chapter eighteen ━ first date
( season seven, episode four )

❝Give me a minute. My brain
doesn't work on command.❞

"ELLIE, YOU'VE BEEN in there for 20 minutes. It's my turn." Ellie rolled her eyes and left the bathroom.

"My God, this is just like when we were growing up," she said with a sigh. "First of all, I was in there for 10 minutes. Second of all, you spend more time in there than I do." She looked at what he was wearing. "Since when do you work out?"

"Since today," he replied and she raised her eyebrows. "But Robbins and Torres are having a moment, so I'm waiting for them to finish."

"You're mean," she told him. "I'm on Callie's service today. And she has a case with Arizona. I don't want them complaining to me the entire time." Ellie groaned. "Thanks a lot, Mark. I gotta go."

"Hey, it's not my fault they're doing it right now."

Ellie shot him an annoyed look before leaving the apartment. She let out a breath before shuddering and walking to the hospital.

[ ANDY ]
Can't wait to see you
tonight. Any allergies I should
be aware of?

[ ELLIE ]
No allergies. See you tonight :)

She changed into her scrubs and joined Alex, Callie, and Arizona in their patient's room.

"You should've seen it, Dr. Robbins," the patient's dad told the surgeon. "His pottaballet kicked the other kids' asses."

"It's pas de bourrée, dad."

"Isn't that what I said?" he asked.

"You said it in American, Fred," his wife said. "It's French, right, sweetie?"

"Yes, and it's not something that you really kick ass at," their son replied with a nod. "Can we talk about the cancer now? Anything to make them stop."

"Yeah." Arizona nodded and turned to Alex. "Um, Dr. Karev?"

"Jake Fisher, fifteen, uh, osteosarcoma of the right tibia," he recited. "Today he'll be getting a minor bone dissection."

"How long after the surgery before I can dance again?" Jake asked.

"He's anxious because his ballet company is doing 'Swan Lake' this spring," his mom explained to them.

"Yeah," Fred agreed "It's like his Super Bowl."

Ellie smiled at him as Callie answered. "Jake, your recovery will depend on today's scans. They'll tell us how much the chemo shrunk the tumor, but trust me, we will have you back on your feet as soon as possible, okay?"

☀️

ELLIE SAT BESIDE Alex in the scan room, watching the monitor. "Well, his pain is not too bad." Ellie looked at him. "That means his tumor probably shrunk, right?" he asked the attendings.

Callie nodded. "If the chemo did its job," she replied.

Just then, Mark walked in and Ellie frowned in confusion. "Guess who just scored a table at that new sushi place that's impossible to get into?" he asked, looking at Callie.

"No way."

"8:30, table for three."

Ellie and Alex glanced at each other and concealed their chuckles while Arizona swallowed. "Oh, you know, I don't—I don't eat sushi."

Callie furrowed her brows. "Yeah, you do."

"Yeah, I did," Arizona corrected while Alex and Ellie watched the interaction like a ping-pong game. "I did, but then I got sick after I ate one of those prepackaged rolls at the cafeteria. Bad memory." She chuckled. "You two go."

Mark nodded. "I'll change the reservation to two."

Callie looked at Arizona as Mark left the room. "What?" the blonde asked.

"Mm..."

The scans came up and Ellie sighed at the results. "Dr. Torres, you should see this." Callie leaned forward and let out a breath.

"God. I hate this job sometimes." Callie and Arizona walked out, leaving Ellie and Alex alone.

"This sucks," Alex said and Ellie nodded in agreement. "Let's go."

The residents followed their attendings to Jake's room where they found his parents and brought them outside. Ellie and Alex kept Jake company and he looked out the window. "What are they saying? Are they saying the chemo didn't work?"

Alex pressed his lips. "We should wait for your parents," he replied.

"Oh, my God." Jake sighed, leaning back on the bed. "You want to cut off my leg?" They looked up from the chart and he shook his head. "Oh, my God."

Ellie walked toward the bed. "Hey. This isn't the end," she said. "There's a sprinter with prosthetics that runs faster than guys without."

