AN: I personally don't think that Meredith could hav stayed in bed all day knowing that the new doctors were running all over her hospital. And I felt that someone should really have told them about George so they'd show a little more respect. Anyway, here's my take on it. Enjoy!
"Where do you think you're going?" I froze, my hands snapping back to my sides and away from the wheelchair I'd been trying to get a hold of.
"Shh." I hushed him, pointing to the sleeping body in my bed. He came to my side and pushed the wheelchair out of my reach.
"Why are you out of bed, and why is Christina in it?" Derek asked, glancing toward her.
"She's having a bad day." I explained, reaching for the wheelchair again. He smiled.
"No you don't." He took my hands in his. "You only answered one of the questions."
"I need to talk to Owen."
"Well then," He dropped my hands and wheeled the chair over to my bedside, slinging the IV bag onto its perch. "Your carriage awaits." He helped me down into the chair, and began pushing me out the door.
"Dr. Shepherd?" A nurse was calling from the desk as we came into view. "Dr. Karev needs you for a quick consult before your surgery."He sighed, and turned to me.
"Can you promise stay out of trouble if I leave you alone?" I bit my lip.
"I'll try not to permanently injure him." I decided. He grinned again, and kissed my forehead before walking ahead to talk to Alex. I lingered by the nurses' station and watched him go. Three doctors in orange scrubs rounded the corner and surrounded the desk, like vultures waiting for prey. I tried not to glare at them immaturely. I wondered which one Owen had given the surgery to instead of Christina.
"What's your problem?" A small woman with short dark red hair was asking. Another woman was fighting tears. I might've felt sorry for her if she wasn't stealing my hospital. As it was…
"Nothing, I'm fine. I just- my book" She wiped at her eyes. "The doctor I'm working with, she-"
"Quit complaining." The woman with the short hair harped. "At least you get to work with that." She said, gesturing to Derek's retreating figure. I had to fight to keep my head from wiping around. I pretended to be reading one of the bulletin boards. "I've got to work with the righteous-surgery-stealing- bastard who sometimes goes by Alex Karev." She rolled her eyes. I made a mental note to congratulate Alex later. He'd clearly gotten under her skin. "And no one will tell me who the head of neuro is!" She threw her hands up.
"They don't want us here." The brown-haired girl sobbed.
"At least you're not stuck with crazy-cancer-girl." The man said. Izzy. I gripped the handles of the chair until my knuckles were white. "She compared their devotion to surgery to jumping in front of cars." He spat. "'You'll never measure up to those we've lost'" He imitated Izzy pathetically. "Apparently the administration thought we were better, or they wouldn't have fired them. She's nuts."
"She has cancer?" The short-haired one asked. "I thought she just got a bad haircut." She should talk. "I still can't believe you get the hot surgeon." She said again.
"Dr. Shepherd- he's really very nice." She said.
"You're blushing." The other man accused. I couldn't stop myself from turning towards them. So she was. Heat built in my throat. "You like him!"
"Oh, no-" She put her hands up defensively. "No- no… and one of the nurses- um, Rose- she was talking to one of the other nurses, and I think he's married." She was speaking too quickly, and it was hard to understand her.
"Who cares?" The short-haired who I was coming to believe was the devil-incarnate. "I'm going after him anyway."
There was a clattering noise as the tall metal pole that I'd been gripping that supported my IV became unhooked from the chair, toppling over. The three doctors turned to look at me.
The man checked to see if my IV was properly intact, the sobbing woman, secured the rolling IV stand to my chair again, and Devil-Incarnate returned my IV to the hook.
"Would you like help getting back to your room?" The sobbing one asked. She wiped at her eyes again, and moved behind me, ready to push the chair.
"These are Doctors Percy," The Devil-Incarnate gestured to the man, "and Kepner" she gestured to the sobbing woman, "and I'm Dr. Adamson." She smiled at me, and offered her hand. I glanced at it, and then met her eyes again.
"I'm Dr. Meredith Shepherd." Her grin faded rapidly, and she dropped her hand, but not her eyes. "Alex is just a tad cranky because his wife- Dr. Izzy Stevens- I believe you've met her" I turned to the man, "died in his arms a few months ago, and he needs a job if he wants to be able to eat after paying all of the medical bills it took to keep her alive." My eyes were cold as I directed my attention to the sobbing girl. "We don't want you here." She withered under my eyes, and wouldn't look at me. "We don't need you here, because we do everything for our patients." I turned to the man. "We live our lives for surgery and feel useless without scalpels in our hands. We forfeit surgeries to donate livers to fathers that abandoned us and confine ourselves to beds for six weeks, and-" he looked away, "and we do throw ourselves in front of busses to save lives." I turned away, my hands shaking as I operated the chair. "We don't need you, and you won't measure up to the people we've lost." I glanced at The Devil again. "You won't measure up to George." I started to leave.
I'd made it almost ten feet before I stopped, though I didn't turn.
"Oh." I added, "The head of Neurosurgery is Dr. Derek Shepherd." I could hear them whispering as I wheeled away.
"I told you not to take that cubby."
I found Derek just exiting a door about a hundred yards from my room. He kissed me on the forehead again.
"I've got to get into surgery." He excused himself. "Did you manage to stay out of trouble?"
"Mostly." I smiled. "I can't wait to be cleared for surgery."