Looking at you side ways

21

The following week Meredith ran into the locker room. [i]She was almost late again. She was going to have to change her routine. If she went to the nursing home before work, it set the tone for the entire day. If she went after work, she was often depressed. Maybe she could start going at lunch.[/i]

She had changed just in time for DePalma to walk in.

After giving out their assignments, he made an announcement.

"The new Chief starts today and has already briefed the attendings and residents. He is going to be all over the hospital today checking out every department. Stay on your toes and you had better make me look good."

Addison asked, "What is the new Chiefs name? So we address him correctly."

DePalma replied, "Dr. Webber, Richard Webber. Now get your lame asses out there and don't screw anything up!"

Meredith was shocked.[i] Richard Webber was the new Chief? Out of all the hospitals in the country, he was coming to Seattle Grace?[/i] She slammed her locker shut and left the room behind DePalma.[i] Shit! This week was so bad. First Jaake had said something the other night that threw her for a loop and she was avoiding him a little. Then her mother was being more vicious than normal. Derek was acting so weird with her. He was hot and cold. Jekyll and Hyde. The other day he had practically been putting on a show with a girl outside of his bedroom in the upstairs hall. She was exhausted from working so many hours, trying for some semblance of a relationship with her boyfriend and taking care of her increasing demanding mother. [/i]

If she had a brain cell left, she would have figured it out. Derek was only nasty to her when she went to see Jaake, or after she had seen him. [i]Even Mark had told him to take it inside his room. And now, Richard Webber was going to be her big, big boss? [/i]

Meredith rounded with DePalma and then went to post-op. She saw Addison in a nurse's face and being her usual bitchy self.

Addison said to Olivia, "4B's got post-op pneumonia. Let's start antibiotics."

Olivia asked, "Are you sure that's the right diagnosis?"

Addison snapped back, "Well I don't know I'm only an intern. Here's an idea; why don't you go spend four years in med school and then let me know if it's the right diagnosis. She's short of breath. She's got fever. She's post-op. Start the antibiotics."

Olivia shakes her head and walks away to get the antibiotics.

Addison see's Meredith and says, "God I hate nurses."

Meredith says softly, "She may not have pneumonia you know? She could be splinting or have a PE."

Addison says nastily, "God, you are as dumb as the nurses." Addison throws down the chart and leaves. Meredith picked it up and started reading it. She then monitored all the post-op patients and drew blood for their labs. She wondered[i] if Richard Webber knew she was an intern at Seattle Grace. [/i]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours later Addison came back and flipped open the chart for the patient in 4B. Meredith sat at the computer and heard the conversation.

Olivia says, "The antibiotics should've worked by now."

Addison replies back, "She's old. She's friggin' ancient. She's lucky she's still breathing ... & I got a shot to scrub in downstairs with a patient who wasn't alive during the civil war. Don't page me again."

It was at that moment that Dr. Webber made his appearance. He had overheard the conversation and took the chart and glanced at Addison's name.

"Dr. Montgomery. She's still short of breath. Did you get an ABG or a chest film?"