"You didn't hear yet? The Shepherd's are officially divorced now. There's so much stuff going around about it, no one really knows why, but you seem to be one of the main reasons" Christina replied bluntly and would have continued, but Miranda Bailey stepped into the room
"Yang, O'Malley, I need you in the pit, there's an incoming case. Two people, car accident. I need you two to take a look. Grey, Dr. Shepherd needs you upstairs to run some tests on one of his patients, and Stevens, you're with Montgomery-Shepherd today."
While the rest of the interns headed towards their respected jobs, Izzie and Meredith walked to the elevators to find the doctors.
"So do you have another date with Finn tonight?" Izzie asks, grinning at the mention of the new man in Meredith's life.
Meredith blushed. "He's taking me to this little Italian place a couple of blocks from here. It's supposed to be nice."
"This is what, the fourth or fifth date now? Is it serious?"
"Fifth." Meredith replied. "And I'm not sure. It doesn't feel serious, but it's just beginning. It's just … he's attractive, and sweet, and makes me feel comfortable. I don't have to worry about anything with him. I don't have to worry about a wife appearing out of nowhere or him lying to me or anything like that. It's just comfortable."
"Maybe that's what you need right now." Izzie said as the elevator doors opened at her floor, and she stepped out looking for Addison.
As the elevator doors were closing again, Meredith replied softly to herself.
"Yeah. Just maybe."
A few seconds later she arrives on the surgical floor, preparing to assist on a surgery on a case that came in yesterday. As she's walking towards the scrub room, she sees Derek, and he gives her a small smile. She nods back at him, not completely trusting the looks and gazes he always gave her. He was a married man, and the looks that he gave her always said too much, and he did it while he knew that she was trying to move on. She didn't know whether these looks were on purpose, a device used to keep her hanging on to him or they just occurred naturally, without much thought. For whatever reason they happened, those looks always hurt her, just a little. They kept her hanging on, when she wanted to move on. But lately … it didn't hurt as much; everything that centered around him was just … fading.
"You ready for this surgery?" Derek asks, grinning over at her as they walk up to the sink and start scrubbing in.
"Of course." Meredith replied, and after that, an uncomfortable silence overtook them, and several seconds passed.
"Look, I wanted to tell you before you found out elsewhere, and just come clean, but it's gotten around to the rest of the hospital, and I don't know how that happened but anyway …" Derek let out a long sigh "Addison and I are divorced. We signed the papers last night."
Meredith stood there, expecting to hear this from the gossip earlier that day, but still unable to fully comprehend it at the moment.
"I'm sorry to hear about that. How are you doing?"
"Meredith, I wanted to let you know that I was the one to initiate it. I asked her for the divorce."
"I don't understand, I thought you were trying to make the marriage work?" Meredith asks, confused.
"Since she came back, I was trying, honestly. I did, in a since, but never really could make it happen, and it was over a long time ago. And I… I was too in love –"
"No, Derek, don't say it. Not now." Meredith bites out, and walks into the operating room.
Derek stood there for a few seconds, following Meredith with his eyes as she walked away from him. He hung his head and took a deep breath. He realized that if he and Addison were honest with themselves, the marriage was over before she even came to Seattle. They were hanging on to the memories of what they had and not actually considering the feelings they had for each other in the present. But even now that he was free from his marriage, Derek didn't want to jump back into a relationship with Meredith. The whole hospital was placing bets on how long it would take for them to jump in bed together, but he realized he needed time to close this chapter of his life before he moved on, whether that was with Meredith or not. He was in love with her, that he could admit to himself, but he was not ready to be in a relationship again. With that thought, Derek finished washing up and walked into the operating room.
"Alright everyone, it's a beautiful morning to save some lives. Let's have some fun"
