Chapter 32: War
Derek began working on his case. He couldn't get the thoughts of what he said to Meredith out of his head. It was an impulse. He didn't mean it. He was just getting frustrated with her. With Adrien. With the situation. It was too much. He looked down at his patients' brain. Every once in a while, he'd look up to the gallery to see if she was there. She wasn't.
"Dr. de Gaulle is on his way." A scrub nurse said as she looked over at Derek.
"Thank you." He muttered as he continued on.
He needed at cardio surgeon. The patient needed and aortic repair. Could Meredith do it? Of course not. It had to be de Gaulle. He had to stand next to a man whom he loathed. Not because of him. Because of the situation. Because Adrien wanted the same that he did. And he wasn't doing it. He wasn't sharing.
"de Gaulle." Derek said with a nod.
"Shepherd." de Gaulle muttered as he approached the table.
Adrien began working on his patient. Every once in a while, he would glance up at Derek. The looks they shared were far from friendly. More like two men ready to attack each other. Two men vying for the something. Two men now on a mission.
They worked for a long time in silence. The tension was high. It was thick. Operating room two was far too small for both men. Their egos were large. Their anger immense. It was only a matter of time before the room exploded.
"How is it going down there, Dr. de Gaulle?" Derek asked.
"I think I know how to do my job, thank you." Adrien spat as he glanced up. "And the brain? How is the brain? Maybe we should call in another neurosurgeon. Two heads are always better than one." Adrien retorted as he looked up. "Especially when one doesn't know what he's doing..." He said under his breath.
"You don't become a world class surgeon by not knowing what you're doing." Derek replied frankly with a glare.
"Ah... But you do become a second-rate one." Adrien snapped.
"I did four years at Johns-Hopkins, then another-" Derek started to say.
"I think I know your credentials. You don't have to list them for me." Adrien told him as he worked. The nurses became wide-eyed as they watched the men argue.
"I'm not sorry you found out. But I am sorry you found out that way." Derek told him.
"Well, that is quite funny, as you were the one that pointed it out so eagerly." Adrien said quickly. "I didn't see you as the type."
"What type would that be?" Derek asked as he looked up.
"The kind to take what's not yours." Adrien spat as he glared at Derek.
"You never owned what you thought you owned. There is no owning it. And maybe if you treated it right. Maybe if you kept it satisfied..." Derek said with a smirk. He didn't want the nurses to know who or what he was talking about.
"Oh. It was satisfied. Very satisfied. You're fooling yourself if you think it wasn't." Adrien said with a laugh.
"Well, usually happy things don't look for other things. They don't search out if they are happy with what they have." Derek told him.
"I think I'm done here." Adrien said as he stepped away from the table. He walked over to Derek. "She's mine."
"I'm glad you think so. It's nice to see someone who still has hope when he doesn't have a chance in hell." Derek returned.
"We shall see, Dr. Shepherd. We shall see..." He said as he walked out of the OR.
"I wonder what they were talking about..." A scrub nurse mutter quietly.
"What's that?" Derek said loudly.
"I was just-" She started.
"Don't read into things. It's a waste of time." Derek snapped as he looked up.
Derek glanced into the scrub room. Adrien gave him a cocky smirk. It was a challenge. A fight. He never backed down. He never wimped out. And he wasn't going to start anytime soon.
Meredith laid her head back as she sat down in the chair. Her nausea was still kicking up every once in a while. Her back was killing her, and her feet hurt. It was a bad day a long shift. And Derek called her a whore. The man she loved more than anything, called her a whore. She knew he was angry. She knew he was upset with her. But she never expected him to say it.
"Hey." Lexie said as she plopped down in the chair next to her.
"Hey." Meredith said as she glanced over.
"You look like you need a drink." She said with a smile.
"I feel like I need a drink." Meredith agreed as she laid her head to the side.
"Well, let's go." Lexie said exuberantly.
"I'm tired." Meredith moaned as she closed her eyes.
"You'll wake up when we get to Joe's." Lexie said with a happy nod.
"I'm not sure I want to wake up." Meredith moaned as she laid there.
"Come on... Please?" Lexie asked as she pulled her hand.
"Fine. One drink." Meredith said with a sigh.
"Yay." Lexie said as she jumped around.
"You realize you look like an idiot, right?" Meredith asked as she rolled her eyes.
"Of course." Lexie agreed. "I'm going to change. I'll meet you in the lobby."
