Obligatory disclaimer: sadly, Grey's Anatomy is property of Shonda Rhimes and ABC, not me.
Meredith entered the chief's office, shut the door behind her and waited hesitantly by the door.
"You paged, Chief?"
Richard had been staring at Meredith's face and it took him a second to respond.
"Hm? Oh, yes. We need to discuss what just happened." With that, he and Dr. Bailey went back to staring at Meredith's face.
Meredith shifted uncomfortably in the doorway for another few minutes before she spoke. "Um no offense Chief, Dr. Bailey, but can you please stop staring at my face and can I please sit down? I'm feeling a little sore from my meeting with the wall."
"Of course!" Richard came around the desk and practically carried her into a chair. Once everyone was seated, Richard cleared his throat.
"Dr. Grey, can you please tell us how this started, going back to last night?"
"Well…" Meredith took a deep breath. "I was in the cafeteria last night eating dinner when Dr. Sloan sat down at my table and started talking to me. We ate, he offered to buy me coffee from the cart when I said I had to go monitor the babies, Callie joined us and he got her coffee too. He went… somewhere, and Callie and I went up to the surgical floor before I went to the NICU. I was in the NICU until about 3am when a nurse relieved me and I took a few hours to sleep. Then I went to rounds early and I didn't see Dr. Sloan again until then. When Dr. Shepherd saw us, Dr. Burke and I had just left our OR after our second patient of the morning died on the table and Dr. Sloan and Dr. O'Malley had just finished up their surgery. The next thing I knew, I was colliding with the wall and Dr. Shepherd was on top of Dr. Sloan. When you came up, I had just been hit after trying to separate them."
She winced and touched her face. "You heard what Dr. Shepherd and I said to each other. Dr. Sloan and I then went to an exam room- I held a mirror while he stitched his own face and then he stitched mine up and checked to make sure I didn't have a concussion or any new tender spots on my ribs and back. He had just cleared me to leave and go back with Dr. Burke when you paged. Oh- and don't worry Chief, his hands are fine."
Richard sighed in relief that not only was his best plastic surgeon able to operate, but that the girl he had come to think of as a niece was fine too. "Thank you Dr. Grey, we are very glad that you only suffered a minor injury in that fight and that you were innocent in the whole fiasco. Some things need to change in this hospital starting with the nurses' constant gossiping and everyone's lack of anger management."
He stood up from his desk and motioned for Meredith to stand up as well. As soon as she did, he walked around and gave her a tight hug. "Meredith Anne, next time those two fools start fighting you stay out of their way, do you understand? You are not superwoman and while I have no doubt you can hold your own, being your mother's daughter, you just got better and I don't want you back in the hospital as a patient. I'm getting too old for this Merbear!"
Meredith hugged him back and blushed at the use of her old childhood nickname. "Yes Uncle Richard. I don't want to be a patient again either… you are way too overprotective!"
Laughing, Richard stepped back and they both sat down again. Meredith had nearly forgotten that Dr. Bailey was there until she spoke.
"Grey, what did I tell you and O'Malley this morning?"
"No funny business… oh. Sorry Dr. Bailey."
Dr. Bailey sighed. "I'll let it slide this time Grey… but really, you're starting to have a thing for heroics."
Meredith flushed and stared at Dr. Bailey, mouth open. "Excuse me, I do not Dr. Bailey!" She looked at Richard for support.
"I'm going to have to agree with her there Meredith."
"What… Uncle Richard, no!"
"Oh, yes Grey. There was you putting your hand on the bomb when the paramedic freaked out, trying to save a patient and getting knocked into Puget Sound instead and now you trying to get between Sloan and Shepherd. While I don't think I ever thanked you for the bomb incident since your quick thinking saved my husband's life and the bomb from going off over the main oxygen line, it really was unnecessary for you to almost get yourself killed like that. Are you done pulling stunts like that? I'm sure that there are more than a few people that would appreciate it if you did."
Meredith shrugged. "I don't know Dr. Bailey, I mean I'll try, but these things just seem to happen to me. You're welcome, by the way. Oh, how is little Tuck doing?"
"Very well, he's sitting up on his own and everything!"
Meredith smiled at the enthusiasm in her superior's voice when she spoke about her son and couldn't help but wonder if her mother ever spoke about her like that. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the shrill sound of Dr. Bailey's pager and her subsequent exit after letting Meredith know she could go home since there were only 3 hours left on her shift and that Cristina would cover her duties.
Addison Forbes Montgomery was one incensed woman. When she saw that brainless ex-husband of hers, she wasn't just going to slap him… no, she was going to take one of her very expensive Gucci heels and beat him with them. The nerve of him to hit Meredith, even if it was an accident, and then call her a whore!
