Untouchable face

11.

Tequila was stupid. It was really stupid. Meredith was the kind of person that didn't believe in regrets. She got drunk and slept with guys and she really tried not to regret it the next morning because this was how she wanted to live her life but right now, she was definitely regretting last night. Nothing about last night had been a good idea. From the tequila to the guy, none of it had been good. And now she was paying for it. It was five thirty in the morning and the hospital lights burned her eyes and made her head throb. She had an extra large cup of coffee and a greasy breakfast sandwich but her stomach was still turning.

She wasn't prone to hangovers. She usually just needed to take an advil and she'd be fine but apparently last night was going to kick her ass. At least it seemed better to think about how shitty she felt instead of thinking about how bad the guy had been. Or not bad...just...overly eager, he was overly eager. Which was bad. He had probably asked her twenty times if she had come. Finally she had just lied to him before kicking him out. She was self destructive but there was only so much she could take. And to make matters worse, he hadn't even served his purpose.

He had been nothing close to Derek Shepherd. The hair might have been curly and dark but that was about it. Everything else had been wrong and he hadn't made her want Derek any less. She had really been hoping a replacement guy would be enough to shake him from her system but apparently not.

She still couldn't stop thinking about him which had made the sleeping thing tough. She wasn't sure why he was taking over her head like this but it was driving her crazy. It just had to stop. It wasn't like there was anything special about him. Yes, he was gorgeous but he was hardly the first attractive patient she had had. And he was funny and charming but a lot of guys were. He was just a contractor with nice blue eyes and she should be able to just forget about him.

Which was her new goal. She was an adult, a surgeon, she didn't need alcohol or over eager sex to forget her patient. She needed to come at him like she came at a tough surgery, analytically and emotionless. Her mom had been a robot and had been one of the best surgeons in the world. Derek just had to be broken back guy. And before she knew it, he would be gone. He'd get discharged and have to come back for rehab but that wasn't going to be around the surgery area so she would never have to see him again. It wouldn't be too long before feeling like this would be a strange and bad memory.

She just had to get over this hangover, go on rounds, and call him Mr. Shepherd. It was the only way to separate the gorgeous taken contractor from broken back guy. She had to be totally professional with him and his perfect girlfriend.

"Dr. Grey?" a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes?" Meredith turned, cringing slightly when she saw the perfect girlfriend. "Maggie."

"Dr. Grey," Maggie nodded, before yawning widely. "Oh god...sorry."

"It's okay. It's early."

"Does it count as early when you don't really sleep?"

"You didn't sleep?" Meredith frowned. "Why not? Did something happen?"

"No...just stressed," Maggie sighed.

"He's doing fine, Maggie. We wouldn't have moved him to a normal room otherwise."

"I...I know," Maggie nodded quickly.

"So he's fine."

"I know, it's just..." Maggie shook her head. "Complicated."

"Complicated?"

"Derek had a bad night."

"What kind of bad night?"

"Pain but I know it's to be expected," Maggie nodded quickly. "The nurses helped and they said it was all normal and no reason to page you in or anything. It was mainly his mood that was the problem."