Grey's Anatomy: The Nurse's Station

Double Trouble

Before I say anything else, I just want to say – we separated adult conjoined twins today. The surgery took – gosh – I don’t even KNOW how many hours and… it was incredible. Especially when Sloan cracked a joke that made Derek laugh. That’s right, not snicker, not roll his eyes – but laugh. It was almost as startling as seeing the twins apart for the very first time…

But back to the rest of the day.

There has been an unusual amount of uneasiness brewing around here. And, strangely enough, it seems to be brewing – in pairs. (and no, I’m not JUST talking about the twins…)

Take Burke and Cristina, for instance. The news about Burke’s hand has spread. I don’t think the Chief really wanted it to spread, and it’s not as though everyone around here is in the know – but for those of us with our ears to the ground? The news has been pretty hard to miss.

And the ripple effect? Let me put it like this. Derek and Bailey were at the coffee cart this morning when Burke walked up, presumably to get himself a latte or something, but… the minute Bailey and Derek saw him? Wow. Talk about a chill in the air – those two were positively frigid toward him. Enough so that, rather than fix himself a coffee, Burke just turned around and walked away. But that’s not all…

The same thing seems to be happening to Cristina. This morning, as the interns were filing out of the locker room – it’s like they were trying to pretend Cristina didn’t even exist. And when I saw them in Really Old Guy’s Room (shortly before busting them for eating in there – AGAIN – totally against hospital policy…) they were being down right nasty toward Cristina.

Not that I blame anyone for feeling betrayed by Burke or Cristina – those two have certainly made their own beds, but – it’s just so odd, seeing the two of them so shunned by their peers.

It can’t feel good, that’s for sure.

Then, there’s Susan and Molly Grey, Meredith’s “pseudo” family… Molly came in for an emergency c-section today (her baby’s been encountering a few difficulties) – and that Susan Grey? She’s a little needy, if you ask me. Gracious, very sweet – but needy. She keeps asking Meredith for status reports and referring to Meredith as part of her family – when any fool could read off of Meredith’s face that she is NOT comfortable with that kind of… familiarity. At least, not from Susan or Molly…

I really feel for Meredith today. She’s trying so hard just to be professional and do her job – but it must be so hard not to look at her pseudo sister and her pseudo niece and think to herself – what if? What IF these people had been my REAL family?

I know Ellis Grey. I know she was nothing like warm, fuzzy, sticky-sweet Susan. There’s really no comparison – at all.

Meanwhile – my favorite pair of all today? Sloan and Stevens. He picked her to intern for him today – mostly, I think, because he likes to give people a hard time. And he was probably bored. And he tries to amuse himself…

Anyway – he’s been after her to go get him coffee – all day. Just like he does to Karev, only – Izzie? She isn’t taking it. Unlike Karev, she doesn’t seem to care much about a career in plastics and – well, she made it very clear to Sloan just how LITTLE she respects any attending who uses his interns to fetch him snacks.

But you know what’s funny? Her attitude totally worked in her favor. Just as we were starting the twins’ surgery this afternoon, Sloan insisted Izzie get to scrub in… not just watch from the gallery above, but scrub in. Observe from inside the OR – it’s the first time she’s been allowed inside an OR since she came back from her “hiatus.”

And let me tell you – she was psyched.

Ok – look. There’s O’Malley, talking to his brothers – probably about their dad’s surgery today… Oh, wait. No… they are talking about – magazines? RACY magazines--? Forget it. I don’t even WANT to know.

Today. OR #2. Hour 3 of an Extraction of a Cardiac Foreign Body

Usually, I try to fill you in on all of the most interesting gossip that happens throughout the day to all the most gossip-worthy people around here… but today? I’m only going to focus on ONE HOUR. The one terrifying, totally revealing, absolutely unbelievable hour I spent today, scrubbed into a surgery with Cristina Yang.

It all started like a normal surgery – Burke was, as usual, precise and robotic. Yang was, as usual, even more precise and more robotic. She’s really stepped up her game lately, and it seems to be paying off because Burke lets her participate in his surgeries in a way that most – no, ANY – intern would ordinarily never get to participate.

We hit Hour 3 of the extraction– Burke had completed the procedure. It was time to slowly warm the patient’s body up and wait for everything to kick in before we could take her off of bypass and test out her newly repaired heart.

So – as luck would have it – suddenly Derek, who was only an OR away, ran into some problems in HIS surgery. He needed Burke. Sent Grey over to see if we could spare Burke – even for a moment…

And the truth is, we were at a perfect stopping point for Burke to leave for a little while. Absolutely not a problem, and yet – Cristina Yang sort of… lost it. Just for a moment; it was very quick. But it was obvious –

She didn’t think that Burke should jump ship and head into that second surgery.

