A/N: Wow. The response for that last chapter was just INSANE. Thank you so much to each and every one of you! I really appreciate all of your feedback and thoughts. This chapter takes you through all the doctor's first day back at work. There is some Teddy, Richard, Alex, Meredith, Derek, and of course Cristina and Owen. So, a little bit of everything! Hope you enjoy!
The Morning After: Part II
Owen barely slept the night before, the bed feeling too large without Cristina beside him, the room too quiet without her soft snoring. He still had difficulty believing that he had really thrown her out. It was unlike his usual behavior, but he could think of nothing else to do in that moment. He couldn't look at her, not when she was using his love for her to validate that horrible decision. He still couldn't believe that she had made the appointment. Despite him knowing and somewhat understanding her hesitancy with motherhood, he had always thought he would be able to convince her otherwise. He believed in her, after all. Why couldn't she believe in herself?
The lights of the hospital felt too bright and he squinted, grinding his teeth together as he forced himself to soldier on. There were patients to see, after all. He also wanted to check in on Kepner, and see how her first day was going. Life went on, even if his was in shambles.
"Hello," Teddy said with a wide grin, falling into step beside him. "Great morning, isn't it?"
He looked down at her with a frown, thinking that due to his current circumstances her question did not warrant an answer. Teddy apparently considered the question rhetorical, as well, because she didn't even notice his frown and went on with, "A surgery is coming in from Michael Reese, too. Sounds like it's going to be a good one. Might even let Cristina scrub in for it!"
When that didn't garner a response from Owen she looked over at him and noticed for the first time the tightness of his jaw and dark circles that painted the baggy skin beneath his eyes. "Hey, are you okay?"
"I thought you were going to Germany," he said.
"Change of plans," she said, not convinced by his shift in topic and stepping in front of him. He came to a stop, avoiding her gaze. "Owen, what's going on?"
"It's nothing."
"You look like hell."
He chuckled darkly and said, "Well, thanks Teddy."
"Don't," she said sharply. "You can't pull that with me, remember? I know you-"
"Then you should know when to lay off," he answered shortly. "I need to get to my patients. I'll talk to you later."
He stepped around her and strode down the hallway. She paused for a moment, still a bit startled by Owen's behavior, but then she caught herself and moved on toward her own patients.
Meredith walked from the daycare center, her palms itching to turn back and hold Zola for a few moments more. That baby was the only stable thing in her life at the moment. Everything was in flux, but she was solidly there. Zola with her pudgy hands and powdery scent. She was the one thing keeping Meredith sane. Unless things with Derek really were beyond repair. Then everything changed. Zola. Marriage. Her belief that perhaps the universe wasn't out to screw her at every turn.
The Chief appeared from around the corner before her, looking ten years older than the last time they spoke as he ushered her to his office. She walked in first, turning at the sound of the door closing firmly.
"I need you to be completely honest with me now, Meredith."
"I told you everything," Meredith said, not interested in getting into another long discussion about the trial. She had told him everything.
"Yes, yes I know," Richard said, body pitched forward as he continued. "I need you to tell me exactly who knows about the trial."
"You mean the trial in general? Everyone in the hospital-"
"No," Richard said, shaking his head. "I mean about Adele. Who knows about Adele?"
"Well, only you, Derek, and I. Alex and Owen don't know about it being Adele."
"Okay," Richard said decisively, rubbing his beard as he thought through what to do next. "Okay, so that's only five people."
"Chief-"
"We're all going to have a meeting and talk this through. Yes, we'll sort this out. I'll page everyone and then Derek, did he come with you?"
Meredith shook her head, averting her eyes. "No, he didn't."
Richard looked at Meredith in surprise but then said, "Oh, well, okay I'll just page him, too."
"He's not here?" Meredith asked, her nerves picking up a note. Derek always got to the hospital early. She used to be the one to make him late, but without her…
Richard sensed her uneasiness. "He had a tough day, Meredith. I'm sure he'll be here."
She nodded, mind already tallying up all the awful fates that could have befallen her wayward husband. Richard cleared his throat. "Anyway, prepare to meet in about an hour."
Cristina went through most of her day successfully avoiding her husband. She didn't even have to dodge and weave. Not one quick turn down a hallway. It almost was as if he wasn't there, and she grudgingly found herself becoming worried. It was unsettling, the worrying for other people. She used to only have to worry about herself. But then she found herself with a person. A husband. A baby.
