Hey guys! Yes, I came back from the death. I'm very sorry for waiting to update and finish this story after almost 5 years. Life really got in the way for me.
One Chicago really has changed a lot in terms of its cast. Like 93% of my favorite characters are gone now. Manstead & Chexton ended up becoming Endgame after all... but not Rhekker T_T.
I still don't consider Season 4 of Med to be canon. That's a fact for me. Screw the producers of the show for ruining them in Season 4 & 5.
Anyway, I don't use my FFN account anymore and decided to move to AO3. This story is now posted over there as well as my other Rhekker fics. But decided to upload the rest of the chapters here in case some readers don't know it's on AO3.
There is a sequel in the works for this AU, but it will ONLY be posted on AO3.
Until then, here's the last 3 chapters of this story!
This chapter is 10,955 words
Enjoy!
- One Week Later -
Connor was walking alongside Ms. Goodwin, another doctor and a few nurses to the ED where their patients were waiting for them. On the way, they crossed paths with Maggie.
"Sharon." The charge nurse greeted the older woman.
"Yeah?" Ms. Goodwin stopped in place.
"I was just on my way up to see you."
"Uh, head on up and make yourself comfortable. I'll catch up with you soon."
"All right. Hey." Maggie greeted Connor, who replied by a comforting handshake with what she's going through with her actions to save a recent patient during the lockdown.
The group then proceeded towards one of the treatment rooms that Natalie was in with the patients' parents with a patient baby bed inside with them.
"Todd. Marcy." Ms. Goodwin greeted the parents.
"Ms. Goodwin, hi. Dr. Rhodes. Dr. Frisch." The mother greeted them.
"I see you have met the Cronin twins." Connor looked over at his friend then proceeded to take off his stethoscope to check on the patients that were two infant girls that were conjoined together by their torsos.
"Yep" said Natalie.
"They're scheduled for separation surgery in ten weeks. The hospital has assembled a team from 12 different departments. Dr. Frisch is their pediatric cardiologist." Ms. Goodwin explained.
"How are they doing?" Dr. Frisch asked.
"I detected scattered rhonchi in both of Lily's lungs. Intercostal and thoracoabdominal retractions. I'm thinking pneumonia, but I was about to order a Babygram and a CBC." Natalie replied.
"Thank you, Dr. Manning. We'll handle it from here." Said Dr. Frisch.
"Sure." Natalie spoke softly and looked away.
Connor placed his stethoscope back around his neck. He held one of the twins' hands with his finger. "Let's get'em up to the PICU. I want a transthoracic echo and an EKG."
"And blood and sputum cultures." Dr. Frisch added.
"All right, you two." Connor leaned down to pick up the twins with their blanket against his left forearm. "Let's get going."
In a consultation room in the PICU, the conjoined twins' team were staring at the blue monitor of the recent scans of the twins.
"This echo shows significant dilation of both the right and left ventricles. If we look here at Twin A..." An older pale skinned grey haired pediatric interventional cardiology doctor spoke.
"For the record, Twin A is Lily." Connor cut him off to correct him.
"The aortic stenosis has significantly diminished forward flow and has compromised ejection fraction to 19%." The doctor proceeded to finish.
"You're saying, essentially, that she's in heart failure." Said Ava.
"She will die within the next few hours without intervention, yes." He replied.
"And if she does, she takes Dot with her." Connor added.
"We need to consider moving up the separation surgery." Said Dr. Frisch.
Both CT surgeons looked flabbergasted at her words, first looked at each other then back at the doctor.
"We're not prepared. We haven't rehearsed the procedure." Ava informed.
"And even if we had, it's not an option. The surgery is scheduled for when it is so the twins can grow." Connor added.
"Well, I'm not taking the word of a couple fellows. Page Dr. Latham." Dr. Frisch turned towards one of the nurses.
"He's gonna tell you the same thing." The brunette looked back at him annoyed. "The twins aren't robust enough yet to survive the surgery."
"Go." She turned and ordered the nurse again and the woman left the room to page the chief cardiothoracic surgeon.
Ava stared in disbelief and looked back at Connor unsure about the whole situation.
'Connor, this wasn't part of the plan.'
Eventually, once Dr. Latham arrived and informed about their discussion, he looked at the monitor to get a better understanding of the scans. "The surgery involves separating the twins' chest wall and reconstructing their shared atrium. However, we still don't have a clear enough image of their liver's venous system to determine if it can be split. In addition, Lily is now immunocompromised." He explained.
"If you had to estimate the odds of success..." said Dr. Frisch.
"At this point? That both survive? Zero. Lily is not strong enough." He shook his head.
"But if we concentrated all of our efforts on Dot, would we be able to save her?" She asked.
"Yes, I believe so." He confirmed.
"Hold on a second. Are we actually discussing terminating Lily's life?" Connor asked.
"We are discussing the best course of action." Dr. Frisch replied.
"Well, if as Dr. Krasny said, the problem is Lily's underlying condition, we should be addressing that." Connor pointed out.
"You mean take them to the Cath lab?" Ava asked and looked at him.
"Exactly." He looked at her then back at the team. "We widen Lily's aortic valve, increase her blood flow."
Dr. Latham started to take in and think carefully about his words.
"Too risky." Said Dr. Frisch.
"We still don't have a real grasp of the twins' vascular anatomy, the routing, how open the lumen is. We're just guessing until we open them up." Said Dr. Latham.
"I completely agree we need a better roadmap. That's why we should first perform a transesophageal echo." Connor added.
"You want to put the twins' under general anesthesia, waste one of the few hours we might have left so you can get a better roadmap for a procedure too risky to even try?" Dr. Frisch asked. There was a moment of silence with the team. "Dr. Latham, care to wrangle your fellow?"
"Having to surrender a child is tragic. I'd be remiss if we didn't exhaust every opportunity to try and save her. I second Dr. Rhodes' recommendation." The older surgeon answered. Connor nodded in agreement.
Dr. Frisch admitted defeat. "All right. Let's get the echo." She along with other members of the team started to leave the room.
"Dr. Rhodes, Dr. Bekker, a moment." Dr. Latham spoke to his fellows to stay, making them the only three left in the room. "If we are successful in saving both the twins, and the separation surgery can go as scheduled," he looked between the two "I have decided to name Dr. Rhodes as my second. Dr. Bekker, I'd still like you to be prepared as backup."
"Of course." She nodded.
The older man walked between them and left the room. Ava looked over at the dark-haired man, "Congratulations."
"Thank you." He spoke softly and watched her leave the room. Knowing her well enough to know that she's hiding that she's upset that she wasn't chosen for the surgery. Even though he was happy he was chosen for the surgery, that doesn't stop that pain he feels in his stomach.
A few hours later they were in the Cath lab, looking through the scans they took to get a better roadmap of the twins.
