"I just feel so awful for the husband." Amelia admits, sitting on a chair on Addison's deck near her table. "You know, He's— he's gonna have to watch her wither away hooked up to a feeding tube when it doesn't have to be that way. It's a crime. I mean, it's a crime of medical omission." She sips on her wine.

"In fairness, even Derek said that this isn't doable. I e-mailed the scans, and he said it's a no." Addison told Amelia.

"Derek is just like Ginsburg." Amelia starts, almost cutting Addison off. "I mean, if he hasn't seen it, it ain't so. This is just new. This is a cutting-edge surgical procedure. The university of Wisconsin did a study on a series of eleven patients. I've seen it. I mean, I could do it." Sam, Pete, and Addison listen to Amelia rant, sharing looks. "I'm just saying..I trained for it."

"You do realize..we're talking about a woman with three babies inside of her?" Pete spoke.

"And you realize that Kayla has a husband and two children?" Amelia looks away from Pete and over at Addison, "Addie, what do you think?"

"I th—" Addison started, before Lucas started crying over the baby monitor.

"Oh, could we pause for a moment, please."

Addison started to get up before Pete stopped her, "Here. I'll get it. I'll get him."

"Yeah?" She asked him.

"Yeah." He repeated.

Addison watched as her boyfriend walked into her house, and up the steps.

Sam spoke up, "I should get outta here and go pick up Vanessa."

"Vanessa?" Amelia questioned.

"His girlfriend." Addison answered for him.

"Yeah," He chuckles. "thank you. Uh, all right. I'll see you guys later."

"See you. Have fun. Have fun." Addison waved, and sat back down.

Amelia stood up, walking closer to Addison, "Okay, so you and Sam..what is with the tension?"

"There's no tension." Addison denies.

"I was sitting right here. I mean, you barely looked at him." Amelia poured Addison some more wine, then poured herself a glass as she sat down in her original seat.

Addison thought for a moment, "There was a thing. With me and Sam."

"With you and Sam?"

"And Naomi did not take it well. And now I'm with Pete, and Sam is with Vanessa, and it's fine. It's very," Addison sighs, "adult." She filled her in.

"Sounds very messy." Amelia sips on her wine.

"No, it's not, actually. It's great. My life is working." Addison said, staring off into the ocean.

"Addison." Amelia caught her attention. "I mean, this is me you're talking to. I caught you with my brother's best friend and I kept your secret. I mean, you can talk to me. You used to trust me."

"I chose Pete." Addison paused, "I choose Pete. He's great. We're great. And..I can't have kids, and Pete has Lucas. So that's so of this..amazing icing on the cake. Except for the fact that..Pete's still in love with Lucas' mother, which is.." She stares off again.

"Oh, Addie." Amelia says, sympathetically.

Addison fake smiles, "So anyway..cheers."

Addison clinks their glasses, that are filled with wine, together.

Amelia sips her red wine, "I missed you. You know, you were always a better sister than the ones I had. And you were way better than my brother."

"Are things okay, between you two?" Addison asked, concern and curiosity in her voice.

"He's the golden child." Amelia clears her throat and leans back in the chair, "Everything's always okay with him."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, "So, you never told me anything about Athena."

"That's because Sam interrupted us. What do you want to know? And you better not sleep with her!" Addison said, knowing Amelia a little too well. Amelia was about to speak, "The best person to ask is Charlotte. Just ask her."

"Hm." Amelia hums, and takes a sip of her wine.

🪷

Sam and Addison were talking at a nurses station, while Athena stood at the other end of the station, eavesdropping.

She didn't mean to eavesdrop. She was just filling out a chart, but then it was painful to watch.

Amelia walked out of Kayla's room, "Amelia?"

Athena looked up at Amelia, "Uh, Eddie wanted to hear more about the surgery. So we started talking, and one thing led to another, and, uh.." Amelia looked at Athena and back to Addison.

"And what?" Sam asked.

"And he asked me to do the surgery. And I said yes."

A few minutes later Charlotte, Vanessa, Sam, Addison, Athena and Amelia all stood in a circle.

"I can do the surgery and save the babies." Amelia told them. "I just need you in there to keep an eye on them and Sam or Athena to maintain the cardiovascular function. This can work."

"It's reckless." Sam's girlfriend spits out.

"How— well, how— how would this work?" Sam asked. "Just for Eddie's sake, I want to know how this would work."

"Mm-hmm. I would relieve the obstruction by placing a stent in the aqueduct, and then as the pressure drops, the activity in the brain stem with return, and Kayla wakes up." Amelia explains.

"And if it works, what state will she be in? Will she be able to function?" Charlotte questions.

"I don't know. But if we don't do it, we will never know."

"I'm against this." Addison crossed her arms.

"I am, too." Vanessa said.

"I'm not." Athena spoke up, uncrossing her arms.

Addison looked at Athena, then back to Amelia, "Two neurosurgeons said no to this, one being your mentor, the other being your brother."

"Derek looked at an e-mail of a scan. I mean, he— he didn't even see the patient, which ultimately doesn't matter, because Eddie Lindy made a decision to save his wife. He asked me to do it, and I can do it. Now will you give me privileges here?" Amelia asked Charlotte.

Charlotte sighs, "Yes."

"Great." Addison, Sam and Vanessa walk away.

"I'll get you an O.R. for tomorrow. Athena, you can be the cardio surgeon on the case."

"I already was!" Athena shouted, walking away to get something to eat.

"Can I ask you a question about her?" Amelia asked, pointing to Athena.

Charlotte looks away and back at Amelia, "Whatever. Ask away." She rolls her eyes.

"Is she gay?" She puts her hands in her pockets.

"Oh," Charlotte laughs, as if it were a joke. "very." Charlotte walked away.

mdndndn

charlotte and athena's
friendship is so freaking
cute.

also here's the chapter i
promised u <33