chapter eighteen

yesterday.season two, episode eighteen.

. After nearly getting blown up, she figured that life was short, and she should spend it having fun. Or, in her case, having one night stands with a random handful of people from the hospital.

The girl in her bed, who was a nurse on the psych floor, grinned back at her as she got up to get dressed. Cassie almost felt bad for not knowing her name.

"That was fun," the nurse said, zipping up her dress from the night before. "Though, I don't usually do sleepovers."

"Me neither," Cassie shrugged nonchalantly. "But it was late on a Friday night, I didn't want you getting into an accident on your way home."

"That's nice of you," she smiled, finishing tying her shoes and heading towards the door. "Well, uh, I guess I'll see you around?"

Cassie nodded, "Yeah, see you."

Just as the nurse left her room, George entered, raising his brows. "Another one?"

"What?" she asked defensively. "She was cute."

He tilted his head sarcastically. "So am I, but you're not doing me."

"Is this your way of asking me out?" Cassie teased. "And here I thought you were in love with Mer."

"I —" George replied instantly, before hastily correcting himself, "—. I am not."

Laughing, Cassie got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to get ready for yet another eighteen hour shift.

"Whatever you say, Georgie."

☆

Cassie was changing in the locker room, listening to Cristina and Meredith moan about how terrible their love lives are. As she threw on her scrubs, she was reminded just how grateful she was to be single.

"You know, he's acting like I committed a crime," Cristina ranted. "Like my apartment is full of stolen goods. He's acting like I kept my apartment to hide stolen goods, so I could do illegal transplants for money."

"Are you sure he's not just acting like you lied about moving in?" Meredith raised a brow.

Cristina rolled her eyes. "Okay, what's wrong with you?"

"My mommy's a filthy whore."

Cassie glanced between them with an appraising look. "I'm not even going to ask."

☆

"Jake Burton, 15, and has advanced craniodiaphyseal dysplasia," Cassie presented in the patient's room. "Jake was admitted last night after complaining of headaches."

"And he's not a complainer," his mom added.

The patient's dad nodded. "He's been having some nausea as well."

"Jake, can I get you to sit up please?" Derek asked, as he was the attending on the case.

Jake smiled. "Sure."

"Alright, I want you to look right here for me." Derek pointed to Cristina's face, who seemed laughably uncomfortable in the situation.

"You know, if you pretend I'm a lion, it helps," Jake said out of the blue, in reference to the large tumors on his face making his features seem animal like.

"Uh, sorry?"

"If you pretend I'm a lion, instead of a really messed up kid, you get a talking circus animal, which is way easier to look at."

Cassie shared a matching grin with Derek. "Dr. Harper, what's our immediate concern?"

"That the bony tumors are growing inward and encroaching on his brain," she answered. Derek nodded in approval, just as Cristina shared another awkward look with Jake, making Cassie laugh under her breath.

As the group dispersed, Derek jogged up to Cassie, who was a notoriously fast walker.

"You want on this case?"

"Are you kidding?" she scoffed lightheartedly. "Of course I want on this case."

"That's what I thought," he smiled, handing her the chart. "You're okay, right? After everything that happened?"

"I'm fine," she answered, a bit too quickly. "Do you want me to order those labs?"

He sighed. "Yeah, that would great."

Cassie nodded a goodbye, closed the chart, and made her exit.

☆

As Cassie was getting the labs for Jake, an unknown man approached Meredith at the nurses station from behind.

"Invasive non-small with a history of COPD?" he asks, reading over her shoulder. "Guy's pretty much a goner, huh?" 

"Sensitivity, I like that in a stranger," Meredith smirked. "Are you new here?"

"Visting. Confounded by all the rain, and it's only my first day in town." 

"You get used to it."

"Makes me want to stay in bed all day."

Meredith paused, turning to face him incredulously. "We just met, and already, you're talking about bed? Not very subtle."

"Subtle's never been my strong suit," he smirked back, looking her up and down. "So, do you ever go out with coworkers?" 

Meredith smiled at the irony. "I, um, make it a rule not to."

"Then I am glad that I don't work here."

"Are you hitting on me... in a hospital?"

"Would that be wrong?"

"Meredith," she introduced herself after a moment, reaching out her hand.

Just as he was about to take it in his own, Derek came from out of nowhere, punching him in the face so hard that he fell to the ground.