chapter three ━ new job
( season three, episode one )

❝Well, I got here in one piece
so I see that as a success.❞

𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 at the hospital when her phone rang. She looked down at the contact and frowned at the sight, answering with a sigh. "Adam," she said. "For the last time, the answer is no."

"Abby..." She rolled her eyes. "Please. You know I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate."

"And you know that isn't true," she retorted, shaking her head. "You know I would do anything for you, Adam, I have, but I can't keep doing this."

"Please," he begged, sounding desperate. "I—I really need your help. I put all of my money into this investment and it failed. Please, I... I don't have anything."

Abby shrugged, pressing her lips together. "Well, welcome to the real world. You have to stop lying to me, Adam."

"Please."

"I'm saying no!" The elevator doors opened and she stepped off. "I'm sorry but I have to go."

"Wait!" She sighed, stopping outside of Richard's office. "I promise, Abby, I'm telling you the truth. You have to believe me."

She scoffed. "That's the issue, Adam," she said, shaking her head. "Because you haven't given me many opportunities to believe you. It's lie after lie. And every time I think you might be telling the truth, it turns out to be another lie."

"Abby..."

She let out a breath. "Do you remember the very thing that fractured our relationship?" she asked. "The event you caused that put us in this very situation?"

"I know," he whispered. "And I'll never stop saying sorry. Just, please, please, believe me this one time. Help me and I'll never bother you again."

Abby closed her eyes and her hand reached up for the locket around her neck. She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "I'm sorry. The answer is no."

She turned off her phone and knocked on the office door. "Come in!" Abby walked into the room and smiled at the man. "Ah, Dr. Thompson, hello. I hope the flight here was good."

She nodded with a shrug. "Well, I got here in one piece so I see that as a success."

He chuckled lightly. "Of course. And I can't tell you how happy I am that you accepted our offer to work here."

"Thank you for the offer," she replied with a smile.

"Now." Richard cleared his throat. "All that's left for you to do is sign the paperwork, get your badge, and you are officially a surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital."

Abby turned her head when she heard a knock on the door. Adele Webber walked in and saw her husband sitting at his desk. "Richard."

"Adele." He smiled. "Wonderful timing. This is Dr. Abigail Thompson, our newest neurosurgeon."

Abby shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Adele said to her with a smile before facing her husband once more. "Richard, I have an appointment."

Richard frowned. "You didn't have to make an appointment. I'm your husband."

"Apparently an appointment was the only way to get your undivided attention," she replied and Abby bit her lip out of awkwardness. "Sit down. We have an appointment."

Abby glanced between the couple and stood up. "I'll just go find legal myself," she said, clearing her throat and walking toward the door. "You're a bit preoccupied, it would seem. Uh, it was nice to meet you, Mrs. Webber. Chief." She closed the door behind her and fluttered her lips. "Oh, I don't think I want to be him..."

"Abby?" She turned her head and saw Derek walking toward her. "Who are you talking to?"

"Myself," she replied with a shrug. "Hey, uh, any chance you know where legal is? The chief is a little... tied up at the moment."

He nodded. "Sure. I can show you. So, how are you settling into Seattle?"

"It's a lot damper than California," she replied, walking in step with him. "But I like it. Though you might have to ask me in a few months."

"I can relate," he said as he pressed the elevator button. "I'm from New York. It was a big change to move here."

"Yeah. I'm from New York, too. So why did you? Why did you move here?" she asked out of curiosity. "From what I knew, you had a pretty good career back home."

He sighed, shaking his head. "It's... a really long story. Let's just say that I needed a fresh start. Though the past eventually caught up with me."

"Does it have anything to do with you and Addison?" she asked, stepping onto the elevator with him. "Things seemed... frigid between the two of you when I first met her."

Derek shrugged. "Partially. But there's a lot more to it than that."

"How so?"

"Again, a really long story." Abby nodded, not pushing the subject any further. "But what about you?" She looked at him. "I thought it would have taken a lot more persuading for you to agree to switch hospitals."

She shrugged. "There was one reason that made the decision fairly easy," she replied. "It made sense in the end."

"So what made you decide to go into neuro?" he asked. "Any past experience influence your decision?"

Abby pressed her lips together. "Something like that..." she muttered under her breath before forcing her mouth into a smile. "It was just... the one that fascinated me the most when I was a resident. The one that I really wanted to be on. Besides, brains are cool. What about you?"

"Same thing." He shrugged. "And brains are cool."

She frowned. "That's my line!"

