This Life

Chapter 30

Derek's POV

Saying goodbye to Meredith and Beth at Logan Airport had been one of the hardest things Derek had ever had to do and when Meredith had told him that Beth did not have a great flight he felt terrible at leaving Meredith to deal with it by herself.

Apart from teething and one stomach bug Beth was a very healthy child and nothing stopped her, so when Meredith explained that she was in temperature and was clingy Derek knew she was coming down with what Nancy and Clara which had now spread through Nancy's family and now mom had it as well as Kathleen's children.

So while his little girl and the love of his life were ill in Seattle, Derek was out fishing and playing golf with his dad. He felt like shit when he called later that night. He informed Meredith that it looked as everyone was coming down with either the cold or flu after their snow ball fight in the snow on New Year's Eve.
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Friday

Derek felt relieved when Meredith had texted him saying that both she and Beth were feeling better.

Derek had arranged to go for lunch with his former colleagues from the Private Practice he used to own and he had a great time catching up with the events in their lives while telling them about Meredith and Beth.

"Did you see Addison?" Tyler asked, causing Derek to choke on his water

"Addison, is here in Boston?" Derek stated

"I'm sorry I thought you knew," Tyler explained, "her brother was ill and he was being treated at Mass General."

"When was this?" Derek asked shocked

"Just after Thanksgiving," Tyler explained "he caught some strange virus when he was travelling and you know Archer how he dramatises everything.

"I have been trying to finalise the divorce from that woman for months but no-one can find her," Derek answered. He looked at his former colleague "do you know where she is now?"

"I'm sorry Derek – I have no idea," Tyler replied "I just happened to see her for a few minutes when I was checking up on a patient. She did not say where she was living."

The topic of conversation soon changed, but Derek could now only think of his ex-wife. He was seriously beginning to think of hiring a private detective to find her; he wanted to be divorced from her that badly. The thought of meeting with Addison made him feel nauseous but he would rather meet with her on his terms than her dropping by unexpected. Now that Meredith was ready to have a baby, Derek wanted to do things right. Call him a traditionalist but he wanted to be married before their future baby would be born.

When he called Meredith later that night he wanted to call Mark and ask him to check on Meredith but was under strict instructions not to disturb him as a possible reunion with Lexie was highly possible.

By Saturday Derek could tell that Meredith was not feeling better and he was genuinely ready to say to hell with the conference and get on the next flight to Seattle, but Meredith had ordered him not too and had managed to get him to rehearse his speech, even though Derek knew she did not have the first idea what he was talking about most of the conversation.

On Sunday morning, Derek went out fishing with his dad, by now the whole family was down with the chest infection and even Mark sounded rough. When he got home he tried to call Meredith before he headed up to the hotel in Boston but there was no answer from her on either her cell phone or the house phone.

Derek was frantic as he dialled a number on his cell phone.

"What?" Christina groaned as she answered her cell phone.