Chance Encountered
Chapter 3
Addison had some time to spare before the staff meeting. So she decided to get a little something to eat. One of the pitfalls of being a surgeon was very little time to spare especially inside the hospital. There was always something to do, somewhere to go. So she decided to take advantage of this time given to her.
Addison made her way down to the coffee stand located in the cafeteria. She got in line behind the two people already there. As she waited, the anticipation, and nervous excitement started to build up. Addison just wanted to start working, get to know the staff, and the patients, the nurses, and the day-to-day grind of SGH.
It was one thing for Richard to explain how things work, and another to actually experience it firsthand. Addison was just ready to get started.
After a few moments of waiting, a young blonde and an Asian woman soon joined her in line. Addison did not pay any attention to them until one of them tapped her on the shoulder.
"Um, excuse me." The young Asian woman said.
"Yes?" Addison replied cocking an eyebrow, wondering what it was this woman could want to speak to her about, considering she had just started and the only person she knew was Richard.
"Are you… you're not… Addison Montgomery, are you?" The woman stuttered out as if she was afraid to ask the question in the first place but at the same time just dying to know the answer.
Addison couldn't help but laugh at this, and nodded her head.
"Yes, I am Addison Montgomery." She said thankful that to the medical community she was Addison Montgomery and not Montgomery-Sloan.
She had decided to keep her maiden name as her professional title. When Addison had made the decision to keep her own last name, she hadn't realized she would one day be so grateful to herself for making that particular choice.
"Oh… oh… oh… I-I can't believe this! I am Christina Yang. I am a huge fan!" The young woman said excitedly practically jumping up and down. The few other people in the cafeteria looked at her strangely before returning to whatever it was they were doing before.
The other young woman chose this time to speak, and stepped forward slightly to gain Addison's attention.
"I am Meredith Grey. I just read an article about the conjoined twins you delivered. Amazing. Really. It is such a pleasure to meet you." The young blonde gushed, and her smile widened as she spoke.
Addison looked down at the ground for a moment, a little embarrassed at these two women fussing over her like she was a famous movie star. She looked back up at them.
"Umm, thank you, it is very nice to meet you too." Addison replied as she looked over the two women in front of her.
The blonde, Meredith, was dressed in a pair of pale blue scrubs and she had her pulled back and the Asian woman, Christina, was also dressed in pale blue scrubs but had a lab coat over them and she wore her black curly hair down.
They didn't look like nurses, and they weren't old enough to be attending physicians but their attire meant that they worked at the hospital so they could be any one of a million different things.
"I didn't know you worked here, Dr. Montgomery." Meredith said as the line moved up, and they continued their conversation.
"Actually I just started here. Today is my first day," She replied, "I would like a black coffee and a blueberry muffin, please." Addison said to the attendant behind the counter.
"Wait, you work here? So as a surgical intern I would get to work with you?" Christina asked with a look on her face as if it was Christmas morning and she just got the puppy she had had her eye on.
Addison accepted her coffee and muffin and gave the cashier exact change. She looked back at the two women as they gave their orders but waited until they were finished talking to reply.
"You're surgical interns? Well yeah that would mean we would get to work together. I look forward to it." Addison looked at the two women and continued, "So are you two prepared for your first shift? The very first shift can be kind of brutal."
The two women got their orders and they all walked a few feet away from the coffee stand to allow the other people waiting a chance to also get their morning fix.
"Well, I just don't really know what to expect, you know. I just hope I don't run out of energy, or fall asleep standing up in a patients' room or something totally embarrassing like that." Meredith confessed with a nervous look in her eyes.
"Not me, I'm ready." Christina said with complete confidence in her voice.
Addison smiled at the two. Memories of her internship came flooding back, and she remembered feeling almost the way she was today except now she was experienced in the medical field, and knew what to expect. At least to some degree she knew what to expect.
"I am sure you guys are going to do just fine but I do have to run. It is my first day too, you know. I have to be prepared. It was really nice to meet you guys. I know I will be seeing you later." She said and waved goodbye to them with the hand that held her muffin. Then she turned and walked away.
Meredith and Christina turned to each other but before they could say anything, Addison called their names. Both of them turned to look at her.
"The key to being as alert as possible after being awake and on your feet for the better part of two days is drinking lots of coffee and quick naps, ten minutes here, another twenty there and you guys should be fine!" Addison said with a small secretive smile and walked away for a second time.
"Can you believe that we just met Addison Montgomery as in the Addison Montgomery?" Christina asked Meredith.
"I think I want to be a surgeon even more now than I did when I woke up." Meredith said, excited to work with the female surgeon as well.
"Let's go already. This is going to rock, I can just tell." Christina said excitedly and they walked off together in the opposite direction Addison had just taken. It was time to start their day, and both were ready.
8:15 and the staff meeting went off without a hitch. Of course it did, Richard was never one to procrastinate or let those around him procrastinate.
Addison smiled at the knowledge; she was really looking forward to working with Richard once again. It was nice to know at least one person in this city. It was comforting that she wasn't completely alone but at the same time a stranger here. What a perfect way to start this stage in her life.
Addison sat at the head of the table, next to Richard. She looked around at the others in the room. There were many. In fact, the conference room they were in was jam packed with people. Richard had probably made it mandatory to attend. Richard was thrilled to have her working here, he had mentioned it a time or two.
So Addison could imagine that this was sort of his way of showing her off, by making everyone come to greet her. And if you missed the meeting Addison assumed that there was some sort of penalty involved.
And as Richard went through his regular morning announcements (or what she thought were his regular morning announcements) she would smile and give a fake laugh along with the rest of the room at Richard's lame attempts to be funny.
And of course being Richard Webber, he was one to talk. He went over everything in detail, greatdetail. He covered everything from the new vending machine located on the third floor to the interns starting today, and then he introduced Addison.
Addison had made a little speech about how much she was looking forward to working with them and how she couldn't wait to get started. And even though it probably sounded like that speech you had to make because if you didn't you would be the rude newcomer who thinks she owns the place… she had meant every word. She was looking forward to working with them.
After the meeting ended Richard decided to introduce her to the other attendings. Addison wasn't surprised, and she didn't think anything of it. Meeting her colleagues was something that Addison expected. So she obediently followed Richard to meet her fellow doctors.
Richard took her to two men in the back of the room. They were talking quietly and one of the men had his back to them as they approached.
"Gentlemen, I would like you to meet Addison. Addison this is Preston Burke our cardio thoracic surgeon." Richard said as he smiled at her.
The tall well-built man gave her a smile.
The dark haired man, standing next to Preston turned around and smiled at all of them, and looked at Addison.
She let out a slight gasp in surprise.
"And this is our head of neurosurgery Derek Shepherd."
That was not expected.
End of Chapter 3.
Please Review.