Chapter 5: Her Blessing?

Rounds had started half an hour ago. Three out of the five interns followed an irritable Bailey dutifully presenting each case and waking up patients as they went. Next they were to round on room 3976, Meredith's room. They peaked in and saw that Meredith was not alone. Cristina and the others began to snicker and chuckle but Bailey shushed them all.

"Let's go." Bailey said shutting the door.

"But don't we have to round on her." George smirked.

"No. I'll deal with Grey myself, later." Bailey said, as she began to walk away.

"I see. Special treatment." Alex joked and the rest erupted in laughter.

"Yes. Dr. Montgomery is getting special treatment because after two surgeries and the emergency last night at the ER, she took care of your sick friend." Bailey fumed causing the laughter to die out quickly.

"Sorry." Alex mumbled.

"Just move. I have no time for your stupidity this morning." Bailey replied, turning on her heel and walking away from Meredith's room.

Meredith woke up to the sunlight streaming from the shut blinds. The room was still dark aside from the streams of light coming from the window and the door. She felt her dried up throat and swallowed hard a few times before completely opening her eyes. When she was fully awake she began to take in the features of the room because she knew for sure that there was something that probably should not be in there. She found the something or rather the someone who probably should not be sleeping with their head next to her hips holding tightly onto her hand.

'What the hell is Addison doing here? Oh my god. What did I do? What did I say? I told her she was pretty. What the hell is wrong with me? I begged her to stay with me.' Meredith started to freak out as she remembered snippets of her morphine high adventures. She took a few breaths to calm and collect herself and she did for a while. Until she felt movement next to her.

She tried very hard to even her breathing again as her nerves took over once Addison began to stir. The redhead's eyes opened slightly, not completely focused on who lay before her. Meredith did not know what to do. She could not hide. She could not run away. She could only wait for her impending doom.

'High Meredith sucks. She almost spilled all the secrets. High Meredith how dare you put me in this position? I already have to explain about sleeping next to her at the hotel. Oh god... she's going to ask us about it.' Meredith continued to chastise herself in her inner monologue. She was so lost within herself that she did not notice Addison was fully awake now, just observing her.

"Morning." Addison grumbled, snapping Meredith away from her monologue as she straightened up and let go of her hand.

"Morning." Meredith mumbled back.

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" Addison asked in that, now familiar, caring physician tone. Meredith looked at her but stayed quiet. "I guess some water. You must be parched." She got up to serve both Meredith and herself a cup and passed it to her.

"Thanks." Meredith said shyly.

Addison drank her water and watched her for a while, as if waiting for her to speak. But Meredith did not know what to say. As she recalled her adventures she became more and more flustered, her cheeks heating slightly as the hints of a blush began to form.

"Well?" Addison tried again. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Meredith managed to get out.

"Fine is nice but not good enough. Are you in any pain?" Addison pushed.

"A little sore, that's it." Meredith replied softly.

"So no need for more morphine then?" Addison asked with an amused look.

"I'm so sorry I made you stay. And I'm so sorry if whatever I said made you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable in any way. Also I feel bad I made you stay. The other night you didn't sleep very well. And you probably still needed some more rest. And I was blabbering so much at some points and you slept here and your neck is likely hurting and it's..." Meredith rambled on and on and if it were not for Addison placing her hand on hers she would have kept going.

"You were right. I owed you. Besides I was going to be called in either way so don't worry. I really don't mind and nothing you said made me uncomfortable." Addison said sweetly.

"You sure?" Meredith asked softly.

"Well..." Addison began.

"Oh god. I'm so sorry." Meredith apologized.

"No it's fine. You just mentioned the shirt." Addison said pulling it out and showing it to Meredith.

"Yeah, I remember." Meredith said as she ran a hand through her face.

Addison watched her quietly for a while once more. Meredith did not know what to do or say so she shifted her gaze to the cup she still held on to.

"So are you going to tell me?" Addison asked, quirking a brow.

"Tell you?" Meredith tilted her head and furrowed her brows in question.

"About the other night. I know you brought me to the hotel." Addison started.

"Dr. Montgomery." Meredith tried to interrupt.

"Wait, it's just you slept with me." Addison continued.

"Dr. Montgomery." Meredith tried again in warning because as Addison spoke someone was peering in from the slightly open door.

"Then I somehow ended up with the shirt you were wearing." Addison said waving the Dartmouth shirt in front of Meredith.

"Addison." Meredith said louder this time holding onto both Addison's hands and shirt.

"What?" Addison was startled by the sudden use of her name.

"You slept together?" Meredith could see the dread in Addison's face as she heard the voice of her soon to be ex-husband behind her.

Quickly, Addison withdrew her hands still clinging onto the shirt. Her head snapped sideways as Derek walked into the room fully.

"Do explain how my wife and girlfriend managed to sleep with each other. Are you both really such whores?" Derek was seething.

"First of all, I'm not really your wife. I owe you no explanations. Especially since while we were married you slept with her. You have no moral ground here, honey." Addison replied bitterly as she collected herself.

"You cheated on me first, Addison. Let's not forget that." Derek countered.

