Cassandra

The First Cut is the Deepest

Meredith and I walked into the locker room and I watched her put up the Roommates Wanted sign on the noticeboard.

"You had to add non-Bush supporters?" I asked her and she gave me a look. "Fine. Whatever." I went to my locker and got ready.

Life is 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.

Meredith and I were talking to a young blonde girl about the room and Mer threw me a look.

"Look, I'm sure you're very nice, but I've very particular about who lives in my house and you're just not right." Meredith told her.

"Why? Look, I'm quiet, no loud music, no parties." She said moving to sit between us.

"Where were you when the Challenger exploded?" Mer asked her.

"The what?" the intern asked.

"The space shuttle. Challenger." Meredith clarified.

"Uhh, I think I was in kindergarten." She said which made Meredith smile.

"Exactly. No." Meredith told her before walking away.

"Sorry. She's really picky." I said before rushing after her.

"Why do you put up posters for roommates if you don't want roommates?" Izzie asked Meredith and me as we waited for Bailey.

"We do want roommates," I told her.

"We're together a hundred hours a week, you want to live together too?" Meredith asked her as Cristina joined us.

"No. Ooh, you're bringing bribes now?" she asked noticing Meredith holding a coffee cup.

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

"It's not a bribe," Meredith told Cristina before turning to George. "I don't think it's a good idea."

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

"It's totally a bribe," Cristina said.

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

"No. I just want two total strangers who I don't have to talk to or be nice too, and it's not a bribe, it's a mocha latte." Meredith told them.

"That's coffee talk for bribe." I told her and she threw me a look.

"George, you're running the code team, Meredith and Cassy, take the trauma patients, Cristina, deliver the weekend labs to the patients, Izzie, you're on sutures."Dr. Bailey told us before walking away.

"Dr. Bailey. I was hoping to assist you in the OR today, maybe do a minor procedure? I think I'm ready." Meredith told her. "Mocha latte?"

"If she gets to cut, I want to cut too." Cristina chimed in.

"Yeah, me too," Izzie added.

"I wouldn't mind another shot," George told her.

"You had your chance." I reminded him.

"Stop talking." Dr. Bailey ordered. "Every intern wants to perform their first surgery, that's not your job. Do you know what your job is? To make your resident happy. Do I look happy? No. Why? Because my interns are whining. You know what will make me look happy? Having the code team staffed, having the trauma patients answered, having the weekend labs delivered, having someone down in the Pit, doing the sutures." Dr. Bailey took the mocha latte. "No one holds a scalpel until I'm so happy I'm Mary freakin' Poppins."