Hey guys! I totally forgot to write something before my first chapter, so here it is. I took a hiatus from writing last year so I could focus on school and work. I'm back and with this new story! I'm in the process of finishing my other MerDer fic "This Love Is All I Have to Give". This current story is a different style of writing. I've done some experimenting the past few months and I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. I hope you all will enjoy this! Please check out my other stories.
Ellis went straight home after her appointment, hoping her daughter would be there to share the good news with. Meredith and Ellis are very close, especially after her diagnosis with cancer. It was only Meredith and Ellis living in the two bedroom apartment, so they didn't really have much else other than each other. It was a struggle for Ellis to support herself and her daughter, pay the bills, her medical visits, and buy enough food for the two of them on an art teacher's salary, but she managed to get by on a day to day basis.
"Meredith" Ellis called out as she opened the apartment door. "Oh, there you are." She smiled brightly as she met daughter's deep, green eyes that peered up from the television.
She was sprawled out on the beige, wrap-around couch, indulging in a bag of potato chips. "Hey, mom, how'd your doctor's appointment go?" She looked a little worried.
Ellis walked towards the teenager and patted her legs so that she would make room for her to sit next to her. "Well, no lumps were found!"
Meredith smiled widely. "That's great, mom."
"Yeah, they're supposed to call tomorrow and schedule me another appointment so they can give me my blood test results. Of course hospitals will call you to let you know of your results, but want you to come in to 'discuss' it." She rolled her eyes, hating how money grubby hospitals are.
Meredith shook her head, balling up the empty bag of chips and placing it on the coffee table. Ellis gave her a motherly look and her daughter only smiled sheepishly. "What? Why are you giving me the look?"
Ellis grabbed her daughter's chin and squinted into her eyes. "You're as high as a kite, aren't you?" She noticed the dilated pupils, making her eyes much deeper and darker than normal.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She rolled her eyes, still smiling devilishly.
"Meredith, you told me you were going to get clean." Ellis' frown consumed her features.
"Mom, it was just a little weed. I haven't done anything hard in a few months, I swear. You know I would never lie to you." It was the truth. Meredith couldn't lie to her mom about anything. Their relationship was an open book; no secrets. However, that didn't mean Meredith was completely innocent. After all, she's a seventeen year old female. "I hear marijuana is rather medicinal for cancer patients." She wiggled her perfectly shaped eyebrows.
"Meredith Grey!" Ellis smacked her daughter playfully, understanding the joke. "I am not going to smoke pot with you."
She laughed, shielding herself from her jesting assault. "Hey, it was worth a shot. I could always use a party-pal."
Amidst their horseplay, Ellis suddenly began to have a coughing fit. Meredith patted her back and looked at her with apprehensive eyes. "Are you alright? Let me get you a glass of water." She sprung from the couch and headed into the kitchen, retrieving a glass from the cabinet above her head and filling it with water from the filtered tap. She brought it back over to her mother, who was still coughing.
Ellis sipped slowly, holding her chest as she tried to steady herself. Her chest felt tight and it stung to breath. "I'm fine, sweetie." She cleared her throat, the coughing becoming sporadic.
Well, their relationship was almost completely open. Lately, Ellis hasn't been feeling too well. She excused it for her body recovering from all the previous cancer treatments she had undergone months ago. Meredith sighed, unable to help but fear the worst. Her mother has cancer for Christ's sake! What could she possibly do to cure her? She was completely powerless against her illness, just like she had been powerless against her father when she was a child.
"I'm going to go lay down for a while. I'm exhausted." As she stood, she got light headed and stumbled forward. Meredith caught her smaller body against Her, wrapping her arms around her mother's frail body. Ellis has always been a petite woman, but since being on chemotherapy, it was almost like it was eating away at her, physically and mentally. She hugged her daughter tightly. "I love you. Don't stay up too late; you have school in the morning."
Meredith's heart never ceased to break over her mother's condition. That's why she had been reluctant to stop doing cocaine and meth in the first place. They dulled the pain, made her numb to the reality that he had grown up in an abusive household and now her mother was terminally ill. Meredith was left all alone to take care of her, and frankly, she was scared shitless. At least the drugs had made her feel confident, happier. However, her mom had begged her to stop, so she did. She loves her mother too much to deliberately hurt her.
