Book Three, Part Four: Recognition

Mia's Point of View

I sighed heavily as I focused on my task. It was very easy especially with someone of my intelligence. I had been in the well-baby wing for a week now and while I loved helping to look after the babies, I missed the chaos that was surgery.

I mean, come on, it was in my blood.

My mother was an excellent surgeon. My grandmother was THE Ellis Grey. I was practically medical royalty for crying out loud.

I wore my tiara proud.

My boyfriend, Jake, says I am brilliant. I am inclined to agree if not just to see those cute dimples on his gorgeous face. My Uncle Mark hated Jake. Mom says I am overreacting, that Uncle Mark is just looking after me like he has since I was a baby and that hate is such a strong word. Okay, Mom, Uncle Mark dislikes Jake and it borders on hate.

Jake doesn't let it bother him. Says he will feel that way when we have a daughter. Sigh. Jake would look so good holding one of these babies.

"Hello?"

I look up and gawk at a very tall, very beautiful redhead in a lab coat.

"Hi." I said.

She smiled kindly at me and walks in the room.

"I was told I needed to consult on Baby Girl Martinez." She said.

"Of course. They didn't tell me you were coming but then again the chick said she would only be gone ten minutes and that was forty-five minutes ago." I said and handed her the chart.

She laughed.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty." I lied.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Fifteen."

"And didn't your mother tell you it wasn't nice to lie?" She asked teasingly.

"You obviously haven't met my mother." I quipped.

"Good point. Would you like to assist me since the chick isn't here?" She asked.

I smirked knowing she had never said the word 'chick' ever.

She blinked a little as she glanced at the expression on my face.

Okay…

"I would love to help you." I said.

"Okay…" She hesitated.

"Mia." I supplied.

"Okay Mia, help me unwrap her and we will check out this hernia." She instructed.

I did as she asked. Every so often as I was helping her, she would look at me and then shake her head. I had no idea what that was about.

"Are you a surgeon?" I asked.

"Yes. Neonatal, Obstetrics and Genetics." She told me.

"Wow. I am going to be a surgeon when I get older." I told her.

"Are you really? What specialty?"

"Neuro. I love brains." I said.

"So does my husband." She said.

"Really? Awesome. My mom does too. My grandmother went for the general surgery route, but it paid off big time for her." I laughed.

"Sounds like you have a long line of doctors in your family." She said.

"I do. My uncle is a doctor and one of my aunts…well she is a step aunt but whatever and my uncle uncle is a surgeon."

"Your uncle uncle?" She asked.

"Well it is confusing, but I have a really big support system. You know, the whole it takes a village to raise a child thing. So, my uncle uncle is my mom's half-brother and my uncle is someone who helped raise me. Then of course you have my mom's friends who are all doctors, so you can pretty much say I was raised here from the age of six and have a God complex." I finished.

"Well, then I see why you would want to become a doctor. It's in your blood and all surgeons have that God complex."

"Exactly what I say. Do you have kids?" I asked, being nosy. It's my job as a teenager.

"No, I don't. It was never the right time for me and my husband. But one day maybe." She said.

"You better get going. You are pushing forty." I said bluntly.

She blinked and then laughed loudly.

"You are too funny. My husband would get a kick out of you." She finished her examination.

"Does she need surgery?" I asked.

"Not yet. It is benign and not restricting her airway. We can probably watch it until she gets a little bigger. Thanks for your help Mia." She walked to the door. "It was very enlightening meeting you. I bet you have everyone on your toes."

"You have no idea." I grinned at her. With a wink and a wave, she was gone, and chick came back seconds later and I left her to it.

I walked, okay I snuck, into the surgical wing. Bailey was scary but not as scary as Mom. However, I didn't want to get caught by either. I went straight to the surgical board.

Where was it, where was it…

Ah! There it was.

Meredith Grey - Craniotomy - OR 2

She would be focused on the brain, not on the gallery.

I snuck my way to the appropriate door and settled in to watch.

