13.02

"Come on, it's a good idea." Helena insisted, bouncing on her toes, as she stood by Amelia, in the elevator. "Dinner makes people happy, meaning it's likely to go well. If there's one thing that portuguese culture teaches you is that good food equals happiness."

"Uh, I don't know about that. The last dinner party I threw was that time I met Penny Blake." Amelia tilted her head.

"Ok, but that was a bigger thing. This is... well, it's just us having a nice dinner at my place with Meredith and Maggie to tell them about us. It's not a big deal. Casual clothing, only the four of us... it's barely even a dinner party." Helena argued.

"Fine, you're right." The neurosurgeon agreed, as the elevator doors pinged open. "But, for the record, there will be dinner and other people. You throwing a dinner party."

As Riggs entered the elevator, he let out. "Oh, you're having a dinner party, Helena?"

At that, the small girl opened and closed her mouth, turning to look at Amelia, before letting out. "W-well, it's not really a dinner party, as much as a... casual dinner with friends?"

"I make a whitebait fritter that's out of this world." The man suggested. "I could bring some, if you want."

Sharing a look, the couple searched for an answer, before Helena let out. "I- sure! I'll- we'll see you there."

"Great." Riggs smiled, looking incredibly satisfied, as the elevator doors opened to the ER floor.

The two women walking out of the elevator, Amelia whispered to Helena. "Seriously? What happened to the 'casual clothing, just the four of us, not a big deal' thing?!"

"What was I supposed to say?!" Helena almost yelped. ""

——

"Dr. C, this is Zach Thompson. Six months post-renal transplant, complaining of abdominal pain." Jo presented, as Helena walked to one of the ER beds, still putting her gloves on.

"I know the history." Helena smiled at the resident. "Zach and I go way back, don't we, buddy?"

"Dr. Helena." He smiled.

"Hey, Zach, Reena." She greeted the mother and child. "As much as I enjoy your company, can't say I like having to see you guys here again."

"Yeah." The mother let out.

"Zach, I'm going to check your stomach now, if that's ok with you." Helena announced, the little boy nodding.

It wasn't common practice to announce an abdominal exam with patients, children and adults alike, but the doctor made it a habit. She found it not only made the patients more comfortable but also helped identify any red flags with children.

"When did the pain start?" She asked, as she did her exam.

"This morning. It came on kind of gradually. I got scared, his kidney is so new, and I worry." The mom explained.

"Ow." The child let out, as the doctor palpated his abdomen.

"Sorry, buddy." Helena let out, scrunching up her nose, apologetically.

"No, I'm fine." He nodded, his eyes wide with worry. "Don't make me give my kidney back."

"Ok, Zach. I think I'm going to have to run a few tests, so I'll need you to be brave." The doctor spoke to him, as she put his shirt back down. "Remember what we say? No matter how scary it gets..."

"Nothing's as bad as broccoli." He finished, as Jo let out a chuckle, behind the attending.

"Nothing's as bad as broccoli." Helena smiled.

——

"Hey, I though you had Alex's thing this morning." Maggie told Meredith and Helena, as they walked down the hallway.

"Uh, we do." The shorter girl told her.

"We are keeping our heads up. We're working." Meredith agreed.

"Do you two want to come over for dinner, around eight?" The peds surgeon offered. "Amelia's coming and I'll be cooking, just a casual thing. I might have accidentally invited Riggs, too, but besides that it'll be just us."

"Sure." Meredith nodded. "Your baby sitter at my place, for all the kids?"

"Deal." Helena nodded.

"Uh, yes, I'll be there. About Riggs, it happened again last night." Maggie lowered her tone. "Riggs walked me to my car. And we said good night. And then he took me in the parking lot... over and over again."

"That's the third time this week." Helena smiled, amused.

"In the parking lot? No." Meredith told her. At that, Helena had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from chuckling.

"I should just ask him out." Maggie suggested, as they arrived at the nurses station. As Helena bent over the counter to grab her tablet, with a smile to the nurses, she continued. "I know. I'm his boss. What if I ask him and he says no, or it comes off as some gross sexual harassment...?"

"Which, and let's emphasize it, is the only of sexual harassment." Helena added, as she logged onto her tablet. "But proceed."

"But what if I don't ask him? I'm just gonna wait around for my life to happen? Just wait for my big love? You've both had yours. I want mine." The cardio surgeon let out, almost pouting. "So I am acting like a grown-ass woman and I am asking him out...?"

"Was that a question mark?" Meredith lifted her brows.

"No. Unless you think that it be a question mark." Shaking her head, Maggie decided, before walking away. "This is happening. I'm doing this. This is definitely happening."

As they found themselves alone, Helena let out, highly amused. "You really want to judge her for dreaming about with Riggs?"

At that, Meredith narrowed her eyes, before letting out a gasp. "What do you know?"

"See, this is a fairly big hospital, meaning there are a considerable amount of people going in and out at any given time." The shorter girl explained, as they started down the hallway. "And seeing as I am friends with quite a lot of the staff, you know, sometimes things come up. Like, who came out of whose car still buttoning their shirt last week..."