The Dead Baby Surgical Race

Here's the next chapter, I hope you all like it! Got it done faster than expected, most of it was written already. 18 pages on Microsoft word. Enjoy! Let me know what you think. Also check out my original story on my profile, tell me what you think!

Xoxo- Daughter of Thalassa

Meredith rolls over in her bed, dreading to get up. She already has a feeling its gong to be a long day. As a great way to start off her day, she rolls over to see Izzie standing at the edge of her bed. "AAH!"

"George's room is bigger than mine, Izzie states immediately.

Meredith groans, she can already see where this conversation is going. Izzie is going to complain about how she should have the bigger room because she has more clothes while George is going to say that he got there yada yada. Meredith couldn't care less. They could figure out for themselves

So instead, she decides to cover her ears with her hands, roll out of bed, and walk away, ignoring the argument; she couldn't deal with this right now.

Meredith only decides to start listening when she hears Izzie say, "..In the back hall, I found this box with like a hundred tapes of surgery."

Meredith freezes. She knew she should have hid those better; those boxes contained both her own and her mother's surgeries.

"Really?" George asks. "We should watch them Liz, You want to watch-"

But before he could finish, Meredith slams her door in her roommates' faces and takes Izzie's coffee. She couldn't let George finish that sentence, they can't watch those videos. Otherwise her cover would be blown.

She purposely ignored Georges' question and sighed. Meredith knew it was too early for this.

"Shit," Meredith swore under her breath. "It's the Dead Baby bike race today. I totally forgot. Stupid Seattle. At least I'll get some OR time."

Yep. This was already going to be a sucky day.

Meredith decided that today was not her day. At all. She purposely ignored the interns' conversation on the Dead Baby Bike Race and tuned out Bailey's speech on trauma protocol.

Blah, blah, blah. She could not care less. It was all things she knew anyways. It was second nature to her. She didn't need to hear it again. She had heard it way too many times from her mother, more than necessary, in her opinion.

"The rules of trauma interns: Do not mingle with ER interns at all! You are surgical, and those idiots don't know their ass from the heart. Suture fast and discharge, move on to the next patient, and take necessary bodies up to the OR yesterday. Be efficient, don't get sloppy," says Ellis Grey as she scolds her interns

Meredith rolls her eyes. "I think we know this already Mother. We have done traumas before and aren't completely incompetent."

Ellis shoots her daughter a glare. "As your attending its my duty to remind you. Not everyone is as good as you Meredith. It's a teaching hospital."

"Then teach, don't yell and treat us like 5 year olds!" Meredith shoots right back at her mother.

Ellis looks like she was going to say more but scoffs at Meredith instead. "Come on we have work to do."

Meredith smiles, a small victory was won here.

Meredith snaps out of her little flashback She rolls her eyes when Cristina and Izzie fight over a patient. "Interns, always so eager."

But, when she sees the guy with nails in his side, well whoever said that winning wasn't everything.

"Ooh. I'll take that guy." Well, she could have some fun as well, Meredith decided. Besides, she wasn't playing attending today…

"No, you'll have to beat me to him first," Alex tells her and they fight for the patient.

Meredith only shakes her head when Alex pulls out the nails with no X-ray. Rookie mistake. "Idiots, actual idiots!" she mumbles. "This is why I hate the race!"

Meredith avoids Viper trying to kiss her-she doesn't need anyone to see that-sews him up, and sends him back out to the race. So much for a surgery.

She definitely rolls her eyes when Derek tells her, "You know, I almost died today. Yeah I came like (with the gesture included) this close? How would you feel if I died? And you didn't get a chance to go out with me?"

Her response is quite simple. "Get over yourself already."

His reply? "Come on."

She sighs. "It's the chase isn't it?"

Derek is stunned. "What?"

Meredith gives him a look. She hates repeating herself. "The thrill of the chase. I've been wondering to myself, why are you so hell bent on getting me to go out with you? You know you're my boss, you know it's against the rules (but you're not my boss); you know I keep saying no. It's the chase."

"Well it's fun isn't it?" Ass.