Thirty minutes later, I was firmly entranced by the sight in front of me. Mom had experienced complications, or rather the patient had, and Mom was scurrying to fix them. She was calm, cool and collected and I was so proud watching her familiar movements.

"Wow." I whispered.

"She is good at her job." A voice behind me agreed.

I jumped a little and then whirled around to face the unfamiliar voice.

I froze.

Because there in front of me was the one man I thought I would never get to meet. He was older, taller than the pictures in the box that Mom had hidden in her closet. The box she didn't know I had went through looking for answers not long after she had talked to me on my birthday.

But it was him.

My father.

He looked at me concerned and I quickly schooled my expression into one not of shock but of something less…shockly.

Yes I am aware that is not an actual word. What can I say, I am my mother's child.

"She's amazing." I said, sitting down two seats from him and pushing my hair over my shoulder to hide from him.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"Fifteen." I said honestly.

"Are you a Doogie Howser prodigy?" He asked.

"Who?" I asked.

"Never mind, before your time." He chuckled.

"Guess so." I said awkwardly.

"Are you a genius?" He asked.

"Well if you would ask my mom, she would say yes, but she would also say I am a smartass so…" I trailed off and winced thinking I had just said a curse word two minutes into meeting my other biological half.

He just laughed.

"So if you are not a genius with a doctorate, then why are you up here in an OR gallery? A restricted OR gallery?" He asked me, turning his body until he faced me fully.

I drank in the sight of him. From his unruly hair to his…my…blue eyes, his dimples, his crooked nose…thank God I had gotten Mom's…his chin.

Then I realized he was waiting for me to answer.

"I have practically grown up in this hospital. So, they are used to me being up here. My mom is a surgeon and the rest of my family are as well. How about you?" I asked.

"I am a neurosurgeon." He informed me.

My heart stopped.

Okay it didn't, or my father would be doing CPR on me, but it definitely stuttered. I take after him as well. I don't know why it didn't cross my mind minutes ago that since he was here and in scrubs…insert eye roll at me missing that…he would be a doctor.

I get it from both of them.

"My wife is as well. She specializes in Obstetrics, Gynecology, Genetics, Neonatal…she does a lot come to think of it." He laughed, it coming out kind of harsh.

His wife?

He was married.

I had a step mom and it was apparently the red haired Amazon beauty that I had just met.

She was nice, I couldn't deny that, even if it made me feel like I was betraying my mom.

I looked down at her where she worked so flawlessly. I saw the eyes over the mask, piercing green, the long slim hands encased in gloves. I knew her hair was dark blonde under that lavender scrub cap. I knew every frown line, every laugh line. She was my whole world.

I looked back at my father and tried to see me in him. And I did. I had his eyes. I had always known that. I also knew I had some of his facial expressions, as I would see my mom wince sometimes looking at me and I knew this man had hurt her so badly. I knew my alliance should be to my mom.

But looking at him, I couldn't help but want, need, to know him.

I was torn. I had a decision to make that fifteen year olds shouldn't have to.

My mom, who had rocked me to sleep, who had been my rock, who had kissed my scrapes, who had danced with me, who had read me bedtime stories, who had loved me and had always put me first.

Or my dad, who I had never met before today. A man who didn't know I existed and probably wouldn't unless my mom or I let it slip.

Oh how I wanted to let it slip.

But I couldn't. I couldn't do that to my mom, or to Mark. Not today anyway.

I stood up as I saw my Mom closing up.

"You done here?" He asked.

"Yeah, for now."

"It was nice to meet you." He said.

"You too."

I began to walk out of the room.

"Hey, I don't know your name." He called after me.

"Mia. Just Mia." I said.

"Okay Just Mia. I look forward to seeing you again."

My smile slipped for a moment and it took all I had not to cry.

"You too…"

"Derek. Derek Shepherd." He said.

"Nice to meet you Derek." I said.

"You as well." He nodded.

"Well…uh…bye." I said and then bolted down the stairs.

Derek Shepherd.

I was a Shepherd.

I headed to the tunnels and once there, I pulled out my phone.

"Jake? I need you. Can you please come get me?"