"There doesn't appear to be much calcification on the valve. I think I can get a wire in." Said Connor.
"Still too risky. The odds just aren't in our favor." Said Dr. Latham.
"As I said earlier. Taking them to the Cath lab is our only chance to save both babies." Connor pleaded.
"Or lose both. There are umpteen things that could prove fatal. If the balloon ruptures, or the catheter perforates the heart, both babies would die instantly." Dr. Frisch continues to persist the team to do the separate surgery.
"Believe me, Dr. Rhodes, I share your disappointment. It's not the outcome any of us were hoping for. But the math doesn't work. I recommend separating Dot from Lily immediately. Let's save the one child." Said Dr. Latham.
Connor walked towards him. "How about we let the parents decide?" Not willing to admit defeat.
"It's a tough decision we're asking them to make. I don't want to confuse them with too many alternatives." Said Dr. Frisch.
"It is our duty to explain both options." Connor continued to push.
"There's only one option!" Connor looked over at Dr. Latham at Dr. Frisch's outburst. "Separate them now so Dot can live."
"The CT team is unanimously behind this recommendation." Said Dr. Latham.
"Finally, consensus." She looked at Connor. "Now, shall we?" She and along with the team proceeded to exit the room. Leaving only the CT fellows behind. Connor turned and scratched the back of his head in frustration.
"They're being realistic. Odds are near impossible to save them both." Ava tried to convince him of the situation, even though she wanted to save both twins as well.
"This is the one time we shouldn't be playing the odds." He responded.
Ava could only stare at him for a few seconds before leaving the room herself.
"My baby's going to die?" The twins' mother tearfully asked after the team explained the situation to the parents and Natalie present.
"I'm very sorry, but at least we can save one of your girls." Dr. Frisch apologized.
"No. There's got to be something else that you can try." The father pleaded.
The team stayed silent.
"Dr. Latham? Connor?" Natalie softly asked for a response, but both men kept sorrow looks on their faces. Connor's eyes looked over to her, saying I'm sorry written all over them.
"Oh, my baby. My baby." The mother cried into her husband's arms.
"It'll take us a little time to get prepped. Be with your girls until then." Dr. Frisch tried to comfort them. The parents walked into the room to spend time with both of their daughters one last time. Natalie stayed by the doorway.
Connor stares at the family, knowing there still is one last chance to save both, and hates that they're keeping it from the parents to avoid the risk.
In the O.R., Connor was watching the team from the monitor room, setting up for the separation surgery, as well as putting out a small body bag on the table for the sad outcome. He could only stare in sorrow at what the team were prepared to do.
Dr. Latham appeared on his right side. "Dr. Rhodes, it's time." He stared at him. Connor just nodded and walked around him to exit the room.
He slowly headed towards the PICU to retrieve the twins with the nurses and techs following behind him. Natalie took notice of him and walked away from the room towards the nurses' station. The two of them stared downhearted at each other for what's about to happen. She looked away and walked away. Connor looked down and then turned to walk into the room. He looked at the parents for a few seconds before he started to speak.
"My baby. My baby." The mother spoke softly as one of the techs proceeded to move the baby patient's bed.
"Joshua, hold on." Connor couldn't hold it any longer. The parents had to know the truth about all their options. The tech stopped moving and looked at the doctor. Connor took a few steps towards the parents.
"Todd, Marcy." he said softly. The parents turned to look at him with tears-stained faces. "Can I speak to you for a second?"
'Sorry guys, I can't go on with good conscience if we didn't tell them about this option.' He thought to himself.
Upstairs waiting outside of the O.R., Dr. Latham, Dr. Frisch and Ava were staring at the elevator door for Connor to arrive. They were starting to become restless with how long he was taking, Dr. Latham started to pace to calm his nerves.
Ding
The elevator ding appeared, and he jolted his neck towards the doors opening, expecting to see the patient's bed.
Connor appeared through the doors,
but he was alone with three other people getting off on the same floor.
"Dr. Rhodes. Where are the twins?" Dr. Latham questioned.
"The Cronins have changed their mind." He walked towards them. "They want us to perform the valvuloplasty."
"What?" Dr. Frisch questioned.
"We had a plan going forward that we all agreed upon." Dr. Latham explained.
"It's what the parents want." Said Connor.
"You went around our backs." Dr. Frisch started to raise her voice.
"Yeah, because you never gave them all their options." He shifted his head to look at her.
"You had no right to push your own agenda with the parents." She complained.
"You told the Cronins what his procedure entails." Dr. Latham wanted to confirm what he told the parents.
"Yes, I did."
"And they understand the risks, all the risks?"
"Yes. Dr. Latham, I walked them through it all."
"I'll talk to them. Maybe I can walk it back." Ava responded, looking between Connor and Dr. Latham.
"No, it's too late. We need to proceed with alacrity and confidence. Dr. Bekker, prep the hybrid suite and notify the team." Dr. Latham ordered.
"Yes, sir." She replied.
Dr. Latham exhaled deeply and walked away. Dr. Frisch shook her head at Connor and walked right past him to follow the chief surgeon. Connor's eyes were down when they walked past him but looked over to Ava to see what her expression was and if she would walk away from him too.
She didn't. Instead, she just gave him, 'I hope you know what you're doing' look.
In the hybrid suite, the team was divided into two groups. One group was observing while the others were with Connor gowned up and wearing x-ray aprons as he performed the procedure on the twins. Ava and Dr. Latham were standing behind him wearing x-ray aprons as well.
"Passing the wire into the aortic valve." He moved the wire tool as he kept his eyes on the monitor screens, along with everyone else. "All right, I'm in. Balloon." Nurse Beth handed the instrument to his right hand. The room remained quiet till the room was filled with the monitor beeping. They all turned their eyes towards the screens.
"Marty." Connor asked the anesthesiologist.
"Got to run a VTAC." He responded.
"You tickled the ventricle." Ava answered.
Connor signed. "Damn it."
"Pull the wire back." Dr. Latham said softly. "Carefully." He added.
The monitors continued to beep, everyone holding their breaths and watching Connor work. The noise then stopped.
"Back in sinus rhythm." Said Marty.
"Okay." Connor softly sighed. "Moving back in." He used the wire tool again. Everyone looked at the monitor screen change to white and a curve line appeared.
"Lidocaine." Said Dr. Latham.
"Give me the balloon." Said Connor.
"Here." Nurse Beth handed it back to him.
The tool was now in his hands, keeping his eyes on the monitor. "Balloon is aligned. Dilating the aortic valve now." He twisted the tool to work. "Marty, talk to me."
The room was quiet for a few seconds till he responded, all eyes on the monitors. "Good contractions and better flow across the valve. Looks like it worked." Marty looked up to Connor. "Both girls are stabilized."
