Quinn looked up at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. It felt strange to be back in Chicago after all those years. She had spent her summers there in high school. Her Mother had been dating some store owner. She could always rely on her Mother to go where the money was. Or the wine, whichever worked for her.
Things had always been a little bit tense between Judy and Quinn since they had kicked her out when she was 16. Her Mother had tried to make things right but they were never the same. Then Judy found another man and Quinn took a back seat again.
She had gone to Yale and then onto medical school so it had never been an issue for her. She had moved on and made her own way in life. She had been set to start her surgical residency in New York, she had been engaged, she had a plan. And then that had all changed.
She walked into the emergency department where she would be working with the on-call trauma surgeon. Maggie the nurse running the desk directed her to the doctor's lounge where she could hang up her coat and bag.
Quinn was hanging her coat up when the door opened. A tall dark haired woman came in laughing and joking with a familiar looking red head.
"You were so nervous" The dark-haired woman laughed.
"Will Halstead?" She asked cocking her head to the side.
Will looked up from Natalie and broke out into a beaming smile.
"Quinn" He said crossing the room and pulling her into a hug "What are you doing here?"
"I start my surgical residency here today" She replied pulling back.
"Someone let you into medical school?" He joked.
"I could say the same about you" She laughed shaking her head.
"Hi" Natalie said awkwardly interrupting them.
"Sorry Nat" Will apologised "This is Quinn, we knew each other when we were kids, she dated Jay for a summer, Quinn this is my girlfriend Natalie, Dr Manning"
"It's nice to meet you" She said with a smile.
"What happened to the pink hair?" Will asked.
"That went a long time ago" She laughed "I got that tattoo removed as well"
"I still can't believe you did that" He smirked "We should catch up later"
"It was nice meeting you" Natalie told her going off to see her first patient.
"So surgical resident" Will said shaking his head "You get the privilege of working with Dr know it all Rhodes"
"Really?" Connor asked raising an eyebrow as he came in behind Will.
"Just kidding" Will said awkwardly running a hand through his hair. "He's a good guy really"
"I'm not sure I'd go that far" She smiled shaking her head.
"You two already know each other?" Will asked looking between them "Don't tell me you're dating"
"God no" She laughed "He's my step brother"
Will raised an eyebrow surprised. He had always joked with Connor that their paths would have never crossed. Quinn had been a crazy wild child. He still had vivid memories of that summer before Jay's senior year. He couldn't imagine in what world she would be related to Connor Rhodes with the practically unlimited trust fund. He wondered how long they had known each other. He excused himself to start on his rounds. He made a mental note to text Jay later and fill him in.
"You know Will?" Connor asked her raising an eyebrow.
"Back in my punk rock cry for help phase" She replied shaking her head.
"I think I liked that phase" He said thoughtfully.
"Only because your dad looked like he would burst a blood vessel every time he saw me" She laughed.
She could laugh about it now but it had been such a cry for help in a time where she had been in a lot of pain. But she had come a long way since then. She had been through so much but she refused to let it define her.
"How are you doing?" He asked her.
"Work mode" She reminded him.
She had known she would end up working with Connor. He was the person in their messed-up family that she was probably the closet to. He knew how hard the last year had been for her. But she didn't want that to crossover into her time at Chicago med. She wanted to succeed here.
"Well in that case you're I hope you're good with central lines and suturing because you're going to be busy in this department" He told her.
"No problem" She replied with a smile.