Maddox is drinking her first coffee of the morning and browsing Facebook on a bench outside the hospital when the sound of an ambulance interrupts her. The paramedics rush down, and Maddox squeezes out every last drop of caffeine before tucking her phone into her gown pocket. A seemingly unhinged woman is on the gurney, fully erect and shouting nonsense that at other times would perhaps be harmful, but which no one now takes into account.

"What do we got?" asks Maddox, helping to push the gurney with speed.

Bailey and the other interns come to her rescue within seconds, trying to hear over the woman's screams what's going on. "Complaining about intermittent cramping pain and diarrhea. Also suffers from Alzheimer's," the paramedic tells her, and Maddox nods.

If the surprise is great when she sees the patient's name on the chart, it's even greater when the woman's eyes meet hers, and all she's able to see from that point on is Meredith. Bailey asks what her name is, but Maddox can't seem to find the words; instead, in the distance, she sees her friend and roommate hiding behind the nurses' station door, trying not to catch the attention of her mother, who keeps yelling at her. "Ellis Grey," Maddox mutters loud enough for the rest of the interns and Dr. Bailey to understand her.

George, Cristina, Alex, Izzie and Maddox don't take too long to congregate around the patient, trying to get some coherent response, but Bailey gets ahead of them and cuts them off. Maddox sees Meredith run off in the direction of the locker room, but to her chagrin the resident sees it too, so she slows her down. "Right now she'll need to be alone. Leave her alone for a while."

"But we're her friends. We have to help her, we have to make her see that everything will be okay," Izzie says.

"Maybe everything won't be okay, Stevens, and Grey is aware of that. She's been hiding this for months, you think now all of a sudden everything's going to be lollipop country? Gummy street? Huh? To your places, now," Bailey interrupts again. She pulls out five folders from behind the counter, handing them out to her interns. "Maddox, Dr. Shepherds need an intern up in the NICU."

"Wait, both of them?" Maddox frowns. "Together? And me with the two married people who hate each other," against all odds, Maddox smiles. "This should be fun."

Bailey stares at her. "You're sick if you think that's fun. Leave."

The image Maddox encounters when she walks up to the NICU floor is quite different from the one she had in her head minutes earlier. She thought she'd see Derek and Addison arguing, throwing daggers all over the place, but they seem to remain cordial, maybe because of the baby, maybe because of Maddox, maybe because of both. In any case, Derek greets her with a nod even though he seems somewhat disappointed, probably because he expected Bailey's selected intern to be Meredith.

Maddox contemplates telling Derek what is really going on with Meredith, but reflects on what happened and decides not to open her mouth, but to stick to her work.

"Where's the mother?" Derek asks. Maddox is too engrossed with the little baby that she barely reads the information to answer him.

"Gone," Addison answers for her. "Stuck around long enough to get the kid out and then took off. Nice, huh?"

"Addison."

"Derek, I know it's a long shot, I know."

"You told me you had a newborn with an invasive mass. You didn't mention that she was premature, underweight and addicted to narcotics. There is no way this baby is going to survive spinal surgery."

"You don't know that."

Derek looks exasperated. "Even if she does, she has meningitis, seizures. She's going to live a short and painful life."

"You don't know that," Addison counters again.

"Excuse me," Maddox interrupts, her finger still reaching through the hole in the glass to touch the girl's soft skin. "Is there any real chance she'll survive?"

"I believe there is," Addison replies, nodding.

"She's a mess, Mad— Dr. Easton," Derek corrects himself, and Addison raises an eyebrow. "I don't think she has a chance."

"We'd have a safe outcome if the two of you had agreed, but in cases where the two doctors have divergent opinions, in my opinion it would be better to act. I don't doubt your judgment or your ability, Dr. Shepherd, but Dr. Shepherd is the neonatal surgeon assigned to this patient. She sure has had more similar experiences, and I think we should take her advice," Maddox finishes. The two doctors look at her, and a cold sweat breaks out on the back of her neck. Maddox swallows. "In case you wanted a third outsider to break the tie."

