Mind over Matter

Chapter Ten: Without You

Meredith took a deep breath, putting a streak of hair behind her ear as she made her way down the hall, clutching her patient's medical record. The clicking of her heels echoing throughout the empty corridor. 

It was her first week as interim chief and it proved to be more difficult than she anticipated. The overwhelming amount of paperwork that Patricia had deposited at her desk on her first day, well her new office's desk, was proving to take up a lot of time. 

Meredith wasn't used to being on the administrative side of things, and it took her a little while before she settled into her new routine. 

The hospital staff's reaction towards her new promotion varied. Some shot her dirty looks in the hallways, others greeted her with congratulations or a friendly nod. 

Meredith knew she didn't have their trust yet, as Richard had been chief of surgery for twenty-five years. That didn't mean she wasn't trying her hardest though...

She practically lived in the hospital, working every second night until she would drop, all without complaints. 

Meredith had been burying herself in her work, in a partial attempt to forget about the cocky black-haired neurosurgeon that made her head spin. 

It had been two weeks since she last spoke to him...the last time being that dreadful night at her house. It had become her second job to avoid him; purposefully missing every call, text, and surprise visit to her new office. She made a deal with Patricia to send him away every time he came near Meredith's office. She paged Jim Nelson - or as the staff liked to call him; "Shadow Shepherd" for every neuro consult that her residents came to her with. 

So far, her method of avoidance had proved effective, but unfortunately for her, she needed a neuro consult and Derek was the only neurosurgeon on call tonight. 

Her stomach was filled with a mixture between nervousness and unsoothable anger.

She spotted the tall, muscular doctor at the end of the hallway, entering his office.

Damnit, she did not want to be alone with him...

She followed in his path and took a deep breath before straightening her pencil skirt and knocking on his office door. 

"Come in!" his voice sounded from the opposite side.

She turned the knob and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. 

"Meredith..." he said as he looked at her in shock. "Meredith I-" he was cut off by the cold sound of her commands.

"Dr. Shepherd, I need you to take this neuro case;  a forty-five-year-old man with a cerebral aneurysm. You are the only neurosurgeon on call, so they are prepping an OR for you to scrub into in an hour" she said sternly.

"Yeah.. okay I guess I'm free.. Meredith I think we should talk though..." he responded as he sought an ounce of love in her stone-cold emerald orbs. 

To his disappointment... the only emotion in her eyes was rage.. she was pissed.

"That's Dr. Grey for you Dr. Shepherd, and I think you have done enough talking for the both of us" she said as she opened the door to leave. 

"Meredith, please don't act like this... let me explain... I'm sorry..." 

His words made her stop in the doorframe, her jaw clenching with anger. She spun around on her heel and put her hands on her hips, gritting her teeth. 

"Oh so now I'm the bad guy huh?! Are you fucking kidding me! Now it's all "Boohoo poor Derek with his bruised ego and his sad guilty feelings!" You broke up with me! Sorry isn't enough and I don't owe you a damn thing! I suggest you stop acting so unprofessional and keep your personal life from your professional one. "We" are done, Derek! You made that perfectly clear! I don't care about what you have to say, don't try and talk to me again unless it's about work! Now if you'll excuse me, Dr. Shepherd, I have better things to do than this!" she said before storming out of his office, slamming the door behind her.