Title: World Spins Madly On
Author: Holly-Dane
Rating: T
Summary: After the prom, Meredith left Seattle, planning to never look back. When she is forced to return after her mother's death, she finds the world she used to know turned upside down (marriages, babies, divorces, disaster) MerDer Lexie Bang O'Callie Maddison.
Authors Note: I'm very excited about this chapter; I think it's a good one. But first, I just wanted to say, I've seen that a ton of people are reading this story, but not reviewing. So please, if you're going to read it, just review!!! It means a lot to me, and really pushes me forward. I really want to know what everyone thinks, and without reviews I can't get that. And just remember, reviews are what help these chapters get posted sooner, so the more reviews I get, the more motivated I am to continue! I also accept any kind of review – corrective criticism is ok with me as long as nobody is flaming anything. I also accept reviews from anybody, so just please review.
Chapter Three: Homebird
"Hi Chief."
"Hi Meredith." The Chief looked at her as if she was a ghost; a mere mirage that would soon evaporate into thin air. It just seemed like so long ago since the last time he had seen her.
Meredith slowly raised a hand, "Chief…I"
Richard let a small smile dance across his face before interrupting her muffle voice, "It's good to see you."
Meredith bit her lower lip, the pain reaching her nerves like a rocket, "you too." She mouthed the words just above a whisper.
"So..." The Chief said, taking a step forward, "…what have you been up to?" It seemed like an awkward question to ask, but then again, everything did at this point…someone needed to break the ice.
Meredith rung her hands together as she thought of a proper answer, "You know...just trying to rebuild everything I lost." She didn't know how else to respond.
Richard shook his head. He was familiar with the feeling. "I know the feeling." He laughed, and then added "You know...I thought I might see you again."
"Really?"
"Yeah...it was just one of those feelings, you know, intuition." It was strange to think that after all this time, he had been correct. For some reason unknown to even him, Richard knew that he would see Meredith Grey again.
"I'm sorry." Meredith stated simply. She just didn't know what else to say, so she responded with the only sentiment that came to her mind; an apology.
Richard smiled, "For what?"
She knew that he was trying to be polite, but this triggered a small smile from her, "For leaving... for everything." Her eyes were beginning to tear up. She had truly believed that she would never need to see The Chief again; that she would never have to see anyone from her turbulent past ever again. But why? Why was it that she felt unfit to be near the people that she loved – the people that loved her? Because, she thought, it's too painful.
Richard took another step towards Meredith before continuing, "Meredith...I've just been wondering this whole time…why?" He felt a little bit rude for asking the question, but he did it anyway. He just wanted…no needed to know the answer to a question that had been plaguing him for the past three years.
"Why?" Meredith was perplexed.
"Why did you leave?" He asked, causing her confused gaze to waver.
She stumbled, "because..." She couldn't handle all this, "because of everything...I just left because of everything. All the mistakes I made, all the hurt I was feeling...the hurt I was causing others." She sniffled.
"Meredith."
"I can't" Meredith looked into the Chief's eyes before doing the only thing that came to mind, walking away. She just wasn't prepared to face this kind of ambush. All she had wanted was to look at her mother and move on with her life, not have a nice little meeting with The Chief.
Richard stood in shock for a minute, watching the daughter of his greatest love walk away. He needed to follow her; he couldn't let her go again – at least not without an answer.
"Meredith!" He cried to her fleeting form, "Meredith!"
Hearing the Chief's voice behind her, Meredith began to cry lightly. "I can't do this." She began to walk even faster, approaching the narrow stairwell that she had taken up into the Funeral Home. She began to walk down it, quickening her pace as she heard the Chief's footsteps trailing her. Faster, faster, faster, and then...
"Meredith!" The Chief shouted to the girl who was now sprawled on the bottom step of the stairwell. "Meredith!"
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Everything had gone black the minute that her shoe caught that stair step. Meredith remembered feeling the sensation of free-fall, and then darkness...nothing. It was still dark, but now she could feel her head throbbing. The pain was so great; she wanted to shout...to scream out in agonizing pain, but when she tried to open her mouth and scream, nothing happened. She couldn't move. Not a single bit. It was as if her jaw was hinged shut. She tried to lift a hand, but once again, found that she couldn't. Her body was dead...her limbs were jelly, or perhaps stone. She couldn't tell.
Help me, please help me...she shouted these words in her mind, over and over again. But nothing was happening...she could see nothing, feel nothing - except for the extraordinary pain in her skull. As a doctor, she knew that it wasn't a good sign...there was something very wrong, but she couldn't figure out what exactly that was. It was much harder to diagnose an injury when it was on herself. She didn't have much time to think anyway as her vision began to fade; her lungs starting to give out.
"Don't let anything happen to her!" It was the last thing she heard before her consciousness slipped away.
