In Your Dreams

7.

"Good job man." Mark said as he tapped a large hand on my shoulder.

"It's a good job, but not one I like doing." I confessed "I hate working on kids."

Mark turned one eye brow up with a torn expression. I sighed and stared through the window into the kid's room where he recovered from brain surgery, at the ripe age of one.

"Not because I have anything against them. I think the world of kids. They're so young and innocent. They don't deserve to know what the inside of an operating room looks like."

"This is a cruel world Derek." Mark replied humbly "It takes victims of the greatest kind sometimes."

We share a look, and I know we were both thinking of the same person.

"How can they have found nothing in eighteen months Mark?"

I could tell it was a tough question for him but he hid the strain quickly and let out a quick sigh.

"Apparently it's hard to find enough evidence to pin someone when you have no body."

"Has anyone ever wondered if she were out there, still alive?"

"It's a dream Derek." Mark said "A dream that we've all hoped on. But the fact is that if she were still alive we'd have found something to give us hope. And we haven't."

Mark shook his head and I hated digging this up for him. Maybe I should get my head checked or tested for Tourettes' or something, apparently I was having filter issues.

"They only found enough to assume it was a homicide case." Mark continued "And Deacon never pushed them to search harder, so the case went cold."

"Deacon?" I asked against my previous judgment. It was just a name, but a male name. And a man who had the power to push a case on Meredith. It was a question I couldn't help asking.

"Oh, Deacon Cherrey. He's...or he was Meredith's husband."

"Husband." I had to force the word up my throat and into my mind "She was married?"

"Hardly." Mark sighed, his voice signified a certain amount of distaste for her husband, I liked this sound "They were separated for a year before she went missing. She was living in her own apartment and all. I think she was getting ready to file, but Meredith was a lady, she didn't discuss the down and dirty of life with anyone."

"So you didn't know him well?"

"Oh I knew plenty about the bastard." Mark lashed out "He was all to quick in filing a life insurance claim on her. I'm sure he and his new girlfriend are living a comfortable life."

"How could anyone not love her with their last breath?" I mumbled. With the quick glance Mark threw me I knew he heard. I scrambled to find a recovery; my mind of course went blank. "I mean, well that she seemed like such a beautiful person. Not something you find on every street corner these days."

"She was radiant." Mark said "But she loved her work, she got a high off of helping people. Deacon got jealous of that and told her to make a choice. Him or work."

"I'm guessing she chose work?"

"If someone gave you an asinine ultimatum wouldn't you?"

"People you love are supposed to support you, they're supposed to life you up and be...flexible."

"Says the divorcee'." Mark grinned. I rolled my eyes, I hadn't even thought about Addison Montgomery since the night I flew into Seattle. "So how did you do it anyway?"

"How did I do what?" I asked as my pager shrieked at my side.

"How did you find the kid, how did you know where to look?"

I felt a grin spreading across my face before I had the strength or know-how to stop it.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."