I'm sitting in Mer's car with Mer and Alex pulling up to the airport to pick up Maggie and her mom.
Meredith: so, he says to me that when I figure it out, I should give him a call. I mean, who says that?
Alex: she found her mom in baggage claim.
Meredith: anyway, he's an arrogant ass. And Maggie has terrible taste in men.
Delilah: straight up.
Alex: I don't like the guy.
Meredith: I mean, the sex is great. Maybe I shouldn't be picky about great sex.
Alex: you should be picky about sex. You're hot.
Delilah: that's true.
Meredith: well, you have to say that because I let you eat my food and live in my house. And you have to say that because I'm your best friend.
Alex: yes, but it's still true.
Delilah: no, I say it because it's true. You're hot Mer.
Meredith: thank you.
Alex: there she is.
I turn around and see Maggie putting her mom's bags in the trunk then she hops in the back with Alex.
Maggie: 30 seconds in, she's talking about her boobs. That's what's on her mind– her boob job, her boobs, which are perfectly fine, by the way. You know what? When she gets in the car, you look at them, and you tell me that they're not perfect.
Alex: I'm not gonna check out your mom's boobs.
I chuckle at the two.
Delilah: hi Maggie. Good to see you too.
Maggie: oh, sorry Lilah. How was Montana?
Delilah: it was good.
I see Maggie's mom approaching and I hop out of the car.
Mrs. Pierce: oh, it's good to see you Meredith.
Meredith: hi. It's good to see you.
Mrs. Pierce: and, um, Alex, right?
Alex opens the door for Maggie's mom and I smile at her as she steps in.
Mrs. Pierce: it's nice to see you again Delilah.
Delilah: it's nice to see you too Mrs. Pierce. You look beautiful.
Mrs. Pierce: oh, thank you dear.
We all drive to the hospital and I change into my scrubs then head down to the ER.
Owen: hey Lilah, incoming.
Delilah: gotcha. Edwards, incoming.
I grab a trauma gown the head towards the ambulance bay. Edwards and DeLuca meet up with us and shortly after, Amy shows up. Things are still a bit tense between them and it sucked.
Owen: ETA less than a minute.
Owen looks over at Amy.
Owen: I didn't know you were back.
Amy: they said one of the patients had syncope. You'll need a Neuro consult. Figured I'd help Lilah out.
Owen: I just meant, how are you doing?
I run towards the ambulance pulling up.
Delilah: what we got?
Paramedic: Elsie Clatch, 95, fainted while hiking, but now GCS is 15, vitals are stable.
Lewis: gently, gently. She's been injured.
Elsie: please Lewis, all this fuss.
Edwards: hiking?
Elsie: how do you think I made it to 95?
Amy: alert and oriented.
Delilah: times three.
DeLuca: sir, did you injure your wrist?
Lewis: uh, no, it's fine.
Elsie: he fell too. He wouldn't let go of my hand.
Owen: no reason to take a chance sir. Let's go.
We start wheeling her inside and we bring her into a trauma room.
Lewis: her syncopal episode lasted at least 60 seconds.
Edwards: oh, it sounds like you've been watching a lot of medical shows sir.
Elsie: he's not gonna like that.
Lewis: I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Delilah: alright, on my count. 1,2,3.
We transfer Elsie and examine her.
Elsie: don't be pompous. You were a surgeon. So was I. They're surgeons now.
Lewis: she'll need a head CT.
Owen: still, we'd like to rule out other injuries.
Elsie: oh, it's nothing. I-I just got a little lightheaded.
Lewis: you don't know it's nothing.
Elsie: I know as much as you do. I fell down. I'm old, I'm allowed.
Lewis: you'll need an EKG and labs with cardiac enzymes.
I look at the old man in amusement.
Delilah: you heard him DeLuca.
As DeLuca runs out, I get a paged from Jackson about Maggie's mom.
Delilah: page me if you need me Hunt.
Owen: sure.
I run off and I find Jackson with Maggie's mom in an exam room.
Delilah: hi! I'm here.
Jackson: so, how are you feeling Diane?
Mrs. Pierce: I'm– I'm good. Just a little tired.
Jackson: yeah.
Jackson helps Diane sit on the bed.
Mrs. Pierce: chemo's not my idea of a great time.
Jackson: sure. Well, Lilah and I spoke with your oncologist. She gave us a full report, and the chemo's been working.
Delilah: your repeat scans came back, and they show a good response. You are her star patient.
Mrs. Pierce: ooh, and the prize is a mastectomy.
