Cassie flipped around, not being able to control her emotions as she yelled. "Leave me alone, Derek! I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you, and I don't want to be around you. How could I possibly make it any more obvious?!"
Her shouting unfortunately gained the attention of the hospital staff, consisting of Meredith, Cristina, George, and Izzie as well.
Cassie walked away, not paying them any mind.
As she left, the interns approached a dumbfounded Derek. "What was that all about?" Meredith questioned, setting aside her distain for the man.
Derek looked at them, contemplating telling the truth. He knew she'd be mad, but he also thought her friends had a right to know.
"It's Cassie's 23rd birthday."
"Her birthday?" Izzie gasped. "Why didn't she tell us?"
"Why is she acting so, I mean, like that?" George wondered, thinking about how she snapped at him earlier.
"It also happens to be the anniversary of her mother's death," Derek told them, grimacing.
"Oh," is all that any of them could say.
"Is she going to be okay?" Cristina frowned, worried for her person.
"Normally I would say yes but..." Derek trailed off. "With the way she's acting today, I'm honestly not sure."
He thought for a moment, before excusing himself from the group. He approached Burke, who happened to be the interim Chief.
"What is it, Shepherd?"
"I need you to do something for me," he said. "It's about Dr. Harper."
☆
Entering Joe's bar, Cassie was more than glad to have been sent home for the day; well, she would have been, if only Derek didn't have anything to do with it.
At least it was an excuse to get as shit faced as possible, she thought.
"Three shots of tequila," she said to Joe, who was behind the bar. He gave her a look. "What?"
"It's 11 a.m."
"And your point is...?"
Shaking his head to himself, he complied, watching as she downed all three in a row, without so much as a chaser. She immediately gestured with her hand for another round.
"Are you okay, Cassie?" Joe asked sincerely.
"What makes you think I'm not okay?"
"Well, for starters, you're getting hammered on a tuesday morning. Shouldn't you be at work?"
She sent him a sarcastic smile, beginning to feel tipsy after another two shots. "Nope. Because my best-friend-slash-brother, who I was already mad at by the way, talked to my boss and had me sent home for no good reason."
"Oh," is all he said, before pouring her another round.
"Also, it's my birthday. 23 this year. Woo hoo," she cheered monotonously. "It's also my the anniversary of my mother's death. One year, on the dot. Lucky me, am I right?"
"I'm so sorry," he frowned.
"Oh no, it's fine," Cassie drunkenly waved him off. "While she's rotting in a wooden box, six feet under back in New York, I'm getting day drunk." She took another shot. "All is well."
☆
By the time sunset rolled around, Cassie was still drinking at the bar, albeit nearly passed out. She lost consciousness a few hours in after Joe took her keys, but woke up and starting drinking again around dinner time.
"How about I call you a ride home?" Joe suggested as more people began to fill the empty spots surrounding her.
Cassie sluggishly shook her head. "No, no, I can just get a cab."
He looked behind her, and then back at her drunk self. "By the way, I called you a ride home."
"Seriously, Joe?" she groaned obnoxiously, seeing Derek approaching them. "You called the fun police?"
"Come on. I'm driving you home," Derek ordered, trying to pull her up.
"Hm, let me think about it... yeah, no, but thanks, though."
Derek gently grabbed her arm anyways, pulling her to his car. She would have protested further, but having him drive her home sounded a lot better to her than some sleazy stranger in a taxi.
Once they had been driving for a few minutes, Cassie broke the silence.
"Cupcake?"
Derek smiled over at her despite the sadness of her situation. "Pardon?"
"My cupcake," she whined, slumping down in her seat. "You got me a cupcake but I didn't eat it yet. Where'd it go?"
"Check the backseat," he laughed, as she quickly unbuckled and snatched it from it's container.
As she shoveled down the treat, seemingly fine, Derek couldn't help but feel a small hole in his heart. He was supposed to be the one who was there for Cassie on a day like hers, not alcohol. Instead, he screwed up their relationship, and left her alone all day. He felt awful.
"I really am sorry, you know," he said quietly. "For lying, for calling you, um—"
"Moralistic," Cassie supplied through a mouthful of frosting.
"—yeah, that. Anyways, I don't know how to make it up to you, Cass, and maybe we shouldn't be having this conversation when you're drunk, but I had to say it. I'm so, so sorry, Cassie. I miss you."
Crumpling the cupcake wrapper into a little ball, Cassie responded despite herself. "I know you are," she said simply, not accepting nor denying his apology. "And I miss you too."
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