A/N: Due to global warming and 60 degree temps, I'm working crazy hours this weekend, but I did manage to get a chapter written earlier today for you, so please enjoy.
"As Chief of General Surgery, it is my job to help train surgical residents and taking the patient's history is our first opportunity to get the information that we need to treat them. A good patient history helps us to understand the patient and sometimes it can help us save their life. So you might be sitting there thinking that the patient history is a no brainer. You might even think it's the easiest part of being a doctor, but it's not. Every doctor that I know has a story about a tough diagnosis that was finally made because they found a clue when they reviewed the patient's history.
The challenge to getting a good patient history is to not only ask the right questions, but you have to develop trust with the patient, because patients are people and people lie.
Everyone lies. We lie about our weight, our age, what we eat, how much we drink, there's nothing we won't lie about. Even when the truth is easier, we often choose to lie instead. As doctors and surgeons we know patients lie, sometimes the lie is harmless, but other times it can cost them their lives.
Now I know what you are thinking, 'I don't lie that much' and it may be true, but I'll bet that even if you don't lie to others, you still lie to yourself. We all do it.
As a healthcare professional you can't assume that the patient is lying to you. Assumptions are dangerous when it comes to patient care, yet everyone in this room makes assumptions about their patients, their coworkers and even their family members. Not all assumptions, just like not all lies, are dangerous. But when a patient isn't being honest and a doctor or nurse is making assumptions, then what you have is a potentially dangerous situation for everyone involved.
Knowing when someone is lying to you is difficult to determine and if they are lying to themselves in addition to lying to you, well that is even more difficult to figure out. Often getting someone to be honest with you is just a matter of being open and honest with them and letting go of your own assumptions.
I want to challenge all of you to take some time this week and write down some things that you know about yourself and then look at them critically and determine if it's a truth or an assumption. Because how can we expect our patients to be open and honest with us if we aren't open and honest with ourselves.
Now I experienced something recently that made me understand yet another assumption that I had made about myself, you see I have always dated men and I married one and had children, so I assumed that I was heterosexual. But then I began to have feelings for a woman and I had to reevaluate myself, and what I found out was that I'm not heterosexual but bisexual. Did anything about me change? No, I'm still Chief of General Surgery, I'm still a mother, I'm even still a widow, the only thing that changed about me is who I love. And she's amazing and wonderful and if I wasn't open and honest with myself, I might have missed out on this relationship."
As she ends the speech, Meredith looks down where Arizona was sitting but her chair is empty. Worried, she steps off the stage, "April where's Arizona?"
"Uh, I-I," April stammers and Meredith walks away from her. Her hand over her mouth, she didn't plan to say that last part, in fact she had something else entirely different written, but she got caught up in the moment and now, now she's just admitted to the whole hospital that she's in love with Arizona.
"Where the hell are you going?" Alex asks grabbing Arizona's arm. He saw her leave and followed her out into the hall.
"Alex, back off," she says trying to jerk her arm out of his grasp.
"Arizona, just stop a minute," he says softly. "Talk to me."
"She just said that she loves me and we haven't said that to each other, but she just told the whole hospital!" Arizona says rapidly, "Why would she do that? I mean it's only been a couple of months, how does she know? What if she just thinks that she's in love but ..."
"Shut up." Alex says taking both of her hands. "Arizona, right now she's in there freaking the hell out because you disappeared on her," he points out. "Now what is your problem?"
Covering her mouth with her hand, she says, "Oh my god, I need to find her Alex." and turns around to head back into the conference room.
But the door opens and Meredith comes out into the hall followed by Maggie.
They stare at each other a moment and then Alex walks over to an empty office and opens the door and then gestures to both of them to go in and he shuts the door behind them.
"Arizona, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that in front of everyone. That's not even what I had planned to say," she exclaims worriedly.
Still silent, Arizona nervously bites her lip. "Are you sure?" she asks finally.
"Yes, do you want to see my notes?" she asks and begins thumbing through her index cards.
Arizona steps closer and stops her from going through the cards, "Meredith, you said that you love me." Arizona says, "I need to know if you are sure about that?"
Meredith sets the cards down on the desk and says calmly, "Arizona, I have been falling in love with you for months, yes, I'm sure and I'm sorry if that freaks you out..."
Arizona shakes her head and says, "No, no that's not it."
"What is it then? Why would you leave like that?" She asks upset. "I mean you were right there, I was looking at you when I said it and then you were gone, I just, my god, I just thought..." Arizona places a finger on Meredith's lips to get her to stop talking, then she leans in and kisses her.
