chapter fifty-nine ━ do you want to buy a hospital?
( season nine, episode sixteen )

❝You could never disappoint
him.❞

"MY MOTHER WANTS me to move to Boston."

Ellie choked on her coffee. She and the rest of the group had been sitting in the lobby of the first of many businesses that they were going to that day when her phone rang.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, coughing and ignoring Derek's confused look. "She wants you to what?"

"She says that the hospital is like a sinking ship and that means it's time for me to go back to Boston," he replied and she raised her eyebrows. "She mentioned you, too."

"Me?" she repeated, shaking her head. "Jackson, I don't want to go to Boston."

"Well, neither do I, but she likes you," he said and she sighed, resting her head on her hand. "She's just looking out for you. What exactly are you guys all doing?"

Ellie paused. "We're... trying to find a solution for the hospital situation. If there's something worth sharing, you'll be the first to know."

"Alright. Good luck. I love you."

"I love you more."

"Okay, so this time, I'll do the peds and trauma stuff first," Arizona said as Ellie hung up her phone and looked over at the group.

Derek nodded in agreement. "And then I will go into neuro."

"You should do the closing, too," Ellie told the man. "You're good at it."

Just then, the office receptionist they were sitting in walked over to them. "I'm sorry, it should be just a few more minutes." Ellie nodded reassuringly. "Can I get you any water or coffee?"

"No, we're fine, thank you."

"Coffee," Cristina said and they glanced over at her. "And a bagel or something." Arizona scoffed and the cardio surgeon shrugged. "What? I'm starving! This meeting was supposed to start half an hour ago..."

Ellie sighed. "He's a billionaire, Cristina."

Martha nodded. "One of his minutes is worth forty of yours."

"I can't believe we even got this meeting in the first place," Arizona added.

"Yeah, good job, Martha," Ellie told her with a smile. "You, too, Stan. But, you know, Martha's my girl."

He shrugged. "I don't mind. And I really believe that Julian Crest is our guy," Stan said to the group. "He made all his money in late-stage internet mobile. Medical tech is the one area he doesn't have a foothold."

"Exactly," Martha agreed with a nod. "Your focus on applied research... it's right up his alley."

Cristina sank in her seat with a frown. "Yeah, well, someone should buy him a watch," she muttered and Meredith chuckled lightly at her as she brought her phone up to her ear making Cristina and Ellie look at her. "Who are you calling?"

"Heather Brooks," Meredith replied and Cristina continued to stare back at her. "Mousy," she clarified.

Cristina nodded before pausing. "Wait. What are you doing?" she asked. "What happened to not talking to anyone?"

"We left patients behind," Meredith told her. "As much as I trust Richard, she's keeping an eye on them. And besides, I haven't said anything to her, just advice."

The receptionist returned with Cristina's bagel and coffee and looked around at the group. "We're all set if you'll follow me."

Once inside the conference room, they settled around the table and began their presentation. Cristina talked about cardio while Meredith discussed general. Arizona covered peds and trauma and Ellie's role was ortho as well as various research opportunities. Lastly, Derek finished with neurosurgery and ended with their conclusion.

"You are investing in an institution, a reputation, a legacy," he said. "But Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital is worth more than just its past. Our plan is to build on that reputation, to make Seattle Grace a place where medical innovation is developed and delivered to the patients who need it. That is our plan. That is the future of Seattle Grace. And we invite you to be a part of it."

Ellie glanced doubtfully over at the two men who sat on the other end of the table. They looked to be in their twenties. They looked at each other and nodded. "Neat. We'll—uh—let you know."

Following the meeting, the group stood outside of the building. "I thought you were taking us to Julian Crest," Derek said to Martha and Stan. "Not his daycare center."

Stan frowned. "You don't just walk in and talk to a guy like Julian Crest," he replied as though Derek had lost his mind. "There are hoops to jump through; those junior execs like us, and they pass us up to his business development guys. We impress them then we see the man himself." He turned to Martha. "Anything to add?"

