Untouchable face

13.

Meredith had a feeling that all the other second year residents were probably jealous of her. While they were running around from patient to patient, trying to handle too many cases to even think about, she had been ordered to stick to Derek Shepherd and not worry about anything else. To anyone else, this probably looked really easy and relaxing. And at some point, it had been. Back when Derek Shepherd had been unconscious, it had been really relaxing. But now, on top of everything else, he was sick. He had a slight infection, which was totally normal after surgery, but Derek was acting like his world was coming to an end. It was annoying. And she was pretty sure she was not supposed to want to hit a patient.

She had dealt with annoying patients before but usually she got a break from them and got to go take care of someone who wasn't being a baby. And it's what Derek was being at this point. He was in pain and feeling useless and annoyed and she understood it but he was being a baby about it.

Since she had talked to him a couple days earlier, he had made an attempt to be nice to people, most notably Maggie. But it was like the sicker he got, the meaner he got towards her and the nurses. A lot of the nurses had come to her and complained, and she wasn't sure what to say to them. Derek was just being a total baby. She really didn't want to talk to him again but this was getting ridiculous. He was going to be fine, he was going to go on and live a totally normal life. Or at least he would if he stopped whining so much because taking his attitude into rehab would prboably actually make it harder for him to ever get back to normal.

So it just needed to stop, and it needed to stop soon. She had to be with him until he went home, and right now, she was seriously considering smothering him. Or not smothering him, but just...not being nice to him any more. Which sucked because she really did want to be nice to him. Really bad.

Because somehow, even though he was being a complete ass and driving her nuts, she still liked him. Liked him in a way that went beyond his really nice hair, that was starting to look a little out of control, and his blue eyes. Something was underneath the assishness that made her realize he really wasn't a bad guy.

But she was still currently annoyed. She didn't want to yell at him again, she had felt bad enough when she had done it the first time. And she really did feel bad doing that in front of his mom or sisters or even Maggie. He was probably trying his best, at least she hoped he was. She wasn't totally sure and she just needed to enjoy her lunch break. It was the most relaxing part of her day considering most of her thought when she tried to sleep were about Derek. At least the hospital's cafeteria was always noisy and good for people watching. People watching would give her something else to think about for once.

"There you are," Lexie grinned as she came towards her.

"Oh hi," Meredith breathed.

"I was wondering where you were."

"Oh...here. Hiding."

"Hiding? From who?"

"Derek."

"Your patient Derek?"

"That'd be the one," Meredith nodded.

"That's generally not good, Mer."

"I know it's not, I know."

"But you're still hiding from him."

"I... I need a break."

"Is he doing okay?" Lexie frowned. "Mark was saying he's not feeling well."

"He...you're still talking to Mark?"

"Oh...yeah," Lexie nodded, biting into her sandwich.

"Why?"

"What?"