A Hard Day's Night (ON HOLD)

Pressure

My head was banging. A horrible pounding sensation that started at the back of my brain and pushed all the way forward to where my forehead was situated.

Slumped against a dirty wall, desperately trying to nurse my hangover before Dr Bailey came shouting the odds at me was not my ideal way to spend a Friday morning..but if I wanted to get paid then it was 'tough', as Ellis Grey used to tell me every time I couldn't go to a birthday party or out with a friend because she had important work to be getting on with.

"Listen, if you're feeling as rough as I do then I feel ya.." I heard a groan from above me.
"I feel shit. I shouldn't have gone out last night.." I replied out of natural habit, not bothering to see who it was.
I suddenly felt a body press against my arm as the person joined me on the floor, and a few blonde curls rested near my elbow. Izzie.

"God I swear if Alex isn't feeling like this I'm gonna make his life hell today. It was his idea in the first place to go out last night.."
"It was?"
"Yeah. What an ass.."
"If he's such a douche, why did we join him for drinks in the first place?" I asked, suddenly remembering that none of us were really supposed to like him.

She shrugged. "He had cash, and he bought us booze. We weren't really complaining at the time.."
I contemplated this for a second, before remembering that I had confronted Cristina while waiting for a cab.
"Hey, do you know where Cristina is?" I asked, since I needed to make sure this whole sleeping with attending situation was staying private.

"No, haven't seen her this morning. Why?"
"I just needed to ask her something.." I half lied.
"Well ask me. Not sure if I'm as smart but I can try.."
"Oh, no, it's ok. It's personal anyway.."
"Well, we're both females. I can handle a bit of personal dilemma.."
"No, no. It's about her..uh..cat.." I stuttered. A cat? Just great.

"Cristina has a cat?" Izzie asked.
"Yeah. Ginger.." I lied again.
Meredith shut the hell up! I told myself, because I was making things worse.
"R-right.." She faltered, before flicking her pager out of boredom. Talking about a cat was gonna get pretty dull quickly anyway.

"Dr Stevens? And, who else? Oh, Dr Grey. I might have known"
Great. Dr Bailey had joined our little group.
"Oh, hello Dr Bailey. May I help you?" Izzie asked, smiling sweetly at the short woman stood in front of us.

"Yes you can. Do some work!" She shouted, making us both stand up hastily. She then turned to me.
"Dr Grey, you seem to be having a bit of a negative effect on the rest of your interns alike. A few days ago it was slacking with Dr Yang, now your encouraging Dr Stevens?"

I gulped nervously. "N-no. It's nothing like that, Dr Bailey. I just don't have any work to do.." I stammered. It was true, actually. I didn't know about Izzie though.
"Me neither.." She added anyway.
Dr Bailey have us a death glare. "Do I have to keep supplying work to you? Why don't you go to your attending's? They can give you patients to check up on!" She said, as we both started shuffling off.

"And don't let me catch you again, Grey!" She called after me. I gave Izzie a small glance saying 'sorry' and sped reluctantly to Derek's office.

-

Crawling to Derek Shepherd and asking him for a bit of work wasn't what I was looking to do first thing Friday morning, either. I guess sometimes we just have our bad days.

I knocked on the door, rolling my eyes as I heard him shout my entrance. I was hoping there wouldn't be anyone there so I could wander round the ward all day, feeling ill and self pitying. Again, just unlucky.

I kept my head down as I entered. I could practically feel his cocky little smirk brand me as I walked in and shut the door.
"Dr Grey. What can I do for you?" He asked. To anyone else it sounded polite, but to me it was just his asshole tone of voice.

"Dr Bailey told me to come to you and ask for work.." I muttered, leaning against the door.
"Oh, did she now?" I heard him stand from his chair and a few papers being rustled.
I nodded.
"What were you doing. Wandering the halls with nothing to do? She hates that.." He said, and I looked up at him to see one eyebrow raised.
I didn't say anything, so he walked over to me instead. I could smell his scent, and to make it worse, I really liked it.

"Miss Johnson, a patient in room 42 on the first floor. Just go and assess her and tell her the possible operating theories we have.." He said, handing me two white sheets with neat print on them.
"Fine.." I sighed, taking them off him forcefully and going to exit.
"And Dr Grey?" I heard him call after me.
"What?!" I snapped.
"Try and make sure you actually get there, rather than lounging around and doing nothing. It could get you into serious trouble.." He smirked.

I didn't even bother making a snide comment back. I just turned on heel and marched up the stairs, narrowly missing other doctors walking past and paramedics pushing patients down the corridors.

I arrived in room 42 to see a younger woman laid in the bed, heart monitors beeping around her. As soon as she heard the door open, she looked up, so I could only assume she was expecting somebody. This was the first patient I had assessed by myself, so I put on my best smile and 'happy voice' despite the crappy mood I was in.

"Hi, um..Amanda.." I said, making sure it was ok for me to address her by her first name. She didn't seem to have any complaints. "I'm Dr Grey and I'm going to be giving your the operating procedures that we could attempt in we go through with trying to rid you of your..brain tumour.." I said, reading from the sheet, occasionally glancing up to meet the brunette's gaze.

"Ok.." She shrugged. "I won't get it though, I'm not a doctor person or anything.."
"Oh, no, I'll simplify it so you know what's going on, I'll make sure of it.." I smiled, while she nodded slowly, still looking unsure.

"Are you ok? You look confused." I asked, while she looked at the door and out the window.
"There was this guy who came in and saw me this morning..he was so hot! He had like, black hair and blue eyes..is he not coming back?" She asked. I sighed heavily.
"I think you mean Dr Shepherd.." I said in the dullest tone I could manage.

She nodded her head enthusiastically.
"Yeah! Dr Shepherd! Where is he?" She half whined, half asked.
"He's busy at the moment.." I stated simply.
"Will he be coming back in here?" She asked again. Jesus, like a dog with a bone.
"I don't know. He might do, he might not do.." I said abruptly, causing her to look at me in appall.

I sighed, massaging my temples as I sat on the edge of her bed.
"Sorry, sorry. Me and Dr Shepherd don't have the best of relationships so I don't really enjoy talking about him.." I admitted, while she nodded.
"Oh, sorry.." She said, examining her nails.
"It's ok..it's my first week here as well, so I'm pretty new to all this.."

After I'd talked her through the process of the operation and she was satisfied she'd understood it, I got up to leave.
"I'll see you later Miss Johnson.." I waved, and was about to walk out the door when somebody opened the door, causing it to hit me in the face.

I fell to the floor, a little bit dazed. Who the hell had just almost knocked me out in front of a patient?
I suddenly heard a voice and a pair of arms pulling me up off the ground.
"Hey, I'm sorry..are you ok?" The voice asked. Derek fucking Shepherd had done it again.

As soon as I realised it was him, I tried to play it off, despite my head now being ten times worse than it originally was.
"Ow..I'm fine. Watch where you're going!" I said, pressing my two middle fingers to a spot that was sore just above my right eyebrow.

He guided my hand away from my head and inspected it.
"It looks a little sore. Do you wanna get some ice on that?" He asked, being perfectly civil unlike earlier. Well, he would in front of a patient, wouldn't he?

"No. Just look who's in front of the door your opening next time.." I huffed, looking up at him and his perfect features. McDreamy did suit him and that pissed me off.
"Sometimes that's not always possible, Dr Grey.." He smirked, standing to his full height again.
And back he was.
I sighed, before slamming the files down on the chair and storming out the room, keen to let him know of my anger and also keen to let Cristina know of what I'd been through.