She shook her head, clicking her tongue. "I think you covered it—and more."

Cristina nodded. "So, will they tell him about us before or after their nap time?" she asked him.

"You guys were golden in there," he told them and Ellie sighed. "There's no way you won't make it to the next level. We—" Martha cleared her throat and he glanced at her. "—I—am telling you that any second now, this phone is gonna ring."

Stan held up his phone and looked down at it. Ellie raised her eyebrows, pressing her lips together. "Well, this is awkward..."

"Really. Any second now." Ellie and Meredith shared an exasperated look as the silence continued. Soon, they'd be hearing crickets. She looked over when she heard the phone ring and Stan answered it, nodding at the words. "Yes, I understand."

"What are they saying?" Cristina asked in a whisper.

Stan turned away from them. "Yes, yes, I understand."

"Understand?" Derek repeated, furrowing his brows. "What do you understand?"

Ellie frowned and him on the shoulder. "Would you let the man finish his conversation?" she asked him. "Geez, he'll tell us when he knows."

"Thank you. Thank you very much for your time." Stan faced the group once he had finished the phone call. "You got the meeting."

"Really?" Ellie asked with a smile just as her phone began ringing. "Oh—sorry." She glanced down at the contact and separated herself from the group. "Jackson?"

"You need to call my mother," was the first thing he said and she furrowed her brows, opening her mouth. "Because, frankly, well, she listens to you more than she ever will to me. So, tell her that we're not going to Boston."

"I—" Ellie paused when she saw Derek waving her back to the group. "Okay, Jackie, I will, but I gotta go. We have another meeting to get to."

"Just tell me what you're planning," he said and she sighed. "I can help."

"I told you, we're trying to find a solution for the hospital," she replied. "But, I really need to go. Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you more."

☀️

"THIS WOULD RESTORE Seattle Grace Mercy West as the region's leader in adult and pediatric trauma medicine." Arizona smiled at the group of three in front of them. "Dr. Shepherd?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "We'll lead the way in neuroscience—a dedicated research institute for the advance of brain mapping, with applications to the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease—"

"May I stop you for a second?" one of the group members interrupted. "We would love to see a little bit more on the financials—income statements, profit projections, cash flow..."

"Your allocation of revenue—perspective payment for MS-DRGs versus Capitation Income?"

Ellie blinked slowly before clearing her throat. "Uh... Stan? Martha?"

Stan began digging through his briefcase. "Yeah—uh... We've got all that..." Cristina nodded. "...right here. Got it!"

He handed over the documents. "Marketing, customer retention plans—is there a trend study here—?" Martha passed along another folder, answering the woman's question.

Meredith, who was sitting beside Ellie, leaned closer toward her while they were watching the group across from them. "Do you think it'll work?" she whispered and Ellie shrugged.

"One second," the woman said, looking up from her phone. "I'm just running it by Mr. Crest." She set down the device and the room fell into an awkward silence. Meredith leaned back in her chair and Ellie coughed. Suddenly, the phone chimed from a text message and they looked over. "Mr. Crest apologizes, but he's leaving this evening for Dubai."

"Oh."

"Okay."

"Dubai," Cristina echoed.

The phone chimed once more and the woman looked down. "But..." Ellie raised her eyebrows. "He can make fifteen minutes for you this afternoon."

"Great."

"Thank you."

The group left the conference room and Ellie was smiling to herself. Once outside, her phone rang and Jackson's smiling contact picture filled her blue irises.

"You know, this is pretty freaky," she said, answering the call while her friends began talking to each other with hopeful expressions. "Are you a mind reader? Do you just happen to know when I finish—?"

"Ellie."

She paused, hearing his tone. "Jackson? You sound worried. What's wrong?" Derek heard her voice and stopped, turning to look at her.

"It's Cahill," Jackson replied and she furrowed her brows. "Brooks overheard the deal that she made with Pegasus."

"Okay...?"

