A busy night at the hospital left Meredith practically collapsed in an on-call room. She was forever grateful for Amelia and Maggie being at the house caring for her kids, as there was absolutely no way she was making it home without a nap. She laid down on the bottom bunk, her eyes focused on the bed frame above her. She was exhausted, but her mind was flooded with memories of the patient she had lost that night.

Stephen Jameson, 57 years old, came in for a type of reconstructive surgery, but he was diagnosed with appendicitis. It should have been an easy surgery, one that Meredith had done a thousand times at that point. It was easy, one she trusted an intern to do. One Jackson didn't feel he needed to stand watch over her for. She replayed the surgery in her head.

It should have been a simple procedure. Meredith had started with a laparoscopic appendectomy. It would have left Stephen with three tiny scars, and he would have been able to undergo his major surgery within two days. She had gotten the approval from the plastic surgeon to do the surgery. Jackson had always trusted Meredith. She was good, why wouldn't he trust her with such a simple surgery.

Then everything went wrong. Blood began obscuring the field. She couldn't see anything, and Meredith had to open the patient up. It had been years since she had to do an open appendectomy, but it was like riding a bike. Within moments of the patient being completely open, she noticed that the bowel had opened up. Meredith tried, but things just kept getting worse. It was a perfect storm, and she couldn't stop it.

"Time of death, 16:29." Mer threw her gloves into the biohazard bin and went straight to the on-call room.

The blonde opened her eyes as the door opened. She looked Jackson Avery in the eyes. She adjusted, sitting on the bed. "I'm sorry." She felt so guilty for losing the patient. She hated herself for it. He walked over and sat next to her on the bed.

"It happens." Jackson placed a hand on her knee. The two had never been quite close enough to use physical comfort. It was strange, but in that moment she welcomed it. Her head turned, her blue eyes meeting his. She smiled weakly, attempting to seem comfortable.

"You trusted me, and I messed up an appy." Mer bit her bottom lip, her body stiffening as she realized how close the two of them were. They were friends. Friends who had never ever been that physically close.

"You couldn't have done anything differently. I was in the gallery." Jackson whispered. His voice was low. She almost believed him. She almost believed that the patient's death wasn't her fault. Every patient she ever lost, Meredith took it personally.

"Believe me." The man squeezed her thigh again, his hand slightly higher than before as she adjusted. His eyes met hers once more, and slowly she leaned in. Jackson closed the distance between their lips.

It was unexpected, the kiss. Meredith had never seen Jackson in that way. She had recognized that he was incredibly attractive, but he wasn't her type. He wasn't Derek. Still, Mer welcomed the touch. It had been too long since she had allowed herself to feel that way. Her hands wrapped around the back of his neck. She adjusted her body, sitting on her knees.

Jackson pulled away and looked into Meredith's eyes, a silent question that she answered with another kiss. She pulled him closer, turning to straddle his lap. The kiss meant nothing, two broken souls helping each other heal with touch. Her hands reached below the neckline of his scrubs, her fingertips brushing hard muscles.

Meredith felt Jackson growing under her hips. A smirk grew on her lips as she pushed him back onto the bed. His hands found themselves on her ass, squeezing as Mer moved her lips down his jaw. She didn't think that she would enjoy him that much, but his body felt good pressed against her. She pulled away long enough to discard her scrub too, and Jackson followed suit. He helped her remove her bra, throwing it onto the floor with their shirts.

The blonde watched his eyes as he took in her body. She would have thought that being with a friend would have made her less nervous, but Mer worried that he wasn't happy seeing her in that way. Mer moved her eyes down Jackson's chest. Even she could admit that he had an amazing body. It was obvious what April saw in him.

Jackson was quick to help her remove her pants and underwear. She pushed his down, shocked at the sheer size of him. Meredith bit her lip again, hovering over him. She nodded, a signal that she wanted this, and he pulled her onto him.

It had been so long, but Meredith adjusted quickly. She began moving her hips rhythmically. She leaned down, her lips meeting his again. She was rough as she kissed him, her hips speeding up. It felt too good to stop and think about anything.

Jackson moaned against Meredith's lips, his hands gripped her thighs holding her still as he thrusted into her. Their bodies were together, tangled together as they moved as one. Her hands searched for hair to pull on, only to remember that he wasn't Derek. There was no hair for her to hold onto as he pleased her.

It only lasted a few minutes, but Meredith finished. She sighed softly, moving her hips a few more times before he came inside of her. She didn't worry about anything. Jackson was cleaned and she wouldn't get pregnant from one time, could she?

Mer stood up, putting her clothes back on. "So, we agree that we don't talk about this?"

"Agreed."