Bright and Shiny

Chapter 90

"Hi, can I sit here?" An unsure voice asked to Meredith as she sat in the cafeteria grabbing a quick lunch.

She had spent the morning going from VIP patient to VIP patient with the Chief doing some sort of weird meet and greet, welcoming them and treating them like they were celebrities at an award show instead of admitted to a hospital. Meredith assumed all these people were big benefactors to the hospital so in a way they were supposed to be celebrities to those who worked there, treated with a higher power and service.

The Chief let her go for lunch and she would have eaten with her husband but after checking the OR board she noticed and frowned that he was in the OR for at least another 2 hours and has been in there for 3 already. She knew he must be starving so she came to the cafeteria on her lunch hour to grab herself something and takeout for Derek to leave in his office. She'd drop it on his desk with a note, so he could eat it when he returns to do his post-op paper work.

She had found a quiet corner in the sun to sit and eat her sandwich alone and she wasn't expecting company, but it looked like company had found her. The tall blond fellow intern had walked up to Meredith and was holding her tray of foods looking like the new kid in school wanting to join a table. Meredith wasn't sure at what brought around this change in Izzy's demeanor but she was intrigued with the turn around.

"Sure, "Meredith said with a smile gesturing with her hand to the open seat. Picking up the take out lunch that she had put in the empty area on her side of the table.

"A snack for later?" Izzy asked about the extra lunch bag.

"Lunch for Derek." Meredith responded while picking up a fry.

"Oh, that's nice." Izzy replied honestly looking down at her food. "That he has that and you have that, person to feed you and look after you when you need it. It's sweet." She smiled.

Meredith had no idea what happened to the woman who didn't care that Derek had worn a wedding ring back on the first day of work, but if this version of Izzy respected their marriage and the ring. Then Meredith wasn't going to question it. Meredith knew there was something on the interns mind and she was just going to sit back until it came out.

"I don't blame you, you know for not going to your mom's lecture." She started out after taking a bite of her pizza.

Meredith's like of the blonde grew when she saw the unhealthy tray of foods she was having for lunch. "My mom and I don't get along either. We haven't spoken in almost 10 years." She let out with a sigh.

"I'm sorry." Meredith told her honestly. "A bad relationship with a mother isn't something I'd wish on anyone. I know it must be hard to carry that around with you all the time" Meredith admitted letting out a little bit of personal information to Izzy who looked and sounded like she needed a confidant for her bad mommy issues.

"How do you do it? I feel like it's my fault, like I should be the one to take the first step, but I can't help but remember that it was her who kicked me out at 16. She lives an hour away and I have kept in touch with other family. She knows where I am, she knows I'm a doctor now."

"I had a lot of combating you could say. Derek's mom is just the perfect mom, where Ellis left off Derek's mom did the rest. Ellis gave me the necessities in life, but Derek's mom was my real mom. She nurtured me the way I needed from a mother and was lacking my entire life before I met her.

"I was alone. I had a baby, I got pregnant at 16." Izzy said sadly while looking down at her tray. Thinking Meredith would disapprove and look at her as such. Meredith realized Izzy was waiting for a response of disapproval or lecture.

"Hey," Meredith said softly. "I fell in love with a guy almost 10 years older than me and married him by 18." She giggled, "I'm in no box to throw stones."

"What happened to the baby?" She asked.

"I gave her up for adoption." Izzy smiled. "I know she has a better life now, a life that a homeless 16 year old would have never been able to give."

"That must have taken a lot of strength and courage. Especially without a mom helping you, I think you did great all on your own. You shouldn't feel guilty and you shouldn't be the one to do all the heavy lifting of this burden. Look at you now at one of the best hospitals in the country, you did that on your own. " Meredith told her with shining eyes. Feeling sorry for all that she had to go through at such a young age and all alone also. Thanking god that she had Derek, she had the Shepherds love. Izzy's problems made Meredith's mother issues seem like petty nothing.

"Thank you that means a lot. You're the only other person who knows and if it wouldn't be too much…"

"Don't worry about it, your secret is safe with me. We could be a bad mothers club or something." She laughed and Izzy joined her as they continued to chat about more light subjects and finish their lunch