⇢ CHAPTER 86

turning around to face Derek's sister with an extended hand, "Dr. Shepherd."

"Wow." Amelia raised her brows, impressed, "I think this is the first time I've gotten an introduction without 'other' in front of 'Dr. Shepherd.'" She grinned, releasing Holly's hand, "Thank you for that, Dr. Kepner."

"Okay." Derek exhaled stressfully, entering the room, "So you two are  you're up for this—?"

"Yes." Holly and Amelia groaned, both rolling their eyes as Derek nodded, adjusting his tie as he prepared for a lecture in Washington.

"Great. Good... good." Derek nodded, looking over his notes before quirking a brow, "I didn't think you two would get along so well."

"Yeah, well," Holly shrugged, looking at Amelia, "we've got two lives to make better."

Amelia smiled with a nod," Yep." She sighed, realizing the large group of interns hoarding by the door, "And we have patients to see and eager interns."

✧

"The Coopers chose to do their surgery here because we've done so many of them that we're getting good at it." Derek announced to the group of interns as he, Amelia, and Holly walked in the front, leading the group, "This one is a little bit tricky because it involves the brain." Seeing the patients walk up to the Nurses' Station, Derek pursed his lips before looking at his sister and trainee, "You ready for this?"

"Third time, yeah." Amelia nodded, joined in with Holly who gave him a thumbs-up.

"I'm just saying," Derek warned, "this is a very big surgery."

"Really?" Holly spoke sarcastically, "I thought it was ."

As Derek squinted at her, Amelia voiced, "Derek, you asked me to do it. If you're having second thoughts about me, just—"

"It's not that." Holly assured, cracking her fingers, "He's just sad he can't do it himself."

Derek softly muttered in agreement before mustering a smile to the girls, "You must be Annie and Liz."

"Nothing gets past you, huh?" Liz, one of the conjoined twins, joked, turning to face him as Holly and Amelia grew excited over their surgical plan.

✧

"These are the most complex brain scans you will ever see." Derek stated, gesturing to the scans as Holly and Amelia gave each other a look.

"As you will see," Amelia presented, beating Derek to speak, "these women share brain matter. Separating them is made even more complicated by the fact—"

"There is one shared sagittal sinus supplying blood to the brain." Derek interrupted, making Amelia squint at him.

"Hey, Derek," Holly reminded, looking at the clock, "don't you have a plane to catch? Or a baby to see or something?"

A few chuckles released from the interns as Derek glanced at the clock with a smile, "I still have time to be here."

"Lucky us." Amelia commented sarcastically.

"First," Derek spoke again, "we need to determine which lucky twin gets to keep that, and the other twin gets a graft. Dr. Grey and Dr. Webber—"

"Will explain what they're doing to you guys when you tour around." Holly interrupted, squinting at Derek, "But just know we have to move quickly, meticulously, and efficiently to turn one brain into two with the least amount of deficit. If this surgery scares you more than Derek in the morning," She teased, prompting a laugh from the interns  Amelia, "if you're not up to the challenge, let me or Dr. Shepherd know."

"We need everybody's confidence in there." Amelia spoke up, nodding at the interns with a smirk, "Get ready."

✧

"Hey." Jackson greeted, stealing his fiancée from Amelia and Derek, the Neuro trio that traveled to the scan room as he quirked a brow, wrapping his arm around her waist, "How's it working with the other—?"

"Don't let her hear you say that." Holly warned, quirking a brow up at him before smiling, "It's going good— I-I was a little nervous at first, but it's been good." She looked over her shoulder before grinning up at him, "And " She wrapped her arms around his waist, closing the small space between them, "are finally working on a case together."

"Well," Jackson corrected, "not but—"

"We'll have the same patients." Holly reasoned with a shrug, "I'm excited— let me be excited."

"Okay." Jackson chuckled, kissing her lightly before he released his hold on her and escaped her grip, "I have to get back to my group."

"Okay." Holly frowned, pouting at him with a sniffle.

"Clingy." Jackson pointed out, holding an accusing finger to her.

Holly scoffed sarcastically, "Am not— , sir, last night wanted to cuddle for—"

"Holly—" Amelia called out, poking her head out of the room before her eyes landed on Jackson, "Oh, sorry, did I interrupt—"

"Eh, we're used to it." Holly shrugged, waving a hand to assure her as Jackson waved to the Neurosurgeon by the door before walking away as Holly went to join her, "What'd I miss—"

"Is that the fiancée?" Amelia asked, quirking a brow.

Holly flushed, "Yeah—"

"Nice job." Amelia complimented, squinting to look at Jackson before she reentered the room with Holly as the redhead chuckled.

"Thanks."

✧

"Okay." Derek smiled, checking his watch for the time before looking up at the doctors who would help Amelia and Holly— he began to guide them towards the scan room, "And in here are—"

"No." Holly argued, pointing to the scans as Derek opened the room, revealing the two neurosurgeons in the middle of a fight, "I'm just saying you could—"

"You were not ," Amelia scoffed, "it wasn't a suggestion—"

Holly squinted, "It a suggestion, ."

"No, see," Amelia chuckled, recalling Holly's words as the doctors awkwardly stood by the door, "I distinctly recall you saying—"

Derek loudly cleared his throat, alerting the women of their presence before turning around to smile at the doctors, "And here are the Neurosurgeons on the case." He sighed softly as the doctors entered the room while Amelia and Holly calmed down, "Holly will take Twin 'A'—"