If that's what it takes

16

Derek stomped angrily down the hallway. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew that he had to get out of that room before he screamed, shouted, or punched something in the angry rage that he was finding himself in. His hands were balled up into tight fists and his teeth were grinding as he paced back and forth beside the elevator. He could feel the heat and anger boiling over in his mind as he slammed down on the elevator button again with his palm.

The door finally opened and he shoved himself into the elevator, moving aside for a person who was taking it down to the next floor, Derek stared at his feet as he pressed the button for the intensive care unit, his eyes focusing on the numbers above the door as he waited for his turn to get off the elevator.

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"So..." Mark said, sitting down on the bed as the little girl climbed out of his arms and crawled toward the pillow on the bed, curling onto it with Molly in her arms.

"When is Just Derek coming back?" She asked, glancing to the door and back to Mark.

"Oh, he'll be back soon... why do you call him 'Just' Derek?" Mark asked softly. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Cuz he said that was his name, silly... he said call me 'Just Derek'... are you telling me that's not his name?" She asked innocently as she looked at Mark with a curious stare.

"No, no... that's his name...." Mark nodded with a chuckle as he tried to reassure her. "So... that's Molly there, huh?"

"Mister Mark?" She said softly as her eyes drooped slightly, a small yawn coming to her lips as she snuggled into her doll.

"Hmm...?"

"Tell me a story... please?" She said softly as she looked over at him with sleepy eyes as Mark moved toward the chair beside the bed.

"A story, huh?" He asked as he settled in and leaned toward the bed, bringing his chin to the mattress so they were eye to eye. He watched her nod sadly as she watched him, and he reached his hand over to pull the blanket up onto her tiny body as he began his story.

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The elevator doors opened and he walked down the hallway briskly to the nurse's station. "Hey, Doctor Shepherd, you're not on now, are you? Dr. Yang said that if we see you here, we're supposed to send you back upstairs."

"I need to see the chart for Lexie Grey." Derek said, ignoring the nurse for a moment as he held his hand out. The nurse looked up at him blankly, and was taken aback by the intense look in his eyes. "Lexie Grey... chart..." He said, his voice was low, curt, and angry. The nurse grabbed the chart and handed it off to Derek, who nodded in thanks as he flipped it open and walked quickly down the hallway.

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"Once there was this..."

"Once upon a time..." Zoey said softly.

"Huh?"

"Once upon a time... that's how you start a story..." Zoey replied, pointing at Mark. "You start it with once upon a time..."

"Oh... yeah... sorry..." Mark nodded. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl... she..."

"She was a princess." Zoey sighed.

"What?" Mark asked as he watched her nod her head.

"The little girl... she's a princess, right?"

"Yes... she's a princess...who is telling the story here?" Mark asked as he smirked at the little girl's little grin.

"I think I am... do you want to lay down?" Zoey asked as she lifted her head from the pillow.

"Oh, you think you're funny now?" Mark laughed as he nodded his head.