Bailey, Hahn and Christina sat across from each other around a table. Bailey looked at both of them exasperated.
"Dr Hahn," she said patronizingly, "Do you think you can teach Christina to be a good heart surgeon?"
Dr. Hahn didn't look at her.
"Okay Christina, are you willing to learn from Dr. Hahn?"
Christina didn't react. Bailey threw up her hands.
"Fine, fine, I give up on you two I dust my hands of both of you. You know what the problem is with you two fools is that you're too damn proud. Get over it already. I'll be outside. When one of you finally starts talking let me know."
She left the room muttering darkly. Christina and Hahn stared at each other neither willing to break the silence. Finally Hahn stood up and faced the wall.
"The chief," she said slowly, "Told me what you said during the thing with the nurses union."
She paused.
"I apologize."
She took a breath and continued, "The thing is you and me, we are the same, we're robots, we don't have many friends, and we are the same."
Christina still didn't say anything.
"You see the thing is Yang, I love cardio, I've always wanted to be in cardio, ever since ever, and when I met you, I thought here is a girl that doesn't really like cardio, she just has done heaps of it because she went out with an attending. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you crossed a line there Yang and I detested you for it."
"I thought when you saw how much I didn't like you, you would give up, go work in neurosurgery or plastics, but you didn't. And that made me even angrier. But then two things changed my mind, first the thing with Burke when we were outside the OR and I was down talking him you just stood there and didn't say anything. And it wasn't because you were a better person than me, because you aren't but that wasn't the silence of someone who's annoyed because the guy you screwed it moving on without you. That was the silence of betrayal, of being in love, as in love as someone like you or me can be, and then having it all taken away. Of being the one thing that saved that person you loved and not getting a bit of recognition. Am I right?"
"Fine don't say anything, you are right not to because that is the second thing, what you said to Chief is true, you were his hand and now, now you are a ghost, and that is unbearable. And you bore it. And that convinced me, there can only be one reason why you bore it, and that is because you love cardio. And because you love cardio, yes, Yang, I will teach you."
Finally Christina looked up, the barest reflection of tears glimmering in her eyes.
"What you did to me, your twisted test to see if I like cardio enough. That was unfair, it hurt and it was mean. But you are right, and because, because I love cardio, yes, I will let you teach me."
Hahn looked incredulous, she was after all an attending, she was about to laugh to scorn Christina, to tell her to get out of her sight, but she thought better of it closed her mouth and nodded to Christina. Christina stood up and moved to the door, she was halfway out when she turned back one last time.
"But," she said in a dangerously quiet tone, "I still do not forgive you."
She closed the door and left Hahn is in the silence of the dark room.
"Nor should you," she said to herself, "nor should you."
…………………………………….
Alex Karev stared across the table at Mark Sloan. Bailey looked in between the two.
"Uh, are you two going to say anything because those cardio freaks didn't and I wasted like ten minutes there. Besides, I think Grey and Shepard need my guidance a lot more than you two." She said, exasperatedly.
"Yeah," said Mark, "You should go to Grey's meeting, we're good here."
She got up and left leaving the two in silence.
"I hate teaching," said Mark matter of factly.
"Whatever."
Mark looked up surprised. "You know you can't just say stuff like that. I could very easily refuse to teach you and have you moved to the vagina squad or something."
"Yeah, sure. Look we both know that you are going to teach me in the end because if you don't you'll get on the bad side of Bailey, which you really don't want. And the Chief won't even look at you as a successor which you also really don't want."
"Look, I didn't say I wasn't going to teach you, just that I hate teaching."
"And I just said whatever. Whether you like teaching or not is completely irrelevant."
"All right then. You know you could be a bit more considerate. Do you know how many surgeons would kill to have Mark Sloan teach them plastics?"
There was a long pause in which Alex stared mockingly at him across the table. Mark stared back, finally he said;
"Alright Karev, this is how it is going to work. You are going to be a great surgeon, you are going to be great because I am great and I am going to turn you into me. You are me already, you're arrogant, honest, and conceited. So it won't be that hard, all I have to do is teach you the skills. And then you will be my legacy."
"And what," said Alex, "Am I supposed to get out of this. I'm not like Bambi, I'm not going to let you walk all over me or Izzie, who pretends everything is going great, and I'm definitely not like Christian who's just going to grin and bear it."
"You get to be a great surgeon."
"No, I get to be your freaking puppet, your claim to fame once your looks go and you can't get anyone to do surgeries on because we all know people who want plastics wants someone who looks plastic."
"Fine, you don't want the deal, don't take it, I don't care its up to you."
"Fine, I'll take the deal on one condition. You don't mess with my friends, I don't care about Christina, she can take care of herself. But you don't sleep with, date or even flirt with Meredith or Izzie."
"What-"
"I know you haven't yet, but it's only a matter of time and neither of them can take it. Meredith is so messed up already and that would destroy every chance of her getting back with Derek. Izzie, Izzie is- she's too good for you."
"Karev you can't just-"
"That's the deal Sloan, like you said, take it or leave it, I don't care."
"No sleeping with Grey or Stevens?"
"Not even flirting."'
There was lengthy pause in which they stared at each other across the table. Finally Mark made up his mind.
"Alright Karev, welcome to the team, you have yourself a deal."
Mark held out his hand and Alex took it shaking it firmly.
"Just out of curiosity Karev why that condition."
"Like I said Grey doesn't deserve it, I know her, we're friends, we are screwed up together."
"And Stevens?"
"None of your business."
Mark and Alex left the conference room at the same time. Just before they parted Mark turned to Alex,
"I still don't like you."
"I still don't like you."
"Whatever."
"Like I said, liking has nothing to do with it."
"Right," said Mark.
"Right."
And smiling Alex and mark went separate ways down the corridor.