Seven Thousand Hours

Chapter 27| McFight

Derek slammed his office door shut and locked it as he drew the blinds. It was bad enough having all his colleagues taking care of his kid, but to know his business? That was worse.

"What the hell, Meredith!" Derek shouted as he turned to look at her. He was angry. This whole day had been terrible and now she'd just gone and thrown a drink over his ex wife in front of everyone.

"Dr Grey!" He bellowed, making her head flinch up. Meredith tried to think, think of a way to tell him. She heard hammering on the door. It was Webber. "Fuck off, Richard!" She shouted in response to his demands to open the door. He eventually did leave, and Derek was convinced she'd gone insane. "Have you lost your mind?!" Derek exclaimed.

"Sit down, Derek!" She snapped at him as she pointed to the sofa. He could tell in her voice that something was seriously wrong. He worried if it was about her mom, or one of her friends.

"What's wrong?" He grabbed her hand as he sat next to her. She was picking her fingers, picking them until they were bleeding. He grabbed her hand to stop her, he hated when she did this to herself. "Tell me, Meredith" he said as he tilted her head. He'd never seen her so anxious before.

"William...he's not your kid" she said slowly yet confidently. He needed facts right now, he needed the truth. "Yeah he is- what- he's just upstairs- what are you on about?" Derek stumbled. He'd heard her clearly, he was just wishing he hadn't, because maybe deep down he never wanted to face that this was a likely possibility.

"I was looking for an explanation for the aneurysms and I was looking at his file. This is his birth certificate" she handed him the crumpled, cocoa-soaked paper. "Mark's his dad, Derek." Meredith said as Derek stood frozen, looking at the paper.

Father: Mark Everett Sloan

"What the-" he gasped as he reread the words over and over. He looked to Meredith. "I'm so sorry, Der. You don't deserve this" she said before pulling him into her chest. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.

After what felt like forever with no words from either of them, Derek suddenly spoke up. "Mark, he was late to my 30th party. I thought it was weird that both plastics and neuro got hung up on the same case at work, because Addie was late as well. Now-" he whispered before he broke into a sob.

Meredith quickly pulled him in tight. "I know, I know, Der. It's horrible...evil" she kissed his head gently, trying her best to sooth him. "And he was there when he was born. I didn't think it was weird when Addie wanted him there because he's my brother- was my brother-" Derek cried into her chest as he recalled every chilling memory. He couldn't move, he didnt want to either. But he didn't want her to see him like this.

Derek sat up suddenly, wiping his tears and standing up. "I need to get back to work" he mumbled before unlocking the door and leaving before she could say anything. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. "Come in" she called. As she watched the door, Mark and Addison walked in slowly. A small smile reached her lips when she saw Addison still in the same clothes, covered in hot cocoa.

"Did you tell him?" Mark asked nervously as he looked to Meredith. She stood up, looking at the two. Derek deserved the upper hand here, and she knew what was coming so it was the least she could give him. "No, I just told him about the potential outcomes of the surgery. It's your choice to tell him" Meredith faked a smiled as she shrugged at the couple. They both grinned before coming to hug her. "Thank you. I don't even want to think what Derek would be like again if we told him the truth" mark said as he hugged Meredith.

Again? Their motives had her uneased. Derek had taken the news a lot better that she'd expected, but this had thrown her off. He'd said he needed a therapist once before, but she'd never asked exactly why. And maybe this was why.

They soon left and Mark had found Derek on the catwalk, overlooking the hospital. "Hey man" Mark smiled as he joined next to him. Derek didn't even have it in him to punch him. He was so tired. Emotionally and physically he was drained.

"Hey" Derek replied quietly. Why can't I just punch him? He slept with my wife and got her pregnant before lying for two years about it. He deserves a punch. I know I say I don't do violence, but this guy deserves it. Come on, do it Derek.

Usually Mark's comments about women never bothered him, he just tells him to stop and respect women, but today was not the day to test him. "I was just speaking to your girlfriend, she a hot piece of meat, man" Mark laughed as he smacked Derek's back. Yep, there it is. My line has been crossed.

Without warning, Derek stood back and punched him square in the nose, sending him flying back across the walkway. Everyone stopped, staring at Derek. "You're a fucking liar, Mark!" Derek shouted as he walked over and punched him again, repeatedly. Mark finally pushed back, catching Derek's nose with his fist. Well that fucking hurts...probably broken. Derek tackled him to the ground in retaliation before punching his stupid jaw for every time he'd lied to him.

Meredith suddenly heard all the commotion, pushing through the crowds and out towards Derek where his nose was bleeding everywhere. Derek was bad, but Mark was worse. Derek had made no attempt to stop beating the crap out of him, but he'd felt a small body push against his.

"Der- der-" she whispered as she pushed him back gently away from Mark. She turned back to see where Mark was but he was right behind, ready to hit him. "Stop!" She shouted before she shoved Mark back away from Derek as he tried to punch him again. Somewhere in the scuffle, Mark had managed to punch Meredith hard, right in the mouth.

She looked up to Derek as blood poured from her mouth. She'd definitely lost a tooth or two with that and she could already feel it swelling. Derek's eyes shone with something she'd never seen before, something dark. "Derek" she warned as he straightened himself out. It didn't take a second before he'd launched himself at Mark again, smashing his head onto the tile. "Derek!" She shouted as she watched him. "You don't fucking speak about her like that, you hear me?! And you don't lay a fucking hand on her!" He screamed at Mark. He was going to far with this. She didn't blame him, but she also didn't want him going down for murder.

She got in between them again, this time shoving Derek away as Owen grabbed hold of Mark. She kept pushing him as far as the crowd before grabbing his hand and pulling him to his office.

She hadn't even closed the door before he completely broke down on her in sobs. "I'm so sorry" he sobbed as he gently grabbed her face to inspect the bruising, swelling and bleeding coming from her mouth. "Derek-" her heart broke for him. "Let me get a first aid kit" he rushed and he stumbled to his desk and pulled out the box.

"It's just some teeth, I'll go to the dentist later." She slightly smiled at him as she gently pushed him against the desk. She grabbed the box from him and ripped open a wipe. He hissed and flinched as she brought it between his blackening eyes. "I think he broke your nose" she said as she inspected the swelling. "I hope I broke his fucking face" Derek mumbled. Meredith laughed a little. "You so won that fight, but let me take care of this because that's more important" she smiled at him. He nodded, it felt so good to have her taking care of him.

"I'm tired" he whispered as she finished his last suture on the bridge of his nose. She'd got him all cleaned up eventually. Callie had been by to cast his hand up after he'd shattered it, and also recorrect his broken nose. But other than that, he'd come away unscathed.

"I know, me too. Come here" she said before locking the door and laying on the sofa, bringing him down with her. "I don't want to crush you" he laughed a little. "You won't" she smiled as she brought his head to his chest. "Let's try get some sleep" she whispered but he was already asleep.

What a day.