First I want to apologize for how long its taken me to update this book.  But on the plus side - at least its a long chapter.  So sit back, relax and grab a snack.  Let me know your thoughts below 🤍

[season one episode two]

"break the rules"

THE TWO DIDN'T END UP GOING TO EMERALD BAR.  Instead, they went back to Emma's place and she had made Derek a cup of coffee while Emma got her favorite cherry coke soda.  They went out to her little balcony and she had turned on the patio lights of the Edison plastic bulbs as they both sat in their chairs.  It was a cute little balcony that Emma enjoyed having.

"Your place is really nice," Derek compliments her.

"Thanks," she smiles shyly.  

It was a two bedroom condo and she loved the style of it how she had a brick wall in it and even a brick wall in her kitchen area.  It gave her such cozy vibes and after the hard life she has had, she needed the peace and serenity.  This apartment gave her that to her.  Relieving stress and anxiety.  She wouldn't say she believed in the power that crystals gave as some people did, but she had a large piece of amethyst in her living room.  Surprisingly her place wasn't out of her price range and the only reason she was able to afford it was because before he mom died, she told her daughter that she was going to leave all of her money in her name.  None to her husband.  He made enough money of his own to be wealthy and live more than comfortably.  Emma had also been working since she was old enough in Florida and had saved a lot of the money she made.  Some of it was from being a hostess, to being a waitress, and then working in various clothing stores.  Even being a barista at Starbucks for a while.  

"Listen, I'm sorry about earlier.  How I treated you in regards to you saving Katie's life after she had that seizure wasn't right," Derek tells Emma.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile as she turned to face him and took a sip of her soda.  "I appreciate that.  I know I'm still new but I didn't feel like I deserved that after I helped her."

"Your right.  You didn't.  About what I said earlier..." Derek began when he asked if he could take her out this Friday night but before he could continue Emma interrupted him and he let her.

"If I'm being honest, I have a rule where I don't date my coworkers.  It's been that way for a long time and has worked well until I met you.  For some reason I can't stay away from you, no matter how hard I try.  So," she takes a deep breath in and out.  "I want to see where this goes between us but before I do, I need complete honesty from you, Derek."

She knew he had to at least be seven years older than her, which meant that he was also more experienced.  It excited her but also made her a little nervous knowing that.  

"Okay," he nods his head with a smile but then it turns into a frown which makes Emma wonder what he's thinking about.  "Since we're being honest here," he said getting a little nervous for the first time in a long time as he rubbed his hands up and down his pant leg.  He wasn't sure how she would take this.  "I'm recently separated from my wife."

She didn't answer at first as she let this information settle in.  Then her eyes widened in shock and he saw the changes in her facial expression go from nothing to shock then concern and finally she spoke.

"What the fuck?!" She raised her voice slightly.  "Oh my God," she said as she put a hand on her forehead and began pacing back and forth as she had jumped up.  "Please don't tell me I ruined your marriage!"

He stood up and placed his hands gently yet with a slight firmness to help calm her down slightly.  

"I promise you didn't.  I actually left six weeks ago when I found her sleeping with my best friend.  Or I should say ex-best friend."

"WHAT?!" She shrieked and he nodded his head sadly as he ran a hand through his glorious curls that she loved so much.

"Yeah," he sighed.  "Apparently they had a seven month long affair behind my back."

"I'm so sorry," she said as she couldn't imagine the type of pain he must have felt.  They now sat back down and she put his hand on top of his as he then laced their fingers together and held her hand.

"Thanks," he said.  "It definitely didn't feel good."

"I can imagine.  So can I ask you a question?"

"Ask away," he waved his other hand that wasn't holding hers.  He wanted.  No needed to be close to her in some capacity.  And she let him.

"Do you think you're ready to move on and date other people?  Because I don't know that my heart could survive another broken heart and be somebody's rebound..."

"Listen to me, Emma," he said as he turned his body toward her.  "Yes, we were together for a long time, but I am completely over Addison now.  I've had time to hate.  Time to be sad.  Time for bitterness and anger.  Time to be heartbroken and time to heal.  I am one-hundred percent over Addison.  Does that mean that the anger is gone completely?  No.  If I ever saw Mark again I honestly don't know what I will do.  But I do know I want go all in this with you.  Even if it means taking it slow.  Whatever you want, consider it done."

She took in his words as he spoke so sincerely and thoughtfully.  She could almost feel the pain that he went through and wished she could take it back so that he didn't have to go through it.  But then that would also mean that he wouldn't have moved out to Washington and then they wouldn't have met that night at Emerald Bar.  

"Can we take it slow?  I know that we had a one night stand but it's different now that we work together.  I just don't want you to treat me differently or give me special treatment since we're giving us a try.  And I would like to not tell anyone at work that we're seeing each other."

"Done and done," he said with a small grin and she grinned back.  "So I guess we're really trying us?"

"Yeah, I guess we are," she said with a bigger smile.

He started to lean forward closer to her and she backed away.

"Uh, what do you think you're doing?" She asked with a deadpan look on her face.

"Trying to kiss you...no?" He asked as he saw the look on her face and moved back.  

"Not until we go on our first date," she answered smugly as she leaned back into her chair and he looked slightly stunned but gained his confidence back quickly.

"Really?" He asked and looked deep in thought.  "Well, the offer still stands for this Friday.  Say seven o'clock?"

"Deal," and then she puts her pointer finger on her chin and then gives almost a wicked grin just to see his facial expression.  "If all goes well you can kiss me at midnight or turn back into a pumpkin."

"Turn into a pumpkin, huh?  That's Cinderella, right?"

"Mhmm," she nods her head and takes a sip of her cherry coke.  And he takes a gulp of his coffee.

"I can handle that," he agrees.  "But I won't turn into a pumpkin because I'm still your prince charming."

"We'll see about that, Charming," she laughs and he does as well and shakes his head.  "Can I ask you another question?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you still love her?  Your wife, I mean..."

He lets out a sigh and runs his fingers through his beautiful hair again.

