Author Note - Thank you for all the follows/faves and reviews. I love getting every single alert. I'm in a good mood today, it's my son's 9th birthday and he's an amazing, kind and intelligent boy. He particularly liked the Harry Potter book box set we got him. Enjoy the chapter and have a great day!

Commitment is the glue that bonds you to your goals.

Just met the slutty intern.

I think the term is now dirty ex-mistress.

That's too mature for an intern. Did you enjoy your birthday?

Yes, it was fun.

Sorry again that I didn't call on the day, but I couldn't find even an hour to get away.

It's fine. I know how much time being a surgeon demands.

Are we talking about your surgery at all?

No.

You'll have to get it eventually. Probably sooner than you want.

Oh god, who told her?

Amelia let it slip.

She's not getting a birthday present.

You know what Mom is like. You can hardly blame her.

I suppose not.

Got to go. Derek is telling me off for not listening to him telling me off.

Come see me tomorrow.

Will do.

'Whoever is prodding me, better run, because you will die,' Grace said, not wanting to wake up just yet.

'You always were difficult to get out of bed.'

Grace blinked and saw Nancy sat beside her bed, one hand moving back from where it had been poking her side. 'What time is it?'

'Almost eight.'

'Ugh, Nance!' Grace pulled the covers over her head and moaned. 'You're a devil woman!'

Nancy just laughed. 'Well, if you don't want this hot chocolate…'

Grace stuck her hand out of the covers. 'Gimme.' When the cup was in her hand, Grace shifted the covers and adjusted her bed upright.

'How bad is it?'

Glancing at the other woman Grace saw she was looking at the slight tremble in her hands. 'Not so bad. I cut back on the sedative last week, which is why I can eat stuff besides fruit and jello, but that's worth this slight tremble.'

Nancy nodded and smiled. 'And how are you dealing with being in hospital for so long?'

Grace grimaced and shrugged. 'It's…hard, but I know it'd be impossible if Mark weren't popping in four or five times a day, and spending a bit of time with me before he leaves at night.'

'That man dotes on you; he spoils you rotten.'

'Yep. Have you seen him yet?'

Nancy shook her head. 'No, I came straight to your room, wanted to see how you were. How's your leg by the way?'

Grace wiggled the limb in question. 'Pretty much back to normal. I've done PT to keep it from stiffening up while I was drugged into staying in bed.'

'Kathleen told me to check you knew what a phone was.'

'Ugh…what is it with you Shepherds always butting in,' Grace said with a laugh softening the words. 'I'm fine, I don't need a shrink.'

Nancy gave her a sceptical look. 'Grace. You work all week in a hospital, no problem. But at the mere mention of you being here as a patient…' she trailed off and smirked as Grace shuddered. 'That. Or worse.'

Grace glared at her. 'I don't need a shrink. I've got Mark.'

'That you do,' Nancy replied quietly. 'But does he have you?'

'I'm pretty sure Mark is now the only person that doesn't know.' Grace said with a chuckle. 'Even Derek knows now.'

'Do you want him to know?' Nancy asked as she sat forward.

Grace just looked at her, not even really knowing the answer herself anymore.

Grace was doing some finger knitting when she saw Karev walk past her room with a phone stuck to his ear. 'Karev!'

'Doctor Mason, I'm – '

'Doing an errand for Doctor Sloan?' She asked with a smile on her face.

Karev grimaced and seemed to hesitate before coming into her room properly. 'At the risk of sounding like a jarhead or something, permission to speak freely?' Grace chuckled and waved her wool laden hand in permission. 'I know you love the guy, but seriously? Is he for real?'

'Mark is…a brilliant doctor. The best at what he does. But it's not quite sunk in that this is a teaching hospital. And he isn't good at teaching. You need to decide if you're going to stick it out with him, hope that maybe he'll pull his head out his ass or, go back to the specialty that has already sunk it's hooks into your mind.' She finished with a smug grin, giving him a knowing look.

He changed the subject. 'What you doing anyway?'

'Finger knitting, my hands aren't steady enough to do proper knitting for more than a couple of minutes, so…'

'Do you mind if I ask…if you weren't injured, how good would you be?'

'You had to do a lot of reading for Addison, you ever read about the double back method?'

Karev paused for a moment and then his eyes widened slightly. 'It was invented by an intern…I didn't even connect the name with you. How did that happen when you were an intern? You got a Harper Avery for that.'

'I might tell you some day, Alex.' Grace placed her finger knitting on a holder and got off the bed. 'But now you're going away because I'm going to the bathroom, plus, you're on the phone.'

'Hey, Richard,' Grace said as he walked in. 'Found someone to fix your button then?'

'You heard about that?' He asked with a frown.

She smiled widely. 'I have friends in all kinds of places, you know that.'

'The nurses, yes.' Richard chuckled as well before changing the subject. 'You're still hesitating.'

Grace pulled some wool from a bag as she answered. 'Yes.'

'Why?' Richard perched on the end of the bed. 'You know that the longer you wait, the more likely complications are, and you're more likely to have permanent residual effects. So why are you waiting?'

'Because…because if the worst happens…' Grace held up a hand a Richard protested. 'I know the odds but still. Right now, I'm all Mark has really. If the worst happened, he'd be alone.' She finished her explanation in a murmur. 'I won't do that to him.'

Richard placed a hand on her arm, not saying anything, but now understanding her hesitance.

Grace waved a hand at his shirt. 'Next time, make sure you always have more than one clean shirt, or better yet, call your wife.'

'I will,' Richard said with a nod as he stood up. 'It's just…'

'We both know you want to retire,' Grace said as she tried to decide on what wool to use. 'But Miranda can't take over just yet. You need to find someone willing to just be a stand in until she's ready.'

'I want you to do it.'

Grace choked on the water she'd just taken a sip of. 'What?!' She managed to force out on a wheezing breathe. 'What did you say?'

Richard just laughed at her. 'You'd be perfect for the job. Everyone in the hospital loves you, from the orderlies to the Attendings, you even manage to sweet talk the board and the lawyers when you need to. The few people who don't like you much, still respect you.'

'I – uh…that's…' Grace stopped when she couldn't make her brain engage.

'Think about it.' Richard said as he left the room.

Tyler walked in as he left. 'You alright? I heard you choking on something, but the Chief didn't panic so…' He checked her stats since he was there and marked them down.

Grace stared at the nurse. 'He wants me to be Chief.'

'Well, if the hospital was a democracy, you'd win by a landslide.' Tyler then walked out again after he replaced her chart.

Author Note - Regarding the 'double back method' - I made it up. It just needed something as a plot device.