A/N This was an experiment in voice and dialogue that got a bit longer than I planned. Let me know what you think. (Characters are not mine; alas.) Also I am not suggesting this is every call - merely a sampling through the years!
Oh and one of the calls included here appears elsewhere in Filling in the Blanks - Chapter 4.
"Alex is not you."
"This is news to you? I'm a Director of Cardiothoracics and he's … up until recently he was Junior Dr Butthole."
"You left him your shares and your board seat, you know he's more than that."
"I was having a moment. Did you call so we could talk about Karev?"
"No. I called to tell you about my new sister."
"What! Thatcher's has another kid?"
"No. The new head of cardio is my biological sister."
"You what?"
"That's what Alex said. Then we hacked, well not hacked so much as misappropriated the hospital system. Damn! Should I say that on a transatlantic call? Are they monitored? Can you be arrested if you are recorded without your knowledge?"
"Breathe Meredith. The sister?"
"Oh yes. Looks like my mom was pregnant when she tried to kill herself, before we went to Boston"
"Are you sure?"
"After Alex found the admission papers, and we looked at her date of birth I kind of remember. So yes, if you were still here you'd be working for my sister."
"If I was still there I'd be the Head of Cardio."
"If you say so."
I say so. Just a minute the new Head of Cardio; the sister? She's five years younger than us? I just thought maybe she had great skin or something."
"Child prodigy."
"Hmm."
"That's what you've got? Hmmm?"
"Go get a drink and put some music on Mer. There's only one way this day ends."
"I can't have a drink. Alex cut me off."
"You're right, he is not me."
"Do you realise everyone is connected by sex?"
"Meredith it's the middle of the night."
"But did you though? Did you ever sit down and think about it?"
"I have not. I think about thoracic aortic dissection repair and some of the game changing things I'm planning on publishing later this year. I do not think about sex connections."
"Is that because you aren't having any?"
"I'm having plenty and I thought you were as well, post your shower make up. So why the sex connections?"
"Oh, I took Pierce over to the house last night and we were talking."
"About sex connections?"
"Yeah, you know. Callie did George who did Izzie who did Alex who did Callie who did Mark who did Lexie who did Alex ."
"So Callie's bi and Karev's been around – this is not news."
"Not sure Wilson was thrilled with the conversation."
"Is Wilson ever thrilled?"
"A fair point."
"So, can I go back to sleep now?"
"Night Cristina."
"You need to deal with this Karev. What do you expect me to do? Ring and check she's ok because your girlfriend got naked in front of her?"
"She didn't get… oh for God's sake! You need to speak with Mer. This is beyond me. I really thought she'd run off, got drunk and slept with someone inappropriate."
"I think those days are behind her Karev. Don't worry. Anyway, aren't you the only inappropriate one left? Are you planning on sleeping with her?"
"God no! But on her previous history surely Hunt would be the most inappropriate."
"You're an ass. Do you want my help or not?"
"Okay. Please. Will you just try and talk to her? This, 'I don't want to be with him, but I don't want us not to be together' crap, it's making my head hurt and it's clearly beyond Pierce. I may not be Shepherd's biggest fan, but I don't really want to think about a world without the two of them together in it."
"Be careful Karev, your showing your sensitive side."
"Bull. I just can't have her showing up and climbing into bed all the time kicking my girlfriend out."
"She never kicked Owen or Burke out, not really. I never turfed Derek anywhere he didn't want to go himself. Stand up for your woman unless you want Mer in your bed! Oh lord I may have made myself physically ill."
"For God's sake! Shut it! Stop bothering me and go and help fix this or at least unpick it to a point that I don't need to hear about it anymore."
"Sure Alex. Keep telling yourself you don't care. It got old years ago."
"Owen. I had someone text Karev that I'd call when I was out of surgery. Why are you calling?"
"You need to come home Cristina."
"I need to what? We had agreed Owen. It's done."
"No, you don't understand. It's Meredith she needs you."
"Is this about Derek and the woman on the phone? It's all going to be fine. I can't believe Karev's pulled you into this. He needs to grow a pair."
"I'm getting this all wrong… Cristina, Derek has died. Meredith collapsed when she told us. I've got her in a room sedated. You need to come home."
"Derek's what?"
"He died Cristina. An awful road accident. I don't have all the details. All we know is that Meredith needs you. You need to come."
"Who's with her now? Where are the children?"
"Bailey was with her and now Alex is. He says he won't leave the room 'til you get here. I've sent the children home with Amelia and Maggie."
"Okay. Tell him I'll call him when I get to the airport. I need an hour to go home and get a bag and then at least two hours to clear international security. Can you get me the first plane three hours from now? Anywhere in the States, I can connect."
"Of course. I already have options for you."
"Owen?"
"Cristina?"
"Are you okay?"
"I will be."
"Owen? Thank you."
"Have you heard from her?"
