Chapter 7

Present time

The graduating doctors took their seats in the front rows in the auditorium. Meredith, Cristina and Owen choose seats in the back. The rest of the seats are being filled up with familiar faces. Dr Webber is on the stage along with Derek and members of the board. They look very distinguished in their robs. The head of the board greeted everyone and talked about this happy occasion. Dr Webber talks about their first years as interns and residents and then it is Derek who talks about their last couple of years and their future as fellows. His eyes sweeps over the graduating doctors and then the rest of the audience. His eyes passes Meredith.

Meredith is here.... It takes a second for his brain to register what he saw... He lost his word. His eyes backtracks to find her again... His eyes find hers and he stares at her... She looks down, breaks the connection. He looks at his notes and finds his words again and finishes the speech. They start to hand out the diplomas and his eyes return to her but she doesn't look at him again. She is looking at her friends. He looks at the woman sitting beside her, Cristina Yang and next to Cristina is Dr Hunt. Meredith looks beautiful with golden hair and sun kissed skin dressed in a tight black dress. The ceremony comes to an end and he can't get off the stage soon enough. As soon as he descends Rose is there clinging to his arm.

"You were astonishing, you look so powerful up there" she says. He doesn't listen to her, he only has eyes for Meredith but he looses her in the crowd. Proud parents wants pictures taken with him and their own doctor and he has to oblige. Rose can't at least hang on his arm then. His eyes never stop looking for Meredith.

Meredith looks for Dr Webber as an escape route from Derek. She knows that Derek will do almost anything to speak to her and that conversation is not going to be short or easy. They still had that connection between them and he is with Rose. The woman was clinging to him, never leaving his side, smiling, touching and looking like a wife. Mark and Addison walks up to the couple. Rose doesn't seem to like it but keeps on clinging to Derek. Derek gives them a smile and leans in to give Addison a kiss on her cheek. Neither one gives Rose any attention. Derek unwraps Rose from him and pulls Mark away to speak with him alone and Addison leaves for the buffet. Rose is standing there all alone.

"Meredith you look beautiful" Dr Webber says.

"So do you."

"Congratulations, I heard from Bailey that you are a neurosurgeon and a general surgeon as well and that you have been an attending for more then a year. Please tell me more" he says and gives her a hug.

Derek sees that Meredith is talking to Richard and crosses the room. He is stopped by Rose who wants his company at the buffet. He declines and looks back to where Meredith and Richard are talking but Meredith is gone. The next time he sees her she is talking to Addison and Mark. He makes a beeline for them but this time Mrs. Webber stops him for a hug. Rose comes back with two plates and hands him one. A lot of food he doesn't eat is stacked on it. He sighs and makes a decision.

"Can you please come with me?" he asks Rose.

She looks at him with a bright smile when he pulls her towards his office.

Meredith is happy to talk to Mark and Addison. She is really happy for the both of them and whispers in Mark's ear.

"The DM-club can finally be put to rest now." He doesn't agree.

"You are not married yet, to Derek."

"He is with that clingy nurse."

She watches as Derek leaves the room with Rose, as does Mark and Addison.

"Don't put your money on that" Addison says.

Derek pulls Rose into his office. She starts to touch him, tries to kiss him but he turns away. When he turns back and faces her again she looks confused.

"What's up, honey?

"I want a break, a pause. You want marriage and I'm not so sure that it is what I want. I need time to think about this."

Rose's face turns red and she starts yelling.

"Is this because of that slut Meredith Grey? Your scrub nurse told me yesterday that she was in the gallery with Bailey all smiling and happy during your spina bifida!"

It was Meredith in the gallery with Bailey, she was the one making Alex laugh. She had watched his surgery. It makes him feel all warm inside. He looks at Rose again.

"No" he answers, "I haven't seen her before today and not spoken to her for more then five years. This break has nothing to do with her being in Seattle. It is just a coincident. This decision is made because of my feelings for you over the last couple of months."

"I don't believe you" cries Rose. "We are perfect for each other."

"Maybe I am perfect for you but I am not sure you are perfect for me. I'll be staying at the trailer for a while and I will fetch some stuff from the apartment later today." His voice is final, there are no emotions. Rose throws herself at him kicking, hitting, biting and tearing in his suit. She scratches his cheek before he can get hold of her hands.

"Stop it! You are making a fool out of yourself!"

He pushes her down on the coach and she falls into a sobbing heap.

Derek's office phone starts ringing as well as his cell phone and his beeper. The beeper says 911 in the pit. He answers his cell phone. It is the nurse in the trauma bay. It has been a school shooting and at least 40 people are on their way to Seattle Grace Hospital with varying injuries. There is a knock on his door and the door opens before he answers and his assistant comes in.

"The police are on line 1 and it is urgent."

Rose hears it as well and gives him a glare and stumbles out.

"Page all surgeons to the pit and notify the ER. Clear the board, we are on high alert, Code 1, follow procedure."

He is changing, as he speaks to the police, into scrubs and takes off running towards the reception area.

"Listen up people, we have a Code 1 and all hands will be needed. Shotgun victims from a school shooting ETA 10 minutes."

Bailey makes her way towards him as the rest of the surgeons, old and new, takes off towards the locker rooms. If you need more experienced hands you should clear Dr Grey, Dr Yang and Dr Hunt. They have more experience with this kind of injuries than all of the rest of us combined."

He looks at her with questions in his eyes.

"What are their specialties?"

"You should ask them yourself, they are over there."

She nods at someone behind his back so he turns and there they are, all three together.

Derek and Bailey walks up to them, he with questions in his eyes. Owen steps forward and asks.

"Can we be of any help?"

"What can you do, what are your specialty?"

"I'm a trauma and general surgeon" Owen answers.

"I'm a cardio thorax and general surgeon" Cristina answers.

"I'm a neuro and general surgeon" Meredith answers.

"Are you still residents?"

"No, Cristina and I are attendings since last year. Owen is our boss." Meredith pulls out an Id from her purse and hands it to him. Doctors without Boarders that is why Bailey said they could help.

"Do you also have your Id?" Cristina and Owen hands him theirs as well.

"OK, go tell my assistant to clear you for surgery and to show you where you can get clean navy scrubs and shoes. Meet me in the pit."

He hands them their Id back. When he hands Meredith hers, his and her hands touch. It feels like an electrical shock. She turns and follows Cristina and Owen as Derek and Bailey makes it to the pit. It is almost empty as most patients have been moved to the clinic where interns are working on the less severe cases. When the door opens they can hear the ambulances arriving.