Bella walked into the house and sighed. She had been with Mark. He had needed someone to talk to. And Bella was only too happy to be there for him.
Nothing had happened between them. Knowing Mark wasn't in the right head space. He had lost his daughter and his grandson all in one night.
Bella wanted to be there for him. Despite all that had happened. She knew their relationship wasn't the same. She knew that they were taking things slow. The engagement hadn't even been brought up between them.
Grace looked to her. "Hey. Where have you been? Derek is worried about you," she said.
Bella smiled. "I went to see Mark. He's struggling with Sloan leaving. And the baby being given up for adoption. I feel bad for him."
Grace looked to her. She handed her a cup of coffee. Bella shook her head. "Oh god no. Think I've had too much of that stuff I've gone off of it," she said.
"What's going on with you and Mark? Are you together?" Grace asked.
Bella sat down and sighed. She smiled. "I think we're just taking it slow. I want to be with him. I know I do. But he said some things. I know, I overreacted. It wasn't just him. It was me too."
Grace nodded. She looked to her. "I want you to be happy. You and Mark, you make each other happy," she told her.
"You think?"
"Yes. The way you two look at each other, it's like there's no one else in the room," Grace said.
Bella blinked and grinned. "You've had too much of my brother. Does he still want babies?" She asked.
"Only one. For now. My vagina won't cope with more than one. I feel traumatised at the thought of a child with Derek's hair squeezing out," Grace said.
****
Bella walked into the hospital. Grace walked over to her as she had arrived before Bella to spend some time with Derek. "Hey. We have sensitivity training. Courtesy of my handsome husband," she said.
Bella blinked a couple of times. She groaned. "Since when did I need sensitivity training? I gave my dying best friend my wedding. I delivered my ex fiancée's grandson. That's as sensitive as anyone can get," she said.
"Speaking of Sloan."
Grace walked off as Bella turned to see Mark. She smiled. "Oh. Hi. How's Sloan?" She asked.
"Her mom took her back with her. Thought I'd check how you're doing," Mark said as he looked into her eyes.
Bella smiled. "I'm okay. I'm worried about you. You're the one I'm worried about. Are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm good. I'm fine. Bella..."
Bella looked to him. She sighed and smiled. "I gotta go. My brother seems to think I'm insensitive. Go figure," she told him as she kissed his cheek and walked off.
****
Bella yawned as she sat in the lab for the sensitivity training. She was bored and tired. "When is this torture going to end?" She mumbled as she looked to Grace.
Grace smiled as she looked to Jackson. "Wake up."
Bailey turned to them. "Huh, reaction, observation, communication, any questions so far?"
Everyone but Bella all raised their hands. She wanted to be anywhere but there.
"We are doing this because chief Shepherd suggests we brush up on our patient sensitivity skills, that's why. And it just so happens, this morning was a very good time; besides, half of you were raised by wolves."
Anna raised her eyebrows and smiled. "If we're being technical, I was raised by a New Yorker. And Derek Shepherd. But if you say so," she said.
Bailey glared at Bella. "You're not funny Shepherd. Keep your face impassive. Whether prompted by a patient's appearance or lab results, facial expressions of surprise, concern, disgust, and etcetera can be counterproductive." Uh, la la la la la ... Jokes. Don't make jokes about patients, not in front of them, not even in private," she told them.
Cristina raised her hand. Bella turned to her. She rolled her eyes. "Course it's you," she said.
"Yang?"
"What if the joke is really funny?" Cristina asked, looking to the resident.
"It's not. Neither was that one. Moving on."
****
Mark looked to Derek as he walked over. "Hey. How's your day chief?" Mark asked.
"Gary Clark. He filed a wrongful death suit in his wife's case. I'm being deposed today," Derek told him.
Mark frowned. "That was all done by the book. She was effectively dead," he said.
"Apparently not," Derek said. He looked to him. "Have you made things right with Bella?" He asked.
Mark shrugged. "We're talking again. I miss her. I messed up. I know that. And I'm gonna do all I can make it right with her. I love her."
Derek looked to him. He knew Bella was always going to be in love with Mark. And he knew nothing would change that.
"Just don't hurt her again Mark. I mean it this time, I'll give you more than just a black eye," Derek told him.
****
"Okay. Use reflective listening. Repeat the patients feelings back to them. 'Um. I hear that you're concerned about the surgery. Let me explain the risks," Bailey said.
"I can see you like vegetables. After surgery, you might become one," Charles joked as he looked around.
Bella rolled her eyes. She wasn't in the mood for this today.
"Communication. Uh, don't use jargons. Use language that the patient can understand. Be creative in using metaphors," Bailey told them.
"Oh I'm terrible with metaphors. I can never come up with em," Charles groaned.
Bella tilted her head and smiled. "Why? Cause you're as dumb as a box of hammers?" She said.
Grace choked back her laughter. She shook her head. "Behave Isabella ."
"Pfft. I'd much rather have an orgasm then being here," Bella mumbled.
Grace grinned. "I'd rather have Derek's cock in my mouth."
