Chapter 29: We Have A Situation

She stared at the phone on her desk, motionless, tensed, breathing as shallowly as possible. One could think she was about to deconstruct a bomb. Meredith figured it would have been a safer option.

What the hell was she doing? She was to give her mother a clear invitation to come and bring havoc into her crazy though satisfying life. She had to rise above her trivial problems for the sake of greater good, the life of a young girl.

"What the hell…" she muttered and grabbed the phone abruptly. Many things could be said about her but not that she was a coward.

She dialed the number and soon she heard the familiar voice of Dorothy, her mother's secretary. Yes, her mother was so busy and universally popular that she had her own private secretary.

"Boston Memorial Hospital. Dr. Elis Grey's office. How can I help you?"

Meredith cleared her throat and recited, "Dr. Meredith Grey, Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital. I'd like to speak with Dr. Grey."

There was a moment of silence followed by a loud outburst of laughter. "Meredith! How are you? It's been months since I saw you! How's the new job? I've been asking Ellis, but she won't say a word!"

Meredith gave a small smile, "It's been great, thank you."

"What has happened to you?" shot Dorothy. "You sound so formal!"

"Well, I've got something to discuss with my mother," she sighed. "Is she in?"

"Yeah, she is. She told me to turn down any callers, but it's you, for heaven's sake!"

"Can you put her on the line?" asked Meredith. "Just introduce me as the chief not the daughter."

"Right," laughed Dorothy.

Meredith waited a good minute for the call, that was all Ellis Grey…

"Dr. Ellis Grey speaking," her mother's cold voice sounded in the receiver.

Dr. Ellis Grey, my ass… thought Meredith. The witch knew well enough who was on the line.

"Good morning, Dr. Grey," she greeted her stiffly. "It's Dr. Grey from Seattle Grace. I'm calling to ask if you're available for a consult."

Silence, that was probably not what the older woman expected.

"A consult, indeed?" asked Ellis.

"Yes, my own excellent head of general, Dr. Miranda Bailey has a complicated case on her hands and would feel your assistance would be invaluable." She was reduced to sucking up to her mother, great… "Could I fax you the patient's documentation and the devised course of treatment?"

"I have a lot on my mind… I really don't have the time for this…" sighed Ellis. "But I guess I can give you ten minutes," she decided gracefully.

Meredith felt like gagging but told Patricia to send the files over and waited, waited and waited for her mother to have a look at them with her professional eye while she wondered about the best way to end with herself.

"Your head of department agreed to take such a case?" Ellis's shrill tones would wake up the dead. "It's a waste of time and resources. And you condone it?"

Meredith bit her lip, her limited patience brought to its limits. "We're fighting to save a …. girl, I don't think it's a waste. I would appreciate your help but if you don't have the time for us, we'll be forced to do without it."

She gave Ellis time to revise her options and, "I'll be in Seattle tomorrow, my secretary will call you with the time of my flight. I expect a car at the airport." The line went dead and Meredith stared at the phone fixedly. Her subordinates grumbled about one bitch at Seattle Grace; she was curious how they would stand two of them.

She heard a knock on the door and her own secretary came in.

"Patricia, I'm not available for anyone-"

"Sorry to bother you with this, Chief. We've got kind of a… situation," interrupted the woman, unfazed.

"What now?" sighed Meredith. What else could happen now? A tornado hitting straight at the hospital?

Patricia wordlessly put a piece of paper before her eyes. Meredith groaned.

Half an hour later, she took a place in the middle of the biggest conference room with Patricia at her side. She glared at the crowd consisting of surgical floor staff. Derek kept shooting her curious looks, but she avoided his eyes. Didn't she feel like a hypocrite telling them off for…

She cleared her throat making the room instantaneously silent and scowled at them sternly.

"Three interns, four residents and six nurses on this surgical floor have been diagnosed with… syphilis," she announced gravely. She immediately caught furtive looks exchanged by her subordinates and small laughs. Great, just freaking great! Her mother was coming tomorrow, and she was the chief of one big orgy, and what's more, she was the biggest whore of them all, a queen of whores. She and Derek must have fucked in every possible place around here.

"There are over 70 thousand new cases every year," backed her Patricia. "Undiagnosed, syphilis can lead to blindness, insanity and death."