"Are you going to be back from the hospital in time for my class, tomorrow?" Meredith's favorite class; the only class she really paid attention in was his mother's class.
"I'm not sure, Mer, it depends on when the doctor calls. This doctor is a friend of the nurse I always tell you about, Derek."
"I'm glad. Remind me to thank him." Meredith kissed her mother's cheek before she headed down the hall and into her room with the glass of water still in her shaky hand.
When Ellis was out of sight, she let out a huff of forced air she had drawn into her lungs. This was too much for her to handle. She's just a teenager, she should be focused on school and having fun, yet she's too concerned about her mom to really do anything else. She's failing her senior year, acting out against authority and doing things she shouldn't be doing to ease the pain that is simply called life. She needed to free her mind from her troubles; for one night, at least.
XXXXXXXXXX
"A few hours my ass." Derek grumbled to himself as he walked down the driveway towards the front door of his two story town house.
It was almost nine-thirty at night. His shift started at eight in the morning and normally would have only stayed at the hospital until four-thirty if he hadn't agreed to cover another nurse's shift. He didn't notice Addison's car missing in the driveway as he unlocked the front door and headed inside the warm house. He slightly shivered as he tore off his jacket and hung it up in the closet by the door. He walked into the dimly lit living room and furrowed his brows.
"Addison?" He called out, his deep voice echoing throughout the quiet house.
He traveled upstairs as his heart began to race. Addison didn't need to leave for the airport until morning and surely if she switched flights she would have told him, right? As he made it to the second floor, all the lights were off. He jogged down the hall and flicked on his bedroom light in a panic. Derek tore open the closet door, the slam against the wall echoing loudly against the silence.
"Oh my God." He gasped, noticing most of her clothes and her suitcase were missing.
Derek shook his head vigorously from side to side, eyes wide in disbelief. Did Addison finally snap and leave him? He placed both hands in his wavy hair and his breathing became labored and heavy. He scrambled for his cell in his pocket, dialing Addison's number quickly. No answer. He panicked, almost having a panic attack. He called Addison's mom, praying someone would answer.
"Hello?"
"Thank God!" Derek exclaimed, sighing in relief. "Have you talked to Addison?"
There was a brief moment of silence before his wife's mother spoke. "I'm so sorry, Derek, but Addison doesn't want to speak to you."
"What?" He almost yelled into the receiver. "What the fuck did I do? She can't just leave and then not explain why she fucking left! You get her on that phone, now!" Derek was rarely ever aggressive, but his nerves had him on edge.
Another moment of silence fell on the other line before Addison's voice jolted Derek's heart. "I can't believe you just spoke to my mother that way!" She growled into the phone.
"I can't fucking believe you packed your shit and left me! While I was at work!" He couldn't control the volume of his voice. He was becoming hysterical. "How could you do this, Addison? I love you!"
"You love your job!" She yelled with equal force, her voice cracking as she began to cry. "You're always working, Derek! You never make time for your us anymore! I might as well be lonely without you than lonely with you." She said that last part in a soft, broken whisper.
Derek was clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, unable to respond.
"I'll be home at the beginning of next week. We can talk when I get back."
"So, that's it, huh?" Derek chuckled maniacally. "You're accusing me of working too much when it's all going to pay off eventually?" He was now infuriated. "I'm the one paying for most of the bills! I do everything for you, Addison! I'm trying so hard, but it's just not good enough! The time we do spend together isn't enough!"
He was answered with a dial tone. Addison hung up on him.
"Fuck!" Derek screamed until he was red in the face. If he didn't care so much about his hair, he'd be pulling it out by the roots right now. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He shrank against the wall, falling to the floor. He held his knees to his chest as he started to cry. His wife is gone. He felt so alone, so helpless.
"Derek?"
Derek's head snapped up to the sound of his best friend's voice. Mark Sloan; ladies man, party animal, good-fun guy. Those are how most would describe him. Derek would tell them they're right, but he would add that he's the greatest friend in the world. They've known each other since high school and had immediately clicked as friends. Mark is a stand-up guy and always has been, especially towards Derek. They were almost like brothers. They even had similar hairstyles and trimmed facial hair.
