All of the residents pile into one of the Labs, Catherine Avery was holding a "contest" to see which two residents will be scrubbing in with her.

"Who has worked with the tissue of the penis before?" Catherine walked down one of the isles, observing every resident.

"Kepner, keep your hand down," Alex joked, eliciting laughs from residents around the room.

"Shh," April said upsettingly.

"It's delicate vascularity demands a grace and elegance that not many surgeons of your station have mastered. The two surgeons to do the best end-to-end anastomosis of their chickens femoral vessels will scrub in with me, so be cautious, be careful, be brilliant. Begin!" Catherine advised.

Charlotte sat at the same table as April. Her anxiety kicking in—like it does every time before her surgeries. Although, today it was worse.

Charlotte began bouncing her leg and taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

The brunette had never had a panic attacks in front of any of her friends—them oblivious to her chronic anxiety—and she intended on keeping it that way.

Catherine walked to their table, passing Charlotte and checking on April.

Catherine taps on her shoulder—and Charlotte immediately feels bad.

"Yes! You— you have no idea how—" April smiled.

"No," Catherine put her hand on April's shoulder. "Sorry sweetie. You're too tense. You're all wound up. This isn't wood shop. Step to the back."

April looks at Charlotte—who's still trying to normalize her breathing.

"Sorry," Charlotte mouthed.

Charlotte continued working on her chicken, trying her best not to shake, Cristina getting eliminated for that a few seconds ago.

"All it has to be is perfect," Catherine put her hands up as if it was the easiest thing.

Catherine surveys around the room a few minutes, walking down the row of tables with Charlotte, Meredith and Alex.

"Good. Very pristine," Catherine nodded, moving onto Meredith, "Excellent. Very fine work, Doctor.."

"Grey," Meredith took her eye off the microscope to answer.

"As in Lexie Grey?" Catherine questions.

"She's my sister," Meredith took her eye off the microscope again.

"Oh," Catherine nodded, looking back to Jackson.

She walked by Alex, not even checking on Jackson's chicken.

As Catherine walks up to him, his pager starts buzzing.

"Come on. Not now," Alex begged.

The buzzing intensified, and Alex took his eye off the chicken, looking at the pager. He looked over at Meredith, then passed her to Charlotte, who's pager was beeping just as much.

"I gotta.. I'm out," Alex said as his eyes follow Charlotte who's running out—her running for more than one reason—not even taking her trauma gown off.

"Hey, they forfeit, right? They.. they walked out."

Catherine nods, "Congratulations. We have our winners," Catherine points her hands at Jackson and Meredith.

Cristina raised her hand, "Uh, he's your son, and you're the judge. Isn't there some rule against that?"

April was too busy worrying about where Charlotte had ran off to, noticing her leg bouncing.

"I don't play favorites, dear," Catherine shook her head.

"That's what my birthday cards always said," Jackson smiled.

❄️

"What the hell happened?" Alex asked as he, Charlotte and Arizona ran down the hall.

"I don't know," Arizona shouted behind her.

"Does anyone else know about this?" Charlotte asked, the only one not breathing heavily—her running habit helping her out.

"I don't think so," Arizona ran into the door, opening it, revealing Janet standing beside Zola and a few nurses.

"She had a seizure," Janet revealed, leaving the three concerned.

Arizona moves Zola onto her left side, trying to figure out why she seized in the first place.

"Temp's one-oh-three," Charlotte read off the clipboard Alex held.

"Abdomens tender and distended," Arizona announced.

"Her foster mother said Zola was running a fever. She's been crying all day. They couldn't get her to stop," Janet explained.

"Could be her stunt," Charlotte offered.

"High-pitched bowel sounds," Arizona listened to Zolas stomach through her stethoscope. "Call C.T."

"Yeah, and I'm gonna page, uh, Grey and Shepherd," Alex decided.

"You can't do that," Janet shook her head.

