ovi. trauma workshop
5.05

Seattle Grace Hospital buzzed with its usual intensity as Oliver Lee-Sunny made his way to Owen Hunt's trauma workshop — or maybe it was just Oliver who was buzzing with his usual intensity.

Today was the day they would be thrown into a high-stakes, hands-on experience that promised to test their skills they knew to the limit. He wondered what would happen, what he could do and how it would be set up for them.

Alongside him were his interns Lexie Grey, Steve, and two other interns, Sarah and James, each of them brimming with a mix of nerves and anticipation. They were more nervous than Oliver, for sure.

"Alright, everyone, gather around," Owen's voice boomed as he turned to face the group of standing interns and residents, drawing them all into a tight circle around the operating table where four sedated pigs lay. "Today's exercise is about thinking on your feet and working as a team. Each of these pigs has been inflicted with multiple wounds, and your job is to save them."

Oliver exchanged a glance with Lexie, her determination matching his own. They all knew this was not going to be easy, but the chance to prove themselves was too important to let fear get in the way. They were excited, too, competitive even.

"Remember," Owen continued, "there are no second chances here. You either save your patient, or you don't. The point is to simulate the pressures of real-life trauma surgery."

Izzie Stevens gasps, bringing her hand to her mouth and wearily eyeing the pigs strapped to each table. "H-how? You're a monster."

"This," Owen gestured to the pigs and everything around them. "This happens in every day life to humans, Doctor Stevens. We need to be trained in how to deal with these situations without making fatal mistakes."

Izzie continued to stand there, hand near her mouth and she contemplated speaking her truth and what was on her mind. Or that was until Oliver nudged her and spoke up on her behalf. "This is optional, correct, Doctor Hunt? The chief said we could have a make up assessment if we were uncomfortable."

Owen Hunt nodded, a tilt of his head afterwards before he spoke. "Absolutely. Doctor Stevens, if you're uncomfortable with this environment, you're free to see the chief and he does have an alternative assessment."

Izzie left the room right after that, her interns staying behind though. She wouldn't lie, she was be slightly upset that no one else had followed her when she had left.

Owen stepped away from the tables. "And, go."

They nodded in unison, each intern taking their place around a pig. Oliver focused on the pig in front of him, quickly assessing the injuries. There was a deep puncture wound on its abdomen and a laceration on its leg.

"Alright, team, let's do this," Oliver said, his voice steady despite the flurry of activity around him. Lexie moved to the pig's head, ensuring its airway was clear while Steve and the other interns prepared the necessary instruments.

They had never worked on a pig before; besides Steve, he had once in his high school biology class, and it was only a dissection. They worked with what they knew, and essentially were treating their pig as if they were a human.

"Scalpel," Oliver called out, and Steve handed it to him with precision, as if they were all prepared for this moment, despite their early stages of their internships and residencies. He made an incision to get a better look at the abdominal wound. "Suction, please."

Lexie worked quickly, her hands moving with a practiced ease as she cleared the blood obstructing Oliver's view. "Got it. What's next?"

"We need to stop the bleeding, make sure that nothing is damaged, repair what's needed and close up these wounds," Oliver replied, his focus unwavering. He worked like he knew, inspecting the wound on the pigs stomach. "The knife nicked something, Sarah, grab a clamp and James help me identify the source of the bleeding, please."

They all worked together as Owen Hunt leaned over their shoulders and took notice as to what they were. He never made a comment, but his looks said a lot.

Lexie was stitching the wound on the pigs leg, fast as she could without compromising on the quality. As they progressed, it became clear that time was not on their side, the machine beeping as blood poured from the wound on its stomach.

"Blood pressure's dropping," Sarah reported, her voice tinged with urgency and a sense of nervousness.

Oliver's heart raced. "We're losing him—her—it. Somethings wrong."

Despite their best efforts, the pig's vital signs continued to plummet. They tried everything, but it wasn't enough. The flatline tone of the heart monitor echoed through the room, signaling their failure.

Owen stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "Time of death?"

Oliver swallowed hard, the sting of defeat sharp. "14:27."

They stepped back, the weight of their failure hanging heavily in the air. Oliver's shoulders slumped, feeling the disappointment of not being able to save their patient. But Owen's next words surprised him.

"You did well," Owen said, his tone firm but not unkind. "You worked as a team, communicated effectively, and did everything you could. In trauma surgery, that's sometimes all you can do. The important thing is that you learn from this experience."

Oliver looked up, meeting Owen's gaze. Despite the failure, there was a sense of pride in Owen's eyes. Oliver felt a flicker of hope. They hadn't succeeded this time, but they had gained invaluable experience that would make them better surgeons in the future.

As the workshop concluded, Oliver felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Lexie giving him a supportive smile. "We did our best," she said.

"Yeah," Oliver agreed, a small smile tugging at his lips. "We'll get them next time."

Later that evening, Oliver and Meredith walked into the Grey home, the weight of the day's events still lingering but beginning to lift. Meredith kicked off her shoes, and they both flopped onto the couch, exhausted.

"Movie night?" Meredith suggested, grabbing a blanket and tossing it over them.

"Absolutely," Oliver replied, pulling her close as they settled in. Meredith chose a classic comedy, something light to ease the tension of the day. As the opening credits rolled, Oliver felt a sense of peace wash over him.

Meredith snuggled against him, her head resting on his chest, an action that slightly surprised them both. "You did great today, Oliver. Trauma workshops are tough, but you held your own. You and your interns were the only ones that had gotten a good job from Owen, even me and Christina, whose pigs survived just heard a small congratulations in passing."

Oliver pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Thanks, Meredith. It was intense, but I feel like I learned a lot. And Owen was... surprisingly encouraging."

Meredith chuckled softly. "He's tough, I think, but he recognizes talent and hard work. You're going to be an amazing surgeon. We all are."

Oliver's heart swelled with love and gratitude. "I couldn't do it without your support, you know. Thank you, Mer."