INT. HOSPITAL – PRESTON�S ROOM
Meredith enters the room. Preston looks like he�s getting bored.
MEREDITH
Hi Dr. Burke. You look restless.
Meredith checks Preston�s vitals.
PRESTON
I am.
Preston is hiding his left hand from Meredith.
MEREDITH
Dr. Burke, can I see your hand?
Preston shows her his right hand.
MEREDITH
Now your other hand?
Preston shows her his left hand, which is shaking uncontrollably with tremors.
MEREDITH
I�m going to have to page Dr. Sheppard.
PRESTON
I know.
Meredith leaves the room and walks over to the nurse�s station where Olivia sits writing up charts.
MEREDITH
Can you page Dr. Sheppard for me?
OLIVIA
Sure, Meredith.
Derek comes running.
DEREK
You paged?
OLIVIA
Meredith needed you.
DEREK
Dr. Grey?
MEREDITH
Dr. Burke�s hand is shaking. He can�t control it at all.
DEREK
Damn it.
MEREDITH
What do we do now?
DEREK
Get an OR prepped. We�re going in and we�re going to try to repair the damage. You�re scrubbing in Grey.
INT. HOSPITAL
Derek and Meredith are scrubbing in.
MEREDITH
Have you told your wife yet?
DEREK
No. Have you told Finn yet?
MEREDITH
No. Are you planning to?
DEREK
I don�t know.
MEREDITH
Seriously?
Meredith walks into the OR without another word. Derek walks in after her.
DEREK
Okay people. This is a good day to save this man�s career.
Derek begins to cut Preston open.
INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM
Ripley walks through the waiting room in casual clothes. She pulls her hair up into a ponytail as she walks. Meredith, also in street clothes, runs over to Ripley.
MEREDITH
Hey, we�re going over to Joe�s.
RIPLEY
Shouldn�t you go back to see if Izzy is okay? She�s been home by herself all day. Besides, aren�t you on call?
MEREDITH
Alex switched with me. I need a drink.
RIPLEY
I�ll tell you what, if you stop and get some liquor, I can make whatever drink you want. Just make sure you get some Godiva chocolate liquor and some vodka. And whatever Izzy likes.
MEREDITH
I like your plan better.
RIPLEY
Now, I have to go take care of something, then I�ll be at the house.
MEREDITH
Bye Rip.
RIPLEY
Bye Mer.
Ripley exits the hospital. Meredith turns to see Mark Sloan standing five feet away.
MARK
If it isn�t the dirty mistress.
MEREDITH
Mark. What are you doing here?
MARK
To see if you wanted to get a drink.
MEREDITH
You came all the way to Seattle for a drink?
MARK
I heard all the way in New York that there�s trouble in paradise.
MEREDITH
From who?
MARK
Through the grapevine
MEREDITH
That didn�t take long.
MARK
Bad news travels fast. So, about that drink?
MEREDITH
I can�t tonight. I have to go home.
Derek enters the waiting room and sees Meredith talking to Mark.
MARK
One drink can�t hurt. Come on.
MEREDITH
Maybe next time. I�ll see you around, Mark.
Meredith walks past Derek to the locker room, not sparing a second glance.
INT. MEREDITH�S HOUSE
Meredith, Izzy, George and Christina sit at the dining room table, and stare at a whole bunch of alcohol bottles and several glasses.
IZZY
Guys, that�s a lot of alcohol. I don�t know about this, I think I just want to go back to bed. I don�t think I�m ready.
GEOEGE
Izzy, we�re trying to help you not think about Denny.
IZZY
I don�t think drinking is the best way to do that.
MEREDITH
Its one of the five steps of forgetting life. Get drunk, Get laid, sleep, Get drunk, get laid.
CHRISTINA
Coming from the promiscuous one. Whore. Besides, aren�t you knitting a sweater?
MEREDITH
Softy. That didn�t help, I was sober when I slept with Derek at prom. So I�m drinking again. Now I�m just drinking in my own home.
GEORGE
So it�s true?
MEREDITH
How did you hear?
GEORGE
Callie.
They hear the front door open and close, then Ripley enters the room.
RIPLEY
What�d I miss?
CHRISTINA
Meredith�s advice on life.
RIPLEY
Which is?
GEORGE
Get drunk, Get laid, sleep, Get drunk, get laid.
RIPLEY
Whatever works for you, sweetie. I�m surprised you didn�t say surgery in there. So what do you guys want?