"What?" Alex furrowed his brows. "The kids sick."

"Their custody was suspended," Janet said matter-of-factly. "I know they're your friends, but at this moment, they're nothing more than a third party."

"It's a breach of confidentiality," Arizona agreed.

"They're right here," Charlotte argued.

"Their custody is under investigation. The last thing any of us needs is a breach of protocol," Janet said, eerily calm. "It could jeopardize the adoption."

Zola fussed.

"Okay, okay, little miss munchkin," Arizona cooed at Zola. "You're gonna feel a little bit of a sting, and then I'm gonna be all done."

❄️

"Freakin hell," Alex cursed as he and Charlotte looked at Zola's scans.

"Jesus," Charlotte put her head back. "How are we gonna tell—"

Derek enters the scan room, checking out the twos scan on the light.

"That's a pretty nasty bowel obstruction," Derek noticed. "Are you guys on your own with that?"

"No, uh, Robbins," Alex answered for both of them.

"Good," Derek nodded.

Alex grabbed the scan, Charlotte following closely behind him.

They exit the room, starting down the hall back to Arizona.

"Hey, are you okay today?" Alex asked checking on his friend. "You seem on edge."

"I'm okay," Charlotte nodded, matching his movements. "I was just anxious earlier because of that bullshit competition."

"Tell me about it," Alex muttered.

Alex stops abruptly.

"What are we going to do?" Alex stressed. "Mer and Derek are going to flip when they find out about this." He runs a hand over his face.

"It'll be okay. They'll be mad, but, it's for the best."

Cristina comes around the corner, "What's your guys' issue?"

"Zola's got a bowel obstruction," Alex said, still not believing this was happening. "We have to operate."

"W— what? Where's Mer?" Cristina stuttered.

"Mer can't know," Charlotte spoke up. "Neither can Derek."

"I mean, they get involved, and social services flips out, the adoptions shot," Alex told her.

"Well, is she stable?" Cristina questioned.

"For the moment," Charlotte answered. "And that's the right call right? We don't tell them."

"He just told me it was," Cristina sassed.

"But its right, right?" Charlotte asked, anxiety rising in her system.

"It'll blow the adoption? Yeah, we can't tell them," Cristina agreed.

"Okay. All right," Alex nodded.

"That's your decision," Charlotte blamed Cristina.

"Hey! Why do I have to take responsibility your your guys' decision?" Cristina turned to Alex, "How small are your balls?"

"Meredith didn't talk to me for weeks because I screwed up her life," Alex reminded Cristina. "The balls are pretty small right now."

"But that was your fault," Charlotte pointed.

"Dr. Karev, Dr. Brown. The babies seizing again," The nurse alerted the two. All three doctors running down the hallway.

"Page— page Robbins!" Alex shouted back at Cristina.

"We're telling Mer!" Charlotte decided.

"You bet your ass, we are!" Cristina followed them into the room.

❄️

"Is it her shunt?" Meredith asked worriedly. "Is it hydrocephalus?"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Arizona asked Charlotte and Alex.

"That was her C.T. before wasn't it?" Derek accused.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte muttered.

"We couldn't tell you," Alex shook his head.

"You still can't," Arizona looked directly at the two.

"The hell he can't," Derek said rudely towards the blonde. "She's my patient."

Owen entered the room, prepared to stop a fist fight if need be.

"Oh, thank god. Owen, I—"

"Look, look, Robbins told me what's going on, and she is right. You can't see Zola," Owen cut Arizona off.

"Owen, stay out of it," Derek warned him.

"She's probably terrified, and someone should be with her," Meredith talked with her hands.

"She's sedated. She's not alone. I have a heard of nurses on a rotating schedule, holding her, singing to her— we've got this," Arizona nodded.

"Did you try to use an N.G. tube?" Derek asked.

"The vowels are compressing the V.P. shunt, and she's hypotensive, so we're talking her to the O.R."