Jackson: your reconstruction is gonna go perfectly. It'll be our best work.
Delilah: today, we just focus on getting your pre-op taken care of, and we get our oncologist up to speed.
Jackson: did you want, um... Maggie here before we continue?
Mrs. Pierce: um...
My face drops at the realization. She hasn't even told Maggie.
Delilah: Diane...
Jackson: you didn't tell her yet?
Mrs. Pierce: it's too much stress.
Delilah: which is exactly why she needs to know, because it's gonna be stressful enough for you.
Mrs. Pierce: we're already fighting today.
Jackson: no, as your doctors, we can't, in good confidence, continue to let this go on, alright?
Delilah: Jackson's right. It's bad for you both. It's bad for everyone.
Mrs. Pierce: well, just not yet.
Jackson: when? Our surgery is tomorrow.
Mrs. Pierce: ... after. I can just have the surgery and tell her then, and I can tell her that I had cancer and not that I have it.
Delilah: that's not the best idea.
Mrs. Pierce: it's how I want to do it. Is that understood?
I hated this. I don't want to hide this from Maggie, but I don't have a choice. I have to obey Mrs. Pierce's wishes.
We get Maggie's mom set up with a nurse then we go over the reconstruction with another doctor.
Doctor: pretty straightforward modified rad. I'll remove the breast tissue, then do a lymph node dissection, and leave you both to the reconstruction.
Delilah: that sounds great.
I notice someone from the corner of my eye and I turn around to see Wilson and Jenkins behind us.
Delilah: you need something Wilson?
Jo: yeah, I'm on your service today Dr. Avery.
Jenkins: and I'm with you Dr. Avery-Shepherd.
Delilah: Jackson didn't request a resident. And neither did I. And even if I did, I would rather have literally any other resident than you. Remember the last time I had you on a case Jenkins?
Jenkins hangs his head low.
Jo: Dr. Minnick assigned me to you, and assigned Jenkins to Avery-Shepherd.
Delilah: well, tough cookies 'cause I'm not taking him.
Jackson: alright. I will, um... I'll talk to Dr. Minnick after we're finished here, but no thanks. We don't need anyone.
Delilah: get lost Jenkins.
Jackson: okay, sorry. You all set?
Doctor: yeah. I'll see you both tomorrow.
Delilah: thank you very much.
The doctor leaves the room and I look at the scans.
Jo: this is Diane Pierce?
Delilah: woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, no. Do not look at that. You're not in this case.
Jo: is this Maggie's mother?
Jackson: Wilson, please.
Maggie: Jackson! Lilah.
J&D: hey.
Jackson and I quickly turn off the monitors and act natural.
Maggie: what the hell? Why am I locked out of my mother's file? I'm a doctor.
Jackson: yes. Well, she requested privacy.
Maggie: I'm her daughter. She can't handle the fact that I might have an opinion about her boob job.
Delilah: she's anxious because she's going into surgery.
Maggie: now you're telling me how my mom feels Lilah? What is going on here guys? Level with me. You both saw what happened the last time she was here. And I thought we could actually fix it. I wanted to talk and actually try, but she has been shutting me out from moment one. Why is she doing this?
Jackson: you know, we really– we really couldn't say.
Maggie: is she embarrassed about the boob job? Then why is she getting it?
Delilah: she's scared... about her surgery. I mean, she needs support. She needs your support Mags.
Maggie: so I'm awful is what you're saying.
Delilah: you know that's not what we meant Maggie.
Maggie: okay. I'll try. I will leave it alone. I will try.
Jackson: thank you.
I sigh as Maggie leaves the room.
Maggie: just tell me, are they gonna be huge-huge?
Delilah: Maggie.
Jackson: just trust us, please.
Maggie: okay, thank you.
Maggie leaves the room for good.
Jo: wow.
Jackson: no, no, no. Don't.
Delilah: we don't need to remind you of HIPAA, right? Nothing to be discussed.
Jo: right. Sorry.
Jackson: well, you know now. So I guess Lilah and I can use you. Only if you can—
Jo: I-I can.
Delilah: but if you think for one second that I'm going to trust Jenkins with Pierce's mom, you can think again. Tell Minnick to give me Carlson, or I don't get a resident at all.
Jo: got it.
Delilah: alright, then go ahead and get prepped.
Jackson: close the door please.
Delilah: and send Carlson my way please.
Jo walks out and closes the door. Jackson pulls up the scans again and we look at them together.
