The Seventh Sense is Love

Colleagues, Fellowships ans Shopping

Meredith was scrubbing out after doing a craniotomy with one of her interns. She loved her job and enjoyed the teaching aspect of it. She still got a surgery high but lately her high was lower than it use to be. Maybe it was normal to have the passion for her career wane just a little bit. Maybe she wanted to feel passion for something other than her career. Or someone she thought as her mind drifted - yet again - to Derek Shepherd.

Meredith dried her hands and sighed loudly. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? Since she'd collided with him a week ago he'd been invading her thoughts regularly. She kept seeing his smile and hearing his arrogant tone of voice telling her he was a lot likeable. He was likeable and that was the problem. Meredith didn't want to like Derek. She'd made a second career out of keeping people - especially men - at arms length. She hadn't ever wanted to give anyone the same dedication she gave medicine. She was completely aware of the fact - even though she tried to deny and ignore it - that this need to keep her distance made her very much like her mother... the great Ellis Grey.

Meredith didn't want to like Derek Shepherd because in those brief few minutes with him she'd felt happier than she could remember feeling in a very long time. Naturally, this scared the living hell out of her. So she figured she'd just forget about meeting Derek. And hope the Chief would forget that he'd wanted her in that meeting. Her mind was not agreeing to her plan, though. She kept thinking about him. And wondering how she could ask the Chief about the meeting without sounding interested in Derek.

Meredith sighed again as she reached the Resident locker room. What was she going to do? As much as she was afraid of it - Meredith Grey liked Derek Shepherd.
*

"You should take the Chief up on his offer and come back to work."

Derek finishes the bite of food in his mouth and then says, "Miranda, don't. Please don't... you know I can't go back to work at Seattle Grace."

"Actually, I don't know that at all. What I know is that the hospital hasn't been the same since you left. What I know is that the Chief, Sloan and I miss having you around there. What I know is that you're wasting your time playing as a fisherman when you're a brilliant doctor!"

"I was a Neurosurgeon Bailey," Derek snaps. "Was and surgeon, being the operative words."

"You only call me 'Bailey' when you're angry."

"I'm sorry Miranda," Derek sighs. "I don't mean to be an ass to you. It's just... Richard's offer is like a slap in the face. He's offering me a teaching position. It's like only being offered twenty-five percent of my life back. Can you please try to understand?"

Miranda Bailey looked at the man who had become one of her best friends over the past ten years. Her heart broke when she thought of all he'd lost - because it was so much more than just his sight and his career. All she wanted was for him to be truly happy again. She wasn't going to give up on this plan of Richard's because she believed it to be exactly what Derek needed in his life. She says, "Just think about it, Derek. Believe it or not - medicine is not the same without you. Plus, you're only living half-a-life out here in the woods."

"I live a full life, Miranda. Kathleen, David and the kids aren't far away. You, Mark and Richard come to visit. I come into the city with Kathleen sometimes. I enjoy fishing and my dog keeps me company everyday."

"There's passion in that?" Miranda asks with just a little bite in her voice. "You sound like an old man."

Derek laughs and asks, "Don't you have surgery this afternoon? You are a busy General Attending."

"Yes, I have surgery in two hours with Grey."

"Meredith?" Derek asks as a smile spreads involuntarily across his face.