Derek stares at her, dumbfounded, in Maddox's eyes probably thinking it's some kind of personal vendetta for Meredith, wanting to discredit him in front of his ex-wife, but Maddox doesn't flinch at the look. Finally Derek leaves the room with a snort and leaves the two women silent in the room.

"So he knows your name," Addison mutters. "Are you sleeping with him too?"

"With all due respect, Dr. Shepherd, I would never mess with a friend's apparent boyfriend. We've met a couple of times, that's all."

"Okay," Addison nods. "You sound like you're not afraid of your superiors, talking to Derek like that."

"I may have overstepped my boundaries, but I think any opinion should be heard on the matter. Especially if a child's life is at stake. We owe it to our patients, even if they can't tell us what they think is best for them."

"I like the way you think. It's good for the neonatal," Addison smiles a little, and Maddox can see the weariness in her facial features. "Dr. Easton, right? You're from Seattle?"

Maddox nods, checking the baby's vitals. "Born and raised, Dr. Shepherd. Being at Seattle Grace is like coming home, though," Addison gives her a brief look, and Maddox hesitates. "My mother was sick, so she had to spend two long years here. So, so did I. I feel like I've grown up here. And I wish this little baby could, too. Grow up here until she's strong enough, at least," Maddox purses her lips into a thin line, suddenly uncomfortable talking about her personal life. She hands Addison the charts Bailey has given her. "Here are the results. I don't think...it doesn't look good."

"She's got a resistant strain of pneumococcus. The antibiotics are not working. You'll wanna get yourself reasigned, Dr. Easton, I don't think we'll be operating today."

"So do you think Dr. Shepherd was right?" Maddox asks, trying to hide her disbelief.

"She's too far gone," is Addison's only response.

"She's got a good grip," Maddox smiles a little, and it strikes Dr. Shepherd as the most genuine smile she's seen yet. "I'd say don't give up, Dr. Shepherd. I'm sure you're a great surgeon. You're here for a reason."

The door to the room opens, and Maddox instinctively turns away, as if she's been doing something wrong. Izzie enters, and her gaze seems so concerned that Maddox instantly catches the feeling. "Excuse me, Dr. Shepherd, we need you fast. It's Cristina... one of our interns. She's collapsed."

Maddox feels faint. "Cristina's collapsed?"

"Why do you need me?" Addison asks, and Maddox instantly knows the answer.

"She's pregnant," Maddox whispers.

"Please, come," Izzie asks, and Dr. Shepherd sighs and follows her.

"Izzie, what happened?" Maddox asks, alarmed.

"I don't know. One moment she was doing fine in the OR, answering Burke's questions, we saw her from up there, and the next one she faints. She's pregnant, did you know?"

Maddox almost feels embarrassed as she nods her head. She anticipates Izzie's question: why didn't you tell me? "You know Cristina. She's a very private person. She would've told you all, eventually."

Izzie shakes her head and starts walking faster, somewhat disappointed. If she can't wait for Maddox to tell her things, who will? The three of them enter the room regardless, Bailey at the head of the bed, trying to comfort Cristina, who lies semi-conscious on the gurney. Dr. Shepherd approaches the monitor, and the look on her face doesn't look too good. "Oh, man, can you see that? It was an extrauterin pregnancy. The tube burst. She's bleeding out."

"What do you mean she's bleeding out?" Izzie asks, shocked.

"What can we do to help?" Maddox asks next. She must keep a cool head, that's what Cristina would want.

"You two scrub in," Addison orders, pointing to Izzie and Maddox. "Dr. Bailey and I will be in the OR. Your friend needs surgery immediately."

The two interns nod, helping each other into gowns and caps, putting the awkward moment they had earlier behind them.

"She's gonna be okay, right?" Izzie asks.

"How attached was she to this pregnancy?" Addison asks, hands on. Maddox shakes her head softly, and it's enough for Dr. Shepherd to nod to herself and understand everything. "She's lost a lot of blood, but I've got it from here. Dr. Bailey, you must have a surgery or two of your own today."

