Allison stood in the intern locker room glaring at the group assembled on the benches.
"Would anyone like to tell me what the hell happened here last night," Alison growled.
"What part," a timid woman named Marissa asked.
"Oh," Allison said, "that's bad."
"Allie," Ellie asked.
"Dr Blouin," Allison hissed.
"Wow," a man named Jake laughed.
"Dr Williams," Allison snapped, "let's start with you. My office now. The rest of you will sit here until I call you."
"So you're going after Jake for sleeping with someone when you were kissing one of the tradesmen last week," Rob shouted.
"Pardon," Allison asked.
"We saw you in a corner with one of the tradesmen," Jake said, "tall guy."
"Asher," Ellie filled in.
"My husband," Allison asked.
"You're married," Marissa asked.
"I have been for 9 years and we have two kids," Allison replied, "we've been together 14 years."
"Still a tradesman," Marissa said.
"Do not talk about my husband like that," Allison snapped, "Asher is the most wonderful, supportive husband ever. We have two soon to be three amazing kids. I am proud of our family and the life we built together. I would not be her, could not do this without Asher having my back and us being a team. Everything you want to do in this hospital is possible because of people who do the work you find so beneath you.
"You married a what," a woman named Kenzie asked.
"Asher is an industrial electrician and is running the job here," Allison replied, "he works as hard as we do. Do you want the OR lights to work, do you want to be able to pick up the defibrillator and it work? To have the patient transport systems working? We need our electricians to do that. We can't do our jobs without them."
"It's beneath a surgeon," Kenzie snapped.
"Your arrogance is absurd," Allison replied, "we are not above anyone, we are not better than anyone. You are not better than your patients or their families."
"Dr Blouin," Josh walked in hearing Allison ranting.
"Dr Riggs good timing," Allison turned, "I'd vote suspension for all of them sitting here. Those that performed the malpractice and breech of ethics and those that were complicit and said nothing."
"What happened," Josh asked.
"Hmm sleeping with patient family members, ignoring pages to practise on each other, and purposely letting a patient destat to move him up the transplant list," Allison listed, "all last night."
"We're not leaving until we get to the bottom of this," Josh agreed, "each of you 500 words minimum on your part."
"Dad," Ellie said, "I was in mom's OR all night."
"I know," Josh replied, "but you knew what your classmates were doing."
"The timing," Allison said, "she went into the OR at 4pm and left at 6am. I got the call at 6:15 from Melina that the interns had gone rogue. But the first purposeful desat when orders were changed was at 3:30."
"Who was in the OR," Josh asked.
Allison pulled up the schedule from the night before on her tablet, " Altman-Riggs, Masters, Webster and Park. Grewal was in the ICU."
"The five of you still knew something," Josh said, "you may not have been part of it but you were not oblivious. Dr Blouin you are also part of this. You were not adequately monitoring your interns."
"I apologise," Allison replied, "I turned my work phone off for a few hours last night. I was scheduled to be totally off and Everly had a choir performance. I was reachable on my personal number in an emergency."
"When did you turn your work phone back on," Josh asked.
"When I got home from the performance at 8pm," Allison replied, "I did not get any messages from the hospital or calls on either number last night. Dr Liang was covering for me as the resident in charge last night at my request."
"Okay," Josh replied, "I'll call him. In the meantime we will get to the bottom of this before any of you enter an OR."
"Dad," Ellie gasped.
"Elizabeth," Josh growled, "right now I am not your dad, I'm your attending and residency director.
"All of you 500 word minimum on your role by noon," Allison directed, "delivered to my inbox and Dr. Riggs. If you were with an attending or in an OR you need the attending to sign off. I will be pulling your hospital message logs."
"Please," Kenzie said, "don't."
"You're first Kenzie," Allison declared.
Allison lead the quivering intern into her office while Josh called another to meet in his.
"Kenzie what do you know," Allison asked.
"Alexander is my cousin," Kenzie said, "I didn't touch him I know I can't. But I said something to Donny about wanting to move Alexander up the transplant list a week ago."
"Did you ask him to do anything," Allison asked.
