"After a trauma your body is at its most vulnerable. Response time is critical. So you're suddenly surrounded by people. Doctors, nurses, specialists, technicians. Surgery is a team sport. Everyone pushing for the finish line. Putting you back together again. But surgery is a trauma in and of itself. And once it's over, the real healing begins. We call it recovery. Recovery is not a team sport. It's a solitary distance run. It's long, it's exhausting and it's lonely as hell. The length of your recovery is determined by the extent of your injuries. And it's not always successful. No matter how hard we work at it, some wounds might never fully heal. You might have to adjust to a whole new way of living. Things may have changed too radically to ever go back to what they were. You might not even recognize yourself. It's like you haven't recovered anything at all. You're a whole new person with a whole new life" 

"i used to wanna be alone til your name was in my phone. now i'm getting kinda used to you"

Cristina, Arizona, Bailey and Lucy encouraged Callie as she tried to stretch her fingers. She finally did it and they cheered. "Yay, fingers!" Callie sighed with a smile. Her smile faded as she caught her breath. "It's okay, you're retraining your brain", Arizona reassured. "Getting your fingers straight was the goal for today". "Little goals, remember? Alright, let me in there to check her incision", Bailey said. Mark entered the room. "Morning. Baby report", he announced, fist-bumping Arizona. "Boom!" "I'm gonna go see her", Arizona said, leaving the room. "Hey. You're awesome". "Gimme, gimme, gimme", Callie said impatiently, as Mark showed her his phone. "See? She's moving her arm like she's waving", he said, showing her a video of Sofia. "She still hasn't opened her eyes, but she only stopped breathing once last night, and, get this, her brain bleed's still grade one".

"Good girl! She looks bigger. Is she bigger?"

"Alright, some of us are still working", Bailey said, moving Mark over. "Let me get in there, please". "Ok. I have a consult. I have to go", he said. "How are you?" "I...almost got my hand straight", Callie replied.

"That's great!"

"Yeah"

He left the room. "Today? I can see her today?" Callie asked Bailey. "I'm sorry...", Bailey began.

"No. No!"

"But until you can be mobilised and your infections are completely gone, you cannot see her. And she cannot leave the NICU. Now, you know I would if I could. You know that. Right... Will you two tell her I would?"

Bailey left the room. "She would, if she could", Lucy said. Callie put up her fist and Lucy and Cristina shared a look. "Are you giving us the finger?" Lucy asked. "Yes, I am", Callie answered. They chuckled. "Good job", Cristina smiled and they left the room.

Alex and Aurora entered a room where Arizona was looking at scans. "Wow, that kid looks screwed", Alex commented. "He is. He has five different cardiac and abdominal defects", Arizona replied. "I'm supposed to operate on him next week". "That's awesome", Aurora said. "Yeah, can I scrub in?" Alex asked. "Yeah, if you can get us to Africa", Arizona said. "I was supposed to go back there next week, but now I have a very sick little girl of my own and a fiancée in the ICU".

"Fly him out here"

"Yeah, I've tried. But you can't imagine the red tape and the money. And there's a dozen more like him that I want to do the same thing for. I'm trying to find someone to help him over there. I just... I made a promise, that's all"

"It's healing pretty well", Cristina said, checking Callie's incision. "Maybe in a couple of days you can try sitting up by yourself", Lucy suggested. "Let's try now", Callie said. "You can't rush it", Cristina said.

"Why did I get you? Why aren't you cutting out hearts somewhere?"

"Well, Altman and I had a falling out, over your ventricle septal defect, actually. I'm just giving her some space. Ok, you're good"

"Great. You need anything?" Lucy asked her. "I need to see my baby", Callie replied. "She's mostly tubes and wires", Cristina said. "And she looks more like a chicken than a baby. Like a featherless, beakless chicken. You want to wait...until she's cuter. "See? Aren't you glad you picked me to be the godmother?" Lucy said. April rushed into the room. "She opened her eyes!" she exclaimed. "She looked right at me! I saw her sweet, little eyes! They're beautiful. They look just like yours! Oh, my God, I should have taken pictures! Why didn't I do tha?!" Callie started to cry.

"Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, God, no! I'm so sorry..."

"Go, go, go, go! Go get the pictures! Go get the pictures!" Lucy yelled. April ran out to do so. "Callie. Callie", Lucy said. She continued to sob and tried to get up. "No, don't. Callie! Callie, stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it! Callie!" Cristina said, running to stop her. "You'll rupture your sutures". "I'm missing her! I am missing her", Callie cried.

"I know, honey. I know"

"She could die and I'll never... I could miss her whole life!"

