The next day…

She woke up in the same place as she had fallen asleep. The sun wasn't up yet. She lifted herself off the floor and slowly walking to the mirror. The swelling around her eyes had gone down over night, but they were slightly red. There was an impression from the carpet in her right cheek. Her clothes from the day before were wrinkled and wet from sweat. She pulled off her shirt and pants, so she was just in her bra and panties. It was almost four meaning that the others wouldn't be up for another hour and a half or so. She walked towards the bathroom.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She decided to leave before the others woke up not wanting to talk about the night before. The meeting started at six-thirty before the hospital got too busy with surgeries. They were going to get the names of their interns. She got the hospital and it was nearly five am, so she headed to the locker room and changed before busying herself running labs that nobody bothered to do the night before. Then, she decided to look through the charts of all her patients to see if the nurses or on-call doctors noticed a difference during the night.

By the time she was done, it was nearly six. Knowing the others would be coming in any minute, she headed to an on-call room to camp out in for a little while. The Chief had made it clear that they needed to be in the conference room by six-twenty and she was going to try and wait until the last possible moment, not wanting to face Derek.

She sunk into the bed and used her arms to cover her eyes. Not long after she had gotten comfortable, the door opened letting the light from the hall pour in.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were… asleep." A voice said as they shut the door. The bed squeaked as they laid down and Meredith allowed her eyes get used to the darkness again. She glanced over to see who had entered. In the other bed laid, a woman who she didn't recognize nor know the voice to. "Any advice for a new intern?"

"You're a new intern?" Meredith asked glancing over even though it was dark.

"Yeah."

"Aren't you supposed to start tomorrow?" She asked.

"That's what I thought but the Chief told us that we're starting at one today, now." She sighed.

"Nerve racking, isn't it?"

"Very."

Meredith glanced at her watch making it light up. "Well, I have to go to the meeting." She stood up straightening her clothes walking to the door. Her back was to the new intern as she opened the door.

"As far as advice… Don't get personally involved with attendings." With that she walked out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She entered the conference room right at six-twenty to find it mostly full. She kept her head low as she made her way to the back corner refusing to make eye contact with anyone. She sat down in the window sill waiting for the meeting to start and be over with. She had a surgery in a couple hours and she had to be out by one to meet the interns, from what she has heard. The Chief soon entered the room carrying a stack of folders. All the residents stopped talking, sitting up a little more to show he had their full attention. Meredith didn't bother with the sucking up portion of the meeting.

"Thank you all for coming today." He began looking at the people surrounding him. "There has been a little change of plans, and I apologize for the short notice. You will not be getting the interns tomorrow as previously thought. They will be in the locker room promptly at one this afternoon. If you have to change your surgery schedule, do it. I will not tolerate residents being late to meet their interns. Now, I'm going to give you the names and records on the three interns that you will begin with. As I've told you before, you will be getting three to start. The next set and every set following you get five. I'm going to start calling you now. "Dr. Anderson, Dr. Bell, Dr. Bark, Dr. Earn, Dr. Fanny, Dr. Grey…"

Meredith walked up her room and could feel her friend's gazes on her as she grabbed the three folders and walked out. She walked down the hall trying to decide where to go to look over her interns' folder.

"Hey." A voice came from behind her. She turned her head to see who was calling her. Derek was hurrying to catch up with her quick walk.

"I have surgery." He said rolling her eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked making a face. She stopped abruptly turning towards him.

"Nothing." She said it clear and strong before turning and walking off. She didn't want to talk to him. She barely wanted to see him, because whenever she did, she saw what she had seen the night before.

He let out a frustrated sigh before turning and walking away not knowing what had gotten into her now.