⇢ CHAPTER 28

in her chair as she folded her arms in front of her, "This ."

Reed looked away from the door and glanced at the floor, "Someone's getting fired."

April, who was sitting next to her, whispered at her, "Stop it."

"She wasn't even my patient." Charles complained, making Cristina glare at him, "What?"

"Nothing."

Alex, who had his head resting on his hand, asked, "How long is this gonna take?"

"Why," Jackson mocked, "you need to make a phone call?"

While Charles snickered, Holly rolled her eyes before Alex jumped out of his seat to start attacking Jackson. Which made the attending surgeons try and break up the fight while Holly, Reed, Lexie, and April went into a verbal fight-- both sides defending their own people.

"That's enough!" Webber yelled out, walking out of the room which instantly made the shouting cease but Alex continued to try and get out of Shepherd's arms, "I said enough!" Alex, with a heavy sigh, sat back down, "What happened here tonight, what happened to that patient, was inexcusable. And we're gonna be here till I find out who's responsible for it. So until then, you will sit down, you will shut up and you'll wait to be called." The residents either sat or stood in silence, all looking down at the ground as the Chief called his first witness, "Hunt."

✧

"It was a pneumothorax." Holly informed Webber, Jennings, and the woman from H.R. as she sat in front of them, relaying the memory for them.

"What's that?" Jennings asked, looking at Webber for an answer.

"Her lung collapsed." Webber responded.

Webber leaned forward, "You got the chest tube in?"

"Yes-- well, no." Holly corrected, "I-I was getting there. I was counting--"

"Did you go in below the fifth intercostal space?" Webber interrupted, "You could've punctured her diaphragm."

"I know." Holly nodded, "I know-- I was counting, but I lost my place."

"Why?"

"Did you get the chest tube in?" Webber pried.

"I did." Holly stuttered, "I-I did. I just--"

"She did." Jackson answered once he was called into the room and Holly was in the waiting room again, "She just missed a step."

"I had to, okay?" Jackson defended his actions, "She was running out of time."

"And did she have it?" Webber squinted his eyes at Jackson.

"Yeah," Jackson nodded, "I watched. She-- She was a little distracted, but---"

"You were distracted?" Webber accused as Holly sat back down on the chair after Jackson left, "What were you--"

Holly raised her hand in surrender, "Yang made a toddler cry." 

"And did you stay with the patient after you put in the chest tube?"

"No." Holly answered directly, which made Webber tilt his head and Holly continued, "My patient came back from his M.R.I. scan and I was paged into surgery with Shepherd."

"Did you ever see Kathy Becker again?"

"Yes." Holly nodded.

✧

Holly exhaled lightly as she leaned back in her chair, staring at her shoes as Jackson's gaze went from his own shoes to her and Reed walked out of the room, a guilty look on her face.

Picking up on the guilty look towards her, April stood up and grabbed Reed's arm, "What?"

"I-I'm sorry." Reed apologized, looking back at the Chief as he opened the door, "I am so, so sorry."

"Dr. Kepner." Webber announced, making Holly look over at April before she stood up-- hoping he was calling her in instead. Dr. Webber shook his head, "The other Dr. Kepner."

Holly looked over at April as she sat back down slowly, seeing April's face turn back to the Chief before looking back at Reed, "What-- What did you tell them? What did you say?"

Reed only pursed her lips before she turned around and walked away, leaving April alone to watch her retreating figure as the other residents stared at the two in confusion of what happened.

✧

"I-I missed an airway." April sighed, closing her eyes as she sat on the bench with Holly packing her things in her bag.

"It happens, April." Holly commented, wanting to have her stop the self-deprecation, "People make mistakes--"

"My mistake cost a patient's life." April reasoned, stammering, "I-I..."

"Holly began, placing her hands on April's shoulders, "are an excellent doctor. And anyone could've made that mistake, the Chief just needed to make more cuts-- and it..." Holly shrugged, "it sucks that you were the one to make it because I was really excited to beat your ass in surgeries." 

April laughed as she rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around Holly as she began to tear up, "I'm gonna miss you-- again."

Holly wrapped her arms around April, chuckling, "Me, too."

✧

Holly exhaled as she rested her head on April's shoulder and looped her arm around with her sister's, walking down the hall as Lexie, Reed, Charles, Jackson, and Cristina stared at the two.

"Just ignore them." Holly whispered, continuing to walk.

"April." Reed tried-- her pleads ignored as April opened the door and walked away with her sister.

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i can't get over the fact that holly + jackson = jolly :}