⋆ ★ ALREADY GONE ━━━CHAPTER FOUR
( I HEART VODKA ) , shake your groove thing.
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"THE LAWYER HAS BEEN MANAGING HER ESTATE WITH A LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY." The financial lady at Ellis' nursing home began. "Her estate with a limited power of attorney, but your mother's Alzheimer's is advancing." She sat in front of Meredith and Jamie at her desk earlier in the morning. "So, while she's still lucid enough to consent, she needs to sign everything over to you, Jamie."
"Me?" She asked in reply. "Why not Meredith?"
"It can be either one of you," The accountant added. "I just figured because it says you're the eldest- well, I guess I assumed. You already have the house too, right?"
"Yes," Jamie sighed in defeat. "Look, miss, we haven't slept in a good 48 to 72 hours. I have a big ass surgery to scrub in on this morning. Meredith is missing rounds- I'm missing my interns' rounds. Are you sure there isn't anybody here, or even the attorney?... I mean, do I really have to be the one to handle this?"
"We're talking about her estate, finances, medical care." The woman replied tightly. "Do you really want to leave her life in someone else's hands? She's your mother."
Not really, Jamie wanted to say but instead she just sighed. Adulthood sucks.
grey's anatomy
"Can I get an extra-large green tea please?" Jamie asked the person at one of the food stands outside of the hospital. "Uh, just a little bit of sugar and cream, thanks."
"Here you go, that will be 4.23."
Jamie took a sip and practically moaned at the taste that warmed her body. "Thank you," she replied before handing the guy some money and making her way inside the hospital. "Keep the change."
"Hey," Derek approached her, eating a salad of some sort. "Did you sleep okay? What's with the huge coffee?"
"It's actually tea, I hate coffee. But this morning I'm just exhausted more than usual." She answered with a slight yawn and a shrug of her shoulders. "Have you seen Meredith; how did her surgery go?"
"She got to hold the heart, which is always exciting for the first time. I mean, even as a neurosurgeon who loves poking at people's brains, I have to admit holding a heart is thrilling."
"Oh, definitely. I remember when I first held a heart, I felt like I was on top of Mount fucking Everest." As she looked like a little kid on Christmas, Derek just chuckled at her. "What?"
"Nothing,"
"Okay," The woman rolled her eyes. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I must assist Dr. B and Dr. Webber on a lung patient today so, goodbye, Dr. Shepherd."
"Goodbye, Dr. Grey."
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"What do you see, Evans?" Jamie asked the intern seated beside George in the x-ray room, examining the patients scans.
"Hyperinflated lungs- cloudy with bullae." Joey answered, pointing to the scan of the lungs as he sat down in at the desk, pointing to the picture on the computer screen.
"Seriously diminished capacity." George added on. "She must have trouble breathing."
"Course of action?" Bailey questioned the two.
"A bullectomy procedure. Remove the bullae. Reduce the pressure."
Dr. Webber opened the patients' chart and said, "It says here we operated on her back in 1999. So, Mrs. Drake has been through this before, but you two interns will talk her through it anyway. And resist the anti-smoking lectures. She feels bad enough already."
"So," Joey trailed off. "Do you think if they put a picture of these in a pack of cigarettes, people would stop smoking?" When Jamie looked at him with a are you serious face while Bailey shook her head he sucked in a long breath, he knew he had overstepped just a bit. "... it's just a thought."
"Please stop talking." Jamie ordered him. "Please."
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"We call this a spaghetti procedure." Bailey told the interns by her and Jamie's side. "Why's that, Ace?"
"As doctors, we cut and deflate the bullae to facilitate gentle manipulation of Mrs. Drake's lung." The other woman answered, looking up every once and a while to connect with the interns on the other side of the patient who was sedated. "It's the easiest way to get to this part of the body from the body cavity."
"Dr. Grey, do you see that?" Webber motioned forward to the screen that she was closest to and showed the enlarged picture of the patient's lungs.
Jamie furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly to the side. "Yes... what the hell is that?" She then poked it with her device and her eye's widened in surprise when it moved weirdly and not at all like a living organ in the body.
"Oh, my ever-loving..." Bailey gasped.
"We need to open her up. I'm taking out the scope."
Jamie quickly helped Webber remove the tools out of Mrs. Drake's body and yelled, "You heard him, people. Let's move it! Get the lights!"
"10 blade," Webber ordered, holding his hand out for the scrub nurse. "Retractors."
