Hey guys, I know I held out a little in the last chapter by ignoring Meredith and Addison completely but really, it was just because I wasn't quite sure what to do about them. I mean, what on earth would you do in Meredith's possition! Anyway, I've come up with something and although you'll probably read it and at first you'll think it's a bit of a cop out and then you'll get to the end and you'll be thinking... OMG! So, it's a little bit unusual, but give it a go... and yes, the last line means that something significant has happened concerning Meredith which you don't know about yet. Enjoy - and don't forget to leave a review...
Are you still screwing my husband?
For an agonizing moment the question hung between them like an unexploded bomb, but given the choice, Meredith would have taken a bazooka any day. The world came to a sickening halt. Almost detached, she felt the bile rising in the back of her throat, her hands, which until this moment had been shaking gently were positively convulsing now. It was as thought all the blood in her tiny body had evaporated in one nauseating moment.
"Just lie!" She could almost hear her subconscious yelling from somewhere within her paralysed body, but it wasn't that simple. Addison was standing right in front of her with big, pleading eyes, begging her to say Derek was faithful. Begging her to say the man they loved was worth it.
He wasn't. She knew just how un-worth-it he was. She could feel the scratchiness at the back of her throat where spirits had worn away the warmth, the emptiness in her eyes where once they had sparkled. She knew just how un-worth-it he was and she knew that it didn't matter, because she loved him.
Maybe, maybe if George had let her have that one last drink she might have managed it, but as it was, it was taking all her concentration to merely remain upright. She clutched the child in her arms, wondering desperately why it didn't start screaming again and save her from this agonizing moment but the little boy was sleeping peacefully against her racing heart.
"Iā¦" She what? She had no idea what was about to come out of her mouth.
"Dr. Grey?" At the sound of a male voice both women jumped, spinning in time to face the curious form of Alex Karev, slouched in the door frame. His lips twitched in amusement as Meredith and Addison exchanged a tense glance, trying to work out just how much he'd over-heard. "Dr. Grey," He repeated, the essence of professionalism, "Dr. Bailey needs to speak with you ā urgently, she's in room 3427."
He watched as Meredith carefully placed the little boy back in Addison's arms, then disappeared towards the elevators. Addison stood, child held to her breast and it struck him ā she'd never looked so alone.
"Why do you wait?" His voice was surprisingly gentle, and the tears which had gathered in the corners of her eyes threatened to spill over her perfect, foundation-covered cheeks.
When she didn't answer, he took a step forward. Then another, and before he knew quite what was pushing him on, he was standing in the spot Meredith had left seconds before. Still silent, the woman before him raised her big blue eyes and in them, he saw all the hurt of rejection he knew so well.
Alex, dickhead, evil spawn, jerk Alex let his hand rest on Addison's shoulder, and it was as though this little human contact brought down the last wall of her defenses. She felt herself melt into the strong sinew of his arms. Head pressed against hard wall of his chest, she finally cried for the man she had lost.
Perhaps if babies could speak, they would have told how an attending and an intern held eachother like they were the only two people in the world, but babies don't talk and the only gossip buzzing around cafeteria tables that lunch time was, once again, about Meredith Grey.
