8. Christmas

"Alex, what are you doing here?" Emily asked with a yawn, "Shouldn't you be watching Kate?" The man looked up at her from his textbook. "What're you doing?" Jumping onto the bed, she landed right next to him. The tunnels were illuminated sparsely as she took a sip of water.

"Mr. Martin. Trying to figure out something to make him wake up," he explained, shuffling papers across his lap. Frowning, Emily glanced over his shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

"I just need one second of quiet. Since you guys are busy with the preemies, I've been running around doing five other interns' jobs. I had to do rectal exams because George couldn't, he was too busy attaching leeches on some dude's nose and Meredith is taking care of the mom. Izzie has her preemie's surgery. And Cristina, she has the crazy inmate,"

"The one who swallowed razorblades, I heard,"

"Yeah. Do you need help?" Alex shrugged, offering a medical journal to her. Taking it, she looked at the table of contents and flipping the pages. After another three books, she finally found something of interest. "How about this? Studies where they used aggressive plasmapheresis?" Snatching the book from her fingers, he read it quickly.

"That could work…" He muttered, glancing at the other papers he had in his lap. Picking up a yellow-tinted paper, he read it aloud for her, "Thyrotropin releasing hormone,"

"Maybe?" Her thoughts drifted back to the relatively distant treatment between Derek and her. Her pager started beeping and she glanced at it before letting out a heavy sigh. "Explosive diarrhea." The brunette grumbled, hopping off the bed. "Good luck, Alex,"

"Thanks,"

"You'll need it, Karev," she called as she passed a vending machine.

"Shut up!"

.

"Christmas. Yay," Emily muttered, pulling on her scrub top. She wasn't the biggest fan of the season. The most she's ever done was have a big dinner with her family and her last Christmas was spent alone waiting for her brother. "It's not my thing. Who celebrates it?" she asked, glancing at her fellow interns. They all gave her a small smile.

"Izzie does," Meredith replied, closing her locker as George nodded, rubbing his eyes.

"Izzie's all happy with 'Christmas Spirit'."

"Why don't you say anything?" Emily wondered aloud, curious. Wrapping her stethoscope around her neck, she glanced at the two.

"We're being supportive," Meredith explained, wiggling her eyebrows. Laughing, they exited the room where their resident was waiting. "We got a dog,"

"What'd you name it?"

"Doc,"

"I see where your creativity comes from," She commented sarcastically as they began rounds.

"Shut up," George grumbled, "He hates me,"

"He can sense your fear," Meredith said, tucking her hair into a ponytail. "He's cute," Emily raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic tone of voice she was using. "It's the season. It's all happy and cheery. It doesn't go well with me."

"I don't think it goes well with any of us."

.

Emily opened the door to Joe's, settling down at the seat. The bar owner grinned, placing a glass of golden liquid, brandy, in front of her, "Thanks, Joe,"

"No problem. Not drinking with your friends today?"

"Izzie and George are on call, Mer's at home and Alex is wherever," She told the bartender with a shrug. "That's why I'm here, drinking all my woes away," Her voice turned dramatic. Joe raised an eyebrow as he ran a towel over a glass.

"That's lonely,"

"Yeah, but whatever right? It's one of those days,"

"I guess so." He shrugged, "No boyfriend,"

"Nope."

"Why not? You're smart, hot, and you have a job."

"Haven't found the right guy, I guess," she murmured, downing the rest of the brandy. "It's kind of me being picky, because I grew up on thinking love was like magic."

"Isn't that naïve ?" Joe joked as Emily shot him a furtive glance. "What?"

"Somehow I still believe it," is all she said. "Forget I said anything, Joe. I don't need anyone who doesn't believe telling me that I'm being some stupid little girl," she said, tapping the counter twice for a refill. The way her voice lowered told Joe more than she could say. Highschool, he thought, pouring the brandy into her glass.

"I promise,"

"Thanks,"

.

"There were too many mistakes made last year. Fatigue played too big a role. Exceeding eighty hours a week will not be tolerated."

