Seattle Grace Hospital

Administrative Floor,

Lunch Time

-

Pushing open the door to the attending's locker room Derek came to an abrupt halt when he saw Mark, about to throw a sweater into his sports bag but now looking up as well. For a moment they kept staring at each other, Derek taking in the cast and the bruises, Mark noticing the telltale signs that recent events had started taking their toll on his former best friend as well.

Derek was the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry about that," he said, letting the door fall shut behind him and motioning towards the bruise he knew wasn't from the accident.

"I bet you would be even more sorry if you had one just like it," Mark smirked. "Would have been hard to explain to Meredith."

Derek glared at him for a beat but then realized he knew Mark well enough to know he'd always been like that and that he would probably act the exact same way even if they hadn't stopped being friends. So he just let it go.

"Yeah," he sighed, "That would have been a problem."

Apparently accepting the underlying peace offer Mark continued to stuff some clothes into his bag. "Heard your surgery got cancelled."

"Yeah," Derek nodded, walking over to his own locker and opening it up. He couldn't say he was disappointed though. Today was maybe not the best of days for him to perform a high-risk procedure, and while explaining the how's and why's to the patient's family had been less than pleasant he had preferred it to spending most of this day in the OR.

"Did you go see Addison yet?"

He glanced over his shoulder but Mark wasn't looking at him.

"I'm on my way to see her now," he snapped.

He could have made it sooner but if he was completely honest he had been stalling for a bit, taking the time to speak to some other patients of his and finally make some phone calls he had put off for too long. He'd go now. As ready as he'd ever be…

"Good," Mark nodded, his voice surprisingly free of judgment. "She was awake earlier. A little shaken up but she's holding it together pretty good, considering."

They both stared at their lockers for a moment, inspecting their belongings as if they might have to memorize them at some point.

"It'll be good for her to see you," Mark hurried to wrap his part of the conversation up, slamming his locker shut. Swinging the bag over his shoulder, he reached for his crutches and moved towards the door.

Darting him a side glance, Derek wasn't sure how to react.

"Hey, did you talk to the Chief about your replacement?" he asked just as Mark was reaching for the door.

"Yeah, it's all under control."

"How long do you think until you're back?"

"Well, I can't do surgeries as long as I can't stand on my own feet for a couple of hours." He glared at his crutches. "And as long as I can't do any surgeries…"

Derek nodded and again they both fell silent.

"I'll see you," Mark stated, turning towards the door.

"Yeah," Derek nodded, getting what he had come for from his locker before slamming it shut as well.