Living up to Family
The Past Builds Our Legacy
Harry
It is the start of the weekend and Harry had just finished going multiple rounds in his dueling arena in the basement. He was breathing hard; he hadn't felt this out of touch with his dueling skills in quite some time. Originally he had planned to take on 7 targets at once, but they quickly wiped the floor with him. He had to scale himself back down to 3 targets. He had to remind himself that being prepared was a luxury he couldn't afford to waste. Harry's magical core had surged after Voldemort's horcrux was removed, he believed that the twisted soul shard of the dark wizard had been siphoning his magic for the first 18 years of life so his core kept generating more magic to keep up with the energy demands of the horcrux. After the removal it was felt like he had access to veritable ocean of magic. But as strong as his magic was, his wand work left a lot to be desired.
After the workout, he decided a shower was the next move, lest he be paged into work. During his shower he realized he hadn't heard from Meredith in a over a week outside of the professional level of small talk and work conversations. She had proven to be quick study and one of the best interns in her class. Yet to a trained eye like his, she still had plenty she needed to prove. Whether that's proving to herself that she's isn't a carbon copy of her mom, or proving to others that she deserved Grey name and the legacy it brought in. It was understandable to Harry. After all that he had accomplished, he still felt like he was deep in the shadows of his parents, let alone the shadow his entire family legacy left behind. Most Potters, according to the Family Grimoire had been in the forefront of their fields, if not directly leading. There had been 2 Ministers of Magics, 3 Order of Merlin's (Excluding his of course), and several accounts of Potters contributing to the advancement of wizarding society. His grandmother, Dorea Potter nee Black, was a world-renowned Healer. Besides her formula that changed how Skele-Grow was brewed, she was the foremost researcher into Dragon Pox. Medical Historians in the future would argue that without her contributions, the vaccine for the Dragon Pox would have been delayed nearly 20 years. While Harry as surgeon was pretty well known, he was far from being a household name in either magical or muggle households. His contributions to the magical arena was next to none and he knew that would have to change soon.
Harry walked about his house deep in his thoughts until he stumble upon the room that looked like it would have been his parent's study. There was one box that his attention was drawn to. It was labeled "Lily's Research." For the next few hours or so, right into the late morning, he perused thru his mother's work. She kept a list of hypothetical potions that could work however most of it was just hypothetical. She had plans to create an updated Wolfsbane Potion, its purpose was to reduce the inflammation the person felt when shifting between man and wolf. Of course, not every idea was a gem, his mother wanted to create a potion that was able to detect changes in a patient's stool. While it could have it's uses, a simple diagnostic charm aimed at the patient's colon could do the job much more efficiently. He was about to give up on his mother's journals but stumbled upon an idea that may work. Lily had theorized a draught that was able to restore someone's immune system to near perfect health. Breaking down her work, Harry realized that what his mother had written up was essentially a very weak version of the Restoration Stone that Dumbledore had left for Ron, Hermione and himself. Based on the current trajectory of his mom's work and his own free time, Harry believed that a working potion could be created in a decade or so. The arithmancy on it alone would take years to breakdown.
At this point, his fireplace rang, and he knew that Ron was on his way. He took the journal and put in the oak desk that was in the room. Something he had to come back to down the road. Harry made his way down to the fireplace and tapped his wand on the mantle, allowing Ron to come thru. Somehow while everyone that travels by Floo came out relatively clean, the Weasley family always ended up covered in soot. With a quick wave of his wand and a Cleansing Charm, Ron went back to looking like the serious MBI agent that he was. "Thanks mate, always hated using the Floo, can't help but get all sooty," said Ron.
"No worries, Ron, how are you?" replied Harry.
"Oh no Harry, we aren't talking about me right now. I want the details about your newfound lady love," redirected Ron. "Hermione keeps telling me you make doe eyes every time you see her."
Harry was quickly embarrassed, and a tinge of red could be seen on his cheeks. "Good to see your doing just fine then Ron," he chuckled.
"Yea yea, so tell me about this bird of yours!" exclaimed Ron.