Maddox turns her head at the same time as Izzie, and they see that Bailey is up on a step, gently stroking Cristina's hair. Maddox feels like crying for the first time since being at Seattle Grace for the second time. "I'm fine right here," the resident merely replies.

The operation doesn't last much longer. Addison makes sure Cristina stops bleeding out and maintains her vitals, so Maddox decides she already likes her better than Derek. Next to her, she gets the feeling that Izzie feels the same way: Dr. Shepherd has done nothing but show her professionalism and intelligence since she arrived, and as much as it annoys Meredith, she sure as hell can't hate her herself. Despite the fact that she has brought them in just to observe, the two interns, far from being angry, are grateful to the attending.

They move Cristina to a quiet room, and Bailey volunteers to stay with her. "I can take it from here, Dr. Bailey. She's my friend, and I—"

"It's not a burden, Dr. Easton. She'll need someone to break the news to her."

Bailey looks at her, expecting her to leave, but Maddox angrily removes her cap, tears stinging her eyes. "I'm not leaving, Dr. Bailey. I'm sorry, but she's my friend, and also my patient. I'll be here when she wakes up."

"Dr. Easton—"

"I'm her person, okay?" Maddox shakes her head. "I'm a half of her person, technically. Doesn't matter. She said I'm her person, and we both know Cristina. I'm not leaving her side."

Maddox comes up behind George, who is reading a chart. "Hey, how's Cristina? Last time I saw her she was arguing with her mother and crawling the halls begging for a case."

"Well look, there she is. Back to work," George smiles a little, nodding his head down the hall.

"Cristina Yang," Maddox says as soon as she sees her. Her serious face turns into a smile, and Cristina's eyes soften. "Good to have you back. How are you doing?"

"You're the only one who hasn't scolded me like a child. That's why you're my favorite," Cristina says. "Now that my mom's gone again, everything's fine. Ready when you are. What do you have for me today?"

Soon after, Izzie, Alex and Meredith show up, the group led by Bailey, and George drops the clinic charts as soon as he sees the woman appear. Maddox smiles enigmatically at Cristina. "Just you wait and see."

"Henry Lamott, aged 42. Scheduled with Dr. Shepherd for a spinal implant to control the pain of his herniated disk. He's allergic to all pain medication," Bailey stops talking as the six interns tune her out, squinting to watch the television intently.

"Is that...?" Cristina begins.

"Porn," Lamott's wife replies, barely looking up from the scarf she's knitting.

Dr. Bailey looks up immediately, understanding the look on her interns' faces and the moans and giggles playing on the television. "Porn... As in porn?"

"What are we watching?" Alex asks with a goofy grin on his lips.

"Karev, go stand in the hall," Bailey orders. "Mr. and Mrs. Lamott, I'm sure you're really nice people and what you do in the privacy of your own— Look, we can't have porn in here. This is a hospital."

"It's for my pain. My doc says it releases endorphins in the brain and helps keep my pain at a manageable level."

"Really?" George asks aloud, distracted.

"George, hall," Bailey orders once again.

"What is this?" asks Izzie holding in her laughter.

"Nasty, naughty nurses..." the patient's wife replies, and turns around to look at the screen.

"Four," Maddox replies, turning her head. She gets looks from the three interns and Bailey with pursed lips. "I mean, I suppose there's more than one of these. An open ending always leaves a sequel, right? Okay, hall."

Izzie smacks the back of her neck gently, laughing, and Maddox steps out into the hall. Alex high-fives her. "Maddox Easton is one of the guys."

"Easton, Karev, you're in the pit today. Stevens, there's a cardiac patient waiting for you up on two. Yang, keep an eye on the Lamotts, I don't want any problems. Go."

When they arrive at the ER, Alex and Maddox look at each other, and no words are needed to make them understand each other: they have to get along that day. There's a shot cop on the table, and they have an army of Seattle cops breathing down their necks, watching to make sure everything goes well, so they collaborate on everything: ordering chest x-rays, checking his vitals, checking his blood pressure, and administering morphine for pain.