"If you are having unprotected sex with another member of the staff, get tested!" growled Meredith. "This is not a request." Another smirks and laughter. She could strangle Derek for the way he was looking at her.

She sighed and stared at the ceiling preparing herself for another gale of laughter, "Patricia will now give you a safe-sex demonstration."

She folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall. Nobody hid with their hilarity any longer as her secretary raised a condom and a banana to everyone's view.

"When the time is right, and gentlemen, you'll all know when that time is, carefully open the condom packet and roll it onto the banana…"

Seeing Derek slowly move into her direction, she slipped from the room.

"Why aren't you learning to have safe sex, Dr. Shepherd?" she asked him when he joined her outside.

"I think we're experts in that field," he quipped quietly.

She rolled her eyes. Well, they were. Although, they recently changed from condoms to the pill. Firstly, it was more comfortable as they didn't need to worry about looking for a condom whenever their desire took over. Secondly, she didn't have to make a fool of herself buying condom pack after pack. She usually bought them at a pharmacy on the way to the hospital until she noticed the cashier eyeing her oddly. Like people couldn't have healthy sex lives without being judged… Thirdly, they enjoyed better the feel of their bodies without any barrier.

"You didn't,' he smiled at her.

"I didn't what?"

"Ask me if you should get tested."

She looked at him warmly. "I know you… and I trust you."

"Get a room!" Bailey effectively put an end to the tender moment. "Or into the syph line, it's on another floor, you know."

"We don't need to get into the syph line," he said indignantly.

"Yeah, right," snorted Miranda. "It's because of people like you I have to waste my time and watch adults play with condoms and fruits."

"We're not-" started Derek.

"Uh-uh," she shook her head. "I already know more about your sex life than I ever desired to know." She now looked significantly at Meredith. "And?"

"Yes," she sighed.

Bailey giggled, "Thank you, Dr. Grey."

Meredith shook her head at her retreating back.

"What was that about?" Derek wanted to know.

"About my life going to hell," groaned Meredith and trudged in the direction of her office, Derek at her heels. "A syphilis outbreak and a visit from my mother."

"It's probably unrelated," he grinned.

Meredith wasn't so sure. She wouldn't find it shocking if Ellis sent a syph nurse to sabotage her hospital.

He asked curiously opening the door for her, "Your mother's coming?"

"Yeah," Meredith threw herself onto her chair. "For a consult."

Derek stood beside her and looked at her eagerly, "You think you can introduce me?"

"Introduce you?" she repeated slowly. Which surgeon wouldn't want to be introduced to Ellis Grey?

"I get that and I have no objections that you want us to stay put for now," he went on. "But maybe we can have dinner with your mom, the three of us…"

Meredith gulped as two things in Derek's sentence alarmed her. For now… he agreed to keep their relation secret for now. Sadly, she couldn't envision the moment when they came out into the open. And then, he wanted her to present him to her mother as… her boyfriend. Poor guy, he had absolutely no idea what he was volunteering for.

She ignored his puppy eyes with a twinge in her heart and said flatly, "No."

"No?" he said with a small voice. "Meredith-"

"Derek," she stood up to caress his stubbly cheek affectionately. "It's nothing against you. Quite the contrary, it's better for all of us if she doesn't know I'm in a relationship."

"Why?" he frowned. "It's your own mother."

"You wouldn't have a life if she knew your being around me is not so professional," she argued. "She scared away the first guy that got interested in me in high school because she thought he'd distract me from my studies."

"Meredith, you were in high school," he chuckled. "You're a grown woman now who achieved everything a surgeon can dream about."

"It's not under discussion, Derek," she said imperiously. "Promise me you won't seek acquaintance with her when she comes tomorrow."

"Mer," he pleaded but she stood her ground. "Fine, I promise."

She hugged him and rubbed his back. "Thank you, it's for your own good. I'll make it up to you."

He bit her earlobe lightly, "How about now? We both have time…"

"No!" she jumped away from him. "No sex until I pack her into her plane back to Boston!"

"What?" he exclaimed chasing after her. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not," she escaped behind her desk. "We can't have sex. My mother will know!"

"How?" he snorted. "And what that has to do with anything?"

"I'll make it up to you," she assured. "Derek, get out now, please."

He sighed resignedly and strode to the door, "Whatever you wish, Chief."

She hated that she was hurting him, but it was really to protect him. He would understand that the next day.