Present Day.
Another day at work. Meredith pushed the restroom door open. Every muscle in her body ached. She looked in the mirror before splashing water on her face. The coolness of the water does not wake her from her numbness. She's used to it. This is life. She wasn't sad. There was no pain. Been there, done that. All she is now is numb. And alone. The dark circles around her eyes are great symbolizers of how she felt internally. But externally, people just see it as a sign of exhaustion from being a busy surgeon.
The restroom door opens upon retrieving the force of the push, ending her moment of peace.
She becomes flooded with calls for "Dr. Grey" in need to consult this and care for patient that.
One voice overruled the others. "Grey."
She faced the direction of the voice. "Chief."
"Come with me."
She followed her boss. "Do you need me in an OR?"
Dr. Webber walks with a purpose. One foot in front of the other towards the conference room. "No, Dr. Grey. As you know, we have been understaffed in the Neuro Department for the past 3 months. I was lucky enough to find one of the best surgeons on the East Coast. After a little negotiation, I was able to convince Dr. Shepherd to join us here at Seattle Grace. He will be taking over as the new Head of Neurosurgery effective immediately."
Wow. Kudos to Webber's negotiation skills. The hospital has been overwhelmed with the lack of leadership in neuro. Meredith didn't respond. What would she have said? "Okay"?
As the two approached the conference room, the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee from the Keurig greeted them. His back was facing her at an angle. The man sat casually, yet looking effortlessly professional. His hand wrapped around the circumference of the coffee cup.
Dr. Shepherd becomes alert and stands up to greet his boss. "Dr. Webber."
"Thank you for waiting, Dr. Shepherd. This is Dr. Meredith Grey. She is our Head of General Surgery." The Chief turns to Meredith. "You were in surgery but the department heads had a quick meeting a few minutes ago. Meet Dr. Derek Shepherd. He just arrived this morning."
Richard Webber moves to the side and allows the two individuals to get acquainted.
It's him. "Hi, Dr. Shepherd, it's very nice to meet you." Her arm extends and she offers her hand.
Dr. Grey. "Likewise, Dr. Grey. I look forward to working with you. The gap between them closed when his hand met hers.
The handshake was brief but firm.
"Alright. I will leave you two to it. I will drop off the neuro case files on your desk by the end of the day, Shepherd. See you later." Webber leaves the room after Dr. Shepherd gives him a nod.
Shortly, if not almost immediately after, Meredith follows the tracks of her boss.
He goes along with her and tries to make conversation, rushing to the table to grab the forgotten cup of coffee. "So you are the Head of General Surgery here?" Dumb question.
"It seems so, Shepherd."
"Impressive. I'm honored to work with you, Dr. Grey."
She stops in her tracks and turns. He took it as a sign for him to halt as well. "Welcome to Seattle" she expresses, before parting ways.
"Where are you going?" Strike two.
To a dog park, Brain man. "To check on a patient."
He stands there. Huh. This is going to be interesting.