Sutures and Secrets | Mark Sloan

5 | Crossing the Line

01x07

As I was making my coffee one morning, George walked in. "You get any sleep?", he asked. I sighed, taking a sip. "She could oil the bedsprings as a courtesy or at least buy a padded headboard." "So, who's the guy?" "You think it was just one guy doing all that work?", Izzie said, entering the kitchen and joining our conversation. "Do you mind if I don't think about that?" "Oh, jealous?", I asked, knowing that George likes Meredith a lot more than just as a friend. "I'm not jealous." I rolled my eyes, knowing that he was lying. "I am. But at least I know she'll be having a long day at work.", I said, giving George and Izzie a smirk.

Suddenly, Meredith's door creaked open, leading to us spying on the person that exited it. As much as I tried to be surprised, I really wasn't. It was Derek. "I'm taking back everything I've said.", I said, drowning the rest of my coffee. "Well, at least we know brain surgery isn't his only skill." "They can't be - he's her boss.", George said in devastation. "We're late. We should get going.", I said, trying to escape the awkward conversation. "She's been scrubbing in a lot lately in his surgeries.", Izzie said, implying that Meredith uses Derek to get the good surgeries. "No, Meredith wouldn't sleep with him just to - no." "If she's not ashamed, why is she keeping it a secret?", Izzie asked. "Maybe she didn't. Maybe it just happened. You know, spontaneously, last night.", George said, being interrupted by Meredith entering the kitchen. "Hi. Good morning." "Morning.", we all said in unison. "Hey, it sounded like you were having pretty radical sex last night. All night long. Who was the guy?", Izzie asked, turning to Meredith. "No one you know.", Meredith replied. "We're late. Let's go.", I said, walking towards the door.

"And you noticed her foot twitching - come on, Jamie - about three months ago?", I asked, as I was examining a little girl, whose parents noticed a twitching in their daughter's foot some time ago. "Just a little. We took her to County Hospital and she got the CT scan, which showed her -" "- brain abnormality.", I said, interrupting the mom. "And the twitching has gotten worse?" "A lot worse. They don't have the proper equipment back home to figure out what's wrong." "You did a good thing by coming all this way, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes. You sit tight, Jamie, okay? I'm gonna bring Dr. Shepherd to see you, okay? He's the brain specialist." "Doctor? Is he good? This Dr. Shepherd?", Jamie's mom asked. "He's the best, don't worry.", I said, exiting the room.

I was waiting for Derek outside of the OR he was operating in. Another doctor approached me, handing me Jamie's CT scans. "Here you go, doc. The kid's CTs just arrived from County." "Thanks.", I said, taking the scans. "Excuse me." Dr. Taylor slightly pushed me as he wanted to pass my side, entering the OR. "Sorry, Dr. Taylor.", I said, smelling a really familiar smell. "That would be bourbon.", the other doctor said. "What?" "I smelled it too. And he's the best anaesthesiologist on the staff. I worry when he's too juiced to do his crossword puzzle." I looked at him, not being able to believe what he had just told me.

I approached Derek after his surgery and although I was mad, that he, once again, didn't tell me about sleeping with Meredith, I had to pretend that everything was alright. "Derek, wait!" He quickly turned to face me, only to continue walking down the hall. "I got to get some coffee, Lola. What's up?" "Jamie Hayes has been admitted. The little girl with the brain abnormality." "How's she presenting?", he asked. "She has what looks like continuous seizure activity in her left foot. Her balance is off. Her parents have come her a long way to find out what's wrong.", I explained, handing him the scans. "How old are these?" "Three months old.", I replied. "I need new ones. Her brain could look dramatically different today.", Derek said, entering the elevator. "Okay, I'll order them." I was debating on whether to tell him about Dr. Taylor, but then the elevator closed.

As I was walking back to the nurses station to order a new head CT for Jamie, I saw Alex standing there. "Hey." "Hey.", he said and turned to look at me. "So, do you have a few minutes?", I asked. He smirked, took my hand and lead me to the next free on-call-room. Sex with Alex is great. We don't talk at all, we just do the work and continue with our daily life afterwards. That's my favourite kind of sex.