"You see? This is a game to you. But not to me. Because unlike you, I still have something to prove," Meredith tells him, before leaving. "Well," She mumbles, "not really."

As she walks down the hallway, Meredith hears alarms going off, takes off in a run, and hears Izzie cry to her, " Oh no. Liz! He's crashing."

Meredith wants to smack her forehead. Stupid interns. Instead she screams, " Well, what the hell are you doing, call code!"

Izzie looks around nervously and says the words that make Meredith really want to smash her head against a wall, " I can't, and I'm not suppose to, he's brain dead."

And this is one of those times where all Meredith wants to do is scream endlessly to get her frustration out. She grits her teeth and says, "Well Izzie, if he's (fucking) brain dead, you have to let him go."

But as stubborn as Izzie is, she says, "NO. It's only been 5 hours and 33 minutes, he's suppose to get 6 hours."

Meredith sighs. Technically speaking, Izzie is right. "Well," she begins, "we can't do anything to make him live, it's not our place to make that call." But as soon as the words are out of her mouth Meredith knows it is technically her place to make the call….

"He's a person, we're doctors, we should have every right to make that call. We can't just stand here and do nothing while he dies. He has a right to the next 27 minutes."

Meredith knows Izzie's right. She caves. After all…she did something similar once.

Meredith stands watch over a 14 year-old girl, slowly dying from internal damage to her organs after being hit by a car. In just an hour she'd be declared brain dead without her family surrounding her. The hospital couldn't ID until a few minutes ago and the family was just contacted and wouldn't be her for at least an hour and a half. It was Meredith responsibility to look after her. She wouldn't leave the girl to be left alone.

As the hour came to a close, Ellis Grey herself came into the room. "Meredith", she began, "it's time to call it. It has been 6 hours."

Meredith was furious. Call this girls death now? When her own family was on the way, to see their baby girl before she died? Meredith glared at her mother. "NO! This girl's family is on their way and should be here in a half hour. It hasn't been 6 hours yet and every parents has the right to see their child on their deathbed and decide what should be done! It's one thing if the girl was a jane doe but she's not mother, her name is Annie. And she has a loving family coming to see her and how pissed would they be if they learned that the oh-so-great Dr. Ellis Grey pulled the plug and killed their daughter before they got to the hospital? When there is indeed a surgery, a very very risky one that I could perform that could save her life? No I stand against you on this Dr. Grey. This is my patient, I decide what will happening and I am waiting for the family to come and give them all the options. Now please leave MY patients room."

And with that Meredith shoves her mother out of the room and hold vigil until Annie's family comes…

Meredith snaps out of her memories and makes her decision. Here's to something my mother does not and will never approve of… "Screw it. I'll get the dopamine, you get the blood, and we'll transfuse him." And breaking the rules has never felt better…

Some part of Meredith can't believe she just did that but the other part her isn't shocked. Her and Izzie run into Cristina on the stairs

"He's stable." She felt like it would be a good thing to state his condition.

Cristina states, "For now. I had a radiologist look at his chest; apparently he has a traumatic aortic injury. He's going to rupture and bleed out." Well, fuck.

Izzie says slowly, "So he needs surgery."

Meredith barely listens to Izzie's good-hearted speech about him wanting to live. But even Meredith knew this guy wasn't going to live much longer. When Izzie storms up stairs, Cristina voices Meredith's own thoughts. "She's the vice-president of fantasy land."

Meredith voices the one question on her mind: "We need Burke don't we?" And the look on Cristina's face gives her the answer she needs and the ability to walk upstairs.

As Meredith and Cristina stand outside the boys' room Meredith actually can't believe they are doing this.

"Dr. Burke?" Meredith asks?

"Hello?"

As Meredith backs away Cristina reopens the door and says, "Dr. Burke, um, I know you're busy, but our John Doe needs an aortic repair."

"The guy from this morning? Isn't he legally dead?" Burke asks?

Cristina says back, "Well, yeah, he's kind of still around? We gave him two units PRBCs and put him on pressers."

Burke states with an edge, "On whose orders?"

This time Meredith proudly opens the door and says, "Mine." Because it's true, she doesn't regret it at all.