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When Meredith finally awoke, she was overcome by a splitting headache; the worst she had ever felt. What happened, she asked herself, reaching a hand up to rub her temples. As her arm lifted higher, her fingertips grazed a large bandage...gauze. Then it all came crashing back into her memory. That's right; she had slipped and fallen down the stair...while being pursued by the Chief.
"Oh no," She said, realizing that she was now sitting in one of the very beds where she had treated her patients at Seattle Grace Hospital...three years ago.
Her state of panic was interrupted by the soft and joyful voice of a young woman, "Hi."
Meredith turned to face the door, and the girl, "Hi."
The girl took a step forward, running a hand through her mahogany-brown curls. "I'm Dr. Philips." She smiled innocently. It was obvious to Meredith that the young woman was an intern; she looked so naïve, constantly peering down at the chart in her hands as if the ink were about to disappear and leave her without reference.
Meredith smiled. Dr. Philips was a very pretty young woman. She looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six...the same age Meredith and her colleagues had been when they started their tour as interns. Dr. Philips was a very youthful looking girl, with deep brown hair and darkly tanned skin. Her eyes were a sparkling blue - the same color as the ocean, and features were prominent, standing out heavily against her light scrubs.
"Nice to meet you," Meredith said finally, causing the young woman's panicked demeanor to shift into one of more self assurance and comfort.
Dr. Philips smiled, "You too." She took a step forward, "Now, I just have to check that head wound of yours." She finished speaking, setting Meredith's chart down on the table.
Meredith sighed, "Alright." She was quite familiar with the process, only she was used to being the doctor, not the patient.
"So," Dr. Philips said tentatively, "How did you receive this injury anyway?" She flashed her small flashlight over Meredith's retinas twice in a row before focusing on the head wound itself.
Meredith chuckled, but soon stopped due to the pain it caused her head, "I fell down the stairs." It sounded so stupid, like many of the dumb people that Meredith herself had treated.
"Ouch." The bubbly brunette replied, pushing lightly on Meredith's forehead, causing Meredith to wince in pain.
"Yeah," Meredith agreed, it sure was painful. "So," She just couldn't help but let the doctor inside slip out, "Do I have a concussion? A Sub dermal Hematoma? A Perforated Lobe?" Meredith rattled off several head injuries before being politely interrupted.
"You a doctor?" Dr. Philips chuckled as she slung her stethoscope over her neck.
Slightly embarrassed, Meredith looked down at her hands, "Is it that obvious?"
Dr. Philips just grinned, "Yeah, just a little." She hadn't been expecting to treat a fellow doctor, and from what she had heard, doctors made the worst patients. But this woman, Meredith Grey, she was nice.
As if reading the young woman's mind, Meredith looked up and replied, "You don't need to worry, I'm a very forgiving doctor. Trust me, I remember the intern stage."
Dr. Philips grinned, "Thanks, I'm just a little nervous. I always am."
"It's no problem." Meredith smiled.
"You're really nice," Dr. Philips said honestly before picking up Meredith's chart and walking to the door, "Well, I'm going to go and give your charts back to Dr. Karev...I'll be right back."
Meredith felt a surge of energy run through her body...Alex. "Did you say Dr. Karev?" Her lips quivered as she spoke.
Dr. Philips turned around in the doorway, "Yeah...Dr. Karev is great." She then smiled, and walked out into the hallway.
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Oh my gosh, Meredith thought, I'm going to see Alex. After all this time, I'm going to see Alex. It seemed like forever since the last time that she had witnessed one of his trademark grins or unnecessarily sexual remarks. She laughed...Alex always was good at lightening the mood. Between his smart ass facade and his lighthearted humor, he had always been the one to bring a smile to her face...not to mention the faces of all the other interns. Alex really was a good guy though, not matter how hard he tried to play the ass. Meredith had learned that first hand. Alex had been a good friend to her, and she in turn had been the same to him. In fact, Alex had been one of the few people at the hospital that Meredith felt completely comfortable revealing her secrets to. Maybe it was because they were both sort of 'dark and twisty.'
"Mer."
At the sound of a young woman's voice, Meredith's thoughts were torn form the blurred image of Alex Karev that occupied her memory.
Turning, Meredith saw the owner of the all too familiar voice standing in her doorway, medical chart in hand. It was none other than Dr. Isobel Stevens.
"Izzie!"
"Yeah," Izzie laughed, her pillowy lips curling into a huge smile, "it's me."
Meredith shook her head, "Izzie, I...you're back." The last time Meredith had seen Izzie was right after the death of Denny...right after she quit medicine. So, needless to say, it was downright shocking to see Izzie standing in her doorway – her hospital room doorway – wearing her scrubs, with chart in hand, a huge smile plastered across her face….and a major case of pregnancy!
Meredith lifted a finger and pointed to Izzie's stomach, "You're..."
Izzie cut her off, "knocked up. Yeah."
Meredith smiled, "Wow!"
"Yeah," Izzie laughed, "I know..." Her sentence trailed off.