"So, you're friends with Izzie," Alex begins in the elevator. "What's the deal with her?"

Maddox looks at him, incredulous. "She shaved her legs for you."

"And?"

"And you didn't even kiss her goodnight. She had expectations, okay? Women have expectations, and you didn't meet them. I live with them, and everytime you guys don't meet their expectations I have to hear about it. I didn't get any sleep last night. They woke me up at one and two in the morning, and when I was finally able to fall asleep, they started shouting again. For once I actually supported you both to have your penises in—"

Maddox is interrupted with a loud bang, causing the elevator to stop and the emergency lights to activate. Maddox presses the buttons uninterruptedly, finding that it is indeed not working and they are locked in there with a gunshot wounded patient. "Great," Alex mutters. "I'll try opening the doors. Check his vitals."

"It's bad, right?" the patient asks. Maddox denies as she auscultates his chest and checks his blood pressure.

"Somebody will get us out of here. Don't worry."

"They're opening the doors," Alex announces.

A small gap opens in the doors, but the doctors announce that they can't do anything more until the firefighters arrive. Maddox takes a breath and nods: perhaps this is not a good time to announce that she suffers from claustrophobia. However, her face regains some color when she sees Bailey peering down the shaft: a familiar face always comes in handy.

"What did you two do?" she asks them.

"Nothing!" shout Alex and Maddox at the same time.

Bailey disappears, and in her place Dr. Burke appears. "How's the patient?"

"He's not looking so good," Maddox gulps. The boy starts to remove his wires after a few moments in silence, and Alex steps in front of the girl to restrain him. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"I have to get home," is what Pete repeats.

"What's his blood pressure?" Burke reappears.

"It's not reading, he's too agitated."

"How's his pulse?"

"It's weak, but it's still there," Alex replies.

Burke doesn't look like he's going anywhere, and that both comforts and unnerves Maddox. "Do you have any instruments?"

Maddox rummages through the bag. "Uh, just a box of codes and some gloves."

"You didn't bring a chest-opening tray?"

The two interns look at each other. Maddox steps forward to answer. "No, sir."

It takes Burke a few seconds to answer, but he does. "Intubate him. I'll be right back."

"Oh, my God. He's gone. He's gone, Alex. You know what that means? It means we're opening his chest. Is someone in there?" Maddox yells down the shaft. Bailey and Dr. Shepherd —Addison—peek through the doors looking worried. "Hi, Dr. Shepherd. How's the baby?"

"She's fine, Dr. Easton. We may operate on her if she's strong enough," Addison smiles a little. "How's everything down there?"

"Are you friends with Dr. Shepherd's wife?" Alex frowns.

"Everything's fine here!" Maddox smiles, but coughs a little. The walls close in around her, or that's the feeling she gets. "Actually, no, all is not well. This probably isn't the best time to confess it, but I'm claustrophobic. I should be the one on a gurney."

"Okay, Dr. Easton, please calm down," Dr. Bailey appears again. "We're going to get you out as soon as we can, okay? Dr. Burke is on his way, he'll tell you exactly what to do. You're one of my best interns, I need you to stay calm and control your breathing. You can do that, Doctor."

Maddox listens carefully, taking a deep breath. Then she nods. "Good. Okay. Got it. We got it," she says more to Alex than Bailey.

"Hey," Burke pops up again, and they both turn quickly. "This isn't going to be too sterile, but we can still try. Prep and drape the patient," the man passes them dozens of rags, and Alex and Maddox take care of dropping them at the foot of the bed. They too prepare for the impending operation, donning gloves, caps and surgical scrubs. Burke sticks his hand out of the hole, pointing to Alex. "Take this." Time passes dangerously slowly in that room, but even more so when Alex makes no move from his position. "Karev, get the scalpel."

"Alex, come on," Maddox encourages him. "Alex!" But the boy still doesn't move. Maddox is momentarily angry, aware that they have a man dying on the gurney and Alex is unable to move. "Ventilate. I got it," Maddox approaches the hole, taking the scalpel and scissors from Burke's hands. "What do I do?"