Burke seems shocked. "You gave a brain-dead John Doe a blood transfusion without consulting anyone. And now you want me to repair his heart." Well way to state the obvious.

Cristina answers him this time. "Well, yes."

Burke says back, "You do enjoy crossing the line, don't you?"

I love crossing lines Doctor Burke, just ask my mother. Instead of saying that though, Meredith says, "He is an excellent candidate for organ donation."

Burke got fed up, Meredith could tell. "I am a surgeon. I save lives. This guy is already dead. Now, this is the men's room. Either whip one out or close the door." As they leave Meredith resists the urge to laugh.

After the failed conversation with Burke, Meredith is at a loss. She doesn't know how to go from here, how to get Burke to do the surgery. But a thought hits her: the only way to get around Burke is to go to the Chief, who likes her very much…

Once she found Cristina and Izzie, they find George and surround him. She knows he has the Chief's VIP patient, Mackie, and the perfect way to get around Burke.

George looks at them. "What'd I do?" Meredith smirks internally. Oh only be our bait George.

Meredith asks her next question even though she knows the answer. "How close a match for the liver is your guy to our John Doe?"

George says, "Very. Same type, same size. UNOS couldn't find a better match. Why?"

Izzie shoots the next question. "And he's the Chief's VIP right?"

"Right."

And of course Cristina asks the next one. Surgical Junkie. "How much would you kill to be in on a transplant surgery?"

George replies with, "You underestimate me. I'm not a baby; I'm your colleague. You don't have to manipulate me, if you want something all you have to do is ask."

"We want you to go over Burke's head to the Chief," Izzie says.

George looks a bit stunned. "Ask me something easier." But Meredith knows he'll do it.

Meredith, Cristina, and Izzie watch George and Webber from down the hall. Meredith sees him stuttering over tell Webber they have a liver.

"While this was fun, Burke is sending us straight to hell," Meredith pipes up.

"On an express train," Cristina comments back.

"If it works." Izzie, always the optimist.

Meredith sees Alex come up and knows shit will hit the fan.

"What are you doing?" Alex asks.

They all reply at the same time, "Nothing."

Meredith sees Burke walk by Webber and Webber stopping him, starting to talk to him. She doesn't even need to hear Izzie's comment to know that their plan worked. Once Webber leaves, Burke looks at George, who leaves, and then looks at them. Meredith knows better than to stick around and drags Izzie and Cristina away. She knows Alex will go after Burke but it is better than going to hell.

While later, all of them and George are watching the open-heart surgery, where Alex is assisting Burke.

Cristina comments first. "I seriously hate that guy."

Meredith is pissed. She hasn't been on an open-heart surgery in months and she was so excited to finally participate in one again. "Alex is vermin. That surgery is ours." I've been waiting for open-heart surgery and unlike that ass I actually know how to do one!

"At least Burke is doing the surgery. I don't care about Alex. George? You did good." Meredith rolls her eyes. Of course that's all Izzie cares about.

"I'm going to have to dodge Burke for the rest of my career. He could kill me and make it look like an accident." George is petrified and Meredith knows it. She almost laughs.

Meredith is at her locker, getting ready to leave. Today sucked, there was no surgery. She figured this might happen. Her pager starts beeping as Alex bursts in.

"God, I smell good. You know what it is?" Ales says s he turns to Meredith. "It's the smell of open heart surgery. It's awesome. It is awesome. You gotta smell me," he finishes as he walks up to Meredith. Meredith has not patience for this.

"I don't want to smell you." I want to kill you.

Alex nuzzles her. "Oh yes you do."

Meredith has had enough with him! He needs to be knocked down a few pegs. SO she turns and grabs him, pushing him against the lockers. "You have got to be kidding me! Okay. I have more important things to deal with than you. I have roommates, and boy problems, and mommy dearest problems. You want to act like a little frat boy bitch, that's fine. You want to take credit for your saves, and everybody else's? That's fine too. You and I both know you're half the surgeon I am and that you'll ever be. Just stay out of my face. I don't have patience for assholes like you. "She doesn't even hear Derek come in as she grabs Alex's chin and makes him look at her. "And for the record, you smell like crap."

