If I Lay Here {Book 1} - Grey's Anatomy AU

A Hard Day's Night

Season 1, Episode 1: A Hard Day's Night
Overall Episode Number: 1
Created by: Shonda Rhimes

/ / /

"The game. They say either a person has what it takes to play, or they don't. My mother was one of the greats. Me, on the other hand... I'm kinda screwed."

- Meredith Grey

/ / /

Meredith Grey, a surgical intern, enters a room filled with other interns as the chief of surgery, Richard Webber, talks.

"Each of you comes here hopeful. Wanting in on the game. A month ago you were in med school being taught by doctors. Today, you are the doctors. The seven years you spend here as a surgical resident will be the best and worst of your life. You will be pushed to the breaking point. Look around you. Say hello to your competition. Eight of you will switch to an easier specialty. Five of you will crack under the pressure. Two of you will be asked to leave. This is your starting line. This is your arena. How well you play? That's up to you."

/ / /

"Like I said. I'm screwed."

- Meredith Grey

/ / /

"Mackenzie? Wake up sweetheart."

Mackenzie Shepherd-Sloan groaned as she rubbed at her eyes. "Five more minutes?" She asked as she pulled her blanket over her head.

Two seconds later, the blanket came off and Mackenzie groaned as the bright light in her room shone in her eyes. "Why must you do this to me?" She asked her father, who was none other than world-class neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd.

Derek gave his daughter a sympathetic smile. "I know you're not a morning person baby girl, but if you don't get up on time, we'll both be late to the hospital."

Mackenzie sat up and stretched. "Papa, you never came home last night. And you weren't on call, either. Where were you?"

Derek froze ever so slightly. "I stayed at a motel last night. Had too much to drink. I should've called you, and I'm sorry I worried you, baby girl." He smoothly lied and kissed the top of his daughter's head.

"It's okay, Papa. You're a grown man. But now I'm going to change, and I need some privacy please." Mackenzie said and closed the curtain to her room in Derek's trailer.

Derek chuckled from the other side of the curtain. "Mack, you do know that privacy has never existed in your family?"

"Doesn't mean we can't start making privacy exist now, Papa!"

/ / /

Derek and Mackenzie walked in Seattle Grace Hospital together, and got on the elevator with Dr. Miranda Bailey and Dr. Preston Burke.

"Dr. Bailey, Dr. Burke." Derek greeted politely.

"Dr. Shepherd." Bailey and Burke acknowledged simultaneously.

Mackenzie stood at the back of the elevator next to Derek, holding his hand.

"Good morning, Dr. Burke and Dr. Bailey."

Bailey and Burke both looked towards the 11-year-old girl with sweet smiles. Miranda Bailey and Preston Burke didn't smile often... unless they had their favorite patients in the hospital.

The fact that Mackenzie could get both of them to crack a smile at her was a feat all on its own.

"Good morning, Mackenzie." Burke greeted.

"There's Mack Attack. I don't like a lot of people... but I like you." Bailey told the girl.

Mackenzie's eyes brightened when Bailey said that she liked Mackenzie. "Good luck with your new interns today, Dr. Bailey."