"I don't know, Em," he says her nickname and it would melt her heart hearing it from him if it weren't for the serious conversation they were having.  "I think apart of me will always love her.  We were together for so long, you know?  It's not like I can easily turn that lightbulb off.  No matter how much I wish I could to subside the pain.  I want to not love her anymore.  I want to not love Mark who was my best friend since we were kids.  But shit happens," he shrugs his shoulders.  "Want to go in and watch a movie?  Maybe cuddle..."

"It is getting kinda chilly outside now.  Sure," she agrees and they grab their drinks as she holds his hand and they walk inside together.  Both secretly excited for this Friday night date night.

*

"Well, Ms. Hastings, it seems you had quite an eventful first day," Richard tells her as he overlooks the lobby of the hospital through his glass doors.  "Having to save a patient's life from a grand mal seizure, calling out an attending and another intern, to being able to scrub in on a surgery no other intern has gotten to do before.  How does it feel?"

"Excuse me, sir?" She asks confused.

So she wasn't in trouble?  Doctor Webber had called her into his office when she first got to Seattle Grace that morning after she had changed into her scrubs.  When she was first told this by Bailey, she felt like she was going to shit her pants since she was nervous.  She had no idea what to expect.  While she was in her meeting with her boss, Meredith was interviewing possible roommates.  

"Was it exciting or nerve-racking?" He asked for clarification and turned around to face her.

"I'm not in trouble?"

"Trouble?" He began to laugh.  "No.  Remember my speech yesterday?  This is all part of the game.  I was just making sure you were okay."

"Uhhh," she swallows thickly.  "I guess I'm okay."

The one person she didn't want to be honest with was her boss.  She had tried that before when she tried to tell her boss about all the bullying going on at work.  Unfortunately, her boss didn't want to hear it because she played favorites and the girl who was a bully was the boss' favorite.  So now she just shut up about it as it really gets you nowhere.  If anything she's learned that it makes you look bad even if you aren't the trouble maker.

"Well," he gives her a kind smile.  "If you ever change your mind, my door is always open if you want to talk..."

"Okay, thank you," she smiled at him kindly and left, knowing that she probably wouldn't ever change her mind.  She's had too many bad experiences where she has indulged too much too soon and they don't work out.  So instead, this time around, she's taking matters into her own hands and standing up to the bullies right then and there.  Instead of letting them feel like they're the bigger person.  

*

"Where do you think Emma is?" Cristina asked Meredith as it was them, George and Izzie with the red head nowhere in sight.

Meredith craned her neck as she looked around close to them.  She had been wondering the same thing too.

"I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders.  "You think she got in trouble for yesterday?"

"She shouldn't," Cristina defended the red head.  "She's bad ass and any woman whose bad ass like that is worth keeping."

Just then Emma walked over to the group and they all yelled things like:

"There she is!"

"Yeah!"

"She's back!"

Her personal favorite?

"She's alive!"  That one was from Cristina.

Emma gave a short laugh as she shook her head and other nurses and doctors looked at the new interns in either annoyance or wonder at what was going on.

"Where were you?" Cristina asked quietly.

"Doctor Webber wanted to talk to me about yesterday," she told the group.

"About what?" Meredith scrunched up her nose.

"Just wanted to make sure I was okay," Emma told them.

"And you didn't get in trouble?" George asks in shock.  Lucky her!  For some reason it felt like there were already favorites at Seattle Grace and George was determined to eventually be one of them one day.

"Nope," she said nonchalantly.

"What the heck..." he says quietly because after the appendix surgery that he froze on, Richard pulled him in his office and told him that he needed to get with it.  Then told him to get out of his office.  What they didn't know was that Meredith got off the hook for her behavior yesterday when she froze on Katie as well.  It was a good thing that the group didn't know about that though because if Emma heard about that she would have thought that was unfair treatment since George got a talking to and not Meredith.  No matter how much Emma liked Meredith.  Seemed like the nepotism was real with Meredith.  Nepotism or favoritism... Emma wasn't sure but she knew it was better to be friends with Meredith than not friends.  

Meredith knew she needed to step her game up today.  To prove that she was worthy of being an intern here.  Yesterday was just a fluke.  Things would get better for her today.  That's what she kept telling herself.  

"So you're putting up roommate posters on the hospital bulletin board, Grey?" Emma asks her blonde friend.

Emma swore to herself that she wasn't going to make friends.  Or date her coworkers especially ones who were attending's.  Yet, here she was, breaking both of her rules.  Was she making the right decision to date Derek knowing that he's not legally divorced yet?  She guessed there was no way of knowing for sure if she was doing the right thing until she gave it a try.  Right?  She just hoped she didn't end up heartbroken.  

"Why?  You looking for a place?"

"Nah," Emma shook her head.  "I live alone.  It's better that way."

What did she mean by 'its better that way'?  

"Where the hell did you just get a mocha latte from?" Emma whined as she could use some coffee right about now.  She had forgotten her Starbucks coffee and she really needed some.

"George is bribing her to be her roommate," Cristina filled her in.

"I want one," Emma said with a slight pout.

"Get one yourself," Izzie told her to which Emma rolled her eyes slightly.

Whatever.  Izzie was already annoying to her.  The bubbly blonde needed to take her personality down ten notches.  Maybe twenty.  

"George you're running the code team, Emma take the trauma pager, Cristina take the weekend lab, Izzie and Meredith you're on sutures," Bailey told everyone where they would be.

"Doctor Bailey," Meredith walked after her resident with the mocha latte in hand.  "I was hoping to assist you in the OR today," she said as Bailey turned around.  "Maybe do a minor procedure?  I think I'm ready," she said with more confidence than she had yesterday and Emma wasn't sure if she was impressed or annoyed.  "Mocha latte?" She bribed.

"If she gets a cut, I want to cut too," Cristina chimes in.

"If they both get to cut then we should all get a chance to cut," Emma pointed out.

"Me too," Izzie came up.

"I wouldn't mind another shot if everyone else is," George says as he takes a bite of his apple.