I wasn’t sure why she felt so strongly about it… But she did. Even with most of her face covered up by a surgical mask, I could tell she was horrified. And that was disturbing – for two very very big reasons.

Reason One: Yang is never horrified. Not in the OR. She’s cool and collected and reliable and – she was none of those things today. The moment Burke left, she was suddenly anxious. And agitated. And… scared.

Reason Two: That kind of anxiety – merited or not – it feeds on itself. It’s infectious. And it puts everyone on edge. Yang kept checking the clock, checking the heart, checking the clock all over again. She must have had me call over to Derek’s OR every five minutes to check on the status of the other surgery – to check on Burke. As if anyone over there had the time to keep answering my calls? And even more, as if Burke was somehow HER responsibility. As if she felt like she needed to be babysitting Burke. It was strange…

And it kept reminding me of what I’d already been noticing with George – that he’s lost some of his confidence in Burke. I think he witnessed something or learned something on that camping trip, and now… I don’t know. Maybe he’s right. Maybe there is something wrong with Burke – I wouldn’t have believed it a week ago, but… the way Yang was acting today? It gives me pause…

And it also tells me, whatever Burke is hiding? Cristina’s helping him hide it, too.

But that was all nothing compared to when the heart was ready to come off bypass, and Burke was still stuck in Derek’s OR… Yang was seriously freaking out.

We tried to calm her down – I mean, the situation was not ideal, but it was certainly manageable enough, at least for a while… But Yang was insistent. She was convinced something was going wrong with Burke’s surgery in the other OR. She seemed to – snap. It’s like this weight that she’s been carrying around on her shoulders all these weeks just exploded –

-- Just as Burke finally arrived. To a very frazzled, very anxious Cristina. And he seemed particularly cold toward her – she was offering to help, and yet – he didn’t even seem to want her near him….

And that’s when the heart blew a stitch. Blood shot everywhere. It was intense.

It’s actually one of those things that looks worse than it is; Burke was able to resolve the problem very quickly, but – It was too much for Yang to handle. Burke dismissed her from the surgery… and she left.

Looking dazed, covered in blood.

That’s the last I saw of her. Dr. Bailey had arrived at our surgery, she scrubbed in and assisted on the last of the operation. And Dr. Burke – if possible, he was even more somber than usual…

It wasn’t until much later tonight, when I was packing up to go, that Nurse Liz found me and asked if I’d heard the news?

What news? No – I’d been in surgery all day. What news was she talking about, exactly?

Turns out - Yang ratted out Burke to the Chief. It seems Burke HAS been hiding something, ever since he came back from his leave of absence. He’s been hiding the fact that his operating hand – the one Derek repaired ---

It has a tremor.

Shiny Happy...Not

Something happy’s in the air around here… and it’s making me a little bit uneasy. Not that I don’t like… happy….people. It’s just – Ok, forget it. Happy people make me nervous. They smile all the time and – you know – try to infect you with their obnoxious happy selves. What do they have to be so happy about, anyway? All the giggling and laughing and carrying on –

Anyway. Clearly it’s contagious or everyone took a swig of the shiny-happy koolaid this morning or something…

Like Meredith Grey. She walked in today all skippy and swinging that tattered old canvas shoulder bag of hers – she was practically humming. Seems life with the New McDreamy is working out well (he came back from the camping trip ready to start fresh with her or something. I guess getting all that “space” must have worked, because – well, just look at the two of them…)

And she’s not the only one. Derek Shepherd is beside himself with ridiculous silliness. Heard him mention something about a “delightful bubble bath last night.” No wonder there’s all the googly happiness from the two of them. Derek’s even acting pleasant toward Addison. I saw the two of them having a thoughtful, civil conversation a few moments ago – now, that’s just bizarre. I haven’t seen them acting like that around each other in – well – a very long time.

Mark Sloan is chipper today too (he seemed particularly pleased with the pickle that came with his sandwich earlier) and so is Karev. Usually, Alex is all annoyed and grumbly about running errands for Sloan, but – today? It’s like he’s suddenly all fine with the abuse of power, used to sucking it up, just totally zen about it.

Which – I guess doesn’t make him exactly shiny and happy, but for Karev? That’s as happy as you get.

That and him wandering the halls today, talking with Izzie Stevens… in the third person.

They have a patient today who, apparently, addresses himself in the third person. So Alex and Izzie have turned it into a game. A game that makes them very very happy, and the rest of us – very very annoyed. Debbie would very much like them to stop. Debbie is not amused by their childish behavior. Debbie is NOT feeling shiny and happy.

Actually – the more I think about it, there are a few non-shiny, non-happy people here today. I just haven’t been seeing as much of them.

