HEART-SHAPED BOX
8x8

"Mrs. O'malley?" Charlotte's eyebrows drew together with worry at the face she hadn't seen in ages.

She was really close to George, which was how she became so close to Callie—so she was around the O'malley family a bunch. Especially when she was an intern.

"Here. Let me get it," Miranda excused the nurse, she wanted this to be a quiet case. Only close friends on the case.

"It says here you've had surgery three weeks ago at Seattle Pres for a gallbladder removal?" Meredith read off the clipboard Charlotte was holding in front of them.

"I've gone back there a couple of times, and they always tell me I'm fine and send me back home," The woman shrugged.

"Uh, bring me a twenty-gauge just in case, and benzoin," Bailey requested. "And, you know, it's freezing in here. Have someone take a look at that thermostat."

"Yes, doctor," The nurse from earlier, smiled.

"I'm going to palpate your abdomen, and you let me know if you feel any discomfort, okay?" Charlotte asked, taking over the examination, Meredith stepping out of the way so Charlotte could do her thing.

"The boys insisted I do my surgery somewhere else, after what happened here with Harold and.. and George," Mrs. O'malley inhales sharply, making Charlotte nod.

"She's got some midepigastric tenderness," Charlotte looked between Meredith and Bailey.

"We should check that gallbladder," Meredith agreed.

"Uh, have you been experiencing and fevers at all, Louise?" Bailey asked softly. "Any pain, uh, vomiting?"

"Yes, actually, I have," Louise smiles at the two residents.

"Mrs. O'malley, those aren't good things," Charlotte chuckles.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that.. look at you. And you too, Meredith," Mrs. O'malley gushed. "You know how proud it makes me to have you two as my doctors?"

"Thank you," The two say at the same time.

"Brown, Grey, let's get a C.T., C.B.C., lytes, and a liver panel, and let's get another couple of blankets."

"I kept hearing Georgie's voice saying, 'Mom, get a second opinion. Go to Seattle Grace. They'll take care of you.'," Louise says, her head lay back on her pillows as Bailey covers her.

"We will, Louise," Bailey promised. "We're gonna take very good care of you."

"You two! Doctors," She smiled. "You're all grown up."

The two smile in return, Charlotte tilting her head, almost chuckling.

❄️

"It's such a treat, seeing you again, Charlotte," Louise sat in her wheelchair that was stationed near one of the nurses stations. "I want to hear everything. How have you been? Catch me up."

Meredith was off elsewhere, along with Bailey. They stuck Charlotte with C.T. duty, and Charlotte didn't mind.

"I— I think I might like someone," Charlotte blushed—she never blushes.

"Oh, that's wonderful. Who's the lucky guy or girl? Or— or person?" Louise asked. She was always supportive of Charlottes liking of girls, guys and they's.

"Oh, uh, it's a lady," Charlotte nodded.

"Well, tell me! Who is it?" Louise pressed—like a lot of people, she was very nosy. That's one thing Charlotte didn't always like about her.

"I'm not sure if I like her yet, so don't say that so loud, it'll ruin my reputation," Charlotte joked. "And we're kind of fighting right now. It's all my fault, but it's happening— and here she comes."

Charlotte pretends to be writing on Mrs. O'malley's chart as the redhead walked by, not noticing the patient in the wheelchair staring at her.

"She's pretty," Louise nodded with approval. "Why would you pick a fight with her?"

"She's just very emotional— look," Charlotte pointed to Callie and Arizona who were walking their way to get the attention off of her. She hadn't apologized yet, and she knows she should. But she hadn't.

"Callie," Louise's mood brightened.

"Oh, my god!" Callie came to a stop, Arizona stopping as well. "Mama O'malley," Callie leaned down to hug her ex-husband's mother, "Oh, my god. Oh, my god," Callie said, staring at her best friend.

Charlotte mouths, "I'm so sorry," As she stands back up from the hug.

"It's so good to see you," Callie laughed, standing back up beside Arizona. "Um, I know. I haven't, uh, I— I haven't called, and I meant to call, so many times. But you're here now, right— right now. Why, um, why are you here? Are you okay? Is she okay, Charlotte?"

"Yeah, we're hoping. I'm just wait for C.T. to open up," Charlotte nodded, lifting a shoulder.

"Okay, good. Right. Good," Callie sighed with relief.

"Hello," Louise straightened, trying to get a better look at the blonde that was walking along with Callie.