"Stop talking," Bailey puts a hand up to silence her interns.  "Every intern wants to perform their first surgery.  That's not your job.  You know what your job is?  To make your resident happy.  Do I look happy?  No.  Why?  Because my interns are whining.  You know what will make me happy?" Bailey asks and Emma gulps.  "Having a code team staffed, having the trauma pages answered.  Having the weekend labs delivered," she says stepping down a step to be more in their face.  This was why she was called the nazi.  Emma figured it out.  "And having someone down in the pit doing the sutures," she says and takes the mocha latte anyway.  "No one holds a scalpel until I'm so happy, I'm Mary freaking Poppins."

"Mocha latte my ass," Cristina says to Meredith.

"Still not a bribe?" Emma huffs at Meredith and walks away, annoyed.

"Why are y'all still standing there?" Bailey yells as she turned around.  "Take a note from Hastings and move!"

They all scattered to their respective places to do the work assigned to them.  

*

Emma walked over to the elevator and saw none other than Derek as they both hid the smirks on their faces in case any other coworkers walked around nearby.

"How are you this morning?" He asked a little chipper.  

"Fine," she answered with a small smile.  "You?"

"Fine," he answered back.

Just then the elevator dinged and thankfully no one was there so both of them relaxed.

"Do you like ferry boats?  I like ferry boats," Derek said which made Emma chuckle lightly.

"Yeah, I like ferry boats," she gave a shy smile.  "I like looking for dolphins on them actually."

Ding one.

"Yeah?" He asked as he tilted his head.  "Well, would you like to go on one Friday?" He asked as his eyebrows rose up.  "Watch for dolphins and see the sun set.  Maybe cuddle since it can get chilly closer to nighttime..."

"Sure," she nodded her head as she held some patients charts close to her chest.  "Is that all you have planned for our first date?"

Ding two.

"No," he shakes his head with a big smile, proud of himself.  "But that is the only thing I'm giving away for our date."

"Hmm surprises?  I like it," she grinned.

"You don't hate surprises?" His eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I like good surprises but I don't like bad surprises."

Ding three.

"What classifies as a bad surprise?" He questions.

"People I'm not crazy about showing up out of the blue, being lied to or cheated on, or just having a shitty day in general.  You know normal bad surprises."

Ding.

"Huh.  Good to know," Derek says more to himself now since Emma had already walked out of the elevator once they reached the right floor. 

Emma made it to the room where her first patient was for the day.  As doctors they are taught to expect the unexpected.  Emma told herself that she would do everything in her power to save each life if it's in her control.  That she will treat each case as if they were someone's family member because they are.  

"Are you the surgeon?" A nurse asks her as she comes up closer.

"Yeah," Emma nods her head.  

But what she wasn't prepared to hear was these words coming out of the nurses mouth:

"We've got a possible rape victim.  Better get in there."

"Twenty-five year old female found down at the park.  Status post-trauma.  She came in with a GCS of 6.  BP 80/60.  Examine for significant head trauma.  Unequal breath sounds.  Right pupil is dilated.  And she's ready for x-ray.  Ready to roll?"

The shoes.

They were the same brown polka dot flats that Meredith came in with this morning.  And yet somehow she felt connected to her because of them.  She knew it was silly.  But it's how she felt.

"Yeah," Emma told the other doctor.  "Let's do this."

"Alright, you guys heard the doctor."

"Call ahead to clear a CT, let them know I'm coming," Emma tells her.  "Load up the portable monitor.  Call respiratory for a ventilator.  I'll get x-rays while I'm down there."

"I'll get that," a nurse tells her.  

Emma knew that there was a chance as surgeons and doctors they would have to deal with this eventually.  But she was thinking eventually.  Not her second day as an intern.  Rape cases or even victims of assault were hard for any surgeon to deal with if they had a heart.  Maybe someone like Cristina would have been better for this case.  She seemed like she was tough as nails and able to separate her heart from being a doctor.  Or maybe this patient needed someone like Emma to help her pull though this.  

All Emma knew was that she needed all the mental strength she could get to get through today.

She took a look at the victim and realized then how hard she fought.  She knew that whatever this patient went through she could survive this because she fought back.  She didn't just let her attacker win.  

"Does she have any family?" Emma asked anyone who would answer before she left.

"Just recently moved here, it seems," someone answered back.  

"So she's all alone?" Emma asked as her heart went out to the patient.  "No friends or anything?"

"We're not sure," a nurse answered to her.  "No one has called for her."

"Well, just because no one has called for her doesn't mean anything.  She could have friends and they just don't know that she's missing."

"We won't know anything until she wakes up," someone told her.  But really they meant if she wakes up.  Emma just knew she would wake up though.  She had to.  This couldn't be the end of her story.  

"Look her up.  She can't be alone.  I won't let her be alone," Emma said before she wheeled off her patient.  

*

"She's gonna spend a hell of a long time in recovery and rehab," Derek says as they were now in surgery, operating on the rape victim. 

"If she survives," Doctor Burke said.  

"What is she?  Like 5'2 100 pounds?" Derek asked amazed.  "She's still breathing after what this guy did to her?  She should castrate him."

"See how shattered her hands are?" Preston pointed out.  "She tried to fight back."

"Tried to?  Rape kit came back negative.  She kicked his ass."

Emma let out a sigh of relief behind her mask as she hadn't heard that information yet.  Derek looked at her for a split second as he heard it.  Emma had decided during this surgery that she was going to enroll in some self-defense classes in whatever free-time she had.  

"So looks like we have a warrior among us," Doctor Burke said with a slight chuckle as if he almost found this funny.  But there was nothing funny about this.

"Allison," Emma spoke up and both Derek and Doctor Burke looked up to her.

"Excuse me?" He spoke up not expecting Emma to speak during the surgery but yet he should have.  Especially with how outspoken she was to him the other day.  

"Her name is Allison," Emma spoke more clearly.

Each patient on the operating table had a name.  They were a person who had a life of their own and should be treated as such.  Who knows what kind of life Allison had before this happened or what her job profession was.  

"Allison," Derek repeated.  