"Vulgar. I don't need that image in my head thank you very much," Bella said.
Charles turned to Bella. "You see, that's a good one. You're an ass. But that was a good one."
"Be clear and comprehensive. Explain all risks and probable outcomes. Leaving nothing out," Bailey told them. She looked around. "Questions. Adamson?"
"Why are you going so fast?" Reed asked as she looked to her.
Bella rolled her eyes. "Probably because tinkerbelle, the people who have a brain can understand," she said.
"It just so happens that we have an emergent patient arriving who will need a little extra sensitivity. So remember to employ your R-O-C. And you will rock your patients world. Okay, that's enough of that. Follow me to the pit," Bailey told them.
****
Bailey turned to the residents. She sighed. "All right, people, remember what you've been taught. Use it throughout the day. There'll be consequences if you don't."
Bella frowned as she looked to Grace. "What the hell is it?" She asked.
All right. Let's go."
Grace frowned. "What, did the circus come to town?"
Jackson smirked as he saw the patient which happened to be a 700lb man. "No ... just the elephant."
Bella tried to hold back her laughter. She sniggered into her hand.
Bailey turned to Jackson. "Avery, you're off the case. Go."
Jackson groaned as Grace winked. "Oh ... damn it," he said as he walked off.
"Consequences."
Bobby, the patient smiled. "We're gonna need a bigger hospital!"
Bobby laughed. But the residents were too shocked to laugh. Bella's eyes were wide as anything.
"Bella. Your eyes look like UFOs. Chill," Grace said as she clicked her fingers in Bella's face.
****
Bella was stood in the room with Grace and the other residents. She was stuck for words. "I think it's a good thing you're stuck for words here Bella. You'd be thrown off the case."
Bailey looked to them "Let's get him a chem panel, CBC and LFTs," she said.
Reed nodded. "Got it. And type and cross for two units. Now does that hurt?"
"Sweetheart, I can't even feel that," Bobby said as he looked to her.
April frowned as she looked around. "I'm having trouble finding a vein here," she told Bailey.
"Or anywhere," Bella mumbled.
"I'm using up all your doctors here. There's probably somebody dying somewhere, right?" Bobby asked.
"X- ray."
Grace turned to Bella. "Now I understand the sensitivity training," she mumbled.
Bella nodded and grinned. "Yeah. No fat jokes."
Bailey turned to look at Bella. She glared. "Shepherd, you're off the case."
Bella blinked a couple of times. "I said no fat j..."
"Goodbye."
"Are you kidding?" Bella said as she turned and walked off.
****
Bella walked over to Jackson and grinned. "Well blue eyes. You're not alone. Apparently I, Bella Shepherd, are insensitive."
"I knew it. You're a blonde. You have no soul," Jackson said.
Bella rolled her eyes. She grinned. "I do have a soul. I just sold it to the devil and fell in love with Mark Sloan. Wanna make a bet?"
"Go on."
"$50 bucks that Grace is going to get kicked off the case next. I'd say within the next hour," Bella said.
Jackson nodded. "You're on. I say in the next three hours," he told her.
Bella and Jackson shook hands. She grinned. "It will be like taking candy from a baby," she said.
"You wish blondie."
Bella rolled her eyes but smiled. She shook her head. "I'm going to kick your ass so badly with this bet," she told him.
"We'll see shall we?"
"Yeah. We will. Like taking candy from an Avery," Bella said as she stood up and walked off.
"I am an Avery!"
"Yeah yeah blue eyes!" Bella called as she carried on walking.
****
Bella smiled as she saw Mark. "Oh hi. I got kicked off the sensitivity training. Fail to see how I'm insensitive. I'm a caring soul," she said.
Mark smirked and shrugged. "I don't know. You can be evil given the chance."
"I wasn't evil when I let you put melted chocolate on my body and lick it off?" Bella teased.
Mark shook his head. "No. That was just hot. You're hot too," he told her.
He was resisting the temptation to take her into an on call room.
Bella looked to him. She grinned. "You sure you're okay? You don't seem it," she said.
"I'm good. Wanna be on my service? I need a pretty face to look at while I work," Mark told her.
"I see your flirt game hasn't changed. Nice save Sloan," Bella said. She smiled. "I'd be honoured to be on your service. But Arizona got there first. I love Peds. Next time."
Mark smirked. "I can't compete with the tiny humans?"
"Nope! See ya," Bella said as she turned and walked off.
****
Callie left Bobby's room and sighed. She came and stood by Bella. "Uh ... Um, bimalleolar ankle fractures. To weak to support his weight. He can go to C.T. now," she told them.
Derek shook his head and sighed. "He's not going in that C.T."
Callie turned to look at him. "Look, I think if we can position him, we could-."
"It's rated for half his weight. If it breaks, he gets hurt again, and it's not available for the 50 other patients who need it today."
Charles thought for a moment and spoke. "Oh, what about the zoo? They gotta have a CT. for, like, rhinos, right?"
Bailey shook her head. "Percy, you're off the case. Goodbye," she told him.
