"Hey, George. Have you seen Izzie and Meredith? I brought the tampons you were so afraid to buy," Maddox laughs, joking, but George's face is too serious for Maddox not to frown. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

George looks around, hesitating a little, obstructing the door to the locker room. "I don't think you want to go in."

"Why? Someone already getting at it?" Maddox smiles, tentatively, but George hesitates again and the girl knows something else is going on. It's not too hard to break through, because George isn't too tall, so when Maddox walks in she sees something very different from what she expected to see. Pictures of Izzie in her underwear plastered everywhere, whistles and whispers every time Izzie, who is inside, does something, and it doesn't take Maddox too long to spot the culprit, because Alex is holding the original magazine.

"Have you had enough or should I continue? Because I have a few more very interesting tattoos," Izzie's voice reverberates in the room. Most of the mostly male interns fall silent at the words of the blonde, who has been left in her underwear in the middle of the locker room. Maddox watches her from the doorway, not quite sure what to do, and when Izzie stops talking their gazes cross, and the blonde looks down, embarrassed for the first time, and runs out of the locker room.

"Okay, so this is what we do now, yeah?" Maddox exclaims, climbing onto the bench. "We shame women when they embrace what they do, but I don't see you complaining when you jerk off to it. It seems you only want to make them feel bad in public, but in secret you love it. Way to go with mental health. Shame on you, doctors. At least she has a nice body to look at—"

"Easton," Bailey's voice startles them all, and as Maddox freezes at the sight of her resident at the door, the other interns rush out with their heads down. "Get the hell down. You're gonna hurt yourself. What happened here?"

"Karev happened," Maddox replies, climbing down from the bench. There are still dozens of pictures of Izzie taped to the lockers, so she takes her time ripping them off, crumpling them up and stuffing them in a bag, making sure there's nothing left that they can keep using as an insult.

"A nice body, uh?" Bailey looks her up and down with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I mean— Us women have to stick with each other. So is yours, Dr. Bailey," Maddox replies with her head held high, though inwardly wondering why on earth she said that.

"Rule number one, Dr. Easton."

"No sucking up. Got it."

"The woman's life was this hospital. It was their home. It's a sweet thing for them to do," Izzie says softly, trying to change Cristina's mind, who is lying on one of the metal benches, and Maddox thinks that she'll most likely need a good massage later.

"It's a waste of a bed and a waste of my time," Cristina sighs, holding her hands to her face.

"What are we talking about?" Maddox asks, sipping her third coffee.

"Liz Fallon. She was brought here to die," Cristina replies.

"Oh, Liz Fallon," Maddox nods. "I visited her a while back, she was a legend here. She had the whole hospital eating out of her hand. Seems she was loved here. Oh, and Meredith, she asked about you and your mother. I told her you'd be in later."

Maddox senses how Meredith swallows and pales a little, but nods toward the brunette anyway, whispering a "yes, thank you."

"Wouldn't you want them to do the same for you?" asks Izzie.

Cristina looks at her fiercely. "No, I'd want the doctors to do everything they could. I'd want them to open me up until the minute I died."

"Sometimes doing everything can be worse than doing nothing," Meredith chimes in, and suddenly they all fall silent.

"It looks like everyone's had a bad patient day," Maddox says. "I've been Bailey's shadow all day, and unfortunately all she's had to do is follow up. Kill me now," Maddox mutters. She picks up the magazine Cristina has between her legs to pass the time, but her eyes stop on a picture of Izzie that she recognizes well, because it's one of the ones it's been taped to the lockers. "You're eight feet tall. Your boobs are perfect. Your hair is down to there. If I were you, I'd walk around naked all the time. I wouldn't have a job, I wouldn't have skills, I wouldn't even know how to read. I'd just be...naked."

Meredith laughs and takes the magazine from her hands. Izzie rolls her eyes. "It's makeup. It's retouching."

"You understand that we hate you, right?" says Cristina.

Izzie shakes her head as she smiles, inwardly grateful that none of the three of them have made a bigger deal out of the issue. Izzie's pager rings, and the girl sighs. "Bailey again."

Maddox jumps off the bench, taking Cristina's legs off the top of hers, and knocks over the glass of coffee that's already gone. "Bailey? I'm coming with you. Technically I'm on my break but she won't let me go back to scrubbing if I'm not like gum on her shoes. See you."

"No sucking up, Maddox," Cristina mutters without looking up from the magazine, but she watches out of the corner of her eye as the girl gives her the finger.