As soon as she sees Derek she goes back to her locker. She's not surprised he came in.

"She attacked me," Alex complains. That's it. Meredith moves to attack him for real.

"Liz, Liz, Liz!" Derek says and grabs her arms, pulling her back. He directs what he says next to Alex. "You know, you might want to leave. Before I change my mind and let her beat you to a pulp with her tiny ineffectual fists." He pushes Alex out the door and closes it. Meredith finally looks at him.

"What?" Derek questions.

"Nothing. It's just, nothing." Nothing my ass.

She closes her locker and Derek opens the door for her. She looks at his face studying it. His eyes, Meredith cant get over them. They look so familiar. She sighs. Shell think on it later and with that she walks away.

As she walks through the door, she sees Izzie and George looking through her mother and her's surgical tapes. They keep discussing the ones they are seeing, including a Skin Grafting one. That one was Meredith's and she was quite proud of it. Her heart stops. They can't find out! It's only when Izzie goes "Ooh! Hemipelvectomy." does she snap out of it and storms over to them.

"We are not watching any of these! These aren't yours, they're mine. M-I-N-E. Do not touch them. We are not watching surgery tapes that are not any of your business, we're not unpacking boxes, and we're not having long conversations where we celebrate the moments of our lives!" Meredith all but yells at them.

George is the first to say something. "I ordered Chinese food."

Meredith is fuming. They order the one food she hates. She storms upstairs. "I hate Chinese food!" She's had a shitty day. She's going to bed. Maybe tomorrow will be better..

The next day she walks into the hospital with Cristina complaining about Izzie and George.

"They're everywhere. All the time. Izzie's all perky, and George does this thing where he's helpful and considerate, they share food and they say things and they move things, and they breathe. They're like happy," Meredith complains to Cristina. They really are way to happy for her liking. Maybe she should expose them to the Mother Ellis Grey to make them darker.

Cristina says, "Kick them out."

Meredith sighs. "I can't kick them out. They just moved in. I asked them to move in."

"So what, you're just going to repress everything into some deep dark twisted place until one day you snap and kill them?" That sounds perfect!

"Yup."

Cristina smirks. "This is why we are friends."

Meredith notices Alex coming up behind them as they enter the hospital. "Why is the Nazi making us stay in the Pit two days in a row?" Alex questions.

Meredith sighs. Interns really are dumb. "Leftovers," is her simple answer.

"Leftovers?" Of course, Alex doesn't know what it means.

Meredith replies, "Gotta get the cyclists who were too drunk or too stupid or too scared to get themselves to a hospital yesterday." Which hopefully is a lot, I want a surgery.

Alex replies with, "While meanwhile, she gets to do a freakin' organ harvest."

"Oh, that kills you, doesn't it?" Cristina says.

"What?"

"That two women got the harvest."

"No, it kills me that anyone got the harvest but me. Boobs do not factor into this equation. Unless you want to show me yours."

Meredith and Cristina exchange looks. Of course all Alex cares about is boobs. They wait for the elevator together.

Meredith makes a witty comment, one she has kind of considered before. "I'm going to become a lesbian."

"Me too." She's not surprised Cristina agrees. The elevator dings but Meredith and Cristina decide to go for the stairs.

_

Meredith sighs. Of course she gets stuck in the Pit with Alex. As she looks around she sees Viper in a chair. She's surprised, but not really.

"What's Viper doing her?" She mostly says this to herself but Alex responds.

"Probably crashed his bike. Again." Meredith highly doubts that's true.

"How long has he been waiting?" Meredith suspects something is really wrong here.

"Don't know. I am busy on real cases. He's all yours." Alex is stupid he should never dismiss a patient like that. It's a rookie and costly mistake.

"Viper? Viper?" Meredith questions, as she sees him holding his side, beginning to cough. "Are you okay?" Viper tries to stand as Meredith runs to him, but he falls. She knows he is unconscious. Blood is coming out of his mouth. "Viper!" She tries to get his attention one last time.

Meredith lifts up his shirt to see his stitches ripped open and the area around them swelled up to the size of a melon. Meredith knows immediately he needs surgery and calls for a gurney. Dammit! She knew it; she should have demanded that he get an X-ray.

