Disclaimer: Don't own anything but my OCs. That's not much.

N/A: I don't have much time but I wanted to at least update once this week-end. I thank Patsy who reviewed last time and I hope when you finish reading this that you will all leave me with your impressions.

-7-

In the business of saving lives

Lean On (feat. MØ & DJ Snake)

While a private jet landed in King County international, the traffic snaked up downtown Seattle, packing heavily the roads with cars, blistering under the heat of the bright morning. The Ferry boat released safely its hundreds of passengers in the harbor. Ensnaring the main arteries of the city in a tight grip, the lines of steel and wheels were seemingly endless. But like blood flowing from a vein, it never lacked a pulse. There was a momentum between each flow. The streetlights operated like a pacemaker. It was a beautiful, well-organized ballet. One, Warren Fresker was sure was quite common in every big city in the country at this time of day. However, when he saw the reflection of the space-needle in the windshield, he immediately knew that he was now in Seattle, 2000 miles away or so from home. He was quite anxious about it as he usually was whenever he left his office too long. Taking a quick look at his Jaeger-LeCoultre watch, he frowned lost in his thoughts. Time seemed to be the most precious commodities these days. Warren was sorely lacking in that department. A quick peek at his smartphone, a sophisticated piece of modern and outrageously expensive technology, with which he could theoretically make calls from the great wall of China, dive with dolphins and sharks in Australia, just before boating down the Amazon, a quick look at quick efficient modernity, and he knew that somehow he already lost the day. He reviewed at once the journal of ongoing surgeries of the Strauss Medical Center in Annapolis. His hand crisped on the phone when he saw an unauthorized cancellation. A name flickered in red like an alarm. Yeahquo was going off protocol. Again. Did it come as a surprise? Not really. Was he expecting it? Maybe. Was it still annoying? Yes, definitely.

He remembered his last conversation with Yeahquo in his office. He thought at that time that he made himself pretty clear. Gabriel Fife had been there. Both doctors were in the best of moods after learning a request made in the interest of one of their patients had been rejected.

"They said no."

Kyle Yeahquo pushed his raven hair back with both hands, finding it hard to exhale. The tribal tattoo on his forearm came in full view since he was not wearing his scrubs, but a simple white shirt over jeans. For as long as Warren knew him, he was never one to take rejection well. He was the kind of surgeon who sets impossible goals for himself. He sets his bar so very high and you could never push him to go lower than that. He arrogantly believes in his own hype. He was a child at heart. Discontented, wild, obstinate, brilliant… He was an asshole, mind you. His ego was impossible to keep in check. At that time, you could just see the fire blazing in his eyes as dark as the night.

Gabriel Fife, the buttoned scientist on the other end was more measured in expressing his feelings as researchers usually were. He just gripped his wheelchair tight and looked at the ground. Well, he never liked to be the bearer of bad news. But well, that was the job. He grabbed another file. He forgot to approve the nursing schedule for next month.

"I don't deny it will be a risky surgery, but it's his one chance, Warren. I need your approval on this."

How ironic, Kyle never asked for permission. He usually did what he wanted to do and screw the consequences. It was strange to see that side of him, though he suspected, it was all part of some sort of manipulation. He kept his voice neutral, but Warren knew his ego was getting torn inside. Warren kept his eyes trained on the computer screen for a while before finally addressing them very slowly.

"Not only is it risky, but it is also not cost-effective. It is expensive. Patient's health care only covers a third of the cost. Even with you and Fife working Pro Bono…this case. We will have to cover the rest. There's also the matter of the 13% chance of success. That's not encouraging at all. As you both know, the board ordered all trial to be on hold until budget negotiation start next year, so we cannot use the preliminary results as dangling carrots. Meaning, I have a hard time justifying this expense as anything else but a giant waste of money. So, the answer is no. No, you won't get my approval on this. You should inform his father. He needs to be prepared… This is your schedule for tomorrow and yours, Fife."

He handed both men a planning and sat down behind his office again. He saw Kyle's face contorted quickly in anger.

"Screw that, Warren. Screw them. You know I can do it. You brought me here just for this. Now, these greedy sons of bitches… think they can fucking give me a schedule to follow. Who do they think I am?" Kyle said, raising his arms in the air.