Connor looked back to see everyone's expressions. Dr. Latham nodded his approval. The nurses smiled, looking very pleased with Connor's actions that saved both twins.
'Looks like it is in fact possible for us to save both of them.' Ava thought to herself
Back in the PICU, both girls were taken off anesthesia, awake and calmly lying in bed with pacifiers in their mouths. Their parents lovely looking over them. Ms. Goodwin shook hands with the father. Dr. Latham, Dr. Frisch and Ava were standing outside the room watching, Connor was a little further back behind them, leaning against a glass wall. Goodwin exited the room with a smile on her face. "Good work, and I know the board is very happy." She walked away from them.
"The twins do seem to be responding well to the valvuloplasty." Dr. Latham commented. The three turned around to face Connor. "Perhaps I overestimated the risks." They started to walk closer to him.
"Dr. Latham, I want this diva benched for the separation surgery." She glared at Connor. "Dr. Bekker can be your second." She looked at Ava.
"With all due respect, Dr. Frisch, CT is my department. I'll decide who'll be my second." Dr. Latham replied looking at the three of them. Dr. Frisch then walked away.
Connor's eyes followed her move away from them before looking at his chief. "Thank you for that."
"To perform an operation with as many moving parts as this, you need confidence that the people that you are working with are pulling in the same direction. I fear, Dr. Rhodes, that you are not a team player, that you are, in fact, a diva. I'm replacing you with Dr. Bekker." Ava looked at the taller man after hearing her name.
Connor's eyes looked sad with the news but stayed firm. "That is your decision to make." He accepted it for his actions but doesn't regret what he did.
Dr. Latham looked at Ava and then walked away from the two.
Connor leaned back and turned to face his rival. "It's my turn to offer congratulations."
Ava looked dumbfounded at what had just happened, and just slightly nodded before walking away in the opposite direction.
'What just happened? I got the spot because he went rogue. That's not how I wanted to win.' She thought as she walked.
After the shift ended, Will asked Connor if he wanted to go to Molly's. Having had a rough day with both the case he worked on and his situation with Natalie, avoiding him during their break. He really needed a drink. With the day Connor had, he could use one as well. He even made sure to avoid and leave a head before Ava in the locker room. And that's where the two ended up going.
"Is it over and Natalie just doesn't have the heart to tell me?
Connor was tapping his drink with hand and just shrugged.
"What the hell is a break anyway?"
"Yeah, I might be the wrong guy to ask. The last time a girlfriend asked for a break, she ended up moving to Minneapolis to be with her mom to deal with her recovery after getting a tumor removed. That and got sick and tired of competing with other women according to her. So..." He looked at his watch. "All right." He finished his drink. I got early rounds tomorrow." Connor looked down to his left side for his wallet.
Will looked over at him. "Mm-hmm." He shook his head and held up his left hand. "No, no, I got this."
"You sure?"
"Yeah." he said softly.
"All right, well, thank you." Connor stood up from his seat to put his coat on. "Need a lift?" He asked because they came together.
"Nah. I'm gonna stay a little longer and lick my wounds." Will frown.
Connor looked at the entrance and saw Dr. Frisch walk in. She noticed him, that was his cue to leave. "All right. I'll see you soon, bud." He pats a comforting hand on his friend's arm.
"All right." Will replied.
Walking towards the entrance and passing by the pediatric cardiologist who made sure to avoid making eye contact with him. Though, he could see at the corner of his eye that she had an annoyed look on her face. Connor turned around to look at her retreating figure and smiled knowing that he was right, and she was taking it as a personal loss.
"It's been a while since I fought with another doctor who isn't Ava." He said walking out the door. "It's refreshing."
- The Next Day -
After getting Sarah's father settled after his heart attack, Connor heads to the CT floor for his shift. Getting right off the elevator, he notices Ava walking right past him.
"Hey." He greets her.
"Hey." She greets back and he starts to walk next to her. "So, sidelined for the conjoined twins surgery, and now you're doing procedures before your morning coffee? I like the fight in you." Ava playfully bumps her left shoulder against his.
"I'm a glutton for punishment." She grins at his words. "Latham made his choice clear."
"You know, it's not over until the first incision. Start playing nice, maybe you'll be holding the scalpel." She spoke in a hopeful tone.
"Are you all of sudden rooting for my success?" He raised an eyebrow.
'Who is this person?'
"Not at all, I just hate winning by default." She spoke with her accent sounding thick.
'There she is. The Queen of Snarky Comebacks is here.' Connor grinned at their snarky remarks.
*Phones chime
Both of their phones went off, they looked at each other.
Connor and Ava were with Dr. Latham in the monitor room of the MRI suite where an injured man laid unconscious. The trio looked at the computer screen. "Bruce Hammond, 34. Blunt trauma to the chest following a high-speed car accident. Negative echo, but a small left hemothorax and a sternal fracture." Dr. Latham explained.
"CT's negative for aortic injury." Said Connor.
"Yes, but Radiology read that there might be a small pericardial effusion." Dr. Latham replied.
"Since he's got a hemothorax, let's put a chest tube in and see what comes out, and if he needs surgery, we can do a high left thoracotomy." Said Connor.
"Hold on." Ava clicked on the mouse to zoom in on the scan. "Is that a blush of contrast over the right atrium?" She pointed to the screen. "If there's a hole in his heart, he needs a median sternotomy."
"Good eye, Dr. Bekker." Dr. Latham took a glance at her then went back to the screen. "If it is a blush, we can't afford to ignore it."
"I don't know, opening him up is highly aggressive," Ava rolled her eyes upward at her rival's counter argument and slowly turned her head right to stare at him. "and we don't know whether the contrast is inside or outside of his heart..." Connor's words started to trail off seeing the look she was giving him, slightly moving her eyebrows upward, reminding him of their earlier conversation of him playing nice. "If the majority is in favor of sternotomy... I'll follow." He finished with a nod and a slight frown.
"Excellent. Dr. Bekker, you'll lead. Dr. Rhodes, you'll assist." Dr. Latham looked between the two.
"Mm-hmm." Connor nodded and the older gentlemen walked out of the room.
'Look who's has better eyes this time, Rhodes.' Ava thought to herself.
Once they heard the door close, Ava slowly turned to look at Connor with the corners of her lips curled and turning into a smug upon seeing the look on his face. He was frozen in place. "Oh, don't look so pained." Her words broke him out of his trace to look at her. "I think you just earned yourself some good will." She mocked his side glare and exited in the opposite direction
'This woman.' He thought to himself.
"Ruptured atrial appendage. Median sternotomy was the right call." Connor complimented while stapling the patient's chest in the O.R.
Ava shrugged her shoulders. "Ah, it was a coin toss, could've gone the other way."
"Still, pulling someone through that kind of blunt trauma, it's impressive. You should write it up." He complimented her some more.