"I think I may have found the cause of our rupture," Preston said out loud to everyone and pulled it out.  "What is this?  Does anyone know what this is?"

"Oh my God," Emma says amazed.  

"What?  Spit it out, Hastings," Preston says.  "Don't be all shy on me now."

"She bit it off."

There are whispers and murmurs about whatever Emma is talking about.  Obviously the nurses understood.  

"Bit off what?"

"You really can't see it?  It's his penis."

The guys in the OR room let out an 'oof' sound as they knew that had to hurt.  Derek was impressed though.  

Preston couldn't hold it anymore after knowing it was the attackers penis and stuck it in the bin.  

*

"Ouch," Derek said as they were now scrubbed out of surgery and scrubbing their hands. 

"If she can fight the infection she'll be fine," Preston tells him.

"It's all going to depend on whether or not she's going to wake up in the next 72 hours."

"We should get a drink later and tell me the long story of how a shot hot doc leaves the big apple for Seattle," Preston comments as he dries his hands.  

"It's a short story actually," Derek tells him.  "Your chief of surgery made an offer I couldn't refuse."

He purposefully left out the fact that his wife cheated on him.  Why would he tell people he just met about his failed marriage?

"Richard asked you to come?" Preston asked confused now.

"Yeah.  Why?"

"Oh nothing."

"See you later," Derek tells him and leaves.

*

She could feel kisses being peppered down from her jawline to her neck and then her collarbone as she let out a sigh and threaded her fingers through his hair as she let out a sigh.  She knows earlier she had told him not to kiss her until their date Friday night, but she couldn't help it.  

"You know, that was really hot seeing you in there," Emma tells Derek as they were in the on-call room.

"Yeah?" Derek stops kissing her and looks into her cornflower blue eyes.  

"Yeah.  I like Doctor Burke but he seems really annoyingly arrogant and full of himself."

"He's a cardiologist," Derek tells her.  "Aren't we all?" Derek asked.  "I mean we are after all surgeons. . ."

"Okay, you've got somewhat of a good point.  Enough talking.  More kissing," she brought his lips to hers as she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue in as they made out.  He definitely knew how to kiss.

She was starting to get handsy and felt her hands playing at the ends of his scrub shirt as she lifted it over him and she licked her lips at the site of him and his six pack abs and delicious v line.  Running her fingers along his pectoralis and down his chest, almost as if she was trying to memorize what he looked like.

They didn't have time to have sex since Derek ended up getting paged soon after.  He left with swollen lips and messy hair that she helped fix.  Besides she wouldn't allow it, not until they have their first actual real date this Friday.  

*

George was so proud of himself that Bailey put him in charge of the code team.  So much so that he was bragging about it to Cristina who could really care less if he was on the code team today or not.  He would find out one way or another why it wasn't that big of a deal.  

"Do you know what the code team does?" George gloated to Cristina who was looking through patients charts that were on her schedule today.  "Saves lives.  I shock their heart and someone lives to see another day.  It's upbeat.  Its um, a glass half full."

"Bambi don't say another word until after the hunter shoots your mother," Cristina tried to soften the blow lightly.  

"I don't like you," George said annoyed that she wasn't letting her gloat.  

"I have a BA from Smith, a PhD from Berkley and an MD from Stanford," Cristina said listing off all her accomplishments.  "And I'm delivering lab results.  It will take me all day to get through these."

"Then get started," Bailey told Cristina as she heard the Korean woman complain.

"Oh I wasn't complaining," Cristina tries to correct herself but Bailey doesn't want to hear it.  

She technically was but her resident didn't need to know that.  

"What's he doing here?" Cristina asked Bailey when she noticed the same guy from the other day making digs on the women in the internship.  She already wasn't a fan of his and his thinking that men were superior to women attitude.  

"An intern was reassigned so he's mine now," Bailey interrupts Cristina.  "I'm having him shadow you for the day.  Show him how I do things," Bailey tells her and then leaves.

"Alex Karev nice to meet you," he sticks his hand out and she shakes his hand.

"Oh you're the one who called Meredith a nurse then you were rude to Emma and asked to sleep with her.  I already hate you," Cristina tells Alex honestly.

"And you're the pushy overbearing kiss ass.  Yeah, I hate you too," Alex tells Cristina as they begin to walk.

"Oh this should be fun then," she chimes in.

Just as they began to walk away, George's pager went off letting him know it was his first job of the day for his duty he was assigned to.  

*

"Alright Mrs. Lu, I'm Doctor Stevens.  I'm going to sew up your wound," Izzie tells her patient.  "Your going to need, yeah, about six stitches.  Are you allergic to any medications?"

She spoke in Mandarin Chinese and Izzie felt dumb for not realizing this.

"Oh I'm sorry I don't um - do you speak English?" 

She continued to speak in Mandarin Chinese.

"I'll um go find someone," Izzie spoke as she then turned to the room.  "Does anyone here speak Chinese?" 

They either ignore her or shake their head no.

This was going to be a long shift.

*

Emma was carrying around a cooler with the body part in it as she went to a room.

"Hi, is the chief here?" She asked.

"Is that it?" Richard's secretary asks with some excitment.

"Yeah," Emma said in disgust.  This was the thing that tried to rape a woman who is currently fighting for her life.  

"Can I see it?" She asked with wonder.  "No, I shouldn't.  That would be wrong."

Just then Richard walked in.

"They said to bring this to you," Emma told him.

"For the police," Richard nodded his head.  "When did the police say they were coming?" He asked his secretary.

"You know how slow they are so she better take it with her."

"I'm sorry... what did you say?" Emma asked not sure if she heard right.

"You have to take it with you," his secretary told her.  

"Chain of custody rules," Richard explains.  "All medical matter must stay with the person who collected it until its placed in police custody."

"You collected the speciman so you have custody," his secretary finished.

"And how long will that be for?" Emma exclaimed not liking this one bit.

"Could be an hour or three," Richard shrugged his shoulders and made a face.

"Or all day."

"I don't wike this.  I don't wike this one bit," Emma muttered and Richard chuckled at her words as she exited his office with the said penis.