"There's gotta be another way," Jake replied, practically begging them. "More—more chemo or—"

"Yeah," Alex agreed, standing next to Ellie. "But with prosthetics today, it's—it's amazing."

"You don't get it!" Jake exclaimed. "I need my leg! I—I can't explain. I just... I—I'll show you. L—Let me show you."

After convincing Arizona and Callie to let Jake dance in an empty room, the four surgeons joined Jake's parents in the room.

"If he gets injured, it's on the two of you," Callie told them and Ellie sighed, turning her attention to the boy. As he began to dance, Ellie glanced over at Jake's parents and saw the proud looks on their faces.

"You see that?" Fred smiled, pointing at his son. "That's my boy." Ellie smiled softly at him before looking back at Jake.

"It's that... right there," Jake said after he finished his dance. "Build me a leg that'll let me do that." Ellie looked at Alex and let out a breath.

☀️

"ANY IDEAS IN that brain of yours?" Alex asked her as they walked to the cafeteria. "We have to think of something."

"Give me a minute," she replied, taking a salad from the bar. "My brain doesn't work on command. Let's see... something to help someone dance. Let me think about it."

"You really are like a computer," Alex commented and she chuckled in amusement.

The two of them walked into the tunnel, joining the other residents for lunch. Alex looked at Jackson as they sat down. "Dude, Altman fire you yet?" he asked.

"What?" Ellie furrowed her eyebrows and looked at him. "Why would Altman fire you?"

"She's not gonna fire me," Jackson reassured her.

"What'd you do?" Meredith asked.

"She thinks he's a hot piece of brainless ass," Alex answered for him.

"Oh, you're totally gonna be fired," Cristina told him.

"The situation is under control," Jackson said, crunching on a carrot as Ellie felt a buzz from her phone. "Thank you."

[ ANDY ]
I know I texted already, but do
you like potstickers?

[ ELLIE ]
It's only one of my
favorite foods on the planet...

[ ANDY ]
:)
Then I think you'll enjoy it
tonight. Pick you up around 7?

[ ELLIE ]
See you then :)

Ellie turned off her phone with a smile which Jackson noticed. "Why are you so happy?" he asked.

She shrugged, putting it in her pocket. "No reason," she replied. "I just have a date tonight."

"A date?" April asked, sitting up straight in excitement. "That's your first date since..."

Ellie nodded. "Since James died," she confirmed. "It should be fun. He's a teacher. Met him at Starbucks. I'm getting a bit of deja vu."

"That's great, Ellie!" April smiled while Jackson forced one on his face. "Call me after to tell me how it goes."

"I will." Ellie stole one of Jackson's celery sticks before sitting upright. "I got it!" she exclaimed.

"Got what?" April asked, taken aback by the sudden outburst.

"I know how we can help Jake," she said and Alex looked at her. "Alex, come with me." He followed her to a computer in an empty room. "So, there was something in the news recently where they used a cadaver bone to replace the cancerous one. I'm wondering... what if we remove the cancerous part of the bone, kill it with chemo, and put it back? We just need to find the article."

Alex looked at her with a smile. "You're a genius!" He handed her his fries. "Your prize."

Ellie smiled happily. "Yay."

☀️

ALEX AND ELLIE sat at a computer, looking for the article, while Callie and Arizona talked options. "A rotationplasty?"

"No, no." Callie shook her head. "No, it's not possible with this part of the leg."

"Fibular grafting?" Arizona suggested.

"Oh, no. Cancer's seeded to his fibula." Arizona turned around and Callie sighed deeply making the furrow her eyebrows.

"What?" she asked.

"You don't like Mark," Callie said and Ellie raised her eyebrows. "Admit it."

"I like Mark," Arizona replied.

"Liar."

"I like him!" Arizona exclaimed. "I do. We're just, you know... we're different."

Callie laughed. "Oh, my God. How are you different?" she asked. "Tell me, 'cause I don't think you actually are." Alex looked at Ellie who was staring at the computer screen, trying not to listen to the conversation.

"What?" Callie asked her girlfriend.

