CHAPTER 19

That next morning, Meredith was feeling the side effects of her drunken escapade. She groggily woke up to an annoying alarm and crawled out of bed. She showered, dressed, made herself an extremely strong cup of coffee and grabbed a piece of cold pizza and headed to Seattle Grace.

She made her way into the intern changing room, taking a deep breathe she opened the door. "Meredith!" She turned to see Izzie running towards her, giving her a giant hug, "I told you guys I saw her last night. Come on, there's an empty locker across from mine."

"Wow Iz, its like we're in high school all over again." Alex said.

"Shut up Evil Spawn!" Izzie retorted.

"Geez, thought you guys would have been married by now." Meredith said.

"Maybe if you had called once in a while," Christina mumbled under her breath. Meredith looked at her; she knew it was coming. She also knew that Christina would be the toughest on her when she returned.

Everyone heard the comment, but Izzie ignored it, "We broke up a couple of years ago, for good."

"Ok then." Meredith said, opening her locker, occasionally looking over at Christina, who was purposely not facing her.

"How are you doing George?" Meredith asked, giving him a hug.

"Good, a little nervous. I mean, Christina knows this hospital like the back of her hand, and she's got an in with Burke and everything."

"You're still with Burke Christina?" Meredith asked, trying so hard to make conversation.

Christina ignored her, "So, did everyone meet Derek's fiancé? Her name is Addison Montgomery, she's the Surgical OB/GYN Attending."

Meredith put her stuff in her locker, slamming it a little, then walking out to meet Dr. Webber.

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After Meredith and the other interns got the tour from the Chief, Dr. Webber pulled her aside, telling her how nice it was to receive her application. He also told her to say hi to her mother and she promised she would before heading back into the locker room when they received their lab coats.

"So, what Resident do you guys have?" George asked.

"Alex and I got Dr. Bailey. They call him the Nazi." Izzie said, a little nervous.

"Me too," George said.

"That's so weird, so did I." Meredith said.

"I did too," Christina grumbled, "And, Dr. Bailey is a she, and one of the best residents here.

Meredith sighed, 'my luck just keeps getting better and better.'

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Meredith and the other interns were hitting the half way mark of their first 48-hr shift. Meredith was relieved that she didn't have to work with Derek or Addison yet; but she knew it was bound to happen.

Around hour twenty-eight, a man was brought in with a brain aneurism and Meredith made the stupid mistake of being smart at that very moment, immediately getting her the case, which meant she was waiting for Dr. Shepard to arrive.

He walked in, in all his McDreamy gloriousness. Taking charge, calming down the family, and booking an OR, letting Meredith scrub-in.

After talking to the patient, they both walked out and Derek started a conversation, "so, how are things?"

"As good as can be expected," Meredith said, "considering I've alienated all of my friends and now they all hate me." Meredith didn't know why she was telling Derek this, she just felt like she couldn't tell anyone else.

"We have a lot to catch up on Mer. How about after your shift we can go out for some breakfast?"

Meredith smiled. "That would be great."

"Ok" Derek looked at his watch, "we should be scrubbing-in in about half an hour." He said, before walking away.

'Breakfast?' Meredith thought, why would she say yes to that? It was a bad idea. Derek was engaged, and while it just seemed like breakfast to him, it would mean so much more to Meredith.

She remembered the times when she would sleep over at Derek's place even when he was working and she would wake-up and Derek would be downstairs making her breakfast. She really did still love him.

She knew she was making a huge mistake getting involved with Derek again. He had a fiancé, a beautiful fiancé.

She sighed once more, cursing herself in the process and then making her way over to scrub-in on Dr. Shepard's surgery.

END CHAPTER 19