aaaand another one:
Carina DeLuca and Eliza Minnick had heard of each other long before they finally met. Carina was a brilliant Italian surgeon who had made waves at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital with her unconventional methods, while Eliza was a no-nonsense consultant brought in to overhaul the hospital's surgical residency program. They were both strong-willed women who didn't suffer fools gladly, and their paths inevitably crossed.
Their first encounter was less than cordial. Eliza had been giving a lecture on surgical technique when Carina interrupted her with a pointed question. Eliza was taken aback by Carina's blunt approach, and the two of them quickly devolved into a heated argument in front of the assembled residents.
For weeks afterward, the two women avoided each other as much as possible. Carina saw Eliza as a rigid, by-the-book taskmaster who was stifling the creativity and innovation of the hospital's surgeons. Eliza saw Carina as a reckless hothead who was more interested in taking risks than in following established protocols.
But then, one day, they both happened to run into each other in the hospital cafeteria. They were both nursing cups of coffee and looking lost in thought when Carina spoke up.
"Arizona used to love this place," she said, nodding at the cup in Eliza's hand.
Eliza looked up, surprised. "What do you mean?"
Carina shrugged. "She used to say that Grey Sloan was the closest thing she had to a family. And now she's gone."
Eliza's expression softened a little. "I miss her too," she admitted.
They fell into a companionable silence for a few moments, both lost in their memories of the woman they had both loved. And then Carina spoke again.
"You know what Arizona and I used to do?" she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "We used to play these elaborate roleplay games in bed. We'd be pirates one night, and astronauts the next, and then the next night we'd be spies."
Eliza looked at her askance. "Roleplay?"
Carina nodded, undeterred. "Yeah, you know. It's like acting, but more... intimate. We'd get really into character, and it was like we were in a different world for a little while."
Eliza was intrigued despite herself. "And you're telling me this because...?"
Carina grinned. "Because I think we should try it. You and me. We'll pick a scenario and really commit to it. It'll be a bonding experience."
Eliza raised an eyebrow, but she couldn't deny that the idea had a certain appeal. "I don't know," she said cautiously. "It seems kind of silly."
Carina leaned in, her eyes sparkling. "Come on, Eliza. Live a little. What do you have to lose?"
In the end, Eliza agreed, and they spent the rest of the afternoon brainstorming scenarios and fleshing out characters. They settled on a fantasy world filled with magic and dragons, and Carina insisted on playing a brash, swashbuckling adventurer while Eliza took on the role of a wise wizard.
As they began to play, something unexpected happened. The tension between them melted away as they lost themselves in the game, laughing and improvising and building a world together. They found that they worked well together, each of them bringing their own strengths and quirks to the table.
And when they were finished, they looked at each other with newfound respect and camaraderie. They were still very different people, with different priorities and methods, but they had found a common ground.
From that day on, Carina and Eliza were no longer enemies. They didn