'Okay, this is boring. This is not us.' The blonde thought to herself.
"I know I said play nice, but don't go soft on me. That's no fun." She grinned under her mask.
"Hold on..." Nurse Beth interrupted their conversation, putting down a blood-stained white cloth on the cart. Both surgeons turned to look at her. "There are only 244 instruments here. There are supposed to be 245." That caught everyone's attention to freeze in place.
"Dr. Rhodes stop closing." Ava turned to look at the patient's chest. "Everyone search your areas." She ordered.
"Check your trays, the drape pockets, look in the basins, everywhere." Connor called out. The team started frantically searching around them, picking up the cloths to look under them, opening and closing the bins.
"It has to be here somewhere." Ava's pulse started to beat faster.
"Somebody talk to me, anybody!" Connor started to raise his voice.
"We counted three times already." Nurse Beth informed them.
They were already aware and had been looking for it the entire time.
They didn't have it.
There was only one possible conclusion.
Both surgeons stared at each other with wide eyes in shock.
"Instrument's in the chest." Connor spoke at the realization. Ava closed her eyes in penitence. "Get a tech in here to get a chest X-ray, and page Dr. Latham now!"
In the monitor room, both CT fellows were accompanied by their chief staring at the computer screen that showed the chest x-ray that indeed confirmed that missing instrument was in the patient's chest.
"What the hell is that?" Connor asked.
"No idea. Not an instrument I recognize." Ava replied.
"But it is a foreign body, and we can't pinpoint where it is. It could be in the pleural cavity, the pericardium." Dr. Latham added.
"We're going to have to reopen the sternotomy." Ava admitted.
"Clearly. How could a careless oversight like this occur? We use the same instruments, the same routine, every single time. How could both of you miss it?" Dr. Latham's voice wasn't harsh as one would expect from a scolding, but they both knew he was frustrated with them. "Is-is the patient's skin fully closed?"
"No, A few staples away." Connor answered and Ava shook her head.
He sighed. "If the skin isn't closed, then the incident isn't a sentinel event. Going back in won't be considered a second operation. You both narrowly escaped an investigation by the hospital and a report to IDPH. I want you in my office as soon as you retrieve the foreign body, and I wanna know who's responsible." Dr. Latham quickly exited the room.
Ava to a deep sharp deep breath. "Don't beat yourself up. It's only your second strike."
Connor slightly turn his head left towards her direction. "You know this could just as easily be your instrument, right?" He looked forward. "Lucky it's an easy fix."
"No holes in the right pleura." Said Connor as he and Ava were back in the O.R., gowned and gloved up looking inside the patient's chest for the missing instrument.
"Or the left." Ava replied. "It must be in the pericardium. Give me more suction." She looked up at him as he proceeded to use the tool to suck up the blood for a better visual. They slightly moved the heart to look. "Instrument's not there." She turns to look at him.
There's only one place left.
"It's in the heart." Connor concluded.
Ava shook her head in regret. "We're going to have to reopen the atriotomy."
"That's going to require putting him back on bypass. You're increasing his risk of air embolism and stroke." Marty informed them.
"We're aware, Marty, but we don't have a choice." Ava looked at the anesthesiologist then directed back to Connor. "Your quick fix just got a lot more complicated." Her eyes telling him that it's his fault they're in this mess.
It took them about 10-15 minutes for them to cut and connect the appropriate tubes for the patient's heart.
"Metzenbaum and DeBakey Forceps." Ava held out her right hand to Nurse Beth to hand her the tool. "Reopening the atriotomy now." She slowly makes a small cut to open the heart. Connor assisted by using another tool to slowly open it. Ava then uses her right index finger to open it wider. "I'll need better visualization. Suction." She orders and he moved the suction into the narrow space of the heart.
A glint of metal appeared.
"Ah-ha. There it is. Stuck in the ostia of the pulmonary vein."
'Finally!' Ava thought to herself.
"What is it?" Connor asks, looking at her.
She takes a closer look. "It's the tip of a suction catheter." They all look up at Connor. "You were the only one on suction." She gave him a soft stern look before looking down.
'I knew it had to be you.'
Connor furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Then hold on."
'Wait that's not right.'
Ava looked back at him. "Cardiac suction catheters don't have detachable tips." He reminded her, making her look think back and carefully try to remember everything that happened during the original surgery of how that piece got in there.
'Wait, he's right. cardiac suction catheters' tips don't come off at all. But how did a catheter get in there? This doesn't make any sense?'
Nurse Beth spoke up getting their attention. "At one point, Dr. Bekker had to suction an area herself. I handed her a catheter from a trauma tray." The older Asian woman shrugged her neck and shoulders and turned to look at her. "I think it's yours."
Ava thought carefully with that new piece of information and masked her eye expressions upon realizing the nurse was right.
'Hold on, I did in fact suction some blood earlier. I did this to Bruce?'
It was her fault they were in this situation.
"Well, we're going to need to take it out, aren't we? Stone forceps." Ava's mind quickly went back to work.
'Okay, I need to get this done and over with fast.' She tried to calm herself down.
"Forceps." Nurse Beth was handed the tool by a tech and handed it to the surgeon.
"Got it." Ava carefully and slowly pulled out the instrument and dropped it in a tray the nurse was holding.
A few seconds later, the machines began beeping that something was wrong. "His BP is dropping." Marty alerted them. Connor and Ava looked down to see the heart was rapidly bleeding.
"The vessel tore. He's bleeding out." Connor stated.
"Quick, get me some 5-0 Prolene and a longer needle driver." Ava added pressure to the heart with her fingers while holding out her free right hand for the suture and tool. Her heart started to race.
"Careful you don't ligate the vein. If you narrow it, he could lose part of his lung." Connor informed.
"Why you stop backseat driving and help me save his life?!" Ava was getting irritated by the second.
'Dammit! Don't lecture me, Rhodes! Just help me out here!' She took a sharp breath before starting to insert the stitches.
"Finished repairing the pulmonary vein laceration." Ava looked up after finishing her work. "BP any better, Marty? Talk to me."
"Vitals are stable." He replied.
She sighed in relief; a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders. "Dr. Rhodes, close the atriotomy, take the patient off bypass, and staple him up." Ava turns around and walks towards one of the disposable bins.
'I need to get out of here. I can't take it any longer.'
"Uh, wait a second, you're the lead here. You had to decide how you want him closed." Connor watches her take off her gown and gloves. "Wires or plates and screws for the sternum?"
Ava frustratedly takes off her mask and makes direct eye contact with him. "Don't you remember how we closed him last time? Do it again!" She takes off her goggles and quickly exits the O.R. She quickly disposes her goggles and masks into the bins and forcefully uses both arms to open the doors of the scrub room to exit.
Her eyes were becoming glassy.
Her chest starts tightening up.
