Burke found her leaning against the nurse's station with a tub of strawberry ice cream. With a look of confusion, he approached, setting down his patient files beside her.
"Meredith wanted ice chips," Cristina explained with a full mouth. She swallowed thickly and added, "I wanted ice cream."
Burke nodded slowly. "Look, Cristina, about what happened-"
"I don't want to talk about it," Cristina interjected, silencing Burke with an open palm. He frowned disapprovingly. Cristina sighed. "Look, I know I screwed up, OK? It's never going to happen again. I don't know what it was."
Burke raised a critical brow. "Maybe the fact that it was Meredith on the table and not some faceless stranger?"
"They're never faceless strangers," Cristina mumbled. "I mean, everyone has a face."
"You know what I mean-"
"Actually, I don't." Cristina forced the tub of ice cream into Burke's hands and stepped away from the nurses' station. "Did I mention I'm on ice chip duty? I got distracted. Meredith is probably waiting for me."
Burke scoffed. "Last I saw Shepherd was draped all over her bedspread."
"Did it look like it was going well?" Cristina asked eagerly. Burke shook his head, exasperated. Cristina shrugged. "Sorry, sorry. Professionalism. At any rate, I'm leaving." She strode down the hall, leaving a very puzzled looking Burke with her quart of strawberry swirl.
There was blood pounding in Cristina's ears. Meredith had no idea. She'd had every intention of mentioning that she had flatlined during their brief conversation. But, honestly, it was a difficult topic to squeeze into an ordinary chat.
Derek would probably mention it. Cristina wondered if he'd tell Meredith that it was her fault. God, why did Derek Shepherd, of all people, have to be the one she had spilled her guts out to?
"Cristina?"
She paused and saw Izzie emerging from a patient room, quietly shutting the door behind her.
"Ooh, what's going on in there? Anything interesting?" Cristina stood on her toes and tried to crane her neck over Izzie's shoulder to see inside. "Can I help?"
Izzie shook her head. "Just one of Bailey's post ops. An appy. Nothing exciting."
"Oh." Disappointed, Cristina dropped back down to her usual height.
"How's Meredith?" Izzie asked, looking uncomfortable. Cristina realized that, though she and Izzie had never exactly been friends in the past, they now both shared the experience of being in the locker room with Meredith.
"She's stable," Cristina replied. "And in good spirits. Though that might have something to do with the fact that Shepherd is in her room doting all over her right now."
Izzie's face lit up with excitement. "Is he really?"
Cristina nodded. "Yup. I decided to give them some alone time."
"Good thinking." Izzie nodded eagerly. Suddenly her face fell. "You scrubbed in on her, right? I heard she flat-"
Mercifully, Cristina's pager started buzzing at precisely that moment. She snatched it off her waistband quickly. "It's Mer," she told Izzie. "Probably wants her ice chips. I've been gone awhile."
Before Izzie could induce any further questioning, Cristina replaced her pager and took off towards the ice machine.
Xxxx
I know you're all looking forward to what's going to happen w Meredith and Derek but… I have to keep you reading somehow right? Hahaha. (I do not think you will be disappointed though)
PS: Reviews= I write faster