"Karev?"
"Have you heard from Mer?"
"I just got home."
"That's not an answer. Are you covering for her?"
"Alex, you need to calm down. What the hell is going on."
"She's done a midnight flip"
"Jetlagged here. Speak more clearly."
"She left in the middle of the night. Just a suitcase and the kids. So, I'm asking do you know where she is?"
"You're not asking, you're yelling."
"I swear to God Yang. You haven't heard me yell yet, now DO YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS?"
"I don't."
"Have you heard from her?"
"Nothing since I left for the airport."
"Check your mails? Is there anything there?"
"I've been looking while you've been bellowing. I swear there's nothing. Did she leave a letter or a note?"
"One line, apparently she and the kids are fine. God only knows where, but fine."
"Look she's grieving. Give her a week and she'll be back. The first thing you'll know is she'll be stood at the board booking and OR and she will be fine."
"I'm not sure. Promise that you'll let me know if you hear from her. Even if she tells you not to. At least let me know she's okay."
"Alright."
"Karev, what have you heard?"
"Nothing. The only positive is that she doesn't appear to have disconnected her phone. It still rings out."
"It's not a great positive."
"It's all I got today."
"She hasn't been answering to me either and I have no idea if she's reading my mails. I sent her my journal article and that didn't even get a bite.
"I saw that. Good job… After I tried her dad; I even tracked down her other sister, you know the army one on Sunday."
"Why would she know anything. You're losing it."
"I know but I can't just sit here and do nothing."
"Hey. I've now spoken to every one of the freaking Shepherd sisters. It's not enough that I have to work with the chatty one, they've all got my damn number now."
"Why did you call them?"
"They're on the East Coast. I thought maybe she'd taken the following her mom thing seriously and gone to Boston."
"Not a terrible idea but she wouldn't have gone to them and surely the Shepherdess would have known if that was the case."
"There's no love lost there; between her and the rest of the family. Anyway, they said no, as did every hospital in the greater Boston area who I called."
"Hospitals?"
"Yes, I've been calling surgery departments looking for a Dr Grey."
"Okay there's something in that maybe but as usual you're thinking too small."
"What's your great idea then?"
"Get Owen to speak to the AMA, the Board or the insurers. I think you've got the kernel of something. There's no way she's not cutting, and they'll know where. Even if it's private practice."
"Hunt? He's gone to Jordan. Went months ago with Kepner."
"With Kepner as in with Kepner?"
"God no! Just gone."
"I'm being paged."
"Yang wait! Are you alright? Yang? YANG?"
"She doesn't want to be found. She's still not responding to mails."
"I know, nothing new from this side."
"I know what to do with dark and twisty Meredith. I know what to do with pretending everything's okay Meredith. I know what to do with a sulky Meredith. Back in the day I knew what to do with drank too much, screwed everything in sight Meredith but I have zero idea what to do with totally missing, can't be found Meredith."
"You think I don't get it? Yang, you got her through an unusually high amount of crazy even for this place. Then, you left me in charge for less than a year and I've lost her. Like, physically no idea where in the actual world she and the kids might be, lost."
"Enough of the pity party. What do we try next?"
"I'm out of ideas. At this point I keep ringing in the hope that I piss her off enough that she answers. As plans go it's sketchy."
"It pains me to say it, but I have nothing else."
"She answered the damn phone!"
"What!"
"I rang whilst waiting for the never-cooking turkey to cook and she answered. She's actually answered."
"And?"
"'I'm fine, the kids are fine. Stop calling Alex.'"
"That's it?"
"That was it."
"Oh."
"Okay, it wasn't quite what I'd been hoping for but it's a start."
"Are you going to stop calling?"
"Are you going to stop writing?"
"She didn't ask me to."
"No, of course I'm not. I'm not giving up now."
"Operation piss her off into contacting you still not working then?"
"Nothing since Thanksgiving."
"Hey still nothing at all for me."
"I know it's stupid, but I bought presents for Zola and Bailey."
"You do make it difficult to remember that you were once a truly awful person."
"Don't be an ass. I just thought you know, first Christmas without their dad. That sucks right? You know that."
"I'm Jewish."
"Funny. You also know what I mean. I really thought she'd bring them home, let them have it in that big dreamhouse he built for them. Let them have it with their family.
"I think in a Meredith sort of way that's what she is doing. There were four of them, there's three now. They need to get used to that. She's giving them all time."
"They have family here. All of us - not just Shepherd and Pierce."
"I know."
"I'm afraid she's not coming back."
"Meredith dances to her own music, you know that. I think she'll be back, but it will be her terms. It always is really. Look I know we don't do this but what about you? You can't carry on in stasis like this. Are you going to marry that girl or what?"
"I can't think about that now…Hey, Happy Hanukkah Yang."
"Happy Christmas Karev."
"Yang, I've found her. Well she's found me."
