"Okay, Mr. Patmore." Derek told his patient while placing electrodes on his forehead with Lexi's help. "I'm gonna give you a variety of different stimuli so we can take a look at the wave patterns generated. I need you to remove your hand from your eyes now." Mr. Patmore groaned while doing what his doctor asked him. "Okay. Are we still at an eight ?"

"It's still at eight."

"Good. Okay."

"Starting visual stimuli." Cristina announced.

Derek joined Cristina behind the screens to observe the brain waves of his patient.

"What did you do for my sister to kick you out of her service ? You were her personal favorite. You had to make her really angry." Derek added after a minute of silence. 

"His pulse is coming down." Cristina commented choosing to ignore her best friend's husband.

"I could talk to Victoria. Put a good word for you if you want. Bring you back in her service."

"What do you want ?" Cristina sighed.

"Did Meredith told you anything about the chief ?"

"No. Just that he was teaching her."

"She didn't share any concerns about him ?"

"No."

"You're sure ?" Derek insisted.

"Yes."

Derek let out a sigh of disappointment. He thought that Cristina might be helpful in discovering what was going on with Richard and what Meredith was hiding from him.

"Okay, Mr. Patmore." Dr. Shepherd said while making his way back to his patient. We're gonna change your position now." He told him while lowering the seat.

"I think I have an idea." Lexie whispered to Cristina.

"No, don't think. Know. And run to the lab for his test results." Cristina ordered, frustrating the resident. 

°•°•°•°•°•

Meanwhile, Alex Karev was is in the CT booth, getting his patient ready for the exam.

"How are you doing in there, Mr. O'Brien ?" Alex asked his patient while getting the machine ready.

"Could be worse. Could have brain leaking from my ears." Mr. O'Brien replied.

"That's the spirit. It'll only take a couple more minutes. Hang on." Alex added before shutting down the microphone at the arrival of Chief Webber.

"How's he doing, Karev ? You think we're looking at a lawsuit ?

"Well, we don't have a picture yet, but, uh, no. This guy doesn't seem like the lawsuit type."

"Well, let's hope you're right." Richard told before noticing sparks in the C.T machine. It clunked then the lights went off before shutting off.

"Hello ? Hello ?" Mr. O'Brien called.

Richard and Alex rushed into the room to help the patient get up.

"I cannot apologize enough." Richard told the patient. A nurse came in the room and took Richard place beside the patient. He helped Alex getting the unlucky Mr. O'Brien on a gurney.

"Oh." The patient moaned in pain. 

"You treat him like a king. You hear that, Mr. O'Brien ?"

"Yeah."

"Dr. Karev is gonna take great care of you. You're our number one priority today." Richard said before exiting the room. 

"You okay ?" Alex asked his patient while putting a blanket on him.

"God hates me."

"Mr. O'Brien, I'm-"

"My wife left me," he cut Alex. "My accountant stole from me. The store I worked at burned down. I was diagnosed with an aneurysm for which I require surgery in a hospital that seems to be... crumbling around me. God hates me. So, I'm not gonna do it. I'm not gonna have surgery. It's just gonna hurt. That doctor gonna slice me in half and probably kill me. If she doesn't kill me, it'll just hurt like hell. Probably get infected and hurt worse. I'm not gonna do it."

"Look, I get that you're scared, but if you want to live, you need surgery." Alex argued.

"If I want to live ? Have you been paying any attention ?"

Alex let out a sigh before taking a sit next to his patient.

"My wife is a cancer survivor. She left me a couple months ago. I don't even know if she is alive or dead."

"You making stuff up to make me feel better ?"

"Look, you must have something to live for. Or even the possibility of something."

"There's a girl at the grocery store. I keep meaning to say hello. Instead I... just keep asking her about the produce.

"All right, so you get the surgery. Because chances are your luck's gonna turn around. It's science. It's- It's the law of averages. It's gonna turn around and when it does... you say hello."

"I say hello." He smiled. 

°•°•°•°•°•

Victoria Shepherd couldn't shake off the thoughts of what had transpired at the reunion. Even during rare moments of tranquility between patients, she found her mind invaded by the smug face of Dr. Fitzgibbons. Anger and frustration consumed her throughout the entire morning.

During lunch, the blonde surgeon joined Arizona and Callie, trying to appear calm anf collected.

"Hey," Arizona greeted Victoria with a smile. "How did your reunion go ?"

"I smiled politely and showed respect, but it was all thrown back at me by a complete jerk who claimed that I only got where I am because of nepotism," Victoria recounted.

"So, it didn't go well," Arizona summarized.

"Who was the one who said that to you?" Callie inquired.

