Under the Night Sky

Chapter 55

Lexie watched her father with growing anxiety. He was pacing around the room. He was utterly silent but words were not needed for others to know his state of mind. The waves of anger he was radiating were as tangible as those on a stormy sea. She wanted to console him somehow, to convince him that it was not so bad despite the appearances, but she was exhausted, physically and mentally. She just confessed everything to her parents, everything she knew about Meredith and Derek's relationship and every detail of her acquaintance with the latter, well, maybe except the exact circumstances in which she met her sister's boyfriend for the first time.

"Thatcher, honey," Susan began calmingly. "Why don't you sit down? I'll make some tea-"

"I don't want tea!" he snapped back. "I am not going to sit down and do nothing like the last time! I refuse to let another bastard hurt my daughter and walk away in peace! I will not allow it!"

"But there is nothing you can do," Susan continued to reason with him. "The damage is done, Meredith is back in Rachel."

"That may be, but that scoundrel is not! He is going to answer to me! I'm not going to let it slide this time!" he vowed furiously and stormed out of the room.

"Thatcher! Thatcher, where do you think you're going?" Both Susan and Lexie hurried after him to the hall, where he was already hastily pulling on his shoes and coat.

"I've told you, I'm not going to sit here listlessly and do nothing!" he growled searching for the car keys.

"Thatch, no! Please, don't get involved!" Susan pleaded with him. "You'll only do more harm than good! It's not gonna help Meri! The only thing you can achieve is getting yourself into serious trouble!"

"Dad, you're not even going to be able to find him!" Lexie backed her mother up. "They showed me the door!"

"The difference is that I have lived in this world a little longer!" Thatcher shrugged and practically ran out, leaving them both sick with worry.

Less than half an hour later, Thatcher stopped before the same nurses' station where Lexie had been so unsuccessful.

"Good afternoon," he sent the nurse behind the counter a polite smile. "Could you, please, help me find Dr. Shepherd?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. Dr. Shepherd no longer works for New York Presbyterian I'm afraid."

"Really? Where does he work now then? Mount Sinai?"

"I... am not really sure, sir. Did you have an appointment with him? All his patients were redirected to our new head of neurosurgery. We've been notifying the patients all day, but it takes a little time. I am sorry for the glitch. Dr. Nelson is an excellent specialist though, you will be in good hands."

"I am sure he is..." Thatcher sighed dramatically. "But I was told Dr. Shepherd is the best in the field. Is there absolutely no way I could contact him?"

The nurse seemed to take pity on him, she leaned over in her chair, whispered for a few seconds with a fellow nurse, and smiled back at him, "You might be in luck. Apparently, Dr. Shepherd's come to say goodbye to his colleagues. You could wait for him in his office."

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As guilty as it made him feel, Derek couldn't help but breathe in relief when he extricated himself from the small gathering of his colleagues. He had spent years working alongside some of them, he regarded many as his friends but he was not sorry at escaping further questions about his plans and his future. Especially so as the person on whom it all depended was of the unfavorable opinion that he was a "mendacious dirtbag", as Lexie had called him. Mark and Addison had reiterated every detail of their meeting with the younger Dr. Grey and Derek didn't have to strain himself to discover what was really going on.