Dignity
Meredith's one night stand is admitted to the hospital, and somebody isn't very happy about it.
"Umm, Meredith?" Steve limps over to her and Cristina outside the hospital. "I have a little bit of a problem…"
News of Steve's priapism spreads through the hospital like wildfire, as gossip at Seattle Grace Hospital often does.
"I gave him an enema, and the flag is still flying if y'know what I mean," Cristina whispers to Izzie.
"Did he take drugs? Because I heard that can happen when guys take drugs. And you know what's even sadder? I almost wish he could give some to Alex because he hasn't been able to, y'know, since last night." Izzie whispers back.
"Doctors!?" Addison squints at the interns.
"Sorry, Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd," Cristina and Izzie both mumble.
"Take very good care of Dorie. I'll be back in a little while," Addison says pointedly.
And then she storms off with a click-click-click of her heels.
"Dr. Grey, how is your patient?" Addison says sharply to Meredith.
"He's umm… He's holding up… I mean… Holding down… I mean…" Meredith waves her hands in the air in frustration before she purposely puts them at her sides. "He's fine. Better. Thank you for asking," Meredith mumbles.
Addison looks at her with an amused glance, before her eyebrows frown into fury again.
"You know you could do better than him," Addison says clearly.
"I uh- what?" says Meredith.
She's confused, because the last person of significance that she's been with is this woman's husband, and yet here she is, criticizing Meredith for her boy choices. Man choices. Whatever.
"There's more to life than drunken escapades. You have a reputation around here. You start treating yourself like that, people treat you like that in return. I'm just saying," Addison says in a… Caring sort of way?"
"Is this you feeling sorry for me? Or sorry for yourself? Because I don't know how you found out about my patient and I, but I can tell you that what I do outside of the hospital has nothing to do with you… Anymore…" Meredith starts off angrily, and then finishes off with a wane.
"I'm just saying, you could think more highly of yourself," says Addison. "You're not cheap or a whore. Even if people say that about you (which is rude, by the way), you don't need to internalize it. That's all," says Addison, before she sighs, and she walks away. "Also, the quints are being born soon. You'll probably be on one of their cases," says Addison, as an afterthought.
"You really want me working with you?" says Meredith.
"You're a doctor, I'm a doctor. We're all doctors, we work here. There's tension between Derek and I. There's tension between you and him. There's tension between us by extension. There's tension between Burke and Yang. There's tension between Stevens and Karev. But we're all doctors. And we work together. At this hospital," says Addison. And then she really does walk away.
"Thanks," Meredith says quietly as the redhead leaves her proximity.
This is a very weird day.
Meredith starts thinking about what Addison said to her. How she's worth more than that. How Steve is worth more than her just screwing boys at random. She breaks the news to him once he's better. He takes it about as well as he could have. Meredith feels lucky that she gets a page almost immediately.
Dorie starts having contractions, and she goes into labor. Addison delivers the babies and she glances over at Meredith, and Meredith thinks that she's smiling.
When she hands Meredith the quint that she's just delivered, she whispers "I'm proud of you," to Meredith. And Meredith can tell somehow that she's not just talking about her holding the baby.
Once the procedure is over, and Addison is doing her rounds on the babies, Meredith is sitting and talking to Charlotte, and Addison approaches her.
"How's she doing?" Addison asks her.
"She's doing alright," Meredith smiles.
"I'm sorry if I was out of line earlier. I was acting on emotions, your life is your own, and I for one shouldn't be judging that," says Addison.
"No, actually, it's okay. It was a good thing," says Meredith.
"I think I was projecting earlier, when I was talking about misplaced affection," says Addison. "It's just… I've been there. Substituted one man for another. It never ended well. I thought if I could spare you that…" Addison trails off.
"No really, thank you," says Meredith.
She thinks about how lonely Addison must have been. How she'd been waiting for Derek to come around, and he never did. And that's how this Mark person must have ended up in the picture.
"You deserve someone who's going to wait every moment for you to come back to," says Addison.
"So do you, you know," Meredith says quietly.
"Well, I don't know about that," says Addison.
"You do," says Meredith. "We all make mistakes, but you still do," she adds.
"I see it now," Addison says with a sad smile.
"You see… What?" Meredith squints at her.
"I see what he sees in you. It's not just the blonde hair or the earnest thing. You're really kind inside, beneath the layers of everything else," says Addison.
"Huh?" says Meredith.
"It's just, I've been trying to work it out in my mind. How Derek fell for you almost the moment he saw you. How seeing you makes him forget me. And now I see it," says Addison.
"I'm sorry," Meredith says barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to, I didn't know, I swear," she adds.
"I know," says Addison. "That's the worst part. Or maybe the best part."
"You deserve love too," says Meredith, and then she leans in because that's how she shows comfort, or affection, or feelings.
She stands, and meets Addison, and places her hands on either side of her face, and she closes her eyes, and she-
"This isn't the solution," says Addison, stepping backward.
"Oh. Sorry, I thought you wanted-" Meredith swears to herself under her breath. This is so embarrassing.
"I know I was sending mixed signals there. I mean, I do, but I don't. I was just telling you that you deserve more than one night stands and meaningless sex, and then I'm flirting with you. I'm just as big of a mess as you are, forgive me," says Addison.
"You were flirting with me?" Meredith giggles.
Addison blushes.
"I was, how sad is that," says Addison.
"It kinda makes my day," says Meredith.
"I'm not really single at the moment… But I'll take care of that… Wait for me?" Addison asks simply.
"And how do you know that I won't just go to your husband?" Meredith asks cheekily.
"Will you?" Addison asks her.
"Or I could go back to Steve," Meredith jokes lightly.
"Let's move forward together," Addison reaches down, and squeezes Meredith's hand into her own.
"He's gonna be so mad," says Meredith.
"Who, Steve?" Addison giggles.
"You know who I mean," says Meredith.
"He might be," Addison laughs.
"What do I do in the meantime?" Meredith asks her.
"Work, hang out with your friends. Maintain your dignity," says Addison.
"I don't like waiting," says Meredith.
"Don't worry, neither do I," says Addison.
"Are you worried?" Meredith asks her.
"Are you?" Addison asks her back.
"You shouldn't be," Meredith finally says. "I've got a thing for people who can deliver five babies one after another. It was so badass," she adds.
"What a relief," says Addison.
"I'll wait for you, but don't make it too long," says Meredith.
"I'll see what I can do," Addison smiles.
"I'll hold you to that," says Meredith.
They both might go home to an empty bed in the evening.
But as they close their eyes they can picture the end in sight.
And it's a good one.
***** FIN