Chapter 17
Cristina and Owen are waiting outside the largest conference room when Derek and Meredith walks up to them.
"Hi, let's do this" he says and opens the door. Owen ushers Cristina to a chair next to the window and sits down beside her. He leaves his hand in her knee. Derek puts his hand in the small of Meredith's back and leads her to a chair, sits down beside her and gives her a smile. Meredith looks around the room. The hospital is represented by the head of the board, Derek as chief of surgery, a lawyer and a PR-woman who is introducing the surgeons from the MSF and their boss that is on video link from Geneva. There are about 25 members of the press. A rather aggressive reporter starts to shout questions even before the press conference officially starts. After about 20 minutes the PR-woman closes the conference since there isn't anything wrong to find and therefore no scoop for the reporters. The surgeons are authorized to work in the states and have been to a tremendous help during the tragic incident and the hospital lawyer only refers to the police when they tries to get information about the shooter. The PR-woman asks the press if they have any question to the visiting surgeons regarding their work at the MSF instead and a couple of the papers and a local TV-station stay behind. The questions are a lot friendlier and Owen together with their boss does most of the talking. Suddenly one of the reporters directs a question to Meredith.
"Dr Grey, are you related to Dr Ellis Grey?"
"Yes, she was my mother."
"Can you tell me how it was to grow up in her shadow?"
"I was early introduced to the hospital environment and have learnt a lot."
"Was it your choice to go in her footprints?"
"Yes, my mother was not supporting my choice. She knew what you have to sacrifice to be become an excellent surgeon."
"You have not chosen general surgery as your mother. You are a neurosurgeon, why?
"My first surgery as an intern was a neurosurgery and it made a great impression on me."
Derek can see that Meredith is close to freaking out and motions for the PR-woman to stop the questions. She gets the message and thanks the reporters for coming. Meredith bolts from the room so fast that her chair hits the wall behind her. Derek has no chance to follow but makes his excuses as fast as possible to get after her.
Outside the room he finds Owen and Cristina in a loving embrace.
"I would like to speak with you in my office before you leave today, but first I need to find Meredith."
"We'll help you look for her."
Cristina and Owen take the surgical floor and on-call rooms. Owen stops Cristina from exiting the last on-call room. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her thoroughly while his hands starts roaming her body.
"We can't" Cristina tries to clear her head.
"Just a quickie" Owen whispers while unbuttoning her pants. His hands his busy as well as his mouth and Cristina can feel her knees buckle before pulling Owen down on the bed.
Derek goes down to the lobby and cafeteria. When he passes the large windows in the lobby he sees a blond petit woman sitting on a bench. He slides down beside her.
"You did well today."
No answer, no response, he lifts her chin up and looks into her eyes.
"What is wrong Mer? Talk to me. I'm here for you."
"Suddenly she throws herself at him with such force that it makes him almost falls off the bench. He steadies himself and wraps his arms around her. She is sobbing.
"It is OK. I'm here with you."
They sit there for a while. A lot of passing people stare at them.
Rose came out of the hospital after an hour with the shrink and saw Derek sitting there hugging the slut. With the shrink she had played the game 'I'm so sorry because my boyfriend broke up with me. I only wanted him to see me. I'm fine now and I know I'm not pregnant.' The shrink bought it all and called it a small breakdown and sent her home for the rest of the week. When she looks at Derek sitting here hugging Meredith she feels anger boiling inside of her. She is the fiancée and that will be proven for everyone on the party. She, Rose, is the future wife to chief of surgery, Dr Derek Shepherd. The slutty woman has to go. She has to leave for Africa today. Rose walks past them but they don't see her. When she arrives home there are a lot of RSVP's on the answering machine and a lot of well wishes to the engagement. She smiles; a lot of friends and colleagues now know that they are getting engaged. She has a lot of work to do, registering all RSVP's.
Finally Derek can get Meredith's attention. She hugs him and whispers.
"I love you but I still don't have any answer for you."
"It is OK. Take all the time you need. I will always be here for you. You are the love of my life. Can you please come to my office? I have the contracts drawn up for you, Cristina and Owen." She nods and they walk back into the hospital side by side.
Derek sits down behind his desk and says to the three doctors in front of him.
"Seattle Grace hospital has the pleasure to offer each of you a contract. You will each be head of a department. We would like you to work as surgeons as well as teachers for our residential program. Dr Yang, we have an opening for you at the cardio thorax with start in august. Dr Hunt, you can start as head of trauma any day you want. Dr Grey, our head of Neuro is retiring in September. If you, anyone of you, don't want the responsibilities that follows with head of a department we want you as an attending. If you want time off every year to do time with the MSF, we will give you that. You are free to formulate your own conditions and we will try to fulfill as many as possible."
They look at Derek in astonishment and at each other. Is it possible to get a better offer then this?
"Take these prospects and get back to me before you leave for Darfur." Derek hands them each a folder.
"Thank you Dr Shepherd" they say and walk towards the door.
"Meredith, please wait." She turns around after asking the other to wait for her in the lobby.
"Meredith, do you want to have dinner with me?"
"No Derek" she smiles "I have this job offer to consider."
He walks up to her and puts a stray hair behind her ear. His thumb caresses her cheek.
"When you consider this offer can you also have in your mind that I have sent in my application to the MSF? I want to be with you and if you love me enough to let me be with you, I want to join the MSF, if you still want to work for them."
"You would do that for me?"
"There is nothing I wouldn't do for you."
"Thank you" she gives him a light kiss and a tight hug before leaving him in his office.
"Sir" his assistant enters the room when Meredith leaves.
"Yes"
"These messages have arrived during the afternoon. Some are RSVP for the party on Friday and some wants you to call back, especially Dr Webber."
"Hold on, what party?"
"The party you are hosting in the reception hall on Friday evening."
"I'm not hosting a party on Friday."
"Then you better talk to you fiancée about that" he says and leaves for his own desk.
Derek's mind is racing… party… fiancée… Friday. He doesn't get it but decides to call Rose. When he turns on his cell phone he has 34 unanswered calls. Scrolling down the list gives that more then 5 are from Richard. When he pushes the speed dial for Rose there is a knock on the door and before he has time to say come in the door bursts open. He hangs up on Rose as Dr Webber and his wife Adele storms into his office.
"What do you think you are doing?" Richard yells and leans over his desk.
"Sit down Richard and let the bastard explain himself." Adele says.
Derek is stunned by Richard's anger and Adele's language.
"What is this all about?" he starts to say but is cut off.
"What is this about? It is about Meredith and how you treat her!"
"And how have I mistreated her?"
"By being all McDreamy to her" Adele answers. "Why are you doing this to Meredith when you are getting engaged with that nurse?"
"I am not getting engaged with Rose. We have been taken a pause and are broken up now."
"Then why are we having an invitation to your engagement party?"
"I have no idée, but I have a suspicion."
"What are your intensions with Meredith?"
"I have offered her head of Neuro, but if she doesn't accept I have also sent in my applications to the MSF. I plan to never let her go again. I love her and I have done so since the day I first met her at Joe's."
Richard has calmed down while listening to Derek.
"What are you doing about this party?"
"It has to be stopped and I first heard about it 2 minutes before you came."
"Do you want some help?" Adele asks.
"Please do."
"Can you now tell me what you know about all this stuff?"
Derek starts to tell them and can see more of the picture made of all small pieces of information.