"You look happy." Adrien said as he sat a chart down and looked up.
"Yep. I finally get to spend some time with my friend." She said with a smile. "We're going to Joe's."
"Joe's huh?" Adrien asked with a smile
"Uh huh. Well, see you later." Lexie said with a grin as she walked off.
Adrien walked down the hall with a smile on his face. He knew exactly where he was going the minute, he left the hospital. Derek had proposed a silent challenge. It was going to be a war. A war and he was going to fight like hell. He glanced over at Derek as he walked by.
"Looks like I will be fighting round one without you in the ring." He muttered as he walked by.
"Now that doesn't sound like a fair fight to me." Derek returned. "I thought you were above that."
"Funny." Adrien spat. "I thought you were above fucking my girlfriend." He said as he continued on. He had to change, and he had to hurry. He wasn't missing this chance.
"So, this is fun, right?" Lexie said with a smile as she peeled a peanut and tossed the shell.
"Oh yes." Meredith said sarcastically.
"I'm single. Almost single and I-" She started to say as she sipped her drink.
"But you're- I thought you wanted Derek back." Meredith said with confusion.
"Are you kidding me? He was right. I am happy. Do you know how it feels to have hot guys look at you and know that if I wanted to, I could take them home?" Lexie said happily. "It's invigorating! It's wonderful!"
"Seriously?" Meredith asked, in shock by the change in her tune. That was fast...
"Oh yeah. Yesterday I kissed a guy by the darts. He was hot and I just- I did it." She said with a giggle.
"But you wanted Derek back..." Meredith said quickly.
"I did. But Derek is miserable. I didn't realize how much he brought me down until he was gone." She told her.
"Hey, can I buy you ladies a drink?" A guy asked as he walked up.
"You bet your ass you can!" Lexie said quickly.
"Actually, I was just leaving." Meredith said as she grabbed her purse. You have got to be kidding me!
"Like hell." Lexie said as she grabbed her arm. "She'll have a shot of tequila." Meredith rolled her eyes and nodded.
"So... What are two pretty girls like you doing here?" He asked with a smirk.
"Getting over assholes." Lexie said with a nod.
"I think I could help you out there." He said with a seductive grin. Meredith gave him a pathetic look and threw her shot back.
"So, what do you do?" Lexie asked him.
"I'm an attorney, actually." He said with a smirk.
"So, you're not a doctor?" She said with a happy sigh.
"No." He responded.
"Good." Lexie told him.
"So. What kind of attorney are you?" Meredith asked, looking up at the guy who was definitely not an attorney. Attorney my ass. Loser. Idiot. Any of those would work.
"Um..." He hesitated. "Criminal."
"Hmm..." She said with raised brows. "What do you think about the Harrisburg case?" Meredith questioned, talking about a very big recent case that everyone knew about.
"Um..." He said with a sigh.
"Get your ass out of here." She spat. "I wouldn't have cared what you do for a living. But definitely don't like liars." She said as she turned away from him. He quickly walked off.
"Mer!" Lexie said quickly.
"What?" Meredith asked.
"He was hot. He was hot and you ran him off." Lexie grumbled.
"He was also a liar." Meredith pointed out.
"Well, as long as he was good in bed, I don't care what he is." Lexie said frankly.
"My my. Aren't we a little whore." Meredith said with a chuckle.
"Hey, my husband was horrible in bed. I am just sampling." Lexie said with a laugh.
"Derek? Bad in bed?" Meredith asked with a smirk. Interesting. Very interesting. He went from being eleven inches to shit. Amazing what splitting up does...
"Oh god yes. It was okay. If he ever got hard. And then it was nonstop work to get anywhere. I just used Johnny." She laughed.
"Johnny?" Meredith asked. Then it hit her. "Oh!" She said as she laughed and slammed her shot back. "Johnny..."
"He looks like he would be good. But I can attest." Lexie explained.
"Yeah..." Meredith muttered. But he is good. Really, really good.
"Oh, imagine seeing you here." Adrien said with a smirk as he sat down. Meredith's heart jumped into her throat as she looked over at him.
"I need another shot." Meredith shouted. "Or two!" Welcome to hell, Meredith!
"I'm that bad, huh?" He asked with a chuckle.
"You have no idea." Meredith said frankly. I'd rather jam a hypodermic needle in my eye.
"I'll have a beer." Adrien told Joe.
