#18x15

“So Grey is leaving?” Qadri asks feeling panicked over her idol no longer working here.

“It was unclear she barely let Grey get a word in.”

“Wait she slept with a married attending?” Parker asks his mouth full of apple, “I thought she was with Dr. Shepherd back then?”

“She was married to him.” Helm clears up.

“Wait was she married to Dr. Shepherd when she slept with a married attending?” Qadri asks lost, “And how does Addison Forbes Montgomery fit here?”

“I heard there might have been a foursome involved.” Parker dishes out the rumor he heard.

“What are we talking about?” Amber DeLuca nee Karev asks as she sits down with her classmates placing her tray of salad and green juice on the table, “Is this about Schmitt’s mom? Any word?”

“She’s stable.” Casey informs her, “But that’s not what we’re talking about. Helm was just telling us about the knife the Chief pulled from her own back and stabbed into Grey’s. Repeatedly and unmercifully.”

Helm explains to Amber who munches on her dry salad, “Grey might be going to Minnesota and Bailey yelled at her and brought up her dead husband in her cruel tirade which caused Grey to yell back and Bailey to possibly have a heart attack.”

Amber pauses her chewing, “…That is a lot of information to digest along with leafy greens.”

“Try keeping up with nearly two decades of love stories in this hospital.” Qadri brings up sipping her juice, “Apparently according to the Chief in her smear campaign Grey was sleeping with a married attending when she was still a resident. I’m trying to remember if this was when she was married to Derek Shepherd and when Addison Montgomery entered the picture. I need a timeline chart just to keep up.”

“Well lucky for you kids I’m related to someone who was here while American Idol was popular and who loves to recount his golden intern years even when I don’t ask for it.” Amber sips her green juice, “The married attending Grey slept with when she was an intern was Dr. Shepherd.”

Qadri nods understanding now, “That makes sense. Wait I thought he was married to her?”

“That was later.” Amber leans back setting herself up for Storytime, “But when they first met and slept together, he was married to Addison Montgomery.”

“So, she cheated with a married man?” Parker asks growing more intrigued.

“They were separated at the time, and she didn’t know at first.”

“Wait at first?” Qadri asks with wide eyes, “So she slept with him knowing he was married? We’re he and Montgomery separated by then?”

Amber purses her lips feeling like an interloper divulging other people’s stories, “…They were working on things that ended when he and Grey had sex at this very hospital.”

Parker’s eyes widen, “Wow. My respect for Grey just depleted, not as a surgeon but as a person.”

“It’s not always black and white Casey.” Taryn defends her hero, “Besides if you heard half the things Bailey told her you would agree that she doesn’t deserve that level of shame thrown at her for something that happened like a million years ago.”

“It’s true.” Qadri supports Helm and Grey, “And besides it takes two to tango or in this case cheat. Derek Shepherd made his vows, and he broke them. Also, he was an attending and slept with an intern. Both events don’t say well about him as a husband or a superior. I don’t see you shunning his legend status.”

“To be fair he’s dead.” Amber brings up that quiets Qadri who looks down awkwardly, “And he’s not here during a time when superiors dating their subordinates is frowned upon and made into a meme or HR complaint. I can’t imagine how the accreditation council would be with him in a sit down. Like today they Clockwork Orange Andrew for our relationship which is just ridiculous.”

Helm scoffs with a mocking smile, “Of course you think it’s ridiculous you’re trying to have a baby with your attending husband.”

“That is different.” Amber defends her marriage with a glare.

“Your husband is your boss.” Casey points out popping another apple slice into his mouth.

Qadri nods in agreement, “Sorry Amber but you know what they say tomato tomahto.”

“No tomato, no tomahto.” Amber proclaims offended, “I was an intern, he was a resident when we met and started dating, it’s like a high school freshman dating a sophomore. Neither of us were married to other people, and the sex is very consensual.”

“Okay.” Helm says in disgust while Amber continues.

“Like super consensual, so consensual it might actually be stamped as inappropriate.”

“We get it.” Qadri responds in petty jealousy, “Your super-hot attending husband is super amazing in bed. Anyway, weren’t we talking about Grey and Bailey? There is no way Grey is gonna stick around if it that fight was as bad as Taryn makes it out to be.”

“It really was.” Taryn recounts traumatized, “I think I was close to having a cardiac event until the Chief had one.”

“We’re doomed.” Qadri whimpers, “Grey is leaving, the program is gonna be shut down, we’re gonna be out of jobs and the chief might be dying. And I thought 2020 was over.”

“Odds are it was probably a panic attack not a heart attack.” Amber comforts her friend, “She’ll come back from that believe me I have.”

“Do you think Grey’s gonna stay even after all of that?” Helm asks scared for the future.

