Chapter 25: Buying Drinks

Meredith finished the rest of her day and found Olivia at a nurse's station.

"Hi Olivia."

"Hi Dr. Grey."

"I'm off the clock. Please call me Meredith. I've worn your clothes!" Meredith sat a small bag on the counter.

"Oh yes. The infamous pink scrubs. I know when you asked for those it hadn't occurred to you yet to go wandering off on my watch right?"

Meredith giggled and said, "Whatever helps you sleep through the night. I'm sorry, but I was so frigging bored! Do you know what crap they have on TV these days? Especially the medical dramas. Oh my god! If I watched anymore in my room, I'd spontaneously develop a brain tumor from the horror!"

Olivia laughed and said, "Well, it did provide for some good gossip. Is it true that the chief, Dr. Bailey, and Dr. Sloan escorted you back to your room?"

"Yeah. Let me tell you. Not a good thing. I felt like I was five again. I hope you like chocolate."

Olivia beamed and said, "I love chocolate!"

"There is some in the bag for you with your scrubs. Thanks again. What do people do when their discharged and they have no clothes?"

Olivia replied, "I don't know. I can't remember anyone not having family or friends bring them something. I know you don't know anyone here." She lifted out the large box of chocolates and exclaimed, "Oh. Godiva! My favorites. It's almost too pretty to open. You didn't have to bring me anything!"

"You did me a big favor, so thanks again. I only wanted the scrubs initially to go home in. Then, as I sat in my room forever… well I had the most scathingly brilliant idea!"

Olivia laughed. Dr. Grey had certainly livened things up around the hospital since she'd shown up in an ambulance. "I'll just have one for now and put the rest in my locker. A certain student nurse named Shonda keeps stealing our food and goodies! She definitely will try to swipe these."

Meredith laughed," Goodnight Olivia."

"Goodnight Meredith."

Meredith's pager went off and she sighed. She wasn't off the clock just yet.

Dr. Kent kept Meredith late due to a patient complication and she met the other interns at Joe's. They had been there over an hour already.

Meredith walked in and Cristina said loudly, "Baby! You made it!"

She walked over to their glass littered table and said, "Are you guys celebrating something?"

Izzie said, "I finally got a great apartment. It's only a few blocks from here and I'm sharing it with two interns from Mercy West! We survived the first week!"

Meredith said sincerely, "That's great Izzie. I'm getting a drink. Another round on me?"

Alex sneered, "Yeah babe." He leered at her shamelessly.

Meredith said seriously, "Alex. You can call me Grey, Mer, or Meredith. That's it. And if you can't, I'm not sure I can buy you a drink."

Alex scowled and mentally calculated the limit on his credit card. He said nicely, "Thanks Mer."

George gazed at Meredith lovingly as she smiled at the table. "Thank you, Meredith. That's nice of you."

Izzie said after hiccupping unladylike, "Yeah. One more for the road."

Meredith frowned and said, "You're not driving right?"

Alex said, 'I'm within walking distance."

Izzie said, "I'm taking a cab to my Mom's friend's house. That's were I've been staying."

George said, "I've kind of been the designated driver so I'm good. I can take you home Izzie."

Cristina said a little dramatically, "I live across the street."

"Okay. I will be right back." Meredith walked up to the bar and saw Joe. "Hi. I'd like another round for them and a chardonnay." She glanced around the bar. "And whatever they are drinking." She inclined her head towards Debbie and Tyler sitting at the end of the bar.

Meredith waited for the drinks, paid for them, and went back to the table. She asked Cristina, "You live across the street? No wonder you're always at the hospital."

Cristina replied, "Yeah, I lucked out. It's small but efficient and about a one-minute walk away."

George grumbled, "I gotta get my own place."

Alex said nastily, "Be glad you have a place."

Meredith thought again about putting up a notice for roommates. Maybe next week. God she was the queen of procrastination.

Joe brought drinks over to Tyler and Debbie. Joe said, "These are from the little blonde over there. She said to say thanks for taking such good care of her. Was she a patient, because I thought she was a nurse?"

Debbie laughed and said, "She's a surgical intern who was a patient."

Joe asked astounded, "A surgeon? They get younger every year. She's a great tipper!"

Meredith glanced at Tyler and Debbie and they raised their glasses in a salute and Meredith smiled at them and tipped her glass up.

Tyler said to Debbie, "This is the first time a doctor bought me a drink. How about you?"

Debbie replied, "This is a first for me too. I like her. She's nice, but not in that what can you do for me way like Stevens. What a major suck up that one is."

"The Korean girl calls her Barbie. And she calls O'Malley Bambi."

"And I heard her call Karev evil spawn. A very interesting group of interns." Debbie thought privately that Grey and Dr. Shepherd were going to be interesting to watch. They seemed to have a private connection.

After finishing her drink, Meredith said, "I should get going."

George whined, "But Meredith. You just got here."

Alex sneered, "Maybe she has a hot date baby boy."

Meredith laughed and said, "You have no idea how funny that is. I wish I did. I just have things I have to do." She stood up and gathered her belongings.

Cristina stood up too and said, "I'm out of here too. See you all in a few days."

Alex said, "Party's over then."

George said, "Come on Izzie. I'll give you a ride home.

Meredith stopped at the paint store and the nursing home on the way home. Her mother was cordial because she thought she was a colleague. She decided to grab a salad at a fast-food restaurant. She had a glass of wine and decided to go to bed early. The house seemed more empty than normal. She took a long shower and glanced out the window. Derek's house was dark. She wondered if he was out on a date. She knew he wasn't at the hospital because she had overheard Bailey say he was gone for the day when she was leaving. She sighed as she turned out her light.

Derek pulled into his garage and looked at Meredith's darkened house. He sighed as he walked in. He had gone for an extra-long workout at the gym. He didn't achieve the results he was looking for. He'd been trying to get his mind off his neighbor. He had failed miserably.

She clutched his head shamelessly tighter between her thighs. He was doing wicked things with his tongue and she couldn't get enough. She alternately pulled on his curls and dug her nails into his head. Oh god! Don't stop! Please don't stop! Right there Derek! Ugh I'm… cumming now! Meredith moaned and smiled in her sleep. She rolled over with her hand covering her mound and continued dreaming of the man across the street.