Meredith's sister

32

Mia's POV

The moment I woke up, nausea hit me like a truck. I barely made it to the bathroom before throwing up. My head pounded relentlessly, a dull, aching throb that refused to fade. I brushed it off—probably just the flu. Nothing I couldn't handle.

Pushing through the discomfort, I got dressed and headed to work. The drive to the hospital was a blur, and by the time I arrived, exhaustion was already creeping in. As I walked through the corridors, I spotted Owen and Teddy talking near the nurses' station. I was about to approach them when Teddy suddenly turned and walked away.

My stomach twisted. What did I do?

I glanced at Owen, hoping for some kind of explanation. "What was that about?" I asked.

Owen sighed. "She saw you with some guy. She thought it looked like you were about to kiss."

"What?" My voice came out louder than I intended. "Oh my god—no, that's not what happened."

Without another word, I turned on my heel, determined to find Teddy and clear up whatever misunderstanding had taken root. But before I got very far, dizziness swept over me like a wave. I had to pause, gripping the wall to steady myself.

"Mia?" A familiar voice called.

I turned to see Jo standing nearby, eyeing me curiously. "What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Meredith needs you for a consult."

I nodded, pushing past the exhaustion. "Okay," I mumbled, following her down the hall.

Meredith launched into a detailed discussion about the patient, but I could barely keep up. The words blurred together, my head still throbbing. I tried to focus, but everything felt distant, like I was underwater.

"Mia?" Meredith's voice cut through the fog.

I blinked. "Yeah?"

She frowned. "Are you okay?"

Jo was watching me now, too, concern etched on her face.

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just need a little sleep."

After the consult, I slipped into an on-call room, collapsed onto the bed, and let exhaustion drag me under.

When I woke up, someone was sitting at the edge of the bed.

"T-Teddy?" My voice was hoarse.

Her expression was unreadable. "Did you kiss him?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

I sat up, rubbing my temples. "No. I would never do that to you."

Teddy studied me carefully, as if searching for any sign of dishonesty. "Then who was he?"

I hesitated before answering. "It was Mike."

Her expression darkened. "Mike?"

"He got out of jail on bail," I said quietly, pressing my fingers against my forehead as another wave of pain shot through my skull.

Teddy's expression shifted from anger to concern. "Are you okay?"

"My head hurts," I admitted. "But don't worry."

Teddy scoffed. "You can't just say that and expect me not to worry."

I sighed. "Then... calm down?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Not how that works, Mia."

But I was already pushing myself off the bed, forcing my exhaustion aside. "I have patients to check on."