Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.

Funny and interesting to read...all your suggestions of who would be co-chief next to Derek. Please...read the next chapter and find out who I made co-chief. Enjoy the story and if you have a minute to spare, place a review. They're highly appreciated.

Wishing y'all a nice weekend.

McJinx

...

Chapter 10

Meredith's POV

"Doctor Grey...I could use your help?"

I was in the process of describing a drug to my patient, so I answered kind of absentmindedly, "Mm…I'll be right there."

"Please, doctor Grey. This cannot wait", April Kepner urged. A warning note in April's voice pulled my attention so I glanced at my Chief Resident and saw distress written all over her face.

"One minute," I said calmly, before turning back to my patient. "According to the X-ray's, you've sprained your ankle…it's not broken. You'll need to keep it immobilized for several weeks to give the muscles time to recover. Here's a prescription, "I tore off the sheet, "…for some Ibuprofen. If you're ankle isn't better in a few weeks, either come back or visit your family physician…OK?

The patient nodded his head.

"Just remember, rest your ankle…If you don't give yourself enough time to heal, your basketball days are over."

The patient blushed slightly as if I had read his mind and knew his intent. "OK," he mumbled. It's just a few weeks…right?"

"At least six…maybe more," I warned him.

"Meredith…please," April urged again from the door.

Telling my patient goodbye, I followed April into the hallway. "What's the problem?"

"It's Cristina. She's gone crazy!"

"Why? What happened," I asked, while I sped up my pace. "She's completely lost her mind," April declared. "She's storming around the locker room and when I tried to reason with her, she almost threw a waste bin at my head."

"I'm sure she didn't mean to," I tried soothing April. "Do you know what upset her?"

"I don't know. She was fine until she read the message, Chief Shepherd posted earlier this morning. Please, Meredith…Can you talk to her. You're the only one, she'll listen to."

"OK," I sighed as I handed over my patient's chart, tucking my pen into the breast pocket of my lab coat. As I made my way down the hallway toward the resident locker room, I passed the message board. One look at the typed message and I knew instantly why Cristina had gone bezirk.

Announcement

The board of Seattle Grace Mercy Hospital is glad to inform you that the following doctors are assigned to the position of Chief of Surgery:

Doctor Derek C. Shepherd

Doctor Preston Burke

To my surprise, the door to the resident locker room stood open and as I cautiously walked inside. I noticed how the reasonably neat locker room now looked as if a tornado had whirled through it. Papers and medical books covered the floor and dirt was spilling out of the waste bin on the floor.

"Hey…what's up?" I asked calmly as I righted the waste bin. Cristina sat on one of the wooden bench in the middle of the locker room and looked up at the sound of my voice. "Have you seen who they made co-Chief," she snapped at me.

"Yeah…I guess you're not happy with that…huh?"

"Not happy?" Cristina waved furiously at me, "Not happy? Did you forget…that ass left me at the altar?" She ranted. "After years of not hearing a single thing…he's coming back to Seattle. To me, it's unthinkable and insulting." Cristina grabbed a water bottle from her locker, hefted it in her hand and threw it through the locker room door against the hallway wall. Standing close to the door, I didn't have time to dodge. The glass bottle shattered into a million pieces and a sharp sting bit into my cheek. Instinctively I touched my face but as far as I could tell, there was no damage. I ignored Cristina's rant and began in a most soothing tone, "Cristina, come on—." I didn't get far past her name before a tall, familiar dark man burst into the locker room, wearing an expensively tailored dark gray suit and a grim expression.

"Cristina Yang! Throw one more thing and you'll be flying through the air too," he snarled as he moved in front of her. Almost in the next second, he whipped out a snowy, white handkerchief and pressed it into my hand.

"Meredith…it's good to see you but you'd better take care of that."

"Hey Doctor Burke," I mumbled, taking his handkerchief and pressing it to my cheek. To my surprise, a large smear of blood stained the white cotton. Quickly, I pressed the handkerchief to my cheek again, more curious about Cristina's reaction to Preston's appearance than about my scratch, especially when Preston turned around and faced me, "Meredith…," he spoke in his deep, stern voice, "…could you please give Cristina and me a minute?"

Cristina's POV

"I see you haven't changed," Preston said behind my back a minute later.

"Don't bother Burke…I'm not interesting in anything you have to say," I snapped at him.

"Do I detect some kind of animosity?"

"If the shoe fits…," I shrugged my shoulders as I dumped a large shard of glass in the trash can.

"Cristina…can you please look at me?"

Burke's gentle voice brought color to my face and I felt anger rise inside of me but I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath. "Doctor Burke, I apologize if I have offended you in any way," I said stiffly. "As a resident, I'm out of line to speak to the Chief of Surgery like this."

"Apology accepted," Burke smiled while he extended his hand. I averted my gaze and crossed my arms defiantly across my chest. "OK…Out of all the hospitals in the country, why did you come back to SGMH?"

"Because you're here," Burke said simply.

"Oh, please…you can't be serious," I scoffed.

"It's true," Burke insisted. "I came as soon as I heard a job was available." I must have looked puzzled. "But why? We don't have feelings for each other…I'm married," I said while I stubbornly stuck my chin forward. OK…Owen and I were on the verge of breaking up but that wasn't something Burke needed to know.

Burke chuckled and shook his head, "Don't be afraid…I'm not here to get you back. I've heard of your marriage to Doctor Owen Hunt…congrats by the way. No…I've come back because you were the best resident I ever taught…and I could use your help?" Burke reached into the left inside pocket of his suit, retrieving a white envelope, holding it out to me.

"What's this," I asked suspiciously.

"You have to read it!"

I eyed the envelope as if it held my resignation letter but curiosity must have flickered across my face because I sensed Burke's tension. Reluctantly, I accepted and ripped open the envelope. Inside was a letter, addressed to Burke. It read:

Dear Doctor P. Burke,

With great interest we have read about your new surgical procedure called Minimum Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS). As you explained, the new technique reduces the incision size from 8 to 12 inches in traditional cardiac surgeries to 3 to 4 inches. Also the recovery time would be reduced from three months to just one month. This novel surgery procedure could be an answer to all the problems related to big incisions on a body like wound infection, keloid scars, pain, delayed recovery and cosmetic problems in young patients.

My mouth dropped open in awe and I looked up at Burke. "Really? What? How..?" At this point, I seemed to have forgotten my resentment against Burke because my medical professionalism kicked in instantly. A small arrogant smile played at the edges of his lips, "I knew you'd be interested. Listen, I've developed this new surgical technique but it still needs improvement…and that's why I need you. You're the fastest learning student, I've ever met and I really could use your skills, improving this technique. What do you say?"

For a second, I hesitated but I also realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I sighed but then extended my hand, "OK Doctor Burke…I'll accept your offer…but, I want my name published too if this is successful?"

Burke grinned, "Naturally!"

To be continued...