"You're not going to give up the prostectomy, are you?" Maddox asks her once they get out of Cristina and Meredith's line of sight. She knows Cristina would have scolded her, so Maddox prefers to ask once they are farther away. "Izzie," Maddox cocks her head and looks at her reproachfully.

"You don't know what he said to me. It's a patient, and I have to give him what he wants. He made clear I'm not wanted in the OR."

"Come on, Iz. Precisely because he's a patient, you have to be there. He's your patient, you know what he wants. You can help him get what he wants," Maddox rubs her arm with pursed lips, trying to make her feel better.

When they get to the room, Bailey is already there. In fact, the patient is on the gurney, ready to go to pre-op, and it's George in front of him. "Where the hell have you been?" Bailey says to Izzie, directing a nod to Maddox, as she knows it's not her duty to be there. "When I page you, answer. It's not that difficult to understand. O'Malley answered his page. He's doing your prep."

George looks at her apologetically, as if to give her to understand that he hadn't done it to spite her. Maddox steps forward. "It was my fault, Dr. Bailey. I knew her pager was going off, but I held her back."

"How sweet, Dr. Easton, but there are no excuses here. A patient is a patient, and they always come first. Have I made myself clear?"

The two girls nod with their heads bowed, moving out of the way. The patient is unable to look Izzie in the eye, but Maddox notices that she doesn't try to look him in the eye either. Bailey gives them one last look, then follows George. "Izzie, look. I know it's gonna be hard. I'm not gonna be the one to force you to do this, because I know it's already been a tough day for you. You can be in the scrub room with me. We'll just make sure your patient gets what he wants, okay? Do you know what he wants?"

Izzie nods, somewhat more relaxed. "He wants his erection. But the doctor performing surgery with Dr. Bailey—"

"Then let's help him get that. No buts. We stay in the scrub room, and if they can but don't want to keep his nerves, you go in. Only if you want to."

In the OR, Bailey assists the doctor. Maddox remembers they call him Harry, but doesn't remember his nickname even though she knows she should. George is in the next room, preparing to enter the OR, but watches the scene carefully.

"Where are they?" Maddox asks, adjusting the knot of her cap at the back of her head.

"He's resecting the prostate, coming up on the distal nerve."

"Dr. Victor, I'm sorry but these are viable nerves. We should save them," is the next thing Bailey says, causing all three interns to raise their heads.

"It'll take at least an hour longer, and we might not get it all."

"But his prognosis with chemo is nearly as good. And frankly, if you're worried about missing your tea time, I'll be more than happy to finish. Dr. Stevens," George and Maddox look at each other: Izzie has put on her surgical mask and entered the operating room, ready to let them hear her opinion.

"Can we help you?"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Bailey," Izzie apologizes in advance. "Dr. Victor, I agree with her. You just can't— You have to save the nerves," Bailey makes a gesture of wanting to speak, but Izzie interrupts her again. "You told me the most important thing is giving the patient what they want. What Humphrey wants is his erection."

"She's yours," Dr. Victor says. "You get her out."

"Can't do that, sir," Bailey says, and Maddox smiles from the room, nudging George. "You know how these young puppies are. Let's pretend it's you on this table and give this a try."

Maddox and George give the thumbs up from the scrub room, dissembling when Bailey glances through the glass, but the truth is, the resident can't be mad at these people. They're her interns, and sometimes they screw up, but one can see the connection between them, and if all goes well, she'll probably have to share a locker room with them in a few years when they become residents and choose a specialty. Bailey doesn't completely dislike the idea, as much as she wants to hide it.

"Hey," Izzie says as she leaves the OR. Maddox is sitting on a couch in the hospital lobby, already in street clothes, hand resting on her cheek and avoiding falling asleep. Maddox opens her eyes quickly and smiles weakly when she sees the blonde in front of her.

"Hey. How did it go?"

"Let's just say he'll remember me every time he gets an erection," Izzie smiles.

"That's good. That's perfect. That time is it?"

Izzie looks at the big clock on the wall. "Uh, almost one. Why are you guys still here? I figured you had already left."

Maddox shakes her head, standing up. "Cristina and Meredith are on call tonight, and George took a cab after you washed up. I thought I could wait for you and drive us home."

"No way, you're too tired. I'll drive." Izzie practically yells, and Maddox grunts a little, tiredly. "Come on, you can't say no. Today has been one of those days where everyone owes me. I'll be super careful, I promise."

"Just this once, okay? George and Meredith can't know."

