Running in Circles - Lexie Grey x OC

Than I Know Myself

Afternoon
Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital
Fifth Floor — Neuro Wing

By the time Eric and Lexie stepped off the elevator, whatever remained of Lexie's quiet day was gone.

The nurses' station had filled while they were downstairs.

Two new charts sat beside the service board.

A nurse was arguing with Radiology over the phone.

Another was trying to track down transport.

Someone had added three names to the consult list.

Lauren Mitchell stood behind the desk with a phone against one ear, a chart open in front of her, and another tucked beneath her arm.

Lexie took one look around.

Then smiled.

Eric caught it.

"Why are you smiling?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I have things to do."

"That appears to make you unnaturally happy."

Lexie looked at him.

"I had nothing to do for four hours."

"You studied."

"I slept."

"Yes."

"In a library."

"Yes."

"That's depressing."

Eric glanced around the increasingly busy floor.

"And this isn't?"

"No. This is great."

He looked at her.

Lexie reconsidered.

"Not that people needing Neurosurgery is great. Obviously. That part is bad. Brain problems are bad. But having somewhere to be is great."

"And there's the correction."

"I needed the correction."

"Desperately."

Lexie bumped his arm with the charts she was carrying.

"Shut up. You think it's cute."

Eric's mouth twitched.

"I do."

Lauren spotted them. Her face brightened immediately.

"You're back."

Eric glanced at Lexie.

"So is studying in the research library."

Lexie narrowed her eyes.

"Academic sleep, you say?"

Eric's smile deepened slightly.

Lexie bumped his arm with the chart again.

Harder this time.

"Ow."

Lauren watched them for a beat.

"Good," Lauren said brightly, "Peds called about Mercer, and Radiology wants to know if six hours still means six hours, which apparently—"

She stopped herself.

Eric waited.

Lauren looked at him.