"Hey." Derek said as Meredith entered the room. She closed the door but kept her distance.
"Hi." She replied, seemingly uncertain. "What am I doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you, about this morning. I'm not really sure what happened." He confessed.
"I chose you." Meredith answered. He smiled, but she couldn't share in his joy. "Look, Derek, I can't right now… I need space."
"You keep saying that." He half-smiled, showing his disappointment.
"I just feel so guilty right now, and I'm not sure how to handle it. I've never felt so bad." Meredith answered, leaning against the door in a defeatist attitude.
"And that's my fault." Derek replied, leaning against the wall. "I'm sorry."
"You keep saying that, but it doesn't help." Meredith held back her tears. "Besides, it was as much me as it was you."
"Meredith, I get that you're upset, but maybe this is just the way it was supposed to go." Derek reasoned. "You can't hate yourself forever, and you shouldn't." Meredith just stayed silent. "I'm here for you whenever you need to talk." And he walked to the door. Before he walked out, Meredith kissed him.
"Thank you." She smiled.
"Anytime." He replied, still holding her close, afraid to let go. Both pagers went off simultaneously, telling them both to get back to work.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
"Miss Leister," Meredith reported. "In her 80's and suffering from a stomach ulcer and tests have shown some cancerous cells. Dr. Shepherd has agreed to do the procedure to remove those cells."
"Good." Dr. Bailey stated. "Keep her on meds and we'll get her into theatre as soon as possible."
As the rest of the interns left the room, the frail old lady took hold of Meredith's arm in an agitated state. "It won't hurt, will it?"
"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing. We have the best doctors working on you." Meredith comforted her.
"Just in case," She said, taking a bunch of letters from her bedside table and giving them to Meredith. "Would you post these for me, dear?"
"You'll be able to post them yourself, Miss Leister." Meredith smiled.
"Please, call me Judy." She chuckled. "And actually, these letters only need to be mailed if I don't make it."
"Oh." Meredith hesitantly accepted them.
"Promise me you will mail them if I don't make it." Miss Leister held her hand pleadingly.
Meredith held her tongue for a moment, unsure of what to say. The look of desperation in her eyes though, was enough to sympathise with her situation. "I promise." Meredith smiled reassuringly.
"Thank you." She sighed, leaning back on her pillows looking relieved. "All the things in my life that I regret, I now wish I'd done them. Taken that job in India, explored Europe, never let my true love escape me." She sighed again. "There's nothing better in the world than feeling completely and utterly loved, only to love him back the same way." She looked to Meredith, who seemed to be lost in thought over Miss Leister's last sentence. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear, I'm holding you back."
"It's all right," Meredith smiled. "I'll be back to check on you later."
Miss Leister gave her a thankful smile and Meredith left, taking the letters with her.