"They're buying the hospital for parts," he continued making her sit down on a nearby bench. "Everyone is gonna be let go. It won't be a hospital anymore. I—It's over."

"But—it—"

"Ellie, there's nothing anyone can do," he interrupted and she ran a hand over her face. "The deal goes through in an hour. After that—"

"Seattle Grace Mercy West will no longer exist," she finished, holding her head in her hand and letting out a breath.

Arizona furrowed her brows at her words. "What?"

Ellie looked up and saw the group walking towards her. "Jackson, let me call you back. See if you can stall anything." Derek raised his eyebrows once she hung up. "Pegasus agreed to a deal."

"No."

"And... because of me, everybody is going to lose their jobs," she continued, biting her bottom lip. "Because of me and this stupid idea I had... our hospital will no longer be a hospital."

☀️

"THEY WERE JUST awarded millions of dollars, I'd quit, too."

"No, you wouldn't, and neither would they." Ellie had been walking in the direction of the hospital when she heard Jackson, Alex, and Richard talking outside. "They're not that kind of people."

Alex frowned and Ellie peaked around the pillar she was standing beside. "Oh, that's bull. They're exactly that kind of people."

"Ellie isn't that kind of people," Jackson countered, shaking his head. "She said they're planning something, I just don't know what."

"We do have a plan." They looked over when they heard her voice. She was standing in front of the pillar, playing with her fingers. "We have a plan. But now I don't know if it'll work. We didn't just quit to let you guys sink."

"Then tell us what you're planning," Jackson told her and she shook her head. "We can help. I can help."

"The more I share, the more people will hate me," she whispered, looking down. "This was all my dumb idea. I don't want you guys to hate me, too."

"We could never hate you," Alex said earnestly. "And that's saying something, I've hated a lot of people in my life. Just tell us—"

"Don't you get it?" she asked them, beginning to sound hysterical. "It's all my fault! Maybe Bailey was right... Maybe I should've just minded my own damn business and... All—All of those people in there... they're all going to be unemployed because of me." She rubbed at her tired eyes. "What did I do...?"

Jackson sighed. "Ellie—"

"Nothing you say will take away that fact," Ellie interrupted, shifting away from him and shaking her head. "What would he think? He'd be so disappointed..."

Alex furrowed his brows. "Who?" he asked, he and Jackson glancing at each other, unsure of what to do.

"You could never disappoint him." The two men looked at Richard who walked over to Ellie. "You always made him proud." She met his gaze with tearful eyes. "I know how much you miss him. And I know none of this would be happening if the plane didn't crash. But don't think for one second that he would be disappointed in you.

"You and Sofia were two of the only things Mark talked about while he was filling out his directive." She raised her eyebrows and he smiled softly at her. "He said he knew from the moment you could walk that you would make a damn good surgeon. And he was right. You did the right thing, Ellie. And he would agree with me."

"He would?" she asked, her voice crashing harshly.

He nodded. "Of course he would."

Ellie gave him a small smile before looking at Jackson and Alex. "We're trying to buy the hospital," she told them and they raised their eyebrows. "But the five of us don't have enough money to do it ourselves, so we're looking for an investor which is apparently really hard to do. And I didn't tell you because the more rejections we got, the less likely it was gonna become a reality. I promise, we only quit to try and save this place."

Alex chuckled. "And I'm guessing you were the one to make that decision?" he asked before nodding. "Of course you were... You have a keeper, Avery."

"Don't I know it."

She looked down when she felt her phone buzz. "We have a meeting—our last shot. I gotta go. Um..." She turned back to the three men. "Call me, if anything changes. Please?"

"Go," Jackson said. "Save the hospital, we can handle it until then." She nodded to herself and hurried away from the building. "Can you guys help me with something?" he asked Alex and Richard once she had disappeared from their sight.

"What is it?"

"There's something I want to get for Ellie," he replied. "But I'm gonna need some help."

☀️

JULIAN CREST SAID no. Even after they brought the experience he asked for in the man of Richard Webber, he said no.

