Mending Broken Hearts-2

Breaks in Friendships

Enjoy this update.

Mark's POV

"She is so pissed at me." Derek complains as we walk through the park with our babies. Women are checking us out and I wave at them as we continue our walk.

"And did you apologize?" I ask him.

"For what? I did not tell her to put her surgery on hold. I had surgery too. One that I could not miss. I was telling the top 12 neurosurgeons in the world on how I treat the spinal A.V.M. The biggest one we've ever seen." He explains to me.

"So no apology?"

"I have nothing to apologize for." He argues. I stop walking having his baby's stroller knock into the twins. "Mark!"

"We are men." I start off.

"I am very aware of that."

"Not likely."

"Mark." He uses a very scolding tone with me.

"No, you will listen."

"Really?"

"We are men which means we are in more cases than not are the ones that need to apologize. My wife for example thinks of things that ever cross my mind. Things that if and when I don't think about them pisses her off and she lets me know. I also know from having four kids under the age of four and both being surgeons that saying I'm sorry isn't the worst thing to do."

"Even if it's not your fault?" Derek questions.

"You really think you have no fault in this?" I ask him.

"I had a big surgery."

"We always have big surgeries."

"So you're saying you've given up on surgeries and being the best plastics guy in the country for what your wife?" Derek snaps at me.

"Let's get one thing straight." I get closer to him. "I am the best damn plastics and ENT guy in this country. Don't ever confuse that. But yes I have given some things up in my career for my wife and children."

"You're always in surgery doing..."

"I haven't gone cold turkey don't think I'm insane." I interrupt. "But when Gen was in the middle of her fetal medicine fellowship I did more teaching towards Avery than actually doing surgery. I did that because I had to be there for the kids."

"So you're okay with taking a step back allowing your wife to advance in her career while yours falls?"

"I've known the high and what it can bring but nothing can beat having a happy and healthy family Derek. Nothing. I would gladly give up everything in surgery if it means I can have my wife and kids." I say to him.

"It was a big surgery Mark and Meredith never told me to not do surgery."

"They are never going to ask us not to do surgery because we wouldn't do it to them." I respond.

"So if one of your kids gets hurt or sick do and your both in surgery who drops everything to comfort them?" Derek questions me.

"That depends."

"On what? One of you has to do it."

"Well, we don't have it down to one person. It depends on the situation."

"Well I am a neurosurgeon and if I make one wrong movement my patient could die. Because I'm in their brain."

"So because you deal with the brain your surgery is more difficult?" I ask him.