Delilah: I hate the fact that Diane is keeping this from Maggie. I mean, if I were her, I'd tell my family right away.
Jackson: I know lovey.
-later-
When I found out that the patient from earlier was the Elsie Clatch, wife of Dr. Lewis Clatch, I ran straight to her room and I walk in to see her telling a story.
Edwards: so, you weren't into the idea of her being a surgeon at first?
Lewis: I was!
Elsie: oh, he wasn't!
I chuckle as I stand next to Owen.
Elsie: I was halfway through my residency, and Lewis said to me, "Elsie, this surgeon business is not making you any friends. You need to think of something else to do".
Lewis: I was trying to take care of you!
I chuckle at the couple.
Edwards: but you didn't, did you?
Elsie: I did not.
Edwards: good.
DeLuca: because you knew what you wanted.
Elsie: oh! This one gets it.
Ben: well, it was a different time back then.
Lewis: it was. It was.
Amy: alright, let's give the Clatches some air. They are not here for your entertainment guys. Time to go.
Elsie: oh, let them stay. How else are they gonna learn?
Owen: they have a lot of work to do.
I slip out of the room and I check on different patients.
-later-
I walk into the lounge with Amy and I see Maggie and Mer in the lounge.
Maggie: you let it go.
Amy: mom boobs again?
Meredith: it doesn't stop.
Maggie: what reason does she have to defile her body that way?
Meredith: are you sure you want to know that?
Maggie: my mother wouldn't let me pierce my ears until I was 10. She told me that masturbating made Jesus cry. She said that nail polish was for prostitutes. That woman wants stripper boobs? Yes, I want a reason.
Amy, Mer and I share a look then look at Maggie.
Meredith: her reasons... are for sex.
I stifle a laugh.
Maggie: why would you say that?
Meredith: okay, well, maybe she just wants her, um... shirts to fit better.
I was trying my best to go along with Mer, but I hated the fact that I couldn't say anything to Maggie.
Maggie: okay, now, th– that's almost understandable.
Amy: to get more sex.
Mer and I laugh at Amy's statement.
Maggie: I am asking you guys for advice. Even you, and you're the one giving my mom her basketball boobs.
Delilah: sorry Mags.
Meredith: okay, okay. Sorry, sorry, sorry, okay. Okay, tell me again.
Maggie: am I just... supposed to accept that this horrifying thing is happening? Am I just supposed to get on board– fold? Make a decision to support my G-cup mom?
Meredith: ... no, you're right. You do need a reason.
Maggie: I do!
Meredith: she can't expect you to just blindly jump on board. You should demand a reason.
I walk out of the lounge with Mer and check on some patients.
-later-
I was paged to Elsie's room to talk to Lewis about Elsie's surgery.
Delilah: hi.
Owen: talk to Dr. Clatch for me.
Delilah: yeah.
I approach Dr. Clatch with a smile.
Delilah: Dr. Clatch. I understand you have some concerns about Elsie.
Lewis: Elsie will talk her into a surgery. She's stubborn.
I look into the room and see Amy talking to Elsie.
Lewis: I need to talk to that gal's boss right away. He needs to back her up.
Delilah: well, I'm the head of the Neuro department. Dr. Shepherd is stubborn as hell too, I get that from her. Dr. Clatch, I know my aunt very well, and you can trust her. She's not going to be talked into anything that she doesn't want to do, okay? Go on. Go with Dr. Hunt.
I let Owen talk Dr. Clatch away.
-later-
I'm sitting with Jackson and Diane going over her pre-op.
Jackson: all your pre-op tests came back looking terrific, so just two more things before we get you home for some much needed rest, okay?
Delilah: number one– no eating after midnight, right?
Mrs. Pierce: okay.
Delilah: and number two– we are gonna tell Maggie.
Mrs. Pierce looks at Jackson and I in concern.
Mrs. Pierce: oh no. I told you, uh... after the surgery, after the cancer is out.
Jackson: we're not gonna perform the surgery Diane, unless we tell Maggie.
Mrs. Pierce: you can't do that.
Delilah: of course we can. We're your doctors.
Mrs. Pierce: but it's not your business.
Jackson: and it would be an irresponsible course of treatment.
Delilah: Maggie is your only support system here.
Mrs. Pierce: I-I'll just get another doctor then.
Jackson: no you won't. She told you we were the best 'cause we are.
Delilah: you trusted her then, and you trust her now.
Maggie's mom shakes her head.
Jackson: we underatand. It's okay to be afraid.
