Chapter Six
Meredith put away her latest chart and messaged her back gently. She was beyond exhausted a nearly forty-eight-hour shift and she still had a few more hours before she saw her bed. She was wanted to curl into a ball and just fall asleep for the next two days.
"Meredith can you come into my office?" Meredith looked over to see her mother standing beside her. It was one of the first times since her father's surgery that she had seen her mother on the surgery fall. She was normally inside of her office.
"Of course mom." Meredith answering handing the finish chart to the nurse in charge, "I'll be back to check on Mrs. Lenny before I leave."
"Yes Dr. Grey." The nurse said as Meredith turned to leave.
"Please seat down Meredith." Ellis said once she entered her office.
"What's wrong mom? It's not dad is it?"
"Oh no nothing like that." She said with a loud sigh, "Richard is doing a lot better. We've been talking a lot over the last few weeks. I um we've decided to retire."
"Retire?" Meredith questioned confused.
"Yes. Not yet of course I have to choose a successor, and I have to find someone to take over as head of General."
"Do you have any idea who you'll choose?" Meredith asked her.
"Obviously I would want to chose someone from within. The only person good enough would be Bailey. The board would never approve I think she'll be great as head of General. The only other person is Dr. Shepherd. I've asked him to come on as Head of Neuro to observe his style."
"Dr. Shepherd." Meredith stumbled, "I thought he had a private practice in New York."
"Oh he does." Ellis told her, "It didn't take a lot of persuading his grown…restless with his practice."
"So when will be here?" Meredith asked her.
"The next few weeks. His being bought out by his partner. I've promised him the foremost Neurosurgical wing in the west coast, and three million a year."
"What are you going to do retired?"
"I'm planning to write another book. Richard wants us to travel."
"I'm going to miss you mom." Meredith said getting up to hug her.
"Miss me?" Ellis questioned taking her in her arms, "You'll see me as much as possible I promise." She pulled away as Meredith's pager beeped, "You better get down there, and then go home to rest."
"Okay. I'll come by to see you two this weekend so we can talk." Meredith said before hurrying off down to the pit.
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"I can't believe your really leaving me!" Margaret Shepherd exclaimed sadly as she looked down the table at her only son. He had just announced that in the matter of a few days he was moving clear across the country. To say she was shocked would be the understatement of the century.
"It's a great opportunity for me mom. I've always wanted to be Chief of Surgery some where." He reasoned with her.
"Why can't you get a job in New York? At least then we'd be in the same time zone!"
"Mom I'm sure Derek thought this though. He's not the impulse type." Derek smiled gratefully as his older sister Kathy, the psychology and resident family negotiator.
"Yes mom. Besides Seattle has ferryboats and we all know how much Derek loves ferryboats." His youngest sister Angela added helpfully the baby of the family and the pediatrician of the family.
"Thank you Kathy and Angela." Derek smiled gratefully at the two. His other two sister's Nancy and Rebecca had yet to say a word. The two where as thick as thieves being the only twins in the family.
"I hope that this decision isn't because of Addison!" His mother added.
"Addie doesn't have anything to do with this!" Nancy said suddenly, "She doesn't even talk to Derek."
"How do you know who I talk to Nancy?" Derek questioned.
"They go out to lunch once a week." Rebecca added.
"Becky!" Nancy hissed.
"You go out to lunch with her?" Derek questioned sure that he had heard wrong or something just as weird,
"She's a friend of mine Derek. I don't think I should have to cut off ties with friends just because one of the men in my life stopped seeing her. I wouldn't have a friend in the world just from Mark alone!"
"Hey!" Mark exclaimed looking upset, "I didn't date any of your friends." Mark defended himself.
"Really Mark. Lucy Davenport was my best friend until one date with you and then she stopped talking to me."
"That was different." Mark told her.
"It's fine that you still see Addison, Nancy." Derek told her ending the path of there conversation.
"Good. I'd like to propose a toast." Kathy said standing up, "To Derek my he have great success in Seattle." The family raised their glass in unison.
¥
"Were you just going to surprise me when you came to Seattle or were you actually going to tell me?" Meredith questioned Derek the second he picked up the phone. After several weeks of conversation Derek hadn't mention his impending move. Making Meredith worry if he was ever planning on telling her he was going to move.
"Of course I was going to tell you." Derek told her, "When I got there." He added a bit softer.
"Derek!" Meredith exclaimed, "Do you have any idea how dangerous something like that could be. I don't even like surprises."
"What you got another hot neurosurgeon you talk to on the phone?"
"You really think highly of yourself don't you?"
"I'm just hiding my pain." He told her, "You know six months ago today you took advantage of me in a bar."
"I did not take advantage!" Meredith told him aghast.
"Someone took advantage. Anyway I remember it was an amazing night."
"The next morning it all fell away."
"You look beautiful in the morning Meredith." His voice had gone soft. There other conversation had stayed mostly light and playful.
"Thank you. Your very scruffy in the morning Derek."
"Meredith I'm moving to Seattle in a matter of days." He gave a heavy sigh, "Would you like to go to dinner with me?"
"Yes Derek. Why don't you come over to my place instead? I'll cook us something."
Meredith offered. Not that she was able to cook anything. She could probably get Izzie or even her mother's housekeeper Rory.
"I'll look forward to your cooking Mer."
It was all going to be okay. Of that she was sure.
Author Note: Another chapter complete. Thanks again for the great reviews they really motivate me to update faster!