Chapter 22: What a Good First Day
"God I hate being away from here!" Meredith breathed in the hospital air as her and Derek walked in through the front doors
"You really do love this place don't you?" asked Derek smiling as he pressed the elevator's 'up' button.
"I guess it's a surgeon thing," smiled Meredith back as they stepped in to the elevator. The two talked and smiled all the way up to the surgical ward.
"Well, I got to lots and lots of patients need my help. I'll either see you at lunch, Joe's or at home… you pick!" called Derek as he started to walk down the hall towards the nuero department
"I'll page you when I make my decision" called Meredith as she turned to corner into the locker room. All her friends were already there, getting ready
"Looks like she decided to show up today!" called Alex when he heard the door shut and Meredith's footsteps
"Shut up Alex! The Chief gave me the day off yesterday!" Meredith called back smiling as she began the combo on her locker (2-14-07)
"And you couldn't keep away could you? Just had to be here! I saw you Grey…thought you could slip in unseen?"
"Nope! I just love you too much Alex!"
"Who doesn't?" Alex appeared right beside Meredith as she got on her scrubs smiling his stupid smile.
"Oh yes Alex, if I didn't marry Derek, you would be in my bed with me at home instead of with Izzy!"
"YOU KNOW IT GREY!" Alex yelled as he walked out of the locker room
"Jackass!" muttered Meredith. She turned around to see Izzy standing right behind her, arms crossed and a fake frown on her face
"Meredith!"
"What Izz? I was just kidding!"
"Uh huh sure you were Mer!" chimed in Christina,
"Guys! You know it's not true!"
Both Christina and Meredith laughed, but Izzy just stood there with her arms crossed
"Izz, I was only kidding! I would NEVER go out with Alex! Not even if he paid me!"
All 3 girls laughed as they headed towards the locker door,
"Hey where's George?" asked Meredith pulling the door open "I didn't see him at home at all,"
"Dunno…he didn't show up at home last night. Must have gone to Calli's or something. But I wish he didn't. Hearing you two Mer…I swear I was about to leave,"
"Izzy! We were not that loud! We weren't even doing anything. Besides I'M FREKIN PREGNANT!"
Izzy just rolled her eyes
"Whatever Mer. Hey, since when did you care about 007?" asked Christina as they stepped out into the hall
"Well, I mean we're good friends. And ever since that 'one-night-stand' with him, I've felt bad about it. But he's like a brother to me…. he's our Bambi right? We all love him!"
"So that's what you think of me huh Meredith? Ever since that night between us that's what you think of me? You've felt sorry for me so you've been nice to me? I though I knew you better Meredith Grey…oh whoops its Meredith Shepherd now isn't it?"
Meredith spun around to see George coming out behind them from the locker room
"No! George! That's not what I meant!"
"Save it Meredith. Maybe you're husband will want to hear it"
George walked past the 3 girls before Meredith could say anything in her defense
"I wonder what's wrong with him," asked Izzy, watching George walk away while drinking her coffee
"Probably didn't have a 'good night' with Calli if you know what I mean," answered Christina leaning up against the doorframe of the locker room. Meredith's pager went off all of a sudden.
"God Dammit, Hey guys I'm late and I gotta go. If you see George tell him I really wanna talk to him at lunch. Tell him it's IMPORTANT! See ya!" Meredith ran off in the same direction as George
"She pressed the test button didn't she?" asked Izzy taking another sip of coffee
"Oh ya!" answered Christina watching Meredith run down the hall towards her interns.
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"Hey beautiful!" Izzy was standing in the nurse's station looking through some charts. She jumped at the sound of Alex's voice
"God Alex don't do that! What do you want anyway? I'm kinda busy, unlike you,"
"What's wrong with you today?" Alex swung around to the front of the desk so he could see Izzy
"Nothing,"
"Izzy!"
"I don't know, why don't you go ask Meredith! You seem to have a sudden interest in her!"
Izzy turned and walked away
"Izzy?"
"GO AWAY!"
Alex just banged his head on top of the desk
God you're a jackass Alex!
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Meredith walked down the halls of SG. She had just assigned her interns their patients and was heading to go check up on her own patients. Meredith saw an open on-call room door out of the corner of her eye. She swore that she heard crying too. Meredith walked down the hall towards the room. As she got closer, she heard some shallow breathing. She peaked in to see Emily sitting on the bed, her head in her hands.
"Em?" Meredith whispered. Emily heard Meredith, but she made no movement. Meredith walked into the on-call room.
"Hey Em, what's wrong?" Still no answer. Meredith looked around the room for a paper bag. Luckily there was on. Meredith grabbed it and gave it to Emily
"Okay, breathe, nice and easy. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Good, just breathe. Good,"
Emily stopped crying and looked up at Meredith. She looks different, last time I saw her…she looks…happy. "I'm sorry Meredith…I mean I'm almost a resident, I shouldn't be acting like this. It's just that…. that"
"Let me guess…. a) You killed a patient; b) you upset Dr. Yang in the OR somehow or c) you have a boyfriend whose you're bosses boss who've you been sleeping with and his wife just showed up and now you're life if screwed?"
