Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Chapter Two: The First Cut is the Deepest

It's all about lines. The finish line at the end of residency, waiting in line for a chance at the operating table, and then, there's the most important line. The line separating you from the people you work with. It doesn't help to get too familiar. To make friends. You need boundaries between you and the rest of the world. Other people are far too messy. It's all about lines. Drawing lines in the sand, and praying like hell no one crosses them.

Eddie Sousa did the only logical (okay, highly illogical) thing to do was simply not think about the fact she was pregnant and just focused on the medicine. Though, she was still taking care of herself the best she could on an intern schedule. And, luckily, she seemed to have no morning sickness after she gets up and going in the morning, though she didn't celebrate that fact in case karma or life wants to get it's jollies off and change that fact.

And, good thing she had never been one for coffee, chai tea, sure, but coffee no. It was one less thing for people to look to closely at as she started changing her habits. She still remembered the bitter burnt diesel fuel step-Stan drank. Eddie had tried it at fourteen, to see what the fuss about coffee was all about, and it was a traumatic memory, and any time she tasted coffee in any form made her want to gag. Even the surgar-y sweet stuff from Starbucks, under all that flavoring was the horrible coffee taste that ruined it. So, if her fellow interns were no the wiser on the fact that she was pregnant, since if she was a coffee drinker, it would be a big clue if she had to cut back.

She was leaning against the nurse's desk as she and Cristina listened to George and Izzie pester Meredith about the roommates wanted poster on the various bulletin boards in the staff-only areas. For the past few days Meredith had been interviewing potential roommates, and none of them had passed muster.

"Why do you put up posters for roommates if you don't want roommates?" Izzie asked Meredith confused.

"I do want roommates, we're together a hundred hours a week, you want to live together too?" Meredith asked. She wanted people that all she needed to do was say "hello", "goodbye", and "is there coffee?"

If she lived with any of her fellow interns, she'd be seeing them all the time. No breaks. And, really, they all practically lived together anyway at the hospital. Going home was just a few hours away from each other that stopped them from wanting to rip each other's throats out from spending so much time together.

"No. Ooh, you're bringing bribes now?" Cristina asked, changing the subject, Meredith had a coffee for Bailey this morning.

"I need a place to live. My mom irons my scrubs. I have to get out of there." George complained.

Eddie silently, in the deepest of her souls wished her mom was like that with her, or really showed any sign that she cared. Eddie's mother didn't know or care what Eddie was doing ninety-nine point nine percent of the time. Hell, she probably would be happy with thirty percent of the time. From what George had told her about his mother in passing, she sounded like a mother any kid would want to have.

"It's not a bribe." Meredith denied to her friend, then turned to George. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"But I can put down last, first and deposit." George offered.

"It's totally a bribe." Cristina said to Eddie who nodded.

"A sorry one at that." Eddie confirmed.

"I can cook. And I'm an obsessive cleaner." Izzie offered.

Izzy had told them about her horrible apartment. One that made Eddie's small studio feel like Versailles. And, her creepy neighbors.

"No. I just want two total strangers who I don't have to talk to, or be nice to," Meredith explained to her two fellow interns and then turned to her friend with a bit of a glare,  "and it's not a bribe, it's a mocha latte."