Easy Silence

14.

Derek Shepherd was antsy.

He had been in this hospital too long, one week too long. He wasn't even sure why he was still here. His back didn't hurt anymore, at least not nearly as much. It only hurt when he pushed to hard, walked around for too long or something. His head was mainly better, just an odd head ache and sometime some confusion. And his ankle would take ages to heal. He saw no reason why he was still here, still stuck in this hospital.

Except that the doctors were evil. That's all he could figure. The doctors were evil and probably Toronto fans. They were slowing down his recovery just so they could have their team actually stand a chance.

Not that they did but Leafs fans were too stupid to give up hope.

"Hey."

Maybe being stuck here wasn't that bad of thing.

"Hey," he grinned at Meredith, who was standing in his doorway, in jeans and a jacket and a bag slung over her shoulder.

"I was just...shift is done, it's finally done and I was leaving and I thought...hi, I thought I'd say hi before I left," Meredith sighed as she walked slowly into his room, chewing lightly on her bottom lip.

"Hi," he nodded, shifting to sit up further in his bed, only wincing slightly at the pain in his back.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," he sighed. "Back only hurts when I move now."

"That's a good sign," she giggled softly, reaching over to adjust the pillows behind him. "You'll be out of here soon."

"Don't sound too excited."

"I'm not," she grinned. "Okay. Maybe just a little. I mean...life, normal. My lie will go back to normal or something and that's...that's good. Or...it's good."

"Will you miss me?"

"Oh...umm...maybe. A little."

"You're not actually getting rid of me."

"I'm not."

"No."

"Oh. That's...I think that's good. It sounds good, I mean, it sounds a little, no good. Not no good...I mean...rambling, I'm rambling in a terribly messy way because I don't even know why I'm rambling. I was calm and you're just...I should stop rambling."

"I like it."

"I know," she rolled her eyes, giggling softly.

"Meredith..."

"Yeah?"

"The doctors that are on my case...do you know what hockey team they go for? Are they Toronto fans?"

"I don't know," Meredith shrugged. "Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"What does what team they cheer for have anything to do with anything?" Meredith asked, frowning slightly.

"They're trying to sabotage our season by keeping me stuck in here. If I'm in this bed I can't play and if I can't play the team might not do as well. And if the team doesn't do as well, Toronto will have a better chance at making it into the playoffs."

"Okay," she nodded slowly. "I'm confused."

"You don't know."

"I...what don't I know?"

"About...Toronto."

"I know about Toronto, Der," she rolled her eyes. "It's that big city a few hours away."

"No...about them being...Toronto."

"Again...confused."

"Ottawa hates Toronto. And Toronto hates Ottawa," Derek frowned slightly. "How do you not know this? Do you not watch the news?"

"Surgical intern, Der."

"True," he laughed slightly. "The teams hate each other, Mer. The fans hate each other. It's a mess and the doctors...the doctors would definitely keep me down if they were Toronto fans and thought it would help their teams chances."

"Did you take something?" Meredith frowned. "I thought the pain was better but...did you take something?"

"No. Why?"

"It's just...a broken ankle and a herniated disc are keeping you down, not the evil scheming doctors."

"Details, Mer."

"You are on something, aren't you?" she giggled.

"No," he sighed. "I'm just antsy. I have to get out of here and do something or something. I'm not used to staying still for this long, of having to stay in the same place and...it's hell."

"You can walk around the hallways," Meredith shrugged.

"It's not much better."

"I know," she nodded, chewing her bottom lip slightly. "I have to go. I mean, I don't...I don't want to but I'm meeting friends at a bar and...I have to go but maybe. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I don't work till noon so I could come and maybe...help or something. Because it sucks. I know it sucks being stuck in here so I could try to help."

"Help? How?"

"I don't actually know but I'll...I'll figure something out."

"You will?"

"I will," Meredith nodded. "And now I have to go so tomorrow...I'll see you tomorrow and we'll do something...or something."

"Or something," Derek smiled. "Mer?"

"Yeah?"

"You're going to the bar."

"Yes."

"Don't pick up any cute hockey players."

"I never have before," she giggled.

"Oh but you did."

"No," she shook her head. "Need I remind you, I said no. And you would have never seen me again if you hadn't gotten so banged up."

"Need I remind you you kissed me."

"I'm going now," she groaned as she walked out of the room.

That had helped. Meredith had marginally helped him feel a bit better about being stuck in this building, not able to move much. He wasn't used to not being able to move much. But he needed out. Even with Meredith here, he needed to get out of this hospital and get out of here, get back to living and get back to hockey. Because this was annoying, he couldn't believe how annoying this whole doing nothing was annoying.

Even if it involved a cute intern.

Who he would just bring with him when he left.