Come lie with me

Chapter 27

By the end of the day, Mark was exhausted. His supposedly light day and easy surgery had turned dark quickly when the patient had coded on the table. Mark knew there was nothing more he could have done, but the patient's death still weighed heavily on him. He had gone into plastics partly because of the low mortality rate, and as a result each death seemed to count for so much more, rare as they were.

All Mark wanted to do was go home and spend time with Lexie, but he had been roped into going for a drink with Derek, Addison, Sam, and Naomi. They had tagged along with Addison for Archer's case. Derek had mentioned rehashing old times, but that sounded more like a chore to Mark than anything else. His friends seemed to love mentioning all his exploits, things Mark would rather forget.

Mark called Lexie, but she didn't answer. He swallowed his brief moment of panic and told himself that she was probably sleeping or out with Molly. He left a brief message on her phone mentioning that he was going to Joe's to meet Derek and the group, and that he would see her soon.

When he arrived at the bar, Mark took a weary glance around and found the table in the back corner which his friends were sitting at, already covered by several glasses of beer and a pitcher.

"I see you all started without me," Mark said with a tired grin as he sat down in the empty chair between Addison and Derek.

Naomi and Sam greeted him, pouring him a glass of beer from the pitcher. Mark tired not to flinch as the cheep liquid slid down his throat. He liked his alcohol expensive or not at all.

"So Mark," Sam said. "I need you to settle this highly disturbing rumor which Addison told me earlier. You are getting married; say it isn't so!"

Mark laughed at Sam's teasing tone. "It's true, I'm afraid. Her name is Lexie and we are getting married on Saturday."

Addison grinned. "She's Meredith's little sister. Apparently Mark took one look at those big brown eyes and wham! Love at first sight."

Mark shook his head ruefully, ignoring the tone of Addison's voice. "That's not quite how it happened."

"I don't know," Addison said, shaking her head. "There is something about these Grey women. First Derek and then Mark. Explain to me how such rational thinking men can be seduced by women like them."

Mark bristled as Derek glared at her.

"I know you did not just insult my fiancée," Mark said, biting off the words.

"Okay, let's just calm down," Naomi said. She looked at Mark and smiled, "I am happy for you, Sloan. I am sure she is lovely."

Mark nodded. "She is. She is also pretty amazing. She has planned and organized a wedding within a week. I don't know how Lexie does it." His words contained a little bit of awe.

"Damn!" Sam said. "I never thought I would see the day when Mark Sloan would be felled by a woman."

"Not just any woman," Mark said. "Lexie's different."

"He loves her," Derek said in a teasing voice.

"Dude, what are you like…five?" Mark asked him with a laugh.

Sam and Naomi grinned.

"It's nice to see some things back to the way they used to be," Sam said.

Mark smirked at Derek. "What can I say? I keep him around 'cause he needs me."

"Whatever," Derek said with a laugh. "He came to Seattle to 'get me back'." Derek put air quotes around the phrase.

"Derek, are you feeling alright?" Mark asked. "I think you are imagining things."