Chapter Text
Meredith Grey was drowning. She was drowning, and she wasn’t fighting. It’s too cold, she reasoned. Or, she doesn’t even know which way is up. Either way, there was no way she was going to make it to the surface, so why bother?
Maybe, just maybe.. She wanted out. Out of her responsibilities, out of her failing relationship, out of her life. She wasn’t extraordinary, she was just Meredith Grey; the product of a shit mother who just so happened to be an exemplary example of a surgeon.
Meredith didn’t want to pretend anymore. She wanted out. Maybe she didn’t love Derek. Maybe she didn’t want to face the consequences. But at least she wouldn’t have to, now that she’s trailing deeper, deeper, deeper, in the depths of the bay. The water was cold. Paralyzingly cold. She closed her eyes, and stopped fighting. She closed her eyes and let go.
And then, sounds were filling what used to be dead space. What used to be comfortable silence was now a physical form of a pounding headache.
“Your brain works.” She couldn’t figure out who was saying that, but they were determined.
“Ouch,” was all she could muster. And then her eyes fluttered open to see— Addison Montgomery? Why was Dr. Addison Montgomery, the ex-wife of the man Meredith practically stole right from under her feet, looming over the dirty mistress, as she was so commonly referred?
The Ruler Of All That Is Evil was smiling at her. A real, actual smile that showed no hidden agenda. Blue eyes that seemed warm and inviting, not cold and callous like all the other times they interacted. All Meredith could do was stare at the red-headed woman, baffled. Flabbergasted, even. “Meredith, can you hear me? Do you know where you are?” She nodded, almost hesitantly. “You gave all of us a scare.” Addison stared at Meredith intently, but looked away after a moment. “Alright, well.. Your vitals are.. Good, they’re good. Considering. I should go.” As the neo-natal surgeon was turning to leave, Meredith reached out and grabbed at her arm, causing her to stop. Addison bowed her head and didn’t look at the smaller, fragile woman. She couldn’t bear to. “You’re- you’re fine, Meredith. I’ll check on— I’ll have someone check on you later.”
And she was gone. Now Meredith was alone, left to her thoughts and feelings or whatever. Was she actually dead, or did Addison Montgomery treat her with an ounce of decency? That was a problem for tomorrow, Meredith reasoned. For now, she deserved to rest.
“I’m getting married to Burke,” disrupted her sleep. “You’re.. The one person I wanted to tell.” Her eyes opened to see a tear-stricken Cristina Yang; her best friend, her soulmate, her person. “Thank you for not dying.”
Meredith was able to produce a smile, albeit small. “I’m proud of you. Happy for you. Who knew that you’d get married before me? Or at all?” She let out a laugh that turned into a cough, and Cristina leaned her up so she could breath.
“I know, right? Easy does it, Mer. I don’t want you dying after all the effort we put in keeping you alive.”
Meredith nodded slowly, taking slow breaths once her coughing fit let up. “Cristina?” The brown eyed surgeon looked at her, nodding. “Where’s Derek?”
Yang paused, avoiding eye contact. “He’s, uh.. He’s gone, Mer. He left-“ Tears welled in Meredith’s eyes- “he said he couldn’t.. Take it. Kept saying you were a good swimmer and that.. You deliberately-“
“Stop!” she cried out, burying her face in her thin, pale hands. The veins seemed to stick out more, being more noticeable.
Cristina stared. “Sorry.. If it’s any consolation, Addison gave him a lot to remember her by.”
“A damn parting gift? Sex?”
“No! No, god, sorry. She slapped him pretty hard. It was quite a sight,” Cristina chuckled, almost dimly. “It was less than what I wanted to do, but George and Iz, they.. They had to basically restrain me. I think someone sedated me, I don’t know. I was so mad, Mer-“
“Cristina?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re rambling.”
“Sorry.”