He awoke to the annoying ring of the phone adjacent to his bed; slowly he rolled his tired body over reaching for the receiver. He froze for a second realizing he was lying where she used to sleep, just months ago he would've had to reach over her tiny frame to answer any call. The phone persisted to ring and after a slight delay he had managed to clasp it in his hand.
"Dr. Sheppard," a man's voice boomed into the receiver,
"Yes," he said in a groggy manner,
"It's Detective Shulmers, FBI... you case was passed on to me on Monday... I'm sorry for waking you at this hour, but It was made aware to me that you where in Spokane right?"
"Yea," he groaned, "What's this about... they told me Meredith was most likely dead by now. Have you found her?" His voice began to crack and he swallowed hard trying to keep himself together for the rest of the call.
"Umm... no Dr. Sheppard, actually we hit a wall in your case, see Derek? Right?"
"Uh-huh," he chocked.
"Well, Derek we can place the suspects at all the home invasions other than the one at your residence. We where wondering if you knew if Meredith had any enemies, people she didn't particularly get along with?"
"Not really," he sighed can't we do this in the morning.
"I assure Derek, I am calling at this hour only because it's urgent sir, if she is still alive we have to act quickly... I know it's been months and this difficult for you but you wouldn't believe how some of these cases turn out. We once found a woman 6 months after her disappearance..." the man trailed on, "was there any conflict in your an Meredith relationship?"
"No," he hesitated, "well, umm sort of I guess...."
"Mhmm," the man continued, "Is the anything that could've provoked her to fake her own death, Dr. Sheppard?"
"What," he exclaimed slightly appalled by the question, "she would never... "
"You'd be surprised Dr. Sheppard, it's always the people you least expect... Now I want you to look around the house, look for any indication that she might alive somewhere out there. M'kay? And call me personally or leave a message with my secretary Rhonda in the next few days."
He clicked off the phone, in a daze ... she would never, they where Meredith and Derek. Then again he had never expected her drown herself in the deep murky waters bordering Seattle. Although it wasn't entirely her fault he knew she could dam well swim. He paused for a moment gazing out the window, the sun was just begging to crawly over the mountainous skyscrapers that had invaded the city. Glancing at the clock he realized it was only 3:45 am, but he knew he wouldn't get back to sleep, at least not for tonight anyways. He pulled himself out of bed, and began to get dress pulling on a dark cashmere sweater over a crisp blue shirt. He glanced at her side of the closet; empty... he had refused to hang up her clothes after the break in... He knew she wouldn't need them again.
A different kind of ring pulled him from his dazed, and he snatched the tiny pager from the night stand. It read: "9-1-1, come ASAP." Great just what he needed at this hour some idiot who had managed to bash their head into their dashboard during last night's storm.
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"What have we got?" he asked barging into the trauma room. The room was crowded with a variety of people and he could barley see the patient lying on the table. Everyone seemed in somewhat of a daze, memorized by something in the room.
"Yang," he yelled, "What's going on?"
"Sorry sir... it's just.... she looks so much like..."
"Yang," he insisted.
"28 year old female," Karev began, "internal bleeding and possible head trauma, proceeding a car accident 2 hours out of Settle. We had to sedate her after she attempted to sit up."
"Thanks," he sighed pushing his way through the sea of pale blue scrubs, he stared at the woman puzzled. "Ellen?"
"Dr. Sheppard," somebody asked "are you alright?"
"Yea," he shivered examining the familiar face, "Um, take her down to CT Karev; page me when you're done. Yang get your act together.... we all know better."
"Yes Sir," they replied almost in unison.
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He sat in his office, sipping a freshly brewed cup of coffee, it was barley 6 am and he had already managed to guzzle down three of beverages, if only he had a shot of rum to slip into them. He had to admit Ellen Grace possessed startling resemblance to Meredith, he would've sworn if he would not have know better he would've made the same presumptions as Cristina when he first laid eyes on the woman in Spokane. The eerie part was not only the woman's appearance but her mannerisms. Her voice, he hand motions, and god her kiss how they resembled his deceased girlfriend. His mind drifted back to the detective's presumptions; okay now he was going crazy there was no way Meredith would've pulled such an outrageous stunt off in such short time. She was alone for what 4 hours top?
"Dr. Sheppard," a female voice interrupted.
