You Promised | Mark Sloan ✓

11┃crying in the supply closet

Cristina sighed loudly while Alex smirked. "Takes it like a man and walks away."

He was reaching for the cash on their table when Norah slapped his hand away and nudged her head back towards the scene. Derek had turned around and started walking back towards the two's table.

"He's coming back," George informed.

"Oh, yes, he is!" Cristina cheered.

The four of them watched as Derek struck a conversation with Meredith, and Finn joined in after a while, not too delighted with the situation. The interns were observing attentively, and when Meredith stood up from her chair, Norah pumped her fist in the air.

Derek and Meredith walked away, leaving Finn alone at the table.

"Money's mine!" Norah announced proudly as she hurled the cash to herself and started counting her profit for the day.

"What do you think Shepherd told her?" George queried.

Norah thought for a moment before shaking her head and chuckling, "Surgery. We're cutting our guy's brain in half."

❦ ❦ ❦

NORAH WAS CHATTING WITH the shy nurse from earlier when Alex interrupted their conversation. "Hey, Lawrence!" he called out while rushing towards them; the nurse's face went red, and he turned away. "I lost a kid."

"Oh... Sorry to hear that."

Alex stared at her, puzzled for a moment, before shaking his head. "No, not that lost. Like, actually lost, like-she ran off, okay?" he cleared up. "Are you gonna help me find her, or not?"

"Alright, alright," Norah sighed.

"Her name's Megan!"

"Megan. Got it."

Norah began opening every door along the hallways, checking through windows and under tables. She checked the stairwells, too, while heading one floor below, entering that floor and began pushing open every linen and supply closet.

She eventually found someone sitting on the floor-not Megan, but Addison.

"Oh my god, can't I just cry here peacefully?!" Addison snapped, her cheeks stained with ruined mascara from her tears.

Norah's mind went blank for a second before the backup generator of her brain kicked back in. "Are you gonna yell at me to get out?" she asked, and Addison lifted her head to her. "You know what? I'm not even gonna ask." She closed the door halfway when it was pulled back open from the inside.

"I'm living in a mess. My life is a mess," Addison raved, and Norah stepped in, closing the door behind her. The intern leaned against the door with her arms folded in front of her chest. "I am a double board-certified surgeon... And I cannot even handle the problems in my life!"

"Is this a Derek problem? Or a Meredith problem?" Norah queried. "Or a... Sloan problem?"

Addison narrowed her eyes at the intern as her tears continued flowing down her cheeks. "How do you know about everything?"

"See, I have um... chatty friends who see me as a therapist..." Norah thought with a humourless chuckle. "But uh... see, I'm useless in comforting people, especially when they're... well, crying. But I'm a pretty decent listener, though. But... I suck in giving proper advice."

"My husband is dating another woman," Addison sobbed. "And I am... hooking up with his best friend. Ex-best friend..." she wiped off the tears under her eyes, "And Mark is... He wants a relationship with me, but I do not want a relationship with him. But-that man drives me crazy! He makes me feel things like I'm in middle school again."

Norah handed the attending a pack of tissues, slowly lowering herself to the floor.

"And he makes me feel seen, you know? He makes me feel wanted, and he gives me more attention than Derek does," Addison continued, "He makes me feel good. And the sex-god, he's amazing-"

"I uh-I did not need to know um... that," Norah interrupted with a frown. "But, well... go on."

"Mark is Mark. He sleeps around and could never keep his pants to himself," Addison resumed, "And I don't want to be involved with him. I just want sex and no strings attached."

"Then, show him that," Norah stated. "Don't leave a string for him to pull. Show him that you're serious about this no-relationship thing and, um, I don't know-tell him to go to hell?" she crossed her legs and leaned closer, "Of course, the first step is for you to... you know, stop booty-calling him."

The red-haired woman stared at the intern for a long while, taking in the latter's words of advice. She sighed; her pager went off, and she slowly stood to her feet, Norah following suit.

"They found Megan," Addison stated, wiping the remaining of her tears.

"Feel any better?" Norah asked.

"Much," Addison nodded. "Thank you. You really are a good listener, and you give better advice than you think."

Norah shrugged and opened the door for the attending to step out before leaving the supply closet herself. "Uh, Dr Montgomery-Shepherd-"

"Addison."

"Addison. You might wanna..." Norah gestured to the attending's eyes, "Your makeup is smudged."