"I haven't talked to her in about a week, Ron. Every time we are caught alone with each other it's been nothing, but work talk or small talk."
"Well why haven't you actually talked to her?"
"I want to, but I don't want to push her. She seems like the kind of girl that would take flight as soon as things got a touch too serious."
"Ahh okay, I get it. But Harry mate, is she's the one you have to fight for her you know? Girls like it when you for them. Take me and Hermione for example."
"Ron, I really don't want to hear what my two best friends going at it like rabbits on steroids."
"Not that Harry!" Ron choked out, face turning a bright pink. "I meant you have to let her know once in a while that you aren't going anywhere."
Hearing Ron drop relationship advice was new to Harry. After they had separated ways after Harvard, Ron and Hermione had lived together for a few years while he operated out of the MBI headquarters in DC and Hermione pursing her doctorates at Johns Hopkins. It would definitely take some getting used to.
At this point a frizzy brown blur tackled Ron into the couch. Hermione had finally come downstairs. "Guys please don't." said an embarrassed Harry, reminding them that they weren't alone.
"Sorry," they said simultaneously.
At this point Ron spoke up. "So I have good news! I was able to convince the director to allow me to transfer to the Seattle Field Base!"
"That's great news!" exclaimed Hermione! "When is it official?
"Monday!" replied Ron.
Harry gave Ron a hug. "Congratulations mate, I take it you need a place to crash for the time being?"
"You know me so well Harry! 'Mione and I decided that while we all get settled in and truly living here in Seattle that if you didn't mind we would be roommates just like the old days! It wont be more than a few months and obviously we will be paying rent," said Ron.
"Ron, I would never charge you rent! I have enough money to last multiple lifetimes. But I will ask that you pay for groceries on a rotating schedule, the way you and now Hermione eat will cost me more than I could possibly imagined," Harry joked.
Hermione swats Harry on the shoulder "Harry I do not eat as much as Ronald! You take that back right now!"
"Right sorry Hermione…you eat more than he does now. Ron must stay in shape for the MBI."
Hermione this time swats Harry on the back of head. "Ow! Okay okay, you eat a perfectly fine amount of food for a young lady of your age and beauty!"
"Much better," said Hermione.
The trio enjoyed a good laugh at that exchange, before Ron put on his serious face. "Harry, there's something you need to keep an eye on. Ginny knows you relocated to the States. Thankfully after the incident in New York, International Port Keys take a lot longer of a time to acquire. Mum and I have been dropping breadcrumbs to your location but in Orlando. Hopefully that will keep her on a wild goose chase for quite some time."
Both Harry and Hermione were a bit thrown off. They weren't expecting this kind of news today. As Harry was about to say something his pager went off. He looked at Ron and just gave him a quick nod of understanding. He hurriedly put on his jacket and made way to his car. As soon as Harry was out of earshot Ron spoke up. "We need to keep Harry as far away from Ginny as much as possible, he's finally happy now, and all she is going to do is dredge up the past."
Hermione just silently nodded. They both knew that Ginny arriving would be inevitable, no matter what they tried.
Meredith
It's been a whirlwind of a week for her. Harry was ever the gentleman and gave her the space she knew she would need. However, in his absence Dr. Sheppard had been making not so subtle attempts at flirting with her. Not like she wasn't uncomfortable with it; he was called McDreamy for a reason. Dr. Sheppard was smart, charismatic, and good looking. Not only that he did seem to genuinely care about her. If it weren't for Harry, she may have fallen for him already. But guy troubles were the least of her worries. She recently had to visit her mother at the long-term care facility, and it seemed like her mom was slipping further away with each passing day. Meredith was soon dragged out of her thoughts as her pager beeped. Looks like a mass trauma event was coming.
As soon as she arrived at the ER, it was flooded with patients. She heard Dr. Bailey yell out "Alright folks, we have a massive trauma thanks to the idiotic participants of the Dead Baby Bike Race. Stevens and Yang, I need you bed 3. Patient's head smacked the concrete, keep him alive until Dr. Potter-Black arrives! Dr. O'Malley go outside an assist the ambulances with off loading the next wave of patients, call out anything you need! Dr. Karev, Dr. Burke is requesting assistance in OR 1! What are you stand there for?! MOVE IT PEOPLE! Oh and Dr. Grey, you're with me!"