" Warren, that was my name… on that trial!" Fife argued. "Two years of research thrown away into boxes… What do you want me to do? "

"I am aware that things took a strange turn these past few months."

"And that's my patient! I told his family he won't be dying on my watch. I promise I will give him more time to properly fight this thing. He is just 8 years old, Warren. There is no way I can go back on my word. That is my reputation…"

"They want to restructure ... I cannot go against the board's wishes."

"They will be dismantling the center before the end of the year, you know it. Just tell us so we can cut our losses… After closing the trauma ward… This is the next… step. I did not sign up for this. I don't do second-rate well. I could be somewhere where I am needed. I sacrificed things to be here." Gabriel said.

"The board may be reviewing its options. I do not have much of a say in this. This is not a right time for the medical center. I'm still working on getting all the trials back on rails. But we all have to make some sacrifices. You need to trust me."

Gabriel Fife scratched his eyebrows nervously.

"I did trust you. Where's that ever gotten me? You're killing my research."

"I have no power over this, Fife."

"You're the chief of staff. You have every power in the book."

Warren kept shaking his head slightly and looked straight in his eyes.

"I told you everything I know."

"It's not good enough! Not even nearly. So… I quit. How about that for something you should know! "

Fife turned to leave the room. Warren silently watched him go.

"You're going to let him walk away."

"He is a geneticist. Right now, I can do without one. He will calm down or be fired. I honestly don't care which. You're head of oncology and a damn good surgeon. I need you. I'm sorry it'd come to this. But I have a hospital to run and for that I have to make difficult decisions, decisions I don't always like. You have to inform his parents, Kyle? Can I count on you?"

"How can you ask that of me? You know I've worked this kid's case for years. It's a miracle he's still alive. My miracle! I made that possible! Fife is right. I'm done with this dollhouse. I did not get all these degrees just to play doctor and look good in the pictures. I've won everything there is to win in this damn country. I am not a puppet. I'm a rockstar. I'm done here. Cut my dividend this year because I'm out of here too."

Kyle paced furiously. Warren ignored him like he always did in those situations.

" As you can see Kyle, I took the surgery down from your new schedule. You will follow protocol… while I am gone. I will follow your progress on my phone."

Yeahquo turned to face him, not sure he heard him right.

"You…what? You want what?! Didn't you hear what I just said? Don't fucking ignore me like that !"

"Like I said, I took the liberty of taking the surgery down from your schedule. I programmed a couple of benign biopsies, followed by colostomies, procedures with a cost covered by all insurance companies. Gucic will assist you then. You should be done by sixteen. OR 4 is all yours. I assumed you won't need the theater for this."

"Biopsies? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Warren rolled his chair to the side.

" I don't have to joke. I'm not asked to have a sense of humor while I'm just doing my job. Can you do yours? Because I don't know when I will be back."

Kyle frowned even more.

"You want me to follow protocol in your absence if I understand correctly… like a good little soldier… even though I usually never bother following protocol at all, is that it?"

Warren nodded.

"You also want me to take your resident with me. The girl with the Dragon Tatoo… aka… Hit Girl. Are you serious? This girl does not know her place in the OR. She punched an attending."

"The name is Vika Anja Gucic. And yes, that's it. Since the other side of you job is teaching, she should learn things…"

"She is a third-year resident…

He paused, finally taking time to consider this offer.

"No, whatever… I will do it." He smiled.

" Just follow orders, Kyle. Be aggressive… These things need a firm hand. Can you do that? "

"Of course, you're the chief, Chief."

"Don't screw up."

He laughed.

"I won't… I never…"

As much as he tried to stay completely neutral, something told him he made a huge mistake, and his hospital was probably already burning, or collapsing under the weight of one surgeon's big ego. He was way too kind.

"Where are we going?" He asked the driver briskly.

"We will be there soon."

"Where are we going to be " soon"?"

A fake amiable smile spread his lips. His eyes were narrowed barely hiding his irritation. The driver's eyes never left the road, but he answered just as diplomatically.

"I have instructions, sir. "

"Turn around. I changed my mind. I want to go back to the airport."

"I can't Sir in this traffic."