"Does that mean we actually get a life?" George asked, turning his head to Izzie. Her face seemed confused as she replied. Emily rolled her eyes, grinning.

"I think so,"

"It's not like I have a life anyway," The brunette joked as the others gave her easy smiles. Internally, Emily had laughed at the thought of her hours which were nearing the nineties.

"Sullivan, you were on call for twenty-eight hours, leave when you hit thirty," The Chief ordered, nodding to a brunet, "Grey, you were here until two A.M last night, see ya at noon." The blonde's face was surprised as she left, making her way through the crowd, "Oh, and people, our nurses are gonna have to work extra hours to compensate so treat them well. Cranky nurses don't do us any good,"

"Oh, well, maybe you can cheer them up," Izzie commented snarkily. George hid his chuckle as the four began walking down the hall for rounds. Suddenly, the blonde stopped. "You know what? My New Year's resolution was to let it go, and I am. I have, I've let it go. I apologize," She beamed at Alex who seemed to not trust her words.

"You do?"

"I do. How'd your test go?"

"I feel pretty good about it, but I won't know for a few days." Alex informed, as Izzie told him of their support, despite George's disbelief. "Anyway,"

"The Chief's new rule. How many hours you've got?" Emily asked generally. "You know, he could've said this on New Year's instead of like three days before."

"That means more work for us,"

"More experience," The brunette corrected, "I was on call last night with Meredith but he didn't call me out," They rounded a corner and continued down the hall.

"I'm on seventy five hours," Alex answered her question, "Not even tired,"

"No one can handle your big, big ego right now, Alex." Izzie sucked in a deep breath before exhaling. "I am letting it go. Congrats, Alex." Finally reaching a nurse's station, they waited in an awkward silence.

"Dr. Bailey," The hazel-eyed woman greeted as they finally spotted the short woman.

"You've exceeded your hours, Moore, what are you still doing here?"

"I mean, no one told me to," She trailed off looking at the ceiling.

"Leave,"

"Gosh, has it really been eighty hours?" She stalled, checking her watch and tapping its face. "I thought it was more like eighty minutes," Laughing, her face froze when it met the stink eye. "Okay, uh, let me just get my stuff. Oh, excuse me, Dr. Bailey, I just need to go…" She pretended to be blocked by her resident who kept staring at her.

"If you're in my face for a second longer, I guarantee you won't have a beating heart." That was enough to send her running.

.

"Noah, hey." She smiled at her tired brother's face as he attempted the gesture back.

"Hey. Just got to the base. It's about five P.M here. Shouldn't you be at work?"

"The Chief introduced a new eighty-hours a week thing. I'm passed my limit for the week." She played with the earbud wire as she heard a distant shout of 'Alpha Mike Foxtrot'. A roar of laughter followed as another man came up to the screen.

"Moore, who ya talkin' to?" Emily started before realizing they were talking to her brother. "Let me see,"

"Goddamn, Jacks, give it back," The camera was shifting, moving and she watched in silent amusement as a man with dirty blonde hair appeared in view. His eyes crinkled at the edges as he seemed to settle the computer on his lap, waving. Chuckling, she waved back. Noah appeared on the edge of the screen, as if sitting down next to the man. His face was sullen with a touch of faux annoyance as he ribbed his friend. "Can you not flirt with my sister?"

"I didn't even say anything!" The blonde man, Jacks, said exasperatedly. "Taylor Jacks, at your service." He directed his introduction at Emily, who now laid down on her bed, propped up on her elbows. With a swipe of her touchpad, she enlarged the window to focus solely on her conversation.

"Emily Moore,"

"Dammit she is your sister! Thought you were lyin'. No chance now," Taylor complained. "You brother is such a guard dog,"

"Oh, is he?" Emily feigned innocence, cocking her head to the side. "But between you and me-" She moved her hand vertically at the side of her mouth, as if sharing a secret- "you are ridiculously rugged," A hearty laugh, punctured by a few crackles reached her ears, making her smile. The picture lagged as she frowned, tapping the touchpad a few times, staticky sound reached her ears. "Noah? Taylor? You there?" A loud shout later, she waited for the screen to clear, it didn't as a nearly unintelligible roar of an engine shattered the silence. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the call dropped. A grey bubble appeared at the bottom of her screen, saying that the call had ended.

