Medical Center.
First experiences aren't always sunshine and rainbows.
If it had been Cristina—or Meredith, who couldn't stand Lexie—delivering the same lesson in the same situation but with a different tone and expression, Lexie probably wouldn't have handled it.
Lucky for her, Adam had the patience of a saint.
Still, after Lexie accepted his reasoning and tearfully announced a patient's time of death for the first time, Adam told her to take a break and regroup.
By the second half of the night, the number of patients trickling in had dropped off a lot. But Adam stuck around, guiding the team through case after case.
It was the 24th hour of their first rotation. A new day had begun.
Adam, still full of energy, led his exhausted crew of four on morning rounds. Lexie, after a few hours of rest, had managed to shove down the discomfort of her first time and rejoined the group.
She wasn't clueless about the reality. She'd chosen to be a doctor, aiming to reach the top of the medical world. If she couldn't handle this first step, that'd be downright laughable. It's not like she'd never seen a dead body before. And technically, this patient didn't even die on her watch—Adam had just set up a simulated scenario for her. The emotional hit was way lighter than if someone had actually died under her care.
She bounced back pretty fast. But the hands-on experience of a life-or-death emergency? That was the real deal—something not everyone gets a shot at. When Adam told Lexie this was her chance, he'd meant it seriously.
Beep beep.
Beep beep.
Adam's pager went off at his waist.
"Another big accident?" George couldn't help but ask.
"Yup," Adam nodded, leading them to throw on disposable protective gear as they hustled toward the ER entrance.
On the way, they got the scoop: a gas explosion in an apartment building.
"I need a resident to help me manage the clinic and keep an eye on the interns while I treat patients," Dr. Bailey said, striding over in her protective gear. She tossed the request at Callie, the chief resident decked out in the same outfit, then brushed past her to join the line of doctors ready at the front.
"Sorry, I can't help," Callie's voice rang out from behind. It didn't just stop Bailey—who'd only meant it as a casual heads-up—in her tracks; it grabbed the attention of every doctor waiting for the ambulances.
"Whoa! Dr. Bailey versus Dr. Torres—this is about to go down!"
"I'm betting on Bailey!"
"Nah, I'm with Torres. She's the chief resident, after all."
"We all knew this was coming. Torres wants to cement her authority as chief resident, so she's gotta take a swing at Bailey—the top resident pick and spiritual leader."
"Pfft! By that logic, she'd have to go after Dr. Duncan next, right?"
"Duncan's a different story."
"…"
The doctors exchanged playful looks and whispered among themselves.
Adam glanced at George.
George immediately dropped his head, pretending he didn't know a thing. One was his respected former mentor, the other his girlfriend—he wasn't about to pick a side.
"You can't help?" Bailey turned around, her eyes sharp.
"Nope, Bailey," Callie said, meeting her gaze without flinching. "The free clinic's volunteer work. As chief resident, I can't force any resident or intern to pitch in—especially not during a mess like this. If you were in the OR, you could have as many interns as you want. But otherwise, you've got to figure out how to juggle your main gig and your side hustle yourself. Got it?"
"…"
Bailey's mouth twitched, her eyes rolled, and her body shifted slightly. Anyone who knew her could tell she was gearing up for a fight.
"Call her out, call her out!" Cristina muttered under her breath, her little eyes sparkling with excitement.
George shot her a death glare.
"Not happening," Adam said with a laugh. "They won't clash."
"Why not?" Cristina asked, confused. "You think Bailey's scared to take her on?"
"It's not about fear—it's about not wanting to," Adam said, shaking his head. "Callie's the chief resident, and she's quoting hospital rules. What's Bailey gonna do, call her out in front of everyone?"
Sure enough, Bailey pursed her lips, held back whatever she wanted to say, and turned to face the direction of the incoming ambulances.
"That's power for you!" Cristina said, shaking her head. "The director told Bailey to focus more on the OR, and she's still an amazing resident. But without the official title, she's at a disadvantage."
"Yang!" Bailey snapped, glaring at her. "Since you're so worried about me, why don't you go manage the clinic?"
"You've got it wrong—I'm not worried about you. I'm just marveling at power," Cristina said, tilting her head up and dodging Bailey's bait.
Yeah, right. To her, the free clinic was worse than the ER. At least the ER had emergencies to diagnose and treat. The clinic? Mostly checking minor ailments and preventing bigger ones—half the time, the patients weren't even sick. Asking her to run it was as good as asking her to drop dead.
She admired Bailey and saw her as a role model, sure, but making sacrifices or stepping up for her? Not a chance.
Bailey almost cracked up laughing at Cristina's attitude, then shifted her gaze to Meredith.
Meredith quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact.
"O'Malley!" Adam spoke up. "You're heading over there later!"
"What?" George froze, stunned.
"You're an intern with resident-level skills—perfect fit," Adam said with a grin.
"Exactly!" Bailey's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Adam."
"No problem," Adam replied, smiling at her before turning to George. "The clinic's a learning opportunity too. If we get a surgery later, I'll think about letting you scrub in—maybe even take the lead someday."
"But Callie…" George's eyes sparkled with interest.
Leading a surgery? Cristina and Meredith hadn't even gotten that chance yet. But his brain kicked in—this was basically slapping his girlfriend in the face. The risk was huge.
"Just go quietly. Don't make a fuss," Adam suggested.
"Alright," George said, clenching his jaw and nodding.
For one, the lure of leading a surgery was too strong. For another, if anything went wrong, he could just blame Adam. He was only an intern under Adam's wing—what else could he do but follow orders? Callie would understand.
Adam smirked. He could see right through George's little plan. But he didn't mind.
Bailey's free clinic was a genuinely good cause, giving people without insurance a chance to catch diseases early and stop small issues from turning into big ones. Adam was the one funding it, so he didn't mind lending a hand here and there.
Would Callie get mad if she found out?
Adam figured even if she did, it wouldn't last long, and she wouldn't hold a grudge. First, he wasn't breaking any hospital rules—George was his intern, under his authority, and he'd gotten George's consent, making it voluntary. Second, he'd already considered her position by telling George to keep it low-key.
Besides, supporting a cause this noble—if Callie held a grudge over that, she'd be pretty petty and small-hearted. And someone that narrow-minded and unkind… was she really cut out to be chief resident?
(End of Chapter)