She wouldn't have that last one for much longer, though. Oddly, that brought no sense of relief. Neither did finding her husband in the supply closet.
"Oh," she breathed out, instinctively stepping backward to edge out of the room. He looked up from packets of gauze and his face went blank. She went to turn, but he called out to her and she found herself frozen.
"I'm your husband," he said in a low voice. "You don't have to run out of the room."
She frowned. How dare he throw that word at her? The way he acted last night, he had no right to even whisper that word to her. "You threw me out of our apartment!" she accused.
"And you're terminating our pregnancy."
"My pregnancy," she shot back. "It's not making you need to vomit every morning, is it?"
"Unless it's an immaculate conception, Cristina, it's still ours. And knowing your religious convictions, I would say no."
She frowned, stalking past him and grabbing an IV bag. "Look," he said from behind her. "I don't want to argue."
"Well, good job with that."
Owen sighed and tried, "Where are you staying?"
"With Meredith," Cristina said crisply, picking up a few other odds and ends she needed. Despite her having everything she needed, she continued to rifle through bandages. To be honest, she was waiting for him to tell her to come home. He was the one who took her back. He always had and while she understood that this time was different, part of her still thought he would ask.
"When is the appointment?"
She hesitated for just a moment, hand hovering above a collection of butterfly needles. Of all the things she expected her husband to ask, this was not it.
"In two weeks," she said.
"I'm going with you." Her face registered surprise and he said, "Regardless of what is going on between us, I won't let you do that alone. You think you won't feel anything, but you will."
She looked away, an uncomfortable tickle in the back of her throat. He really was a good man, down to his core. As she nodded in agreement and then stepped past him, her arm brushing his, she thought to herself how terribly ironic it was that someone so good could love someone like her.
Meredith and Derek always did have a thing for elevators. They met for another first time as the doors slid open and she headed in as he moved out. She stopped short when she saw him, the doors bleeping loudly as they sensed her form in their way.
"Not now Meredith," Derek said dismissively, tired eyes looking at a spot to the right of her face.
"You're late," she stammered. "You're never late."
"I had a tough night," he shot back. "Guess my back doesn't like cold ground as much anymore."
"You slept at the building site," she filled in, frowning.
"Yes, Meredith, I did."
"We need to talk-"
"Not now," he held. "I just-I can't."
"But-"
"You better step back," Derek said. "Other people need the elevator." He turned without another word, and she mumbled to his retreating back, "We were granted temporary custody of Zola. If you even care anymore."
If Derek had heard that, he probably would have cared very much.
Alex worked beside Arizona, assisting in a routine appendectomy on a six year old. As he handed Arizona a scalpel she casually said, "So, Lucy gave her two weeks notice."
"Uh huh," he grunted.
"You two were involved, weren't you?"
"Not really." Arizona glanced over at him and said, "From what I heard, you two were."
Alex always knew Arizona was a great meddler and typically it didn't bother him. He sort of found it amusing how she found herself in other people's business. It was something for him to smirk and chuckle about. Thinking how pissed those other people must have been about it all. With her meddling in his business, he didn't find it nearly as amusing.
"Look, we slept together a few times. That's it."
"Someone's bitter," Arizona sing-songed, lifting the appendix out of the child's body and carefully slipping it into the waste bin. He found himself grudgingly impressed at her ability to meddle while seamlessly handling organs. It was a gift, really.
"She took the job in Africa from me," Alex huffed. "That was my job and she just took it. Then she comes to me saying that I should give her a reason not to go. Like it's so hard for her to take such an awesome opportunity."
"It means she cares about you, Alex. She wanted you to give her a reason to stay." Arizona shook her head as she began to close the patient. "Seriously, sometimes you men are idiots."
"I know she was," Alex countered. "But there's no reason for her to stay. She's better off without me. And I'm better off alone, too."
Arizona glanced at him and said, "Alex, no one's better off alone."
"Yeah, well I am." His pager went off and Arizona told him, "Check it."
He glanced at his pager, frowning when he saw the Chief's name flash. There was only one thing the Chief could possibly want to discuss with him and it involved yet another blonde he wanted absolutely nothing to do with. "What is it?" Arizona asked.