The 5 interns quickly moved to their assignments. Meredith was starting to take a history when the doors burst open as Harry ran thru. Like the last time she saw him, he was in his element. He quickly scanned the area and started prioritizing how everyone was to be treated. He rotated more personnel to higher risk patients and quickly assumed control of the patient that Izzy and Cristina was covering.
"I need a head CT here now! Pupils are blown, he's probably bleeding into his skull! Yang, do you know what to do when a patient is bleeding into his brain?" he questioned.
Cristina quickly replied "We need to alleviate the bleeding in his skull. Get the head CT, then drill a hole in skull to drain the hematoma."
"Correct. Get it done now!" replied Harry.
As Meredith was working on her patient, she watched in awe of Harry's raw talent in the ER. She wasn't the only one looking either. Dr. Bailey was staring a bit but she caught Meredith smirking at her.
"What are you looking at Dr. Grey? Take care of your patient!" Dr. Bailey fumed at being caught.
Meredith turned away from Dr. Bailey and focused on her patient after the scolding she received. Meanwhile Harry kept working the ER. He heard him tell one of the nurses to page Dr. Sheppard for neuro consult. To her it sounded like the damage was severe as Harry reviewed the scans of his patient. She knew she about to be in for a long day.
Harry
It wasn't good. The patient's brain was too swollen, and he quickly needed Dr. Sheppard. It took a few moments while he was busy directing the flow the ER before Sheppard came in. Upon review, Sheppard told a nurse to prep an ER. Harry knew that this patient's outlook would be getting worse based on the scans he saw.
"Stevens! I need you to find this patients family! Go thru his things and find out!" barked Harry.
Izzy didn't even bother to argue, a nurse should be doing it, but she didn't feel like getting Dr. Potter-Black's bad side today.
A few hours later, after the surgery, Harry did not get good news. Patient's brain activity was gone and had to be legally declared brain dead. Dr. Yang had approached him as soon as she found out and wanted to pursue an organ harvest surgery. Harry agreed that it was the thing to do, however he also agreed with Dr. Stevens that the family should be informed regardless of the patient's status as an organ donor. However, he did set a hard time frame for Dr. Stevens. She had 6 hours to find the family and inform them of the status of the patient.
After his instructions were given as he pulled into another surgery. It as a young child that was knocked aside by one of the bikers and had small bush branches protruding throughout his body. This case hit home a bit for him as was pulled into a memory of him running from Dudley when he was knocked into a fallen branch that had pierced his shoulder slightly. After the memory replayed in his head, he clamped his mental shields shut and calmly proceeded with the surgery.
It wasn't until after the surgery he was making his way to the brain dead patient's room he heard shouting. He hovered past before the doorway, hidden from those inside and overheard.
"Ma'am your husband is perfect candidate for organ harvesting surgery. His vitals are…"
Harry zoned out; he knew that voice. It was Dr. Yang. Her callousness and bedside manners were lacking. However, the next voice he expected would have been the family, but it was shrill voice of Dr. Stevens instead.
"He's not a farm that you can just say that, Cristina! You can't treat him like you are going to the store and pick up the parts you need! He has a family that cares about him!
Harry was not happy. He knew these 2 would clash eventually. Dr. Yang was pragmatic to a fault, and highly talented. However what she had in talent was overshadowed by the lack of empathy and social graces most doctors needed. While Dr. Stevens was her complete opposite, she was empathetic to a fault but she shows signs of becoming overtly attached to her patients, based on what he saw and heard around the hospital. Unfortunately, his thoughts were cut short as he heard a different voice yell. "STOP IT BOTH OF YOU! THIS IS MY HUSBAND YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! HE IS NOT AN ANIMAL FOR YOU TO HARVEST ORGANS FROM NOR IS HE YOUR DECISION TO MAKE FOR ME!