"What? Where?"
"Don't panic but she's in hospital in San Diego. She's had a baby!"
"She's had a what?"
"A baby! Little girl; healthy. C-section but she and Mom are doing well."
"And you've actually spoken to her? Are you sure she's okay?"
"No. She's still in recovery. I've spoken to the surgeon who worked on her though and she said everything's fine although she's had to have some blood. Apparently, Zola rang for an ambulance and they got her there in enough time."
"That's good. It's good she's okay. It's good they called you."
"Look I've got to get to the airport, I'll le you know how I get on. When will I see you?"
"See me?"
"You're coming right?"
"I can't. I have a transplant being prepped on the table as we speak and we've got a trial underway with some key dates this month."
"You're not coming?"
"Not right now, no."
"Are you kidding me?"
"I don't joke about surgery. Look this is good news, thanks for calling. I'll ring tomorrow."
"Cristina?"
"She lives."
"Don't be like that."
"Like what?"
"Christina."
"Meredith."
"Fine I get it. You're pissed. You have a right to be. Everyone does. But I needed time Cristina. I needed space. I mean, Derek's gone, he's really gone."
"I know that."
"It's just, it was all too much. I mean even the house. Every tiny thing; the floors, the kitchen, even where the sinks are in the bathrooms. He planned it all for us. It was supposed to be our dream forever house. And then he wasn't there. And I'd lie in bed at night and all I could think was I'm in our dream forever house without him. And the what-ifs were deafening. It all got too much."
"The what-ifs?"
"The what-ifs. What if I'd just gone to DC when you left? What if that woman hadn't answered his phone and he'd stayed there and not been back in Seattle? What if he hadn't stopped to help those people? What if he'd had better doctors? What if's they creep up on you at night. Fill the rooms."
"And you think they'll be gone now?"
"No, I think they're still there but I'm ready to tell them where to go now. It's time for me to be me again."
"And you're doing that in Seattle?"
"Yes, Alex is on his way now to take us back. We're pretty much packed."
"You're flying?"
"Well when the only other option is taking a long hour road trip with two kids and a pretty much constantly hungry newborn flying starts to seem like it could be okay. Alex said he wasn't up for driving twenty hours with Zola kicking his seat, Bailey barfing and me dripping milk everywhere."
"Always a charmer hey? Mer?"
"What."
"I'm glad you're okay. Even if you didn't repond to a single call or mail in months."
"I'm sorry about that. And yes I think I will be."
"You need to apologise to Alex."
"I need to do what?"
"He's been beside himself since you left. I think maybe put a lot of things on hold. He feels guilty as hell."
"Well that's ridiculous."
"Did I ever say he wasn't ridiculous? Apologise."
"Jo wants to go join the army."
"I'm prepping a lecture here."
"Jo wants to join the army and Meredith wants to move in."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Who else would I tell?"
"Literally anyone else in the world."
"Come on. Just a minute. I've been an ass."
"This is not news."
"Yang I'm serious. Mer wants to move in with me; with us. Jo wants us to go do a Kepner."
"No one should ever do a Kepner. Whichever way you look at it. Look I'm busy so I'm going to play along with this to get you off the phone. What are you going to do?"
"I want to stay here. This is home. I've settled, put down roots. And now Mer's finally back it feels like everything could be okay again. I don't see that having her and the kids stay would be a bad thing. They were pretty good when I was with them in San Diego, it was kind of fun."
"Then there's your answer then but maybe think about phrasing it differently to Wilson."
"Too late."
"You're a moron."
"He wants me to buy the house back. Well, I think, more accurately she wants me to buy the house back."
"I thought you were just staying there for a while?"
"Well if I buy it then I guess we're staying."
"I'm not following. You already have a house."
"Wilson's found this place, this absolutely awful place and she wants Alex to buy it with her. To do that they need me to buy the house back from Alex."
"Wilson really didn't want to live with you, did she?"
"This is not about me."
"Well that's a refreshing perspective from you but on this occasion, you're wrong. This is absolutely about you. I mean they've been together for ages right. Longer than we ever thought he'd manage with anyone. At some point they'll marry and want to do kids and all that jazz. Can they do that with you and the kids playing candy land in the living room? I mean hot sex on the kitchen worktop isn't quite so hot when there's a baby in a hire chair watching."
"Cristina don't be gross. I don't want to think about Wilson having sex on my mother's kitchen worktops in front of my babies. It's wrong. Badly wrong. Anyway, they're miles away from marriage and families and all of that. I just think this is a step back for him. I mean he's been determined to be an adult; to grow up. He bought a house and a proper car. He owns suits now. Multiple suits. A loft in the middle of crack central feels like decidedly the wrong path. She's younger. It's fun for her buying her first place, I get that. But she's dragging him backwards with her."
"You're focusing on the wrong thing here. Are you going to buy the house?"
"It's home."