"I know." Abby shook her head with a laugh and looked up, watching the floor number change. "That locket is really pretty." She looked down at the silver jewel and held it in her hand. She let out a breath and he glanced at her. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"No." She shook her head. "No, it's just... no..." The elevator dinged and the doors opened. She cleared her throat as she stepped off. "Uh, thanks for showing me the way. I'll see you later."

"Bye..."

___________________________

𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓 of the stairs outside of her house. She pulled her sweater tightly around her thin frame, trying to fight the soft morning wind. Her face was illuminated by red and blue lights from ambulances and police cars.

"Abby!" She looked over at the boy who was in handcuffs near one of the police cars. "Abby, please, tell them it wasn't my fault."

She shook her head. "I can't do that," she said. "Because that would be lying. I can't lie to them."

"Abby, please."

"You did this to yourself, Adam," she replied, tears shining in her eyes. "You have nobody to blame but yourself."

"I'm sorry!"

Abby shook her head. "Sorry doesn't cut it this time," she told him.

"I'm sorry," one of the officers cut in and looked at Abby. "We have to take him down to the station now."

Abby nodded and glanced back at the boy who was shaking his head viciously. "I'm your brother!" he exclaimed. "Please, Abs, I'm your brother!"

"So was he," she said quietly, glancing at one of the ambulances. "So was he..."

The ringing of her phone pulled Abby out of her daze and she glanced down at it. Just like before, when she saw the contact, she groaned. "What now?"

"Abby." It was Adam. Again. "I know I already called you, and I know you hate me, but I really need your help. I know I've lied to you in the past, but I promise that I'm telling the truth now. I swear on my life, on Mom's life. Please."

Abby sighed. "Don't bring Mom into this," she said. "I want to believe you, Adam. I really, really do. But I've heard this story too many times to count. And I've believed it too many times to count. I want the best for you, Adam, I want you to get better, but you keep pulling me into situations I don't want to be in."

"Just do this for me," Adam pressed. "Just this once and after that I'll stop bugging you. Forever if that's what you want. Please, Gil."

She froze at the nickname and closed her eyes, begging tears not to surface again; she'd lost many tears over Adam. "I—" Her pager went off and she looked down at it: 9-1-1. She let out a breath. "I have to go."

"But—"

"I'm working, Adam," she said, cutting him off harshly. "You know, the thing I've done for practically my entire life. I'll call you later."

A short time later, Abby was standing outside of the patient's room. Bailey was standing with her while the neurosurgeon saw that the patient was seizing.

"Okay, this is Giselle Toussant," Bailey informed her. "She came into contact with the plague."

Abby did a double-take and looked at the resident. "I'm sorry... the plague?"

Bailey nodded. "Yeah. Shepherd and O'Malley did the surgery but they're in quarantine in the intern's locker room right now. And are angry, not to mention."

Abby tilted her head. "I don't blame 'em." She sighed and looked back into the room. "Alright, let's gown up, Dr. Bailey."

After ensuring they were both fully protected, they walked into the room seeing that Giselle had stopped seizing.

"Alright..." Abby said, taking the chart in her hands.

"Dr. Thompson." She looked over at Bailey and saw her checking Giselle's eyes. "Her pupils are blown."

Abby sighed, taking her light and doing the same. "No, no. Damn it." She put away her pen and shook her head. "Call it, Bailey."

She looked up at the clock on the wall and let out a breath. "Time of death — 3:28."

Abby left the room and snapped off her gloves, removing her mask. She ran a hand through her tangled hair and fluttered her lips. "Did she have anyone with her?" she asked the resident.

Bailey nodded. "Her husband," she replied. "He's in quarantine, too. I've been keeping him updated on her condition."

"Okay..." Abby leaned against the nurse's station. "Alright. You tell her husband, I'll tell Shepherd and O'Malley."

"You got it."

She looked in the direction of the intern's locker room before making her way there where she found it sealed off. Two men in hazmat suits stood in front of the room. "I'm sorry, ma'am," one of the men said, holding up his hand. "No one can go beyond this point."

She sighed. "Look, I'm not trying to keep you from doing your job, but I really need to talk to the two men that are inside. Could I just... hover outside, please? I promise I won't break the seal."

The men glanced at each other before nodding. "Alright. Go ahead."

Abby smiled at them. "Thank you very much. And... if they've been being mean, I'm very sorry about that." She walked toward the room and narrowed her eyes, trying to make out any people. "Derek?"

"Abby?" She could hear his voice but couldn't see him. "Hold on. We've been hunting for snacks." Abby let out a breath and leaned against the wall when he and George came into view, both with arms full of food.

She stared at the pile. "Hungry?"