"Should we leave?" Alex asked, turning around to look at the attendings. "You know, since you're talking about Ellie's brother. In front of Ellie."

"Shut it, Karev," Callie said before looking at her girlfriend. "I'm waiting."

Arizona laughed and turned around to look at her. "Look... it's not that I don't like Mark. It's just that he's... Mark." Ellie tilted her head; she wasn't entirely wrong. "You know, what you see is what you get." Ellie scratched her head, feeling extremely awkward in the situation, "Besides, you like him, so what do I care if his abs are where his soul should be?"

"Oh, my God," Callie scoffed.

"Please say you found it," Ellie whispered to Alex. He nodded and she sighed in relief as Alex stood up.

"We found it!" he said, pointing at the computer screen. "Right here. We don't have to cut off his leg. Ellie was right. Per usual."

Alex high-fived Ellie and Callie looked between them. "You two make a good team. Not as good as Arizona and I, but you make a good team."

Ellie smiled and they went to Jake's room where Callie pulled up the scan. "Okay, so we'll take out the bone, and then treat it with high doses of radiation to kill the cancer," she explained to Jake's parents. "Thirty minutes later, we reinsert the bone back into Jake's leg."

"Usually the procedure is done using a Cadaver bone," Arizona continued. "So there's no risk of putting cancer back in the body, but we couldn't find a match for Jake on such short notice."

"So there's a chance the cancer could come back?" his mother asked.

"Well, that's why amputation's less risky," Callie answered with a nod. "But if we do this, if you agree, we will monitor Jake closely, scans every few months, and if the cancer returns, we'll do the amputation."

"But this is done a lot?"

Callie let out a breath. "Uh, it's only been done a few times in the world."

"So if we do this," Fred said. "I mean if we say yes, there's a chance he'd keep his leg forever?"

"We hope," Arizona answered.

Fred looked at his son. "It's a big risk, buddy. God knows, I love to watch you dance, but..."

Jake looked at Ellie and Alex. "What would you two do?"

"We can't answer that, Jake," Ellie said. "This is between you and your parents."

"No, I want to know," he insisted and his parents looked at the two residents. "What would you do?"

Ellie looked at Alex and he shrugged. "If it was our arm and we couldn't operate anymore, I... I'd try to do everything I could to keep it." Ellie nodded in agreement and Jake looked at them, Alex's words echoing in his mind.

☀️

ALEX AND ELLIE were scrubbed in with Arizona and Callie and the ortho surgeon looked at them. "You two did really good with this kid today," she told them. "Impressive. You know, Ellie I can see being a peds surgeon, you're a natural, but you, Karev? I wouldn't think you'd be good at peds just by looking at you."

Arizona rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. I don't like Mark... at all," she said. "There. I said it. No offense, Sloan."

"None taken," she replied quietly.

"Cause you never even tried," Callie told her.

"Ugh," she groaned.

"Take Jake here," Callie said, motioning to the boy on the table. "You think his dad was happy when Jake wanted ballet shoes for Christmas and not cleats? No, this guy wanted a kid he could throw a ball with, you know he did, but his son loved to dance, so he signed him up for lessons, went to recitals, and learned what there was to love about ballet. He tried... because he loved his kid."

"Mark stared at my boobs when we talk," Arizona said making Ellie and Callie chuckle. "He starts with my face, but then somewhere along the way, he gets distracted and ends up on my boobs. And I love guys. I love them. But I have tried my whole life to avoid the boob-staring guy. Biology even helped me by making me gay. But now my girlfriend's best friend is that guy. And I don't think that I need to apologize for the fact that the only person I want staring at my boobs is you."

"Boobs, really?" Callie asked. "You're making this about boobs?"

"He stares at them."

"Cause they're good boobs," Callie said.

"Can we leave now?" Alex asked, both for him and Ellie.

"Yes. Go. Hurry."

☀️

ELLIE SAW ARIZONA outside of Jake's room. "Mark isn't soulless," she said, hugging a chart to her chest. "Mark is... this really complicated man who, right now, is kinda lonely. There's only so much I can tolerate from him as his sister. And he stares at boobs because that's just the person he is. He looks at everyone's. Not mine, that would be really creepy. He's a good guy, Dr. Robbins. You just need to learn that for yourself."

