Page 104 of Shattering

There was a beat of silence, the usual friendly ribbing of the briefing weighed down by an undercurrent of tension.

The atmosphere was unusually sombre as the patient was anaesthetised and cleaned and draped.

It was broken by Sophie, who was clearly biting back a grin as she glanced at Gray's theatre cap.

"Right then, boss. Are we supposed to be calling you Jedi Master today?"

Gray smirked, adjusting the navy-blue cap covered in tiny Star Wars ships.

"Tomos picked it. Said I'd be a better surgeon if I channelled the Force."

Sophie whisper snorted. "Right. And what does that make Vanessa? The Emperor?"

A few of the team stifled their laughter, pretending to be preoccupied with the instrument trays.

Gray didn't react, but he could feel the weight of Vanessa's glare from the other end of the table.

Karen, keeping things professional, moved on.

Gray glanced at Sophie, their conversation shifting to a lower register, just under the hum of surgical prep.

"Mayo scissors."

Sophie handed them over with practiced ease. "Here you go, Yoda."

Gray smirked. "Kocher's."

Sophie rolled her eyes, passing the instrument. "You better not start tryin' to lift them with your mind."

Gray chuckled, keeping his voice low enough that Vanessa, standing at the dead end of the theatre table, couldn't hear. "Don't tempt me."

"Rongeur."

Sophie passed it over, whispering, "Use the Force, Gray."

He bit back a laugh, focusing on the work ahead.

The theatre was running smoothly. The surgery was textbook.

Later, Gray stepped into the surgeons' room, stretching his shoulders as he pulled out his dictaphone.

He had barely begun dictating his notes when the door swung open.

Vanessa.

Fuck.

She shut the door behind her, arms crossed, her expression set. Dangerous.

Gray didn't even look up. "If ye're here for an argument, don't waste yer breath."

Vanessa took a step closer. "You went to Burton."

Gray kept his tone calm. "Aye. I did."

She laughed—sharp, humourless. "You seriously got our unit chiefs involved? Jesus, Gray. You're really that scared of me?"

Gray clenched his jaw. "I'm not scared of ya, Vanessa. I just don't trust ya. And I don't want to be in the same room as ya if I can avoid it."

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