As the three surgeons cut her open, Jamie put her hand out to the side. "Rib spreader, please- thank you." And then Dr. Webber pulled out something long and black and Jamie could have sworn she threw up in her mouth a bit, if not in her mask.
"Is that a towel?" George asked, squinting his eyes to see if he wasn't mistaken. "Where did that come from?"
"Best guess... her surgery five years ago." Webber growled.
Bailey shook her head and looked at the Chief dead in the eyes. "Something careless this way comes."
"Shit," Jamie cursed, shaking her head. "Who the hell left a towel in her?"
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"A towel?" Cristina asked as she joined George, Joey, Bailey, Jamie and Webber walking down the hall, blood boiling in their bones.
"Not good," Webber shook his head and his steps quickened. He was determined to get to the bottom of this.
"She complained of pressure on her chest, but nobody took her seriously." George told his fellow intern.
"Yeah, she was right." Jamie answered with a scoff. "She had a goddamn towel setting on her lungs. That's fucking disgusting. I need a smoke."
"Not good for the patient, not good for the hospital. Not good." The Chief continued to grit out.
Bailey sighed as they parted ways with the Chief and motioned the interns off. "Cristina, hit the files. Find out everything you can about that initial operation. Who was in that room? Who was responsible for closing?" The brunette nodded before she was off. "George and Joey, you two stay with the patient. Keep her happy. She seems to like you two."
"Right, okay, um, how long do you think?..." Joey trailed off. "I mean, just technically speaking, I'm- we're off at 6:00."
"Am I invited?" Bailey asked him, not hesitating once.
"Excuse me?"
"Am I invited to the party?" She asked again.
"Party?" Jamie questioned, looking between the group in confusion. "What party?"
George smiled nervously. "Of course, you are invited. You too, Dr. Grey."
"I'm going to ask once more," Jamie forced a laugh, looking the two interns dead in the eyes. "What. Party?"
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"When were you going to tell me that there is a party happening tonight?" Jamie approached her sister furiously at a nurse's desk in the lobby. "A party specifically at our house. Did it just slip your mind or are you just that stupid, Meredith Grey?"
"It's not a party, it's a small little gathering to meet Izzie's boyfriend. She moved in, remember?" Meredith retorted with irritation from her sister's blunt insult.
"I remember, but you should have cleared this with me first. If I'm the one putting my name on the house, things like parties and get togethers need to go through me first."
"Why, do you have plans?"
Jamie scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "...no. But hey, you should have checked with me. Again, it's going to have my name on it, not yours."
"You okay?" Derek came over to the two sisters.
The eldest Grey daughter turned around in shock. "Oh- uh, yeah. I'm good. Why wouldn't I be?" She chuckled nervously.
"Are you sure? Because you seem not okay."
"No, I'm fine. Just... a long surgery is all. I cannot legally disclose information but for your knowledge it's so messed up I puked a bit today in my mouth."
"That's gross." Derek forced a smile. "Well, let me take you out to dinner tonight." He told her with his charming smile on his face. "You can tell me all about it. Real food, waiters, big chunks of carbs in a basket."
"I don't know," Jamie shrugged before looking down at the chart her sister left behind for her. "There's something going on tonight."
"Forget about the party, Jamie."
She whipped her head around again. "You know about the party? How did you know before me- I just found out."
"Look, that doesn't matter. Your friends and sister will be at the party. You and I can be alone somewhere else." She could practically hear the smirk in his voice even if she couldn't see it.
"How do you know about the party?"
"Thanks for not inviting me, by the way. That felt good."
Jamie sighed in return. "Look, I just told you, I just found out. Talk to Meredith about not inviting you. That's now her problem."
"Dinner. Think about dinner." Derek smiled. "Perfect opportunity."
"Well-" Jamie was interrupted by her pager going off and she sighed a long sigh. "I need to smoke and soon." She said before she was off down the hallways.
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"What happened, Dr. B?" Jamie came into the room where the other resident and Cristina sat. "Did you find out what happened with Mrs. Drake?"
Bailey handed off the files and slightly shook her head in disbelief. "Look for yourself, Ace."
When Jamie's eyes skimmed though the paperwork her eyes landed on a familiar name. "I'll be damned." She scoffed a laugh. "He's always high and mighty about how he hasn't made a mistake, he's clearly wrong. What are they going to do about this?"
"Dr. Yang," Bailey turned to the intern. "Are you to say anything?"
"No," The brunette sighed.