Amber swallows her juice just as Alex Karev stands up from the table behind them to throw away his trash. He stops in place when he hears Amber mention his best friend.

“Meredith Grey has been here since intern year.” Amber answers, “Nobody stays in their place of residency forever it’s a fact. And hearing your boss basically call you a disloyal little cheater and bring up your dead husband probably had Grey sign her resignation if she hasn’t already.”

“What did you say?” Alex asks his sister moving closer still holding his empty tray with a surprised look from her recap of how his long-time boss allegedly treated his best friend.

Amber jumps up slightly and turns with an exhale, “I swear we should put a bell on you.”

“What we’re you just saying about the Chief and Grey?” Alex asks again this time with an angry frown and narrow eyes, “What did Bailey say to her?”

“Um we were just talking about what Helm heard Bailey say or yell to Grey about an hour ago after the xenotransplant. I don’t know what-”

“Hellmouth.” Alex turns his stone-cold expression towards Taryn who looks up slightly scared but keeps calm, “Tell me word for word what Chief Bailey just said to Meredith Grey.”

The residents look at each other in worry over this man who usually appears calm act cold and confrontational. Alex waits for Helm’s response doing his best to keep the growing rage in him from coming out.

That Night

Alex Karev stands by the nurse’s station in his casual wear after work. He is waiting for the accreditation council to leave the conference room so Bailey can be alone, and he can have a private word with her about what she said to Meredith. After hearing Helm’s rough transcript of the fight between his boss and best friend, Alex made it his mission to set Bailey straight in her tirade.

When he offered to be Meredith’s person after Cristina left, Alex was annoyed at what that entailed at first but now he knows defending Meredith even to Bailey is what she needs and what Yang would do. Now he can’t imagine reacting any differently when his best friend is disrespected despite all the sacrifices and success she brought to the hospital.

“Hey, are you ready to go home?”, His wife Jo Karev approaches him with their daughter, Luna Karev, in the stroller, “I could use a night of relaxation after the disrespect I got from the council of pencil pushers for choosing to throw away 8 years of training to bring life into this world and have a better mental state.”

“Well if it makes you feel better Meredith got first place in being disrespected from the very person who trained us from the beginning.” Alex recounts still frustrated with his eyes still peeled to the conference room, “And it was after she brought a groundbreaking surgery to our doorstep to impress the council of pencil pushers but that didn’t matter to Bailey because she yelled at Meredith and brought up her dead husband.”

“Wait what?” Jo asks in shock, “She did that?”

The council leaves the room with Alex seeing Bailey still sitting at the table, “I’ll tell you later right now I gotta speak for Meredith because she is not gonna do it herself.”

Jo sighs seeing she can’t talk him out of this, “I’ll look into selling items on eBay in case you get fired again.”

Alex marches into the conference room closing the door behind him and standing behind Bailey, “We need to talk.”

“Not now Karev.” Bailey tells him rubbing her eyes exhausted, “I have got enough problems as it is I don’t need you piling it on.”

“It’s about Meredith.”

Bailey groans making the wrong assumption, “Let me guess you’re mad at her too because you just found out she might be leaving us in the worst time possible just when the accreditation council came to review us?”

“Oh I’m mad.” Alex confirms with a sharp tone.

Bailey turns to face him rubbing her tired eyes, “I can tell believe me that girl literally almost gave me another heart attack.”

“I’m mad at you.” Alex corrects Bailey who opens her eyes looking at him surprised as he continues in a cold, angry tone, “Meredith Grey has been there for you at every turn. And I’m not just talking professionally, I mean personally with your miscarriage and when your mother died-”

“I know.” Bailey interrupts with a glare of hurt that he’s bringing up her horrible trauma.

“And for the past two years she has been trying to help with the backlog while helping David Hamilton with his research. She brought a pig kidney transplant into your OR because she knew that would impress the hell out of the council. And how do you repay her after that groundbreaking operation? You call her disloyal and selfish for possibly considering a job offer she is torn about because she is loyal to you and Webber!”

“I am here trying to hold this program together with tape while it’s falling apart!” Bailey defends herself, “She is leaving us while that is happening in the middle of an increasing physician shortage!”

“None of that is her fault!” Alex reminds Bailey, “Meredith didn’t cause a pandemic to happen, she didn’t cause surgeons to quit from exhaustion or die from a virus, she is not the reason the medical community is falling apart, and her staying isn’t gonna miraculously save it in one go!”

“I know that!”

“You know that and yet you repay her respect with jabs and cruelty that involved making fun of her dead husband!” Alex reminds Bailey that stops her as her anger slowly forms to shame, “Her husband who you were friends with and cried when he died and yet you used him in a tornado of insults to hurt Meredith? Congratulations it worked!”