"How could she forget about her mistake when all you do is remind her? Hell even Mark is here now to do the same." Meredith said, surprising both attendings as she defended Addison.

"Not really the point now, is it? Did you two really sleep together?" He asked, sounding hurt, which shifted Meredith's anger but before she could explain he stormed out of the room.

"Derek." Meredith called after him shifting in bed. "Derek, wait, listen." She tried but he was gone.

Meredith stared after him feeling sad and guilty about having hurt him. She debated whether she should get out of bed and pursue him. Then she remembered she was not alone as her gaze shifted to Addison, who looked even more sad and guilty than she did.

"Addison." Meredith said sadly.

"It'll be ok Meredith." Addison said standing up.

"What?" Meredith asked confused.

"I'll fix it. I'll talk to him and I'll fix it." Addison said as she headed towards the door.

"No, Addison I-'' Meredith tried to stop her from leaving. It felt bad letting Derek go but it felt worse to watch her walk away too.

"It's ok. I'll fix it. At least someone has to be happy in all of this and I really hope it is you." Addison said to a stunned Meredith as she left.

Meredith had seen the sadness and pain in the redhead's eyes. She felt guilt raise yet again in her chest. She wanted to run after her. She wanted to say something, anything so that she could take the sadness away. But before she could come up with anything, before she could unhook herself from the bed, Bailey walked in the room.

"Well, it's about damn time." Bailey said as she walked in and to find Meredith swinging her legs to the side of the bed. "And where do you think you're going?"

"I need to talk to Addison." Meredith said hurriedly.

"That's Dr. Montgomery to you and get back in bed correctly. Until I examine you, you can't go home." Bailey said walking over to her and forcefully putting her legs back where they should be.

"Dr. Bailey, I really need to talk to her. If I can't get out of bed, can you tell her to come back?" Meredith pleaded.

"I know you think you run this hospital but that's not the case. The attendings don't have to cater to your needs. You don't own them or the hospital." Bailey said angrily.

"Maybe one day I'll put my name on this hospital." Meredith challenged and immediately regretted it once she saw the look on Bailey's face. "Sorry. I just really need to talk to her."

"Not now you don't. She seemed to have something important to do with the way she walked out of here." Bailey said as she began her examination.

"But..." Meredith tried again.

"No buts, Grey." Bailey shushed her as she went about her work.

"Derek!" Addison called after him. "Derek! Dammit Derek!" He still kept on walking away. "Derek wait!"

"What?!" He abruptly turned around to face her and she almost ran into him.

"I know I don't owe you anything but..." Addison began.

"Then leave me alone." Derek said, turning to leave once more.

Addison quickly grabbed onto his arm to keep him from going. She had seen him angry and hurt when she had slept with Mark but the anger that swirled in his eyes was scarier now.

"Just let me talk to you." Addison tried again.

"Let. Me. Go." Derek angrily bit out.

"Fine but let me talk to you." Addison said slowly, taking her hand away from his arm.

"Fine." He replied, his face contorting in anger.

"I should want you to suffer away from her. I should just let this be, so you're miserable and alone like me. But," He looked like he was about to combust and say something but she stopped him. "But I don't want that for her. She defended me to you so many times already. She showed me kindness when I've mostly gotten none in this place." She took a deep breath. "The other night I got way too drunk. I have no friends here aside from Richard and Miranda but they were both working so I went drinking by myself. Meredith found me and took me to my hotel. I was too drunk to walk straight so she got me to my room and into bed. She stayed to make sure I wouldn't choke in my own vomit. She stayed to make sure I was alive the next day. Nothing else happened." She finished looking at him in the eyes trying to convey the truth.

"She took care of you?" Derek said after a while of processing.

"Yes." Addison simply said.

"Nothing happened?" He questioned again.

"Nothing happened." Addison repeated.

"Ok." Derek said, convinced by her words, his anger boiling down.

"Ok." Addison echoed.

"Addison." He began in a somewhat sad tone.

"We were doomed to fail for a while now. We didn't work. We just made each other miserable. Don't make that mistake with her if you really love her like you say you do." Addison said, interrupting him.

"Thank you." Derek said with a sheepish smile.

"I'm not doing this for you." Addison said looking into his eyes then down. "Just promise me one thing, Derek."

"What?" He tilted his head.

"Don't," Addison swallowed hard. "Don't hurt her again." She finished meeting his eyes once more.

Derek just stared at her shocked by her request. Her pager went off then and without another word she walked away and left him standing there.

Addison walked away still clinging onto Meredith's shirt, which by some sort of miracle Derek had not noticed. She thought maybe she would return it soon but then she enjoyed the feeling of the fabric in her hands. It soothed her for some reason. It had actually helped a lot, holding onto it while she spoke to Derek. So maybe she would really keep it. Derek got to keep Meredith so why could she not keep this? She left the shirt in her office as she walked by on her way to the NICU where they requested her presence and went about the rest of her day.

And then there were 5. I still managed to update today so yay. My procrastination levels are reaching new heights. Like I've got everything I want to happen in my head but writing it down is the problem. Aside from the fact that I'm easily distracted. But because I like you guys I still sat down and made myself focus enough to write it. Anyway enough with my somewhat apologetic rant. Until next time ;)