"The Chief. He wants me at a meeting in ten."
"Well, then scrub out," Arizona said. "I'm pretty much finished here."
He nodded and as he turned Arizona said, "Make sure you say good bye to her. You'll regret it if you don't."
"The last thing I said to her was 'go to hell'. So, I highly doubt she'll be wanting to see me."
Alex could read the sad smile in Arizona's eyes as she repeated, "Make sure you say good bye to her."
Meredith's pager went off, the Chief's number blinking. She turned around and headed to the Chief's office, falling alongside Alex on her way. He pointedly ignored her, although the clenched jaw and balled fists served as their own greeting. It was one Meredith found herself receiving often.
Everyone was assembled in the Chief's office, Alex pointedly sitting in the farthest seat from her. Derek didn't even look at her, staring off at some space across the room. The Chief gestured for Meredith to sit and she dropped down into an uncomfortable office chair, crossing her legs.
"Alright, that's just Owen we're waiting for now," the Chief murmured. Moments later Owen walked in the room, muttering an apology as he took the seat beside Meredith. She felt a momentary fondness for the redhead, as he was the only one who didn't shrink away from her as if she were a pariah.
"Okay, that's everyone," the Chief said. "So, most of you probably know why you are here." A flurry of nods and the Chief continued. "There was a misstep with the Alzheimers trial, involving Dr. Grey. A sample was switched, so that a particular patient received the drug and not saline." Derek and Meredith glanced at each other, both wondering if the Chief would reveal Adele's identity. As the Chief continued, both averted their eyes. "Dr. Grey's actions, while wrong, did not alter the trial in any way. The results will still be accurate and I believe a lot of good- a lot of progress- could come from this trial. With this in consideration, along with the hospital's standing as a host site for trials in the balance, I am choosing to not turn Dr. Grey in. She will be suspended for a length of time but I will not be taking any further action."
The room fell silent and for a moment Meredith expected any one of them to jump in and demand her head on a platter. She was hardly on good terms with any of them, after all. Alex had moved out. Derek seemed steps away from serving papers. And Owen, well, Owen kicked her person out and that certainly made things dicey.
"Alright," the Chief said in closing, nodding his head approvingly. "That about settles things. Dr. Grey, you will be shadowing Dr. Hunt from now on. You will not be allowed to practice on patients until I give the ok."
"Are you sure I'm the best doctor for Meredith to be shadowing?" Owen interjected hastily. Meredith couldn't blame him for trying to get out of it. In his position, she wouldn't want to spend hours with herself, either. "I think Dr. Grey would be better off with at least someone with her intended specialty."
"You will be just fine," the Chief said. "I'd like to keep this as under wraps as possible. Obviously questions will be asked but the less talk, the better. We're keeping this in-house."
Owen slowly said, "By in-house you mean…"
"The less attention this gets, the better. Right now, only a handful of physicians know. It's best to keep it that way. I'm not asking you to lie or withhold. If someone asks you about it, you tell the truth. But this is what is best for the trial and for the hospital." He looked around at the others in the room. "Anything else?" He was met with silence and he nodded succinctly. "Good, okay, back to work then. You all have patients to see."
Everyone rose from the table, a soft din of conversation filling the silence. Meredith looked to where Derek had been sitting and was met with his back as he turned and walked quickly out of the room. She sighed, turning back to Owen. He looked uncomfortable, shoving his hands into the pockets of his labcoat.
"So.." he began, clearing his throat. "You ready, Grey?"
She nodded and followed him out of the Chief's office. As she fell into step beside him he said, "I hope everything with Cristina won't make this uncomfortable."
Meredith glanced over at him and said, "I'm capable of being professional if you are."
"Of course I am," he answered immediately. She nodded and told him, "Then there shouldn't be any problems."
"Thanks by the way," he said after a moment, "for letting her stay with you."
"I'm her person," Meredith answered easily. "We're always there for each other even when other people aren't."
The comment was pointed, perhaps a bit more that Meredith intended. After all, she was thinking more of her and Derek than anything. Owen took the comment for what it was, however, and simply cleared his throat before turning to his chart and briefing her on the first patient. "Patient's name is Pamela Morris. Fifty two year old female with..."
A/N: I know this was a little Meredith heavy but I needed to set up her suspension for the rest of the story. Hope you enjoyed this!