Derek stepped into the lobby of the hospital, keys slinging loosely from his fingers. He glanced at his watch. Meredith had been in the test for six minutes by his count. He could only hope she had remained calm during her dash for the testing room. By the time they had left the parking lot, gotten back on the highway, and arrived at the hospital, the time had almost run out. Instead of parking, he had driven Meredith right up to the front doors, gave her a quick kiss and an 'I love you' as she collected her pencils, water bottle and snack and rushed out of the car.

He strode across the lobby and stepped up to the elevator, pushing the button and waiting patiently. A glance at his watch told him he had over an hour until his only scheduled surgery of the day. A mechanical beeping signalled the arrival of an elevator. Derek smiled as he realized exactly which elevator it was. He stepped on still smiling and the doors just started to shut as he heard a familiar clicking of much-to-expensive, horribly-uncomfortable-looking shoes on the lobby floor. "Hold the elevator, please!" The expected voice called out and he dutifully waved one of his two-million-dollar-a-year hands between the elevator doors just in time for his ex-wife to squeeze through.

"Hey, it's you." She said as the elevator doors began to close again and she quickly punched in her floor. "Thank-you. I'm late, I just got back. I was in L.A. visiting Naomi and Sam. Did you know they're divorced too? I-" She seemed to notice his attire and tilted her head slightly. "Nice suit, who died?" She asked jokingly.

Derek sighed, knowing it wasn't Addison's fault, there was mo way she could have known.. "Meredith's step mom," he said quietly.

She was taken aback. "Oh, my God!" She said, a hand flying to her mouth. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry." She shook her head. "God, I'm an idiot, I'm just having a bad week." She paused. "Though obviously not as bad as Meredith's. I'm so sorry, Derek. I didn't know." She repeated.

He nodded. "It's okay. You weren't here."

"She was such a wonderful person," Addison stated, remembering the time she had spent treating Molly and Laura. "Was she sick? I never knew..." She trailed off as the elevator stopped and the doors opened to reveal an empty hallway. Someone had obviously pressed the button and abandoned the long wait for the faster choice of the stairs. The doors closed and they found themselves moving once more.

Derek hesitated, but knew it was all over the hospital anyway. "She came in for an endoscopic gastriplication procedure for hiccups." He scoffed. "She contracted an infection and turned septic, fast. To fast for anything to be done." He shook his head. "They tried, but there just wasn't any time."

Addison shook her head again, an expression of genuine sympathy striking her features. "Poor Meredith. So, I guess I can assume the funeral was today?" She gestured at his attire.

Derek nodded.

"Does she have the rest of the day off?"

He shook his head. "Intern exam," was explanation enough.

"Oh, that's right. Wow, that's stressful enough as it is."

Derek sighed. "Yeah, but she's okay." He hoped he was telling the truth.

"How's Molly and her father taking it?" She asked gently, having grown close to the family during Laura's ordeal.

Derek closed his eyes for a moment, wishing she hadn't asked that question. But he also knew Addison would hear all about that situation as well. Sometimes he really hated the hospital gossip line. "I honestly don't know. Not well. They're not talking to us."

"What. Why?"

Derek shook his head. "Thatcher is blaming Meredith for Susan's death."

Addison shook her head. "That's absurd."

Derek shrugged. "She was the intern on her case. He thinks she talked her into it or something. Thinks she did something wrong. She didn't do anything wrong."

"That's ridiculous."

"I hear you." Derek nodded. "He won't listen to reason."

"It's probably not that bad," she tried. "Maybe give him some time."

Derek sighed, knowing Addison was wrong, but also appreciative that she was trying. He tilted his head slightly in contemplation. There weren't many people he could go to talk to these days, and he needed to get this off his chest. "He hit her," Derek finally spoke softly.

"What?"

"He hit her, when he found out, he hit her. Right across the face. Right in front of me. I couldn't...I didn't..." He trailed off, looking down.

Addison's hand went up to her mouth. "My God, that's...horrible! I'm so sorry. Is she okay?" Her question was genuine.

Derek nodded. "She's pretty resilient."

Addison smiled. "So, I've noticed."

Derek returned her smile, but failed to respond, unsure of how much she was willing to discuss with him, and unsure of how much he was willing to discuss with her. Not to mention how happy Meredith would be knowing he was discussing any of this with his ex-wife.

Addison chattered on, unaware of Derek's hesitation. "Wow, all that and she has to write the exam today...how is that girl still breathing?"

Derek flinched at her choice of words, the events of the previous month still fresh in his mind.

It only took her a moment of contemplating Derek's shocked expression before she realized her mistake. "Oh!" And her hand went to her mouth for the third time. "Oh, Derek, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that. Look at me, two for two. I'm so sorry," she repeated.

Derek took a breath. "It's okay."

Addison tilted her head and sighed. "I really am sorry, Derek."

Derek nodded. "I know. And it really is okay." He almost smiled. "You always did have a way of saying the wrong thing, with the right intentions of course." He was trying to lighten the mood.

Addison snorted. "Thanks," she said sarcastically. "But seriously, Derek, I am sorry about Susan. She was a good woman."

Derek nodded again. "Yes, she was."

Addison gave him a quizzical look. "Are you okay?" She asked. The elevator stopped, beeping as it indicated arrival on the requested floor. Addison sighed and stepped off, assuming the conversation was over. Derek surprised her by following her out of the elevator and keeping pace towards her office.

"I don't know," Derek said, honestly. "I don't know if I'm okay."

Addison remained silent for a few moments as they headed down the hall together. She waited for him to respond, unsure of just how much prodding he would take. She didn't know him as well as she once had.

Derek sighed, unconsciously running his hand through his hair. "I need for her to get through this test. I need for her to pass," he finally said.

Addison slowed her pace, turning to face him. His words made sense in her mind, but she couldn't place his tone. "She will," Addison offered.

Derek finally stopped, turning fully to face his ex-wife.

"But what if she doesn't?"

Addison tilted her head, trying to read his expression, trying to understand what he was really getting to. "She'll do fine, Derek. She's a good doctor, a good surgeon. And you know I wouldn't just say it." She paused with a wry smile, but when he didn't respond, she continued. She sighed. "Look, worse-case scenario, she fails. It's not the end of the world, Derek. It'll sting for a while, but she'll buckle down and repeat the year and then you'll both move on. Something you can laugh at in a few years. No one would blame her, not after what she went through this year."

Derek shook his head. "No. No, she can't fail," he said. "Because if she fails, I don't think she'll ever come back and..." he trailed off.

Addison tried to be supportive. "She'd come back," she offered. "She'd have to, she's too good at what she does not to. Richard would make her come back."

Derek still shook his head. "No, she can't fail," he repeated. "It would kill her, and it would..." he trailed off.

"What?" Addison asked softly, reaching out to lay a comforting hand on his arm.

Derek paused for a moment before pulling away, offering her a small smile as a thank-you for trying. "Never mind," he muttered. "It's nothing." And with that he made to head back down the hallway they had just come up.

Addison hesitated. "Derek," she finally called out, right before he turned a corner. He stopped, turning to face her as she hurried up the hall towards him. "Whatever it is, it's not nothing, Derek. And you don't need to tell me," she sighed and took a breath, "but you need to tell her."

Derek nodded. "I know," he said simply.

"Are you going to talk to her?" Addison asked.

Derek simply shrugged and turned the corner, disappearing in the mess of people frequenting the busy hospital hallway.