In my bones

Chapter 8

by @sunset543

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Grey's Anatomy. Not the characters. Not the plot. Not anything. Nor do I own anything to do with the NHL. At all. But it would be pretty cool if I did.

Meredith walked out of the operating room dejectedly. They had been ready to close when the patient's blood pressure bottomed out and he couldn't be revived. Dr Patrick, the attending, said there was nothing they could have done but it still didn't make it any easier.

She leaned heavily against the nurses' station, pouring over the chart for her next patient, she was in desperate need of coffee, her and Derek hadn't slept much the night before and had woken up fairly early. She had left the key for her locker at home, so she had to find some spare scrubs and they felt all itchy. She groaned and thought she must have been delusional when she heard Nurse Rose say, "Is that Derek Shepherd?" And sure enough, it was.

"Hey," his soft voice came from behind her.

She turned to find him holding up a cup of coffee and her locker keys.

"Oh you beautiful man," she moaned in appreciation, taking the keys in her pocket and taking the steaming cup of coffee.

"You're welcome. Although by now I was hoping I'd be more use to you than just eye candy."

She rolled her eyes and pecked his lips quickly. "Well, that does make me feel better," he grinned.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "These scrubs are all itchy and I was going to be uncomfortable for the rest of the day, so thank you."

"I'm glad I could be of service," Derek leant next to her on the desk.

"Where's Aiden?"

"He's in the car, apparently there's a fair that he desperately needs to go to."

She laughed and bent back over her chart.

"Mer," he heard from down the hall. Turning, he saw a confident Asian woman walking purposely towards them. She took the coffee from his girlfriend and sipped it before giving it back. "Burke is an ass," she stated.

"I know," Mer giggled, "you keep telling me."

She made a passive noise and turned her attention to Derek.

"Hey McDeamy."

He was confused, "Hi. Do I know you?"

"No of course not. Well done Mer you got yourself an idiotic one."

Derek's brow furrowed as Meredith defended him, "Come on Cristina, he's never met you and you already have a nickname for him."

"Oh, you're Cristina. I was informed by Aiden that you think ice hockey isn't 'cool'," he said with air quotations, "so I am here to tell you that it is."

"Wow, convincing," Cristina scoffed.

"I said I'd tell you it was, not that I could convince you," he chuckled.

Cristina stared at him, "Ice hockey is for weaklings, surgery is hardcore."

"I can't argue with the surgery part," he saw Meredith smile next to him," but I think you'll find that ice hockey is hardcore, or at least in the world of sport. Name another where you are subjected to being thrown against boards and have some other guy's body weight thrown against you at full force."

She narrowed her eyes, "Fine, ice hockey is hardcore."

"Thank you," he grinned.

"But surgery is still better. I'd like to see you cut open a heart."