Chapter Nineteen: Day Three, Afternoon
Meredith ended up being assigned to Dr Burke for the day to continue seeing the case of Gloria Reina.
Meredith had immediately been happy because she had wanted to see the outcome of Gloria's case because she had become slightly attached to her.
She had helped the on-call attending help examine her and when Burke finally came to talk to Gloria, Meredith had had an extremely interesting conversation with her.
Gloria had asked Meredith where Addison was and Meredith had replied she didn't know.
In fact Meredith couldn't recall seeing Addison since walking into the hospital but Gloria knew exactly what was going on in the hospital.
"And how would you know?" Meredith had asked Gloria while taking her blood pressure.
"Because I have been listening to the nurses." Gloria replied with a knowing smile. "They know everything that goes on in this hospital, it's like they have everything wired around here."
Meredith smiled at Gloria before saying, "They most certainly do…and your blood pressure is really good which means your body isn't under any stress which hopefully means Dr Burke will be able to operate sooner when he comes and speaks to you soon."
Gloria smiled in relief, "I hope so Meredith. Is Dr Burke a nice man?"
Meredith nodded and placed a comforting hand on Gloria's arm, "He is one of the nicest and best surgeons I know."
"Why Dr Grey, thankyou very much." Said a voice and Meredith looked at the doorway and saw Burke standing there with his arms crossed and an amused expression his face.
"Ah Dr Burke" Meredith said, looking very happily at him although he could see her embarrassment very clearly.
Walking into the room with the air and entrance that demanded automatic respect that Preston Burke had always had, he picked up Gloria's chart and began the long talk with her about the operation, the procedure and the risks.
Gloria had given him the utmost attention and when he had finished it had finally begun to dawn on her just how serious an operation it was.
The hormones were slowly beginning to wear off and Meredith saw it the instant when Gloria slowly turned her face and looked at her.
The tears slowly rising in her eyes.
"Meredith…" she said quietly, pleading, lost, scared, and unsure.
Instantly Meredith stepped to the side of Gloria's bed and gently placed a hand on top of her patients.
"Gloria, Dr Burke is the best surgeon in the country to operate on you and he will try his best to make sure everything goes smoothly." Meredith said, smiling slightly and trying to sound reassuring.
Gloria looked at Dr Burke, eyes wide with fear and hope. "Is that true Dr Burke?"
Burke watched Meredith with an unusual expression before quickly looking at Gloria with his trademark-reassuring smile that he gave to all of the patients.
"Miss Reina, I can assure you that I will try my best, and I have performed the procedure many times, but it doesn't mean it is risk free and you being pregnant with twins will make the consequences of these risks even higher." He smiled very warmly at her, "But if all goes to plan then we won't have to worry about it all."
Gloria automatically smiled back as her happy hormones kicked back in.
"Ok Dr Burke. Whatever you day." She said in relief.
Looking at Meredith with a huge smile, Gloria suddenly looked a Burke with a question.
"Will Meredith…I mean Dr Grey…be helping in the surgery?"
Burke looked at Gloria's dependence on Meredith and Meredith's surprising personal response to the emotions of the patient.
Glancing at both of them and then finally focussing on Meredith's hopeful expression, he smiled and nodded.
"Yes she will be Miss Reina."
Gloria beamed at Burke and it seemed that she was more than willing to climb off her bed and hug him but the drip in her hand and foetal monitor strapped to her stomach prevented her from moving.
Which Burke was secretly thankful for…
Since Cristina had come home last night she had seemed 'off' and was barely talking to him.
All that Burke knew was that he was going to have to talk privately to Meredith.
But that was going to have to happen later.
Burke's pager suddenly went off and he quickly glanced down at it and sighed when he saw it was a trauma call.
Excusing himself and saying he would see Gloria later, Burke asked Meredith to observe and run some more labs on Gloria for an update in her health status. After speaking he paused and looked at Meredith with a very thoughtful expression before adding that Gloria was to be Meredith's only patient because Gloria was a very special case.
Meredith nodded with a smile and bid him good-bye before Burke disappeared out of the door.
The instant he disappeared Gloria burst into conversation and Meredith had no choice but to sit in a nearby chair and listen to her patient's life story.
Half an hour later…
"…and so the bastard left me when I said I was pregnant and I have been on my own now since then." Gloria finished off and Meredith looked at her, stunned.
"You've done the whole pregnancy all by yourself?" Meredith asked in stunned awe.
Gloria nodded proudly, "Yep, I am a survivor and when my babies are born my life will be complete and I will look after them and protect them with my life."
Meredith looked at her patient and smiled fondly, "I'm sure you'll make a great mom Gloria."
Gloria smiled warmly at her, "I already am."
Meredith looked at her in confusion but Gloria just glowed with the 'pregnancy aura'.
"I have gotten them this far and we are going to make it to the end if we can get through this operation together." Gloria said softly but there was a strong determination underneath it.
Meredith nodded and smiled, "Let's hope all goes well then in the operation then."
Gloria's expression suddenly changed into a serious one and she regarded Meredith with gleaming eyes.
Leaning forward carefully and placing a hand on top of Meredith's, Gloria looked her in the eye and said, "Meredith, if I don't make it through this operation and my babies die, I want you to do a favour for me."
Meredith looked at Gloria in shock but nodded numbly, "Ok."