"Ok, ok. Easy, easy, relax. Lie back down"

"I thought Dr Bailey said Torres can't be moved yet", Stark said to Lucy and Cristina as they walked down the hall. "Yes, sir, but since she has had no contact with the baby, we were wondering how soon we might...", Lucy explained.

"Bring the baby to Torres?"

"We think it'll do the both of them good", Cristina added. "If we could just tell Dr Torres...", Lucy tried. "When the baby is off the vent", Stark said. "When she has an immune system and can withstand the onslaught of deadly infections Dr Torres would threaten her with. That's when. I mean, come on! I'm all for mother-baby bonding, but not when it'll kill the baby. Why do you even ask me these things? I thought you were doctors". He walked away. "Ouch", Jackson said from behind them and they turned around. Cristina and Lucy shared a look. "We need your help with something", Lucy said.

Cristina and Lucy went into Callie's room. "Wake up", Cristina whispered and she motioned for everybody to enter the room. "Just lay still and relax. Let us do everything. Can you do that?" Lucy said. They started wheeling her bed down the hallway. Everything was going smoothly until they heard Dr Bailey's voice and backed up. Jackson went over to distract her. They then quietly wheeled the bed behind her while Jackson talked. They wheeled her to the window of the NICU. Alex and Aurora went in to wheel Sofia close to the window. Callie started to get emotional. "We'll give you some privacy", Meredith said and they all left her to be alone with her daughter.

Callie was pushing a gurney with Cristina sitting on it when Meredith and Lucy caught up with them. "Did you lose a bet?" Lucy asked Callie. "She's my new physical therapist", Callie replied. "Because she does what I tell her to". "Whose charts are those?" Meredith asked Cristina. "Altman's. She's being ridiculous", Cristina answered. "I haven't seen a cardio surgery in a month". "So you stole her charts?" Lucy said.

"Yes, I stole her charts so I will be prepared when she comes crawling back"

"One of you, sit, I need the resistance", Callie ordered. Lucy gestured for Meredith to sit down and she did. "So I re-tested Adele Webber. She's worse than we thought", Meredith said. "But at least she's gonna get in the trial". "Ok, see? See, I should be on this!" Cristina exclaimed, pointing at the chart. "How do I even have a shot at chief resident if I can't do what I'm good at?" They turned the corner in the hallway to find Alex and Aurora arguing. "Alex, you didn't! You're gonna be fired!" Aurora reprimanded. "I'm gonna be chief resident", Alex replied.

"Not if you don't work here anymore"

Cristina motioned for them to move out of the way and they did. "What did he do now?" Lucy asked Aurora. "He solicited a patient for money", Aurora explained. "You're hooking now?" Cristina said. "For my African kid thing", Alex said. "It's against so many rules!" Aurora said.

"Who cares?! The old hag could die leaving her money to save dying children, but instead she'll probably leave it to her cats, who probably hate her, too. Are you going to Radiology?"

Before Callie could answer, Arizona marched over. "Hey, everybody off now", she ordered and they got off and walked away.

Aurora was trying to help her patient, Gladys. "Don't touch me!" Gladys exclaimed. Alex appeared in the doorway. "She's been asking for you", Aurora informed him. "Get in here!" Gladys ordered. "This ham-fisted twit doesn't know how to roll me". "You asked me not to come back", Alex pointed out.

"Just shut your hole and get in here before this idiot breaks my spine"

"One hundred grand"

"What?"

"Alex! Don't", Aurora warned. "Give me a hundred grand and I'll come in", he continued.

"Mrs Pulcher, he's joking. He doesn't mean that"

"Fifty", Gladys negotiated. "One hundred", he said.

"Seventy-five"

"One hundred grand. Final offer"

"You don't know how to negotiate"

"I'm not negotiating"

"Don't pretend to be smart, you crooked little bastard"

"Don't pretend you're poor, you evil old bitch. One hundred grand!"

"Done. One hundred grand, now get in here and roll me over"

He smirked and entered the room.

Alex approached Lucy, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek. "Meet us at Joe's. I'm buying", he said, causing to look back at him.

"What's up?"

"A hundred thousand dollars is what's up, courtesy of the dragon lady in room 1022"

She turned around fully to face him. "Alex!" she reprimanded.

"You know what happens when you break the rules, Lucy? You get a hundred thousand bucks"

"Drinks are on me"

"You're an idiot"

His pager went off and he checked it. "No. No, no!" he exclaimed, running off.

He arrived at Gladys' room to hear Aurora call time of death. "Time of death, 21:44", she said.

"No! Shut up! No!"

"She had an arrhythmia"

"Get her back! I need her! I had it!"

"Alex!"

"I had it! No!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I had it! I had it! You bitch"

Lucy watched Alex's trailer get taken away. He caught her eye and she just laughed and shook her head.