She softly starts to hyperventilate.
Her heart starts racing again.
She knows she's at her limit.
'I need to get away. Hide...I think I'm gonna faint.'
A million things were going through her mind, keeping her head down, her legs were moving on their own, her steps were getting faster. Avoiding anyone in her path till she reaches the surgeon's lounge. Praying she doesn't run into Dr. Latham along the way. She can't deal with her consequences right now, not yet.
Praying that no one else is in the lounge.
Ava knows Connor will come looking for her when he's done,
but for now,
she needs to be alone.
One more turn, she's finally there and is grateful that no one's in there when she enters the room. She stays in place to calm herself down a bit. Places both her hands on her hips and takes a shallow breath. Once she lets out a sharp exhale, a whimper sneaks out. She covers her mouth with her right hand to muffle the sound she makes as tears start to cascade down her cheeks.
"What have I done?" Ava muffles through her hand as she shuts her eyes and starts to cry.
A couple minutes later, unconsciously, her body moves towards her locker and starts to change out of her O.R. scrubs and into her regular ones. Dressed only in her white lace bra and black pants, she reaches for her black shirt and pauses when her eyes laid on the embroidered white words on it:
Ava Bekker, M.D.
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Her vision starts to become blurry at the word "Surgery" and let's go of the shirt on the hanger. Instead, she takes off the grey long sleeved shirt hanging next to it and quickly puts it on. And shuts her locker and leans her back against it.
She doesn't feel worthy wearing her clothes that have her name on them.
What she did...
She almost killed her patient.
She left an instrument in his heart.
How can she call herself a surgeon? Let alone a doctor?
She was supposed to be the best of the best. That's who she made herself known to the people at the hospital ever since she arrived on this continent a year ago. How could she make such a rookie and careless mistake in the middle of a surgery?
If the team didn't catch that they were missing an instrument and they finished up the surgery leaving that part inside of the patient...
She couldn't bear to think about what would have happened to him, because of her mistake.
She took a few more deep shallow breaths to calm down her rapidly pacing heart. A few more tears escaped through Ava's eyes as she sighed and looked up towards the ceiling. Thinking back to her mentor's case a while ago.
=Flashback=
"Dr. Jaffrey?" He pushed.
Ava had a small hopeful look on her face, mixed with her nerves.
Dr. Jaffrey finally made eye contact with her and shot her a glare. "You disappoint me." He spoke softly.
His words stabbed her chest as she looked down in sorrow.
"He was also the only other person in this world that knows about my childhood. So, after I checked in on him again when you weren't there, he reminded me of my family's death and how if I was the one performing surgery on them, they would have still died because I'm a disappointment." She then looked back down.
=Flashback Ends=
Ava starts to think Dr. Jaffrey was right about her being a disappointment.
If he was here, right now. She knows he would be blaming her for her actions.
Ava touches her face, feeling very warm and flushed. Her cheeks slightly wet from her tears. Her head was starting to hurt from all the "what if" scenarios she was thinking of. She turns around, facing the lockers to place her hands above her head, and leans just underneath them pressing her forehead against the cold metal surface.
BANG!
From the distance she hears a loud door slam nearby.
She already knows who it is.
And she isn't surprised in the slightest.
"Here it is." She whispers.
The door opens in the room and is forcefully shut closed by the person who just entered.
It was Connor.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are," Ava turns to her left, keeping her back facing him. Her hands now back to cupping her face. "but that stunt you just pulled, leaving me there to clean up your mess?!" He scolds her staring at her back.
Ava brushes her hair back with both hands and slowly turns to face him but doesn't make direct eye contact with him. She can't look at him. Show her rival what she looks like in her most vulnerable state. Connor stops for a second to take in her appearance. Her face was stained with tears and her eyes were slightly swollen. Slowly lowers his gaze, showing remorse.
'She's already blaming and beating herself up about this whole thing. I shouldn't be yelling at her. She doesn't need that from me. It was an accident. I forget sometimes she's only human too.' He starts to think of less aggressive words to say.
"I'm sorry." She inhales sharply as she rapidly nods her head. "I'm sorry." She sniffles putting her hands on his hips.
Connor starts talking. "Come on, Ava, you don't have to worry your reputation, okay?" Ava puts her left hand over her eyebrow, feeling her headache getting worse and slightly trying to shield herself. "This isn't some reflection of your surgical skill." She brushes some of her hair behind her ear and finally makes eye contact with him. "This is just-it-it's human error. It could happen to anybody." He motioned with his right hand, calmly picking the right words to try and not upset her even more.
"You think it's my reputation I'm worried about?" She slightly furrowed her eyebrows. "Bruce-Bruce almost died today, because of my stupid mistake!" Her voice starts to crack and turns her head to the left to face away from him, retreating a step backwards.
"He didn't-hey, listen to me." He walked closer to her to put his hands on her biceps. "Ava, he didn't." She pulled her head up but kept her eyes down. "He didn't, okay? He's in recovery because of what you did." He rubs her arms.
"Oh" she starts to sniffle. "what if he has deficits?" She starts to cry again. "I could never forgive myself." She lets herself fall into her left palm. Connor stares at her for a second before bringing his right hand to her shoulders and pulls her to his chest. She doesn't fight it and lets herself be tucked under his chin for comfort as she cries.
For the first time since that night of the aortic dissection, where they almost kissed in this very same room, she wanted to be in his arms more than anything.
A couple of hours had passed by, and the two doctors, now back in their regular black scrubs; instead of her regular white coat, Ava was wearing a grey long sleeve shirt underneath her scrubs. They were now in Dr. Latham office.
"How's the patient?" He asked.
"Just waking up. But his vitals are stable and he's neurologically intact." Connor explained.
"Ah. I suppose you know what I'm going to ask next." Dr. Latham reminded them of their earlier conversation.
Who was responsible for this incident?
"It was my instrument, Dr. Latham. I take full responsibility." Ava admitted.
"No, it was my instrument. My fault." Connor instantly spoke after her.
"That's not true." She turned her head in his direction on her right.
"Yes, it is." Connor kept his gaze forward toward their boss.
"Ah," Dr. Latham looked between the two and chuckled. He walks away from his desk. Ava stares at disbelief at what just happened and looked back at Connor who hasn't turned her way at all. "My rabbi used to say, "Klieg, Klieg, Klieg, du bist a nar."" The two looked at him. "Ah. "You are smart, smart, smart, but, eh, not so smart." You both are my most promising fellows, but now I am no longer certain that either of you should be my second for the conjoined twins surgery." He sharply exhales. "I'll be watching you both very closely going forward."
Both surgeons nodded their heads and exited his office. Ava opened the door and Connor closed right behind him. Once the door was closed and the two were alone in the empty hallway, the blonde started to speak.
"You didn't have to do that." She looked at him.
"I know." He replied.