Jamie eyed her up and down from the chair she sat in. "You better not, because if you do, it's your ass." Suddenly her phone rang, and she looked at the name and rolled her eyes again. "I have to take this," Before she excused herself from the room and said, "Hello?"
"Hi, Jamie, I'm calling regarding Ellis. Is this a good time to talk?" The same woman from earlier spoke.
"No, yeah. I'm good. What's up?"
"I was just wondering if you'd be able to come in today and sign the papers, we discussed this morning."
The eldest daughter sighed. "Uh, yeah. I think I can make it."
"Great, so, I'll see you at 6:30?"
"And the notary can be there as well, right? Oh, and the home's physician to attest her mental competency?"
"Yes, Jamie, they will be there."
"Okay, is there anything else I should bring besides my license? Does my sister need to come too?"
"Bringing your checkbook would be beneficial. And Meredith does not have to be there, though she is welcome."
"Alright. 6:30, I'll be there. Bye." And then she hung up the phone and cursed under her breath. "Damn you, Ellis."
"I heard." Derek approached the woman on the balcony.
"Jesus, stop fucking sneaking up on me, Shepherd." She shook her head and tried to cover the situation up. "But I have to get notarized, you know like one does."
"I'm talking about the towel thing." He retorted with confusion. "And I heard about the heart thing with Meredith."
"What happened with Meredith's heart?" Jamie panicked slightly, and why hadn't she told Jamie earlier.
"No, Meredith's fine- her heart is fine. Her patient this morning... her glove popped."
"Shit," The sister cursed once more. "Is she okay? I haven't had much of a chance to see her today. Other than the fact when she didn't tell me about the party she and her dumb friends are throwing. Why wouldn't she tell me then?"
Derek shrugged in response. "I don't know. She's going out of her way to avoid me because she knows about us."
"Ha, that seems like something she'd do." Jamie smiled before it dropped to a frown. "When did we become adults?... and how do we make it stop?"
"You alright?" He questioned, looking at the girl with worry.
"No," She answered honestly before walking away, going outside and finally lighting a cigarette.
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When Jamie got to the nursing home that night, she hoped she wasn't too late. Things at the hospital had gotten a little messy and she was running a bit late. She then saw the woman from this morning and sighed. "I am so sorry that I'm late. Traffic from the hospital to here was just terrible. Where is she?"
"It doesn't matter now, dear." The woman shook her head.
"Don't tell me the notary didn't show."
"Oh, everyone's here it's just your mother isn't."
Jamie huffed a breath before looking over at Ellis who sat on the couch like nothing was wrong and rolled her eyes. "Come on," She then walked over to her and asked. "Mom?"
"What do you people want from me?" Ellis asked with irritation. "I want these people out of here."
"Momma?" Jamie kneeled down at the side of her mother's chair and said, "We need you to sign the lawyer's paper's, alright. Can you do that?"
"I have a cranial reconstruction in a half an hour. I need to go."
"Okay, mom, we're all here. We have a notary. I need you to focus, please, and I need you to sign these papers." But Ellis just continued to sit there looking oh so confused. "Mom, look at me."
Ellis complied. "It's an emergency surgery. I don't have time for this."
The woman from this morning shrugged. "She can't sign anything now. We should have done this earlier in the day."
"Yeah, I know." Jamie huffed angrily. "But I couldn't come earlier in the day. I have a goddamn job and a life. But I'm here now and she's going to sign the fucking papers."
"Well, you're going to have to come back tomorrow when she's lucid."
"You know, why did she put this off for so long?" The eldest Grey daughter stood up in annoyance. "And why the hell did you let her? Doesn't it strike you as slightly irresponsible? I mean, what the fuck is wrong with you people?"
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When Jamie got back home, she had dried tears lining her face, but it quickly paused once she saw a shit-ton of cars lining the road to her house. "What the hell?" There was loud music that was heard and people everywhere. The party. "These goddamn interns, I swear-"
She then got out of the car with the slam of her door and walked in where there were more people. Jamie tried to make her way through the crowd of people but ended up running into, "Dr. B?"
"You got any bourbon?" The shorter woman asked.
"Um... I don't know. You'll have to ask the idiots who threw this dumb party!" She shouted over the music that was playing. "I might need some alcohol myself!" Then, Meredith and George caught Jamie's eyes and she quickly went over to them. "What the hell is this? Who is responsible for this because I'm throwing them out on their asses!"
"It wasn't me!" George raised his hand in defense. "It was Izzie."
