chapter thirty three

drowning on dry land. season three, episodes fifteen and sixteen.

The same feeling she'd had far too many times in her twenty three years of life. The bad feeling, that's always right. The feeling she had the day Denny died, when she almost got blown up, and many times before that.

So, she was staying in bed.

"Cassie, you can't just stay in bed all day," Derek rolled his eyes, staring at the small lump hidden under the covers that he assumed was her body.

After pulling Meredith out of the bathtub so she wouldn't drown herself less than ten minutes before, he really couldn't handle another person he cared about acting strange.

"I'm pretty sure I can," Cassie retorted, her voice muffled by the comforter.

"Okay, let me rephrase," he sighed. "I'm not going to you stay in bed all day."

"What are you going to do? Drag me out by my hair?"

Derek smiled tightly. "If I have to, yes."

"Ugh, Derek!" Cassie groaned, throwing the covers down and sitting up to face him. She leaned against the headboard, her arms crossed over her chest. "It's only one day, just let me stay home."

"You're an intern, Cass. You don't just get to decide when you feel like coming in to work. You save lives for a living. Get up, get dressed, and get your ass out that door, ."

Cassie narrowed her eyes at him. "You totally stole that from Cristina."

"I— I may have called her."

"I'm not leaving this bed, Derek."

Derek sighed for the millionth time that morning, and sat on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong, Eeyore?"

Cassie glared at him for the nickname. "I am Eeyore."

"You're totally Eeyore," he smirked, before turning more serious. "Tell me."

"I have the feeling," she blurted. "And before you say anything, I just want to remind you that whenever I have the feeling, people die."

"Cass—"

"My mom, Dylan the bomb squad guy, my dog Oreo. Remember Oreo?" she paused, reminiscing. "Anyway, the list goes on. Denny, your marriage with Addison—"

"Okay, I get it."

"I'm sorry, but it's true," Cassie shrugged. "This time, it might be me, Derek. I'm staying home."

"Are you sure that this isn't just you needing a day off?" Derek wondered. "I mean, you've been working really hard recently, maybe you just need some time to—"

"Sitting at home and waiting to get a call that someone I love is dead, is hardly a day off. I'm not going to work, and that's final."

He racked his brain for a solution to her worry, now accepting the fact that work wasn't an option.

"Why don't you at least leave the house? You could do something that you love, something that calms you."

She looked at him skeptically. "Like what?"

"Well, I know how much you love ferryboats. The weather is supposed to be perfect today," Derek suggested. "It'll be cold, but that's how you like it."

"I do love to wear sweaters," she shrugged.

"Exactly. It'll take your mind off of it."

Cassie considered this for a moment. "Yeah, that does sound nice, I guess. I don't know, maybe."

"Everything is going to fine, Cass. I promise," he smiled, heading for the door. At the last second, he turned around. "Hey Cassie?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you in case you die," he smiled.

She returned the smile. "I love in case die. Sorry in advance if that happens, by the way. My bad."

☆

"Where's Cassie?" Cristina asked as she got changed in the locker room.

"She's staying home," George said. "Apparently, she has again."

"Seriously? I told Shepherd exactly what to say," she huffed. "McDreamy totally McSucks."

In reality, Cristina was upset that she couldn't tell her the big news - she was engaged to Burke. The first people she wanted to tell were Cassie and Meredith, the latter being in a pissy mood, so she decided to wait. She knew how happy Cassie would be for her, so it sucked that she had to wait until the next day.

"She's staying home, so you could just call her," he suggested.

Cristina sighed. she thought. She dialed her number, and it picked up on the fourth ring.

"?"

"Hey, Cass, I have something to tell you," Cristina grinned.

""

"Where are you? It sounds windy."

""

"Where are—"

"

"Cass, can you hear me?"

""

"No, wait—"

"" Cassie said, hanging up the phone without waiting for a response.

Cristina rolled her eyes in annoyance, shoved her phone back into her locker, and left for morning rounds.

☆

Later that morning, the interns were practicing triage in the clinic. The exercise was run by Bailey, who was mildly irritated, since one of her interns didn't bother to show up.

In the middle of a scenario, the Chief entered with a serious facial expression. "People, look, I'm sorry. I have to interrupt the session for a moment."

"Do you need something, sir?"

"We just received word of a mass causality incident nearby. All available level one trauma centers have been asked to respond. I need to send a team into the field immediately."