"I know you can. Turn around now. I have work to do."

The driver shook his head apologetically.

"I can't do that sir. I apologize. But Mrs Avery was very clear."

"I bet she was. You need to know that I will sue you for all you're worth… Not your company… Not your contractors… Just you..."

"Sir…"

"I don't need the money. I will simply do it for fun."

"Sir…"

"Let me tell you how it will play out… You will be fired. The insurance company covering the asses of your boss and his bosses will do everything to put the blame on you so that they don't have to pay. My lawyers… So many lawyers… Paid so well… To shed innocent blood… I will allow them because I just want to go after you."

"Sir… She told me you'd say something like that."

"If you tell me you have kids… It will be worse. I hate children."

The driver let out a sign of relief.

"We're here."

He looked through the window of the passenger's seat.

"She must be kidding?"

The driver got down, circled the car to open his door but he was quicker. Eyebrows raised quizzically, Warren faced the monstrosity of a hospital known in Seattle as the Grey-Sloan Memorial, known in the rest of the medical world as the Graveyard of Great Spirits. He thought he heard a shoe drop somewhere.

He had seen his fair share of hospital buildings around the world. They were all different in size, architecture and funding. But they all had something in common and it was the inherent sanitized smell of its ethereal hallways. He looked up at the bright chrome railings of the bridge. He only pulled his eyes away from the glass vaults of the ceiling to stare contemplatively at the highly polished linoleum floor. There was some money there, undoubtedly. The front desk was in a very bright area complete with an indoor garden. Even though he relented at the idea of asking for help he walked steadily in that direction. Until someone just obstructed his path.

"Hi?"

"…Hi!" He replied.

"You must be Dr Fresker? Of course you're Dr Fresker? I'm so glad to meet you! No, It is an honor to meet you… Sir! Really!"

He observed the young woman carefully before extending his hand casually. She appeared to be young, but she could be ageless. Age did not matter in their professions. Maturity was something else entirely. It was not something quantifiable, but it was something one could easily perceive upon meeting someone new. Dr Edwards, S was the name written on the tag pinned on her coat. Her hair was unruly dark and she wore minimal make-up. She was quite mousy in her demeanor, though she tried to hide her unease by fidgeting on her feet. Stepping forward to shake his hands, she paused to quickly wipe her hand on her coat. It was a seemingly unconscious gesture, and she did it in a blink, but he noticed it nonetheless. Her nails were perfectly manicured and they were a soft creamy color. She was smart. A straight A student… He bet… Probably major of her class in College… She wore pale blue unfitting and unflattering resident scrubs. She was a surgeon-in-training, of course. He could tell she was struggling though. Colored study cards were protruding from her lab coat. She was holding a file with his name on it.

"The S stands for what, Dr Edwards?"

Stephanie blushed inwardly. A couple of thoughts came to mind. Superman. Supafly . Superbadass. She sobered up quickly though. That was so not what he was probably asking.

"Huh? I mean…Oh the tag! Stephanie, sir. I'm Dr Stephanie Edwards, 3rd year resident of general surgery."

"Nice to meet you." He said sternly.

"I…"

"Can you provide me with the names of the board members of this hospital and a complete list with the name of all the attendings and head of each department?"

"Oh! That… I… She… I can give you a tour if you want."

"I have minimal time on hand. This need to be quick, Dr Edwards. I trust you want to go back to your OR and I want to go back to my business. We can help each other."

She quickly flipped the pages in her file. Her voice was trembling slightly.

"Those are pieces of information… I cannot… give you… at least until she's cleared… them… I mean you're sure you don't want any refreshments. We have a cafeteria. Nice and cozy. We should visit it. Not together. I did not mean cozy… Of course I will be delighted to show you around. It's just we need a place to start. The cafeteria is a nice place to start, Sir."

He looked straight at her. She looked so promising and bright just a minute ago. Now he was having mixed feelings. The girl was definitely wasting her time, courtesy of Catherine. Without a word, he started pacing in the hallways. He pushed a glass door and it swung open with ease. A draft of air hit his face warm with a distinct scent of bleach. Next to the elevator there was a bright wall decorated with old black and white photographs of hospital staff- most likely either deceased or rocking their nineties in some retirement home. He recognized Mark Sloane's picture. He remembered the day he learned that he died from injuries caused in a plane crash. He wanted to go to the funeral , but he had an emergency board meeting who could not wait instead, since Beckett Martin-Strauss, the patriarch of the Strauss foundation, principal shareholder of the Medical center, had died of a sudden heart attack.