"Right away, doc." Joe said as he grabbed one and sat it in front of him.
"So. What were we talking about before I came in?" Adrien asked.
"Um... Johnny." Meredith finally said.
"Yep. Mer needs a Johnny. Then she wouldn't need-" Lexie started before Meredith kicked her in the leg. "Ouch!"
"So how was your day?" Adrien asked, ignoring the current conversation.
"Fine." Meredith muttered as she looked down. She knew she shouldn't have come. Her gut instinct was right. "I have to go to the bathroom." She said quickly as she walked away.
She was off. Definitely not close to sober. She sighed as she laid her head back against the wall. The exact same wall that she and Derek had sex against not too long ago. She missed it. She missed him. She contemplated how to get out of this situation. Maybe she could sneak against the wall and out the door. But then she didn't have a way home. There was no way she could drive. And to wait for a cab out in the cold didn't sound like fun either. She slowly walked out, scanning the bar. She caught a glance of something that made her sick. It was Derek. With a woman.
"We thought you fell in." Lexie said with a giggle.
"No." Meredith said as she sat down. She glanced slightly at Derek. She didn't want Adrien to see what she was looking at.
"You saw it, right?" Lexie asked as she looked over.
"Saw what?" Meredith asked nonchalantly.
"That." She said as she pointed over at Derek. The blond to his side hand her hand on his shoulder and was laughing heartily.
"Oh." Meredith said as she looked over. She could see the hurt in Adrien's eyes out of her peripheral vision.
"Tacky. I didn't expect it. Not from him." Lexie said as she looked over. "Whatever. I don't care." She said as she took a drink.
"Well, I expected it." Adrien said and then quickly dropped his head.
"What do you mean?" Lexie asked in shock.
"Oh. Just the big ego. That's all." Adrien said with a shrug.
Meredith casually glanced over at Derek. He didn't see her. Maybe he noticed. Maybe he didn't care. Maybe he had moved on. It made her sick. To see him. To see another woman with him. It was cruel. Lexie was one thing. He was with her before he found out. But now he had moved on. And it hurt like hell.
Derek glanced up at Meredith. His heart sank. He had a feeling she was there. And there she was, sitting next to Adrien. And there he was, sitting next to some bar whore whose name he didn't even know. He wanted to break away. He wanted to go over there. But he couldn't. He wouldn't do that to her. He wouldn't walk over and hurt Lexie. And hurt Meredith by doing it in front of her friend. He sucked it up. Round one goes to the Frenchman.
"Are you okay, Mer?" Lexie asked.
Derek looked up. He caught her eye. Her heart began to beat. Faster. Faster. Blue and Green. Faster and faster. Two hearts connected. Faster and faster. Soul mates. Faster and faster. Waiting for their silent speak. Their mind talk. There was none. Then it stopped. Her heart stopped as he turned away from her and looked at his companion.
"I have to go. I- I need to go." She said as she jumped up from the bar. She fished for bills in her purse and threw them down before rushing out.
"Let me drive you home." Adrien said as he put his hand on the small of her back and led her out. She nodded her head and followed him to her car.
It was over. She treated him bad. She denied him. She left him in limbo. And now it was over. He called her a whore. He called her a whore and he didn't apologize. He did. But not in Derek fashion. It was over. And now the question was, whether to settle or not.
Adrien grabbed her and opened the door. She had a lot to drink. But not too much. Not typical for her. This daze she was in. It was Derek induced. She stared off into space. She wasn't there. Not mentally.
"Come on." He said as he opened the door and led her in.
She walked in and pulled her shoes off. He followed her into her room. She pulled her blankets back. She changed her clothes and crawled under. Not even noticing him there. Not even seeing that he had stayed with her.
"Meredith." He said as he sat down on the bed. She looked up at him with fresh eyes.
"Hmm?" She asked.
"He doesn't love you." Adrien said quickly. "If he did, he wouldn't have told me that morning. He would have protected you. And he would be fighting for you. Not taking girls to the bar. She came in with him. He doesn't love you. I'm sorry." He lied. She shook her head as she laid down, the tears falling as she looked away.
"Give me a chance. I may not be the guy. But I could try." He said as he stroked her hair. She nodded her head.
Maybe he was right. She was willing to make it work with Derek. All say, she thought about it. What to do. And now, all that was out the window. He wanted to move on. He wanted to leave her. Even with Lexie, they always shared their look. Not today. Today it had changed.