Gloria sighed deeply and, shutting her eyes, rubbed her swollen belly a few times and a smile crept onto her face.
Opening her eyes and looking at Meredith with that smile, she said in a soft voice, "I want you to tell my ex-partner Steve Darvell that I love him and that I forgive him for everything he has ever done against me."
Meredith blinked a few times, shocked and surprised at the request but she replied quietly, "Ok."
Gloria smiled in relief but another idea quickly popped into her head.
Meredith saw an odd emotion cross her face as Gloria looked down at her rounded belly and she rubbed it again in slow circular motions for a few seconds in total silence.
"Is there anything else I can do for you Gloria?" Meredith asked, causing Gloria to abruptly look up at her with an instant smile.
"A camera."
Meredith was taken aback at her request, "A camera?"
Gloria nodded and her face became clearer with finality, "Yeah a camera. I'm going to take a few pictures..."
"Of what?"
"Of me and my babies. I am going to make Steve an album and send it off to him so at least he knows…or knew…what I looked I pregnant and…" she looked down at her stomach and protectively rubbed it again, "and what it looked like having our two beautiful babies growing inside of me."
Meredith smiled sadly and nodded, "I can do that too."
Looking at the clock on the wall for the time, Meredith sighed quietly and began doing the usual health update on Gloria before taking another blood sample.
When she had finished and had recorded all of the new data, Meredith explained she had to go and run her labs and turned to go when suddenly Gloria said something that stopped her in her tracks.
"Do you have kids Meredith?"
Slowly Meredith turned around and shook her head, "No."
Gloria studied her, "A husband?"
"No."
"Partner?"
"No."
"Family?"
"No…well not blood relatives."
"Anyone?"
Meredith smiled a bittersweet smile at Gloria, "I have my friends. They are my family."
Gloria smiled sadly and placed her hands back on her stomach, "This is my family…I just hope Dr Burke can keep us together."
Meredith nodded, "I hope so too."
The look that Gloria gave Meredith was so intense with emotion that Meredith suddenly found a sudden epic sadness rising in her and tears springing into her eyes.
Without saying anything else, Meredith quickly walked out of the room and walked into the closest supplies and suddenly let out a sob and sunk to the floor.
She did not know what had come over her, but the reality of Gloria's situation and future was having an effect on her and Meredith did knew why.
Meredith was fearful for her own future when she left this hospital and all she loved behind.
Deep down she knew she was becoming way to attached to her patient, but there was something about Gloria that she could see in herself and she had immediately taken to her.
It seemed that whatever it was it was, it was enough to make Meredith react like this and she knew that she was going to have to do everything in her power as an intern to make sure that Gloria was going to get through this surgery.
If Gloria could survive this surgery, then Meredith knew that she would be able to survive her transfer…
She was just going to have to make sure she didn't get too much more attached to Gloria and had to start seeing her as her patient.
But that last look that Gloria had given her had had so much intensity that it equalled the same intensity as the 'McDreamy' look.
And agreeing with that was something all in itself.
Meredith quickly wiped away her tears and pulled herself back together before exiting the supplies cupboard and walking down the corridor in the direction towards the lab desk.
Little did she know that Dr Burke had secretly seen her exiting the supplies cupboard wiping her eyes.
I'll definitely have to talk to her soon…he thought with slightly furrowed eyebrows before turning away and walking back towards the surgical board.
He needed to know the time of his next surgery...and see if he had enough time to page Cristina and meet her in 'their' on-call room.
A/N: Hello everyone! First of all let me just say how sorry I am for the lack of updates…reality has been extremely busy for me with school and my birthday but I have had time to write more of this story and to finally update it and my other Grey's Anatomy story. Thank you to everyone who left reviews and I hope that if anyone has the time to read this that they will have the time to leave a review because I would love to know if I am keeping my story on track and just generally what you think of it. :) And my apology for not updating sooner is posting another chapter tonight. I hope you will enjoy reading them.
Thanks! Jenn a.k.a fizzwizz15
lilxjames: He he he. The elevator has a mind of its own I swear. :D I wanted Meredith to be 'bright and shiny' because it isn't fair to keep her sad all of the time…But thanks for the review and I love the elevators too! :D
InGreyEyes: You guess correctly about Cristina. :) I LOVE LOVE writing the elevator moments between these too but it is even more fun nearly having to end them because you know that the tension is just going to grow and expand and be even worse when it happens again. :D But the kiss is going to come later sorry ;) Thanks for the review! :D
MerDerLove4ever: True. It is going to be very hard and poor Meredith, but I've added in something within the next few chapters to make things interesting when an old patient comes back and Meredith is assigned with Derek for this case. But I think the two hardest people to leave would be Cristina and Derek…Thanks for the review! :D
MissRe: I had figured that if Meredith had had more than five hours sleep then it would convincing that maybe she could possibly be a morning person. Lol. But I definitely don't blame for naturally not being one either. ;D Thanks for the review. :D
sweetgreuy: Lol! Thank you very much. :D It was an interesting review and I loved reading it. :D If only they would just admit it…it took them the whole season just to get back together again…they really are just a bunch of 'stupid idiots' but it does help my story be longer and just to make it all the more better because it makes the chase all the more fun to write. But your psych professor is correct and so are you. :) Thanks for the review and I love interesting reviews. :D
TVHollywoodDiva: Thank you and thanks for the review! :D Glad you are enjoying it :)