"Hi," Arizona smiled widely, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Uh, oh, right. Sorry," Callie shook her head, forgetting to introduce her. "Uh, this is, um.. Dr. Robbins."

Charlotte leans down on the wheelchair, amused by this awkward conversation, finding it quite funny.

Louise smiled at Callie, and looked to the blonde doctor, "Hi."

"Um, mhm, mhm," Callie nodded awkwardly.

"Louise O'malley," A C.T. tech announced from the doorway, excusing Charlotte and Louise, Callie relaxing at the two roll away.

"That's us," Charlotte waved down the hall.

"Goodbye, dear," Mrs. O'malley attempted to talk as Charlotte rolled her away quickly. "Oh, it was really nice to see you."

❄️

Ever since the fight between Charlotte and April, Charlotte had been eating lunch with Meredith and Cristina. But today, April joined them.

They were eating in one of the break rooms, because Cristina had been babysitting her heart-in-a-box all morning.

Charlotte was surprised when she sat down, but didn't say anything to the redhead nor did the redhead to the brunette.

"Are we watching your heart?" Charlotte sighed, sitting down beside April.

"Yep," Cristina rested her head in her hand, her elbow resting on the table.

"It's kind of soothing," April shrugged. "Like sitting in front of a fish tank."

"It's not a fish tank," Cristina took a bite of her food from the cafeteria. "It's a key."

Meredith looked at the heart and back to the surgeon to be, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ask Webber," Cristina put her hand up. "He came in here, thrashing my wish list, and told me heart-in-a-box was the key to fixing it. Well, I'll tell you something. She's not talking."

"I'd hope not," Charlotte muttered, only April catching what she said.

The chief resident tried to hold back a laugh, but instead gave a lopsided smile.

"Heart-in-a-box, what should I put on my list?" Cristina asked, missing the whole moment between Charlotte and April. "Heart-in-a-box, what should I put on my sandwich?"

The four women listen to the heart beating inside the clear box, "See? Nothing."

April lets out a laugh.

"Heart-in-a-box, what's wrong with George's mom?" Meredith sighed.

"Who's George?" April looked at the other three as Jackson and Alex entered the room quietly.

"He used to work here," Cristina brought her sandwich to her mouth, watching Charlotte carefully. "He died."

"Whoa. Who died?" Jackson asked, sitting on the couch beside Alex.

"George," Cristina swallows.

"And we're talking about that creep because?" Alex's lunch tray balanced on his legs.

"Alex, you're an asshole," Charlotte pointed. "His moms in the hospital."

"Wow," Cristina shook her head. "I haven't thought about him in—"

"Why would you?" Alex shook his head.

"Alex," Meredith scolded.

"Oh, come on. Don't act like you stay up nights writing poetry about the guy," Alex shoves a fry in his mouth.

Cristina turned, "Remember when you gave him syphilis?"

The other three women laughed.

"Now that was funny," Charlotte threw her head back. "I loved intern year."

"What?" April looked at Alex questionably.

"Remember heart-in-an-elevator?" Meredith brought back a nice memory. It wasn't nice when it was happening, Charlotte will admit, but it was definitely a nice memory to look back on.

"Heart-in-an-elevator," Cristina turned back to Meredith. "I should put that on my list."

Cristina turns back to the boys.

"George made you look like suck a chump," Charlotte smirked at Cristina's words.

"George was the heart-in-the-elevator guy," Jackson sat his sandwich on his plate. "I heard about that. That sounded badass. Were you there?"

"I just wanted to eat my freakin lunch," Alex shook his head. "That's all."

Alex stood up and left, and the girls went back to watching the heart.

"Wait. Wait," Cristina's gears turned. "Everyone, shut up. Heart-in-a-box, heart-in-an-elevator?"

The three shared confused looks, Charlotte only glancing at April for a quick second, but she felt the sparks.

"It works," Cristina blinks. "It totally works. Webber is a genius."

"Heart-in-a-box is starting to creep me out," April admitted.

"Don't talk about her that way," Cristina defended her.

"Oh, so it has a gender now? Does she have a name, too?" Charlotte nodded, laughing.

"Anything's possible," Meredith joked.

i just want to say that
i do have a juliana and
juliet chapter written,
i just need to proofread
and all that good stuff..
so i'll post it tomorrow.

enjoy this while i sleep.