Why did she have to be the one to carry it all around until the police came?  

*

Cristina and Alex teamed up and spoke with the patients that were on their schedule for the day as they explained their diagnosis.  She had a hard time of taking out the medical terminology and reaching people to a level they understood.  

"Why do I have to be the one that gets hugged?" Cristina complained to Alex.

"Because I don't do that.  Besides your the ovarian sister," he explained.

"Did you just call me an ovarian sister?" Cristina asked offended.  "Since when does a possession of ovarians become an insult?"

"Emma's carrying a penis around in a jar," George tells Cristina.

"Oh from the rape surgery?" Cristina asked.  "They finally found it?!"

"Yeah, but Georgie, we've been over this, its not a jar - its a cooler."

"Talk about taking a bite out of crime," Cristina said after she opened it and looked at the thing before she left.

"You okay?" George asked Emma.

"Yeah, I just can't stop thinking about Allison.  I mean as far as we know she's all alone out here.  She has no family and as far as we know - no friends.  I can't help but wonder what I would do if I were in her position.  You know?  I mean she fought like hell to make sure he didn't rape her and now she's fighting for her life.  But she doesn't have anyone here for her.  I don't either..."

George frowned.  

"You know what you need?" George asked.  

"No!" Emma said knowing exactly what he was talking about and he gave her a look.  "It's sick its twisted.  We said last time was the last time.  You've been doing it without me?" Emma asked as she pouted.  "Okay," she finally gave in.

They were on the Peds floor and were cooing at the precious babies.  

"Look at these wittle faces," George cooed at them.  "You are so cute.  Yes you are."

Emma laughed.  This was definitely what she needed.

"Your acting like how I do when I see a wittle baby," Emma giggled just then as George's pager went off.

"I gotta go.  You gonna be okay though?" He asked concerned for his friend.

"Yeah," she gave him a reassuring smile.  "Thanks."

"Anytime!" He shouts at her as he leaves.

"You guys are all really cute and making me have baby fever without wanting one," she smiled to herself as she stared at them in wonder.

She knew one day she wanted kids but not now.  She was still so young at twenty-seven years old.  Too much she wanted to accomplish before settling down and having kids.  Would she even be a good mother?  Emma had the best for an example but she had gone through too much with her dad to even know if she would be capable of caring for another human being.  

And then she saw it.  

The baby was turning blue as he was crying and she became concerned.  He obviously had cyanosis which meant he wasn't producing enough oxygen.  She got her Littmann stethoscope that was around her neck and went to listen to his heart.  She heard a very distinct murmur when another doctor came in and didn't like what was going on.

"What do you think your doing?" She asked the red head who took her stethoscope out of her ears and noticed how upset the doctor was.

"He has cyanosis and a murmur.  There were no tests ordered for him to make sure he doesn't have a heart condition," Emma told her.  

"I know."

"So are you going to order tests to be done?  Your 100% sure he doesn't have a heart condition?"

"Your surgery.  Your not authorized to be in here," she said approaching Emma and taking his chart away from her.  "Do you know how much trouble you can get into for this?"

"Do you know how much trouble you can get into if you didn't order any tests and it turns out he has a heart condition?"

"It's a benign systolic ejection murmur.  It goes away with age."

"So your not going to do the tests?" Emma shook her head.  "Your just so sure with your diagnosis that you won't even do them to rule it out?"

"He's not your patient," the intern says.  "He's not even on your service."

"Are you sure its benign?"

"I'm a doctor too, you know?  Get out of here."

"If your really a doctor you would put aside your own arrogance and do the damn tests for your patient.  He is after all on your service," Emma told her pissed off and left.  "Unless you want to go to court for failure to diagnose or delay, negligent and neglect of care."

*

"Get a good case?" Cristina asked Izzie who was sitting on a stool after being paged by Meredith to come because Izzie knew Cristina wouldn't come for her.  

"No.  Her," Izzie pointed at her patient.  "She won't let me sew her up."

Mrs. Lu continued to speak in Mandarin Chinese.

"I wouldn't have called you but I can't get a hold of the translator.  Can you just ask her what's wrong?"

"No."

"Why not?" Izzie asked confused.

"Because I grew up in Beverly Hills.  The only Chinese I know is from Mr. Chow's menu.  Besides, I'm Korean," she says and leaves.

*

Preston Burke was hurt.

He had always been Richard's favorite.  So what changed?  He was just as good as Shepherd.  In fact, in his mind he was better.  Because at least his speciality didn't have so many deaths.  He actually got to save lives.

It wasn't a death trap for his patients.

He wanted to march right up to Richard and demand why he wasn't being chosen for chief anymore.  Why he wasn't the favorite anymore.  He needed to know but at the same time part of him couldn't bare the truth.  And so he waited until he could face his chief.  

*

It was hours later and he was finally ready.  Or at least he thought he was but he needed to know.  

"Richard," Preston called out to his boss.  "You promised Shepherd the same thing?  That he would be chief?  Why?"

"You really want to know?" Richard asked as he crossed his arms.

"I want to know when I stopped being the favorite..."

"Alright," Richard let out a sigh knowing that eventually this conversation would have to happen eventually.  "I think your arrogant.  You only do the bare minimum of what is expected of you.  When was the last time you went above and beyond and did something out of the ordinary, hmm?  Shepherd might be arrogant too but at least he's imaginative and willing to think outside the damn box."

"I save more lives than he does," Preston tried to counter but it didn't matter to Richard.  He had already made his mind up.

"Neuro surgery is a hard specialty and he handles it with ease and precision," Richard defended Derek.  "Do better, Preston.  That's all I'm asking," he says and pats Preston on the shoulder and then leaves.  

*

Cristina and Alex were taking turns with their patients to see who could get done the fastest and George found out the seriousness of being on the code team and why no one wants that job.  

Emma was watching her patient from earlier, Allison, as she still hadn't woken up yet.  Why hadn't she still woken up yet?

