Under the Night Sky

Chapter 58

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Derek asked, a begging note in his voice, as he pulled up across the road to Cristina's inn. There was music spilling outside along with loud chatter and laughter. Under The Alien was filled to the brim, as usual in the evening.

"The alternative is to forego dinner... since you forbade us to go to town and do the necessary shopping," reminded Carolyn.

Derek let out a sigh. He probably seemed paranoid to his family. But he simply didn't want to risk the possibility of them being cold shouldered or looked down upon because of him.

"There are some eggs in the fridge..." he proposed weakly. "And I could go out of Rachel to do the shopping tomorrow..."

"Oh, for the love of God!" Carolyn unbuckled her seat belt and energetically got out of the car. "What happened to your philosophy of not giving up? Besides, we're just going to have dinner. What is it that you're worrying about?"

"Well, he did get that black eye in here," Mark said airily as he scrutinized the building's façade with curiosity.

"He got what?" Carolyn gasped and turned to look at her son, as though expecting to see the traces of the injury.

"It was nothing! Just a misunderstanding," he tried to convince her but even Addison and Mia started to look apprehensive. "Thanks, by the way, Mark."

"You're welcome," he quipped. "But it's true, Mom, don't worry. He was actually happy to get his ass kicked. He scored some brownie points with the feisty doctor."

"Really, Derbear?" Mia was now on the verge of bursting into a fit of giggles. "Playing wounded to get into her pants? How inventive."

"I did not play wounded, I actually was wounded," he explained patiently. "But I didn't get my ass kicked!" he added quickly seeing the alarm on his mother's face. "And yes, it enabled me to get closer to Meredith so everything turned out just fine in the end... or it will."

"Let's go inside," Carolyn only shook her head lifting her eyes up to the heavens. "Before I change my mind."

"I think I might have just changed my mind," Mark grimaced as they went in and were able to discern the music, or something that was supposed to be music, and more specifically Gloria Gaynor's 'I will survive'. "Is someone being tortured here?"

Amongst the general noise of the place, they could clearly make out three female voices singing at the top of their lungs, the overall effect not exactly being admiration-worthy. Derek had no problem recognizing their owners – Meredith, Izzie and Cristina. The perspective of staying at the inn more than five minutes seemed less and less appealing.

"Yeah, you don't want to subject your ears to that, do you?" Derek said innocently, quickly turning back towards the door. Maybe they'd be able to clear out unnoticed.

"Man up!" Amelia smacked him on the back. "It's just karaoke. The song won't last forever."

He had no other option but to follow them through the foyer to the restaurant area.

"Isn't that your girlfriend?" Mark asked as they halted at the entrance. "No offence but singing isn't really her strong suit."

"None taken," Derek answered, surreptitiously scanning the room. They had already been noticed, some of the patrons were glancing at them furtively, others staring unabashedly. When he planted his eyes back on Meredith who was swaying uncoordinatedly on a small makeshift stage, her arms thrown around Izzie's and Cristina's necks, his heart squeezed painfully. The expression on her face, her movements, the quality of her voice... it was as clear as day that she wasn't sober. He had never seen her drunk, she never drank much.