Ch.5
"And you went on like that to confess to the husband? You don't know what it'd cost. You have no idea."
Burke was a focused man. Normally he would not be distracted in his surgery. Today was different. The sweetness in the morning made him yearn for more of that, soon. That's why he was annoyed by the fact that Mrs. Patterson needed another follow-up surgery.
Already he was making plans in his head about how and when to proceed, yet one small mistake Meredith Grey made took away the luxury to reminisce the satiating coffee scene with Cristina.
His intern had done something that was beyond the word absurd could capture and now he was trying to fix it. Burke was keeping his fingers crossed that Mrs. Patterson survived as the Chief walked in.
"I just had a conversation with Mr. Patterson. I want one copy of his wife's chart in my office by 5pm. Tomorrow morning the two of you are gonna meet with me…Leaving towel in patient's lungs and now this…"
Burke thought he heard Webber mention something about a towel in someone's lungs. While he wasn't sure what it was all about, that sent an instant chill down his spine.
"Go back to the husband. Explain to him what happened. Apologize. Profusely." Sending Meredith away was easy, shaking off the inexplicable dread he was feeling was a lot more difficult. Mrs. Patterson will live. My patients live because I am a great surgeon. Burke tried to reassure himself.
Cristina was at the nurse counter when Burke came out of surgery. Standing side by side, he was counting to 10 to calm his nerves before taking the initiative to speak. Take it slow and easy. He cautioned himself.
"Dr. Burke." Cristina called out his name almost without looking up. "The by-pass graft got a little complicated."
Burke could sense the hostility back in Cristina's voice and he wondered why. "There's nothing I couldn't handle."
"Good." She turned, without smiling.
Why that look of despise on her face. Burke watched as she walked away. He didn't know what Cristina had found out, nor did he notice how she was monitoring his every step, how she wanted not to be disappointed, how she valued integrity as much as talent.
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