Content Warnings: Emotional angst, mention of infidelity and cheating, themes of regret and reconciliation, mild romantic tension.
SET IN GREYS ANATOMY MID S2
Main Masterlist | Patrick Dempsey Masterlist | Dr Derek Shepherd Masterlist | Angelo Doyle Masterlist
The fluorescent lights of Seattle Grace Hospital buzzed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the bustling nurses' station. You'd been avoiding this moment for weeks—ever since Derek Shepherd had shattered your heart by choosing Addison. The ring on her finger was a constant reminder, a glittering barrier between what could have been and the painful reality. But here he was, fresh from a grueling surgery, his scrubs still wrinkled, his dark hair tousled as if he'd run his hands through it one too many times.
You kept your eyes on the chart in front of you, scribbling notes with deliberate focus. The chatter around you faded into white noise—nurses exchanging shifts, monitors beeping in the distance. But you could feel his presence like a storm cloud rolling in, heavy and unavoidable.
“Y/n,” Derek's voice cut through, low and insistent. He leaned against the counter, close enough that you caught the faint scent of antiseptic and his cologne—a mix that used to make your knees weak.
You didn't look up. “Dr. Shepherd. If you need something from the station, ask one of the nurses.” Your tone was clipped, professional armor firmly in place.
He didn't move. “We need to talk.”
“There’s nothing to say.” You snapped the chart shut and turned to walk away, your white coat swishing with the motion. The hallway stretched out, lined with exam rooms and the faint echo of footsteps.
But he followed. Persistent as ever, his longer strides closing the gap. “Y/n, please. Just hear me out.”
You quickened your pace, heart pounding. The last thing you needed was to break down in the middle of the corridor. Memories flooded back unbidden—the late nights tangled in sheets, whispered promises, the way he'd look at you like you were his entire world. Until Addison returned, and everything crumbled.
“I love you, Y/n,” he blurted, desperation cracking his voice. You froze mid-step, the words hanging in the air like a lifeline thrown into turbulent waters.
He kept going, words tumbling out in a rush. “I’ve been an idiot. From the second I chose her, I regretted it. Trying to rebuild with Addison... it’s impossible. She cheated on me, Y/n. Broke every vow we had. And all I could think about was you—how I let you go, how I pushed you away when you were the one who made me feel alive. I love you. God, I love you so much it hurts.”
Tears pricked at your eyes, but you blinked them back. With a glance around—no one nearby—you grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward the nearest storage room. The door clicked shut behind you, the dim light from a single bulb illuminating shelves of supplies: bandages, syringes, the quiet hum of the hospital muffled outside.
Derek's blue eyes met yours, raw and yearning, shimmering with unshed tears. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice breaking. “For everything."
“For what?” You crossed your arms, though your resolve was already fraying at the edges.
“For not giving us a chance,” he said, stepping closer. “For leaving you. For thinking being with Addison was the right choice. You never deserved any of it—the pain, the heartbreak. I was scared, trying to honor vows that were already dead. But losing you... that’s what’s killing me."
He looked so vulnerable, the confident neurosurgeon reduced to a man on the brink of tears. Your chest ached with the weight of it all—the betrayal, the longing, the what-ifs. Without thinking, you closed the distance, your hands cupping his face as you pulled him into a soft kiss.
His lips were warm, tentative at first, then deepening with a hunger that mirrored your own. His arms wrapped around your waist, drawing you flush against him, the kiss turning urgent. Hands roamed—yours tangling in his hair, his sliding up your back—tension building like a spark igniting dry tinder. Breaths mingled, hearts racing in the confined space.
But reality crashed in. You pulled back, breathless, your forehead resting against his. “Dr. Shepherd,” you murmured, voice steady despite the fire in your veins, “I don’t sleep with married men. So fix your status. I’ll be waiting.”
His eyes widened, a flicker of hope breaking through the regret. He nodded, swallowing hard. “I will. I promise.”
On Grey’s Anatomy they gave Luke Adams ADHD. Or they tried to?
They did this whole grand reveal where he’s like..! I have all these symptoms! And no adults in my life recognized it! And that’s why I struggle with things!
