Disclaimer: Seriously? Grey's Anatomy belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC. I'm just borrowing them.
The next day it seemed as if some silent arrangement had been made that the four occupants of Meredith's house would leave for the hospital together.
Not only was it the first day of their residency, a pretty big milestone, but a lot of things had changed since they'd left the hospital the day before.
The three women weren't quite sure what had happened to Alex (his attempt to hide his stress failed, and the rumpled look of his clothes was impossible to miss...and they were pretty sure it wasn't from the stress of Cristina's situation), but he had, surprisingly, not taken off on his own.
An hour before they would need to leave for the hospital, they met in the kitchen.
Cristina's legs swung from their usual spot on the counter as she sipped from the a coffee mug, eyes wide.
Meredith raked the remains of her breakfast from her plate with a fork and stowed a muffin in her purse for later.
Izzie paced.
None of them spoke.
Alex entered, swinging a bag over his shoulder.
He took one look at the Izzie.
"Well, this will be fun."
Mark stretched his legs across several waiting room chairs and leaned back, eyes closed, sipping from his coffee.
This had to be his favorite time of day. In just a few minutes the group of interns who had taken the rumor mill by storm would be entering the hospital once more, this time as residents.
The rumor mill was already hard at work.
Of course, the big news of the day was the collapse of Cristina and Burke's relationship.
"I'm still trying to figure out how she caught Dr. Burke. What a bitch."
"She can be pretty cold."
"Pretty cold? She practically trapped him with her 'pregnancy'."
"You're right. She made him propose. He really had no choice but to leave her at the altar."
"But still...to leave on the wedding day?"
"Did any you hear his vows?"
"Ugh. What a bitch."
Then there was George, who many predicted would not be showing his face in the hospital today. Or ever again.
And Callie.
"Did you see them talking in the ambulance bay yesterday? She was crying!"
"She's probably pregnant. I heard them talking about trying."
Derek and Meredith were not to be excluded. In fact, Mark was pretty sure the nurses knew more about their relationship than they did.
"What did she mean by that 'so over' thing at the wedding?"
"Did you see the look on his face?"
"She couldn't have dumped him. She'd have to be a real idiot."
"Well, she has been a little loopy since her suicide attempt."
"Poor girl. First her mother, then her father's new wife, now this."
"So does this mean he's single again?"
"Ha. Like you have a chance. Maybe Addison will take him back."
"Addison? Isn't she le-"
"Good morning ladies."
Mark looked up in time to catch the smile Addison flashed the nurses as she strode by, heels clicking against the tiled floor before she came to a stop in front of him.
"Addison."
"Hey, Mark." She took a seat, gently crossing her legs. "So-"
"When do you leave?"
"Damn, I thought I caught them in time." Her smile had always made him weak.
"This is the second shift I've sat through. You leaving was old news hours ago."
"Who else knows?" She asked quietly.
"Derek isn't in yet, if that's what your worried about. You probably have a few minutes."
"Good." She paused, glancing around. "I would have told you, you know. I just-It was kind of a last minute decision."
"No explanation necessary."
"Who knows, I might be back."
He doubted it.
"But it's something I have to do."
Mark's pager beeped and he stood, turning to her.
"Meet me at Joe's later?" She asked.
"Sure. Well, I've got-"
"That's all right, go ahead. I'll see you later, Mark."
She really had to stop smiling at him.
"Okay, so let's go over this one more time." Cristina said, facing her three friends who were now leaning against Meredith's car in Seattle Grace's parking lot.
"You're fine. Burke's not here. You're completely over the wedding and better off without having it." Meredith recited.
"Great. So. Let's go?"
"Can I just say that this little coaching session makes it painfully obvious how not fine you are? Your fiance is a douchebag who left you at the altar. I think people will understand if you're a little upset. In fact maybe it'll make you seem a little more human." Alex said, no longer leaning against the car and moving towards the building.
"You're one to talk," Izzie said quietly from his side.
"Okay, not helping." Meredith interjected, hurrying to catch up with the others.
"This is work, I have to be fine here. I know some of you don't mind your personal life being shared with everyone," she looked pointedly at Meredith "But I'd prefer to keep this quiet." She hurried ahead of the group to catch the elevator before it closed.
"That was low," Izzie said as she watched Meredith stab at the elevator button with her thumb.
"We just need to give her some space."
"Thanks a lot, Alex." Izzie said.
"Just because I'm the only one who can tell the truth around here..."
Meredith turned to rifle through her bag, tuning out her friend's bickering voices.
She looked up.
Derek.
He entered through the sliding doors of the entrance just as the elevator doors opened.
Meredith quickly slipped in behind her friends.
"Hold it!" A nurse reached for the 'door open' button.
She held her breath
"Derek."
It was Addison.
Meredith had never been happier to hear the voice of the other woman.
She assumed Derek had motioned to the nurse to go on without him because seconds later the doors slid shut.
Cristina immediately regretted her words once she was on the elevator.
Getting upset and lashing out was nothing new.
Getting upset and lashing out at Meredith was.
Crap. It's going to be a long day. She thought.
Pushing the thoughts of earlier out of her mind she stepped out onto the surgical floor.
"Yang."
Before she had time to stare down any of the nurses for the looks they were giving her, she felt herself being steered by her elbow into the nearest empty room.
"Dr. Bailey?"
"You okay?"
Cristina opened her mouth to say something but the shorter woman continued.
"You don't have to tell me. I just wanted to tell you that...I'm sure the Chief will understand if you need another day."
"I-"
"I know you're fine. But just in case."
As swiftly as she'd marched Cristina into the room, she opened the door and disappeared.
When Cristina finally rejoined them, Meredith, Izzie and Alex were gathered in their new locker room, positioned around the bench of the row farthest away from the door.
Meredith and Izzie's had claimed lockers on one side of the bench while Alex chose one at the end of the other.("For when you girls get all crazy and PMS-y", he'd said.)
"S-" Cristina began, setting her bag down on the bench and beginning to change.
"Callie's Chief Resident!" Izzie whispered harshly.
"What? What about Bailey?"
"We don't know yet. But at least we get to see the new interns go through what we did last year."
"Meredith, no one will go through what you did last year." Alex said, tying the bottoms of his scrubs.
"Shut it, Evil Spawn."
"Doesn't the Evil Spawn stuff ever get old?"
"Nope." Cristina replied as they exited the locker room.
"But...seriously? Everyone loves Bailey. Chief loves Bailey. So, we're a little afraid of her...she's clearly the best resident Seattle Grace has." Izzie reasoned, her arms folded across her chest.
"I think it's part of his whole 'Save the Surgeons' campaign." Meredith said. "I think he didn't choose her because he cares so much. She has a husband and a kid, Callie just has..."
"George," said Izzie.
There was a long pause.
"Meredith."
She turned at the sound of her name.
"Can we talk?"