For the First Time

Two Steps Back

"What's going on?" I thought to myself as my vision began to clear. I felt numb and had no clue where I was. I looked around and saw doctors  hovering over me, sticking me and prodding me with needles. I opened my mouth as I attempted to speak but nothing came out but a cough. 

"Give her an oxygen mask, now," the female doctor said. I couldn't make out where I was or who any of these people were. Did I know them? Did they know me?

"Doctor Grey you've been in a car accident. Can you tell us where it hurts?" a male doctor asked me. I stared at him not being able to respond, not even able to blink. Right about then I got a sharp pain in my chest and suddenly found it harder and harder to breathe. 

"What happened?" said a familiar voice.

"Sir we don't know. She's awake but is unresponsive. The paramedics just brought her here and said she was in a car accident, that's all the information we have at the time. Now if you would just sit in the waiting room," said another voice.

"I'm not going to just sit in the waiting room while you idiotic doctors try to save her life!" the familiar voice shouted. It was Derek, it was definitely Derek. Before I tried to speak again he entered through the curtain. He stopped before the bed, looking shocked at what he'd seen. He turned a ghostly white color and his mouth dropped. 

"Sir, you can't be in here!" said the female doctor.

"I can be in here if I want to be in here!" he yelled back. "Meredith I'm here. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Meredith, Meredith."

"Meredith are you alright?" Derek asked as he shook me by the shoulder. I quickly sat up in bed and gave him a funny look.

"I'm...I'm fine," I said as I tried to catch my breath. 

"Did you have another nightmare?" he asked as he sat down next to me while putting his hand on my thigh. I nodded my head slightly and closed my eyes while taking a deep breath. "Here, come downstairs, I made a fresh pot of coffee and there's turkey bacon." He took my hand and helped me up. Whenever we reached the kitchen he already had a plate and a mug waiting for me.

"Thank you," I said as I sat down nibbling at the turkey bacon. I didn't have much of an appetite but forced it down so he wouldn't worry about me.

"So are you ready for the interview today with Medical Monthly?" Derek asked as he sipped his own coffee while reading the newspaper.

"I guess so," I responded quietly, completely forgetting the fact that the interview was today. "You're going to be there with me aren't you?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he said while flashing a smile at me. Once we both finished our breakfast I went upstairs to get ready for the most prestigious interview of my career. Derek had already been interviewed by Medical Monthly twice in his career, but for me, this was my shot. I put on a floral dress and a pair of strappy sandals, which put me way out of my comfort zone. My hair was in a high bun and I put on more makeup than normal.

"Do this look alright?" I asked Derek coming out of the bathroom. He looked up from buttoning his shirt and his eyebrows quickly rose.

"You look...wow. Mer, I'm, wow," he said stuttering.

"It's not too much?" I asked biting my nail.

"No, oh hell no, you look hot," he said while drooling at the mouth.

"I'm not going for hot, I'm going for sophisticated," I told him as he stood there wide-eyed. "Derek snap out of it. I'm the youngest women to ever be elected top surgeon in the country for any field. I can't go into this magazine interview looking like some skank!"