"A certain Dr. "Asshole" Fitzgibbons," Victoria revealed.

"Oh, him. He used to be the interim chief of cardio before you," Callie informed Victoria.

"Isn't that just ironic ?" Victoria replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

°•°•°•°•°•

"Dr. Shepherd, a word ?" Mark Sloan entered the room, followed by Lexie. 

"Excuse me one second." Derek told his patient standing up from his chair and joining Mark, Lexie and Critina behinf the computers. "Yes ?" 

"Would you mind if I run a quick test on your patient ?"

"He's in significant pain, Mark. I don't think he needs a tummy tuck."

"Oh, that's funny. Lexie came to me with an interesting idea," Mark remarked.

"I recently read a thing about swelling and compression of the ethmoid nerve. I believe if we were to insert a cottle elevator up his nosal passage-"

"No, I'm sorry. Up his nose ?" Cristina interrupted.

"If Dr. Grey is on the right track, the patient will let us know."

"Okay." Derek nodded. 

"Mr. Patmore, I'm Dr. Sloan, the head of plastic surgery and an ear, nose and throat specialist. With your permission I'd like to conduct a quick test." Mark told the patient while preparing his equipment. 

"I've seen 16 E.N.T.s, and none of them could help me."

"Just breathe normally. I'm going to insert at an angle. Let me know when you feel any... pain or discomfort."

"Aah ! Aah ! That's it ! That's the pain ! That's what's causing the pain,"  the patient exclaimed, taking deep breath, Mark while tapped his shoulder to comfort him. "Oh, my god. Oh, my god."

Mark walked to Derek and Cristina.

"Anterior ethmoid neurovascuclar complex. A simple middle turbinectomy will fix it. Unless you still want to chop out the front of his brain." Mark smirked before leaving the room.

"Nicely done," Derek complimented Lexie.

°•°•°•°•°•

"Hey." Derek greeted his sister in the hallway leading to the OR.

"Hi, big brother. Aren't you supposed to be preparing for you your surgery ?"

"It turns out it wasn't a neurological issue. Mark will be performing the surgery."

"After stealing your wife, he now takes your surgery. Why do you still consider him a friend ?" Victoria joked. 

"Well, that's funny. I actually wanted to talk to you about Cristina Yang-"

"No." Victoria interrupted  her brother. "I know she is your wife's best friend, but I won't change my mind."

"What did she do ?"

"It doesn't matter. Just know that both her and Lexie Grey are out of my service for a valid reason. Alright ?"

"Alright." Derek nodded.

Victoria entered the operating room. She assisted in setting up the sterile field by ensuring all necessary surgical instruments, equipment, and supplies were properly arranged and sterile. Then she carefully donned sterile gloves, taking care not to touch non-sterile surfaces or contaminate their gloves. 

The youngest Shepherd made sure that the surgical team was ready, familiar with the plan, and prepared to assist before beginning the operating on Mr. Patmore.

"You can open that retractor up a little more if you want to get a better look. Just make sure to keep the small bowel inside. We want to avoid a post-op ileus." Victoria told Alex Karev. 

"Well, we better be cautious. The patient seems to believe he's followed by a dark cloud."

"Well, that sounds quite dramatic. What's that noise ?"

Victoria heard the sound of water splashing.

"What is it ?" Alex asked. 

"What's happening-"

Victoria and Alex raised their heads over the roof and saw water dripping from it.

"What the hell ?" Alex said. 

Victoria and Alex noticed Reed Adamson pounding on the glass of the wiewing gallery.

"What ?" Karev asked Reed, unable to understand her.

Water began to fall onto the medical instruments.

Reed continued shouting, but her words were incomprehensible.

Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed, and water started flooding into the room. Victoria quickly positioned her body to shield the patient, doing her best to protect his open abdomen. She felt a piece of the roof hit her head. Karev swiflty followed suit, covering the patient with his body. Panic ensued as everyone started screaming.

"Is everyone okay ? How's our patient ?" Victoria asked after her team was able to calm down and the flood seemed to stop. 

"The patient is stable. Vitals signs are holding steady," the anesthesiologist responded.

"Alright. Prepare for irrigation, please."

"How can I assist ?" Reed asked Maloney as she entered the operating room.

"Find the chief and inform him about what happened. We need another O.R."

"They've shut down all the other O.R.s except this one and Doctor Sloan's," Nurse Kate informed Victoria.

"Okay, Adamson, go to Sloan. See if he can close. Alright, I need everybody's help. Let's prepare to move Mr. O'Brien."

"What do I tell Sloan ?" Reed inquired. 

"Just tell him that the sky is falling." Victoria replied just as a creaking sound was being heard. "Damn it."