Delilah: you don't have to be afraid for Maggie. She's not scared of cancer. She would just want to fight this with you.
Jackson: let her be there for you.
Mrs. Pierce: I should've told her months ago.
Delilah: it's not too late.
Mrs. Pierce: it's too late.
I hear a knock at the door then I see Maggie walk in.
Maggie: mom? You ready to go home?
Mrs. Pierce: Maggie... sweetheart—
Maggie: mom, it's fine. Good luck tomorrow. I hope that your implants are everything that you want them to be.
Mrs. Pierce: I'm not getting implants.
Maggie: mom, it's fine.
Mrs. Pierce: I have breast cancer. I have breast cancer, and they're doing a mastectomy tomorrow.
I watch as Maggie's face falls into shock.
Maggie: what are you talking about?
Maggie looks over at Jackson and I and we stand there guilt-ridden.
Maggie: what is she talking about?
Delilah: here.
I hang Maggie the chart. As she looks through the chart, I see a tear roll down Maggie's face. Maggie looks at Jackson and I with sadness in her eyes. I feel so terrible for keeping this from her.
Mrs. Pierce: come here honey. Let—
Maggie steps away from her mom and walks out of the room.
-the next day-
I decided to check on Elsie since Amy decided to perform her surgery last night. I walk in and I smile when I see Lewis with her.
Delilah: good morning. How is she doing?
Lewis: I was talking to that other doctor...
Delilah: Dr. Hunt.
Lewis: yes. Her saturation levels have remained the same all night. She's stubborn... but she's right, as usual.
Delilah: you guys have been together 60 years– that's amazing. Not many couples last that long.
Lewis: you want to know the secret? Everyone wants to know the secret.
Delilah: I would love to hear it.
Lewis: there isn't one.
I smile as Lewis chuckles.
Lewis: just stay married to her, I guess. I would never have had the life I did without her. So I just stay married to her. If there's something else, some other secret... well, she's the one who knows it. I don't know a damn thing.
I smile at the man in front of me.
Elsie: 'cause you never stop yapping.
Lewis: oh, Elsie!
I smile as Lewis kisses his wife. I stay with them for a minute then leave the room. I get a page from Jackson for Diane's surgery and I walk into the scrub room and scrub with Jackson.
Delilah: you ready for this love?
Jackson: as ready as I can be. You?
Delilah: me too.
I see Maggie walk into the scrub room.
Maggie: no more. No more locking me out of my mother's chart. I want to know anything and everything. I want to be CC'd on every chart, every post-op report, every test– no secrets.
Jackson: we did want to tell you, you know.
Maggie walks out of the room and I let out a sigh. Then, Maggie walks back in.
Maggie: how could you both let me talk to her like that? You could've stopped me. What is wrong with you two? We're supposed to be friends. Lilah, we're supposed to be family. Why didn't you two just tell me?
I was lost for words. I look at Maggie speechless.
Maggie: why didn't you two just tell me?!
Jackson: we are your friends Maggie.
Delilah: and Mags, you are my family... but we're also her doctors.
Maggie: go fix her.
Jackson and I walk into the OR. We put Diane under and we start the surgery.
-later-
Diane made it out of surgery, but the cancer is pretty bad so after surgery, we grabbed Meredith and sent her to Maggie. After a long day, Jackson and I went home.
Delilah: my patient from yesterday that came in the ER died.
Jackson: that sucks. Wait, that was the old lady that was married to that cardio surgeon, right?
Delilah: yeah. Lewis and Elsie Clatch.
Jackson: wait, the Elsie and Lewis Clatch?
Delilah: yep.
Jackson: wow. That sucks. I've heard so many great stories about them.
Delilah: all they wanted was more time together. She was 95, they were together 60 years, and all they wanted was more time together.
Jackson: not a lot of couples get that.
Delilah: I know. You think you could do it? Be married to me for 60 years?
Jackson: oh, hell yeah. I plan on loving you for 60 year and many more after that.
I smile at Jackson and pull him into a kiss.
Delilah: I love you so much Jackson Avery.
Jackson: I love you too Delilah Avery.
I was about to kiss Jackson again when I hear a knock at my door. I run to the door and I open it to see Amy at the door.
Amy: can I crash here?
Delilah: y-yeah, of course Ames.
I let Amy inside and take her to the guest bedroom.
Delilah: what happened Ames?
Amy explains everything that happened between her and Owen and I pull her into a hug. I spend the rest of the night with Amy comforting her.