"No," Kenzie replied, "it was wishful thinking I'm not a criminal. You've never wished for things for people you care about? Wondered about it outloud to a friend?"
"All the time," Allison agreed, "I was informed by Ava McMitchell one of the nurse practitioners when I came in this morning."
"Why would she tell you," Kenzie asked, "the nurse practitioners have to go through attendings don't they and stay in their lane."
"Ava is my closest friend," Allison replied, "she told me when I passed her in the corridor. Now you're lucky it came to me and I told Dr Altman and Dr Riggs what has gone on. My sister took interns messing with her patient way better from me than from another person or discovering it herself. What specifically did you say to Donny?"
"Just that I wished I could fast track Alexander that it isn't fair he's missing his freshman year of highschool hooked up to machines keeping his heart beating," Kenzie replied, "I never meant to cause anything. Donny and I are dating I thought it was a conversation with my boyfriend not a dare."
"Thank you for clarifying," Allison replied.
"I wasn't in the peds cardiac ICU last night," Kenzie said.
"I'm seeing you were in emergency," Allison agreed, "but theres gaps in you giving orders."
"I know," Kenzie replied.
"Explain," Allison demanded.
"I was in the research library," Kenzie replied, "I had a task for Dr Adams."
"I will follow up with him," Allison agreed, "Kenzie if you ever put down staff or people in this building who are not doctors your career will be very short lived. Arrogance is gone, it might have been ok 30, 40 , 50 years ago but it is not okay now. Your arrogance will lead to patient harm. Arrogant doctors have more complications and lower success rates. You are an intern and one who is struggling. You can't afford your arrogance."
"How do you make it work," Kenzie asked, "him being in trades."
"Why does it matter," Allison asked, "Asher is my best friend, a great man a good father. I know him as a person. His job doesn't mean anything to who he is. I protect my family life and shield my marriage and kids from hospital life and the drama here. You don't know my life outside of the hospital."
"Why him," Kenzie asked.
"We've been together since highschool," Allison replied, "he knows me better than anyone else. But I need to keep going on the interviews and get to the bottom of this."
In his office Josh was yelling at Ellie.
"You crossed a line Elizabeth," Josh roared, "you messed up. You're failing! Then you go into that today ready to throw your colleagues under the bus. Hiding behind me and your mom."
Ellie's eyes filled with tears.
"No," Josh snapped, "you're not hiding behind family or your pregnancy and drama with Caleb. You made an adult decision, you handle it like an adult. You knew what you were doing, you made a conscious choice."
"I didn't want surgery," Ellie yelled, "I don't want to be here. This isn't what I applied for and what I want to do. I'm here in this program because of my fucking name. I want to be a paediatrician. I hate cutting and the OR and blood and guts. I want to go into private practice as a paediatrician. I want to give babies their first shots and watch them grow and be healthy. I want to manage chronic conditions for kids. I don't want to be a people mechanic and change out worn out, diseased or broken parts. Dad, I don't want to do this. I'm actively looking for another residency spot as a paediatrician near here. My back up is family medicine. I'm not a surgeon. I want a Monday to Friday 9-5 or 8-4. I don't want the unpredictability of your schedules. I never wanted this."
"So you're going to waste your intern year not learning," Josh asked.
"I can't," Ellie replied, "this isn't me."
"Ellie you have to finish this year strong," Josh replied, "you need to up your surgical skills even in family medicine you'll need to suture, remove small growths in office, splinters. I know you're a great diagnostician and work holistically. No one here can write you a reference if you don't work a bit harder. I'm not asking for perfection I'm asking for 100% effort and a team player. I can see your heart isn't in it."
"Can you transfer me," Ellie asked.
"Not until July," JOsh replied, "we can talk to Peds and see what they have. It's an internal transfer which is easier or you can go through matching again."
"I have to stay here," Ellie replied, "my support system is here."
"Caleb," Josh asked.
"It's over," Ellie replied, "he's going to be in baby's life and we can be friendly but I don't want to be with him anymore. It was okay in school but it was never what you and mom have or grandma and grandpa or Allie and Asher. I want that but now I'll never get it. I'm going to be a single mom. I have to pick things that are going to let me be around more for my son."