"I can take my lumps." They started to walk.
"Never said you couldn't." Still wasn't looking her way.
Ava's chest started to feel warm at the sensation of his actions, so she closed the gap between them and bumped her left shoulder against his a little harder than earlier. Making him use his left leg as a backboard from falling over. He paused his steps to finally look at her. The two stared at each other, talking with their eyes.
'Thanks for having my back. I don't deserve it.' She thought.
'I know you're a good doctor.' He thought.
"I guess we're both in the doghouse now." She rolled her shoulders backwards.
"Plenty of room for two." He responded. Ava didn't say anything back, just relaxed her muscles. "Don't worry, you get used to it. Builds character." He tells her and the two start walking.
She had a small smile on her face.
After Ava's shift ended, she immediately went home. After the day she had, all she wanted was to take a long hot shower to wash the day away and get something to drink to nurse the remnants of her headache. And that's where she was now: sitting cross legged on her light grey fabric 3-seater sofa in her soft dark grey bathrobe, dressed only in her underwear underneath. Hair still slightly wet, having exited the shower 10 minutes prior. Without even looking, she had grabbed the first alcoholic wine bottle she had in her refrigerator. Slowly pulled out the cork until she heard it make a loud pop sound, releasing the mist of the high-pressured carbon dioxide gas. She poured herself a glass.
Looking at the clear wine glass, she sees she picked red wine. Taking a sip from it, tasting the blend blackberry and black plum with a hint of red berry mixed it. Feeling curious, she looked over at her coffee table to see what brand she was drinking from. The bottle label read:
'GRAND VIN DE BORDEAUX
CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY
GRAND CRU GLASSÉ
PESSAC-LÉOGNAN
MIS EN BOUTEILLE AU CHATEAU'
Ava tried to recall where she got the fancy French wine bottle from because she had no memory ever buying this herself. Taking a closer look at the label, the bottle came out in 2008. She thought harder in the last few months if anyone recently gave it to her as a present. It's normal to have wine sent as presents from past patients but importing it from France would have been expensive...
Almost instantly, an old memory comes to mind. "Secret Santa." She spoke softly as she recalled old memories of her first Christmas in America just a mere few months ago.
=Flashback=
The hospital was doing a Secret Santa gift exchange for everyone in each department among themselves. For the CT department, Ava ended up getting Dr. Latham, of all people. Luckily for her, he complained a few weeks earlier about needing a new coffee maker in his office because the one he had broken. It was an easy gift to pick and choose. He was grateful nonetheless, earning a few good points in his eyes. Something she had taken pride in during that time. She didn't have much thought about who was her Secret Santa and what they had gotten her. Given her reputation as Cruella de Vil, she wasn't expecting anything too big. At most the generic Secret Santa gifts such as: mugs, gift cards, candles, coffee maker, slippers, succulents' plants, a throw blanket, sweets, etc. And since she mostly kept to herself at the hospital, she figured the department didn't know her well enough to know what to get her. She wasn't expecting much from the gift exchange and she was fine with that.
However...
she was surprised to learn who ended up picking her name.
It was no other than Connor Rhodes.
He had presented her present in a standard Christmas themed wrapping paper box, not wanting to give away what was inside. Ava had an audience anticipating what was inside. She had to admit, even she was curious what her rival had gotten her. Given his background, many had presumed something from his family department store. If it was clothing or bag related, she was full blown ready to tease him about eyeing her to determine what size she was. Ripping the wrapping paper and opening the elegantly made black velvet wooden box was not what she was expecting.
Inside were two bottles of 2008 Chateau Haut-Bailly in two large compartments at the edges, surrounded by white gift box stuffing filler. In the middle, had two smaller compartments, the bottom had a fancy looking wine opener, and the top had a stemless wine glass with a golden bottom.
Along with a small note inside the glass:
'Merry Christmas Dr. Bekker
~ From Dr. Rhodes'
Alcoholic beverages are one of the common holiday related gifts during this time of year. Cheap or good beverages were often the choices people go for, so she wasn't taken back he went with alcohol, but she was taken back with the fact he had purchased French wine for her as a present. She could tell the bottles were still in brand new condition.
Especially with the fact the two of them only had drinks together once just last week after working on that colon trauma case. She had ordered red wine that night at Molly's. No way he could have already known she sometimes liked to drink it. And to get her a vintage red wine bottle that has been sold out for years. He openly admitted he had an old friend who was a wine collector and had many vintage bottles kept brand new in storage. And the price to purchase two bottles took some negotiation to a reasonable price range given the brand and year.
Ava asked him why he went through all the effort, Connor only replied with:
"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
Reminding her of what she said to him the night they had drinks.
=Flashback Ends=
"Oh yeah, that's right. Connor gave me this." A small smile appeared on her face with the thought of him.
Ava thinks back to the first day they met and how much things have changed between them since then. Before she always tended to step on his toes, especially when it came to wanting to be the lead on working impressive surgical cases. She even stole one of his cases, only to get one up by him when another case came up. And more than once, still now they argue on cases, but ultimately, they were a good team together. She couldn't deny that. Anyone on the surgical team could see that. These days, she sees that she has become less abrasive, cold and strict than usual. That influence seems to be the cause of Connor. The more time she spends with him, the more she's willing to open herself more. Her childhood trauma stiffened her so much to who she became today, and she trusted Connor enough to tell him about it. There aren't many people who were aware of her past, at most the number could be counted on two hands. He was her rival, but she had come to also see him as a close friend of hers since moving to America.
Her only friend in this country.
She hasn't really socialized with any of her other colleagues outside of work aside from Connor.
Connor is literally the only one from the hospital she socializes with outside of work. They've had drinks and dinner a few times. Two of those times were him trying to cheer her up or making it up to her after a bad day.
Not today because he had to check up on Dr. Reese's father and she wanted to go home right away.
Didn't even get the chance to talk to him after finishing shift.
Maybe she should have waited for him to finish?
He saw how upset she was from her mistake today. This was the second time he'd seen her vulnerable. Something she's not used to doing in front of others, especially after what happened with her last ex-boyfriend. He did not make it easy to be vulnerable in front of others again, but she had already shown it towards Connor.
Things really have changed between them.
Particularly that night in Rock Island in the elevator.
And that night some time ago when they almost kissed.
Ava thinks back to what happened the next day after.
=Flashback=
He smiled at her, admiring her new look. "Say, uh..." Ava was about to turn away till he started to talk again. She looked at him expectantly. "You did your hair differently today. It's new and refreshing." An awkward smile appeared on his lips. "Is there a reason why?"
A small grin appeared on her face. She directed her eyes downward and tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear. "Oh, I just thought I should curl my hair now. I didn't do it much before cause it involves waking up a little earlier in the mornings, but... I like it." Ava slightly blushed.
