Yikes. Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) had a rough time in the "Grey's Anatomy" Season 13 premiere, and it doesn't sound like things are about to get easier.

Last time we checked, she didn't punch DeLuca half to death. But she tried to help Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) do the right thing, and kept his secret ... for a while. Then she turned him in to Bailey (Chandra Wilson), just as he turned himself into the police. At the same time, Mer tried to balance the flirt triangle between herself, Dr. Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson) and her half-sister, Dr. Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary).

Maggie ended up ticked at Meredith for not telling her that Alex beat up her non-boyfriend DeLuca. Mer promised not to lie to Maggie anymore, and to put their sisterhood first, but then Meredith lied right away by saying no one was at the door when Riggs had stopped by. And Mer lied to Riggs by saying she didn't share his feelings. So Season 13 has already pushed Mer to lie several times, all to try and save her loved ones from more pain.

What does that mean for the future of Mer and Riggs? A fan asked Entertainment Weekly:

Mer and Riggs on Grey's Anatomy, please tell me it's not over between them. — Yolanda
Despite an obvious attraction, Meredith will be keeping Riggs at arm's length for the foreseeable future. "She really can't betray her sister again, because the whole premiere episode about Alex being the one who beats up DeLuca is a betrayal because Meredith did not confide to Maggie that she knew who did it," Ellen Pompeo says. "She can't betray Maggie again, yet she's finding herself in this triangle that Maggie for sure is going to see as a betrayal."

The word "betrayal" just came up several times. Maggie seems to have won Mer's loyalty battle (although she would probably be OK with Mer + Riggs if Mer would just tell her about them). But hopefully Season 13 gives us more of Maggie and DeLuca and allows Mer to be with Riggs, even if it takes Maggie's blessing to get them there.

Speaking of loyalty, though, Episode 2, "Catastrophe and the Cure," will further test loyalties at the hospital. Here's ABC's synopsis:

"Meredith considers her loyalties, as Alex deals with the repercussions of his actions. Newlyweds Amelia and Owen host a dinner party with unlikely guests, and Jackson proposes an arrangement to help April through her recovery."

Watch the promo:Episode 2, directed by Kevin McKidd, airs Thursday, September 29 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.