The Luckiest

19

Meredith was hungry. Really hungry. Starving. She was on the tail end of a forty eight hour shift and she couldn't remember the last time she had actually eaten more than a bag of chips. Stale chips. And she was starving. Really, really hungry. And tired. But hungry seemed to the big deal right now. Food would be good. Food would be great actually.

She hated her job. She actually loved her job but right now she hated it. She was tired and she definitely needed food. If it wasn't for the tired bit she'd be happy to go to the restaurant and get something there but she was too tired to do the Shepherd thing today. So more stale chips would have to do. And maybe when she got home she could find some left over pizza or something else before crashing.

She took a deep breath, pausing when she smelled something amazing. Something totally amazing and food-like. And possibly Shepherd-like. Derek Shepherd-like. For a brief second, she wondered if she was going insane, but then she heard him ask the nurse where Dr. Sloan was and she grinned, turning quickly. "Derek?" she gasped.

"Meredith," he greeted, smiling slightly. "You're...in scrubs."

"Yeah," she sighed, looking down at the scrubs, hoping she didn't smell like vomit or blood or crap or...something else doctory. "They make me wear them. I hate them. I mean, they're comfortable but they're really...gross and big and no one looks good in them. No one. But I have to wear them. Because getting blood on clothes is apparently really bad. I'm rambling though. What are you doing here?"

"Lunch," Derek sighed, holding up the bag in his hands. "For Mark. And well you."

"What?" she breathed.

"I owe you chocolateyness," he shrugged.

"You...you brought me chocolateyness?"

"And actual food," he nodded.

"What...seriously...why?"

"Oh..umm...I was bringing Mark lunch because Mom...she felt like making sure he ate well and I pointed out that you were here and I figured, since I'm here, I should bring you food."

"Oh," she sighed, resisting the urge to hug him. Or kiss him. "Thank you. Just...wow...thank you."

"It's no big deal," he shrugged. "Umm...is there somewhere to sit down? Apparently Mark's still in surgery."

"Yeah, he has a breast reconstruction surgery," Meredith nodded. "We can...cafeteria. Or outside. It's nice out which never happens in Seattle so outside. We could go outside and eat and wait for Mark. If you want."

"That sounds good," he nodded.

"Okay," she nodded, putting a chart down and leading him downstairs to the cafeteria in silence. Complete, awkward silence. This was going to be weird and awkward and strange. She hadn't seen him in days. Not because she was avoiding. Just because she was busy and giving him space and...this was going to be weird. "Okay...um...food."

"I had no idea what to make you," he sighed, handing her a container. "Besides chocolate I'm not quite sure what you eat."

"I like steak," she giggled.

"You look like a steak girl," he laughed.

"And that's what you made me," she grinned widely. "And a baked potato. This is...wow. You...you're a god. Seriously. A god."

"It's just food," he shrugged.

"I haven't eaten anything but a bag of stale chips in...a really long time," she sighed as she cut into the steak.

"I figured that," he nodded.

"The hospital owns me," she sighed and then moaned slightly as she took her first bite. "Amazing."