One Way Ticket
Addison tried to ignore the nurse's gossip by reading charts. She had been for the past two months since Derek had found out about her and Mark. The nurse knew that was why he left despite the silence from all three parties. Somehow, they were always right and some things she didn't want to hear.
"So I heard, he paged her to the on-call room," the one nurse whispered.
"But I thought that he and Addison were together now?"
"Well don't forget who we're talking about here, Mark Sloan. I mean he slept with his best friend's wife. The man clearly holds nothing sacred, but really are you surprised? Dr. Sloan and interns go together a little too well."
"Excuse me," Addison interrupted too eagerly, "Is there any reason my patient's IV drip hasn't been started yet?"
"I was…"the nurse stammered.
"Just getting to it," finished Addison.
"Of course Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd," the nurse said as she scurried off. Satisfied, Addison went to check the surgical board. Mark's surgery had ended over an hour ago, but where was he? Could he be in an on-call room somewhere with another woman?
As she was looking, her cell vibrated. It was Mark. "Hello Mark,"
"Addie, are you on your way home yet? I was going to order in some food,"
"I just have one more patient to check up on and then I'll be home. Get me whatever you're having."
"Ok sweetie. See you soon."
"Yeah," she said ending the conversation and hanging up on him. Tonight would be the last night she'd go home to him. Enough was enough.
The ride home felt like an eternity. What would she say? How could she tell the man her marriage ended over that she was done with him? Finally she was home, the spacious brownstone she had shared with Derek. She walked in the doors. Of course Mark was waiting for her, unsuspecting. They ate their dinner, talking but not really saying anything. Addison was afraid to say anything.
Finally over desert and coffee she found her words. "Mark, we need to talk," said Addison feeling guilty already.
"We are talking sweetie," Mark replied with his grin plastered on his face, not knowing what she meant.
"Mark, I'm being serious here. There's a rumor going around the hospital about you and some intern" she said trying not to meet his gaze.
"You know how rumors are at the hospital," Mark responded calmly, repeating what he'd usually say in situations like this, thinking it wasn't too late.
"Yes, I do. They're usually right. They knew about you, me and Derek, so why wouldn't this one be true."
Suddenly, Mark knew that she knew about the intern whose name he couldn't remember, "Addie it was just sex. It didn't mean anything."
"Of course it was. Is that all this is, Mark, sex? My marriage ended because of 'just sex.' What makes you think for a second that makes it at all better? That's the problem with you. You think with the wrong head."
"Addie…" Mark said pathetically, desperately.
"No Mark, you don't get to call me Addie anymore," Addison replied, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Addison," gazing deeply into her eyes made tragically more beautiful with her tears, "did you ever think for even just a second that I just might love you?"
She looked away and then looked right into his eyes, "No Mark. I never thought for a second that you love me. Someone who loves me wouldn't do this. Look at Derek. He…"
"You're comparing me to him? He had practically abandoned you even before we started any of this," he said angrily.
"At least Derek wasn't screwing interns behind my back. Just go, I'm done." Addison started up the stairs, a plan falling into place.
Mark looked heartbroken, "Addison, I'm not leaving, because it is true; I do love you," thinking that he could never leave her.
"Fine, if you won't leave I will," she shouted from the top of the stairs.
"Addison, where are you going?" Mark said as he followed her upstairs and into her bedroom.
"I'm going to Seattle," she replied as she got out her suitcase and started going through her closet.
"Why Seattle?" he said.
"I'm going to do what I should have done months ago. I'm going to get Derek back" she finished packing the few things she needed and started down the stairs. Mark followed her and they gazed into each other's eyes in the open doorway. "I've wasted so much time with you and now I'm fixing it. Goodbye Mark," she said as she walked out of the house. Mark was stunned, within two months he had lost his best friend and the woman he loved so dearly. For the first time in years he actually felt alone.
Addison hailed a cab and told the driver to take her to JFK. She would get on the next flight to Seattle and get her husband back. He would forgive her. They were Derek and Addison, they didn't quit. She picked up her cell and called Derek. It rang for a minute and went to voicemail. "Umm, hey Derek, it's me, Addie, umm your wife. You're probably in surgery, but I have something I need to tell you, but I don't want to say it on voicemail. So call me back, please." She knew Derek would get her message soon and they could start over. He couldn't have moved on so fast. They would be Derek and Addison once again.