"It's okay, I'm sorry. I just needed a minute, I didn't exactly expect to hear that for the first time in a room full of 300 people," Arizona explains. "Everything has just happened so fast and the other night when we were telling the girls, I realized that I love you, but I didn't want to say it because I was afraid that you weren't there yet," she explains.
"And I've been afraid to tell you because I wasn't sure that you were there yet," Meredith replies, "Oh my god, we're idiots."
"Well that was quite a bombshell," Callie remarks to Owen in the lounge later that afternoon.
"Well not really, it's been obvious that they were headed in that direction," he replies. "Are you having a problem with it?"
"No, it's just I think I understand now how hard it's been on Arizona. I mean I was dating Penny before she worked here and that was one thing, but then once our relationship was in the hospital she acted differently around me. I told myself it was her problem and not mine. But now hearing your best friend tell your ex that she's in love with her, uh, that's a lot to digest, if you know what I mean." Callie says rambling a bit.
"I'll be honest with you. I didn't get it at first. I mean Arizona and Meredith? Most of the time they seem like opposite ends of the spectrum, but now seeing them together, they make sense." Owen says pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"Yeah, I just didn't expect it you know? I knew that Arizona would move on eventually, but with Meredith? No, I never would have guessed that in a million years." Callie exclaims.
"Hey, are you almost ready?" Amelia asks Owen when she enters the lounge.
"I've got another hour at least, I need to go down to the pit and check in," he explains. "Why don't you go ahead to the house and I'll meet you there in a couple of hours."
"Don't forget about this weekend, they leave Friday morning and come back on Monday, I told Meredith that we would stay there Thursday night and help Maggie with the kids." Amelia reminds him.
"Uh, what's this weekend? Arizona and Meredith are going out of town?" Callie asks.
"Yeah, it's a secret trip that Alex and Arizona planned for Valentine's, I'm not sure where they're going." Amelia replies.
"Oh, I wonder why they didn't mention it to me. I mean I knew that Jo and Alex were going, Alex begged me to let her have the time off, he just didn't say why exactly. But it's Valentine's weekend and they're engaged, so who am I to stand in the way of love?" Callie replies, then thinking for a minute she adds, "Hell maybe they're flying to Vegas to get married!"
Owen and Amelia look at each other a moment, then back at Callie, "You mean Jo and Alex right?" they ask in unison.
"Of course, I mean Jo and Alex! Meredith and Arizona... oh, but no, they wouldn't. Would they?" she asks.
"Yes, Arizona just go home and pack. I will be there after I put the kids to bed," Meredith is sitting in the lounge finishing a chart. Then ending the call, she turns to Callie, "Is she always like this when she travels?
"Uh, well she wasn't until after the plane crash. I suggest that you take some Xanax with you, just in case she has decided that she doesn't need it any more. Trust me, she needs it." Callie exclaims. "Hey, is there a reason you guys didn't tell me that you were going away this weekend?" she asks.
"Well, it's just Alex didn't want Jo to know, so we haven't really told anyone," Meredith explains.
"Oh so this trip is for Alex and Jo? What are they getting married in Vegas?" Callie asks sarcastically.
Meredith looks down and doesn't make eye contact with the brunette.
"Oh my god, is he surprising her with a Vegas wedding?" Callie asks softly, "That's a pretty ballsy move."
"Yes, that's why he wants us to go along. We're flying out first to get everything ready, then they'll fly in that night and we're all having dinner together." Meredith explains. "So don't say anything to her or you'll ruin it."
"Mmm, I missed you this week." Arizona says kissing the dark blonde when she arrives that night.
"I missed you more," Meredith teases. "I'm really looking forward to spending the next three days with you, uninterrupted by kids or work."
"God, I hope this isn't a trainwreck of a weekend. Do you think that Jo's going to go along with this?" Arizona asks.
"Yeah, why wouldn't she?" Meredith asks.
"Do you have any idea how many people will be in Vegas this weekend to get married? It's such a cliche," Arizona remarks.
"So you don't think it can be romantic?" Meredith asks.
"Not really, how can it be romantic when you're doing something that a few hundred or maybe even a thousand other people are doing at the same time? I mean I bet they have to bring in extra Elvises to perform all the weddings," she replies jokes.
"I think you mean Elvi," Meredith corrects her and pulls her into her arms.
"Whatever, I'm just not really a fan of Vegas," Arizona admits. "But I am a fan of three days alone with you," she says pulling her in and kissing her.
"We should probably move this into the bedroom, we have an early flight tomorrow," Meredith reminds the blonde.