"My lips are sealed," Izzie smiles broadly. Maddox is too tired to deny her driving her car, an overpriced vehicle her father gave her when he found out she'd been admitted to the Seattle Grace program. The brunette plops down in the seat, heaving a huge sigh of exhaustion. "I wanted to tell you something," Izzie begins, looking away from the scenery as she encounters a red light. "George told me you went berserk in the locker room earlier. He said they looked like they might shit their pants if Bailey hadn't shown up," Izzie laughs. "You didn't need to do that, but...it's nice to see someone has your back. So, thank you. And you let me drive your Mercedes! I knew I was your favorite."

"Don't push your luck, Stevens."

"What do you see, Maddox?"

The girl squints her eyes, watching the images cautiously. She doesn't want to disappoint Bailey, but she also doesn't want to disappoint the patient in the next room, whom she can see behind the glass with some sadness. "Hyperinflated lungs and clouded with bule. Severely diminished capacity, must have trouble breathing."

"Course of action?"

"Bulectomy procedure. Remove bule. Reduce pressure," Maddox says, not taking her eyes off the scanners. However, she can feel Bailey nodding next to her, so she turns her attention back to the patient's information. "She says she had surgery here in 1999. I'll talk to her, anti-smoking sermon aside. The poor woman must be having a hard time by now."

"You do that, Dr. Easton," nods Richard Webber.

Sparing a small smirk, Maddox nods and exits the scanner room. To her, the approval means a lot, especially from Dr. Webber and Dr. Bailey, as she has admired them for many years and is grateful to them for life. Thus, seeing them now being her mentors makes her proud of how things have turned out.

"Good morning, Mrs. Drake, did you sleep well?"

"My chest hurts a little, but yes, fine," Mrs. Drake replies, and Maddox nods. She's an elderly, blonde woman with a kind face, so she immediately likes her. "The previous surgery was supposed to help. But it never felt right."

"Well, I'm here to make sure this one does. Is there anything we should know before we proceed?"

"I quit smoking five years ago, the four-pack-a-day habit was hell. It didn't do any damn good. I even had to quit my job, it hurt to even sit. Nobody believed me. Everyone said it was in my head."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Drake. I've seen the tests. It's not all in your head."

"You're right about that," Mrs. Drake nods, feeling better about being believed. "Hey, come here," Maddox approaches the gurney, encouraged by the patient's gesture. "You're too young to be a doctor."

The brunette smiles complicitly, answering her in the same whisper. "Hey, I'm older than I look. But if you feel better, I'll tell you. I'm twenty-four."

"Twenty-four! You should be home, honey, have a regular job. You think this is going to work this time?"

"I graduated top of the class younger than anyone else there. Don't worry, Mrs. Drake, you're in good hands. This is my regular job," Maddox said with a wink. "I think it's your best option."

"Pretty sure, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I like that!"

Maddox immediately goes to the scrub room. As she wipes her hands, she thinks about how well things have been going lately, the patients she has been able to treat successfully, and she raises her hands to dismiss Mrs. Drake, who is breathing in the first drops of anesthesia. Bailey directs her a nod and tells her to stand next to her, right next to the camera, and Maddox feels like she's watching one of Ellis Grey's recordings.

"We call this a spaghetti procedure. We cut and deflate the bule to facilitate the gentle manipulation of Mrs. Drake's lung."

"Dr. Bailey, did you see that?" Webber interrupts her explanation right after, pointing to the screen with his head.

Maddox takes one look at a time, paying attention to a bloody black mass inside the patient. "She said she quit smoking five years ago. There's no way that's—"

"Oh my ever loving," Bailey muses.

"We need to open her up. I'm taking out the scope."

"You heard him, people, let's move!" Bailey doesn't waste another second, but Maddox keeps looking at the recording in search of what has so disturbed them. It's something black, something that apparently shouldn't be there, but she can't make out what it is. Maddox knows it's not her turn to operate, so she stands off to the side, observing the significance of the matter.

"God, is that a towel?" She asks when she sees Webber pull a black cloth from Mrs. Drake's chest.

"A towel?!" Cristina exclaims in a whisper minutes later. Maddox is still in surgical attire, as are Webber and Bailey, who walk past them. The younger one commands her to be quiet, or at least whisper quieter.

"Not good."

"She complained about pressure on her chest. Nobody took her seriously," Maddox explains.

"Not good for the patient, not good for the hospital. Not good," Webber sentences, clearly angry.

"Cristina, hit the files. Find anything you can about that initial operation. Who was in that room? Who was responsible of closing? Maddox, you stay with the patient. Keep her happy, she seems to like you."

