I'll Look After You

Chapter 3

For now you're not here and I'm not there, it's like we're on our own
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Christina Yang went over the patient's pre-op notes as she waited for the remaining 30 minutes before they perform the surgery. She leaned on the nurses counter, her eyes running over and over again through the notes. For a second, her mind drifted off to what happened last night at Joe's parking lot. Alex volunteered to take Meredith home for the night. They all argued what to do with her car, Izzie suggests that Alex just leave his and take Meredith's but George and Christina didn't see it fit or that important anymore. Once again, Alex shouted at them that the important thing was to get Meredith away from Joe's because they were already making a scene and they wouldn't want Derek to walk out and see what the entire ruckus was about. Surprisingly, for that umpteenth time that night, Alex was right. So they all walked across the street to SGH's parking lot and went to their respective cars, Meredith with Alex. After Izzie finished rambling to Alex about what to do to help Meredith, Alex drove off soundlessly into the night.

"Doctor Yang, have you seen Meredith?"

Christina tore her eyes away from the patient's chart and looked to her side. Derek Shepherd was standing beside her, waiting for her reply expectantly. 'Wow, he noticed she was missing?' Christina thought as she looked at him placing the most clueless face she could manage and shook her head. "No, sir. You lost her?" she couldn't help but smile at her own joke. Derek looked at her strangely and shook his head slowly.

"She wasn't at the trailer last night and I saw her car parked outside."

"How very observant of you, sir," Christina nodded. "But sorry, I don't know where she is." A nurse approached them and asked Derek to sign something. Christina watched as he looked over the paper before signing which was a far cry from what he did yesterday when he was talking with Addison and Christina asked her to sign the papers. "What kind of a husband are you to lose your wife." Christina muttered loudly.

"I'm sorry? What did you say?" Derek heard it and he looked at Christina with anger.

Christina repeated what she said. "I said, what kind of a husband are you to lose your wife."

"Doctor Yang, you do realize that I am the Chief of Surgery at this hospital and you are just a resident!" Derek was fuming. "You do not get to talk to me like that!"

"Yes, Dr. Shepherd, you are the Chief of Surgery and I am but a resident, but we are not talking about anything medical here. We are talking about your wife, my best friend. So yes, I am going to say it again, what kind of a husband are you to lose your own wife, sir," Christina walked away and as if she wasn't already enjoying her chance to rat out at the Chief of Surgery, she just happened to bump into Addison Montgomery, herself. A mightily strong bump, if she might add. Yes. It certainly was a good day for Christina. A very good day.

Derek Shepherd watched Christina Yang walk away after shouting at him in public. His blood was boiling at what she just said. Not just the way she said it but what she said about him losing her wife. He was angry because what she said was true, he had no idea where his wife was.

"What was that all about?"

"I have no idea," Derek shook it out of his system and smiled at Addison. "Lunch?"

"Certainly," Addison nodded and placed her hand on the crook of Derek's which he so blatantly offered.

"Alex! Are you on drugs!? Why'd you bring her in!?" Christina looked left and right to check if anyone saw them as she pulled Meredith inside one of the empty patient rooms. She looked at Meredith and took in her appearance. Her eyes were swollen from the crying and it looked like someone ran over her newly bought puppy. She shook her head in disgust at her friend and she turned to Alex. "What!"

"She kept on asking me for sleeping pills, I didn't want to leave her there alone! And she looked like she was about to cry again, so I dragged her out of there," Alex shrugged.

"She can't work like this!" Christina pointed at Meredith as if proving a point at Alex. Alex scratched his head and shrugged. "What were you planning on doing with her once you got her here!?"

"I'm okay," Meredith's feeble voice broke their argument. Christina and Alex both looked at her and raised their eyebrows at her.

Christina looked at her friend as if she's grown two heads. "Okay? Meredith, you are not okay. You are not fine! You're delusional if you say you're fine." Christina snickered at her.

"The daycare," Alex said out loud. "My plan was to drop her down in daycare. I know the caretaker." Christina gave him a look that screamed 'are you crazy!?' "What! It's the only place I thought of! Unless you want me to leave her at Joe's! I'm sure Joe wouldn't appreciate his tequila stock running out so early in the morning."

"Fine," Christina accepted Alex's plan. "Just take her there discreetly. Wouldn't want the chief to see her." Alex nodded and he took a hold of Meredith's hand and pulled her towards the door. "Meredith, wait!" Christina called out, suddenly remembering something. Alex stopped in his tracks and Meredith bumped into him. She gave him an annoyed glanced and she looked at Christina. "Keys. Give me the keys to his trailer." Meredith just looked at her dumbfounded. "I'm going down there during lunch, I'm leaving a copy of the divorce papers for him. So the damn bastard would finally realize the truth."

"Christina, no," Meredith spoke as she shook her head. "I don't want him to find out that way."

"Meredith, if you don't let me do this, he'll never figure it out! He's blind as bat, Meredith! He's so oblivious. Hell, I could get him to sign a marriage contract right now and we'd be married and divorced the next without him even noticing he signed a damn marriage contract and divorce papers! Now give me the keys." It was not a request, it was an order. Christina watched as Meredith dug into her back pocket and handed her the key. She watched as Alex dragged Meredith out of the room, Meredith's eyes lingering at Christina's closed fists, holding the key to Derek's trailer.

Meredith let herself be dragged around all day. She didn't care. She just wanted to go places. And for some reason, her feet won't work unless she was being pulled by someone else. She felt so light that she was afraid she was going to float away if she didn't hold onto someone or something. She was standing behind Alex and they were waiting for the elevator to reach the floor they were in. She heard the doors open and then she was suddenly pushed to the side by Alex. She was about to protest when she heard Derek's voice. "Aren't you going to step in, Dr. Karev?"

"Going down?" Alex asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Derek's voice sounded a bit strangled, probably from irritation.

"No, sir, I'm going up," Alex lied as he shook his head. After a few seconds, the door closed and Alex turned to her. He gave her a small smirk and a wink. "Don't worry, Grey, I've got your back. You've got nothing to worry about. Now I think we'd better take the stairs." He grabbed her hand and once again, she was dragged to wherever the hell they were going. And she was thankful, at least she was going somewhere. Alex maneuvered her through the people that were busily doing their work. Every once in a while, he looked back at her to check on her. "You alright there?"

Meredith nodded weakly though she knew she was not. "I'm fine."

She really was delusional.
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