Lacey:
I scarf my lunch, knowing that I only have a few moments to myself before Elliot and Carla accost my table and prod me for information about last night.
I've just gotten the last bit of the hot dog into my mouth when a tray drops beside me.
"Nice impression of Kobayashi you're doing there" a voice whispers in my left ear. I cringe. Derek…joy. I finish chewing, slowly, and pop a grim smile on my face.
"Derek." He smiles, all perfect white teeth, spotless green scrubs, every inch the heroic surgeon.
"Lacey." I tilt my head at him, staring, waiting. He clears his throat. "So, back in town? Visiting JD?" I swirl my spoon in my iced tea, trying to calm my heart.
"Visiting family…so yes, JD is included in that," I say, my eyes on the vortex I've made in my tea. I breathe in before venturing "…and you?"
I can feel Derek's smile growing as big as the Cheshire cat's before he answers. "Well, yes. I'm back here. Spent a few weeks in Hawaii," he says, gesturing to his tan, which has never wavered the entire time I've known him, "but I'm back now. Couldn't resist my patients." I rolled my eyes before taking a sip of my tea.
"Mmhmm…" I glanced around, noting a flash of pink scrubs at the front of the cafeteria line. I sigh. "Great…" Carla's ponytail bobs high on her head as she, followed closely by Elliot, make quick work of the space between the cashier and my table. Derek glances up as Carla and Elliot set down their trays.
"Hi, Lace! Good, we caught you before you could run!" Elliot babbles before stuffing a huge forkful of lettuce into her mouth. Carla pops a few French fries past her lips, staring pointedly at me. I stir my iced tea, ignoring them. "So…" Elliot begins. A tray slams down behind us, causing Elliot to jump and Derek is suddenly yanked from his chair by a pair of slightly hairy hands.
"What the FUCK are YOU doing here?" Perry – Cox, Cox, COX, for the love of God, his name is COX, not fuckin' PERRY – yells, causing everyone in the cafeteria to turn in our direction. Derek puts his hands up, tossing a panicked look from Perry to me. Perry glared at Derek, shaking him a little. "What are you doing here?" Perry roars louder, if that's at all possible as Derek's face becomes a little paler. Elliot and Carla cut their glances between Perry, Derek, and me, finally focusing their gaping mouths on Perry. Perry shakes Derek a little harder.
"Perry…put him down," a voice says. Perry, practically growling at Derek, glances for the smallest second, before dropping both his jaw and Derek. Carla and Elliot turn as one and gasp. I tear my eyes from Perry – LACEY, LAST TIME! – to lock them on the one person who could force Cox to let go of Derek.
In all her perfect coiffed, cheating glory…Jordan.
