two ghosts [m.sloan]

1 - fresh starts and surprises

1.1 - A HARD DAY'S NIGHT

MATILDA LUKOV GROANED as her alarm screamed at her. She was used to early mornings as a med student and she expected even earlier mornings as an intern but what she didn't expect was the hangover that came from the night before.

She took an aspirin and pulled on her jeans with an old sweater she found on the floor of her bedroom before getting in her car and driving to Seattle Grace. It was raining again but luckily Matilda loved the rain. It reminded her of peace, a good book, sitting by the bay window in her childhood home and him.  But he was the last thing she wanted to think about right now. She was starting new... She was forgetting about him...

but how easy is it to forget the ones you love while you're still in love with them?

***

As she walked into the hospital she saw blank faces. Nobody knew her and she had a clean slate. Good. "Matilda Lukov, right." someone said from behind her. She turned to face the man who was slightly taller than her, a smirk plastered on his lips.

"Yes and you're Alex Karev?" she asked and he nodded as his eyes raked her body. She raised an eyebrow at him and a smirk of her own came across her face, "Please don't try to flirt with me like you did to half the women at the bar last night." 

Alex chuckled and shook his head, "I'm surprised you remember what happened at Joe's and don't worry you're not my type."

"Good because you're not mine either." The girl replied, the smirk still on her face as she now stood next to Alex instead of in front of him, waiting for Dr Webber to begin his introduction to her fellow interns.

"Interns... 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." The Chief spoke.

"Jesus that's an intense speech," Alex says quietly with a scoff.

"I know right." Matilda scoffed back.

After a tour of the hospital, the interns were left in their locker room to change and get ready to meet their residents. Matilda had to do a double take when she saw a familiar face. "Meredith Grey?" she asked as she walked up to the blonde intern as she put on her stethoscope.

"Tilly? I haven't seen you in years." The blonde smiled at her in amazement as the brunette smiled back. 

The two met in Europe as they were both travelling after finishing college and Matilda and Meredith grew close. The nearly two months that they spent together with Meredith's friend, Sadie and another girl they met while in Europe named Zoe were some of the best. Although they never really kept in contact after they both had to leave Europe, Matilda always thought of Meredith as one of her good friends and if she ever saw her again she would be happy to grow close with her once more.

"Only six women out of twenty. Can you believe that?" Meredith said as Matilda claimed the locker next to her friend's, throwing her bag inside. 

"I hear one of them is a model." A black-haired woman spoke up from next to the two, "Seriously, like that's going to help with the respect thing?"