Chapter Two
By greyeyedgirl
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Cristina sat at the bar next to Meredith, tipping her head back as she downed another shot, setting her glass down next to Meredith's empty glass, 17 small cups now lining the length of the bar. Izzie set her glass down, making it 18, and George choked as he hurriedly tried to swallow the last of his drink, then putting it casually on the counter.
Technically, George had no reason to be drinking. He had a loyal girlfriend who he for some reason was very fond of, and his life was going great. Albeit one of his best friends had just been shot and the other was suffering from a broken heart, but in Cristina's point of view there was no real reason to feel sorry for him. "Whatever. Everybody has problems."
"Hmmm?" Meredith asked, her voice starting to slur, nudging her head towards Joe, who looked at her skeptically.
"I think you two have had enough," he said to Meredith and Cristina, the heavy drinkers of the night.
"Seriously, Joe," Cristina said angrily, her voice laden with alcohol. "Enough is enough, you know?"
He smiled at her weakly.
"We should not have to go to work tomorrow. It's just gonna….suck. In a sucky mcsuckerton kind of way. You know?" Meredith said, now rocking back and forth on her stool. Cristina looked at her skeptically.
"You're right, Joe. Meredith has had enough to drink." Cristina didn't hold her alcohol very well, but she was like a 215-pound man compared to Meredith.
"Can I get another shot, Joe?" Izzie asked quietly, her eyes starting to look glazed. She stared vaguely around, then back at the dartboard in the back of the bar, where Alex was looking at her right before he attempted each shot.
"Fill 'er up," George said, trying to sound cheerful. The three girls all turned to glare at him, and Joe shook his head.
"We should get home. We have to work in 7 hours. George, you're the designated driver. You've had what, two glasses?"
George looked pitiful. "Cristina, are you sleeping over?"
"Duh," Cristina said, rolling her eyes and standing up. "Like I'm going to---" She stopped, pretending to be rubbing her eyes tiredly, then forcing a weak smile. "Come on," she said to Meredith and Izzie, nudging them. George stood up forcefully, and Meredith made an attempt, wavering and stumbling. Cristina rolled her eyes, taking her arm and looking at Izzie expectantly.
"I'm not going home just yet. I don't really have a reason to go to bed early." Izzie looked at them, her voice dull and her expression blank.
"How are you getting home?" George asked dumbly.
"I'll call a cab," Izzie responded dryly.
Cristina frowned slightly, before rolling her eyes again, pulling Meredith almost by force out of the bar.
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"Rounds, first up is a guy with pulmonary failure by a tumor of the left ventricle…he'll be getting a cardiovascular resection of the tumor by our interim head of cardio, Dr. Sara Hartford." Bailey led her four interns into the heart patient's room.
"Alright, who's presenting."
"Carl Mathers, presents with pulmonary failure from a tumor, which is located on the left ventricle. Seattle Grace's Interim Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery will be scrubbing in tonight to do a cardiovascular resection of the tumor and repair the damage to the left ventricle with a cardiopulmonary bypass for the swelled and harmed tissue," Cristina said hurriedly. The tall brunette in the corner nodded slowly, listening.
"That's right," she said, stepping forward. "I'm Dr. Hartford, by the way, I've been flown in from Dallas to substitute for Seattle Grace's head of cardio, Dr. Burke, while he's recovering from an injury. I'll be performing the surgery, and I look forward to working with you Dr…---" She looked at Cristina questioningly.
Cristina jumped, realizing she was talking to her. "Um, Yang. Cristina Yang."
"Dr. Yang. Welcome to the case." Dr. Hartford smiled, there was almost a cat-that-ate-the-canary way about it that made Cristina slightly uncomfortable.
"Right," Bailey said slowly, nodding. "Well, come on, everyone. We've got rounds to finish."
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"Move," Cristina grunted to George, nudging him out of her way as she threw her tray onto the table, sitting down at the circular table the interns ate lunch at every day.
George forced a smile, scooting down the table. "How's Burke's replacement? Dr. Hartford?"
Cristina turned to stare at him. "She's not his replacement, Bambi. She's his sub. While he's getting better." She looked at him as if to say, 'like, duuuuh.'
George swallowed his piece of turkey sandwich. "Right. That's what I meant."
Cristina rolled her eyes, before changing the subject. She didn't want to talk, or think, about Burke. "You guys have any good cases?"
Alex smirked, leaning forwards. "Derisory Craniotomy. The kid has FS."
Cristina glared, leaning forward. "Oh, I would kill for that!"
Alex grinned, winking. "What else would you do?"
Cristina groaned, leaning backwards. "What would it take to finally hear the end of you, Evil Spawn?"
Alex just laughed. Meredith picked at her salad. "I was assigned to Addison." She looked up at Cristina, her "My-mother-has -Alzheimer's-please-feel-sorry-for-me" look on her face.
"I'm working the pit," George said gloomily. "I've had 17 sutures and 4 enemas."
Cristina laughed loudly. She needed that.
"So how are you? Since your whole break-up with Burke?" Meredith asked bluntly.
George's head snapped up, looking around curiously. "Cristina and Burke broke up?"
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A/n: Sorry, pretty boring/nondramatic chapter. I'm going somewhere. I promise. :P