Ellie went to the locker room and stopped short of the door. "Um..." Jackson turned around, shirtless.

"You good, Ellie?" he asked in amusement.

She swallowed and nodded, noticing his toned abs. "I'm fine. Um... why are you shirtless?"

"No reason," he replied. "So, date tonight?"

Ellie nodded, changing out of her scrubs. "Yeah. I'm kind of nervous, actually," she admitted. "I haven't done this in nearly a year. And even then, it wasn't a first date."

"You'll be fine," Jackson reassured her. "Anyone would be lucky to go on a date with you. Just have fun."

She smiled softly. "Thanks, Jackie. I better go. I have to find something to wear."

"Something blue. You look good in blue." Ellie looked at him, "It brings out your eyes. See you tomorrow, Ellie."

"See you tomorrow..."

She went back to her apartment and found a dark blue dress in her closet. She slipped it on, touched up her makeup, and added a thin silver necklace before going to the restaurant. She smiled when she saw Andy. "Hi."

"I'm glad you came." Andy smiled, standing up to greet her. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she replied. "It was a good day at work today. And you?"

"Still on summer vacation, so I'm doing great."

Ellie smiled and sat across from him at the table. "Now, I remember you mentioned something about potstickers?"

Andy chuckled. "You really do like them. Yeah. This place has pizza and potstickers. Something casual would be good, I figured."

"Two of my favorite foods."

"So, I remember you said you were a surgical resident?" Ellie nodded, taking a sip of water. "What field are you in?"

"Well, we haven't declared it yet, she replied. "But we need to do that soon."

"Have you?" he asked. "Decided on something yet?"

She shook her head with a  shrug. "I've considered being double certified. I'm leaning toward pediatrics and orthopedics. I think that would be fun. I do love kids."

"You look like you would," he said.

"Do you like kids?"

"Don't I have to?" Andy asked in response. "I teach them for a living."

"Well, yeah, that makes sense." Ellie chuckled. "Did you always want to be a teacher?"

"As long as I could remember," he said. "I had this teacher in high school. He was my history teacher and I just really clicked with him. He really made me want to be a teacher. Had a really big impact on life."

"That's great!" Ellie smiled.

"And you? What made you want to be a surgeon?"

She chuckled. "Oh, well, that's pretty simple actually. My older brother is a plastics surgeon. His best friend, Derek, is a neurosurgeon. His ex-wife, which is a whole other story, works in OB. All of Derek's sisters are surgeons or in the medical field. I guess it just... I grew up around it. I never saw any other career."

"That's quite a family of surgeons."

She nodded. "Yeah, that's one way of saying it."

☀️

"THIS WAS REALLY fun." Ellie smiled as they left the restaurant after dinner. "Thanks for asking."

"Thanks for saying yes."

"You know, my brother is having a date with his best friend's girlfriend," she said and Andy furrowed his brows. "I promise he's not breaking up a relationship... again. But, that also means no one's home. Want some ice cream?"

"I'd love some."

Ellie smiled and brought him to the apartment. She found a tub of ice cream and grabbed two spoons. Andy looked around the room before picking up a picture from the side table. "Are these your friends?" he asked.

Ellie turned around and looked at it before nodding., "Yeah. Some of the best. That's April. That's Jackson. We all work at the hospital together. And those two... that's Reed and Charlie. They, um, we worked at the same hospital. Um... they both died." She cleared her throat. "In a shooting at the hospital."

"Ellie, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks." She shrugged. "You know, it still hurts, but... we're getting there." She handed him a spoon. "Hope you like strawberry."

"I love strawberry."

Ellie smiled and the two of them spent the next two hours talking and laughing, losing track of time. She closed the door after he left, feeling genuinely happy for the first time since the shooting.

☀️

━ author's note:

Sorry this took so long... but we're slowly getting back to the point where I can write Ellie again and not just editing her