"Em," Derek greeted the intern.  "I've called every hospital in the county.  I don't know.  Sooner or later the guy who did this is going to seek medical attention and when he does that penis your carrying around is going to nail him," he tells her as he checks Allison's vitals.  

"Where is her family?" Emma tried to find out information.

"Doesn't have any," Derek told her.

"Only child?" Emma asked.

"Only child," he confirmed.  "Both parents are dead.  She just moved to Seattle three weeks ago. Welcome to the city."

Even though she couldn't do anything about Allison until she woke up, she could help this baby. This baby that was still new to the world and so unsure of everything around him.  

"You okay, Em?" Derek asked in concern.

"Yeah.  I have to do something," Emma told him.

"Okay," he nodded his head in understanding even though he didn't know what she was going to do.  "I'll just be here sitting.  Until she wakes up."

*

"Doctor Burke," Emma chases the cardiovascular surgeon down as she's running slightly out of breath.  Why did this hospital have to be so big?  "There's a baby up in Peds.  He had cyanosis and I'm pretty sure I heard a murmur."

"Did Peds call us for a consult?" He asked.

"No, they're not doing anything!  No tests or anything.  She just diagnosed him as having a benign systolic ejection murmur.  But how can she be so sure if no tests are done?"

"So what do you want me to do?"

"If you could just go up and look at him and see if they are right in their diagnosis.  You know like a second opinion?"

"Not without a peds consult," Preston told her.  "I'm a busy man, Hastings, and there are rules.  It's not like I'm the chief or something."

He was still hurt over Richard's perception of him from earlier.  How could he say those things about him?  But what he didn't realize was that this was his window of opportunity here to prove to Richard that he could prove him wrong.  

*

Emma and Meredith were sitting in the chairs in the front of the hospital and Cristina came up to them.

"What are you guys doing here?" The Korean asked her friends.

"Hiding from Izzie," Meredith complained.  "I can't with her persistent bubbly personality.  It's too happy for me."

"I said yes to going on a date with Derek this Friday," Emma said and her two friends stare at her mouth's ajar.  

"I'm hiding from Alex," Cristina said and sat down with them.  "Your going on a date with Doctor McDreamy?"

Cristina was munching on some chips and Emma was eating some nutter butter bites.  She kept a stash of snacks to eat in the pockets of her white coat or scrubs whenever she got hungry.

"Yeah, I caved and said yes.  I mean there's just a connection there that I can't get out of my head."

"At least he good looking," Cristina agreed.  "I heard the girl from Emma's surgery was wearing your same shoes," Cristina told Meredith.

"Right?  I mean how weird is that..." she hadn't been able to get it out of her head all day.

"It's weird that you care so much," Cristina spoke.

"I think it's weird," Meredith said still unsettled by it all.

Just then they hear the squealing of tires and look out the window, seeing a guy whose injured walk slightly dazed out of his car.  They go to help him and forget about the conversation they were having.  It was then that Emma noticed that he was covered in blood where his penis should be.

"Can I have security please?" Emma asked on the phone as they put him on a gunery and rushed him for surgery by the time Miranda met up with them.

"What have we got?" She asked.

"Take a look," Emma said and Miranda lifted the blankets off and was shocked.  It was him.

"Let's get him into OR 1," Miranda ordered.  "Emma you call the chief and let him know we got the rapist."

"Why are we not attempting to attached the severed penis?" Miranda asked the interns as they were now in surgery.

"Teeth don't slice, they tear," Cristina explained.  "You can only reattach with a clean cut.  If you wanted to slice him off with a knife..."

"Besides the digestive juices didn't leave much of the flesh to work with," Emma finished.

"Right.  So what do we do?" Miranda asked them.

"Sew him up along with a large part of the family jewels," Cristina said.

"What's his outlook?"

"He'll be urinating out of a bag for the rest of his sad depressing locked up life."

"Not to mention he will never be able to have sex again," Cristina chimed in.

"Oh too bad.  So sad," Emma said.

"Let's all take a moment to grieve," Miranda said sarcastically.  "Clamp," Bohkee handed it to her and they finished the surgery.

*

"What are you doing here?" Emma asks in disgust with her arms now crossed when she sees Karev with a smug look on his face.  

"He's with us now," Cristina grumbled and Emma narrowed her eyes into slits.  

"I hate you already," Emma told Alex.

"Yeah, love you too carrot top," he said annoyingly.  

"Fucking asshole," Emma muttered under her breath and Alex gave her a smirk, loving the fact that he got to her.  "You little bitch."

"I think you mean son of a bitch since I'm a guy and all," Alex laughed slightly.

She just gave him the middle finger in response.

"We have been suturing all day," Izzie and Meredith complained as they came in to sit on a gunery in a hallway that was desserted.  

"My hands are numb," Izzie complained as they sat down.  

"At least your helping people," George piped up as he got a couple snacks from the vending machine and tossed a bag of chips to Emma who thanked him.  

"At least you guys get to practice freaking medicine," Alex said.

"I had to send my Chinese lady away," Izzie said.  "She was like camped out down there."

"Oh poor Izzie turning away a patient.  Boo hoo," Cristina complained.

"Well did you ask any of the nurses who could have called for an interpreter?" Emma asked and Izzie looked at her like that was the most brilliant thing she had heard all day.  "Yes, they have a translator listed sometimes in their charts but there's a number you call specifically for the translators and they answer right away."

Of course the hospital had workers there who were interpreters.  They had told them that first day of orientation.  Izzie wasn't sure if she wanted to feel stupid then that she hadn't thought of that or upset that she had gone the whole time without doing that.  But she didn't want to give away to her friends that she forgot that so she lied and faked it until she could make it.

"Yeah, I knew that," Izzie lied.  "But the line as busy."

"Uh huh," Emma said not buying it but then forgot all about it as she went into her story of the patient she was taking care of today.  "Whatever.  It's not my problem if you screw up," Emma frowned and left the blonde model/intern to think about what she could have done differently that day with her patient from earlier.  

Izzie gave her an annoyed look and thought that was such a rude thing of Emma to say.  It might seem like a rude thing to say and it probably was... but in the doctors world it was the truth.  If you screwed up its on you.  Not on anyone else.  You have to take the responsibility and own it.  

