Chapter Text
when addison had picked up her former boss and mentor richard webber's phone call, she had just thought that he was calling to check-in. she expected him to try and bribe her back to seattle with the fact that he hadn't filled her position yet (as he so often called to do so) but she hadn't expected him to make the request of her that he did: to return to seattle for a visit.
"we have a very important case, addie," richard had said, sounding serious with a hint of glee because he really did want her back in the city. "a mother needs a c-section for her triplets as soon as possible. both she and the babies are in critical condition - one of the babies may even need a transplant. it'll be a risky and long surgery and i want the best."
truth to be told, the redhead had really considered turning it down. she had made progress in healing from her divorce and moving on, she had even gone on a couple half-hearted dates orchestrated by her friend naomi bennett, but was she ready to return to a city - a hospital - that had caused her so much pain? she had been just about ready for the words 'i'm sorry richard, i can't' to leave her lips, when she thought about the mother who needed her. there were few surgeons in the country who could do what addison could, and if it was as complicated as it sounded, the mother and her babies did really need the best to have the highest odds of survival and recovery. they needed her.
so, before she could think twice and take it back, addison accepted. "i can fly out tomorrow," she said.
richard had been very pleased and then told her that he hadn't mentioned this surgery to anyone else, in case she wanted to surprise the others.
addison considered it: if she was being honest, it sounded pretty fun. just imagining the looks on derek's and mark's faces was enough to sway her, but then she reminded herself that she didn't want to be petty. she had grown. although . . . surprising miranda and callie was tempting, too.
"let's surprise them," is what she had ended up saying.
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stepping inside seattle grace hospital now, addison did her best to not be on the lookout for anyone she knew. whether it was because she wanted to see them or she wanted to avoid them - that depended on the person. thankfully, addison made it to the elevator without seeing anyone, but as she made her way to richard's office, she ran into the surprised faces of residents miranda bailey and callie torres.
"do my eyes deceive me?" callie asked as she and miranda joined addison on the elevator.
"richard called me in for a case - the surgery is in the afternoon and i'll stay a couple days for post-op," addison explained, smiling widely at her friends. she had missed them.
"and you didn't tell anyone?" miranda asked as callie gave addison a hug.
"i wanted to surprise you all. i've got to go check in with webber about the case," addison said.
"i have some paperwork to drop off so i'll join you," callie said.
miranda stepped off at the floor below the chief's office, bidding the women goodbye. "don't tell anyone i'm here!" addison reminded her as she left.
when addison and callie reached richard's office, callie slid the paperwork onto his desk. "thank you, dr. torres," he said, and then grabbed the file for addison's patient and handed it to her. "are we all set for this afternoon, dr. montgomery?"
addison smiled and took it. she had already reviewed the file. electronically, but it was good to have a hand-held copy. "yes, chief," she said.
richard nodded. "great. i'll announce it to the staff soon," he said. "all the residents and interns will want to see."
"great. see you later," addison said, before she and callie left.
"so, any chance you can get me some coffee from the attendings lounge?" callie asked as they began their walk.
addison laughed. "i've barely been here ten minutes," she said.
"c'mon, sloan is always boasting about how the coffee in there is so good," callie insisted.
addison shook her head, but a good cup of coffee did sound nice. "fine," she gave in.
when they got to the attendings lounge, addison should of expected that mark and derek would be there. silently, she went to get two cups of coffee, but it didn't take mark long to notice.
"oh my god, red? what are you doing here?" mark boasted, opening his arms up for a hug.
addison rolled her eyes, handing callie her coffee. she gave mark a light hug and when she leaned back, she saw derek looking up from a patient's file, his eyebrows raised.
derek took a moment before responding. "um, hi . . . addison," he greeted awkwardly.
addison supplied a polite smile. "hi, derek," she responded, grabbing her own coffee and taking a sip.
"did you know that he and grey broke up?" mark butted in, causing derek to let out a small huff of annoyance and lean back in his seat while addison nearly spit out her coffee.
she smiled into her mug. "oh . . . sure," she said quietly.
derek furrowed his eyebrows, leaning forward again. "what?"
addison shook her head. "nothing . . . it's just, the last time you guys broke up . . . well, let's just say you weren't really broken up. you know, flirting and all. it's only a matter of time before you get back together," she said, unable to help herself as she shrugged. turning to leave, she flashed one last smile at her ex-husband and ex-best friend.
rejoining callie, she and addison left the room. when they did, derek turned to mark, eyebrows raised. "what was that?" he asked.
mark glanced at the now-closed door, not bothering to fight off his smile. he planted his hands on the chair across from derek. "she has a point," he said.
derek let his jaw drop, smirking himself. "really?" he asked, unable to believe what his supposed good friend was saying. "are you serious?"
mark crossed his arms. "are you?" he bit back. "what, are you going to tell me you weren't flirting with meredith when you were with addison?"
derek leaned back in his chair, thinking. if he was being honest to himself, he knew mark - and addison - were right. but he was derek. for months before addison cheated, he had been dismissive and ignorant of what he was doing and what addison would say to him. when she came to seattle, he avoided her, ignored her, and dismissed her again, refusing to think about why she had cheated. nothing had or would change.
for now.
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addison spent the rest of the day preparing for her surgery. she checked in on her patient multiple times, talked with the residents and nurses scrubbing in, and had a little time to catch up with her friends and the other doctors there. eventually, it came time for the surgery to begin.
she stood fully scrubbed and prepared in the or, the patient lying in front of her and a few other residents and nurses around her. glancing up, she saw that the gallery was filled to the brim with people. mostly interns - addison caught sight of meredith grey, cristina yang, izzie stevens, alex karev, and george o'malley - but callie was there, along with richard. as her eyes slid to the door, she was surprised to see derek and mark there also. she was sure they wouldn't stay long, someone would surely need a neuro or plastics consult - but at least they were interested.
turning to nurse bokhee, addison said: "scalpel" and there she began.
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the surgery was long and grueling, leading into the late hours of the night and early hours of the next morning. residents and nurses scrubbed in and out, but addison stayed put. she had four patients to stabilize, after-all. people in the gallery also came and went, including derek and mark. even if they weren't on the best of terms with addison, they'd be fools to miss this kind of procedure. in the end, though, addison pulled it off. one of the babies did need an emergency transplant though. they were stable for now, but wouldn't last long without the organ needed. so, the moment addison finished the surgery, she hopped on an ambulance to seattle pres, who had the organ they needed.
a few hours had passed and addison and the transplant team were expected to be on their way back. derek, mark, callie, and bailey were eating in the cafeteria when they were approached by an anxious richard.
"is everything okay, chief?" bailey asked, as they all noticed the look on his face.
richard shook his head slightly, his gaze falling onto mark and derek. "I just got off the phone with a member of the transplant team. there's been an accident," he revealed.
everyone froze, but neither bailey nor callie were as still as mark and derek.