"Son," Josh asked.
"I got the NIPT and quad screen back before surgery yesterday," Ellie said, "I haven't told mom yet. No genetic concerns and it's a boy."
"Names," Josh asked.
"I'm still thinking, it's early," Ellie replied, "I know I messed up."
"You did," Josh replied, "not the surgical skills how you treated your team. You threw them under the bus and using mom and dad here not a good plan Bug."
"But mom does it with grandma," Ellie replied.
"As a senior attending never in front of people who weren't family as a resident or fellow," Josh replied, "it was chief or Dr Altman. They had a firm separation rule after our intern year. I think we need to put it in for you."
"Can I just go home now," Ellie asked, "I'm exhausted."
"No," Josh replied, "you can rejoin your class and accept the consequences like everyone else. I also need your 500 words."
"Can I get food first I haven't eaten since before the surgery," Ellie asked.
"Take my lunch and I'll grab something," Josh agreed grabbing his lunch from the fridge behind his desk, "it's all okay no deli meat, soft cheese or raw fish."
"Thanks," Ellie smiled, accepting the bag.
She walked back to the locker room and sat with her classmates.
"So you're off the hook," Kenzie asked.
"No," Ellie replied, "attending and dad mad at once."
"You okay," Kensize asked, "you don't look good."
"Light headed I just need to eat and take a nap," Ellie replied, "I'm 14 weeks pregnant."
"What," Kenzie asked.
"Ya," Ellie replied.
"You're single,"Kenzie asked, "how? What?"
"My ex and you know how," Ellie replied.
"Who knows," Kenzie asked.
"You," Ellie replied, "both Altmans, both Riggs, all four Hunts, Blouin, Hunt-Riggs in the ER. But they're all family. I'm slowly starting to say something."
"When will they let us out," Kenzie asked, "I told Blouin everything I know and said something about her husband and she was mad."
"Don't say anything about her husband or kids ever," Ellie cautioned, "Allie is usually pretty cool except where Asher and their kids are concerned then she's scary."
"But you and your baby," Kenzie asked, "are you okay"
"I will be," Ellie replied, "it's not how I expected things with my ex to go but life happens and baby and I will be okay. My cousin has agreed to stay as my roommate at least through residency and Catrina will help a bit where she can and my parents."
Josh met Allison in the hallway.
"You need to step up with them," Josh replied.
"I'm sorry," Allison replied, "if I had been here last night."
"No," Josh replied, "you need nights off and with your kids but you needed to check in. I have to tell Megan about your part as well."
"I know," Allison let out a deep breath, "I'm going to get to the bottom of it. I learned a bit from Kenzie about where the idea to try to steal that heart and lungs came from."
"And," JOsh asked.
"The patient is her cousin," Allison responded, "she has never been on his case. She told her boyfriend she wished he was next on the list and wanted him to get his organs. She claims it was wishful thinking to her boyfriend."
"And he took it too far to get points with her," Josh asked.
"It's my theory," Allison replied, "but I need to talk to Donny."
"I will," Josh replied, "you keep working though those that were practising on eachother."
Allison finished her long day of working with the interns drama and assigning them all to scut for the foreseeable future.
"Long day," Asher asked seeing her face.
"Interns are dumb," Allison ranted, "I was never that dumb. I didn't see a single patient or OR today. I spent all day dealing with intern drama."
"What can I do," Asher asked.
"I don't know," Allison replied, "Ellie is on probation because she's not doing well."
"Ellie," Asher gasped.
"She's not a surgeon," Allison replied, "she shouldn't be here. She needs a different speciality."
"Bad doctor," Asher asked.
"Great doctor fabulous with patients excellent diagnostician," Allison replied, "can't cut."
"So that means," Asher asked.
"She chooses a new specialty and starts over," Allison replies, "she doesn't loose her skills from this year she just moves over."
"Okay," Asher replied, "how are you feeling? Hows our baby?"
"I'm feeling the bubble feeling baby is starting to really move," Allison smiled, "I'm tired."
"It's late do you want me to heat up dinner for you," Asher asked.
"Ya while I shower," Allison asked.
"I can," Asher agreed.