Alex inhales deeply stepping away from Bailey before facing her again, “You and Webber and this place raised her but let me remind you she has just as much scars from here as success, more in fact. She almost died here 6 times, first time she was almost blown up, second time she drowned, third time she was almost shot by a lunatic, fourth time she was in a plane crash that killed her sister.” Bailey looks down in remorse at this dark recap, “Fifth time she was attacked by a patient and sixth most recent time was from covid.”

“I know all of this I was there.” Bailey reminds Alex as she grows more tormented.

“She is conflicted about going to Minnesota full time because she is loyal to you even after you fired her and slandered her in front of the medical board not caring if her license gets taken away for trying to help a little girl get the surgery she needs to save her life. And despite all of that she came back when you asked her to. If it was anyone else, anyone else in her position they would leave and ask you to lose their number but not her even though she could get a job anywhere. She stayed and said yes because she loves you too much to let what you said get to her even though it almost made her lose her license.”

Alex inhales before continuing, “If she wants to leave that is her decision, it’s not yours and it certainly doesn’t warrant you to barge in and verbally attack her and a man who came to help you even though he doesn’t owe you crap. Cristina left, Izzie left, Callie left, Avery, Kepner, Robbins they all left for better things, and you didn’t go off on them like you just did to Meredith. She stayed and she helped you for almost 20 years, she has earned the right to leave, and she has more than earned your respect you have just shown you are clearly incapable of giving her.”

Bailey looks up at the ceiling now fully ashamed of herself as Alex finishes, “Even now after the crap you gave her, she respects you too much to confront you, but I don’t. I don’t respect anyone who tries to hurt my family even if it’s you Bailey. So, I am here to tell you to make things right with Meredith, not so you can keep her here against her will but so that she doesn’t leave feeling like the family she has chosen sees her less than what she is. That’s all.”

Alex leaves the room slamming the door behind him. He exhales heavily, feeling the rage finally leave his body. The pediatric surgeon shakes off the last of his anger before calmly walking towards his family who are still by the nurses station waiting for him.

“Now we can go home.” Alex takes the stroller from Jo pushing Luna as they walk down the hall.

Jo grins proud of her husband for standing up for the people he loves and makes it known, “Have I told you, you’re awesome?”

“Not recently.” Alex tells her with a grin his troubles already forgotten, “Why?”

“The way you got all papa bear with the chief just now.” Jo tells him with a smile looping her arm around his, “Most people would find it scary, but I find it hot especially since we became parents.”

“Believe me it felt less hot when I did it.” Alex states brooding, “But when Meredith has a bad day or someone thinks she deserves being kicked around I think about what Yang would do. And then I would find a way to tame it down so there would be less bloodshed.”

Jo chuckles, “Well believe me that wasn’t tame enough. But I’m still proud of you for what you did. You stand up for the people you love, it’s what makes you a great man, a great husband and an even greater father. I can almost hear Luna’s future prospects peeing their pants when you put the fear of god in them.”

“You better because this little girl is not going out on dates until she’s at least 30.” Alex declares as a protective father.

“I wouldn’t hold your breath.” Jo tells him with a smile, “She is your daughter after all.”

Alex groans at that reminder already seeing trouble ahead of him once Luna starts dating. Jo chuckles kissing his cheek and holding his arm as they continue to walk down the hall ready to head home and rest.

The Next Morning

Alex enters the attending’s lounge carrying a cup of coffee from the kiosk ready to start the day while Jo and Luna are at home on her day off. When he heard word that the residency program was on probation Alex could already foresee problems piling high for the hospital and residents jumping ship in response. As mad he is at Bailey, he doesn’t want to see the program that trained him crumble to the ground if he can help it.

“Please tell me it’s just another very false rumor.” Meredith asks in slight horror entering the room, “Please tell me you didn’t tell Bailey off in my stead after she almost had a heart attack!”

“It was a panic attack.” Alex corrects rolling his eyes at her overdramatic statement.

“You told her off and you implicated me in your suicide attempt!” Meredith exclaims in a low voice, “She is stressed, she is overworked not to mention she is at high risk for another MI.”

“I don’t care about Bailey’s heart.” Alex tells his friend who glares at him, “I mean obviously I care about Bailey’s heart but regardless it doesn’t excuse her insulting you after all you’ve done to help her and it certainly doesn’t make it okay for her to bring your dead husband into her mock storm. Why aren’t you mad at her?”

“I am!” Meredith tells him frustrated, “I don’t like her at this moment, but I do love her, and I don’t want her to die because-”

“Because of a decision that’s your entirely.” Alex points out quieting Meredith, “Your decision, not Webber, not Bailey’s and not Catherine’s, it’s yours. It’s your decision to leave like so many of the residents in our class have without being shamed by people who’s respect you have more than earned by now.”