Alex handed all the residents files at the nurses station. "What's this?" Jackson asked. "What's this? It's your kid", Alex replied. "Your African kid". "That's happening?" Beck questioned. "Today?" Jackson added. "Tonight!" Alex said. "The first group gets here tonight. I've been telling you this all week! Look, each of you gets your own kid. Some of them will be travelling with family, a few of them are orphans, so you are in charge of your kid, right? You're like their ambassador. Wait. You can't have her. You'd be awful to her". He picked out a different one for Cristina. "Him. No. Yes, him", he said, handing it to her. "He's melting down", Lucy commented. "Train wreck", Jackson added. "Evil Spawn is now Mother Teresa", Cristina said. Everybody walked away except for Aurora. "Don't forget, they get here tonight!" Alex yelled after them. Arizona came over. "Karev! They're here! They just touched down in D.C. and they're gonna change planes and have dinner and then they'll be here!" she said excitedly, hugging him. "You did it! You know, I never thought you would, I didn't think you could, but you did. Well done, Karev". She walked off. "See?" Aurora said. He ran over to a trash can and threw up in it. "I am in so much trouble", he said.

They looked through his paperwork. "Oh, my... Oh, my God! How...", Aurora said. "How did you let this happen?"

"It just happened. I asked for things, and people started saying yes and I paid for it myself at first, but then I maxed out my cards. But the ball was rolling and planes were reserved and a freaking military transport! What am I supposed to say? "Sorry! Never mind! Lack of funds! Keep your dying kids where they are!"

"Well, yeah"

"No! You say, "I'll pay you when you get here. Keep the receipts. Send me the bill!" And now, I'm... Oh, God. Right now they're eating eight-dollar airport hamburgers I can't pay for!"

"Alex, this... I mean, this is fraud. You've actually grifted people!"

"I can't do this"

"You have to now. I mean, you already did it! You could go to jail for th... this!"

She turned around to see that he was gone.

Aurora found Alex in the hall. "Alex, this is from a lawyer", she said, handing him an envelope.

"I don't want it"

"No, take it!"

"No, I don't wanna see it. Look, they're gonna get here tonight, Aurora. They'll get their surgeries, I'll go to jail. I don't even care anymore!"

He was about to rip it up when Aurora stopped him. "No, no, don't! It's a check", she exclaimed. "It's a check for $200,000 from the Estate of Gladys Pulcher. It's from the dragon lady". He started to get emotional and sniffed. "That bitch", he smiled.

April, Mark, Kelly, Callie, Arizona, Bailey, Cristina, Lucy, Aurora and Owen were counting down the seconds until Sofia passed the infant carrier test. "Five more seconds", Mark announced. "Five, four, three, two, one!" they exclaimed.

"That's one hour"

They all cheered. "You did it, big girl!" Arizona smiled. "I can't believe she's leaving", Cristina said. "Yeah", Lucy replied. "Yeah, she's cute, isn't she?"

"No, Callie. She was my last cardio patient. Do you think Teddy talks about me?"

"I don't care about your screwed up relationship with Teddy. The baby's cute, right?"

"Its small features and oversized eyes trigger a hormonal response in humans. It's autonomic. It's what keeps us from eating them"

"I want one. Oh, my God. I want to have a baby. Don't you dare tell Alex I said that"

April took a picture of Mark and Sofia together for the grad wall. Kelly smiled at him. "Ok, let's roll", Mark said. "Wait, wait, wait, put her down", Callie said. "I have got the apnea monitor, the O2", Arizona said. "Callie, we need to steal some of those NICU blankets, they're the best".

"Ok, everybody stop! Stop, stop! She's not ready. No, she can't leave. She's been watched by doctors 24 hours a day"

"She still will", Mark reassured.

"Well, her lungs. She could get RSV"

"Any kid can get RSV", Arizona pointed out.

"She's not getting in a car! It's not safe!"

"Callie", Mark began gently.

"It's not safe! The last time she was in a car, she nearly died! We both nearly died! Get her out of that thing! Give her to me, Mark! I'm not kidding! Get her out of that thing!"

"Callie. Callie", Bailey said. "Ok, ok. You're right, you are absolutely right. Cars are not safe for children. Neither are bookcases or squirrels or strong winds or people who sneeze. They're all gonna get your baby. But honey, you don't feel this way because you were in an accident. You feel this way because you are a parent. It'll pass, mostly. Some of it never will".

The shuttle bus had arrived with the African children. Jackson, Beck, Kelly, Aurora, Lucy and Lexie went out to help Alex with them. Alex came out of the bus holding a baby and Lucy smiled. "I need a wheelchair", he ordered and motioned them all over. They started helping all of the children off the bus. And watching him with all the kids, Lucy had never been more sure that she wanted Alex Karev to be the father of her children. 

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