Aaaand then did nothing about it besides have him kinda bond with Nick about being underdogs.
He didn’t get tested.
He didn’t get meds.
He didn’t get counseling on how to deal with it.
I watched through all of season 21 waiting for him to finally have time to go get tested: I waited for him to go get tested as he was going to be held back to intern year: I waited for him to get tested as he was trying to get to be a resident so he could point towards improvement on his impulsive tendencies: I waited for him to get tested as his bosses didn’t like how messy and unorganized he was. And he didn’t get tested!!
And it didn’t even need to be this big on-screen thing, but the show creators completely dropped this plot point as soon as it seemed to make Adams’ inability to be organized ‘forgivable’ while also still keeping him like that. They didn’t do all this crap because having him be this mess makes for a more diverse range of characters and allows things to be ‘more interesting’ for viewers.
… which is stupid, because as soon as they decided on introducing that plot point, I don’t see how there’s justification on not even having him be tested. He can afford it- or his family can at the very least. Hell, I would’ve even accepted some long drawn out plot about how he got tested but the guy was a quack and then he goes on thinking “maybe I’m just like this” and feeling guilty for not being able to Just Being Better and not improving and then it’s on the news or something about how this guy was a quack and now he’s like !! I should get tested again. That would’ve been a semi-acceptable way to conduct this storyline.
Or something where the meds he got weren’t right and he didn’t realize it! Or struggled through it! But just dropping it is horrible representation for audiences who have ADHD or who see themselves in this character.
Narrator has met the foreigner next door [Poirot]:
“I have always wanted to go to South America. I sighed, and then looked up to find Mr. Porrott eyeing me sympathetically. He seemed an understanding little man.
“Will you go there, yes?” he asked. I shook my head with a sigh. “I could have gone,” I said. “A year ago. But I was foolish—and worse than foolish—greedy. I risked the substance for the shadow.”
“I comprehend,” said Mr. Porrott. “You speculated?”
I nodded mournfully, but in spite of myself I felt secretly entertained. This ridiculous little man was so portentously solemn.
“Not the Porcupine Oilfields?” he asked suddenly.
I stared. “I thought of them, as a matter of fact, but in the end I plumped for a gold mine in Western Australia.” My neighbour was regarding me with a strange expression which I could not fathom."
- from The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, where the narrator reminds Hercule Poirot of Captain Arthur Hastings and ends up in the "Watson" role....
ive never really watched greys anatomy, i tried a few years ago (like pre covid era) but i just couldn't get past like episode 4, and for some reason i hated Derek?
im trying the show again and holy shit why??? I'm only on season one so who knows where his character goes but why did i hate this man??? hes so funny to me for no reason??? the way he delivers some of his lines (which would not even be funny on their own) makes me laugh so much?? i dont know what it is but every time he flirts with Meredith everything he says is so silly goofy and i dont get it but i honestly love him for it?? help 😭
Any grey’s anatomy fans? Ok, I gotta rant - I hate Derek Shepherd.
Spoilers for seasons 1-3!
He didn’t tell Meredith he was married, he strung Addison along, he’s whiny and egotistical, but the worst thing is how he treats Meredith at the end of season 3. She nearly drowns during the ferry boat accident and then we learn she ‘gave up fighting.’ Like, it sounds like she’s dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts (which totally makes sense given the trauma she’s experienced in the past three seasons!!) and Derek’s all “You didn’t swim. And I don’t know if i wanna keep trying to breathe for you (S3:E21).”
EFF THAT.
Gah, it makes me so mad that he’s basically blaming her for her depression. She didn’t freaking ask him to save her. She’s literally trying her hardest to connect with thatcher’s new wife and their family, communicate more with derek, and just generally feel better, and he’s such as ass. Pisses me off! It’s like classic stigma against people experiencing mental illness. Also, it’s not meredith’s fault that she stopped swimming while she was literally freezing and drowning jesus h christ.
Ok rant over. Plz, join me in the I hate Derek Shepherd club. What’s your favorite reason for hating him?
Meredith: You practice on cadavers, you observe, and you think you know what you’re gonna feel like standing over that table, but.. that was such a high. I don’t know why anybody does drugs