"We've been stuck here," George told her. "We needed to eat."

"So I can see."

Derek nodded in agreement with George. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "I'm surprised they're letting you talk to us."

"Politeness goes a long way," she replied with a shrug. "But, anyway, I'm here about your patient. Giselle Toussant?

"Oh, yeah." He nodded and picked an apple out of the pile. "How's she doing?"

"Not so well..." Abby said, clearing her throat. "She, uh, she died. A few minutes ago."

He paused just as he was about to take a bite and turned to the female neurosurgeon outside the room. "What?"

"We think it was a stroke," she sighed, crossing her arms. "We won't know for sure until the autopsy is done. I'm sorry."

"Wait, wait." George stepped forward, his face becoming pale. "She died? The woman who we think came into contact with the plague, and is the reason we're in quarantine, is dead?"

Abby furrowed her brow at the freaked intern. "O'Malley. Take a breath. Just because she died doesn't mean that you will. Now, the chief's gonna watch the autopsy and as soon as the results are back, you'll know."

"He's been freaking out all day," Derek said, looking at the intern who sat down on the bench in shock. "Thanks for telling us."

She nodded. "I'm sorry it isn't better news," she replied sympathetically. She looked at him while subconsciously fiddling with her locket. "You look remarkably calm for somebody who may have been exposed to the plague."

He shrugged. "Well, there's no point in freaking out until there's something to freak out about."

Abby nodded. "I suppose that's true..." she trailed off, looking as though she was lost in thought.

"Listen," Derek said, pulling her out of her mental fog. "I hope I didn't say something to upset you earlier." She tilted her head in confusion. "I mean, I was just saying that your locket is nice. I hope I didn't say anything wrong."

"Oh. No." She shook her head. "No. It's just... a really long, complicated story." Her phone began to ring once more and she groaned. "Sorry, I have to take this." She turned her back and brought the phone up to her ear. "Adam, for the last time... Stop. Calling. Me."

"Abby, please, just some money for food."

"I said I was going to think about it!" she hissed into the phone, letting out a breath. "You're a grown-ass adult, Adam. It's time you figure life out for yourself and stop asking me for money."

"Please—"

"No!" she snapped out of frustration. "No. No more, 'Please, Abby' or 'Gil, please' or 'I'm desperate, Abby'. I don't care. Do you hear me, Adam? I don't care anymore. I'm done."

She hung up the phone with a huff and let out an annoyed breath. She rolled her neck, trying to relieve some of the stress.

"So..." Derek said and she remembered she was still standing in front of the locker room. "That seemed like that went well..."

Abby sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry you had to hear that. It's been a long day."

"You don't have to apologize," he said. "We've all been there, right?"

"Right..." She trailed off before clearing her clearing. "Well, I gotta go. Rounds. Anyway, I hope neither of you has the plague. Good luck."

"Thanks for visiting."

She nodded. "Stop freaking out, O'Malley!"

___________________________

𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐊 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 from the locker room, exchanging pleasantries with the men in hazmat suits on her way out. He let out a breath and sat down on one of the benches, picking up a magazine he had found in a locker.

"That woman died," George said causing Derek to look up briefly at him. "She actually died."

"That doesn't mean we will," Derek replied, turning back to his reading.

"Is it hot in here?" George panted.

"No."

"Then why am I sweating?" he asked while taking off his jacket, his shirt now covered in sweat stains.

"Because you're pacing."

George shook his head. "No, my pulse is rapid."

Derek looked at him. "Because you're still pacing."

"Here." He walked over to the neurosurgeon. "Feel me."

"No, I'm not gonna feel you."

"Seriously."

"Seriously, no."

George let out a breath. "You know... you're an ass." Derek laughed at the comment, still flipping through the magazine. "You've lived. You've done things. And you got the hair and the hot wife and the beautiful ex-mistress who pines for you."

"She's pining for me?" Derek asked, though not as interested as the intern thought he would be.

"My point is, you've lived," George continued. "If you die, who cares? If I die... what, this is it?" Derek watched as he walked around the room. "Callie told me she loved me. I just sat there. I mean, I wasn't ready... but what, now I'm gonna die, and I'm not even gonna get a chance to say 'I love you' back?"

Derek let out a breath. "Well, do you? Do you love her?"

"Maybe," George answered with a shrug and Derek raised his eyebrows. "Eventually... I could. Yeah, one day, soonish."

"'Soonish'?" Derek repeated, furrowing his brows. "I will love you 'soonish'?"

"Did you ever tell Meredith?" George asked quieting the attending. "You ever tell her that you love her?"

