16

the day, right?" Max asked, falling in stride with his sister. Eleanora looked up from the article she was reading, raising a brow.

"What day?"

Max took a sip of his coffee, before readjusting the glasses perched on his nose. "Solo surgery is awarded today, right? Or is that next week?"

Eleanora pulled a confused face, stopping in front of the residents lounge. She had just came back from checking on one of Derek's patients, already in her scrubs.

"How do you know about Solo Surgery Day? You're in a completely different department." She asked, giving a smile to some of the residents who walk into the lounge.

Max scoffed, dramatically placing his hand over his heart. "I'm wounded, Ella. Do you not think I would have informed myself about everything that's goes on in the Surgical Wing just for my older sister? Do you not do the same for me?"

Eleanora laughed, walking into the lounge. Max follows behind her, giving a smirk to some of the female residents he passes by. When she doesn't answer, he lets out a small, offended gasp.

"Are you serious? I can't believe you, Ella!"

"If I knew you wanted me to I would have, Max!" She took his coffee and took a quick sip before sitting down between George and Meredith. Max made an aggravated noise, but there was a smile on his face as he sat on the bench behind his sister.

"They come back yet?" She asked George, flipping to another page in the article. He shook his head, looking up from the chart he was filling out.

"Not yet."

All of the residents in there stay busy, some whispering to each other and others doing work. Eleanora leans back a bit in her chair, Max leaning forward to whisper to her.

"Stai già uscendo con George? Perché ora sei single e il modo in cui ti guardava-" Eleanora turned around in her chair to smack at her brother with her article, dragging the attention of her friends to her.

"No, non sto uscendo con George, né sono single! E smettila di parlare in italiano per cercare di non attirare l'attenzione perché attira ancora di più l'attenzione!"

Max let out a small gasp, his eyes widening. "Non sei single? Enzo è un tale bugiardo." He thought about it for a moment before another small gasp escaped him. "O sei il bugiardo e hai detto a Enzo che non avevi un ragazzo! Questa è una famiglia piena di bugiardi,Eleanora!"

"Ho detto a Enzo che non avevo un ragazzo quando non ne avevo uno! Smettila di essere così drammatico, mio ​​dio-"

"Will you two shut it?" Cristina asked, glaring at the two. "Not all of us can understand Italian and don't wish to hear it."

Eleanora and Max both pouted at the tone. Eleanora turned around and focused on her article again, and Max sat back to sip his coffee. Meredith leaned towards Eleanora, her voice low and holding a hint of laughter.

"Sta solo facendo la stronza perché stiamo litigando. Non preoccuparti."

Eleanora looks up, her eyes bright in excitment. "You speak Italian?"

Meredith nodded, leaning back in her chair. "I'm not as good as you are, I'm assuming. It seems like your first language with how easy and fast you spoke. I have to think about it some, but yeah, I speak it. How did you think I slept around in Italy so well?"

Eleanora laughed, but the room went tense when the door swung open to reveal one of Cristina's interns. Eleanora perked up, her entire being hopeful.

"He said Karev." Ryan breathed out, groans and noises of disbelief filling the room. Alex punched the air, a smug smirk on his face.

"Yes!"

Eleanora sighed, curling in on herself. "Dammit." She mumbled, but George didn't believe it one bit. He made a face, his voice pitchy and full of disbelief.

"Are you sure?" Ryan nodded, Izzie joining in this time.

"You're -sure?"

At this, Ryan faltered, and Eleanora perked up again, a bright smile on her face. "You're totally not sure-sure, which means it might not be Alex! I still totally have a chance, !"

Ryan made a noise before darting out of the room, probably going to double check. Max snorted, letting his eyes fall on Alex for a moment.

"The people deciding must have seen how much of a he is." His voice is low enough to where only Eleanora and George hear. Eleanora smacks blindly behind her, and George just snorts into his hand.

Another intern runs in, her voice excited. "Stevens! He said Stevens!"

Eleanora raised a brow, not really believing it. "Really? Are you absolutely 100% positive?"

"Yeah, which is it, Moron, Stevens or Karev?" Alex snapped, the interns face falling as she stumbles out of the room.

"This is stupid." Cristina states, stirring her coffee from behind everyone. They all turn to face her, listening. "You guys are gonna trust these imbeciles to tell you who's getting the solo surgery?"

"Is this hard for you, being banned from the solo surgery? It must be really hard for you." Izzie's voice is bitchy, and Eleanora watches as she turns to smirk at the empty space beside her. Pushing the odd movement aside, Eleanora felt the protectiveness over Cristina and her severe competitiveness mix, her voice sickly sweet.

"Well, Iz, is it hard for you seeing this years interns make a mistake so similar to the one you made and not get in as much trouble?"

The residents outside of their group all let out 'ooo's, and her friends looked between the two. Alex glared at Eleanora, George just shaking his head. Cristina gave her a thankful smile and Meredith sighed. Izzie gave Eleanora a hurt look but kept her mouth shut, turning to the empty spot beside her again.

Max leaned forward to his sister, his voice a horrible example of a stage whisper. "What did she do to deserve your mean voice, Ella?"

Before she could answer him, Meredith spoke up, trying to ease the tension in the room. "The Chief may change his mind about the ban. He's been known to change his mind."