Thank you to people who have reviewed this. I really appreciate it. Please let me know what you think.

CHAPTER FOUR

Cristina waited nervously as Burke's cell phone was ringing. Several times she considered ending the call before he could pick up but she forced herself to go through with it, thinking of Meredith. Besides, she thought, his call log would let him know that she had been trying to call him so she may as well speak.

"Preston's phone," a woman answered.

"I… uh…" Cristina stammered, completely blown away by the female voice.

"Hello?" the woman asked.

"I need to speak to Burke… I mean Preston… I mean Burke," Cristina stammered, wishing that she hadn't placed the call in the first place.

"I'm sorry, he's in surgery right now," the woman said in a pleasant tone. "Can I take a message?"

"No," Cristina said, dejected, realizing that she didn't even know what city Burke was in. "It's fine." Cristina hung up the phone and steadied herself before getting back to work, making sure that her face didn't reveal the slightest hint of emotion.

xxxxxxx

Meredith and Derek heard a knock at the door of Meredith's room in the cardiac ward. They looked over to see Doctor Miranda Bailey standing in the doorway.

"You gave us quite the fright, Grey," Bailey said, stepping into Meredith's room with a stack of paperwork. "Look at you, always getting into some kind of trouble." Bailey looked over at Derek. "Don't you look a wreck?" she said frankly. "Anyone would think that you were the patient. Now go get yourself together. Go wash your face or brush your hair or something."

"Yes, Doctor Bailey," Derek said, standing up and leaving Meredith's room, still amazed how his subordinate had so much psychological power over him. Meredith managed a little giggle.

"He's scared of you," she said to Bailey.

"So he should be," Bailey replied. "Meredith giggled again." Bailey's face softened. "How are you doing?" she asked sincerely. "And don't give me any of that 'fine' crap."

"It feels like it's not really happening," Meredith admitted.

"I understand wanting to feel like that," Bailey said. "But this most certainly is happening. Now I know it's scary but as a doctor you know that a patient can fare better in a surgery if they don't have their head in the clouds." Meredith nodded. "Now I know you don't feel like it but you have to fill out all this paperwork," Bailey said, placing a stack of papers on Meredith's bedside table. "I wanted to deliver them myself and make sure that you're doing okay and that nobody's bugging you. I can only keep your fellow residents away for so long. Now page me if you need anything okay?" Meredith nodded. "I'll come and check on you before I leave." Bailey gave Meredith a wink before leaving. Meredith was glad that she had come to see her. Bailey always knew how to handle a situation.

Xxxxxxx

"Doctor Hahn," Izzie said in the strongest voice that she could muster, heading over to where Erica Hahn was looking at some scans near the nurses' station. "I'm sorry that I left you alone before."

"Don't apologize to me," Erica said, refusing to look at Izzie. "You should be apologizing to Meredith Grey. Imagine if you were a patient and your doctor freaked out and ran away. That doesn't do a lot for a patient's confidence, Doctor Stevens. I shouldn't even have to tell you that."

"I'm sorry," Izzie said again, ashamed. "It won't happen again."

"No, it won't" Erica agreed. She finally looked up at Izzie. "Doctor Yang is now on this case." Izzie looked lost.

"So where do you want me?" Izzie asked, trying to hide her surprise that Meredith's best friend had been put on her case over her.

"Out of my sight," Erica replied. "I'd heard many things about you, Doctor Stevens, and I was prepared to give you a chance but now I know why everybody warned me. You have a bad track record of letting your emotions get in the way of practicing medicine and the more chances the hospital gives you, the more you throw it back in our faces. I don't know how you're still here." Izzie didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She turned and walked away.

"Ouch. That was a bit harsh," Callie said to Erica, approaching the nurses' station. "One could also say that giving your residents a public dressing down like that is a big no no." Erica sighed.

"I'm not in the mood, Callie," she said dismissively.

"What's wrong with you?" Callie asked, surprised at Erica's snappiness. Erica sighed. "I heard about Meredith," Callie added. "It sucks, but you'll be fine. I'm sure you've done this procedure a million times before."

"Not on one of my residents," Erica replied. "Not on someone who everyone at this hospital knows and seems to adore. And," Callie was surprised to see Erica showing more than the slightest sign of doubt, "the last time I did this the patient ended up coding on the table. We couldn't bring her back."

"And you think that's gonna happen to Meredith?' Callie asked with raised eyebrows. "Geez, the last guy I did a femoral osteotomy on died of a blood clot. That doesn't mean it's gonna happen next time and I'd be stupid to think like that." Erica glared at Callie.

"I'm just saying that I'm under more pressure than usual. I never said I couldn't do it," she said before storming off. Callie made a face.

"She's so hot when she's angry," Mark Sloan said, approaching Callie at the nurses' station after he'd heard the end of her conversation with Erica. Callie laughed.

"Just try and hit on her now," Callie said. "I think you'd end up with a broken nose."

"Is it wrong that that turns me on?" he asked.

"Very," Callie laughed. "She's just a bit freaked out. I would be too if I had to operate on Meredith with the whole hospital watching my every move. Just give her some space."

"I can't promise that," Mark said. Callie stared him down. "Okay, maybe just for you," he said.

Xxxxxxx

Derek went into radiology where Alex and George were waiting on an MRI scan to show up.

"How's Meredith?" they both asked.

"Word gets around," Derek replied. "She's holding up good," he said, even though he wasn't holding up as well. "What've you got here?'

"A cerebral bleed," Alex answered.

"Why didn't you page me?" Derek asked.

"I figured you were busy…" George stammered.

"Yeah we were gonna page another surgeon," Alex added.

"Nonsense," Derek replied, studying the scan on the monitor and throwing himself into the distraction.

Xxxxxxx

"What are you doing?" Meredith asked as she saw Cristina struggling with something outside of her hospital room. Cristina didn't reply. She finally entered the room, wheeling a television on an enormous stand into the room.

"So you don't go crazy," Cristina explained, positioning the television where Meredith could see it. "Don't say that I don't do anything for you." She handed Meredith the remote and Meredith began channel flicking.

"Thanks," Meredith said, trying to find something to watch as Cristina listened to her heartbeat on her stethoscope and took her blood pressure. "You know that the nurses can do that?" Meredith asked.

"I know," Christina answered. "I'd just feel better if I do it." Meredith smiled at Cristina. Cristina wasn't one to express her feelings but Meredith knew that this was a big deal. Suddenly Cristina's cell phone started to ring from the pocket of her scrubs. She took it out and raised her eyebrows when she saw who was calling her.

"Who is it?" Meredith asked, noticing Cristina's reaction.

"It's Burke," Cristina said, locking eyes with Meredith.