Chapter 2: Trouble
Meredith woke up the next morning with her stomach churning and a massive headache. She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to empty her stomach. When she finished, Meredith stood up and brushed her teeth to get the taste out of her mouth. She noticed Cristina standing at the door when she looking into the mirror.
"What?" Meredith snapped as she dried her face.
Cristina frowned "What did he do now?"
"I don't want to talk about it. Derek and I are over. For good this time." Meredith responded coldly.
Cristina sighed as she brought Meredith some aspirin "You need to get ready now if you don't want to be late."
"Whatever !" Meredith stated as she grabbed the pills from Cristina's hand and downed them with a sip of water. Cristina shook her head as she walked out of the bathroom.
Meredith hurried into the locker room as Cristina and Izzie tried to get her to talk about the night before. Sydney Heron walked into the locker room and began to address her colleagues.
"Hello Everyone! Dr. Bailey has taken some time off so I am acting Chief Resident. Now, assignments: Grey, take your interns and you have been requested by Plastics. Yang, you and your interns are on Neuro. Stevens, you're in the Pit. Karev you with Dr. Hahn."
Cristina glared at Alex and spat "Evil Spawn, trade with me."
"No, I am on Hahn service so get over it!" Alex retorted.
Meredith rolled her eyes as she saw Mark talking with Derek. She gave her interns their assignments and was hoping to hide from the stares and gossip of the nurses. Meredith stood behind the two men and listen to their conversation.
"So, how your date with Rose?" Mark asked Derek as he sipped his coffee.
Derek smiled "Actually, it went pretty well. Rose is a pretty interesting person."
"You are such a women Shep! A pretty interesting person? Seriously?" Mark stated as he laughed.
Derek frowned as he looked at his friend "Shut up! Something I really wonder why I am your friend."
"Whatever man! By the way, I am getting closer to cracking Hahn to going out with me." Mark stated with a smirk.
Derek chuckled as he checked his watch "So, what are you doing tonight?"
"Probably just going to Joe's again. You?" Mark questioned his best friend.
Derek grinned as he replied "Rose and I are going out again."
"Seriously?" A voice rang out from behind the two men.
Meredith turned to see her person standing behind her. She closed her eyes and turned toward the two attendings. Derek and Mark were staring toward the voice too. Cristina looked at Meredith then glared at Derek.
"Dr. Yang, may I help you?" Derek questioned as he ignored Meredith.
Cristina snorted as she walked closer "You're an ass, you know that! She was trying for you."
"Dr. Yang, let me remind you that I am your boss." Derek stated in his best professional voice.
Cristina threw her hands around "Whoop - de - freakin - do! You're my boss but you also the biggest idiot ever!"
"Cristina!" Meredith hissed "Please just leave it alone!"
Cristina turned toward her person then back toward Derek "I'll go trade with Dr. Stevens because I might say or do something I won't regret."
Meredith sighed as she watched Cristina leave. Mark walked to Meredith and question "Are you on my service today?"
Meredith nodded as she looked at the handsome plastic surgeon.
Mark smiled sadly as he turned toward Derek "See you later Shep."
Derek nodded as he watched Meredith and Mark walk away.
The evening Meredith was so exhausted. She had scrubbed in on four plastic surgeries. She tried to hide from Derek, Rose, and Cristina. She again found herself going into Joe's. She sat at the bar and again asked for the bottle of tequila.
"Washing away brain cells again tonight, are we?" A voice came from behind.
Meredith turned toward the voice and noticed it was Jason. "Yes, it's the best plan I can come up with."
"So, you have friends who like to threaten people?" Jason questioned as he sat down.
Meredith winced as she remembered what Callie said "Oh, well actually they weren't my friends."
"Oh! So, who was he big guy – an ex boyfriend?" Jason stated as he ordered a beer.
Meredith laughed as she shook her head "Oh no, he is the ex- best friend of my ex-boyfriend."
"Okay, so you are single?" Jason asked as he sipped his beer.
Meredith shrugged as she knocked back another shot. Meredith turned her head as she heard he bell above the door ring. She rolled her eyes as she muttered "Crap!"
She noticed that Mark, Callie, Erica, and Derek walked into the bar. She noticed Mark saying something to Derek, who looked at the bar then saw as Mark turned to Callie and Erica. Both Derek and Mark made their way to the bar. Meredith looked toward Jason and whispered "I am sorry but you probably need to leave now."
"Why?" Jason stated but realized that Mark was walking toward the bar "No, its okay."
Mark stood in between Meredith and Jason as Derek stood on the other side of Meredith.
Meredith looked at Mark and rolled her eyes "Please leave me alone?"
"Grey, you have drank enough. Let me call one of your friends." Mark pleaded as he flagged Joe down.
Meredith glared at Mark "I don't need you to protect me."
"Mer, please just let Mark call someone for you." Derek stated sincerely.
Meredith scoffed "Oh so now you don't ignore me Dr. Shepherd. Please don't call me Mer. By the way, shouldn't you be with your nurse?"
"Mer – " Derek began but saw the glare she gave him "I mean Dr. Grey, please just listen to Mark."
Meredith slapped the money on the bar and stood up to leave.
"Meredith, where are you going?" Derek shouted at her.
Meredith just kept walking out of the bar. Mark caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm.
"Grey, you aren't driving home."
"Let go of me Sloan." Meredith snapped as she continued "I am fine to drive home."
Mark stood in front of her driver's side door "Let me have your keys!"
"Dr. Sloan, is everything okay?" a voice called out to him.
Mark and Meredith looked over toward the voce and noticed it was Rose.
"Great!" Meredith mumbled as she tried to get around Mark.
Mark sighed heavily as he grabbed Meredith around the waist "Yes, I am fine Rose. Derek is waiting for you inside."
"Oh, uh – thank you. Good night Dr. Grey." Rose stated as she walked toward the bar.
Mark felt a sharp pain in his arm and yelped as he dropped Meredith to the ground.
"Damn - it Grey! Did you bite me?"
"That's what you get. Now move the hell out of my way." Meredith snapped as she stood up.
Mark grabbed her wrist and pulled her keys out of her head "Now, shut up and get in the car."
Meredith glared at Mark as she sat in the passenger seat.
After a few minutes of silence, Meredith wiped the tears from her eyes. "You warned me when you first moved here. You told me that he was damaged goods, that I should start over. I – I wish that I listened to you back then because this wouldn't have happen."
"Grey" Mark began with a sigh " I am sorry that you all broke up the way you did but drinking yourself into a coma isn't going to help."
Meredith looked out the window "Let me decide what I will and won't do to get over Derek. I was trying for him and it wasn't enough."
Mark shook his head as he pulled into Meredith's driveway. She got out of the car and took her keys from Mark. Meredith walked into the house and straight up the stairs. Mark shook his head as he walked into the living room. He saw Lexie, Cristina, George and Izzie dancing around the living room. He stood there a few minutes until he noticed Alex standing beside him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Alex snapped as he turned to face Mark.
Mark crossed his arms as he turned toward the younger resident "I was taking care of my friend. She's upstairs and drank half a tequila bottle."
"Shepherd needs a good ass - kicking for what he did to her." Alex stated as he allowed himself to calm down.
Mark chuckled as he remember Meredith biting him " Let Grey do it herself, because she about kicked my ass tonight."
"Dude seriously? That's sad. So , what are you still doing here?" Alex questioned the older doctor.
Mark blew a breath out "I need a ride back to Joe's."
"Oh! I'll take you. I haven't seen Joe in awhile. Besides, the rest of them are about half in the bottle." Alex stated as he grabbed his keys and left.
Again thanks for reading and please review.
Kelley