"Yeah, no shit." She muttered, worry gnawing at her bones. No way I'm sleeping tonight.

.

"Is that the infamous Doc I've heard about so often?" She asked, crouching in front of the off-white dog. He licked at her hand eagerly and she petted his head, scratching behind his ears. Yawning, she grinned, "He's a cute one. Morning, Iz, George. How are you, Meredith?" She asked, settling on the bench.

"Hey, Emily," They all chorused. She smiled softly, it seemed her friends were back and willing as she ignored the pang of guilt at how unreasonable she had just dropped Derek's friendship on the floor and left it there to rot. "How's your brother?" Izzie asked, pulling her scrub top on.

"Fine. Sent me a few messages saying he's arrived and all but he dropped our last call," The brunette informed, stretching and feeling her joints pop. Standing, she opened her locker. "Do you want me to send a message?" She offered curiously.

"Tell him I say hi," Izzie smiled at the thought of her friend's brother, "During Thanksgiving was pretty great,"

"Me too," George added, tossing a granola bar at her. Catching it, she tore the wrapper. "Payback for first day,"

"You finally bought them?" She asked in faux shock. Holding it between her teeth, she took off jacket. "Thanks, George," Changing quickly, she sat down in front of Doc again, tying her hair up. Cristina poked at her back incessantly for her own amusement, laughing at the brunette's growls for her to stop. "Cristina, seriously I am going to tear your head off,"

"Please," The asian woman scoffed, finally returning to her book. The dog sniffed her hand and stepped between crossed legs to try and sniff the granola bar, the hazel-eyed woman stretching to keep it out of reach. Gently pushing the dog back down, she glanced behind her.

"He's a demon." Izzie eyed the animal in disdain, "He peed on my bed. My bed, Meredith."

"He's our dog," The other blonde argued.

"No, he's not our dog." George countered, whipping around, "You two bought him without even asking me,"

"We rescued him from certain death," Meredith stated, looking at George. "Come on, you guys,"

"I'm putting my foot down. Either the dog moves out, or I do," He proposed his ultimatum, "Foot down now. Me or the dog, which is it?" Meredith didn't answer, glancing down at the panting Doc. "You hesitated." He turned to Izzie, "She hesitated!" Emily snorted, running a hand down the dog's spine.

"You hesitated?"

"I didn't hesitate, I was thinking," she protested.

"You have to think about it?" George made his way around the bench as Doc began trying to lick at her scrubs.

"No, Doc. Not the scrubs," Emily gently nudged his head away. He whimpered, setting his head on his paws. She could feel the intensity of George's gaze, even as it didn't land on her.

"Fine. I'm moving out right now." Swinging open the door, he was faced with Bailey. "Later, I'm moving out later because right now, I have rounds."

"Tell me that is not a dog," Bailey gritted out, glaring at the animal.

"It's not a dog," Alex, Cristina and Emily all chorused as the brunette stood and smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes. Pagers began beeping for the trauma bay.

"Follow me, and put that dog somewhere I won't see it, Grey." The woman instructed as Meredith attempted to herald her pet behind the lockers. "Eighty-hour restrictions and now a dog," the resident muttered, "what is going on…"

.

"Dr. Moore,"

"Dr. Shepherd," Emily greeted carefully as she pushed her patient to C.T.

"Emily, what really happened?" He asked, confused. Shrugging, she smiled. "You aren't the type of person to do that,"

"Interns stick together," She emphasized it with a extra spring in her step, "it was a matter of choosing my friends who are going to have my back, and someone who is an attending. Dr. Shepherd, I don't want any more favors,"

"I never did you any,"

"And I didn't want it to start sooner or later because, really? You're the type of person to favor someone you're friends with and give the worst jobs to the people you hate. So that's what really happened, okay? I chose and maybe we can be friends again soon but for now, no we aren't friends. So stop worrying and stop wondering because really, I shouldn't be talking to you."

A/N: Edited - June 25, 2018