Chapter 2

OR 3 SGH

A few minutes pass without anyone saying a word. The OR is still, except for the rhythmic sounds of the equipment. Mr. Muller lies on the table waiting to be sutured, fortunately, not in any distress. O'Malley stands at his spot next to the speaker and Burke, well Burke is standing motionless, frozen by Cristina's words, staring at the spot in the gallery once occupied by Cristina. The rest of the surgical team exchange shocked looks with each other but, otherwise, do an excellent job of keeping their eyes off of Burke. The people in that room have too much respect for him to stare.

Bailey breaks the silence "Dr. Burke?"

He didn't answer. She couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. He just heard his girlfriend tell him, her friends and a surgical team that she was pregnant. To make matters worse, Cristina's voice gave absolutely no indication that she was happy or even okay with the news. Bailey recognized the emotions she heard in Cristina's voice. The fear, the disappointment, the guilt, the definite absence of excitement. She remembered those emotions well from her own pregnancy. It was terrible. The tremendous feeling of disappointment at the timing of it all and the guilt at feeling disappointed. How can something that's supposed to be so happy drive you so crazy?

Bailey wondered what Cristina would do. She was having a great year. Even Dr. Webber, with his reservations about her ability to overcome her crappy bedside manner, had to admit that she was well ahead of her peers. This year she surpassed the Chief's favorite, Meredith Grey, as his top candidate to receive Seattle Grace's fellowship at the end of their residency. Cristina had proven herself time and again, showing skill, dedication and, to everyone's surprise, an ability to adapt to her patients. Bailey did not envy the position Cristina was in and understood the choices that she would need to make.

Bailey takes the instrument from Burke's right hand "Dr. Burke are you okay?"

"We thought she had food poisoning." Burke for the first time looks away from the gallery and, not knowing where to look, he looked into Mr. Muller's chest.

He didn't know what to do. What to think. Cristina was pregnant. He was ready but he was not sure she was. He thought she could be but knew it did not fit into what she had planned for this year. She was in the process of applying for a special program that would take her to Harvard for 6 weeks this summer. It was a great opportunity and included the chance to get published. They'd discussed kids and marriage repeatedly over the past year without resolution. She wanted to finish her residency. He wanted to get married and have children. They were at a stalemate. She wouldn't commit to getting married. She was not convinced about babies. His faith in them had been tested more than once by her reluctance which he did not understand and she could not fully explain. During the toughest of these discussions, he'd wondered if their love was enough for him.

Hearing Bailey begin to speak he looks in her direction "Well Dr. Burke it seems to be a little more serious than that."

He smiles weakly "Yes," then pausing unsure of whether to ask his question out loud, "She sounded upset didn't she?"

This was a first for Bailey. In her career at Seattle Grace, Bailey had always known Burke to be a man of certainty. She had never seen him uncertain until now. It was time for him to leave the OR.

"Don't guess. Go talk to her."

Burke takes a deep breath beginning to recover from the shock of Cristina's revelation "Good idea. Um, Dr. Bailey can you finish up in here?"

"I'd be happy to sir."

"Thank you Dr. Bailey."

Bailey smiles reassuringly as he slowly walks away "Dr. Burke."

"Yes" Burke looks back slightly uncomfortable as he is aware that everyone in that OR knows about the baby. His baby. Their baby.

"You're going to be a great dad. Congratulations." Following Bailey's lead, the surgical team softly echoes her congratulatory words. A grin creeps onto Burke's face as he leaves the OR.

As soon as Burke's out of the room. Bailey clears her throat and assumes the tone of the Nazi "Now just so we are clear if anybody in this room speaks one word of what you heard about Dr. Yang and Dr. Burke I will see to it that your lives are miserable for the remainder of my time here at Seattle Grace. That baby is their business and their news to share. Understood?"

"Yes" is immediately repeated throughout the room.

Bailey, satisfied with the response, continues "Good, now let's get back to the business of closing up Mr. Muller. He's been patient enough. Um, O'Malley, are you waiting for an invitation to come back to this table?"

"Uh, no, ma,am. Of course not." George, still standing by the speaker, quickly starts making his way back over to the operating table "Wow! Cristina pregnant. Unbelievable!"

Bailey is annoyed "O'Malley! Are you deaf or stupid?"

George looks at Bailey remembering her warning "Right, sorry. Not one word. Lips sealed. Mouth shut."

"Shut up O'Malley!"