September 27, 2006

"Alright, Mr. King, how are you feeling?" Derek asked as he stepped into his patient's room.

"Other then the headache, pretty good."

"Good, everything seems fine, but you fell pretty hard so we're going to get a CT to check for any problems," Derek said as he made a note on his chart before turning towards the nurse in the room, "Page Dr. Grey. She can take him for the CT."

"Dr. Grey?" Mr. King said, "As in Meredith Grey?"

"Yes, Meredith Grey, do you know her by any chance?" Derek asked interested.

"Yeah, we grew up together. I haven't seen her in almost a year," he responded happily.

"Dr. Shepherd, you needed something?" Meredith said as she walked into the room.

"Meredith, you haven't changed a bit."

Meredith turned her head towards the direction of the bed and her face lit up, "Ashton? Oh my god, I haven't seen you in forever," she said as she hurried over to him and hugged him.

"How've you been?"

"Pretty good actually. What about you? And why are you here?" Meredith asked.

"I'm working for a construction business and I fell off a roof yesterday," he said casually.

"You fell off a roof?" Meredith asked sounding concerned.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Well, we're not sure about that. Meredith, I was hoping that you'd take him down to get his CT," Derek said.

"Sure, Dr. Shepherd," Meredith said putting an emphasis on the Dr. Shepherd part.

"Well, this looks clear," Derek said looking at the scan.

"He always has had a hard head," Meredith joked.

Derek loved it when she smiled; it forced him to smile, "So you guys really go back?"

"Yeah. I've known him my entire life. We went to school together until I went to college. Ashton always hated school so once he was done with high school; he never wanted to go back. I wish I could have found him again under better circumstances," Meredith said.

"Yeah."

"Well, I better get him out of there," Meredith said leaving the room.

"Hey, Mer? Izzie said that you had a room to rent left?" George asked a little uncomfortable.

"Really? She did? Not surprising. Last time I checked, I have three extra rooms, now two have been rented out without my knowledge and one's on the market," Meredith said as she continued walking down the hall.

"So, there's no chance of me getting it?"

"Well I still have to work out prices and stuff, but if you want it, whatever. I don't see what's so appealing about living in that house," Meredith said before walking back into a patient's room, leaving George in the hallway.

September 27, 2006

"Okay, Ashton, you're clear," Meredith said smiling.

"I've always had a hard head," he joked.

"That's exactly what I said. We have to keep you over night for observation, but you can go home in the morning to Connor. How is he by the way?" Meredith asked.

"Good. He's growing up too fast though. He's already three years old and he's never looked more like is mom," Ashton said sadly.

Meredith gave him an understanding look, "Then he must be beautiful."

Derek stared into the window of the patient's room from the other side of the hall. He watched Meredith's face light up the second she walked in the room and he looked at her. She smiled beautifully as she began to talk and held his hand as the conversation obviously turned to something not so happy.

He had to admit, he was jealous. Which was slightly pathetic since this guy was lying in a hospital bed and he was a widely known neurosurgeon. Oh, and the fact that he was married, but he couldn't help but feel like that guy had a piece of Meredith. As if he was part of her, but Derek wanted to be part of Meredith. He'd never had such a desire to have someone feel something for him.

He rubbed his face and then ran his fingers through his hair. He had to find away to get her out of his mind. The only option that he could come up with was alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.

Want you
Need you
Can't live without you

September 27, 2006

Derek walked into Joe's and saw Meredith's friends. He didn't see her, but the empty seat near them signaled to him that she was there somewhere. He walked farther in and took a seat on the opposite side of the bar, away from them. He ordered his drink and sat silently sipping it, waiting for Meredith to return.

Cristina stood up from the table and walked over to Derek. He became a little nervous and turned away, trying to hide the fact that he'd been staring in their direction. Cristina casually ordered another beer and then looked at Derek, "She's not here."

Derek turned back around, but Cristina had already walked back over to the table. He sighed and finished off his scotch before placing down some money and walking out of the bar, disappointed.

I didn't know that I could be so blind to all that is so real
But as illusion dies I see there is so much to be revealed

Derek didn't know where to go. He was tired of walking into the empty hotel room and he didn't want to go back to the hospital. Instead he drove to a near by park. He got out of his car and started walking down the trail, just watching the people along the way.

As the sky darkened he stopped and sat on a nearby bench. He looked at the kids playing on the playground, completely carefree. He really began to admire them and their freewill. His head turned to the side of the playground where a family sat in the grass. The parents were young and they were holding on to their two young children. Derek admired them as well. They were seemed happy and content with their lives.

Derek's mind then turned to a little boy who was running across the grass. He had a small ball in his hands and he was running to a woman. Derek turned away and then quickly looked back. That woman was Meredith.

Meredith smiled as the little boy ran into her arms. She picked him up as he played with the little ball in his arms, "Okay, are we ready to get going?"

The little boy nodded and laughed as Meredith adjusted him on her small hip. She picked up a small bag of toys and began heading towards the trail to go back to the car. As she stepped on the cement, she met Derek's eyes.

Meredith panicked, knowing that this little boy was going to throw all kinds of thoughts into his mind, so she turned and continued walking down the path. At the worst possible time, the little boy dropped the ball. She looked over her shoulder and watched as it bounced directly into Derek's open hand.

Derek stopped back up and walked over to Meredith who had turned around. He held out the ball to little boy, "Drop this?"

The boy took it and smiled, "Thanks."

Derek smiled at the sweetest of the boy's voice before looking at Meredith's face. "This, this isn't what it looks like," she said in a shaky voice.

"It's okay, Meredith," Derek said in an understanding voice.

"No, seriously, he's not my kid. Well, I was kind of the only mother he's known, but he's not my kid. He's Ashton's. It's a really long story, but I haven't seen him in a while and I didn't want him to be in the care of some people Ashton didn't really know," Meredith said quickly and nervously.

"What do you mean you're the only mother he's known?" Derek asked confused.

"Nothing, never mind. I've got to," Meredith said before turning around and walking away.

"Meredith," Derek said catching up to her, "We should talk. Really."

"I don't have time to talk. I have to take care of a three year old," Meredith said as she reached her car and opened the back door, "Maybe later, but just not now."

She began to buckle the little boy into a seat as Derek sighed. She shut the door and turned around and looked at him with pleading eyes, "Okay, but he's getting out of the hospital tomorrow so maybe we can meet for dinner?"

"I'll just get back to you, okay?" Meredith said as she began to get in her car.

"Fine," Derek said giving up.