On another wall, the lists of all the specialties were represented here with the name of each attending underneath. Shepherd caught his eyes first. This one was easy to remember. It was a well-known surname in their world, Grey too, all things considered. You could not forget the two-time Harper Avery winner, Ellis Grey, also recipients of other honors. She was like a monument of sorts in their professions. He did not know her daughter, but if she inherited anything from her mother, surgery skills should be the least of it. Amelia, on the other hand, he remembered her for lots of reasons, some of which were not pleasant to remember. As he worked for the New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell , he interviewed her thirteen years ago, that was seven years after he met with her brother. Brash but gifted, she could have been another rock star in her family. She had the steadiest hands after Derek Shepherd. What she lacked at that time truly was concentration, discipline, focus, charisma and true genius, all the things her brother never lacked. But for a brief period of time, he believed in that talent. He had been that much of a fool. She got him fired from his position. And that was not even the reason he was still angry with her. No, this did not even begin to cover it.

"You don't have to take a look at it just now. Dr Fresker…"

He read the other names swiftly. Torres. Calliope Torres. She was excellent, this one. She was also one of the Seven, if he understood correctly. She built exoskeleton out of nothing on a homeless guy he had heard. But that was it. Jackson Avery. A board member? What one must not hear! The kid was even Head of plastics these days. No kidding. That was enough for one day. Nope. It was definitely not even worth a tour. He crossed the food cart area and was stopped on his way out by Edwards .

"Dr… Fresker? I'm sorry. Dr Avery said she will be with us shortly. Can I do anything for you? A coffee maybe?"

"No. Dr…"

"Edwards…"

"Dr Edwards, you will tell Dr Avery that I thank her for the trip. First class… Private… It is really my favorite way to travel. And I've never been to Seattle before. I expected it to rain. The weather is quite exquisite. But I must admit that if I really needed a vacation, I'd take some myself in another part of the world somewhere warmer and sandier. "

A black woman turned toward him with a bright smile.

"I expected the same thing. I thought it would be like Detroit. Greyish and dull… My father used to go to Detroit all the time. We had family there. He worked there too. I absolutely hated it. It was just insanely dusty. I have allergies. But the water here can be so clear in the summer. It is actually even better than Boston in terms of pollution."

"And you are… Dr Pierce!"

"Oh! Yes, Margareth Pierce! How did you know?"

"I read all your articles."

"Really? I published ages ago!"

"I'm never impressed. But I was…"

"Oh then, I guess I'm glad I impressed you… I'm kinda impressed myself that I impressed you."

He smiled indulgently.

"Forget that. That did not even sound right. I had only half a donut this morning… I'm the Head of Cardiothoracic surgery around here."

She extended a hand toward him. He accepted it gladly. Her palm was very soft. Her assurance was faked, but her handshake was quite steady, her grip firm and tight. It was the handshake of a surgeon. Make no mistake she was probably a great one.

"And you are?"

"Warren. Warren Fresker. I am also in a hurry, unfortunately, but you did a good job on the Almeida case. Do you have news from the patient?"

"He just sent me a card last month to tell me he just got married. He's working in Dublin now. But I was a fellow at that time! It got me my attending position. How did you know?"

"I thought your position was secured at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. You were the Head of Cardiothoracic there too. "

"Well, you are well-informed. I don't know. I got this offer a year ago and needed a change of pace. They also had a "freaking" 3D printer and my predecessor's fellow, Cristina Yang, a great surgeon, managed to make a conduit out of it. It was the talk everywhere. My contract was up and I was pretty much hooked. I knew it was the place to be."

"They're good at this. Communication. I can tell."

She nodded, unsure of what he means.

"I must go. But it was a pleasure to meet you, Dr Pierce. Here's my card if you find yourself in need of another change of pace. I may have exactly what you need."

"Thanks… I guess."