Reed quickly left the operating room, running off.

°•°•°•°•°•

"Nasal Speculum and lidocaine." Mark requested. "And a larger speculum another lidocaine."

"Are we just watching ?" Cristina asked Derek.

"I am a pain specialist, and I wouldn't to missed this. So, yes, we're just going to watch."

Reed arrived in the Dr. Sloan operating room, donning her surgical mask.

"We need the O.R." Reed declared, causing everyone turn to turn and look at her. "We need the O.R !"

Reed Adamson quickly briefed  Dr. Sloan on the situation unfolding in Dr. Maloney's operating room. Mark, understanding the urgency, declared that he would close up his patient. Reed promptly left the operating room to inform Victoria of the development. 

Ten minutes later, Victoria entered the room accompanied by her team, bringing the patient along with them. The atmosphere was charged with a sense of urgency as Dr. Sloan and Shepherd prepared to step into the procedure under Victoria's guidance.

"Tory, why did you throw Lexie out of your service ?" Mark asked, once the situation seemed under control.

However, Victoria chose to ignore his question, focus on her patient. 

Undeterred, Mark continued speaking, expressing his disappointment. "I thought you were more mature than that, Tory," he said, his tone filled with judgment. Derek, giving Mark a warning look, hoped to discourage further confrontation. But Mark stubbornly chose to ignore the unspoken warning.

"Now is not the time to be petty or jealous of Lexie," Mark asserted, believing that he had a point to make.

Victoria couldn't stay silent any longer. She felt the need to set the record straight.

"You have a habit of running your mouth without knowing the full story," Victoria finally spoke up, her voice tinged with frustration. "Dr. Grey and Dr. Yang went behind my back and stole lungs," she revealed, her words laced with a sense of betrayal. "So, your girlfriend should consider herself fortunate that she's only out of my service and not out of the entire program."

The surgery continued in silence, the weight of their argument hanging in the air, momentarily overshadowing their focus on the task at hand.

"Has anyone noticed any additional damage or signs of bleeding ?" Victoria inquired, after an hour of surgery passed. 

"No, no bleeding." Derek informed his sister. "I've just cleared the lower left quadrant."

"Pass me the pulse irrigator." Mark requested, his focus on the task at hand.

"Dr. Maloney, take a look at this right here. The pancreas... Is that damage from the debris ?" Karev called out. 

"No, no. That is a tumor." Dr. Maloney observed, her voice filled with concern. 

"Son of a bitch." Alex exclaimed, frustrated by the unexpected discovery. 

"Yes." Victoria acknowledged, her expression showing resignation as she let out a sigh.

°•°•°•°•°•

Mr. Patmore slowly opened his eyes. 

"Hey," Alex greeted as he moved from his chair towards the patient's bedside. 

"I'm alive," the patient responded, a mixture of relief and disbelief in his voice.

"Yes," Alex reassured him, glancing at the monitor. "Dr. Maloney will be here to talk to you in a couple of minutes."

Curiosity and concern filled the patient's voice as he asked, "How did it go ? Okay ?"

Alex's expression shifted, conveying a hint of concern. "Actually, not so okay. The flood weakened the ceiling in the operating room, and some fragments ended up falling into your incision."

"Oh," the patient responded, processing the unexpected turn of events.

"Due to the ceiling incident, we had to perform a more thorough exploration of your abdomen than usual. And during that process, we discovered a malignant tumor on your pancreas."

"Cancer ? You found cancer ?" Mr. O'Brien's voice trembled, his emotions starting to bubble over.

"Wait, listen to me," Alex interjected, trying to calm the patient. "Here's the thing. We removed it completely and sent it for pathology. It was only stage 1."

"Only stage 1," Mr. O'Brien repeated, his confusion mixing with a sense of relief.

"We rarely detect pancreatic tumors at such an early stage. Usually, they're considered a death sentence by the time they're diagnosed," Alex explained.

"Uh-huh," Mr. O'Brien chuckled, a mixture of disbelief and gratitude.

"But not for you. We successfully removed the tumor entirely. You won't even need chemotherapy. The ceiling collapse, as strange as it may sound, actually saved your life. Your luck has turned, my friend. It's turned," Alex reassured him.

"I'm going to say hello... to that girl. I'm going to say hello," Mr. O'Brien shared with Alex, a newfound hope shining in his eyes, eliciting a smile from the resident.

°•°•°•°•°•

Victoria entered the locker room where Jackson was, closing the door behind her.

"Hi," Jackson greeted her with a smile.

"Hi," Victoria responded, leaning in to kiss him. "How was your day ?"