At this Harry stepped in and threw on his best angry snape impersonation. One could almost feel the chill sweep into the room. "Out now…" as Harry could coldly muster. "Wait outside, I will talk to you both after."
The 2 bickering interns quickly glanced at each other and at Harry and once again Harry spoke up "OUT…NOW!"
Izzy and Cristina quickly scurried out of the room as Harry shut the door behind them. "Mrs. Wallace, I am so sorry about my interns. They should know better than that."
Mrs. Wallace could only stare at Harry. The anger still bubbling in her chest.
"I won't ask you to make a decision based on what they said. We tried everything we could to stop the swelling in your husband's brain and I am sorry you had to see him like this. But based on every scan and test we could muster; your husband is no longer with us. Your husbands last actions on this earth could potentially save a handful of lives. If it were me, that's what I would do." He said solemnly. With one last nod he turned to walk outside to give the interns the dressing down of a lifetime.
"He was a good man." She whispered. "Doug always lived for the highest of highs and sometimes he didn't make the smartest decision. But he was a good man."
Harry nodded at her statement. "I'm sorry for your loss," he whispered back.
"Do the surgery but I don't want either of those 2 anywhere near him," she said.
Harry only nodded once again and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"STEVENS and YANG! What you both just did was unacceptable. Not only was it unacceptable here, even the worst hospital in the world would be find that unacceptable. Next time you need to voice your opinions to each other, DO IT OUTSIDE OF THE PATIENTS HEARING!" he roared. "She just lost her husband, the love of her life and what I can tell, the father to her unborn child!"
He paused briefly, letting what he said just sink in. Once again, he had to clamp down on his shields. He reverted his persona to match Professor Snape.
"Dr. Stevens, it was admirable that you understood Mrs. Wallace's plight, HOWEVER, it does not give you the right to pick her side over your colleagues. You know for a fact that the organ harvesting surgery is the right thing to do, however you allowed yourself to get too attached to the patient. All you needed to do was unobjectively provide the argument against the surgery."
"Dr. Yang…you seem to have a problem with understanding the human emotions surrounding our jobs. Everyday we will face family members who are losing someone they love! And yet…here you are. Instead of showing some empathy and understanding, here you are pushing for a surgery because I know for a fact you wanted to be involved in on it. This isn't just about stats and achievements Dr. Yang. Do you know why only certain people win awards in our field? Because they had a very strong reason to drive their innovations. Did you think that I wanted to put together a procedure from Pediatric Trauma surgeries just to further my name? Just to get the spotlight? NO!"
Harry pulled himself in again as he felt the shields start to crack. "Dr. Stevens and Dr. Yang, you are both hereby suspended from my service. I will be making a recommendation to both Dr. Webber and Dr. Bailey that you perform scut work for at least a week. Dr. Stevens, I suggest you seek help and find a way to detach yourself from your patients. Dr. Yang, I will be also recommending you post ops and family communications for the foreseeable future."
With that Harry walked away as soon as he told a nurse to page Dr. Grey and Dr. Karev. They will be the ones scrubbing into the organ removal surgery.
Meredith
Meredith was quite surprised to be paged into Dr. Potter-Blacks surgery. An organ harvest operation was usually one of rarer occurrences. Based on the patient's chart, it should have been Cristina and Izzy who got to participate. But judging from Dr. Potter-Black's sour mood, something had happened for them to be kicked off the case.
The surgery took a few hours, and it was near the end of their shift. She watched as Harry quickly scrubbed out and slam the door behind him. She also quickly washed up and ignored Dr. Sheppard in the hall and she followed Harry into the stairwell. She found him sitting there, tears showing in his eyes. He was coming down from hyper ventilating based on how deep his breaths were. She didn't know what she was thinking, but in what felt like a long minute, she sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder, and he had leaned into her, holding her hand. For a moment they both felt a warmth radiate in their chest. It was like this for a solid 10 minutes before Meredith spoke up. "Harry, you can pick me up tomorrow at 7pm."
Harry looked down at her and whispered "It's a date then".