Chapter 5

Part 1: Hurt

Meredith had done a pretty good job at avoiding Derek the day before, but today she hadn't been able to. She had frozen when Bailey assigned her to work alone with him. Somehow she didn't think the I am fighting with him over my new boyfriend excuse would work very well with the Nazi. She tried to prepare herself mentally for a confrontation with him as she walked in direction of their patient's room.

She would act like a professional. That's what she would do. She would refuse to discuss anything with him that hadn't anything to do with their case. Why did he ask for her anyway? It's not like he wanted to see her more then she wanted to see him.

"Hello Dr. Grey." She heard him say.

"Dr. Shepard."

"Mrs. Lewis, this the Dr. Grey. She'll be assisting me with your operation. Mrs. Lewis has been admitted three days ago. She complained of headaches and pains in her legs. We did some radio and found that the source of her problem is a tumor in her brain. The tumor is growing and if we don't remove it soon she could lose the nerves in her legs and her speech."

"Mrs. Lewis, are you aware that your chance of survival to this operation are only 47?" asked Meredith.

"If I don't do it, I'll die anyway."

"Very well, we'll operate tomorrow then." said the Dr. Shepard.

Meredith walked out the door as fast as she could.

"Meredith, wait."

She turned around to look at him.

"Is there anything else you need Dr. Shepard." said Meredith in her most professional tone.

"You're still calling me that?"

She started walking away.

"Meredith, why are you mad at me?"

"Why am I mad at you?" a stunned Meredith asked.

"Have I done something?"

"Have you done something? Hmm, let's see, shall we? You ask me the most inappropriate questions, you tell my boyfriend to stay away from me, you…"

"Boyfriend? So you are going out with him." Derek said barely able to conceal his anger.

"I am, but that's not any of your concern. This is between him and me and nobody else. You have no right to be angry."

"You don't know him like I do."

"No, but I know him enough to know that I like him."

"He's using you Meredith. He only wants you to make Addison jealous."

"Oh, so that's all I am good for isn't it? Make Addison jealous." Meredith's eyes started to tear up.

"That's not what I meant. I didn't go out with you to make her jealous."

"No, I was just your rebound girl."

She would not cry.

"Meredith."

"No, Derek. I really like Mark and he really likes me and you're just gonna have to deal with that."

"Are you sleeping with him?" asked Derek with sad voice.

"Goodbye Derek."

"Mere…"

"Goodbye Derek."

As she walked away, a single tear made its way to her cheek that she quickly wiped away. She would not cry anymore. She cried enough already because of him. She was truly moving on.

Part 2: Reprimand

Derek turned around to find the Dr. Yang looking at him with a disgusted look.

"You're the one that should stay away from her." She said.

"I'm your boss."

"And you're a jerk." She answered him walking away.

Derek stayed at the hospital to prepare his next surgery. He was currently reading his patient's chart one more time when the Dr. Webber interrupted him.

"Dr. Shepard, can I talk to you?"

"What is it?"

"Follow me to my office please."

The Dr. Webber led them to his office and closed the door. They both sited down.

"Derek, I have been inform by patients that in the last three days you fought more than twice in the hospital."

"With all due respect, sir, I don't think that's any of your business."

"You're right the reason behind those fights is none of my business. However the place you chose to have them is. I can't have you giving screaming match in here. This is a hospital. There are sick people in here trying to find some peace to heal and I won't have you disturbed them. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir. I have to go. I have surgery in 10 hours." said Derek in a soured tone.

"Derek."

"I'm sorry. I have to go."

Derek was in shock. What was happening to him? Being reprimanded for fighting in the hospital. This wasn't High school. All this for a woman he wasn't even dating anymore and a man he hadn't seen in a year. What was happening to him? He was being more immature than a teenage boy. Even after telling himself that, his anger at the thought of Meredith and Mark together wouldn't go away. What was wrong with him?

Part 3: Depressed

Meredith was dead tired. The Dr. Shepard's surgery had lasted 6 hours and the patient died anyway. Meredith just wanted to take a shower to wash off the smell of death that was on her and then go to sleep, but she had promise Cristina, George and Izzie that she would meet them at Joe's.

She opened Joe's doors to find Izzie and George sitting at the bar in some deep conversation.

"…that's all I am saying." finished Izzie.

"No! I am not telling her. I am not ready." George answered.

"Telling who?" asked Meredith.

"Hey! Meredith. How was your surgery." asked an over enthusiast George.

Izzie just sighted.

"Not so well. The patient died. Am I interrupting something?"

"No, of course not. We were just waiting for you." George answered.

"And Cristina." Izzie added.

"And Cristina. We weren't just waiting for you, obviously because you know, we were also waiting for Cristina." George babbled.

"I fought with McDreamie again." Meredith started.

"Oh, really?" Izzie asked in a very fake surprised tone.

"You guys knew?" Meredith asked.

"No we…" Izzie started and abruptly stopped.

"Yeah, we knew." George and Izzie both finished.

"This suck. Joe, I need a drink." Meredith said.

Joe just smiled sympathetically and started pouring her a glass of tequila. Cristina walked in with a frown and sat on the stool next to Meredith.

"I fought with Derek. How was your day?"

"Burk asked me to marry me."

"What!"

"Today sucked. Give me your drink." Cristina said stealing Meredith's drink.

"What do you mean today sucked? This is great." Izzie said with her usual perkiness.

Cristina just gave her a dark look and continued sipping Meredith's tequila.

"Okay, this isn't great," Izzie said fearing that Cristina would slap her.

"Well, what did you say?" Meredith finally asked.

"I think I might have said yes."

"Joe, keep the drink coming. We'll really need them." Meredith said. "Why did you say yes?"

"I don't know. We were just coming back from a surgery and I was still on a high. He just asked me and I froze. God Meredith, he had that scared little boy look in his eyes and I just couldn't hurt him because I had to go and fall in love with the guy." Cristina sighed. "I blame it on the post surgery high."

"Alex asked me to get serious after he saw flirting with the Denny." Izzie added.

"Boys." Meredith said.

"It's the dam estrogen" Cristina said downing her drink.

George just looked around feeling very uncomfortable. This was going to be a long night.