Chapter 18.

Bailey with her interns.

Bailey rants, "Dummies on bicycles committing suicide. Natural selection is what it is."

Karev quietly to George: "So what's up with the Nazi? Has she stopped taking her meds?"

George asks, "You've never heard of race?"

Webber, Burke, and Shepherd look at a nice, neat OR schedule in front of them.

Webber: "Excellent board. Timely, balanced, efficient. If all goes well, we'll go to bed early."

Bailey yells to the chiefs, "Chief! The dead baby bike race started twenty minutes ago."

Webber yells back to everyone, "All right, people! Dead baby bike race day!"

The intern deletes the schedule. The others were discussing the illegal race as we put on the protection.

Bailey interrupts, "I need someone to come up to the OR floor; the chief needs a right hand."

Everyone's hands go up.

"Alexander," he says, pointing to me.

< --- >

"Dr. Webber, I've been told to assist you," I tell the doctor who is preparing for surgery.

"I need you to take care of my patients, Alexander," he says with a straight face.

"Yes, sir," I say, then walk out of the room.

"Oh, a partner of mine in 4451, Lloyd Mackie? Give him whatever he needs," Webber adds.

Webber's patient was an older man who had been a patient for 30 years, waiting for a liver. After a conversation with the patient and checking various things, I go to get something to eat until the three female musketeers show up to interrupt me.

"But without my colleagues, what are you looking for me for?" I ask them while they stare at me. "Cut the crap," I say when I see their faces.

"Is your patient's liver compatible with that of the unidentified one?" Meredith asks me.

"If you already know the answer, why ask me? I'll take it from here," I tell them.

< --- >

"Dr. Webber, I have a donor for your patient," I say to my 'boss.'

"Really? Who?" he asks excitedly.

"He's in a coma, Dr. Burke's patient. Do you want me to handle the consents?" I comment.

"Yes, you do that. Good job, Alex," he replies gratefully.

After a rather stiff conversation with the donor patient's family on Bailey's watch, we leave the room.

"Well done, Dr. Bilt. Tactful but with clarity, that's the way I like it," the doctor says to me.

"Thank you very much, doctor," I say until an angry Cristina approaches.

"You took it away from me!" Cristina yells at me.

"When you want to manipulate me, do it better. I hope it teaches you a lesson," I tell her to her face without flinching.

After this, the next morning, we had the transplant where I helped Dr. Webber. As I finish, I see Izzie in the donor room. I walk in and look at her.

"What are you doing, Izzie, standing there?" I ask her.

"I want to stitch you up for your family," she tells me. I had already had the original hope that she would get better.

"Let me help you," I say as I grab some gloves and suturing material.

< --- >

Weeks went by. I was like a fish in water, doing what I was ordered to do, assisting in surgeries, until one day the wonderful Dr. Grey makes a mistake that could hurt many.

I walk into Dr. Webber's office.

"Richard, I'm here as the owner of this damn hospital. What the hell happened, and why don't I see Dr. Burke and Dr. Grey crying for forgiveness?"

"We are investigating, Alexander. We are going to have a meeting with the lawyer and those involved."

"A towel on a patient for 5 years and a cut straight to the heart, that doesn't wait until this afternoon. I want them now," I say as I sit at the back of the room, clenching my fist in anger.

They enter one by one, first the lawyer and then the others.

"What are you doing here?" Meredith asks, looking at me in surprise.

"Shut up and sit down," I say angrily.

Meredith looks at me with confusion, and the meeting begins.

Meredith begins, "I have done a lot of research on this, and Dr. Burke has been kind enough to help me. And I understand my responsibility and what I have done wrong here. However, I think the patient's history is important in this case. She still weighs 200 pounds, so no one noticed, but with that kind of weight loss, no matter how much you weigh, you're technically anorexic."

Burke continues, "So, along with all that fat, she was losing muscle, heart muscle."

Webber responds, "That certainly could be a reason for a little bump to turn into a big tear."

The lawyer argues, "That still doesn't change the fact that Dr. Grey didn't report the small bump at the time of the event."

Meredith says ruefully, "And if I could change that..."

Counsel continues, "And you can't, but you've left yourself and the hospital with a huge liability."

"No, not if the patient's weight loss caused the problem," Burke defends himself.

The lawyer says, "I'm sorry. I have no choice here."

"I've talked to the husband, and I believe that as long as his wife remains stable—"

The lawyer interrupts, "I can't take your beliefs to the bank, Dr. Burke. Dr. Grey made a big mistake."

Burke continues, "And she reported it."

Counsel responds, "Too late. And in front of the patient's husband."

Burke argues with feeling, "But she reported it. She talked." (pause) "Five years ago, as a CT fellow, I had the nagging feeling that I didn't check a lung patient's body cavity closely enough before closing. The patient seemed fine after the operation, and I was in a hurry. And yesterday, you and Dr. Bailey pulled a towel out from under that patient's lung. Why didn't I report it in a timely manner? Maybe because I was afraid of being called to a meeting where the fear of liability from some hospital lawyer could end my career. Even great doctors make mistakes. And when we do, we must have the opportunity to be able to speak up without fear of reprisal. Or everyone suffers. Dr. Grey spoke up."

"Stop it. Stop the sentimentality. No matter how good you are and how much of an expert you are, you make a mistake, and it says so right away. What you say doesn't stand up in court, and you know it. It's going to cost us millions. This is reality. You play with a patient's life; if you make a mistake, be prepared for the consequences. This risk earns you thousands of dollars in the bank every day. I don't see you complaining," I say angrily.

"And who do you think you are?" Burke says to me, looking like he wants to hit me.

"The fucking owner of this hospital," I reply more strongly.

They all look at me, then look at Richard Webber, and he nods.

"For a first time, Grey, a month's probation. Burke, a month with no salary and no operating on anyone," he says.

"By the way, what I just said, I don't want anyone else in this room to know. Now everybody out."

When everyone leaves, I am left alone with Webber.

"I've seen you falter after Dr. Wonder Doctor's little speech. Don't let your feelings eat at you, Richard. You're still the Chief," I tell him seriously.

"You're right, but it looks like your cover is blown. What are you going to do?" he asks me.

"Deal with the consequences."