Keep Holding On

Chapter 2

Meredith let out a tired sigh as she waited in the long line at the hospital's cafeteria. She wasn't at all hungry, fifteen rectal exams had a way of taking away a person's appetite, but she was thirsty and the pop machine on the first floor was empty. She tapped her foot impatiently, willing the line to move faster. Her break wasn't very long, but if she hurried, she knew she'd get at least ten minutes with Hanna, which was better than nothing.

Meredith wasn't paying much attention as a familiar from in dark blue scrubs stood next to her in line.

"Good afternoon Dr. Grey."

Meredith didn't have to turn to know who it was. She kept her eyes straight ahead, deciding it was Derek's fault she had been late that morning, and therefore his fault that she had been stuck doing rectals and sutures.

"Aw, you're ignoring me." Derek grinned, casually looking around to see if anyone was listening. When Derek saw Meredith still wasn't going to answer, he went on. "You shouldn't ignore me. I'm someone you need to get to know to love."

Meredith finally turned to acknowledge Derek. "Nice try. It was a terrible line the first time, what makes you think it's going to work now?"

"Terrible line?! It convinced you to bring me home with you, remember?" Derek winked quickly, keeping his body language professional, so that anyone watching the two would think they were merely co-workers discussing a case.

"Uh, no. That was the tequila. You were just lucky I was already drunk enough to let you believe your corny pick up line actually worked." Meredith offered a quick, victorious grin, before returning her stare straight ahead.

"Corny?!" Derek scoffed. "Definitely not. I was charming. I do remember that much. Debonair, if I do say so myself."

Meredith turned to offer her rebuke, but rolled her eyes instead. The line moved forward and when it was her turn, Derek quickly stepped in front of her. "Let me get this for you. What'll it be?"

Meredith crossed her arms, unwilling to be charmed by the handsome doctor, and asked the waiting cashier for a Diet Coke. Derek ordered his usual, salad and bottled water, and paid the total. Meredith quickly unscrewed the plastic cap before taking a long drink.

"Diet Coke? That's not a very good lunch." Derek furrowed his brows as he often did towards her eating habits.

Meredith turned towards him and glared. "Well maybe if I hadn't been doing...what I've been doing... all morning... because of you, I'd have an appetite. But at the present time I do not have an appetite. So if I happen to pass out because of malnutrition, you can be happy to know it was your fault. Have a good day Dr. Shepherd!" With that Meredith turned on her heel and hurried angrily away.

Derek tried his hardest not to laugh. But it was pointless. He found her completely irresistible when she was worked up about something. He knew though, that if he wanted to finish what they'd started in the supply closet that morning, he had a lot of groveling to do. A whole lot.

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Meredith turned her wrists and stretched her fingers. They were starting to numb and her feet were starting to ache from being on them all day. Meredith trudged back over to the nurses station to retrieve the next chart from her immense pile. She paused in confusion when her eyes fell upon the empty tray. She looked around puzzled, trying to figure out where her charts had disappeared to.

"Excuse me, Nurse? Do you know where the charts that I was assigned to went?" Meredith furrowed her brows perplexed.

"Ya, that doctor over there's been working on 'em." The nurse motioned with her pen to a curtained off exam room.