The Luckiest

20

Derek smiled slightly as he looked down at the carrot he was chopping. He didn't feel exhausted today, that was new. He had actually slept the night before. Not collapsed, just slept. Albeit it wasn't the best sleep of his life, he had only gotten a few hours in before waking up yet again. It probably had been more of a catnap than anything else. But it felt like a step. And it had made him feel ever so slightly better.

He was eating a little more too. In the past three days, he had progressed to two meals a day, instead of one. And even that one meal had been more of what he tasted before sending a dish out. But he was eating more, he was taking catnaps that left him feeling refreshed, and he was smiling a little more. It was all a big step. A big huge step that made him feel like he was finally getting out of the the hole he had found himself trapped in.

He wasn't exactly sure if anyone had noticed. No one had really said anything but Sophie was smiling at him a lot. He wasn't quite sure if it was because she had noticed the change or if it was Mark telling her something he definitely shouldn't have. Because Sophie would run with the idea of him having lunch with Meredith. When really the lunch had been nothing...just talking. Good talking.

It had felt good to talk to someone. But he figured that had more to do with who he had talked to. Meredith was...she listened. And she understood. And she was damn annoying. She didn't let him mope and blame himself, which had been new. But still...talking had been refreshing. Entirely refreshing. "Mom and Nancy are fighting about expanding again," Sophie reported as she walked in. "I'm hiding in here."

"Fair enough," Derek nodded. "Mom has to give in eventually. We need to expand."

"We are talking about the same mom right?" she stared at him. 'When has Katherine Shepherd ever given in?"

"Good point, but the restaurant needs it. It's gotten too busy to stay this small."

"Good, you can tell her that when Nancy drags her in here and she's expecting you to get it."

"I will," Derek nodded firmly.

"Of course," Sophie rolled her eyes and then hopped up on a stool, grabbing a few pieces of cucumber. "So..."

"So what?"

"I heard you went to the hospital three days ago."

"I did," Derek nodded. "Mom sent me with lunch for Mark."

"She did," Sophie nodded. "And then you apparently said you'd take lunch for Meredith too. Brought it up all by yourself."

"Oh umm...well she was there...it would be rude to leave her out," Derek shrugged.

"Right," Sophie smirked. "Because it's a small hospital and you were going to bump into her definitely and she expects you to bring her food."

"I...well...I might have and hospital food sucks. I was just watching out for your friend."

"I heard from sources there was flirting."

"Your source is an idiot."

"You're so mean to Markie," Sophie laughed. "Seriously though, Der, what's the deal? One second you won't even be around her, the next, you're chilling with her friends in a hospital cafeteria picking croutons off her salad."

"Mark noticed that?" Derek frowned.

"Mark notices a lot," Sophie shrugged.

"It wasn't anything, Soph. I owed her an explanation about the divorce thing, that's all."

"So you brought her a full meal, including Death by Chocolate which definitely wasn't on the menu that day?"

"I owed her chocolateyness."