Chapter 7: Uneasy Revelations

"Earlier today, you asked me about someone that had been hit by a car. I called every hospital in the area and the only man that was hit by a car during that time was here, he is in this hospital".

The words echoed in Derek's mind even though Olivia had already left after handing him the file. It didn't seem possible that the one man in whole entire world he wanted to harm more than anything ended up in his hospital. It must have been a sign. He quickly slapped the file onto the counter of the nurse's station and frantically began flipping through pages.

"David Myers" he said out loud….the name sounded so familiar.

"Derek, you need to let the police take care of this" Addison said as she placed her hand on his back. She had immediately recognized the anger that swelled up behind Derek's eyes and knew he had the tendency to quickly become irrational.

Derek stared at the information and continued to quickly flip pages, scanning each and every line. "Derek look at me" Addison pleaded. "Everything is already in the hands of the police just let the hospital staff take care of this guy and we will deal with him in court".

Addison suddenly saw a change in his face, an almost disappointment. Derek gently closed the file and pushed it further back on the counter. "It's not him" Derek sighed.

"How do you know?"

"He was hit by a car a couple days ago, not today. That's not our guy," Derek said taking a deep breath and leaning back up against the counter. "Olivia must have made a mistake".

Addison sighed and looked at him for a moment. It was then that she wanted to wrap her arms around him and lay her chest against his. She wanted to feel his hand on her back and in her hair. She wanted to hear his lips, mere centimeters away from her ear, whisper and tell her that everything was going to be okay. She knew she couldn't though… not now. He was in love with Meredith and lost to her. She had missed her chance.

Derek looked over at her and smiled and she let it go. "Don't worry, like you said we will see him in court" he said re assuring her. "Let's just focus on helping Ava right now".

"I am going to grab some more coffee do you want anything?" Addison asked. Derek shook his head and watched her as she walked away. The minute she was out of sight and earshot Derek turned around and re-opened the file that sat behind him. He felt guilty but he had to lie to Addison. He had lied to protect her. She couldn't be involved in this.

The file that sat in front of him really was the man that tried to kill his daughter, admitted to Seattle Grace Hospital at 10:36 that morning. He knew it wouldn't be long before Addison and everyone else found out who it was, but Derek just needed time, a little time to figure out what his plan was. There was no way he was going to let this guy get away with what he had done. Having him sit in a jail cell for a few years wasn't going to suffice.

"David Myers" he said once more out loud. The name sounded so familiar. He had worked on someone once….what was his name? Maybe he had performed surgery on him before? It was right there on the edge of his mind. Then it all came together.

Meredith and Derek had worked hard to design and execute a neurosurgical clinical trial. It was a dark period for the both of them because they had lost so many patients including William Myers, David's only son. He remembered it clearly now and recalled how horrible he felt when he had to look in his eyes and tell him that he had lost his child. It wasn't enough guilt to make Derek believe his feelings were wrong. Just as quickly as the sorrow had entered his mind, it was replaced by anger.

Ava hadn't slept much that night. She woke up early that morning and was sitting in her room methodically counting tiles on the ceiling. She didn't want to watch TV, there wasn't a show that she could think of that would occupy her mind. She just wanted to stay busy. Keep her thoughts where they needed to be. Every time she closed her eyes she saw his face and felt the wood baseball bat hit her ribs once more. It was just easier to stay awake. Though her parent's desperately wanted to be with her life went on. This morning her father, mother and uncle all had surgeries scheduled and she almost had to physically shove them out the door. She was okay; there were other lives that needed to be saved.

Dr. Altman had come in during the evening the day before and told her that the police were here and had the guy in custody. She impatiently awaited answers, wondering why it was her he had chosen to attack.

Bad thoughts were quickly broken though when she heard a knock on her door and George walked in carrying two pudding cups in one hand.

"Hey, Hey. I come bearing gifts" he said shaking the pudding cups in her direction.

"What are you doing here so early?" Ava asked in astonishment. "It's 5:30 in the morning".

"What are you doing awake so early?" George asked pulling up a chair.

"Can't sleep" Ava said softy.

George looked at her sympathetically for a moment before he quickly attended to the pudding cups, fumbling to get the foil top off of it.

"You're acting nervous George what's going on?" Ava said pushing herself up with her good arm and adjusting herself in her bed.

"Nothing, I can't get the top off of this thing, it's like trying to open a bottle of bleach except it's not bleach its pudding and children should be able to open pudding" he said ripping the peel tab off one of the cups.

Ava grabbed the cup out of his hand and pulled the lid off with her teeth setting the cup beside her and doing the same with the other one before passing it to George.

"Problem solved George, what's going on?" Ava asked looking at him. He was her best friend, she had know him long enough to know he was hiding something from her.

George looked down and took a scoop of chocolate and shoving it into his mouth.

"It's okay, you can tell me"

"Callie and I are getting married!" George said abruptly. Ava's heart fell into her stomach.

"What?" she asked. She wanted to make sure that she heard him correctly.

"Yesterday in the elevator, I was heading home and Callie jumped on with me and she asked me to marry her".

"There in an elevator? And you said yes?" Ava asked in astonishment.

"Yeah" George said. "I love her".

"I didn't know things were getting that serious" she said setting the pudding cup on her side table. "I can't believe it. You are getting married" Ava said trying her hardest to force a smile. "Come here" she said and opened her one good arm and wrapped it around his neck.

"It feels weird to say it out loud, I am engaged" he said smiling and sitting back down. He was her best friend nothing more and yet she couldn't help the sudden urge to just stand up and scream at him for accepting. Instead though, she congratulated him and finished eating before he had to begin rounds.

"So your going to take her name right?" Ava asked. George looked at her dumbfounded. "Because you do realize that her name is going to be Callie O'Malley and if she was my doctor I just couldn't take her seriously" Ava said smiling.

"You know what Ava Shepherd if you weren't already lying in a hospital bed I believe I would have to take you down".

"Yeah okay" she said sarcastically rolling her eyes. She watched George take her puding up and toss it in a nearby trash can.

"I'll be back after rounds to check on you" he said walking up to her and kissing her on her forehead. "Love you Ava".

"Me too" Ava said lying back on her bed and letting out a deep sigh.