He gave her one last smile before leaving.

" Dr Fresker? I'm sorry. Where are you going? She said she will be… here in a minute."

He shortened the distance between them again.

" She tricked you, Stephanie. Allow me…" He said, taking the file in her hands and dropping it without ceremony in the nearest garbage disposer. "That's what she does. That file you were holding on so dearly will never teach you anything useful about me. I bet it was designed for you to believe I'm some kind of billionaire philanthropist who likes to travel the world. That's the thing she said to make you believe that what you're doing is worth it, that the time you take off surgery is justified. That you're not wasting your time. If you allow her, she will use you. You will not become a better surgeon like this. To become a better surgeon, you have to build a certain mentality. You have to go beyond what you're currently capable of. You have to sacrifice your fears and doubts on the altar of your growing success. You have to feel it inside. You have to feel better to be better. You have to create your opportunities… create your chances. She will not give them to you. She will not let you shine. Nobody will do that for you. So my advice to you would be to help yourself become better… Forget about anything else. Forget about what she wants…"

Stephanie blinked twice.

"Dr…"

"I'm so sorry. I'm not a patient man, Dr Edwards. Tell Catherine Avery, I have another hospital to run."

"Wait! If you knew Catherine Avery, you'd know that it is impossible for me to tell her this. She will kill me."

His face broke in an unexpected smile.

"A lovely thing like you… Such a shame really. It was a pleasure to meet you."

Just like that he left. Pierce asked Edwards.

"Edwards? Who is this? I don't know… He is quite intense."

"I'm dead. I'm so dead. I want to be dead right now."

"She was late."

April shook her head in denial. She remembered distinctly the day when she broke her arms on the swing at school. She was swinging, laughing merrily. Her heart filled with such strong emotions as the swing gained in speed and she could feel herself being suspended in the air, her heart jumping at each swing. Then, she remembered losing her balance and grip and being catapulted in the air until gravity took over. Her arm went out in a cruel deafening snap of broken bones. She screamed because that was all she could do for a moment. She did not scream for help. She just screamed incoherently as pain blinded her, as she lied on the school concrete. The crunching noise her arm made when it dangle in that odd angle was all she could see and hear for a while.

"I was not... I was not. Maybe, I was just five minutes late. But that's nothing."

"Well, April. For Jackson, it doesn't seem like such a small thing. Can you understand why?"

"So now, I'm not understanding enough. Okay, I'm a bad wife because I was late once. I can see why Arizona and Callie never reconciled following your sessions."

The therapist just smiled, unwilling to engage April on such a topic. It would only served to help her validate her method of coping.

"Can you listen to the woman? She's only trying to help."

"Leave me alone."

"April..." The woman cut in.

"I'm trying... I'm just trying so hard. I came this morning, full of hope. I even try to kiss him while having breakfast, breakfast I made for him. He flat out rejected me."

"Did you turn your head, Jackson? Did you do that ?"

"Well, she did not come home at all last night."

"April...You..."

"I fell asleep at Meredith's."

"You got drunk there."

"What's wrong with that ? I'm an adult without children. What is there to be ashamed of?"

The words left her mouth before she realized, Jackson shook his head in disgust. She sighed.

"April..."

"Please... Jackson, I'm talking to you. Do we really need this?"

"Do you think I want to be here?"

"Then what are we doing here? Because I love you and you love me... That's how it's always going to be."

"You left me. You left me last night. You left me for nine months. You're always leaving me behind. Worst of all, you're always leaving our son behind."

"How can you say that?"

"That's what you do? Something bad happen and you check out. "

"That's not...true."

"You wanted me...Then you wanted Jesus more so you dumped me. You wanted Matthew, then you wanted me until you wanted Matthew again and you almost married him. Our son died. Say it. Just say it. We are not without children. We had one. We lost him... And you left again to go play soldier... And now you leaving me behind again. That's what you do. Admit it ! Just admit it!"

"That's not..."

"I was there all the time, a fool in love, waiting for you to get a clue and come back to me. But you didn't... you never... not for long at least."

"Jackson..."

"We're here because of you."

April did not know what to say anymore. She heard the familiar snapping of bones. She just knew. She was back to that pain and she wanted to scream.