"Yes, Yang?" he droned.
"You have to see this!"
He followed the woman down the hall to the CT room, Alex and a familiar nurse sat inches away from the screen their jaws practically hanging at their knees.
"What's up?" he asked flipping through the seemingly perfect CT scan, "Everything looks fine, a minor concussion... really lucky girl." He glanced over at the pair now joined by Yang who looked as amazed as they where. "Okay," he continued, "What the hell is going on?"
"No Appendix," Karev chocked.
"You mean you drug me all the way down here to tell me out patient is missing her appendix?" he exclaimed pushing Karev back from the adjacent computer, "My God, look at that internal bleeding did any of you notice that? The fact she is missing her appendix is the least of our concerns. Did someone page Bailey?"
"Um... NO Sir," Yang stuttered, "I will right now."
"Don't bother," he protested "I will, and I don't want you or as a matter of fact any of your backwards interns near this woman. She is not Meredith Grey, Meredith is dead... we all know that no matter what the cops think?"
"Wait," Yang called chasing him out of the door, "They think... they think she could still be.... alive?"
"Yang, I don't have time for this... I have to prep out patient, Ellen Grace for surgery."
He sat in the dark room with the familiar brunette, caressing her arm. Bailey should be here any minute ready to whisk her away for mending. He looked at the woman long and hard, if only she could be her, it would make so many things so much easier. Looking closer her could see a trickle of run down the side of her check; he followed the stream up to a gash hidden within the woman's locks. "Those two," he thought, so distracted by their delusions they had missed the 2 inch gash on the side of her head. He reached for a nearby suture kit, and parted the woman's hair to reveal the wound. He stitched the skin together flawlessly, not noticing the pale blonde roots that had begun to appear till the final cut of the thread. Suddenly he jolted back the suture kit falling to the floor with a loud thud.
The past few months raced through his mind, every moment up to his encounters with this mysterious Ellen Grace. The untraceable crime scene with only their own prints, the cops call, her attitude, her smile, he eyes.... they where blue, and most importantly her kiss.
"Derek," Dr. Bailey intruded her eyes falling on the scattered equipment, "What's Up?"
"I shouldn't be with this patient... I shouldn't be here now..." he rambled, "I'm not allowed to be on this case... it's against hospital policy."
"What the hell are you talking about Dr. Sheppard?" the woman questioned.
"It's conflict of interest,"
"Alright then," she said quixotically, as she began to wheel the patient away.
"It's conflict of interest, because this is Meredith Grey," he shouted the ward glaring at him.
"You mean that girl on TV," a patient called out.
"Derek how can you be sure," the woman asked.
"Look," he demanded pulling back her hair revealing blonde roots, "She is the right age, height size, she has blue eyes, they are the same blood type... and fore god sake she is missing her appendix. Check the DNA I dare you."
"Derek," the woman sighed, "We all know this is hard for you but..."
"But what..." he panted, his breath suddenly heavy, "Even ask Yang and Karev." She looked at him for a moment and then back at one of the interns that stood adjacent to her. She sighed glancing down at the woman who slept peacefully unaware of the chaos her presence was creating.
"Get some blood," she droned, "Derek Sheppard you dam well better be right about this." He watched her as she pushed the gurney down the hall to OR one. He could feel droplets of sweat forming on his forehead, she was alive, he knew she was. A sudden rage of emotion swept over the man, who was unsure of weather to be angry or relived. He looked up to see a familiar man standing at the nurses desk, he remembered him from St. Lucas... a paediatric resident he believed. He saw her with Ellen, he meant Meredith, a lot. He approached him with caution unsure of what to say.
"You here for Ellen Grace?"
"Yea," the man sighed, "She was in an accident, what happened."
"I don't know the details but apparently was hit head on by a drunk driver in the storm last night, they just took her down for surgery. Very lucky woman... If you don't mind me asking how are you associated to Ellen?"
"Umm... friend" The man stuttered, "Actually probably more of a friend with benefits I suppose."
"Uh-huh," he said suddenly losing the friendly tone in his voice. Okay now he was angry.
"It's Derek Sheppard, right?"
"Yeah," he smiled apprehensively taking the man's hand, "And?"
"Andre Rousseau," he man smiled, completely unaware of whom he was meeting.