"Yeah, so do I." He smiled.
"Also, um," she bit her lower lip "I heard from Latham this morning that you asked to be on trauma today?" A curious look appeared in her eyes.
"Uh, yeah." He paused. "I just... didn't want things to be awkward between us. After last night." He thought back to how close she stood next to him. The look in her eyes. Something he never seen before in a woman's eye. "I just thought you would have like to have some space between us, for a day?"
"Right, right." She breathed and tried to put on a reassuring smile. "I didn't want things to be awkward between us either." She nodded. "Thank you for thinking about my feelings." She gave him a timid smile. "See you tomorrow up here?" She said softly.
"Yeah." He gave her a sincere look.
=Flashback Ends=
Ava had gotten a few inches of her hair cut off and styled it differently the same night after they almost kissed to impress him. See where things go from there. The next day she was hurt to learn that he was in trauma and wanted to give her space after what happened. But was happy to know that he liked her new look and did appreciate him trying to think about her feelings.
At the time, she didn't know what exactly her feelings for him were.
But that was then, and a lot has happened since then.
And after today, seeing how solicitous, genuine and heartful he is towards his patients and others since then.
The fact he was already in the doghouse for going rouge yesterday and wanted to take the blame for her mistake...
Ava can admit that she has fallen for her ambiguous and arrogant rival.
- One Week Later -
'Okay, out everything that could happen today, this is number 1 on the list of things I wasn't expecting.' Ava thought to herself.
She was called to the nurses' station on the CT floor because she received a delivery. Once she got there, on the counter of the station was a very large, expensive pink and white flower bouquet in a rectangular glass vase. Ava stood standing in front of it with her palms flat on the sides of her torso.
"Wow." She heard a familiar voice on her left side and turned around to look at the owner. It was Connor. "One of our patients is well loved." He started wide eyed as he walked closer to stand on her left side.
"Actually, they came for me." Ava revealed and moved her hands to take out the card attached to find out who sent it.
"Really?" He looked at her as he reached with his left hand to grab some paperwork.
"Mm."
"The enchanting Dr. Bekker." He jokily praised as he looked down.
She chuckles and opens the card. Her facial expressions change upon reading it.
'Oh...they're from him.'
"What?" Connor asked, seeing the confused look on her face, looking between her and the flowers.
Ava looked up at the flowers then back down at the card. "Uh, seems they're from your father."
"My father?" He spoke in a confused tone and furrowed his eyebrows together when he turned towards her.
"Yeah." She turns her head to hand him the card. He takes it and opens it.
'EnJoyed our time together. Look
forward to seeing you again soon.
Cornelius Rhodes'
"Uh, you've been seeing him?" he asked in a soft puzzled tone.
She was about to say no and explain it was about the trunk show she attended at his family store, but...
"Is, uh...is that a problem?" She wanted to first see his reaction thinking she was dating his father.
"No, no, it's not a problem." He slightly shook his head. "Just...uh, he's just..." Connor was too loss of words on what to say. Believing his crush was dating someone, and that someone being his own father of all people. He thought they had something going on between them. He closed the card in his hand and tapped against the counter before turning towards her to give it back. "You know what, forget it. Enjoy the flowers." He turned away from her and walked away in the opposite direction of the elevators.
'Seriously?! DAD?! Why him dammit!? I know Ava's only a few years younger than me, but he's old! I didn't ped her for someone who went for guys over 20 years older? I already knew Dad was a dirty old man who was screwing with a younger woman the night Mom died. I thought she felt something for me last week?! I mean we almost kissed like a month ago or so! Why did she pick Dad!?' Connor angerly thought to himself.
Ava's lips started to curl up into a grin as she watched him jealously walk away.
'It has been a while since I've messed with his head. Things have been a bit stressful at work lately. So, this is what a jealous Connor Rhodes looks like...This might be fun to play around a bit.'
'I take back to what I said earlier. This here is number 1 on the list of things I wasn't expecting.' Ava thought to herself.
Ms. Goodwin came to see her to inform her that Cornelius Rhodes was in the hospital cafeteria and wanted to see her. That's where she was now, sitting at a table waiting and watching the wealthy man buy them both coffees. Since he was a donor, a large one, a doctor can't exactly say no when they want to meet them. In her case however, she is aware that he has sexual feelings towards her, and she was hoping to find a way to let him down without getting the hospital to be collateral damage with future donations.
Ava straightened herself up against the white seat as he approached the table. Her heart started to anxiously beat a few beats faster.
"Dr. Bekker...You're looking lovely." Cornelius placed her coffee in front of her before taking a seat diagonally on her right side.
"Thank you." She cupped the warm drink in front of her to calm herself down a bit. "And thank you for the flowers. That was quite unnecessary." She brought her cup up towards her lips, feeling her throat becoming slightly dry.
"Did you like them?" He looked at her.
"They're beautiful." She nodded. "Thought, I must admit, the money would've been better spent as part of your donation to the department."
"Speaking of which, I glanced at that information you gave me concerning..." He motioned his left hand into an air circle.
"da Vinci robotic surgical system?" She finished.
"Yes, that's uh...it was very impressive, but a little technical for a layman like myself. Perhaps you could explain the details to me?" He started to smile.
"Of course." She nodded, not noticing the change to his facial expressions.
"How 'bout tonight?" He asked.
Ava stares sternly puzzled at him.
"Over dinner?" He added.
"Mr. Rhodes...the flowers? Dinner? Is it me or are you trying to make your son crazy?" She nervously chuckles at the uncomfortable situation she's been put in. Especially between the father and son, both whom she believes are interested in her.
"Dr. Bekker...you are...an intelligent..." he moves his left hand onto her right wrist. "attractive, dynamic woman," Ava stares sickening at his actions and words and slowly retracts her hands away into her lap "and if this makes Connor crazy, so be it." He smiles at her.
Ava paused for a few seconds to compose herself and put on a professional body stance before saying, "Look, I and the entire cardiothoracic department truly appreciate your patronage, but you and I are going to keep our relationship on a professional level."
"Oh...all right." He had a blank facial expression at her responses. Accepting the fact he just got rejected.
"I'll have the head of philanthropy services give you a call this afternoon." He nodded. "Thank you." Ava picked up her phone and coffee in her left hand and quickly stood up from her chair and started walking away.
'That was disturbing. He reminds me of that bastard foster father that tried to get into my pants. How Connor fell from that tree makes no sense to me at all?' She thought as she used her free hand to put her phone in her back right pocket.
'I want to be with the son, not the perverted father.'
A few hours later, she heard from one of the nurses that Connor had a patient that was brought in, declared brain dead and was an organ donor. She went to go look for him to see what organs they could use for their patients and found them in the Echo room.
"There's too much retrograde flow. The leaflet's totally eaten away. Shame to have an otherwise perfectly good heart go to waste." Ava commented upon seeing the results in the Echo.