"Make a large, anterior and mid-axillary incision in the fifth intercostal space. It needs to be long and deep. Use the scissors if necessary."

Maddox nods several times, trying to concentrate on the cut she is about to make. Suddenly there is no more shortness of breath, no more the sensation of the elevator walls looming over her. Burke's voice is the only guidance she has to save this patient, and it's what she plans to do. "Just make sure you don't cut the lung or the heart," the girl mutters to herself. The scalpel finally digs into the patient's skin, making a long, deep cut as Burke says, and Maddox lets out a big breath when she sees that it doesn't cut anything. "I didn't —I didn't cut anything."

"Good. Good, Easton, very good. Now check for wounds and do a pericardiotomy."

"I'll need pads, forceps, Metzenbaums and Satinsky clamps."

Burke smiles a little, proudly. "Yes, you will," the doctor hands her all the instruments Maddox has asked for, ready to give further instructions.

Maddox removes the forceps from inside the policeman's body minutes later. "I've removed a small clot from the pericardium. There are no obvious cardiac injuries. Blood pressure is still too low to register on the monitor."

"The aorta needs to be clamped. Reach in and dissect down until you feel two tubular structures. The esophagus will be more medial and anterior."

Maddox does as instructed. "Um, I feel one tube that is easily flexible and the other is, uh, more muscular, spongy. I can feel the spine just underneath."

"Yes, you're touching the aorta."

"God, I'm touching the aorta."

"Surround it with the index finger of the left hand and apply the Satinsky clamp with the right hand."

Alex watches the scene silently, aware that he has backed out at the last moment. He is the one who could be performing the operation, about to touch success.... "Got it. Uh, hold on, I think I can locate the bleed. I think it's coming from the inferior vena cava."

"Can you find the lesion?" Burke asks.

"Yeah, yeah, I think I can feel it. It's too far away to repair."

"How big is it?"

"Small. Maybe smaller than a dime?"

"Okay, Easton, I want you to take your finger and plug the hole."

Maddox's fingers graze the heart and, at last, plug the hole. The feeling is strange, warm, but comforting, as if she has just saved a life. "I think I can feel his heart starting to fill up more. It's beating a little stronger."

"Excellent. Keep your finger there," Burke instructs.

"Good. Now what?"

Burke smiles. "That's it."

"That's it? I just stand here with my finger plugging the hole? Okay. Okay," Maddox whispers to herself when she gets no response.

"Easton?"

"Yes, sir?"

"You just flew solo."

Maddox smiles a little, exhausted. "Thank you, sir."

When they are taken off the elevator, Pete is stable and is taken directly to the operating room, Maddox still glued to the gurney with her finger plugging the wound. In post-op, Maddox removes her cap, gown and bloody gloves, exhausted and sighing, and is greeted with applause, cheers and broad smiles, pats on the back and words of encouragement. Izzie hugs her for a long moment, as if the gesture will take her mind off the tension of the past few days, and even Bailey smiles as she congratulates her.

"I was right. Your first surgery was supervised, but still successful. This one? Just you, Maddox," Bailey encourages her, and Maddox's chest swells with pride.

"Thank you, Dr. Bailey."

"Now go change. You'll need a drink or four."

On the way to the locker room she meets Cristina, who looks at her and, without breaking stride, holds out her hand for a high-five, and Maddox does as instructed. She laughs as she enters the locker room, but her smile freezes momentarily when she sees Alex in there, alone and silent. At first Maddox doesn't bother to speak, simply changing into lighter clothing, but then she speaks.

"You going to Joe's?

Alex nods wordlessly. "I stay until he closes every night."

"Then you should come with. I'm in desperate need of a shot."

"Look, I don't wanna talk, okay? Drop the 'be nice' act."

"We don't need to talk. I don't need to know anything from you if you don't want me to, Alex. Just a drink. If you're not having fun, I'll let you go. Promise."

Alex looks at her.

They don't leave each other's side all night.