As soon as it arrives, Meredith gets Viper on top, sits in him trying to hold his wound closed, and talks to a nurse all at once. She loves it, being in the middle of it all, trying to save a persons life. It's the rush she has missed. She's finally back in her element. She knows Alex is there too, the idiot himself.

"Call up to the OR and tell them we're coming. Page Dr. Bailey," she tells the Nurse. "Right away," the nurse responds.

Meredith notices Alex staring at Viper with his hands on his hips looking shocked. She yells at him, "Alex! Push the damn gurney!"

A nurse says, "Clear the way. Coming through." While Alex calls, "Somebody get the elevator!"

"Hurry! I don't know how long I can keep this wound closed," Meredith exclaims. Meredith watches as the elevator closes and moves up slowly. "Move faster damnit."

AS the arrive to the OR Meredith is still straddling Viper. She made it. Bailey sees them and says, "Well this is a new one. Somebody get her off my patient." Meredith climbs done. "Liz go get cleaned up and scrub in. Alex, get back downstairs." Yes! Finally a surgery! Meredith rushes off to clean up, excited at the prospect of surgery. Once she hears Alex will not be scrubbing in she is even happier. Smug even. Serves him right he doesn't deserve too.

The surgery was a success and Meredith couldn't have been happier. Her and Bailey walk out of the OR and to the waiting room, where Vipers friends are.

Bailey speaks first. "This lovely group's his friends. Uh you all belong to – what's his name Liz?"

"Viper." Simple.

"Viper?" Bailey questions. No, Meredith think. It's Daisy.

A man responds. "Yeah we were in the race."

A girl speaks next. "How is he, is he okay?"

Bailey is fuming at this point and Meredith understands completely. People are idiots. "Is he okay? No. No, he is not okay, at all. He hurled his body down a concrete mountain at full speed for no good reason. Yeah, I know you all pierce yourselves and smoke up and generally treat your bodies like your grungy asses can't break down to A, you want to kill yourselves, flying down a concrete mountain, go to it, but there are other people walking, people driving, people trying live their lives on that concrete mountain, and one of them got his brains scrambled today because one of you little sniffling no-good snot-rag –" Meredith knows that she needs to interrupt Bailey here. While she agrees completely, she is going a bit too far.

"Doctor Bailey," Meredith interrupts.

"Yeah, yeah so no, your friend Viper, as far as I'm concerned, is not okay." With that Bailey stalks off. Meredith understands she hates interacting with relatives like this.

Meredith speaks up next. "She's tired, but Viper's going to make it. He's going to live. But don't disregard what Dr. Bailey said. She's completely right and take her words to heart."

The group responds with a "Cool thanks," and Meredith is still wondering how some people can be so stupid.

Meredith is in the locker room, packing up her stuff when Derek comes in and shuts the door. He speaks first. "It's not the chase." Oh so this is what he wants to talk about.

"What?" Meredith says.

"You and me. It is not the thrill of the chase. It's not a game. It's...it's your tiny ineffectual fists. And your hair." What does my hair have to do with anything? But he is very charming Meredith has to admit that. Like that surgeon she met once in Boston…

"My hair?" She decides that is a safe reply.

"Smells good. And you're very, very bossy. Keeps me in line." As I rightfully should. HA. At least he will admit it.

"I'm still not going out with you." Not right now at least. I wont let him win that easily ha. Two can play hard to get.

"You say that now. " And with that, Derek leaves. Meredith can't help but smile. We'll see wont we.

As Meredith leaves, she runs into Courtney. "Courtney!" Meredith cries.

Courtney turns and smiles. "Meredith, how are you? I haven't seen you in a bit."

Meredith hugs her. "I know, this stupid race has kept me busy. I've had to deal with interns saving dead guys, stolen heart surgeries, an annoying Alex, and a guy with nails. And my roommates! They are always in the way and are way to bright and shiny for my liking."

Meredith and Courtney share a laugh. "Sounds like you have a lot going on. Come on, lets grab a coffee and ice cream from that place across from the hospital and you can tell me all about it, before you go home."