“The residency program is on probation.” Meredith reminds him blankly, “This hospital has backlogs up to the tip of your hair, surgeons are quitting left and right, residents are going to leave in a panic. It is not the right time for me to even consider leaving Bailey and Webber to handle that mess on their own.”

“And you have the answers to all of the problems in the entire world that’s causing surgeons to quit and surgeries to get canceled?” Alex asks sarcastically causing Meredith to frown and sit at the table, “Because if you do, I am gonna have to bow down and kiss your feet for the rest of my life.”

“This isn’t funny.”

“And I’m not being funny right now.” Alex stands in front of Meredith to face her looking down at her, “This place is falling apart with you here and it will still fall apart when you leave. It’s not me being mean it’s me being realistic, there’s no guarantee you can save this place all on your own if you stay.”

Meredith’s eyes soften at this reminder from her best friend who continues, “Mer you’re an extraordinary doctor everyone knows that and it’s not a surprise all of them are mad that you’re leaving but your one surgeon. This damn crisis that covid started is gonna take a lot more than one surgeon to fix and it doesn’t fall on your shoulders. This hospital, the program is not your problem to solve it’s Bailey’s and Webber’s and Catherine’s and they should all know that by now and so should you.”

His best friend sighs at this feeling the guilt leave her body slowly, “It’s okay for you to leave, you have the right to leave, you have earned the right to leave. This hospital survived long before you came, and it’ll survive long after you’re gone. Bailey should know that instead of bringing you down for something that is entirely up to you.”

Meredith looks at Alex imploringly, “How are you not mad that I might be leaving? Everybody else is and they aren’t gonna be the last in their residency class here and be left without a best friend to set them straight when they’re being a jackass.”

Alex chuckles at this, “Mer I’m not that arrogant, misogynistic resident who pushed everyone away and you’re not that gloomy, self-destructive resident who fixes other people’s problems to avoid your own. We’re grown up and we’re better. We’ve worked, we’ve run entire floors, we’ve researched, hell you’ve won awards for this place. And if Bailey can’t see that then you should leave and find people who see you for who you are not for what you’ve grown out of.”

Meredith looks thoughtful at this reminder of what she herself thinks after Bailey’s tirade, “We’ll be fine without you here, and I’ll be fine. I won’t like it, and I’ll miss the hell out of you, but I’ll support you if this is something you truly want. It’s why I stood up for you because if I can see that then so should the rest of them, it’s the least you deserve.”

Meredith grins at this support that she has been deprived of for the last 24 hours with Alex grinning back happy to see his pep talk is working.

“And if you’re worried about me returning to my Evil Spawn days just remember I got a wife and little girl to set me straight now. I have a family and a life now I didn’t think I could ever have until you saw the best in me that I didn’t even see in myself. I’m finally exactly where I should be and it’s thanks to you and Jo. You and Jo made me a better person, a kinder person, someone who deserves all the love I didn’t have growing up and that has earned you a seal of approval to leave from me. I’ll be fine here on my own, you made sure of that.”

Meredith has tears glistening in her eyes as she realizes she is going to miss Alex the most, “I’m never gonna see you again.”

“You’re going to Minnesota Mer, not Mars.” Alex reminds her with a grin, “We’ll text and skype, and we can visit you around the holidays. Our kids will love the snow, and we can see which family makes the best snowman.”

“I grew up in Boston your gonna regret that proposal.” Meredith says with a smile, “What am I gonna do without you? You’re my person.”

“You’re a force of freaking nature.” Alex compliments, “You’re your own person. You don’t need my permission, or Bailey’s or Webber’s, you’ve never needed anyone and you know it. Why else are you leaning towards Minnesota and Nick? You know it’s what you’ve earned for yourself and deep down I think you know you don’t need anyone’s permission to leave. If you didn’t you wouldn’t have stood up for yourself and Nick against Bailey, Bailey, that says enough on your decision. And don’t try to convince me otherwise.”

Meredith looks at Alex in awe, “Who knew Evil Spawn would come to my defense when everyone else is against me?”

Alex chuckles petting her head like old times, “Somebody’s gotta have your back one last time.”

Meredith grins, “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Alex goes to the bathroom to change while Meredith smiles at her best friend supporting her when she needs it the most. She thinks back to the first time they met and is wonderstruck by how much they’ve grown as people and friends.

She knows she doesn’t need him but that doesn’t mean she wants a life where he’s not in it even if she’s halfway across the country. His permission isn’t something she needs but it’s something that makes her feel less guilty for wanting to leave.