IZZY
Mojito.
RIPLEY
Great. First round mojitos?
The doorbell rings and Meredith walks to answer it, hearing stories told by George and Christina that make Izzy and Ripley laugh.
Meredith opens the front door to find Derek standing there.
MEREDITH
Don�t you ever give up?
DEREK
I need to know what it means.
Meredith walks outside and closes the door behind her.
MEREDITH
You need to know what it means? You? Why do you need to know? What about me? Huh Derek? What about me?
Meredith sits down on the steps outside.
MEREDITH
You�re married, Derek. Married! And we had sex, so I don�t know what it means. Why don�t you tell me what it means? Because I�m drawing a blank as to why I should be the one answering that question.
DEREK
It means that I love you. Meredith if we could just-
MEREDITH
ou are married. You shouldn�t be saying these things to me.
Ripley sticks her head out the door and sees Meredith talking to Derek.
RIPLEY
Meredith, why don�t you go inside and let me talk to Dr. Sheppard? You should be with Izzy. You know Izzy. She just met me.
Meredith goes inside, shaking her head.
RIPLEY
Dr. Sheppard. You seem like an okay guy, for Mer to have fallen so hard for you.
DEREK
Ripley, I –
RIPLEY
Do not call me Ripley. Until you win my respect, you will call me Dr. Buffet.
Derek sits down on the steps.
DEREK
I love her.
RIPLEY
Then you have a choice. Addison or Meredith. Do you want to be an Addek or a DerMer? You need to decide and you need to decide soon or you might not have either one of them.
DEREK
Addison is my wife.
RIPLEY
And Meredith is the love of your life. You�re not happy. Is Addison happy? It�s not worth it if neither one of you is happy and you two are going to cheat on each other.
Derek stares ahead.
RIPLEY
How is your sex life with Addison?
DEREK
What does that have to do with anything?
Ripley sits down on the steps next to Derek.
RIPLEY
Everything. If you guys aren�t enjoying the sex, or if you haven�t had sex in awhile, then there�s something wrong with the relationship. The intimacy level isn�t there.
DEREK
It hasn�t been great. The only time it was good was when I found out about Finn and Meredith.
RIPLEY
Then my advice to you is to divorce Addison, take some time on your own. If Meredith really truly loves you, she�ll forgive you for all the crap you�ve pulled on her this year. You owe Meredith a lot. You don�t owe anything to Addison for cheating on you with your best friend, even if she is your wife.
Ripley stands up.
RIPLEY
Now, you should go home and think about everything. We�ll continue talking in our next session. I need to get back inside, I�m sure they�re done with their drinks by now.
Derek stands up.
DEREK
Thank you Dr. Buffet.
RIPLEY
That�s why I�m here. Have a good night Dr. Sheppard.
DEREK
Good night, Dr. Buffet.
Ripley goes back to the house while Derek walks to his car.
INT. HOUSE
The interns are talking and drinking when Ripley walks in.
MEREDITH
Is he gone?
RIPLEY
For now.
MEREDITH
He said that he doesn�t know if he�s going to tell Addison about us sleeping together.
CHRISTINA
Seriously? He needs his head examined.
MEREDITH
She�s going to find out sooner or later. Nothing stays a secret in that hospital.
Ripley picks up the shaker and opens it, measuring for another round of mojitos.
RIPLEY
Hopefully, it will be sooner rather then later.
GEORGE
I think She suspects something.
MEREDITH
Has she said something?
GEORGE
No, but she has to know the signs.
RIPLEY
Not if she doesn�t want to.
Ripley puts the top back on the shakes and shakes the shaker, mixing the alcohol.
GEORGE
Callie said that she loves me.
RIPLEY
Lucky girl.
GEORGE
I couldn�t say it back. What does that mean?
IZZY
Wow, she moves fast.
Ripley takes the top off of the shaker and strains the liquid into Izzy�s glass, then dumps the rest of the liquid into Meredith�s.
GEORGE
She�s freaking out that I didn�t say it back.
MEREDITH
If you don�t mean it, you shouldn�t say it.
RIPLEY
Absolutely. Love is tricky.
Ripley takes the whole top off of the shaker and measures out alcohol for another mojito.
CHRISTINA
You�ve got to be kidding me, George. Ortho chick?
GEORGE
I�ve never dated anyone like her. And I don�t know if I love her.
RIPLEY
She�s different, that�s for sure.