"I don't think I can feel my hands," Meredith whined as she looked at her fingertips.

"At least you guys don't have to spend the night with a penis," Emma said as she pointed at her cooler next to her.  "Don't say it, Alex," she pointed at him.  "Don't say it."

"It was too easy anyway."

"Who here feels like they don't know what they're doing?" George asked his friends and raised his hand and they did the same.  "Are we supposed to be learning something?  Because I don't feel like I'm learning anything!"

"Except how not to sleep," Izzie piped up.

"It's like there's this wall - the attendings and the residents.  The attendings and residents are over there being surgeons and were here being -"

"Suturing, code team, lab delivering and penis holders," Meredith finished.

"I feel like we were thrown to the wolves and expected to know all this stuff on the first day.  I mean actually doing the work is completely different than learning it in school and clinical," Emma piped up.

"I hate being an intern," Alex complained.  

Miranda came in looking at her interns and without saying anything she lifted her hands as if to say what are you doing?  They got up begrudgingly.

*

Emma went back to the Peds floor as she was still wondering how that baby boy was doing.  She knew it was wrong.  She shouldn't care.  This wasn't even a patient she was assigned to.  But she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if she were a mother and being told a diagnosis that might be wrong.  Come to find out later on the doctor was wrong.  

Would she be angry?  Hurt?  All she could think about was that baby.

She might not be able to help Allison at the moment until she woke up but if she could help this little innocent baby then damnit, she was. 

If Emma wasn't in trouble before, she might possibly be now.  In so much trouble and possibly fired for what she was about to do.  But at this moment she didn't care.  All she cared about was that baby and making sure this family had the best possible care.

"Is he yours?" Emma asked the parents looking at the baby she was concerned about.

"Yeah," they nod their head and smile.

"He's so cute.  I was in here earlier and I noticed him.  I hope you don't mind me coming up to you because I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble but I noticed he was turning blue and I am pretty sure I had heard a murmur.  I'm not certain because I'm not his doctor or even in peds for that matter, but I do believe he has a heart condition.  

"You are so out of line," the doctor from earlier came out to Emma and the parents.

"She said the murmur might not be benign," the dad said to her.

"I think we should do an echo," Emma tells the parents and the doctor.  "To check."

"This is your career," the doctor threatens.  

"What's the problem?" Her resident comes out with her.

"If our baby is sick we want him treated," the new mom says.  "Now."

"Who said your baby was sick?" He asks confused.

"Her.  Surgical intern who has no business being on our service," the other woman says with an attitude and arms crossed.

"Who authorized you being here?" He asked her.

"I was just -"

Before she could answer she hears Dr. Burke call her name.

"Can I speak to you for a second?" Preston asks the resident and pulls him aside.  "Are you messing with my intern, Doctor Kay?"

"No, not at all," Doctor Kay shakes his head.  

"There's nothing wrong with him.  I checked," the intern tells Preston.

"Are you sure?" He asks her.

"Yes," she answers immediately.

"You can guarantee he's fine?  100% sure?"

She's silent.

"How sure are you?" Dr. Kay asks his intern.

"I don't know, 75%."

"Not good enough," Preston shakes his head.  "He's my patient now.  That okay with you, Doctor Kay?" He asks wanting to make sure.

"Absolutely," he agrees.  

"He can't take our patient," the intern says.

"He's an attending," Doctor Kay tells her.  

"I can do whatever I want," Preston tells her and leaves to go speak to the parents.  "Mr. and Mrs. Johnson I'm Doctor Burke.  Head of Cardio," he shakes their hands.  "I'm going to run some tests and get you an answer within the hour.  Hastings," he pulls her aside privately.  "I want an EKG, chest x-ray, and an echo.  I don't have all day."

"Yes sir," she tells him.  "Your a busy man."

"I'm a busy man."

*

"Are the results in?" Emma asked when she passed Doctor Burke in the hallway.

"It's a birth defect," Preston confirmed her suspicions.  "Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia.  You were right.  I'll book an OR for tomorrow."

"I'm sorry," Emma blurted out making him stop and turn around to listen to what she had to say.  "For going behind Peds back and talking to the parents.  I just wanted to make sure that baby got the best possible care and the right diagnosis."

Preston seemed content with that as he gave a nod to his head.  She was at least humble when she needed to be and not a complete hot head.

"Your going to be in my surgery tomorrow just for that apology," Preston told her.  "But next time you a pull a stunt like that, you better watch it is all I'm saying.  You understand?"

"I understand, Dr. Burke," and she did.  She didn't do it to go over another department or to make waves.  All she cared about in that moment was that patient.

"Have you thought about cardio?" Preston asked as he walked backwards still talking to her.  "You'd be good at it."

"I- I haven't," she stuttered from the surprise.

"Keep it in mind," he told her before he left.

*

Derek stayed with Allison this whole time.  Concerned about his patient and wanting to check on her constantly.  

Izzie felt accomplished.  Like she actually got to help someone.  She felt satisfied like she did her job and she did it well.  Meredith was tired of the OR.  She had been suturing all day and she wanted to finally have some down time.  

*

"I hate being on the code team," George said depressed as Emma handed him some Twizzlers to feel better since she was probably banned from the peds floor.  "You don't help patients live.  They die."

"It'll get better, Georgie," Emma tells him as she wanted to squish his cute chubby cheeks but refrained from doing so.  "If it makes you feel better I got told off from Dr. Burke today."

"That doesn't make me feel better because he also probably told you that you did good with your diagnosis of the baby," he groaned and Emma knawed on the inside of her cheek just slightly.  "When is it going to get better?"

"I don't know.  But when I do know, I'll tell you."

"Thanks," he tosses a Sour Patch watermelon to her and she catches it in her mouth and they both put their hands up in the air and do a celebratory dance in their chairs.  

*

Do you think I'm too confident?" Preston asked Miranda wanting to know the truth.  

"No," she answered.

"Don't lie."

