Where You Belong

93

"Stupid plane," Meredith muttered from the passenger seat of Derek's car as he hurried to get her to the hospital on time to greet her new interns. "Stupid pilot."

"I don't really see how it's the pilot's fault all the planes were grounded because of a storm," Derek commented.

"Whatever. Stupid weather. Stupid airline. Stupid trip."

"Stupid trip?" He sent her a look. "I happen to think it was a wonderful trip. Best trip of my life."

Despite her anxiety at being late on her first day as a resident because their flight home from the Bahamas had been significantly delayed to the point where they hadn't actually made it home yet and were driving straight from the airport to the hospital, Meredith smiled. It had definitely been the best trip of her life too. "Fine. Not stupid trip. But stupid everything else. Today is going to suck. And it's funny, because at first I was pissed the new interns' first shift was only thirty-six hours, and now I wish it was two." She had only gotten an hour or two of sleep on the plane after spending most of a day at the airport. Spending the next thirty-six hours supervising brand new doctors was not something she was looking forward to.

"It'll be over before you know it."

She glared at him.

"Okay," he relented, "It won't. But I'll drive you home when it's over and you can sleep for a day and a half." The interns were all given the day following the end of their first shift off to recover, as were the supervising residents in an effort to keep them on the same schedule for the first week.

"Can't we just fast forward until then?" She whined as Derek pulled into the hospital parking lot. "I'm exhausted already."

"Unfortunately my powers don't extend beyond the ability to save lives and make sexy interns, who at first want nothing to do with me, eventually fall in love with me."

She giggled. "That's a power, huh?"

"My favourite one."

"Just make sure you don't use it on any interns anymore."

"Only residents now," he promised, pulling the car up to the front doors of the hospital to drop her off.

She glared at him.

He chuckled. "Resident," he corrected. "Just one."

"That's better." She leaned across the consol to kiss him.

"Good luck with the interns," he offered. "And congratulations."

"Congratulations?"

"You're a resident."

She beamed. "I am. It's kind of awesome. I'm not at the bottom of the pack anymore."

"Nope."

She took a breath. "This is going to be a better year. Stress free. I've decided."

"I'm not entirely certain you can just decide something like that."

"Aren't you supposed to be supportive?"

He chuckled. "Go to work. I'm sure I'll catch up with you at some point."

She leaned across the consol to kiss him again. "I love you."

"I love you too."

With one last smile, Meredith pushed open the door and hurried into the hospital. Even after two weeks away, she felt like she hadn't been gone for a moment as soon as she set foot on the surgical floor. The hustle and bustle of the hospital swirled around her as she made her way to the Residents' lounge, glad now that the Chief had instructed them to move their belongings from the intern locker room on their last day before vacation.