For the First Time

Where We Stand

"What I came to you for was if you wanted to scrub in on my heart and liver transplant? I asked the Chief but he said you were the one to do it," Cristina said.

"A heart and liver? I'd love to!" I responded.

"Great, be in the O.R. in ten minutes," Cristina said as she walked away. It had been forever since Cristina and I had been in the same O.R. I don't think that we had been in on the same surgery since residency. After Cristina left my phone buzzed. It was a text from Derek.

Derek: Want to meet up for lunch? My treat! ;)

Me: I would but Cristina asked me to scrub in on a heart and liver transplant!  But I guess I can eat dinner with you ;)

Derek: Sounds like a plan! Meet in the lobby at 8:00?

Me: I'll be there, xoxo

I made my way down to O.R. 3 to find Cristina prepping the patient already. I scrubbed in and went into the O.R. and we began. I successfully took out the diseased liver and replaced it with the healthy one. Now is where the tricky part comes in to where I have to make sure the liver remains viable while Cristina switches out the heart. Luckily for the two of us the surgery could not have been going any smoother. As soon as Cristina put the new heart in the door swung open.

"Dr. Grey," the Chief bellowed.

"Yes Sir?" I asked while looking up at him for a brief moment.

"Is there a reason that you ran a blood draw on a John Doe that you don't have?" he asked. My heart skipped a beat. I had completely forgotten about the blood results I were to pick up over 6 hours ago.

"Uhhm," I said not knowing what to say.

"That's what I thought," he said. "Meet me in my office immediately after this surgery." The Chief slammed the door and all eyes were on me.

"You ran a blood sample on a John Doe you don't have?" Cristina asked.

"It's my blood, I just ran it under a John Doe so nobody would know it was mine," I said back.

"Then why didn't you tell the Chief it was yours?" Cristina questioned.

"Because then he would have asked why in front of everyone and not everyone needs to know my personal business," I responded. "Can we just get back to the surgery?" We proceeded on not mentioning the encounter with the Chief. Cristina successfully finished the surgery and the liver stayed viable. 

"Good luck with the Chief, Mer," Cristina said as she walked out of the scrub room. I gave her a little nod. I looked at my watch and saw that it was already 7:30 and I figured I wouldn't be able to make the dinner date with Derek, so I sent him a quick text and made my way to the Chief's office. I knocked on the door while coming upon his office.

"Come in," I heard him say. He looked up and saw it was me. "Sit down Meredith." I did as he said and made my way to the chair in front of his desk. I took off my scrub cap and let my natural curls fall on my shoulders. His eyes were beaming at me. 

"Can you tell me any reason as of why you ran a blood draw under a John Doe that you don't have. I went through your patients and every single one of your patient's has a name. So who exactly are you trying to cover for, Dr. Grey?" the Chief asked sternly.

"Myself, Sir. I ran my blood under a John Doe so no one would suspect anything. And I know it's against hospital regulations to do that without your permission and I'm sorry," I explained. The Chief took off his glasses and ran his hands over this face. He was hiding something.

"Meredith..." the Chief said as he began to trail off. About that time the door swung open and there stood Derek.

"I told you I was going to be late, you didn't have to come for me," I said as I stared at Derek. 

"So it is true," the Chief said. "All the rumors I've been hearing about you two being together. I had to see it before I could believe it."

"Richard I knew you told me that you have a strict no dating a co-worker policy but," Derek said before he was cut off.

"Shut up, Derek. That's the least of my worries I have right now," the Chief said. I began to worry a little bit considering the Chief had 'worries'. Derek came over and sat in the chair beside me.

"Sir, what's wrong?" I asked. I felt my heart rate increase and my blood pressure spike. The Chief let out a long breath before looking up at me after looking at my blood results.

"Meredith," he said, "your blood results indicate that you have liver cancer." Derek reached over to grab my hand and squeezed it tightly. My heart dropped and an unbearable amount of disbelief came over my body.