𝙎𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙆𝙎; 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣

|| 10 ||

"If that was true my life wouldn't be like that right now." Natalie sighed. "Look, I am sorry. Everything is a little too messed up right now. I really wish I could go out and not think about anything, but I can't. And you need to find people to go out with. Addison left, Burke left, I suck at nights out. You broke up with your underage girlfriend. You have no one." She pointed out.

"I have people." Derek argued.

"Who?"

"I have..." Derek paused and looked around. "Chief. I...I have the chief to talk to." He saw Richard at the nurse's station. "Hey, chief. Want to get together for a drink after work?" He asked him as they made a stop at the desk.

"I don't drink." Richard also declined and Natalie felt bad for a second. "Dr. Bailey, we need to talk." He quickly walked away when he saw Bailey.

"Someone mention a drink later? Cause I'm in." Mark asked as he came up to Derek and Natalie, who were watching Bailey being bitter about the fact that Callie was chief of resident and not her. It was odd for everyone.

"Nobody mentioned a drink." Derek and Mark hadn't made up yet. Mark was trying to get him to talk to him, but he got nothing back. At least that's what he told Natalie, since they had somehow gotten closer in the last days. After they spent a good hour in the rain with Natalie crying in his arms. 

"You mentioned a drink." Richard pointed out. 

"I did not mention a drink." Derek refused and walked away.

"He did." Natalie whispered to Mark and followed the others in the E.R.

"All right, people. We've got three MVC'S rolling in back-to-back from a multi car pileup. We need every trauma room open and everyone suited up." Webber told his staff before turning to Natalie. "Dr. Turner, you're in charge."

Natalie crossed her arms in her chest annoyed. "Anything else I am in charge of sir?" She asked, knowing that in that moment Webber was testing her. And she knew way too well that he had more people in mind for the spot of head of cardio.

"Saving lives."

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

Mark entered the scrub room where Derek and Natalie were. At least Natalie was thankfully that she had good colleagues to work with.

Mark didn't waste a second and he talked to Derek. "I really am up for a drink, you know? If you, uh, need to talk."

"What would I need to talk about?" Derek asked, like nothing was going on with him. 

"Meredith. You were lucky, man. That girl jerked you around." Natalie made a face, knowing that Mark shouldn't have mentioned her. 

"You have no idea what you're talking about." And then Derek got defensive. 

"Hey, I'm just...seemed like you could use a friend about now." Mark defended himself. 

"Meredith's mother never wanted her, and her father was never man enough to hang around. She has a right to be damaged, and us, together, it's a big step for her. Her best friend gets left on the altar, and all she sees now is things like this, they don't work. She panics. She wants this. She doesn't know how to have it. And you know what? That's not her fault. So don't ever talk to me about Meredith Grey again, because you do not know what you're talking about. And I don't need a friend." Derek snapped at him and walked away.

Natalie gave Mark an awkward look when they were left alone. "Do you need a friend?" He asked her.

"I need inner peace and a bottle of scotch." She stated. "Look, a piece of advice. Tell him the truth. He will appreciate that more than telling him what he needs. Tell him what you need."