or yours, because I'm guessing you were going to ask the same thing," this time she turns to Cristina. "Do what you want."
"Heads or tails?" Cristina pulls a coin out of her pocket, ready to flip it.
"The operation is yours if you want it. I've already had the operation, so it's only fair."
Cristina smiles broadly. "Deal."
"So, she doesn't have anoxia, chronic renal failure or acidosis. It's not a tumor because her CT scan is clean," Maddox reviews the young Katie Bryce's history. Next to her, Cristina reads a huge book and Meredith bends down to grab another from the bottom shelf. "Are you still not going to tell us why you don't want to work with Shepherd?"
"No. What about the infection?"
"No, no white blood cell count, no injuries, no fever, and nothing on her spinal tap. Just tell us," Cristina replies.
Meredith looks at them for a long time, so long that Cristina and Maddox start to get their hopes up.
"You can't comment, make a face or react in any way. We've had sex."
Maddox's eyes widen, not expecting that confession, but she tries hard not to react, as Meredith asks of them. Cristina clears her throat, also visibly surprised. "What about an aneurysm?"
"No blood on the CT scan and no headache."
"No drug use, no pregnancy, no trauma. Was he good?" Maddox says. Cristina stifles a laugh. "I mean, he looks like he could be —was he good?"
"So... Our first forty hours here. I can't believe that in only forty hours I've done my first surgery, George has already earned the nickname 007, Cristina and Meredith have fought over a surgery with Shepherd..."
"Don't forget I've done seventeen rectal exams," Izzie adds.
"Oh, how could I forget. Bailey should pay for those shrink sessions for you," Maddox laughs, plopping down on the gurney, her eyes closing in exhaustion. Izzie punches her arm gently, and Maddox groans. "I think we'd better not mess with George for a while. Dr. Burke told me they've operated on our patient's heart and he died on the table. Apparently George promised his wife that everything would be all right, and he's been the one who had to give her the bad news."
"Poor 00— Poor George."
"I hope Burke didn't set out to scare George. It's only our first day. Well, our second day, at this point. I need a coffee or a nice warm comfy bed."
The door suddenly opens and Bailey walks in, and Izzie and Maddox quickly wake. "Easton, now."
"Yes, Dr. Bailey," Maddox grimaces at Izzie, who gives her a thumbs up, encouraging her. "Everything okay, Dr. Bailey?"
"Cut the crap, Easton. How are you holding up? I heard from Burke that you scrubbed in yesterday afternoon and the patient didn't die on you. That's good, that's good. How's your mother? She good?"
"Oh, yeah, everything's fine. She's living now by the coast, so I assume she's having a better time than me now. Not that I don't want to be here. What I meant is that she probably doesn't spend more than forty hours awake. I'm rambling and I'm stopping now."
"You do that," Bailey eyed her suspiciously. "I also heard you were among those who found out what happened with Katie Bryce."
"Well, you know I don't give up until I find what I want."
"Good, good," Bailey nods. "I'm leaving now. Just wanted to check in. You know, after all these years, you haven't changed a bit. Welcome to the team, Dr. Easton."
"Thank you, Dr. Bailey."
"And if I see you with your eyes closed again, I will page you for hours," Bailey opens the door and lets Izzie hear them, so the blonde sits back down, leaning her back against the wall, afraid the resident will catch her sneaking out.
Bailey winks at Maddox, however, and Maddox smiles. Maybe the first few days at Seattle Grace won't be so bad.