SERENDIPITY | Mark Sloan

ONE

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT

The game - they say a person either has what it takes to play, or they don't. Our mother was... one of the greats. Me, on the other hand - I'm... kind of screwed.

She yawned as her blue eyes fluttered open, her brows furrowing in confusion for a second as she looked around the still somewhat unfamiliar room, before her eyes widened as they glanced at the clock on her nightstand. She was late. On her first day of work. Well, this is just brilliant, she thought, throwing the covers off herself before getting out of bed, shivering as the cold morning air hit her bare legs. She then proceeded to head out of her room while running a hand through her long, blonde hair, planning to make herself and her sister, who she was sure was still asleep as she had quite a late night the night before, a quick breakfast. However, she had to be alert earlier than she would like to, as her sister nearly barreled into her in the stairs.

"Mer?" she asked in confusion, turning around to stare after her sister as the older blonde continued to run up the stairs, her naked body wrapped only in a blanket.

"Sorry!" Meredith apologized hastily, already rounding the corner and running into the bathroom. Annabelle's brows furrowed in confusion as she stared after her sister for a few more seconds, before she decided to proceed and head downstairs.

"Oh," she stopped in her tracks once she reached the bottom, her eyes widening as she saw a very handsome man with amazing black hair in her living room, his bare chest on display as he began to button up his shirt.

"Oh," the man repeated, his eyes widening the tiniest bit as he noticed her in the stairwell.

"So, you're the one who helped my sister make all that noise last night," Annabelle stated as she stepped down the last step, finally standing in front of the man who seemed to be a few years older than her and Meredith.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he chuckled a bit nervously, before seeming to think 'screw it' and holding out his hand. "I'm Derek."

"Annabelle," the young woman smiled, shaking his hand. "And you know, as much as I enjoy the view, I have to kick you out. We're late."

"Yeah, so I've heard," Derek chuckled, before offering her a smile. "You never saw me."

"I never saw you," Annabelle repeated with a smile of her own, before proceeding to head into the kitchen as Derek made his way out the door. "Nice one," she said to her sister only a few minutes later as Meredith made her way into the kitchen, now wrapped in a towel as the sunlight reflected in the water on her skin.

"Shut up."

~~~

"Each of you comes in here today hopeful. Wanting in on the game," the chief of Seattle Grace Hospital spoke to the fresh new interns around him as Annabelle and Meredith snuck inside, hoping that no one would notice their tardiness. "A month ago, you were in med school, being taught by doctors. Today, you are the doctors," the chief said, before opening the door to an O.R., the lights turning on as the interns looked around in amazement. "The seven years you spend here as a surgical resident will be the best and worst of your life. You will be pushed to the breaking point. Look around you. Say hello to your competition. Eight of you will switch to an easier specialty. Five of you will crack under the pressure, two of you will be asked to leave. This is your starting line. This is your arena. How well you play... that's up to you," he said as Annabelle looked at the people around her.

Like I said... I'm screwed.

~~~

"Okay, Martin, Robinson, Bond, Hawkins!" a resident called out in the locker room, the interns whose names were called quickly running after him. Annabelle looked glanced at her sister as she hung her stethoscope around her neck, her slightly worried look being returned.