vii. alex karev
9.07

(trigger warning: mentions of abuse)

Oliver steps through the halls, his hands tucked into his lab coat pockets. He doesn't really turn and look at anyone as he moved between the people going to their own destinations.

"Is Torres gonna want your help with the Derek project?" Alex asked as he stepped beside Oliver, his own hands tucked into his own white coat. "Because I've got a seven month old who's dad kicked her high chair and she broke her left arm and leg."

Both Alex and Oliver have found a new friendship recently. Yes, they've been friends since the interns had deemed Alex an okay person all those years ago. But since the plane crash, Oliver and Alex have somehow found themselves to be closer knit then anyone would have probably thought. They lean on each other, and have slowly become each others persons.

"Woah." Oliver stops, his hand that was once in his pocket now fiddling with his phone. "Callie hadn't asked me if I wanted to help, so no. So I can help you if you'd like, Alex."

Alex nodded, starting to walk away. He knew Oliver would follow him to where he was going — which was the seven month old patient and the crying mother who blabbered for her injured baby girl.

"Shit." Alex muttered, having not been paying attention to where he was going and had ran into a cart randomly placed against the hallway wall. "Ouch."

Oliver frowned. He's seen Alex act heartless, rude, no good and horrible. But he's also seen him act true, kind, welcoming and caring. Seeing Alex act so disoriented and distracted wasn't something he was used too. "Let's go." Oliver grabbed ahold of the man's arm, pulling him into a hopefully empty supply closest across the hall.

"What do you want, we have a patient." Alex snapped quietly, refusing to realize that his knee really hurt from where he had just bumped it. "Can we —"

"Just sit," Oliver pointed to the stool where Alex could sit. He turned around, not even waiting to see if Alex had sat down. Oliver gathered a few things so he could clean and wrap the bleeding wound he knew was there. He crouched in front of Alex, lifting the injured man's foot onto his thigh. "Can I?"

Alex nodded, hands fiddling with the pen he had pulled from his pocket. "It's fine, Oll."

Oliver paid no attention to his words, working quietly on dabbing the disinfectant on the small wound. He took his time, making sure everything was clean. It wasn't bad, no stitches would be needed today. "No stitches," Oliver started to wrap the bandage around Alex's knee, keeping it safe from anything. "All done, good as new."

"Thank you." Alex sighed. As he had watched his friend wrap his injured knee, he thought about the patient he needed to put aside his anger for. He was angry with the father who hurt his child. "Can we go now?"

Oliver shook his head, closing his eyes and letting his body relax. "Let's take a breather first."

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"Hi! Im Grayson, Doctor Grayson Morris." A tall, dirty blond haired adult stuck his hand out for Alex to shake. "I've heard wonderful things about you, I'm so glad to be joining the team."

Alex shook the hand hesitantly, unsure as to who this person was and what they wanted. He hadn't been informed that there was someone new joining the staff, but he was just a fellow, he didn't know much other than what his patients needed.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are," Alex spoke, taking his hand back and placing it in his pocket away from anyone else shaking it. "Doctor. Morris."

"Oh! I am the new neurosurgeon fellow. I've been looking for Doctor. Shepherd, but no one seems to know where he is." Grayson shrugged, eyes darting between Alex and everyone else that seemed to walk around them. He seemed as if he was a curious little ball of bubbles. "And you're Alex Karev! I heard so much about you, Oliver and Eliza speak very highly of you."

"Oliver and Eliza, you know the twins?" Alex questioned, moving his weight off his one leg and shifting to the other. He was sceptical of the person standing in front of him, still wondering if he really was who he said he was. "And Atlas?"

"And me what?" Atlas looked up from where he had been sitting at the nurses station, filling out some charts for his patients. "Grayson?"

"Atlas!" Grayson grinned, moving away from Alex and rushing towards the cardio chief. "It's been forever! How's momma Lee doing?"

Atlas disregard his charts for now, turning all his attention to Grayson. "Momma Lee took up teaching a cooking class, she's loving it."

Alex watched from where he now leaned against the nurses station, fully convinced that this Greyson dude was a stalker who was snaking his way into the hospital. "Wait, who are you?"

"Doctor. Grayson Morris. I was next door neighbours with the Lee-Sunny life until they had moved up here. I had matched with the hospital back home; smaller program, more hands on and more individual learning." Grayson took a deep breath before he continued on with his ramble. "I specialized in neurosurgery and was offered a position here as a fellow under the Derek Shepherd."

Alex glanced towards Atlas, looking at him to see if he would not along or tell him this was all a lie.

Atlas grinned, swinging an arm around Graysons shoulders, "He isn't wrong, and you didn't meet him at the wedding because he couldn't take time off from his residency. But the salad spinner you put rocks in, he gave that to me."

Alex grinned at the memory when he, Oliver, Christina and April had decided to drunkenly put rocks and paint in Atlas's salad spinner just to see what would happen. It broke, shattering into pieces after a few spins. But the group had laughed and cheered every second of it.

"Glad to know you're legit, Doctor, Grayson Morris." Alex genuinely smiled, once again, being the first one this time to stick out his hand, the two embraced each other in a handshake.

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if you haven't noticed, everyone knows the lee-sunny family.

— if you're following my insta, orxngeheart.wp    you might know who grayson is and his importance. hint, hint, check it out.
(grayson is played by young mark hamill)