Keep The Faith

5.

Seattle
12:04 AM

It had been two days. Forty eight long, worry filled hours. Derek was throwing himself into surgery after surgery, and never sleeping for more than five hours at a time. The ruthless schedule was worth it. It kept him going and kept him from sitting around and picturing Meredith's maimed body floating in the harbor.

Jesus, maybe he really was going crazy. Or at least getting extremely twisted. He put his money on going crazy and lowered himself into his car. The chief ordered him to go home. Derek caught his own reflection in the rear view mirror. He looked like shit.

He was going home for six hours, and then coming back, because, mercifully, he had an early surgery scheduled at six. He was getting angry now. Angry at the police, at the hospital, at Addison, at Finn, at the interns, at himself. Especially at himself. He started his car and tore out of the parking lot.

He was the only connection between Meredith and Taylor. It had to be because of him. If something happened to her because this man's daughter died on his operating table, he would never forgive himself. Practically sick with worry, and enraged with anger, he wished fervently that he had never met Addison so they never would have performed that surgery.

All Addison could think about was Derek's reaction to the news. It was them. They were the connection. He was the connection. Of course she got etched out of the picture. She closed her eyes; and saw her husband throwing up in a trash can.

Adele's words echoed in her mind. She loved Derek. She had to fight for him. She had to. She sucked in a breath, and took off her clothes. She put on the lacy black and silver 'get lucky' lingerie ensemble she had bought at Barney's right before she left New York.

She stood in front of the mirror like that, staring at herself. He would want her like this. He'd have to. He always had before that. She twisted her hands and ran them through her hair, teasing it at the top. When she was finished, she applied a coat of lip gloss, stepped back from the mirror and admired her own handiwork.

She was Addison Forbes Montgomery Shepherd. He was Derek Shepherd. Derek and Addison. He was not cheating on her, he was just worried. He was going to respond to her. He had to.

She heard his car pull up, so she sucked in a breath.

💉🩺

Derek opened the door to see Addison standing in the doorway of his trailer, the light behind her creating a dramatic silhouette. One hand was on her stuck out hip. Derek walked in the door, and she accosted him.
She grabbed his briefcase and practically threw it on the ground, and crushed her lips against his. He disentangled himself and shook his head. "Addison, I just can't..." She pouted, pushing her lower lip out, and looking up at him through her eyelashes.

Just like Meredith did. He knew this was crazy. Awful. Crazy. But he could see Meredith doing exactly what she was at that moment. And he wanted to feel Meredith under him. To know she was okay. Before he could stop himself, he was kissing Addison into the bedroom.

💉🩺

Seattle Harbor
12:29 AM

Meredith was shaking. Practically convulsing, she thought wildly. This was bad. Really bad. She was really cold. And she felt feverish. She was a sick, freezing, soon to be hypothermic hostage.

She saw Taylor's outstretched hand coming toward her. She blinked at twice, trying to determine what was in it. Her cell phone.

"I think it's time that we call Dr. Shepherd." He said mockingly. He opened the phone and handed it to Meredith, and she accepted it with her hand that was not handcuffed to the chair she was sitting on.