Meredith smiles. Courtney knows her so well. "You're the best. That's the best idea I have heard of in a while. Let's go!"

"Did I forget to mention Izzie and George found my mother and I's surgery tapes! They want to watch them! How do I explain that?" Meredith cries.

Courtney shakes her head in contemplation. "You could always tell them you won them at a presentation Ellis and you did and that "Ellis' daughter" gave you a couple to watch. Or something like that. Just keep the ones of your surgeries hidden and leave your mothers. That might work."

Meredith smiles. Courtney is a genius. "Courtney, you're a genius. IM buying you all the ice cream you want."

Courtney laughs. "Well it is a good thing that I am hungry. Come on lets go."

The two girls laugh and walk out of the hospital together and go get ice cream. Meredith is relieved to have a break from her roommates.

Meredith walks into her house and sees Izzie, George, and Cristina eating pizza, drinking beers and watching a surgical tape. Meredith freezes. She hasn't had time to hide hers. She can only pray it's her mothers.

"Okay this is the best part, watch, this is where she pulls a block of skin down over her face." Meredith sighs. It's her mothers. She has her own tape of this surgery with her doing it, but doing this surgery she was in a different OR assisting with a Craniotomy.

George sees her first. "We were-".

Meredith sighs. She says, "Hi."

George responds with, "We were just- Cristina made us."

Cristina looks at Meredith. "How did you get these surgical tapes, of The Ellis Grey now less?" All three of them stare at Meredith.

Meredith sighs and begins her story. "Ellis and her daughter did a presentation at my school. There was some sort of competition afterwards. I talked to her daughter and she gave me some surgical tapes to watch, saying I'd make a great surgeon."

They all gape at her. Meredith rolls her eyes. They all try to speak but she shuts them down.

"Which one are we watching?" They all close their mouths and realize that's all they will get out of Meredith for now.

"This is the one where Doctor Grey literally pulls this guy's face off!" Izzie exclaims. They all stare at the screen in amazement and Meredith thinks she may have found some friends.

The phone rings and Meredith excuses herself.

"Hello?" Meredith asks, not even looking at the phone number.

"Meredith." Meredith sighs. Of course.

"Mother. How are you?" What a great way to ruin her night.

"I am fine. But on to more pressing matters. Did you forget already?" Huh?

"Forget what?"

"The conference next weekend in New York. The one where we are speaking and presenting about our research so far? The yearly East Coast Medical Conference that we have spoken at every year? I expected more from you Meredith. Although I support what you're doing I would have thought you'd have some responsibity and remember this."

Shit. Meredith had completely forgotten. This was an important conference her mother and her were speaking about their research on diabetes and all. And, for good or for bad, Meredith played a major role in this research. She had to be there.

"I'll be there Mother. I promise. I'll talk to the Chief immediately; he will let me go. I will be in New York next Saturday."

"Good. I except you'll be on time?" Punctual as usual.

"Of course Mom. Can you pick me up?" Meredith was so not in the mood to drop money on a rental car in New York City of all places.

"Yes. I will see you then. I assume you are adjusting well?" Meredith is shocked her mother asked a caring question, she usually doesn't.

"Of course. I do like the change, it different but good."

"Good. I would hope you are keeping up your surgical skills since you get less OR time?" Ah there's her mother, making sure she isn't falling behind.

"Yes mom. Skills lab and Richard arranged a surgery for me already. Simple one. I have scrubbed in on a Neuro case, General and a few others." She knows this will please her mother.

"I am glad to hear that. I must go. I will you on Saturday Meredith. Don't be late." Meredith bet she has a surgery, but won't voice her opinions.

"I wont. Goodbye Mom."

"Goodbye Meredith."

Meredith sighs. That was a good conversation by her standards. It went well. She smiles. Cristina looks over at her and says, "Who was that? Come back, we are getting to the good stuff here!"

Meredith laughs. "It was my mom and don't worry I'm coming!"

As Meredith walks over, she thinks that this new start was the right decision. She's more relaxed than ever. She gets to have fun for once.

And next Saturday, she gets to present her work, her baby, at a medical conference. Things couldn't be better.

But, good things don't last forever.