Addison made it out of the precinct in good time. She stumbled across the small ledge between the door and the platform. Her hands flung out for something to keep her from breaking her nose on the cement below. Arms wrapped around her from behind. She thrashed. Her arms hit against the body holding her.
"Calm Down, kid." A familiar raspy voice whispered in her ear.
Addison paused. She turned to find green eyes staring down at her. "Don't do that." She fell into a crouch, and massaged her temple.
"You and that anxiety." Melissa Montgomery pulled a pack of cigarettes out of the inner pocket of her trench coat. She flicked a cigarette out and between her lips with a practiced ease. She held the pack up to her cousin.
Addison rolled her eyes. Melissa shrugged.
Addison straightened to her full height. She took out her beige fishing hat and put it on. "I didn't know you had business in Seattle."
"Me neither." Melissa said through a puff of smoke. She switched the briefcase to her right hand. She wrapped her left around Addison's bicep. "I've got a car down the block."
"That close?" Addison could hear the tears in her voice. She could feel her throat tightening, trying to strangle the words into a sob. "Is this a long visit?"
"Depends." Melissa stopped. She lifted her right hand to let the heavy drops of rain cascade against her gloved palm.
Addison wanted to scream. She wanted to slap the case down and shake a confession out of Mel. We both know why you're here.
"I took a Red Eye." Melissa moved again, pulling Addison to match her stride. "Mark called."
She suspected so. Mark was the only one in Seattle who knew to call Mel. Derek was out of town. And even then she'd be on his black list again. Who else was going to look out for her? Maybe Callie. But she didn't know Melissa was her lawyer. And certainly didn't know that Melissa was in San Francisco.
"Don't mope."
"Why?"
"It's not productive." Mel released her hold on Addison and took her keys out of the front sleeve of her case. "Won't fix this mess."
"What mess?" Addison leaned against the car wondering if she'd been with the cops long enough for Mel to get to town and get a car. "They said there wasn't a lawsuit."
Mel threw her case into the backseat. "God, you're drunk."
"What?" Addison asked. She let Melissa help her into the passenger seat. "Meredith's not filing."
"You hit someone with your car." Melissa shut the door behind her cousin. When she got into the driver seat she rest her head on the wheel. "The law has a lawsuit."
"Meredith." Addison shook her head. "I have to get to the hospital. She's probably really mad."
"Not happening." Mel started the engine. "No hospital tonight."
"Have you seen her?" Addison twisted her body as far as she could with the seat belt on. Mel shook her head. "Do you know about her and me?"
Mel shook her head again. "Tell me."
Addison crossed her arms. She blinked. "She slept with Derek."
Mel jerked the car to a stop. Her eyes widened. "She did what?"
"Not so bad. I had Mark."
"How long ago was this? You know, with Derek."
Addison smacked her lips. "Long ago. Now they're married." She said while curling her fingers into quotation marks. "Post it."
Mel pulled into some twenty four hour diner's parking lot. "I'm going to need you to think."
Addison reached out, the tips of her fingers holding either side of Mel's face. She looked into her eyes. "You do that too."
"Did you mean to hit Meredith?"
Addison pulled her hands away. A grimace marred her too red face. "I hit Meredith?"
"How much did you drink?" Mel undid her seat belt so she could turn to Addison. "Dison, tell me the truth."
Addison squinted her eyes. She did hit Meredith. But she didn't know if Meredith was okay or not. Mel wouldn't tell her. "What's wrong with Meredith?"
"Did you hit her deliberately?"
"Mark was with me. Ask him."
"Can't. He's on consultation."
Addison tilted her head. "With who? Call him."
"Lexie Grey."
"Why?"
Mel fell back into her seat. Her hand automatically finding the inside pocket of her coat. She grabbed a cigarette and quickly lit it. After taking a few pulls she rested her hand on her knee. "Because they need to know what to do when Doctor Torres finishes."
"When Callie finishes what?"
Mel opened the door and walked into the freezing Seattle night. Her back to Addison.
Addison got out. She waited for Mel to acknowledge her. Mel didn't. Addison nodded, then she slammed the door.
Mel turned, pointing her cigarette at Addison, her arm rested on the top of the car. "Stop being a brat."
"I'm a doctor."
Mel's mouth dropped open. She twirled around with her arms opened wide. "Irrelevant. Useless info right now."
She was right. What were they talking about again? The accident. "Why is Callie working on Meredith?"
"Why did you have to drink?" Mel flicked her cigarette into the wet gravel of the parking lot. "Goddammit, Dison."
"Tell me."
Mel bit her fingernails. She didn't have time to get another smoke from the car. "Her arms were smashed. You smashed them."Mel finally answered, but she didn't look her cousin in the eye. "They don't know anything else. She hasn't been awake since."
Addison stared at her cousin. Her hat fell to her feet. "It was a tap. A little bump."
Mel picked up the hat, then pushed it into Addison's pocket. "Maybe the way you remember it. If you can."