"With the flood, not much happened. How about yours ? I heard about some things at your reunion," Jackson replied.

"Does the whole hospital know about what happened at the reunion ?" Victoria asked, a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"People love to gossip," Jackson shrugged.

"Well, I don't want to talk about it. But aside from that, the ceiling collapsed during my surgery," Victoria revealed.

"What ? That's insane," Jackson exclaimed, concerned.

"I know, right ?" Victoria replied, trying to maintain a sense of composure.

"Are you okay?" Jackson inquired, worried for her well-being.

"I'm fine," Victoria assured him. "Are you heading home ?" She asked, hoping to spend the evening with him.

"I'm on night shift," Jackson replied with a hint of disappointment.

"That's a shame. I had a nice plan for how our night was going to be," Victoria hinted playfully.

"Care to share ?" Jackson asked, intrigued.

"Well—" Victoria began, but their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Cristina Yang in the locker room. The couple quickly separated. 

"Dr. Yang, I've been looking for you," Victoria said, acting like she wasn't just about to kiss her boyfriend.

"You were ?" Cristina said, her voice filled with anticipation while Jackson silently left the room. 

"Yes," Victoria confirmed.

"For what, may I ask ?" Cristina questioned, curious about the reason behind the search. Victoria had to quickly think of something to say. 

"I've decided to put you back on my service. Your actions were unacceptable, but I believe you've learned from your mistake," Victoria stated firmly.

"I did, I really did," Cristina responded, relief evident in her voice.

"Good. You're on probation," Victoria informed her.

"I won't disappoint you, Dr. Maloney," Cristina promised.

"Well, you better not, because I don't give a third chance," Victoria warned, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. Cristina nodded before Victoria left the locker room. 

"Dr. Fitzgibbons ! I'd like to have a word with you," Victoria called out as she spotted him in the parking lot, on her way to her car.

Dr. Fitzgibbons let out a sigh, clearly annoyed by her approach. "Dr. Shepherd, I've had a long day—"

"It won't take long. I have a habit of getting straight to the point," Victoria said, smiling confidently.

"Very well. I'm listening," he reluctantly responded.

"I don't need your approval, but what I do expect is for you to respect me and my work. There's a reason why you didn't become the chief of cardio, and I did. So, if I were you, I would set aside my ego and learn to acknowledge where my place is," Victoria stated firmly, asserting her position. "And it's Dr. Maloney, not Shepherd. Have a good night, Dr. Fitzgibbons."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and continued on her way to her car, leaving Dr. Fitzgibbons to contemplate her words.

Victoria took a deep breath, appreciating the cool breeze that brushed against her face. Slipping into her car, she leaned back in the seat, allowing herself a moment of respite. The silence within the vehicle provided a soothing contrast to the constant bustle of the hospital. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to unwind.

As the engine roared to life, Victoria set off on her familiar route home. The city lights danced along the streets, guiding her way through the urban landscape. 

Arriving at her appartment, she parked the car and stepped out, greeted by the comforting embrace of her home. The familiar scent of her sanctuary enveloped her, easing away the residual stress of the day. She kicked off her shoes and changed into comfortable attire. With a cup of warm tea in hand, she settled into a cozy chair, savoring the tranquility of the moment.

Victoria's eyes were drawn to the screen displaying Amelia's incoming call. The familiar name ignited a flurry of emotions within her, causing her to hesitate in answering. Deep within, she wrestled with conflicting thoughts and unresolved feelings.

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Victoria contemplated the significance of this call. She couldn't ignore the history between them, the wounds that still lingered. The weight of what Amelia had done cast a shadow over their relationship, making it difficult for Victoria to simply pick up the phone and engage in casual conversation.

With a heavy heart, Victoria made a decision. She couldn't bring herself to face the turmoil and uncertainty that awaited her on the other end of the line. The pain was still too fresh, the trust fractured. Resolute in her choice, she pressed the button to decline the call, allowing it to ring into silence.

A mixture of relief and sadness washed over Victoria as she set her phone aside. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but she knew she needed time to heal, to come to terms with the past. She couldn't ignore the hurt and betrayal that still resided within her, preventing any immediate reconciliation.

In the silence that followed, Victoria acknowledged the complexity of their relationship. She couldn't predict the future, nor could she ignore the bond they shared as sisters. However, for now, she needed space to navigate her own emotions and find a path towards forgiveness, if it was even possible.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

The thing about choosing teams in real life... It's nothing like it used to be in gym class... being 1st picked can be terrifying and being chosen last... isn't the worst thing in the world. So we watch from the sidelines... clinging to our isolation... because we know as soon as we let go of the bench... someone comes along and changes the game completely.