trauma [m.s]

xli.

- - -
there's this thing that happens when people find out you're a doctor. they stop seeing you as a person and begin to see you something bigger than you are.
- - -

"he still beating himself up?" alex asks meredith whilst leaning back on the nurses station watching derek examine his pregnant patient intently. "i heard addison tell altman that she thinks he's still beating himself up."

"alex..." meredith sighs, watching her friend take a large bite out of the apple in his hand.

"the head of neuro hasn't left his patient's bedside for three days," alex counters.

"he's fine," meredith insists, harshly placing her pen down on the counter. "and i thought addison was leaving."

"she put her brother on a plane last night," alex shrugs his shoulders before looking a meredith with a lightly creased brow. "admit it. her hanging around your guy... it bugs."

"it doesn't bug," meredith rapidly shakes her head in response. "you bug."

"karev," derek's voice sounds out from the doorway of his patient's room, causing both residents' heads to snap towards him. "page addison. tell her i need her to stay."

alex nods, watching derek walk off down the corridor before he turns to meredith with a raised brow and she frowns at him.

"okay. it bugs a little," meredith admits and alex chuckles.

- - -
they have to see us that way, as gods, otherwise we're just like everyone else, unsure, flawed, normal. so we act strong, we remain stoic. we hide the fact that we're all too human.
- - -

"so did you scope her out yet?" callie asks with a grin as she approaches mark who's standing the nurses station in the lobby.

"who?" mark questions, not looking up from the chart sat in front of him.

"arizona," callie clarifies with a sigh.

"oh, right, that," mark shifts his body to face callie and leans down on the counter beside him. "i don't need to scope her out," he shrugs and the resident rolls her eyes. "look, she's my girlfriend's best friend and i'm about 99 percent certain she sleeps in her bed with her more and than i do."

"well, at least you're still good for coffee," callie frowns, reaching for one of the cups sat on the counter in front of mark.

"oh, that's not for you," mark places a hand on each of the cups and sliding them away from callie who folds her arms across her chest.

"coffee? why thank you, mark," addison beams as she appears on the other side of the plastic surgeon and reaches for a cup.

"well, it's, uh, that's not for you, either," mark shakes his head, lifting both cups from the counter and walking away when he spots chloe.

both addison and callie gasp in response, before they turn their bodies to watch him carry the beverages across the lobby.

"morning, dr. altman," mark grins, offering one of the cups out to his girlfriend.

"mm," chloe hums, suspiciously, her brows slightly furrowed, but accepts the drink regardless. "what do you want, mark?"

"nothing," mark shakes his head, his voice raising an octave as he chuckles, nervously, and chloe raises her brow whilst taking a sip of her coffee. "okay, fine. i was just thinking, you know, maybe i'd start looking for a condo."