"Well, then I'm in there," Derek told her, not up for discussion.

"Shepherd, you can't—"

"I inserted the shunt. It's part of the problem. I should fix it!" Derek raised his voice.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"The adoption lady is watching her like a hawk," Charlotte warned them. "They're just looking for a reason to name you unfit."

"Where is she?"

"I will page you the minute that we're done," Arizona promised. "I'll give Karev and Brown the hourlies—"

"Karev, look at me," Derek demanded—knowing he'll break faster than Charlotte. "Where is she?"

Everyone turns to Alex, some begging he doesn't and some begging he does give them the location.

"Pre-op. Sixteen-oh-eight," Alex gave the location.

"Thank you," Derek said appreciatively. "I'm going there."

"No," Owen denied.

Arizona opened her mouth, not believing Alex.

"Shepherd don't," Owen followed him out the door.

❄️

"I am so sorry for suctioning that vein," April apologized to Catherine for the thousandth time. "I— I don't know what happened."

"April—"

Charlotte sat beside April at the bar, slumped after her whole day.

"So, I know I promised breakfast, but I think after the day we've both had, we can do for some onion rings?" Charlotte smiled.

"Definitely," April smiled back. "What made you change your mind?"

"Well, Alex and I seriously pissed off Dr. Hunt and Arizona, so, I don't think she wants me at Teddy's tonight. Can we?" Charlotte pointed to a booth in the back corner.

April stuttered, "Y—yeah. Do you.. do you wanna get them? I'll get coffee tomorrow. Promise."

Charlotte laughed, "Yes. Go save our seat."

April hopped off the bar stool and walked over to the booth confidently.

"Hi. A thing of onion rings and two beers please," Charlotte asked the bartender sweetly.

"You got it," The man answered back. Placing the beers on the counter.

Charlotte pointed to the booth, and walked over there, smiling at April when she sat.

"Couple?" Catherine lifted her eyebrows at her son.

"Nope," Jackson said, popping the P. "Not yet at least."

"Hm," Catherine sipped her martini. "Interesting. Had she sat here a second longer I would've sent a beer to one of the guys in here."

Jackson laughed. "She wouldn't have liked that. She likes Charlotte. If not more, as a friend."

The bartender takes the onion rings back, the two immediately digging in.

"Are you okay today?" April bit into one of the onion rings.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Charlotte laughed sadly.

"Because you were shaking," April emphasized. "I was worried, is all."

"Yeah, just.." Charlotte sighed, not sure if she should open up just yet. "I don't want anyone to look at me any differently."

"I won't," April smiled crookedly. "I can't speak for Alex or— or Cristina but.. I won't."

Charlotte sighed.

"My parents died when I was nineteen," Charlotte revealed.

"Charlotte.. I'm so sorry," April sat up.

Charlotte shook her head, "It's fine.. but today marked the tenth year since they died. And every year on this day I get really anxious. And if I don't have my phone on me I get worried."

"Why?" April tilted her head.

"My sister, Ana, was only eight. It hit her the worst. She used to think it was my fault. Until she turned sixteen," Charlotte picked up a onion ring. "I took care of Ana all the way through college and medical school. And I still did up until a few months ago. When she turned eighteen."

April just nodded. She didn't know what to say.

"You don't have to say anything. It's a lot to take in, I know," Charlotte read the red heads mind.

"How did they die?"

"Car accident," Charlotte teared up. "On the way to my college orientation. So in a way, I feel like it's my fault. But I know it's not."

April reached across the table, taking Charlotte's hand.

Charlotte sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I get really anxious on this day. And I didn't mean to worry you or anything."

April nodded.

"Change the subject," Charlotte pleaded.

"Uh.. the stupid baseball game is coming up?"

"Ugh. I feel like it was just yesterday," Charlotte laughed.

It felt nice to let that out, Charlotte thought.

just starting a new
storyline that will
probably come back
to haunt you