"He actually said no?" Jackson asked later that night and Ellie nodded against his shoulder. "I mean—he actually said no to Richard Webber?"

She sighed. "Yeah... We tried. I mean, there's nothing else we can do. I guess this means we have to go look for another job..."

"Well, maybe Boston isn't too bad," he replied while she played with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "They have a good baseball team—this year anyway—and my mother will be over the moon about us moving."

Ellie lifted her head and looked at him. "Say that again."

"What? They have a good baseball team?"

She shook her head. "No, no, after that."

"My mother—?"

"Your mother!" Ellie exclaimed, catching Jackson off guard. She untangled herself from the blanket and reached for her phone. "I'm such an idiot, why didn't I think of her before? She's the obvious answer!"

He furrowed his brows, incredibly confused. "She—She is?"

"Of course she is!" she replied, pulling up the woman's contact. "She's Catherine Avery, she has a lot of influence and power. Hang on." Before she could continue, her phone rang. "Catherine? Good timing, I was just about to call you..."

"Richard's been by to see me," she said and Ellie grabbed onto a still very confused Jackson's arm at her voice. "I have news to share in person, so call all of your friends and meet me in my hotel lobby. I'll send you the address. Oh—and bring Jackson, too. I'll explain everything then, but hurry. And Ellie? It's good news."

She smiled and ended the phone call, immediately standing up and pulling Jackson with her. "Let's go. We have a meeting with your mother."

"We do?"

"Yes!" She pulled her tangled blonde locks into a messy bun and took her coat, texting Derek at the same time. Jackson was convinced she was going to run into a wall. "Either hurry up or I'm driving."

"Okay, okay, I'm coming."

Jackson grabbed the keys from her hand and they made their way outside. Once they had arrived at Catherine's hotel, they found the group, and Owen, already inside and waiting for them.

"How did they get here so fast?" Ellie asked Jackson. "I told you you drive like a grandparent. A bike passed us on the way here."

He frowned. "Mom, what is happening?" he asked his mother. He was still very confused and nobody was giving him answers.

"Have a seat," she replied with a smile. "I'm about to tell you."

Jackson wrapped an arm around Ellie and Catherine faced the group.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Webber's brought to my attention the fact that all of you have been looking for an investor to partner with you in purchasing Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. It is my pleasure to tell you that the Harper Avery Foundation would very much like to take you up on that offer."

The room immediately filled with a hopeful buzz and Ellie nudged Jackson. "She's the answer we've been looking for."

"We have only one condition," she continued, gaining their attention once more. "Only one. Since the Foundation will be putting up the majority of the funds, we would like representatives of our choosing to sit on your board of directors."

"Well, yeah..."

Catherine smiled. "My dears, we only have a couple of hours to make this bid. Do you want to do this thing or not?"

"Yes."

"Of course."

As everybody began talking with each other, Jackson dragged Ellie to his mother. "Is this why you asked Ellie to bring me here?" he asked her. "To tell me that you're gonna be my boss?"

"Oh, no, no sweetheart. You misunderstood." Catherine looked between him and Ellie. "The Foundation has elected you as our representative, and we would like Ellie to be our second. We're the majority shareholder, which means... you two are in charge."

Ellie furrowed her brows. "Wait... what?"

"Give your mama a kiss, Jackson," Catherine said. "She just bought you and your girlfriend a hospital!"

Ellie blinked at the woman before glancing back at the rest of the group. Jackson looked down at her and she met his gaze. What just happened?

☀️

━ author's note:

apologies for the long wait for this update, it was hard to rewrite since it felt so boring to me. I cut out the part where they're doing their pitch to julian crest because it felt unnecessary

anywho... welcome to the 'ellie is the boss and everyone respects her' era of sunshine! boss ellie and mama ellie are my favorite versions of her.

also, lastly, ellie only blames herself because it's how she copes with stress—she always blames herself more than others. it's not actually her fault, the others agreed. so, there's that :)