"You are my boss," she countered back.

"Alright then.  Anything you say in the next 30 seconds is free starting now."

"I think your cocky," she says no longer holding back.  "Arrogant.  Bossy and pushy.  You also have a God complex," he turned to look at her like he was in shock.  "You never think about anybody but your damn self."

"But I-" he tried to interrupt but failed.

"But I still have 22 more seconds.  I'm not done," she told him off and he raised his brows.  This wasn't all she had to say?  Damn.  

*

"I need a drink, man or a massage," Cristina grumbled in the locker room later that night.  "Or a drunken massage by a man.  "What's wrong with you?" She asked George as he spit out his toothpaste.

"Lost five patients on the code team today," he told her.  "I feel like the angel of death."  

"Cheer up buttercup," Emma patted his head.  "Were almost done with shift."

"George 95% of all code patients can't be revived.  Most of them are seriously dead before they get there," Cristina finally tells him the reality.

"What?!" He shockingly spits out the water in his mouth and turns around.  "Why didn't you tell me that when I was going on and on about how great it was gonna be?"

"Cause," Cristina shuts her locker.  "I'm Cristina and your George."

He seemed offended by that and Emma gave him a kind smile.

"I'll tell you what everything is beforehand so you have time to mentally prepare for it," she reassures him.  

"Thanks," he smiled back and followed her out.  

*

"His heart surgery is scheduled for tomorrow.  I really did think I was right," the intern from peds finds Emma later on.  

"I know.  And I didn't mean to make waves with you guys.  I'm sorry.  I just wanted to make sure the patient was good."

"Does it ever scare you?  I mean patients are literally putting our hands in their lives..."

"Oh 100%," Emma agreed with her.  "But if you think about the other side of that... the side where we actually make a difference in patients lives.  That's the kind of scare that in a weird sort of way gives me a high.  If that makes sense."

"I like that," the peds intern gave a small smile.  "Sorry for having an attitude with you earlier.  I guess I just didn't want to be proven wrong."

"I get it.  Were all good."

*

Emma walks back into department where Allison is with the severed penis and sees that she still hasn't woken up yet.

"How is she?" Emma asks Derek, feeling like she hasn't seen him for hours.  

"Still hasn't woken up," he let out a tired sigh. 

"Here," she hands him some coffee she got from the break room.  

"Thanks," he gives her a grateful smile and takes a sip.  "Nothing's changed with her."

"You've been here all night?" She asked shocked.

"Yeah.  I just want one person to be there for her when she wakes up.  I have four sisters," he tells her and she widens her eyes in shock.  "They were very intense as kids.  And if I were ever in a coma, they would be here."

"Four sisters?!" Emma's eyes widened.  "I'm an only child..."

"I can't imagine what its like to be an only child," he tells her with sad eyes because they both know that's probably how it was for Allison.  

"It fucking sucks sometimes," Emma admits and pulls up a chair next to him.  "Not having anyone to talk to...your pretty much on your own.  Your lucky you have four sisters."

"They would like you," Derek told her.  "If you ever meet them one day."

"Yeah?" She asks with a small smile.

"Mhmm," he tells her.  "You remind me of them in a way.  In a good way, I mean."

"Relax," she puts her hand on top of his.  "I didn't take it as an insult."

Just then Allison's machines went off and it alerted them as they stopped what they were doing and rushed into her room.  She was crashing.  

"Prepare an OR," Derek tells the nurses as they rush in after Emma pushed the button for them.  "For an emergency craniotomy."

*

Derek was now out of surgery and met Emma out the hallway along with Meredith.  Meredith hadn't been able to get Allison out of her head all day since they wore the same shoes.  Could it have been her that had gotten attacked?

"Hey," Derek greets Emma and didn't realize Meredith was there.  

"Is she gonna make it?" She asks in concern as he takes his ferry boats scrub cap off.

"I uh, had to leave her skull flap off until the pressure in her brain goes down," he tells her and she listens.  "She's gonna be fine."

But his face tells a different story.

"If she ever wakes up," Emma comments and his face is downcasted.  

"If she ever wakes up," he confirms and Meredith slides down the wall she was standing upright on as they all think about the hard reality that Allison will have to face when and if she ever wakes up.

*

"Here is where you put the signature," Richard's assistant explained to Emma as she was finally getting rid of the damn severed penis.  "And here is where you put your initials."

"It just says that the penis was never out of your sight," Richard explains.

"Thank God," Emma says relieved to give it to the police.  "One penis."

Richard hands the penis to the police and they leave the room.

*

"We'll be using a median approach for a transventricular repair with a right ventricle autonomy," Preston explains to the scrub nurses and his team.  "Let's open him up.  Bokhee the ten blade please."

She hands it to him.

But before he makes the first cut he stops.

"Hastings - go scrub in.  When were finished cracking the babies chest, I'll let you hold the clamp."

"Really?" She almost wants to squeal from excitement but refrains.  "I'm going now."

*

"The results of your labs are clean," Cristina explains to her patient.  "The tumors benign.  You can go home today."

The patients husband hugs his wife and Cristina thinks fast as she pushes Alex in front of her as he get the hug.  Cristina walks away relieved.

Derek's relieved too because the attacker is now finally in police custody.  

*

Doctor Burke made the first cut and Emma held the clamp as she watched in amazement as Dr. Burke worked.  

*

"Okay fine, George and Izzie, you can move into the house," Meredith gave in as they were on the peds floor and looking at the babies.

They started cheering.

"I can't believe you caved!" Izzie exclaimed.  

"I can't believe I caved," Meredith told Emma and Cristina.

"I blame the babies," Cristina said.

"I think its nice," Emma commented which stunned Cristina and Meredith shrugged her shoulders.

*

Derek was on the phone when he noticed a change in his patient.  He hung up and walked over to her as she slowly started to open her eyes.  

"Welcome back."

--

phew.  after 9,790 words I'm done.  so sorry it took so long to get up but I haven't forgotten about this book!

what did you think?

also heads up - emma and derek's relationship is going to be totally different than meredith and derek's.