No Time | Grey's Anatomy // Book 1 // COMPLETED |

68 | Cleveland

"This is the final boarding call for all passengers taking flight 217 to Cleveland, Ohio. Please head to gate four." a woman's voice rang out through the airport, "That's final boarding call for flight 217 to Cleveland, Ohio. Report to gate four immediately."

Taking a deep breath, I stood up. It was now or never. I had been thinking about this for a week and it was the right decision. "Only a few months." I told myself as I approached the boarding attendant and handed her my passport and ticket, "Only a few months."

The attendant looked the ticket over before handing me my passport back and motioning for me to proceed to the plane. Smiling slightly, I grabbed my small carry-on backpack (all of my other bags had already been checked in) and started to walk. After boarding the plane, I found my seat, a window seat, and moved towards it. Settling in, I stuffed my backpack under my seat along with my purse and sat quietly as the pilot did a little speech and the flight attendants did the emergency procedure skit.

Once everything was ready, I felt the engines turn on and the plane started to move. Before I knew it we were taking off, and I remember staring out the window at the space needle and hoping that I had made the right choice.

═══ Flashback ═══

"You're what?" Meredith asked as basically everyone who lived in the house sat in the living room.

"Going to the Cleveland Clinic for a few months." I told her and everyone else, "It's an amazing opportunity and I'd be insane not to take it."

April sighed, "What about the race for Chief Resident."

"I'm not gonna be Chief Resident." I chuckled, "So I'm better off to do this, where I know I will get something out of it."

Alex sat forward slightly, tapping his beer bottle with his fingers, "Why are you getting this and not any of us?"

I thought for a moment, "I'm not sure." I shrugged, not telling them what the Chief had actually said.

Once we had hashed out the details, we went our separate ways to our bedrooms for the night. Forgetting to grab my t-shirt that I had changed out of after showering, I headed to the bathroom. Walking in, I saw Jackson brushing his teeth. "Just grabbing my shirt," I told him, grabbing the fabric and turning to leave again.

"So, you're really doing this?" he asked, his voice muffled from the toothpaste.

I nodded, "Yup."

Jackson spat out the toothpaste and wiped his face, "Well, I'm glad. It's a really good opportunity."

"Yeah." I smiled, "And I'm happy that you have Lexie. You seem to really like her."

"I do." Jackson sighed, the awkwardness becoming more present, "Well, I'm gonna go to bed."

I stepped out of the bathroom, "Yeah, me too. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he called as we parted ways.

═══ Flashback End ═══

The jolt of the plane landing woke me up and my eyes shot open. Looking up, I stared out the window as the plane sped towards the airport. The Cleveland airport. Once we had come to a full stop, I grabbed my bags and exited the plane along with everyone else. An occasional elbow to the ribs or a crushed foot told me that they were in a big rush. After safely getting to the baggage claim with only a few bruises, I grabbed my two large suitcases and headed to the airport entrance where someone was supposed to meet me.

As I dragged my suitcases behind me, I looked up to see a tall man holding a sign that read my name on it. Smiling, I walked over to him. "You must be Ellie Forrest." he smiled back, "Well, Dr. Ellie Forrest."

"Ellie is fine," I told him.

"Ellie it is then." he held out his hand to shake mine, "Noah. Dr. Noah Colton from the Cleveland Clinic."

I was about to shake his hand when I remembered that my hands were full with my bags, "Ummm."

His eyes widened as he reached out and took my large suitcases from me, "Where are my manners? Here, let me take those."

"Oh, no. It's fine." I said, but he refused and took them anyway.

After leading me outside to a black jeep, he put my suitcases into the trunk and I hopped into the passenger's seat. "So, where are we going?" I asked as he started to drive; his blue eyes reminding me of Jackson's, but I pushed those thoughts out of my head.

"I am taking you to the Hotel you will be staying in." he turned onto the highway, "Are you familiar with a little place called the Marriott?"

I gasped, "Of course I am. But there's no way I can afford a place like that."

"You don't have to." he chuckled, "The hospital's paying for it all. All you have to do is occupy the room."

"That sounds easy enough." I smiled and turned my head to look out the window.

Noah drove me to the hotel and helped me get checked in before saying goodbye and leaving. I, now holding a beautiful key card, headed towards the elevator and up to my room. The desk clerk said they would deliver my large bags soon so I shifted my backpack and purse on my shoulder as I slipped the key card into the slot on the door. After a few seconds, a green light flashed and I opened the door. My mouth fell open at the sight before me.

"No fucking way." I gasped and walked over to the couch to place my bags on it. Slowly, I made my way around the room but stopped when I got to the window. The sun had fallen by now so the lights of the city illuminated the sky. Bright flashes of red, blue, yellow, and other colours lit up the streets.

After my bags had arrived and I had settled in by ordering some room service and watching some T.V., my cell phone rang. Fishing it out of my purse, I answered it. "Hello?" I asked.

"Ellie! It's Richard. I just wanted to see how things were going." I heard the Chief's voice.

I smiled, "Things are amazing! My hotel room is to die for."

"Good. Good." I heard him sigh, "Listen, Ellie. I need to ask you something."

"Sure." I nodded even though he couldn't see it.

I heard him shuffle some things around from where he was, probably his office, "Do you know anything about Meredith Grey tampering with Derek's Alzheimer's trial?"

My eyes widened and my mouth became dry. "Sir..." I panicked, "I swear I tried to stop her."