"It's not gonna go to waste." Connor replied.
"Excuse me?"
"His heart is an HLA match for my patient." He turned around to look at her. "I'm gonna do a valve repair." He put down the wand and pulled up the bed railings on the right side of the bed.
"You're joking?" She gave him an unsure smile across the room.
"Get him prepped for surgery, thanks." The tech handed Connor a tablet. He took a quick glance at Ava before leaving the room with her following him, not done with their conversation yet. He walked towards the nurses' station and placed the tablet down.
"You're going to do major surgery on this heart, which by itself contains significant morbidity and mortality," Connor looked up at her then back down, "and then turn around and transplant it into someone else?" She wanted to confirm his outrageous plan.
"Uh-huh." He answered keeping his eyes down on the tablet.
"You'll kill the recipient on the table." She tried to explain a possible likely outcome with his decision.
"So don't scrub it." He looked up at her then back down. "I'm sure with your active social life, there are things you'd rather be doing anyways."
Ava's facial expression changed from concern to humorous at his words.
"Now if you will excuse me, I am going to prep for my valve repair." He stares at her while he walks away.
Ava continued to find the whole misunderstanding with his father very amusing and slowly shook her head with a grin on her face.
'This guy...is so cute when he's jealous. Guess this really isn't one-sided after all.'
A few hours later, the two of them were now in the middle of the value repair surgery. Connor was half expecting Ava to show up, he didn't care now. Wanted to solely focus on saving his friend's father and not think about the South African woman and father together.
But of course, as always, Ava likes to bring in his personal life into the operating room.
"Scissors to Dr. Bekker." Connor asked one of the nurses
"Scissors." One of the nurses handed the scissors to the other surgeon across from him.
"So, what's the story with you and my friend with the flowers? I'm definitely picking up on some rancor." Ava breaking the silence between them to look at him.
"How do I put this? Uh...my father and I have always had an... unhealthy competition." He finished looking up at her.
"Competition?" She questioned as her eyes looked to the upper right to think then back at him. "You're a cardiothoracic surgeon. What's there to compete over?" She baffled over the comparison, knowing full well that being a heart surgeon was a more impressive career than being a businessman.
Connor chuckles. "Well...next time you two get together, you can ask him about it." He looked up to stare at her. Based on her eyes he could tell she was smirking underneath her mask. "Snip." He asked and she looked down to cut the suture. "Let's take him off pump." He set aside the extra suture for the nurse. "Paddles." He asked and the nurse handed him the tool. He placed it around the heart, "And clear." The tool sends a shock to the organ.
"No retrograde flow." Ava looks at the echo and then back at Connor. "Congratulations, we have a working valve." She sees he made the right choice.
'Another win for Rhodes for his abnormal ideas.'
"I'm gonna go let my patient know that he's about to get a new heart." The two nodded towards each other and she watched Connor exit the operating room.
And within the span of a few hours, Connor and Ava successfully transplanted a new heart in Sarah Reese's father.
"All right. Ejection fraction looks good. Normal rate and rhythm. I think we did it." Connor checked all the monitors and looked back at Ava.
"Well done, Dr. Rhodes." She complimented
"You as well." He slightly nodded. "Dr. Mehta, will you please close?" He asked the woman standing next to him by the table.
"Yes, sir." The doctor replied.
"Thank you." Connor spoke as both him and Ava took a step backwards for the team to prepare to close the patient's chest. They both took off their bloody gloves and gowns into the bins, removed their goggles and then exited the O.R.
"I must admit, despite your overall surliness, your determination today in face of great odds was admirable." Ava said crossing her arms as they stood outside of the operating room and were alone in the hallway.
"I will take that as a compliment." He replied.
"You should." She smiled looking at him, he did the same. "I'm gonna go take my flowers home." She reminded him before turning around and started walking away with her arms swinging at her sides.
'Time to see if he'll take the bait.'
"Ava..." Connor calls out to her.
Ava stops walking to turn back to face him.
'Guess he did take it.'
"It's not that it's my dad you're dating..." He took a few steps closer. "I wish that you weren't dating anybody at all." He all but admitted he wanted to be with her.
'I guess that's close enough for now.' Ava thinks as she stares at him.
"As long as we're making confessions," she blinks looking down, crosses her arms before she grins looking back at him, "the card was actually about me attending your father's trunk show at the department store on Saturday as his guest. I was there for like three hours, talked to a few people, talked to your father about da Vinci robotic surgical system and went home alone." She mockingly raised her eyebrows to emphasize he had the whole thing wrong.
"Oh..." Connor spoke softly realizing he misunderstood the whole thing.
"I was never dating your father." She confirmed her status with a playful smile.
"But you didn't mind me thinking so." Now realizing that she was playing him the whole day, like how she used to do months ago.
"No, I didn't mind." She amusingly shook her head and gave him one last smile before walking away from him.
'This woman.' Connor sighed at the day he had, feeling a huge weight had just lifted off his shoulders of the anxiety he was carrying.
As Ava was heading back to the surgeon's lounge, she thought back to her last ex-boyfriend. She had thought he was perfect. Handsome, charming, sweet...until she found out he was cheating on her for three months by sleeping with her hated rival at Groote Schuur. She really cared about him, but looking back now, she never truly loved him. Perhaps because she was more focused on her career than thinking about falling in love.
But with Connor, it was different. What she feels towards him was much more than her ex.
She didn't like other women throwing themselves at him in front of her the past few months.
She guesses it's because deep down, she wanted him to pick her.
And after today, she now knows he picked her.
This chapter covers 3x15-17
*First new content for this story since 2020
*Decided to create two new scenes about Ava's mistake in 3x16 since the show failed to go into it and just showed us a small scene instead of the aftermath. That's why I tried to show and explore more to further develop Ava's character that the show failed to do. Also her growing feelings towards Connor
*At this point now in the story, both Connor and Ava have admitted to themselves they have fallen for each other
*And like in the show, Connor pretty much admitted his feelings to Ava in 3x17, but she hasn't physical reciprocate just yet. My take is, it was because they were still technically rivals competing who would do the conjoined twins surgery that was coming up. I believe only afterwards something would have happened where they would have acted on their mutual feelings. (But then of course that Mayo Clinic offer came up and messed things up between them to get pushed.)
*BUT, this is MY story and the outcome will be different than what was on the show cause Season 4 is NOT CANON to me!
*One more thing, if you noticed while reading this long chapter, I created an OC character that was mentioned twice, Ava's ex-boyfriend. Like with the show never giving us Ava's backstory, they also never told us about her love life before Connor. All that was mentioned was her comment about "liking dangerous men". Not anytime soon, but right now I'm thinking about writing a Part 2 of this story where we get to meet the last guy Ava dated before Connor.