Emily looked at Meredith like she was crazy
"Sorry that last part was personal experience,"
"Well, it's actually a and b. I killed a patient while in the OR which upset Dr. Yang,"
"Oh Emily…what did you do?"
"I rather not talk about it,"
"Em, you're going to have to sometime. Trust me you'll feel better,"
Emily looked at Meredith. Her eyes told Emily that she could tell her anything
"Meredith, I just did something horrible. I broke my glove in the OR, and punctured the lady's esophagus. She bled to death. Dr. Yang is going to KILL me. I'm going to be kicked out of the program and be sent back home to New York where my parents are going to kill me all over again. Meredith I just can't handle that!"
"Emily…it will be alright. When I was an intern, I did something similar. My fingernail popped my glove. I was holding this lady's heart for Dr. Burke. When my fingernail broke the glove, it knicked part of the heart,"
"Did she die tough?"
"No, but my career was put on the line. I was called into a meeting with the lawyer, Dr. Burke, and the Chief. Dr. Burke saved my ass in there. Don't judge Dr. Yang too quickly. She's really a good person. If you do get called into a meeting, but relax and tell the truth. She'll pull through for you. Remember, not only your job is on the line, but also so is her reputation. Now c'mon, we got patients to save. Don't let one patient ruin your day. What, in the next 4 hours, you're going to save someone's life," Meredith wiped the tears away from Emily's eyes and stood up. She stuck out her hand and Emily took it. The two sisters smiled at each other.
"What do you say about coming over to my place tonight, and we have a 'girls-night-out' with Dr. Stevens?"
"That sounds wonderful!"
"Great, I'll see ya around 9 then," Meredith turned and walked away from Emily
Thank you God, for giving me such a wonderful sister and mentor! Emily smiled for the first time in a week and went the other way, looking forward to a better day.
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"Hello Dr. Yang!" Christina was eating lunch when Burke came up and sat down next to her.
"Hey," she went back to her book after looking up
"What no kiss for you're 'husband-to-be-in-a-month?'" Burke smiled as she gave Christina a kiss on the head
"Burke, look I had an intern that killed a woman and we'll be called in with the Chief…I can't handle this right now,"
"Christina, do you remember when you were an intern. Meredith Grey and I were in the OR and she punctured her glove and knicked the woman's heart? I saved her life in the meeting even though I was furious with her,"
"What are you saying that I need to stand up for me intern? Burke it's-"
"Christina! I know your bedside manner isn't that great," Christina gave him 'the' look "But…I know you have a soft heart in there and I would know…I'm a cardio surgeon," Burke smiled as his pager went off
"I got to go, but what do you say we go out tonight? You and me…alone,"
Christina smiled and nodded
"See you at 9 at my place," Burke kissed Christina and left
Maybe I am going soft…DAMMIT!
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George saw Meredith walk down the hall but he quickly turned the other way
"GEROGE O'MALLEY YOU BETTER TURN BACK AROUND!"
George tried to speed up, but Meredith was just too quick. She caught his shoulder and swung him around
"What?" he spat
"George what is up with you?"
"What's up with me? God Meredith you're freaking married and 5 months pregnant and there you are flirting with Alex. Then you go off on how you feel sorry for me because of that one night. I thought I knew you Meredith Grey, but I guess not!" George tried to turn away but Meredith caught him again
"George, you know that's not true. First I was not flirting with Alex, he was being a jackass and I was going along with it. You know I can't stand Alex…well not in that kind of way," George just rolled his eyes
"You done?"
"George….I'm sorry. I didn't feel sorry for you. I really care about you. I don't know what that night was about. I said I've felt bad about what I did to you. I don't know how I could have done something so harsh as that to you. George…you're like a brother to me. I was going to tell you later, but…. I was going to make you Godfather of my new baby girl,"
George looked at Meredith and then softened his look
"Really?"
"George…. you're the second best thing that I could give to her. It was either you or Burke…and personally, I think you will do a better job… just don't tell Burke,"
"Awww thanks Mer. I'm sorry for all that I said to you. I guess I'm still not over McDreamy hurting you. It's just so nice to see you happy again!"
Both Dr.'s hugged, but they were interrupted by George's pager
"Hey Mer I got to go…see you at home?"
"Ya…see you,"
George smiled and walked down the hall.
Made amends with one friend…helped a sister in need, and saved 3 lives this morning. Whoever said the first day back is the hardest was wrong…it's easiest.
Meredith walked down the hall to find her interns, and maybe her husband.
A/N: I'm not too fond of this chapter….but tell me what you guys think plz :P. I LOVE REVIEWS…HOW ABOUT YOU?