Ripley puts the top back onto the shaker, then shakes, mixing the alcohol again.
CHRISTINA
Burke�s having hand tremors.
MEREDITH
I know. We operated on him today.
CHRISTINA
He still has them. He�s got choices. He could have another surgery or he could wait it out, retrain the muscles. He might not be able to lift a scalpel again.
IZZY
I�m glad you�re sticking by him and not running.
Ripley takes the top off of the shaker, straining the liquid into George�s glass, then pouring the rest into Christina�s glass.
MEREDITH
What about you Rip? We�re all having our love crisis. What�s yours?
RIPLEY
I don�t like talking about me.
Ripley sets the shaker on the table.
MEREDITH
Since you won�t answer that, why were you wearing the black clothes yesterday?
RIPLEY
That, I�ll answer. I�m the new second clarinetist in the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. That�s why I�ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
MEREDITH
You didn�t even tell you were auditioning!
GEORGE
I play the clarinet!
CHRISTINA
Not that damn clarinet again.
RIPLEY
I didn�t want to jinx it. Plus, everything seemed to lay a little too perfectly. Dr. Webber asking me to move my practice out here, then actually getting a playing job? My luck just isn�t that good, knock on wood.
Ripley taps the table with her knuckles.
MEREDITH
Luck has nothing to do with it.
RIPLEY
I don�t agree with that, but whatever.
MEREDITH
I didn�t know you played the clarinet, George.
GEORGE
Since sixth grade.
RIPLEY
We should play duets sometimes. It would be fun.
GEORGE
I�m not very good.
RIPLEY
Who cares? It�s just fun to play.
INT. TRAILER
Addison lays on the bed reading a book when Derek walks in.
ADDISON
Welcome back.
Derek slips his shoes off and pulls off his clothes.
ADDISON
So you�re not talking to me now?
DEREK
I didn�t think that needed a response.
ADDISON
We need to talk, Derek.
Addison watches Derek pull on a T-shirt and sleep pants.
DEREK
Addi� What?
DDISON
What happened at the prom?
DEREK
A lot of things happened.
ADDISON
Like what?
DEREK
Nothing that you have to worry about Addi.
ADDISON
You�re sure?
DEREK
Yes. What happened to us Addi? The sex used to be the one place that we could always click.
ADDISON
You were absent. We drifted apart.
DEREK
You slept with Mark. I slept with Meredith.
ADDISON
And it hasn�t been the same since.
DEREK
What is Mark doing here?
ADDISON
Mark�s here?
DEREK
I saw him at the hospital. Talking to Meredith.
ADDISON
I have no idea. I haven�t seen him since the last time he showed up in Seattle.
Addison and Derek don�t say another word as Derek climbs into bed and set his alarm.
INT. RIPLEY�S OFFICE
Ripley sits in her chair and Addison sits across from her on a couch.
DDISON
What happened at the prom?
DEREK
A lot of things happened.
ADDISON
Like what?
DEREK
Nothing that you have to worry about Addi.
ADDISON
You�re sure?
DEREK
Yes. What happened to us Addi? The sex used to be the one place that we could always click.
ADDISON
You were absent. We drifted apart.
DEREK
You slept with Mark. I slept with Meredith.
ADDISON
And it hasn�t been the same since.
DEREK
What is Mark doing here?
ADDISON
Mark�s here?
DEREK
I saw him at the hospital. Talking to Meredith.
ADDISON
I have no idea. I haven�t seen him since the last time he showed up in Seattle.
Addison and Derek don�t say another word as Derek climbs into bed and set his alarm.
INT. RIPLEY�S OFFICE
Ripley sits in her chair and Addison sits across from her on a couch.
ADDISON
That he loved me. He would never leave me. That he wanted me and no one else.
RIPLEY
When did Derek find out?
ADDISON
About a month later.
RIPLEY
A month?
ADDISON
Roughly. Derek caught us in the middle of doing it. And he didn�t throw a punch, he didn�t yell, he didn�t scream. He calmly turned and walked away.
RIPLEY
Did you stay with Mark after Derek left?
ADDISON
Yes.
RIPLEY
How long?
ADDISON
Until the day I flew to Seattle.
MEREDITH (V.O.)
Sometimes when we think we�re satisfied, the true trouble begins because human emotions are messy. Each of us are like a time bomb just waiting to explode. It�s not if, but when it happens that is the true concern. Because it will happen, but it�s who�s there to pick up the debris that really counts.
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