Like George. Not only is his dad in the hospital, but he just had to kick Callie out of his own father’s hospital room. It seems Callie has been doing her best, to entertain George’s family – help out on Mr. O’Malley’s case, but… George wants her to stop. Because they broke up. They are supposed to be giving each other some space. Turns out I was right about Sloan and Torres. They DID sleep together, and…

George is absolutely NOT happy about that.

Also not happy? Cristina Yang. She looks like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders today – You should see the way she and Burke are acting around each other. George asked Cristina to be the intern on his dad’s case, but it’s funny. Because I’m not so sure he’s still so confident in that decision. I just saw him a little while ago, grilling Cristina about Burke. I think maybe he thinks there’s something… I don’t know… wrong with Burke.

But what could that be? What could BE wrong with Burke?

And then… there’s the Chief. The Chief is definitely not happy. He just looks so down these days – kind of lost. I think it’s this thing with his wife. He must miss her – you don’t spend that many years with someone and not miss them. But I’ve never seen him quite like this. He’s really down in the dumps.

I may not be fond of shiny happy people, but I certainly hope the Chief gets happier than this…

Oh – oh no. The results for Mr. O’Malley’s biopsy just came in and… oh, this just breaks my heart. I’m sorry – I have to log off and page Yang about these. We need to let O’Malley know about these results immediately…

When The Boys Are Away

The hospital is practically bubbling with estrogen today – apparently several of the male attendings and interns have taken the day off to go on… a camping trip. That’s right, I said CAMPING TRIP. As is tent pitching, wilderness trekking, game fishing, sure to be attacked by a big hungry bear CAMPING.

Our surgeons in the wild. Men being manly men. HA! Makes me chuckle just thinking about it…

Meanwhile – the one “boy” conspicuously NOT included on the camping trip is – McSteamy. Now, I understand why he probably wasn’t invited but – I don’t know. If I were Derek Shepherd, I just don’t know how quick I’d be to go off into the wilderness and leave my on-again, off-again soul mate back here, all by herself, under the watchful gaze of my McNemesis.

In other words, Sloan’s traded in his usual indentured servant Karev in for a prettier, shinier model – Meredith Grey.

Now – I don’t believe for a minute that Dr. Shepherd would be OK with it if he had any clue... But I guess, since he’s off in the woods today, anything could be fair game. And – Oh my… a game it is!  McSteamy’s been putting the McFlirty moves on Meredith all day – every time I turn around, he’s asking Meredith about Derek, talking to her about how HE wouldn’t need to take some “space.” He is shameless, and yet…

I saw Meredith leave with McSteamy tonight after their shifts ended. Heard thru the grapevine that they were on their way over to Joe’s Bar – together.

Curious, don’t you think?

Even more curious, I overheard Callie and Addison this morning – not long after McSteamy left (in a hurry) the doctors’ lounge, where Torres and Montgomery had both been eating their breakfasts… From what I could ascertain – I believe it is entirely possible that McSteamy is/has/or at one time was doing the nasty with – YES – the both of them. No confirmation exactly, but – my gut says I’m right. And you know as well as I do that my gut is usually right.

What’s funny about it, though, is that from the looks of things, Callie and Addison also seem to have become very fast friends. I hear that they shared a really heartbreaking case today, so maybe that’s helped bring them together. All I know is – I saw them sitting together at the end of the night – making tentative drink plans with one another.

Interesting, the unexpected friendships that develop around here… along with the unexpected enemies. Like Dr. Bailey and Cristina Yang.

I don’t know exactly what it is Cristina has done to Dr. Bailey. But it’s clear she’s done something – something big. Because Bailey has been absolutely putting Yang through the ringer today. Bailey is a hard ass, but she doesn’t go to this much trouble without a really good reason… And for the first time, almost EVER, Cristina seems to be shutting up and taking it. Without any grumbling. Without a single complaint.

Yang has literally been sifting through poo all day. Bailey didn’t even allow Yang to scrub in on the surgery she’d been attending to all day, and…

Cristina isn’t saying a word. At least, not publicly.  Which, btw, speaks volumes. So I say -- Cristina’s got a secret. Bailey knows Cristina’s got a secret. Cristina knows Bailey knows she’s got a secret. And they are both waiting for the other one to give in first. (Which, given the stubbornness of both of them? Doesn’t seem to be anytime too soon…)

You should have seen the look of relief on Yang’s face when Burke arrived tonight. (The boys came back early; seems they cut their camping trip short…)

And it’s a good thing, too. Because it means George O’Malley was able to respond to Dr. Torres’ pages—

-- about his dad. Poor George. Mr. O’Malley was admitted tonight to the hospital. I was here when he came in, and have been working on his case all night. And I hate to say it, but from the looks of things? Well…

I’m just glad the boys (and therefore George) decided to come back early.