When Dumb and Dumber, as Addison had taken to calling them, had started fighting, Callie had just been called back to the hospital with complications on the guy she had operated on the night before. She was at the nurses' station looking for his chart when Derek had attacked Mark and by proxy, Meredith. Callie had stayed to watch the rest of the altercation (she couldn't help but cheer for Meredith) and called Addison immediately after to let her know what had happened. She knew that Addison was going to be Meredith's ride home and she had a feeling that Dr. Webber wouldn't be letting Meredith finish her shift.
Addison walked briskly into the hospital, checked on and discharged any patients that were ready to leave before making her way to Richard's office. Knocking on the door she waited to hear "Come in!" before entering. Upon entrance she saw Meredith and Richard talking quietly. After greeting Richard she turned to Meredith and took in the cuts on her face.
Sweeping Meredith up into a tight hug similar to the one Richard had recently given her, she exclaimed, "Honestly woman, can we not leave you alone for a few hours? I was so worried when Callie called and told me what happened! Are you alright?"
Meredith hugged her back and gasped "Addie… you have to let me go, I can't breathe!"
Addison blushed and reluctantly released her. "Well, are you?"
"I'm fine, Addie, just a few cuts and bruises."
Addison looked to Richard for confirmation, knowing how Meredith liked to downplay her injuries. She relaxed only after Richard offered her an amused nod.
"Oh thank goodness!"
"I have to agree with you there Addison, Meredith had me quite worried and I believe that Dr. Karev almost punched Dr. Shepherd himself. I know you Addison, and I know that you're going to want revenge on Derek, but all I ask is that you get your revenge outside of this hospital. Okay?"
"Alright, fine. I can live with that."
"Good. Now, Miranda and I told Meredith that she was free to go and she was just about to call you when you arrived. Have a nice day off tomorrow Meredith and Addison I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."
The two women said goodbye to Richard before leaving his office and heading towards the intern locker rooms. Unsurprisingly, Addison's presence stopped people from making comments to her about the recent fight. After Meredith changed out of her scrubs and grabbed her bag, they went towards the elevators. Meredith figured they were safe enough since she knew Derek was in surgery. When she went to push the button for maternity she was surprised that Addison shook her head and instead pushed the button for the lobby.
"I went up there and checked on everyone before I went to see the Chief," explained Addison in response to Meredith's unasked question.
"Oh."
Once they got in Addison's car, Addison turned to look at Meredith. "Do you want to go home and sleep or grab a bite to eat like we had planned?"
Just then Meredith's stomach growled, making her laugh. "Well, there's your answer!"
They decided to try the new Italian place that had opened up a block away from
Meredith's house and since lunch wasn't their busiest time they were seated quickly. About halfway through their meal, Meredith broke the silence.
"Mm… Addie this cheese cappelletti is delicious, you have to try some." Meredith held out her fork and after a pleading look Addison tried some.
"You're right, this is delicious. I'd offer you some of mine but I'm sure you've had spaghetti before."
Meredith giggled. "Yes, I have. Last night I found out from Callie that Izzie and Alex got an apartment near the hospital so she's moving out. Callie thought I already knew. I'm thinking of doing something with the house but I don't know what to do."
Addison's face lit up like a child's on Christmas morning. "You can redecorate the whole house Mer! You said you wanted to do something with the basement so you can have that finished and you can put in a storage room for your mom's old files. After you clean it out you could redo her office and use it yourself! Oh and we'll have to get you cooking lessons if you're going to live there alone."
"You sound just like me with your rambling! Actually, you're still staying at the Archfield, right?"
Addison nodded. "Yes, why?"
Meredith bit her lip. "Well it's such a huge house and you must be tired of the hotel… so I was wondering if you wanted to move in? I have two extra rooms and I'm considering offering one to my sister Lexie if she decides to apply for Seattle Grace. As long as you don't mind if she ends up moving in I don't see why you can't."
Addison nearly choked on her spaghetti. Lately she had thought of Meredith asking her to move in but Addison had never thought it would happen- even though it was only as friends she was still shocked.
"Are you okay Addie? You don't have to say yes," Meredith said, taking Addison's silence the wrong way. "I mean-"
Addison finished coughing and said quickly, "I'm fine, it just went down the wrong tube. Of course I'll move in! We're friends, friends do this kind of thing when their friends are staying in a hotel and they have room, right?" She smiled widely.
"Oh, okay! Whenever you want to move in is fine with me. If you choose a room today we can get whatever you want for it this afternoon and I can paint or whatever when I'm off tomorrow. I wanted to go to the store anyway, I need a new bed."
Addison crinkled her nose in thought (making Meredith think just how adorable it was). "Which one is bigger, the one Izzie had or the one Alex had?"
"Izzie's is the bigger one."
"Izzie's it is then."
After paying for their meals, the pair linked arms and walked out to Addison's car so that Meredith could go home and rest while Addison decided exactly what she wanted to do with her new room.
A/N: And... Addison is back! Thanks once again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, your thoughts are greatly appreciated! Chapter 11 to follow this weekend.
Posted November 23rd, 2009