Mark always randomly stopped by Derek's house. He has his own key, so he usually just let himself in. Of course, if he knew Addison was home, he would knock, not wanting to anger the woman. The first few times he didn't, she chewed him out for it. Mark's a quick learner and the fact he loathes nagging women aided him into knocking more often. That's probably why he chooses to bed-hop rather than settle down. He's a winner on so many levels.
He crouched down next to his weeping friend, observing. He didn't have to assume what happened. "Dude . . . I'm so sorry, buddy. What happened?"
"She up and left all because I 'work too much'. He said in a disgusted, mocking tone.
"Fuck her," Mark said bluntly, "I mean, she's hot and smart and -" Derek was giving him a daring look. "Okay, well you know all that, but if she can't see how special you are and is that quick to leave, then fuck her. You're better off without that bitch. You do so much for her; she can't treat you this way, man." Was it mentioned that Mark is brutally honest and straight forward? Perhaps that's why he's such a great lawyer.
Mark stood up and held out his hand towards his friend, "It's time you stood up for yourself, buddy. I'm willing to make a stand for you, so are you willing to do the same?"
Derek stared at Mark's extended hand. He was right; Derek always put others before himself. If he let Addison do this to him, imagine what else she could do. He took Mark's hand and hoisted himself to his feet.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout." Mark hugged his friend tightly. "Now, how about you and I hit the club and have some fun?"
Derek shrugged. "I don't know. I had a long day and I'm exhausted."
"Come on!" Derek was startled when Mark shouted his words exuberantly. "You and I are gonna get shit faced and rub up against some women!"
"I'm married."
"Hey, she technically left you. Besides, it's not adultery unless you fuck the bitch. All I'm saying is, I know a place where the beer flows like water and the chicks have bubbly smiles and handfuls of you know what, oh yeah!" He made cupping, squeezing gestures with his hands.
"Wow," Derek's eyebrows arched high, "Guess you're not gonna let me say no."
"Damn right!" Mark was so excited. Derek hasn't partied with Mark since college. They've always had so much fun together, but after Derek met Addison his senior year of college, he had spent all his free time with her. "You gotta change though. There's no way I'm going to a club with a dude in blue scrubs."
Derek laughed, turning around and heading to his own room. He opened the closet, which was almost bare since Addison had taken the majority of her clothes out, and observed his options. He decided on a long sleeved, black button-down shirt and black jeans. Derek changed quickly, he had never been shy around Mark. Once you get drunk enough to have sex in the same bed with your best friend with a girl you just met, you pretty much forget about shyness.
"Snazzy." Mark smirked, eying his attire. "Just gotta put some bling on and take off your ring and we're ready to go!"
"I'm not taking off my wedding ring." He protested as Mark dug through Derek's jewelry box.
"I guess skanks seem to dig it." He found a simple silver chain and took it over to his friend. "Did you know that sometimes," he helped Derek put the chain around his neck, "I wear a band on my ring finger just to see how many girls I get to hit on me that night?"
"Oh yeah? What was the verdict?" Derek walked over to the wall mirror above the oak dresser and looked himself over. He did, in fact, look rather fine.
"I got so many chicks, dude. It was unbelievable. Of course they were all a bunch of skanks, but sometimes I like 'em a little dirty."
Derek couldn't help but crack up at what his friend just said. "I can't believe you said that. That's, wow."
Mark's smile consumed his face. "Sure you can. Now," he grabbed Derek's arm eagerly and led him out of the room, "party time!"
The lawyer was too excited. After five years, Derek is finally going out to a club with his best friend. Of course they hung out, but not like this; not dancing, drinking and flirting with loose women. When they were younger, Mark had always been able to bring out the wild side in Derek. By nature, the nurse had always been rational and a book worm. He always focused on what needed to be done and there was no room for meaningless partying. Mark changed all of that. When they were together, Derek was still charming and gracious, but was more forward and outgoing. He often got more girls than Mark did. Derek had dubbed him his "wing man". They had such fond memories of their party-past. You could tell Mike missed his friend just as much as Mark had. He couldn't wait to get drunk and forget the pain Addison was causing him.