Scrubs | Grey's Anatomy

• 1 •

Chapter 1, Off Call-On Call

The sharp crack of pool cues on ivory balls sliced through the air as music played in the background. The bartender, Joe, came up to me with a smile on his face.

"Hey, you," he said. "The usual?"

"You know it," I responded. He slid me a clean Coke on ice in exchange for a five, and I took a nice long sip out of it.

"In the entire time you've been here, I don't think I've served you one alcoholic drink," Joe said, leaning on the counter.

"I don't drink," I said with a smile. "I've lived a long happy life without it." He nodded, but I could see the gears turn in his head. Bartenders seemed to know everything, I decided. They see dozens of people everyday and hear stories. They know how to spot alcoholics, and more specifically children of alcoholics.

"Let's drink to that," he said, resulting in a nod from me. I took a drink of Coke, cracked some peanuts, and popped them into my drink. Coke and peanuts is a treat where I come from; maybe it's weird, but it reminds me of home. "Peanuts in Coke?"

"Don't knock it until you try it," I warned, taking a swig with peanuts. The salt and the sweetness combined with the carbonation picked my mood up like luggage. Joe's eyes darted over to Meredith Gray and the other interns hanging out on the other side of the bar.

"I'll have to try it sometime," he said before grabbing a bottle and leaving.

Meredith Grey had been sleeping with an Attending, Derek Shepherd, the Neurosurgeon. The best in the field, actually. I couldn't blame her though, he was—well—McDreamy as we called him. He was completely gorgeous in every sense of the word, and I can't hate Meredith for doing what anyone else would do if they had the chance.

Some think she's just using him to get ahead, but I know for sure that's not the case. Her mother is the Ellis Grey, a living legend who won the Harper Avery award twice. Meredith Grey needs no help in this program.

I turned my head to look at my fellow interns: George looked awkward, as per usual, and Cristina looked like she was trying really hard to be supportive. Meredith was in some rough shape across the bar, sadness overtaking her features. Izzie joined them and she started talking. Cristina snapped at Izzie and George, making me furrow my brows. Could they really not read the social cues?

I soon met George's eyes, and froze instinctively. He must've sensed me staring. I blinked at him, and he waved, resulting in me waving back half heartedly and turning back around to finish my Coke.

I felt a beeping at my hip, looking down to see my pager going off. I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment. It's worth it, I told myself. And it was. I was just exhausted and I wanted sleep. My internship is more important, I convinced myself as I got up from the stool.

I put my coat on and grabbed my purse.

"Thanks, Joe," I said, waving to him as the rest of the interns swept themselves out the door. Joe nodded at me as I jogged out the door and across the street to the hospital.

In no time I was in my blue scrubs and a doctor's coat, something completely comfortable for me. I tied my dark wavy hair into a high pony tail, making sure it was tight and secure for work.

"I haven't got all day, interns," Bailey said, not-so-subtly telling us to hurry up and follow her. They called Bailey the Nazi, a nickname well suited for her. Everyone found her intimidating nature scary and unpleasant, but I liked it. She didn't deal with bullshit, and I loved that. Once everyone was ready, Bailey lead us to the ER to assess some damage. She mad a face, but composed herself. "Multiple people were involved in a train wreck, some idiot tried to outrun a train. I better not see any of you fighting over patients, you hear me? That's not what we do here." We all nodded, branching off to do our own thing.