A.N.: I am having a lot of fun rewriting this story! I even took the story with me so that I can write during my holiday in Rome. Hope you guys like it too! Please let me know if you do!
02. One Call Away.
Everybody knows the feeling. The feeling you get when something is about to happen. The feeling that one call could change your life. The call about your acceptance at college. The call about the job you want. The call from the hospital about your test results. The call when someone passed away. The call from a friend about something urgent.
She knew that this was one of those calls.
'I have to talk to her,' Meredith said with a hint of panic in her voice.
Stijn looked at her. 'Mer, I'm sure she can wait. Let's go home first.'
Meredith shook her head. She knew it annoyed him, but she didn't care at the moment. 'No Stijn, she can't wait. Christina wouldn't bother me if it wasn't urgent. Look, I know that you don't like it when I talk to one of them because you think that I have to let them go, but they are still my friends and she needs me. Now if you'll excuse me.' She walked away, leaving him standing alone at the parking lot.
'She wants what?!' The bottle of beer Stijn had been holding in his hand, hit the table they were sitting at. Not only he, but also Rick and Anne looked at Meredith with disbelief, waiting for her to say it was all a joke.
'She wants me to come Seattle to work on a case with her,' Meredith said impatiently. She hadn't said a thing when she and Stijn got home. She went straight to the bathroom to take a long shower so she could think. She knew Stijn would not like the idea of her going to Seattle, but she also knew that Christina wouldn't ask such thing if it wasn't urgent.
But there was something strange about this whole situation. Why did Christina asked her? In the three years she was gone, her friends didn't ask her to come to Seattle once. Meredith was sure they could handle the case just fine without her. So why did she have to come?
Sure, the way Christina was taking about the case made it sound like it would interest her. And Christina was right that it was a great opportunity to see her friends again and catch up. But she still couldn't wrap her mind around why she had asked her instead of an attending.
Anne was the one who broke the silence. 'Are you going?'
Meredith looked at her. Not only it was the first thing Anne said since their lunch break, she didn't know what to answer. She sure would love to see her friends again, but she knew it would also bring up the past again. Let alone, she would probably have to face Derek at one point, and an didn't know of she could handle that.
'I don't know yet. I mean, I have to check if I arrange something at work, see if I can transfer some of my patients to another colleague and I want to read the file first,' Meredith answered after a while. She knew that wasn't the whole answer, but it was the best thing to say right now.
She looked at Stijn, who had been quiet the whole time. She knew he didn't like this, at all. And if it came down to it, it was his decision, not hers. If he didn't like the idea of her going to Seattle, it would not happen. Period. Just like everything else.
'I will think about it, let's just enjoy our night out first, okay?' She added. Everyone nodded and Meredith got up and walked towards the bar to order a next round. While she was waiting, she felt her phone buzzing.
I really hope you can come. You know I would not ask if it wasn't important to me. X
Meredith sighed. She knew Christina was right. It had to be important to her, otherwise she wouldn't ask such favor.
Maybe she just had to go. Apparently, she couldn't hide from the past, so why not embrace it? Maybe this was her chance to deal with the past, to finally move on. And on the plus side, it was a nice opportunity to see her friends again.
The only thing she didn't want, was to see Derek. The last thing she needed was for him to interfere with her relationship with Stijn. Maybe she could avoid him, make sure that she was working when he was not. She could do research at her old home and just visit the hospital when necessary.
She took her phone and looked at the table her friends were sitting. Rick and Anne were talking to each other, but Stijn stared at her. She knew she would get in trouble for this, but it felt kind of right.
I will do my best. Just send me the info, and I will talk to my attending. You can count on me. X Mer.
'What did you send?' Stijn asked immediately when Meredith walked back to the table with a couple of drinks.
'Well, thanks for the drinks Mer, you didn't have to do that,' she replied sarcastically.
Stijn was getting impatient. He started tot tap on the table with his fingers. 'That's not an answer, what did you send to Christina?'
'Nothing. It's none of your business, actually.'
Stijn hit the table with his fist. Anne and Rick looked up, surprised. But Meredith didn't give a flinch. 'Cut the crap, Meredith! It sure is my business. What did you send to her?'
'I told her that she could count on me,' Meredith answered briefly. She anticipated an angry answer from Stijn, but he fell silent. Instead, he just stood up and walked towards the bathroom.
Meredith turned to Anne and Rick, trying to change the subject. She knew this wasn't the end of it. She knew this fight would continue at home, but she didn't care. It felt right.
