'Grey's Anatomy' star Ellen Pompeo has been speaking about what lies ahead for her character, Meredith Grey, in the next series of the hit show.
In an interview with TVGuide.com, Pompeo said that after the shooting spree at the end of season six Meredith would have to spend time with trauma counsellor Andrew Perkins (James Tupper) before returning to work.
"Meredith does get cleared [to return to work] eventually, but not right away; not without some frustrating episodes," said Pompeo. "She's got to pull out all the tricks and stops to try to get cleared."
She continued: "The role that they have given Meredith is to take care of everybody [the other doctors] and to try to make sure that everybody else is OK. She's the role of the caretaker, which, I guess, is her way of not dealing with her own thing."
The actress said that while she did not think her character would snap, others needed help.
"I don't see a snap in Meredith," she said. "I think she's handling this a little bit better than the other people who are more on the verge. Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Cristina (Sandra Oh) really, really need more critical attention.
"[Perkins] comes in and he's just clearing people and he doesn't really know them. Meredith feels like she knows them, and she really knows that they're not OK. She can see because she lives and breathes with them every day.
"He's coming in and clearing everybody because he thinks they're fine, and he doesn't think Meredith's fine. She's the one taking care of everybody!"
The new series of 'Grey's Anatomy' begins on American television next month.
