Easy Silence

6.

"Where is he?"

Meredith heard the strong voice before she even reached the lobby of the hospital. She recognized it immediately, though now it was full of panic instead of smooth and confident like it had been at the bar. And as she rounded the corner she saw the large man yelling at a nurse, a cute little thing that he seemed to have no interest in sleeping with at the moment. Apparently Derek was wrong.

"I know I'm not technically his family," Mark was groaning, anger flashing in his eyes. "What difference does it make?"

"Sir, if you would just calm down..."

"Calm down? My brother was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher and now no one will tell me how he is until family or a team doctor arrive? And you want me to calm down?"

"Mark..." Meredith cut in.

"Yeah..." Mark sighed as he finally turned and looked in her direction. "I know you from somewhere."

"The bar."

"What?"

"You know me from the bar," Meredith sighed. "You and Derek were...and you slept with my friend and Derek, I think Derek tried to sleep with me but I turned him down. You know me from the bar."

"You're the girl that turned him down," Mark grinned slightly as Meredith took in his messed up hair and his good looks that were currently pinched with worry. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm a surgical intern," Meredith nodded. "Actually, I'm Derek's surgical intern. I don't mean I belong to Derek, he's...I don't belong to him. I'm the intern on his case. Or I was, he doesn't need surgery so it's not my case anymore but... he sent me to come find you."

"Is he okay?" Mark asked, approaching her quickly. "Can you tell me, since he sent you? Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Meredith nodded.

"Fine..." Mark nodded slowly. "What exactly does fine mean? Is he...can he play hockey again?"

"He can," Meredith smiled. "He has a major concussion and a herniated disc that's going to keep him out for a few weeks but he'll be back to playing before too long."

"Thank god," Mark sighed and then quickly shook his head. "But... he's okay? I mean...overall?"

"He's a little high off pain meds right now," Meredith giggled softly.

"It is a nice giggle," Mark sighed suddenly.

"What?"

"Nothing, just...nothing," Mark shook his head. "Shep's stoned, you say?"

"Very."

"Please tell me I get to see this."

"Well..." Meredith sighed, chewing on her bottom lip. She was about to break the rules. She was about to break the rules for two hockey players who probably spent all their free time sleeping with random women and it was stupid, really stupid. Except it didn't feel all that stupid. "I'm not supposed to let non-family members in but he said...and you said...you're like brothers or something."

"His mom practically raised me," Mark nodded quickly.

"You can see him," Meredith sighed. "Is his family on the way?"

"I haven't called them," Mark shook his head. "But the rest of the team will show up soon. And the team doctor is going to want to examine him."

"Than you better get in there fast," Meredith sighed.

"Thanks...I don't actually know your name."

"Meredith Grey...Dr. Meredith Grey."

"Thanks, Meredith."

"Dr. Grey," she rolled her eyes. "Mark?"

"Yeah?"

"Derek...he's...concussions, major ones, wipe some memories out," she sighed. "Derek doesn't remember anything after being with you in the locker room. But he said...he said you would know what happened."

"Oh," Mark nodded. "Tucker rode him hard into the boards and Shep went down completely wrong."

"Was it...was there a penalty or whatever?"

"Nah," Mark frowned. "The ass made sure it was a clean hit so the refs couldn't touch him. Me on the other hand...I could touch him."

"What did you do?"

"That's not something you tell a lady."

"Of course not," Meredith rolled her eyes. "Go see him. He's high and his concussion is making his brain fuzzy so he's kind of freaking out."

"Shep doesn't like not being in control," Mark nodded.

"I gathered that," Meredith nodded. "Go. He'll be happy to see you."

"Thanks, Grey," Mark smiled.

"You're just happy you get to see your brother completely high."

"I'm just happy he's okay," Mark shrugged, heading toward the room, a small smile replacing the worried look from minutes before.

Meredith was happy too.