13.08

"You suspended Meredith." Helena stated, sitting in front of Bailey, in her office.

"I did." She nodded, putting down the pen she'd been using, sitting behind her desk.

"You suspended Meredith, and now you're asking for my help? You're asking me to help get the attendings to cooperate with Minnick?" She furrowed her brows, in disbelief.

"I... I am, yes." She exhaled.

"No!" She let out, almost a bit annoyed. "You suspended Meredith! You suspended her for backing Webber!"

"I didn't suspend her for ." Miranda corrected, with a sigh. "I suspended her for refusing to let Minnick into her OR. I had to make an example of it."

"Oh, come on." Helena tilted her head. "You needed to have known this was going to be a hard transition."

"So help me make it easier!" Bailey almost pleaded, placing her hands in front of her. "Look, I know you don't disagree with Minnick's method. You've been letting her into OR. All I'm asking is that you get the others to do the same. People like you, they listen to you. If you ask them to do it, they will."

"No." Helena simply shrugged. "No, I won't do that. And, yes, I think Minnick's method could have worked. , if it had been implemented in a different way. Now, it's too late. It's not happening. I mean, come on, we both know that the problem here isn't that you want us to try a new teaching method, it's how you handled the whole situation."

"I'm sorry?" Bailey's eyes widened at the insinuation.

"Look, I'm not trying to point any fingers, Bailey." The younger doctor sighed, attempting to explain herself. "I'm just saying that if you had made the transition more gradual, it could have worked. If you had gotten Minnick to work Webber, instead of having her take over. If you'd talked to Richard about him stepping down before he had to find out through his substitute. If you'd managed to find a middle ground between the two methods, because, sure, let's make our teaching more hands on, but we also can't throw the residents to the wolves and expect them to come back leading the pack! Then, it have worked. Now, it's too late. Because even if you apologize and try to reinstate Richard, alongside Eliza, there's no way they'd agree to work together. Richard is too offended and Eliza is feeling antagonized. And it's not fair on anyone. It's not fair on Richard, who you, and I'm telling you this as a friend, seriously disrespected. It's not fair on Eliza, who's job is being made so much harder. It's not fair on the residents, that are missing out on what could have been a great new method. And it's certainly not fair on Meredith Grey, who you suspended for taking a stand!"

At that, Bailey nodded slowly, almost taking in the information. Looking at her, Helena could tell she understood what she meant. She knew Bailey regretted how she'd handled the situation.

What she also knew was that Bailey was not going to go back on her decision. She wouldn't risk being discredited, not after having fought so hard to become Chief. Not unless she had run out of options.

So, as Bailey looked back at Helena, her eyes were filled with determination once again. "So you're saying you won't help me?"

"I am sorry, and you know I love you. But this is not the way to go about this." The pediatric surgeon bit the inside of her cheek. "So, yes, I am. I'm saying I won't help you. Not like this."

"Even after your coworker was suspended for this sort of insubordination?" Bailey's eyes hardened, as she lifted her chin slightly.

At that, Helena understood. This was no longer a conversation between friends. It was a conversation between a boss, desperate to make a new approach work, and her subordinate.

"It is not insubordination, Chief Bailey. Not when you are asking me to do something outside the scope of my obligations, as a surgeon. It is not insubordination, so to suspend me for it would be considered unfair dismissal." Helena stated, growing more serious, her tone now devoid of its usual kindness. "Besides, it would not be smart to suspend me. Not when I am one of the only attendings that seem to even to cooperate, not when, and you said it yourself, people listen to me. So, no, I will not help you. And I trust that you understand that it's not in your interest to suspend me." The girl got up, giving Bailey a short smile. "Have a good day, Chief."

——

"Oh." Helena let out, her eyes going wide as she stopped in front of a trauma room, next to Arizona, Jackson and Webber. "What happened here?"

"Neighbor said she was putting razor wire on the fence around her place. Fell of the ladder and got tangled." The older man told her.

"Who needs razor wire? What's wrong with people?" Arizona scrunched up her face.

"Every time she moved, she injured herself more." Webber explained again.

"She's lucky she didn't sever her aorta." Helena muttered.

"Hey." April ran up to them, whispering. "Word is, Bailey just took Grey out."

"They fired her?!" Jackson asked.

"Suspended." Helena shook her head, correcting.

"We sent a message. Bailey sent one back..." Richard muttered. "She took out our power hitter."

"What makes Grey our power hitter?" The redhead asked.

"She was one of the people we didn't think Bailey would ever take out."

"Yeah, I'm just saying we're all pretty powerful hitters here." April shrugged.

"Look at the hospital name. Grey seems untouchable." Richard argued back.

"Well, I mean, we're talking about big names and power hitter, then..." Jackson crossed his arms, making Helena smile in amusement. "I'm just saying."

"Look, Bailey's... you guys are discrediting her, by not embracing the new method. She's gonna do what she can to make sure that doesn't happen." Helena shrugged. "I mean, she just called me to her office for help, a couple hours ago."

"She did?" Arizona furrowed her brows.

"She wanted me to try and convince you guys to let Minnick into your ORs." She nodded.

"What did you say?" Richard crossed his arms, defensively.

"I said no." She lifted up her hands, almost as if to claim her innocence. "Come on, Richard, you know where I stand here. I think Bailey did you dirty, I thinks he disrespected you, by benching you and then having you find out through Minnick. I do. I also don't think she did it on purpose, and I certainly don't think Minnick's method is terrible. I think it could have worked, you had worked together with her. That's why I'm not going to get in her way. It doesn't mean I don't understand where coming from, though. And I'm certainly not going to discourage it, just because I'm trying to be professional. Bailey can threaten to suspend me all she wants..." The attending sighed, rolling her eyes.