She didn't quite know what to say next...it had been three years since she had seen Meredith, and they no longer knew anything about one another's lives. "So how have you been doing?" Izzie asked, changing the subject completely.
Meredith gave her a quizzical stare, "Me?" She laughed, "You're pregnant and you want to talk about me...you're not getting off that easily, I need to know about your baby." she stared directly at Izzie's enlarged stomach.
Izzie smiled, "Oh, so you want to know about the baby, huh?"
Meredith pouted, "Well of course I want to know...but first I wanted to ask you a question."
"Ok, shoot."
"Alright," Meredith sighed, "I was just wondering where Alex is."
Izzie shook her head in confusion, "I don't know what you're talking about. Why do you need to know where Alex is?"
"Because he's my doctor," Meredith stated.
Izzie's grin spread even wider, her face illuminating.
"OK," Meredith said, "Alex isn't my doctor?..."
Izzie took a seat on the edge of Meredith's bed, pulling the sleeve of her purple under shirt up to her mid arm. With a glowing smile, she thrust her hand out in front of Meredith, who noticed immediately what it was that Izzie had intended her to see. Izzie's ring finger was adorned with a gorgeous, sparkling engagement ring. Right next to it rested a simple, silver wedding band.
"Izzie," Meredith sighed. "You're…you're married!" She simply couldn't believe it, not after everything that had happened with Denny. "It's beautiful." She peered down at Izzie's ring once more.
"I know." The glowing blond responded, staring down at her wedding ring; spellbound. "I just love him so much."
"So you're…."
"Doctor Karev." Izzie said, relishing the way that her new name sounded.
Meredith was in shock…but good shock. In truth, 'stunned' was the only word that she could possibly think of to describe the way that she felt right now. When she had left, it seemed that Izzie Stevens would never again be the happy, bubbly blond that she had once been. Now, she was just so different; so happy. Alex really was the one for her, Meredith smiled ...and now they're having a baby together. God, I've missed so much.
"I can't believe you two actually got married...I would have never guessed." Meredith sighed.
"I bet," Izzie remarked, "Since I was so...you know, dead the last time you saw me." She tried to hide her buried disappointment from Meredith. She had wanted so badly for her to be at their wedding…or to have at least stayed at the hospital, or checked in with everyone.
"I'm sorry Izzie."
Izzie smiled, "You don't need to apologize about Denny, I've moved on...I've let him go."
"So you really love Alex, huh?" Meredith asked, the grin of a giddy schoolgirl spread across her freckle peppered face.
Izzie blushed, "With all my heart...I really do, and now," She sighed, overwhelmed; "now we're having this baby."
"A baby," Meredith repeated, "That's amazing!" The idea of Izzie as a mom was something that Meredith had never really thought about picturing – even in her wildest dreams. It seemed like just yesterday that they had all been sharing a house, and the biggest of their problems back then was 'who's going to buy tampons this week?'
"Yeah," Izzie laughed, "I'm so excited...but a little nervous." She emphasized the word 'little.'
"Well," Meredith leaned forward, taking Izzie's hands in hers, "I think that you'll make a great mother."
"You really think so?"
Meredith grinned, "of course I do, Izzie." she laughed, "Alex on the other hand, I don't know."
Izzie swatted her playfully, "Watch how you talk about the father of my baby."
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Meredith sat in her hospital bed, just contemplating; thinking about all the things that she had missed. Her mother had passed away, from a long and painful case of Alzheimer's, and Izzie had gotten married...to Alex! Things just didn't even seem real anymore. Her world didn't seem real, even though she had left it three years ago.
She sometimes thought about the three years she'd missed as being an eternity, and at other times, those three years seemed like the blink of an eye. It was just now occurring to her those three years had been a long, long time...not just for her, but for the people she had left behind as well. It wasn't that Izzie looked any different. In truth, if there was one thing that those three years of time had done for Izzie, it was make her even more beautiful...which Meredith had originally though was impossible. She was still just as blond as she had always been, and her face hadn't changed a bit. The only thing that was different was her hair. She had put more layers in it, making her golden mane even fuller – and she had added a gorgeous side sweeping bang. Izzie really was stunning, with her flowing tresses of gold, lustrous pink lips, and porcelain skin. But now she had something more...she had the glow of a girl in love. And pregnancy really did look good on her...I hate her, Meredith thought, She's so disgustingly perfect.
Well, there you have it, Chapter 3. I'm really happy to have this chapter up. I thought it was a nice, faster moving chapter. I'm really excited about the next chapter, which is where you will learn a lot about what has happened in the lives of the Seattle doctors.
Once again, please leave me a review. I get really discouraged when I don't get a lot of reviews. So if you're going to read – then review. It just makes thing so much better for the writer. I accept anything you have to say about the story, and I am open to corrective criticism. So please, just leave a review, it means a lot to me and definitely helps me put chapters up A LOT faster. So if you want to read more, REVIEW!
Thanks for reading,
Holly Dane