Jamie scoffed. "Of course, why am I not surprised? Wasn't this supposed to be a small party to meet someone's boyfriend?"
"Izzie has a lot of friends."
Meredith shook her head, clearly pissed as well. "Izzie doesn't know this many people."
George raised his hands again in protest. "Look, I told her to clear it with you and Jamie."
"Hi, I'm Jamie. Izzie has never spoken a single word to me about this 'little' get together." The eldest replied. "I barely see her, and I barely talk to her, alright? She's definitely getting thrown out on her ass."
"You want me to kick everyone out? I am going to kick everyone out."
"Baby, you made it!" Cristina yelled, a bottle of beer in her hand, cleared wasted already.
Meredith looked at her friend and said, "Screw it," Before handing George the lamp in her hand, taking his drink and leaving to dance with her friend.
Jamie shook her head. "I need vodka. Straight vodka."
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"Woohoo!" Jamie shouted, screaming some of the music that was playing. Her hips swayed to the beat, and she felt free for once in her life as she stood on the coffee table. "You're hot then you're cold, you're yes and you're no, you're in and you're out, you're up and you're down..." Soon the words coming out of her mouth became slurred, but she laughed it off because Katy Perry wasn't even the song that was playing. "I need... some air."
She then stepped off the table, not very gracefully, and wondered out the front door. Still slightly dancing to music that was still playing. "Sha-na-na-na-na-na-." The bottle of vodka in her hand was her dance partner as she continued to dance with her arms wrapped around the glass.
"You know, in some states, you get arrested for that." Derek smiled at the drunken girl, leaning against his car.
Jamie smiled back and shrugged her shoulders before walking up to the male who was looking sexier than ever right now in her drunken state. "Oh well," She giggled taking another swig of alcohol.
"So, you blew me off for a bottle of... vodka? Vodka's no good for you- doesn't call, doesn't write. It's not nearly as much fun to wake up to."
"Oh, really?" The woman smirked before grabbing his tie and smashing their lips together. When she pulled off of him, she muttered in his ear, "Take me for a ride, Derek."
He nodded at her before taking her to the passenger side of his car and pulling her shirt over her head, leaving Jamie in her bra before removing that too.
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"You know, it sounds like the party's winding down." Jamie was still a little drunk in a sort of hazy state. "Listen to me," Derek tried to get the gorgeous girl on top of him to refocus although she was so adorable like this.
"What?" Jamie laughed, throwing her head back in delight. "Can't we just have fun in here?"
"We should probably sneak inside now." Derek pushed some hair out of her face, admiring her beautiful features like her eyes, nose and kissable lips.
She shrugged. "We've done enough sneaking around for the night. it was good sneaking though. But enough sneaking. But I love car sex, did you know that?"
"I didn't but I'll keep that in mind," He smirked while nodding and putting his shirt over Jamie's bare upper half. "Although, I'd say we're pretty good sneakers."
Suddenly there was a knock at the window, and they looked over to see Bailey standing there. "You mind moving this tail wagon? You're blocking me in."
"Shit," Jamie giggled, burying her head into Derek's neck. "Oops."
"Apparently not good enough." He sighed in defeat.
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The next morning, Jamie left for the hospital earlier than all the interns because she did not want to get stuck cleaning up the disgusting mess that was her house. She'd blame Izzie, anyway. Maybe even George because they seemed to be all buddy-buddy with one another.
But the first place she went was the balcony by the Chief's office waiting for Meredith for after her talk with Webber on the whole heart patient thing.
"50 says Meredith gets tossed out on her ass and Burke walks away clean." Cristina scoffed.
George sighed and looked at the brunette. "Please be nice to her."
"The Meredith I know, did a good thing." Jamie said. "She did a good thing and reported it. I mean, was it a little late, sure. But at least she didn't leave a goddamn towel in a patient for five years. If they kick her out, I'm leaving too." When her sister finally came out of the office, the eldest asked, "Mer, what happened?"
"One-month probation. Burke saved my ass." She smiled, hugging her sister tightly.
"Don't you all have something better to do?" Bailey approached the group of interns. "Come on, Ace, you should know better. Move!"
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"Yay!" Jamie smiled as she came home to see the interns cleaning the living room. "Woohoo! Finally, I don't have to nag you bitchy interns about doing something." She teased.
"Ah, come on, Ace." Meredith smiled. "You love us here."
"Do I? But thanks for cleaning. I'm headed to bed because I still have a hangover."
"Not like you were going to do it anyway!"
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