"No."

"I did," George said. "But... I... I'm with Callie... and... it's different, but..."

Derek leaned back against the lockers. "You should tell her," he replied. "Even if it's soonish, you should tell her before it's too late."

"You mean before I die of the plague?" George asked with a chuckle.

Derek shook his head. "Before somebody else comes along." Something shiny caught his eye and he went toward the plastic-wrapped entrance. "Abby's locket," he muttered before looking at the hazmat suit guys. "Hey. Could one of you pick up that necklace and give it to me when I get out?" The man nodded and picked up the silver necklace from the ground, putting it in his pocket. "Thanks."

___________________________

𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐘 𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐅 her apartment and dropped her belongings by the door before making her way to the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror, letting out a breath, and pushed her dark, tangled locks off her neck when her eyes gravitated toward the object around her neck.

Or, rather, the object that wasn't around her neck.

"The locket!" she exclaimed as her hand flew to her bare neck. "No, no, where is it?"

She hurried out to the living room and found her bag, dumping out all of the contents. No necklace. She moved on to her coat and turned all of the pockets inside out, shaking it. No necklace.

She took hold of her keys and opened the door only to find Derek on the other side with his fist raised, about to knock. "Hey," he said when he noticed the tear stains on her cheeks. "Are you alright?"

Abby nodded. "Yeah, yeah, fine..." she replied quietly, wiping away the marks. "Just... forgot something at the hospital."

"Oh, that's actually why I came by," he said, digging in his pocket. "You, uh, you dropped this outside of the locker room."

He held up the silver necklace and her eyes filled with tears. "You found it?" she asked, her voice breaking. She took the jewel from him and traced the smooth surface. "Thank you. Oh, my God, thank you!"

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving it off.

"No, really, thank you," she said, clasping it around her neck once more. "You don't know how much this means to me."

"It's no problem, really."

Abby looked behind her into her apartment. "Oh, uh, did you want to come in? I was just about to order a pizza. You're free to stay if you don't have plans." He hesitated for a moment. "You don't have to," she quickly added.

"No, uh, I'd love to."

She smiled and moved to the side, letting him into the messy apartment. "Sorry for the mess," she said, closing the door. "I still haven't finished unpacking."

"Oh, don't worry about it," he said, taking off his jacket. "I mean, I live in a trailer, much to the very obvious annoyance of my wife."

"Is she working late tonight?" Abby asked, grabbing two beers from the fridge. "I thought you might be with Addison."

He shook his head, taking the drink from her. "We're working through some issues. She won't miss me."

"If you say so..."

Derek looked around the unfinished apartment and his gaze landed on a picture that sat on the mantle. He walked over to it and picked it up. "Are these your siblings?" he asked and Abby looked back at him.

"Yeah." She nodded, looking at the photo of her with two younger kids — a boy and a girl. "That's my younger brother and sister. Aiden and Anabel; the twins."

"I can see the resemblance," he said and she smiled softly. "They look a lot like you. How old are you here?"

She tilted her head, giving it a closer look. "Maybe... fifteen?" she guessed before nodding. "Yeah, I remember taking it. It was our last family picture before my dad died. I think the twins were about nine here."

"I'm sorry about your dad."

She glanced at him. "Thanks."

"My dad died when I was twelve," he said and she pressed her lips together. "Looks like we have a lot more in common than we thought."

She sighed. "If only it was a happier thing..." she muttered when there was a knock on the door. "Oh, that should be the pizza guy. Could you grab some napkins? There should be some in the kitchen."

"Yeah, sure." He stood up and lost his balance, accidentally knocking into the picture and it fell to the floor, shattering. Abby came back in with the pizza having heard the crash and he looked up. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said, setting the pizza on the couch. "I have other frames. I'll just get a dustpan."

Derek bent down to help clean up the glass when he noticed that the photo was folded over. He straightened it out and saw there was another boy, slightly younger, standing next to Abby. She returned a short while later, dustpan in hand and she stopped when she saw the photo in his hand; the full photo.

"You have another brother?" he asked and her eyes hardened, looking at it.

"He's not my brother," she said quietly, cleaning up the glass. "At least not anymore. He stopped being my brother a long time ago."

"Why?"

She let out a breath and folded over the photo once more. "The same story as the locket," she answered. "Let's just say... Adam is the cause of it."

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━ author's note:

I love writing fractured sibling relationships

anyway, as i mention in the disclaimer, there isn't merder because it's abby's story and derek sort of  realizes they don't have a lot in common (in this story at least)

and no jealous meredith because i don't like jealous meredith (but she will have a storyline :))