McEggs and Ham

So I was standing in line at the cafeteria this morning trying to decide between a delicious looking chocolate croissant and a toasted plain bagel with low fat cream cheese. Which really means I was standing there trying to decide if I was really going to start the diet I’ve been meaning to start today – or postpone it (like I’ve been doing all week) until tomorrow. It’s not that I don’t want to be healthy – it’s just that it takes a lot of commitment. And sometimes – especially before my breakfast coffee – that takes more effort than I can muster.

Anyway – so while I was standing there – the fiancée of one of our patients came up behind me, and told me he could help me make up my mind. That I just had to decide if I wanted to be a chicken – or a pig. Now… I’m sure his story was meant to be helpful – but to be honest - I pretty much tuned him out. Like I said – I hadn’t had my coffee yet. I don’t like talking to anyone before my coffee – least of all some dude telling me meaningful riddles…

At any rate, his story did – as it turns out - help me decide what to get for breakfast. I walked right up to the counter and ordered two eggs, over easy, and a side of bacon.

Meanwhile – you’ll never guess who has been wandering our halls today. McDreamy’s McSister. She’s driving me nuts. She acts like she works here or something – lurking around my post, scouting out interesting cases (she’s a little obsessed with this case today – a woman with two uteruses…) – I mean, what is this? Bring Your McSnarky Sister To Work Day or something? I have entirely too many things to do around here – I do NOT have time to field questions from Dr. Shepherd’s nosy siblings…

Or from interns not assigned to the case in the first place. Alex Karev has been even more nosy than McSister. I know he’s on Sloan’s service today (which pretty much means he’s a personal assistant in scrubs) but for some reason – every time I turn around, Alex is reading the Two Uterus patient’s chart, or using my computer to look up research on the condition.

Like just a few moments ago – I left my station for just a second (OK – maybe more than a second… I was gossiping with Callie about how George has been hounding her all day. The boy is both driving her nuts, and breaking her heart – because here she is, totally into him, and it takes her DUMPING him just to get him to pay attention to her. Not Cool. But I advised her to stay strong – in my opinion, O’Malley only really wants things he can’t have…)

Anyway – I left my station for just a few minutes, and when I came back (after getting a 911 page about Addison’s Two Uterus patient in L&D) my computer was open – with screen after screen of Two Uterus research on the desktop. 

Now, I’m not one to speculate (Ok. Never mind – I totally am..) but I can’t imagine Dr. Sloan being too keen on his intern getting all involved in another doctor’s case – especially when that doctor in Addison Montgomery. Those two have too much history. I would have thought Alex was smarter than that…

I’m also a little surprised. I mean – Karev has been vocal, since his first day of work here, about how intent he is on a career in plastics (which seems to suit his personality pretty well, if you ask me) but it’s strange. Ever since his stint on the Vagina Squad – it’s a little bit like he can’t get it out of his system. Never would have pegged him as being good with the moms and the babies, but…

I’ll tell you what Addison Montgomery said, just a few days ago. It was the end of the day – she was finishing up a few charts, and I was packing up to go home. We wound up walking out together, and – we passed by Alex Karev, who just sort of snarled in Addison’s direction. I thought she would be irritated, but she just laughed. And she said the most interesting thing… she told me that, although you’d never guess it from the outside, that of all the interns she’d worked with so far -- Karev was one of the most gifted in her service… Interesting, right?

Speaking of being talented on a specific service – Dr. Burke seems to have taken Dr. Yang completely under his professional wing. Since coming back to work – Dr. Burke has insisted Dr. Yang scrub in on every single one of his surgeries. He’s given her added responsibilities – like running his schedule, updating his board…

These are not things interns usually get to do. It’s very unusual – and a little bit suspicious if you ask me. I can’t pinpoint exactly what makes me suspicious, but… I don’t know. There’s something going on between the two of them that they are keeping to themselves – and it’s weighing on them both. You can just… see it in their eyes or something.

I spoke to one of the scrub nurses in on the big Humpty Dumpty surgery Burke did this afternoon – she agrees with me. She couldn’t tell exactly what was going on (the surgery actually requires the heart be removed from the body and operated on from there!) but she said that Burke was being particularly generous in giving Yang the opportunity to do very advanced stitches, etc…

Anyway. I’m not the only one with a question or two about the new Burke/Yang Dream Team – You should have seen Dr. Bailey tonight. The evening was winding down – I was only a few minutes away from changing shifts and going home – and Wow. Dr. Bailey was in a mood – she was livid. I’ve never seen her so angry – and so… so icy. And raw. It was like she had just learned something very… very bad. And I could tell – she was trying very hard, not only to digest the information, but to figure out what exactly to do with it…

I wonder what it was that got Bailey so riled up? Because – with a reaction like that, it had to be big.