A/N: Sorry I haven't updated recently. I had to work last night and didn't get up until late today. Um…I loved Thursday's episode. Especially the date part and the part when they're all checking into the hotel. And the Burke and Cristina chicken thing, I thought that was absolutely hilarious. And Addison slapping McSteamy…I loved the whole thing!

Chapter 37: Miserable

A few days later, Izzie went over to Derek's apartment to pick up some of Meredith's things. Meredith had asked her to do it for her because she knew that if she had seen the pain in Derek's eyes she would have immediately gotten back together with him.

Derek had called in sick to work that day because he had gone for the past two and wasn't able to concentrate on his work. He hadn't shaved and looked a complete mess when he heard a knock on the door. Hoping it was Meredith, he shot up out of his chair only to see Izzie when he opened the door.

"Hi…Derek…"she said, in an apologetic tone.

Izzie knew how much the both of them were hurting was wondering why they didn't just get back together. She had assumed that the break-up would only last a few days but when it hadn't, she realized that it was permanent.

"Izzie. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm just here to pick up Meredith's things. Don't be mad at me."

"I'm sorry. I'm just…so, she really doesn't want to be with me?"

"I don't know Derek."

"She hasn't said anything to you? Is she upset?"

"Of course she's upset. She's heartbroken."

"I don't understand," Derek said, running his hands through his hair.

"I'll be honest with you, I don't understand it either. She just asked me to come here and pick up her things."

"Oh right…come in."

Izzie stood in the kitchen while Derek went into his bedroom to get the box full of Meredith's things. The trash looked like it hadn't been taken out in days and was full of soda cans, beer bottles and fast food containers. Derek came back and handed her a box full of clothes and other things that belonged to Meredith.

"Thanks Derek. I'm…I'm really sorry. Just so you know."

"Yeah. Me too. Um…could you tell Meredith that I want to talk to her? I don't want to call her because I'm afraid she'll get angry."

"Sure."

Izzie left the apartment with all of the stuff. She thought that Meredith was in a bad way but couldn't believe how awful Derek looked. She knew that they were in love but not like this and still didn't completely understand why they had broken up.

She put the box in the car and drove home. When she got there she decided to have a serious talk with Meredith who had barely left her room since the break up. She, like Derek, had called in sick to work, but Meredith had called in sick every day. When Izzie got into her room, Meredith was lying on her bed reading a book.

"Hey Mer," she said, leaning against the doorframe.

"Did you get my stuff?" she said, without a hello or even looking up.

"Yeah I did. The box is downstairs."

"Thanks."

"Meredith, are you sure that this is what you want?"

"What do you mean?" Meredith asked a little annoyed.

"I mean that you both seem absolutely miserable. He looked like he hadn't showered or shaved in days and his apartment looks like a garbage dump. You've barely left this room and none of us knows what to do to help. Why don't you just drop this and get back together with him."

"No," she said getting up and leaving the room, "It's over."

Izzie followed her to the kitchen.

"Meredith, I don't know why you're doing this. You obviously love him and he loves you. It's not like he cheated on you."

"He might as well have. The hospital was like his second girlfriend."

"That's his job Mer. You knew that he was a surgeon when you started dating him and you know what kind of hours I lead."

"Izzie, please drop it. It's not going to change. We're done. I'm going to go out for a little while."

"Wait. Before you go, Derek said to ask you to call him. That's the last thing I'm going to say.

Meredith just looked at Izzie and then walked out of the kitchen grabbed her jacket and keys and left before anybody could say anything else to her.

After Izzie had gone, Derek had decided that he needed some fresh air and thought that there was no better place to go to than the ferryboats. Just as he was about to leave his apartment, the phone rang.

"Hello?" he said, praying that it was Meredith but knowing that he shouldn't get his hopes up.

"Derek? It's Preston."

"Preston? Oh…Burke. Hi."

"What's wrong with you? You sound like you got hit by a truck."

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what? What's wrong?"

"Meredith and I aren't together anymore."

"Oh. No I hadn't heard, but I'm sorry. What happened?"

"I wasn't around as much as I should've been. Do you remember when I told you about the fight that Meredith and Addison had in the hallway and Addison said that as the time went on I would get less attentive and I told Meredith that it wasn't true? Well, it turns out that I'm a big liar."

"I don't know what to say. Have you tried talking to her and apologizing?"

"She doesn't want to talk to me. She doesn't want anything to do with me. She even sent Izzie over here to pick up her things."

"Did you ever think it's because she's in pain and it would hurt more if she saw you?"

"I don't know. I was about to go out. I need some fresh air."

"Okay, then I'll let you go. Hope to see you back at the hospital tomorrow."

"Yeah. Thanks," Derek said, and hung up.

A/N: .So, things aren't going to be happy with Meredith and Derek in this story right away, but it will get better. Promise you'll stick with me! REVIEW!