"On it, Dr. Bailey," the two girls nod at the same time.

Maddox and Cristina say goodbye immediately after, not needing an angry Bailey. Maddox can't help but think about the carelessness of leaving a towel inside a patient, because she imagines it's her mother on the operating table and the least serious thing she'd do if she found out would be to report the hospital. So when she goes to see Mrs. Drake and she's not pissed, but sad, her stomach turns.

"They told me I had a towel inside me."

"Who told you that?"

"A surgeon, an older doctor," Mrs. Drake smiles faintly. "Handsome."

"Oh, that's Dr. Webber. He's our Chief."

"Yeah... It was a towel that somebody left the last time. Who would do that? That doesn't seem right, does it?"

Maddox puts her hand on top of the patient's hand. "No, ma'am, no, it doesn't."

"Izzie definitely didn't clear this with Meredith," Maddox mutters, sipping her beer. The cold liquid has been sliding down her throat for a while now, the alcohol is starting to seep into her blood, and her head has been spinning for at least a couple of minutes. Still, the scene is too funny: dozens of people strolling through Meredith's house like it's nothing, of course, unbeknownst to her. Food, drinks, shouting, music and, above all, people from the hospital. Maddox lets out a silly laugh. "I'm sorry, this is too funny."

"I told her to!" George exclaims, also sipping from his bottle. "Speaking of her, have you seen Izzie?"

"Nope. This is her party and she's not even here. Lame," Maddox smiles. She looks sideways at George, who huffs. "Why, you like her?"

The vase he holds in his hands shakes and almost falls to the floor, but George manages to maintain control under Maddox's watchful gaze and raised eyebrows. "What? No! I don't like Izzie."

At the back of the room, Cristina is up on the coffee table, dancing, drinking and shouting, and Maddox smiles. "Cristina?"

"No! Why would you assume I like someone?"

"It's not me," Maddox sentences. George looks at her, incredulous. "I would've noticed, believe me. Meredith, then."

"Shut up, Maddox."

"Oh, did I hit a nerve? I did! Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I'm so drunk I'll probably forget by the end of the night. Who are you?" Maddox smiles knowingly and disappears from his sight. "Dr. Bailey! Hello! Oh, I'm sorry, should I call you that here? I don't even know your real name."

"You stink of beer, Maddox," Bailey looks at her with her trademark up and down look as if in complete disappointment, but Maddox simply smiles. "Miranda. Now get the hell out of my sight."

"Will do, ma'am," Maddox waves to her and makes good on her promise, heading into the living room. She grabs food from the table, not knowing whose it is or what it tastes like, then climbs onto the table with Cristina, who has another bottle in her hand.

"I always knew you had it in you!" Cristina shouts. "Letting your hair down and all that! Hooray!"

"Quiet ones always have the most to say," Maddox confesses, and Cristina lets out a laugh. "Meredith! You made it, baby!"

Cristina echoes her words, encouraging her to come along, but Meredith seems a bit annoyed and talks to George, probably to shoo people away. So, Maddox encourages Cristina that they should drink as much as they can before that happens. However, Meredith takes the bottle from George's hands and walks over to them, a huge grin on her face. "I made it!"

The next thing Maddox remembers is a pair of lips leaving kisses down her neck. Oh, no. Wait. She feels other lips kissing her as the others continue down her neck and move down to her collarbone. Maddox giggles because it tickles, and she feels the other person's breath on her lips, so in a rush she lunges forward and kisses that unknown person again.

"No threesomes in this house!" Cristina's voice booms over the music, and forcefully pulls Maddox to herself, who shakes her head and looks at the scene. "Unless I'm invited," Maddox laughs and waves goodbye to the boy and girl, who giggle, equally drunk. "You're a wild one. You would probably have regretted that in the morning. Come on, go outside and have some fresh air."

"Way to go, you ruined my fling! Flings! Whatever."

"The girl was okay, but with the guy you would've done the same for me."

"Okay. I'll get fresh air. And a toothbrush."

Maddox leans against Meredith's porch railing, taking a deep breath. She brushes her hair out of her face, knowing that tomorrow she'll probably have a hangover, but now she's focused on having a good time, listening to the music in the background and concentrating enough to keep her head from spinning so much. She squints her eyes when she sees Dr. Shepherd out there near Meredith, who smiles, clearly intoxicated, and then leans in to kiss Derek.

"Nice," Maddox exclaims, and the two doctors pull apart. Derek looks surprised, but Meredith simply laughs. "Oh, don't let me being here stop you!"