If I Lay Here {Book 1} - Grey's Anatomy AU

Damage Case

Season 2, Episode 24: Damage Case
Overall Episode Number: 33
Created by: Shonda Rhimes

/ / /

We all go through life like bulls in a China shop. A chip here, a crack there. Doing damage to ourselves. To other people. The problem is trying to figure out how to control the damage we have done. Or that's been done to us. Sometimes the damage catches us by surprise. Sometimes we think we can fix the damage. And sometimes the damage is something we can't even see.

- Meredith Grey

/ / /

Derek walked up to the interns in the ambulance bay. He didn't exactly look too happy.

"Hey," Meredith greeted.

Instead of greeting her, Derek got straight to the point. "How's my dog?"

"Much better. Finn's running tests," Meredith answered.

Derek nodded. "Good."

"Our dog," Meredith said suddenly.

"What?"

"Our dog. You said, "my dog." He's our dog." Meredith pointed out.

Derek sighed. "Yeah, whatever."

The blonde intern furrowed her eyebrows at the neurosurgeon. "Are you mad at me or something?"

"Now's not the time," Derek answered.

Even with the incoming victims, Meredith couldn't help but worry that Derek was mad at her for something.

/ / /

After Denny collapsed in the stairwell, Izzie and Burke brought him back to his room. However, Denny wasn't as happy or positive as he had been for the last few weeks. Once he was settled back into bed, Izzie and Burke left his room.

"What do we do?" Izzie asked.

Burke sighed. "We put him on a tight leash. Tell the nurses to keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't take any more endurance hikes in the stairwell."

Izzie nodded. "Yeah. But... Preston, what do we do?"

"The damage to his body we can try to control, but the damage to his spirit... for a man like Denny to lie on this bed for years on end... that's not something we could really understand. And his feelings about it aren't something we should try to control. Give him room, Izzie. Just give him room to grieve."

/ / /

Mackenzie walked by Callie and George, who looked like they were in the middle of a fight.

"You don't understand, George! Your friends judge me, and it makes me feel really uncomfortable. And what's worse is that you never take my side! You have to stick up for me." Callie told the intern.

Mackenzie attempted to quietly walk past the two, but ultimately failed when George spotted her.

"Mack!"

The girl froze like a deer in headlights when George called her name.

Callie whipped her head around, a relieved look in her brown eyes. "Mackenzie, could you come here please?"

Not wanting to be disrespectful to Callie, the blonde made her way to her brother and the ortho surgeon. "What's up?"

"If Grey or Stevens tell you that I don't wash my hands, would you believe them?"

Mackenzie shook her head almost immediately. "Not at all. I don't believe that for a second, Callie. You're a surgeon; you're supposed to practice good hygiene. Besides... why wouldn't you wash your hands?"

Callie held a triumphant smile on her face before she turned to George. "This is why I like Mackenzie more than your friends, George! Mackenzie doesn't judge me, and she likes me. Your little sister is an angel."

George stuffed his hands into his pockets, knowing that Callie was right. He didn't say anything when she walked away from him and Mackenzie.

"I take it that she's mad because you didn't stick up for her?" Mackenzie asked.

George sighed and brought her closer to his side. "Yeah. But I'll make it up to her."

"You better. Callie's a nice person, and I think she's good for you. Not to mention, she's a badass and hardcore surgeon."

/ / /

Mackenzie was sitting at one of the outside lunch tables when Meredith decided to join her.

"Hey, Mer. What's up?" Asked the 11-year-old.

Meredith sighed and picked around at her food. "I think I might be going crazy... but I think your mom's mad at me."

"Why would he be mad at you? I thought you guys were friends?" Mackenzie said in confusion.

Meredith shrugged. "We are friends. It's just that... he yells at me every time I make a mistake. He's never yelled at me like that before. I don't know what I did wrong."

Mackenzie listened to the intern's words, wondering why Derek would suddenly be mad at Meredith. As far as Mackenzie was concerned, Meredith hadn't done anything wrong. So why would the girl's mother start acting cold towards the intern he was in love with? It didn't make sense.

"I don't know what to tell you, Meredith. I honestly have no idea why he would be mad at you. But I'm sure it's probably nothing. What I would do is try not to make him even madder. Mom can be pretty scary if he gets mad enough. Just do as he asks without hesitation, and you should be fine."

Meredith looked at the young girl, a hint of a smile playing on the intern's lips. "Thank you, Mack. That's some good advice that I will follow until I figure out what's going on."

"You're welcome, Mer. I'm just trying to help you as a friend. I don't want to see you and Mom at each other's throats; I've experienced enough fighting in my lifetime."

/ / /

After Derek and Meredith leave Marshall's room, Meredith follows Derek to a stairwell.

"I never should've told you about George," Meredith lamented.

Derek shook his head. "No, it's fine, I'm glad I know. About him. And the vet. You really get around."

Meredith's gaze turned dangerous. "What did you just say to me?"

"It's unforgivable."

"I don't remember ever asking you to forgive me," Meredith claimed.

Derek looked as if steam was being emitted from his ears. "So was the knitting a phase? Who's next? Alex? Because I hear he likes to sleep around. You two have that in common."

Derek turned to leave, but Meredith grabbed his arm.

"You don't get to call me a whore. When I met you, I thought I had found the person that I was going to spend the rest of my life with! I was done. So all the boys and all the bars and all the obvious daddy issues, who cared? Because I was done. You left me. You chose Addison. I'm all glued back together now. I make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke. You don't get to call me a whore."

"This thing with us is finished. It's over." Derek declared.

Meredith huffed. "Finally."

"Yeah," Derek agreed. "It's done."

"It is done," Meredith seethed.

Derek leaves going up the stairs and Meredith slowly goes down the stairs.

The decision was final. Their thing was finished.

/ / /

We're all damaged, it seems. Some of us more than others. We carry the damage with us from childhood. Then, as grown-ups, we give as good as we get. Ultimately, we all do damage. And then... we set about the business of fixing... whatever we can.

- Meredith Grey

/ / /

Mackenzie finished feeding Doc when Derek stepped into the trailer. He looked distraught and heartbroken.

"Mom? What's wrong?" Mackenzie immediately asked.

Derek shoved his coat off and set his bag down, trying not to break down crying in front of his only daughter. "Meredith and I are done."

Mackenzie held a look of confusion. "What do you mean, 'done?'"

"Whatever we had going on between us... it's finished. We're done," Derek informed his daughter. "But, it'll be okay. I'll be okay," he feebly reassured with a wavering smile. "Why don't you get ready for bed and I'll tuck you in, okay my angel?"

"Okay, Mom." Mackenzie agreed, not wanting to upset him further with questions.

As she got ready for bed, her heart suddenly became overwhelmed with a profound sadness. Was this really the end of Meredith and Derek?

/ / /

1395 words

Next Update: 17 Seconds

*Four updates in one day? I might as well finish the rest of the season at this rate. I know the last few chapters have been on the shorter side, and I apologize for that. But hopefully the remainder of the season will make up for the loss of Mackenzie content. Also, we are now entering the final 3 episodes of season 2!*

Published: 8/24/2021