"No, that wasn't a joke. That was an actual suggestion."
"Go."
Owen looked around. "It's a pretty good idea, actually."
Teddy shook her head and frowned. "It's a terrible idea."
"We will spare this man the indignity of treating him like a zoo animal. If we can't get an image, then we'll go with clinical labs and tests," Richard told them all.
Teddy sighed. "I could do a nuclear stress test on his heart. I just wish that I could get him on a treadmill," she said.
"Well, that's not gonna happen. All right. I have a lawyer waiting for me. I have to go. But I want to have a meeting with all of you when his studies come back before we go any further down this road, okay?" He said as he walked off.
****
Grace stood with Lexie and Bailey. Melissa, Bobby's wife was talking to them. "His diabetes, did he have it before he was... immobilised?" Grace asked.
Melissa shook her head. "No. That's since he put on the weight," she said.
Lexie nodded. "And that's been... how long has?" She asked.
"How long has he been like this?" Melissa asked as they nodded. "Five years ago. His company laid off 300 employees. He tried to find work for two years. No one was hiring. And then he stopped trying. It was real hard on him. And food... well food made him feel better. I think he's been in pain for a while. He would tell me it's indigestion. But I...I couldn't ignore it. After the news I just had to call," Melissa said.
Grace frowned. "The news?"
"Well we're going to have a baby. I'm pregnant."
Lexie's eyes widened. "How? Uh... um.. I mean, wow. Congratulations. That is... that's joyous news," she said.
Bailey discreetly told Lexie she was off the case. Grace smirked as she turned to Alex. "I bet it had to be a test tube. Either that or a miracle conception."
"Goodbye Grey."
"Crap."
****
Derek found Grace. She turned to him and smiled. "Hey."
"Hey
Grace kissed his cheek. She looked to him. "Your deposition's today?" She asked.
Derek nodded. "Yeah. Hey, let me ask you something. Teddy and Owen ... can they work together?"
"Uh, what do you mean?"
"Nothing. I was just surprised that he didn't go to bat for her getting the job. It was like he wanted her to go," Derek told her.
Grace tilted her head. "Uh, really?"
"Yeah, I gotta go."
"I ... good luck."
****
The other residents sat down with Bella and Grace. "Artificial insemination. It had to be," Grace said as she looked up.
Bella frowned. "Wait. What are we talking about?" She asked.
Meredith turned to her. "Bobby Corso. How did they make a baby? He hasn't left the house in five years."
Cristina nodded. "It took a truck to get him here. How is he supposed to go to a fertility clinic to fill up a cup?" She said.
Alex scoffed. "How does he find it to fill up a cup?" He said with a look at Bella.
Meredith rolled her eyes and smirked. "You know, they can still do it the regular way. Right?"
Alex turned to look at her. "Have you seen the guy move? 'Cause he can't, really, at all."
Bella shrugged and winked. "Well, maybe he doesn't have to. Maybe she does all the work. Some men like it that way," she said as she took a French fry into her mouth.
Cristina nodded. "But how? I mean..."
Kelly, the daughter of a patient Cristina was working on walked over. "I'm finished," she said.
"Oh, um ... get yourself some ice cream."
"But I'm not allowed to have that much sugar."
Cristina rolled her eyes. "Well, get some roast beef then," she time her.
Lexie smiled. "She can sit."
"No, she can't. We're talking about s-e-x."
Kelly smiled. "I'm 9, and you just spelled sex," she said as she turned and walked off.
Cristina turned back to her friends. "That's good. Okay, you know what? Let's say... This is the wife," she said.
"No. Don't do that."
"And this is ... him," Cristina said as she held up a burger.
Bell shook her head. "Guess I won't be eating that now."
Alex smirked. "Okay, well, she's gotta be on top. Bella likes it on top," he said.
"Dude. You slept with me once. Ages ago. Get over it," she told him.
Cristina smirked and shrugged. "She might get altitude sickness."
Melissa is standing nearby. Cristina looked to her and sighed. "Sorry."
Melissa shook her head. "Um ... It's all right. I get it. You're ... you're trying to figure out how my husband and I managed to get a baby in here. There are some logistics involved. You want me to tell you? But fit, how about you tell me how you like to do it with your husband? Or your girlfriend? Any favorite positions? Or kinks ... let's talk about that, because I know you all must have a freak show of your own going on. Who wants to go first? No? Nobody? Okay. Well, it's probably none of my damn business anyway," she said as she walked off.
Bella looked to Cristina. "Are you always going to be a heartless bitch?" She asked.
"Shut up."
****
Bella felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. She turned to see Mark there. "Oh hey. You good?" She asked.
Mark nodded. "Yeah. I know I've been an ass in the past. And I'm sorry for that. I wanna be with you Bella. And it's never gonna change. I love you," he said.
Bella smiled. "I love you too."
Mark placed a hand on her cheek. Just hoping that he could rebuild what he had with Bella. Before Sloan came into their lives. Knowing how she was the one person he couldn't live without.