Chapter 7: Kate Bryce
Falling back on the gurney in the basement, Meredith laid there staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out what the hell she was going to do. Three hours into her shift and she already failed at the one thing she was determined to do, staying away from Derek Shepherd.
She arrived at work that morning so full of herself and then one look from the dreamy eyed surgeon and she had her panties around her ankles.
"Hey-where the hell have you been?"
Glancing up she saw Cristina charging at her, "not now Cristina."
"Not now? I get stuck riding the pit all day and you want to complain because you were busy playing tonsil hockey with an attending. I don't think so."
"Seriously Cristina. Whatever it is you want to throw at me will not even touch what I'm dealing with right now."
Jumping up beside her Cristina offered up her bag of chips, "try me."
Grabbing the chips Meredith scowled at her friend, "I'm Ellis Grey's daughter, I'm supposed to be great and yet, I am petrified." Pausing, she bit into the salty chip, staring at the wall. Taking a deep breath she shook her head, "I must stay focused. This is my last chance at proving I'm a screw up and what do I do? I fuck my future boss after a night of slamming shots."
"So? How were you supposed to know?"
Growling, Meredith turned to her friend, "how about you could have told me. He's Mark's best friend! A heads up would've been nice."
Shrugging, Cristina stole back her bag of chips, "Mer in case you forgot I'm screwing an attending as well. I didn't think it was that big of a deal."
"You're screwing Mark. Somehow that just doesn't count…everyone has screwed Mark."
"Ouch, so what? Just forget it. If it bugs you that much, don't let it happen again."
Falling back against the wall, Meredith winced as she bit her lower lip.
"Oh my God! Here? This morning? What the hell Meredith? I mean I was jealous as hell that you got out of sutures all day, but you've been fucking Mcdreamy while I've been slaving over vomit and diarrhea!"
"Shh! Can you try and not let the whole hospital know."
"Where?"
"Does that matter?"
"No, but humor me…" shrugging, Cristina stood when Meredith's pager went off.
Glancing down at her hip, she groaned when she saw Derek was paging her 911 "elevator. I have to go."
"Elevator. Wow. I'm impressed. You better run, you don't want to keep the hot, sexy doctor waiting!" seeing her friends shoulders slump, she shook her head, "Relax, it doesn't have to mean more than you want it too."
Hearing her pager blare once again, she smiled as she took off running towards the same elevator in hopes that Derek was actually paging her for work and not something she wasn't ready to face.
Walking through the doors of the surgical wing, she was met by Derek and a small team of medical professionals wheeling a young girl in on a gurney.
"Where the hell were you? Didn't you get my first page?"
"Yeah—I just"
"You just nothing…when I page you, you run. Now, if you're not too busy, help me get our patient to her room for evaluation."
She fell behind the team as she fought to regain her breath. The surprise of the coldness that filled his icy blues paralyzed her with shock and hurt.
"Dr. Grey are you coming, or should I call for a new intern?"
"No. I'm coming Dr. Shepherd!" her reply panged as the nurse from this morning handed her the girls' chart. A satisfied smiling covering the brunettes face as she took satisfaction in the cold tone Derek was using towards Meredith.
The next hour was a blur as they worked on Katie Bryce, a fifteen-year-old pageant contestant, who came in with new onset Grand Mal seizures.
Once Katie was comfortable and stable, Derek ordered a "shot gun," panel of tests, ordering every test in the book, leaving Meredith with a lot of work and plenty of reasons to avoid him for the next few hours.
"You're lost."
"I'm not lost!" Meredith groaned as they aimlessly roamed the halls, looking for the CT room.
"So, what's with you and the hot doctor?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
The blonde teen rolled her eyes, "Dr. Grey. I may be here for seizures, but my vision and hearing are working just fine. He is all angry with you and yet, he keeps staring at you like he wants to see you naked."
"He doesn't want to see me naked."
Eyes wide, the young girl gasped, "Maybe he has already seen you naked?" watching the blush materialize in Meredith's cheeks she laughed, "Oh my god, he has! You're so doing the nasty with my doctor!"
"This is an entirely inappropriate conversation to be having with a fifteen-year-old."
"I'll be sixteen in two weeks, besides I'm so bored and sad…I'm sad because I'm missing my pageant. This was my year to win, so the least you can do is fill me in with your torrid affair with the hot Doctor."
"I am not having sex with Dr. Shepherd and nobody is or will be seeing anyone naked" finishing her outburst she noticed the smile playing on Katie's lips and silently groaned as she turned around.
"Dr. Shepherd…"
"Dr. Grey…" the grin playing on his lips both infuriated and tantalized her. He was staring at her in that longing way again, an urgency playing in his eyes as she watched him mentally replay that morning.
"I was just-I mean I was just explaining to Katie that…why are you here?"
"I was told that I had an intern wondering the halls-I came to see if you required my assistance."
"She was lost."
Shooting her patient an aggravated look, she turned back to Derek shaking her head "we were not lost."
"Then what are you doing down here. CT room is on the next floor up."
Blushing furiously she shrugged mumbling a quick, "thanks."
"Come on. I'll walk up with you ladies. Then, you and I can grab a quick lunch while Katie's scans are being prepared."
"Lunch?"
"Yes Meredith lunch. You know food…" leaning in, he smiled softly. "It's my way of apologizing for being so harsh earlier." Smiling, he walked ahead, leaving her stunned.
Laughing, her patient just shook her head, "He so wants to see you naked again."
Shooting her a dirty look, she played off the young blondes' words as she brushed passed Derek to step into the elevator. Watching the smoldering glance…this was going to be a long day….
