So, this is the flashback in Still Breathing. It's told in present tense so basically I'm retelling the flashback through a much larger scope. it should make sense as a singular story if you don't want to read the other story.
Addie and Derek have a surprise coming. It's still in New York, before all the drama. They are in their fellowships and it is 2001.
Gone with the Wind
"Addison!" His wife just excused herself from a consult and ran. Quickly, he apologized and promised to come back, "I think something is wrong with my wife, I need to check on her. I'll be back really soon."
Addison had sprinted with one hand on her stomach and another in front of her mouth. "Addie, are you okay?" Derek rushed into the women's restroom with her, ignoring the gender signs on the door. All he could hear was the sound of retching in the stalls. He walked into the leftmost stall and held her hair back.
"Addie, you're okay. Just breathe." His hand was placed firmly on her back as he reassured his wife. She was as white as a sheet.
"I think it was the sushi last night. That sashimi was obviously no good. " She breathed, "I think I'm going to stand up now."
"Okay," Derek said while supporting her. Shakily, she rose to her knees then using Derek's hand for balance, stood up. She smiled, but then turned around abruptly and started vomiting again, "Addie, I'm taking you home."
"No! I can work," Addison said between coughs, "See, I can stand up now." She leaned against the walls for support. "I'm okay."
"No, you're not. Come on, we can reschedule our surgeries." Derek said while protectively wrapping his arms around her waist, "Can you walk?"
"Derek, I'm fine!" She pushed him away from her, "I have a TTS case tonight. I'm soloing!"
"You can't operate tonight on a baby, vomiting every two minutes."
"Watch me. I'm a Forbes Montgomery!"
"Shepherd. You, my wife, are a Forbes Montgomery Shepherd."
"I am. And I love it," She pecked his lips.
"Come on Addie, we have both just pulled 48 hour shifts. Let's go. You need to rest if you want to get better."
"No!" she vomited again then nodded meekly, "Fine, Let's go." She flushed down the mess then cleaned herself shakily. Derek's hand never left her waist.
"Are you sure you can walk?"
"Just leave you arm around me, I should be fine. My stomach hurts though."
"Let's go tell Richard." They spotted him on their war out.
"Hey Richard," Derek shouted across the hall to the man buried in his medical journals.
"Oh, Hello Addison, Derek." He nodded to each of them.
"Addie isn't feeling well, we're going home. Could you cancel all of our surgeries?"
"Of course. Addie, are you okay?" Richard asked concerned, "you didn't even take a day off for that 104 fever of yours in your intern year."
"You remember that?"
"How could I forget? Derek was so worried and he almost got you to go home, I almost had to physically remove him."
Addison smirked, "I should be able to work today too, Derek," she whined.
"Richard! Stop it!" Derek complained, "She hasn't slept in around 50 hours. Now she's vomiting and turning pale. I'm taking her home."
"Addison, listen to me. Go home."
"But,"
Richard cut her off, "Go home. We'll be fine without you for a day."
"Don't miss me too much!" Addison called at their friend.
"Come on Addie, let's go home and get you in a hot bath," He looked at his wife, "You look really pale."
"Derek," she looked at him weirdly, "I don't think I can stand."
"I'll carry you."
"Der, I'm going to faint," Addison whispered.
"Addie? Okay, no fainting. Look at me. Stay awake." He ran back into the hospital carrying her wedding style.
"Richard!" Their friend looked back, stunned to see them back, "Page Mark, Naomi, and Nancy! Something happened to Addie."
"Addie, do you hear me? Everything is going to be okay. You are okay, " he kissed her head trying more to convince himself, "I love you Addie. Hang on."
The three doctors rushed into the room, "What wrong?"
"She presented with fatigue, paleness, vomiting, and fainting. Nai. Stay with Addie. Mark, can you go to our house and get Mr. Stuffing? Nance. I love you, but this is an order. Find out what is wrong with Addie before I get out the chainsaw."
Nancy, Derek's sister, reacted first, probably due to the threat, "Okay, interns. CT, blood test, anything you can think of. Go Now!"
"Derek, are you sure she'll want Mr. S?"
"Positive. Go Now." Mr. Stuffing is Addison's stuffed bear. He always sits by her bedside as her protector.
"Hey, Addie. It's me Nai. You're going to be okay," she whispered to Addison's unconscious body."
With the room empty, Derek slid down the wall, terrified from Addison's condition. He sighed and took off his scrub cap. It was the one Addison had given him for his first solo surgery. To this day, this cap is his lucky charm. He hopes that the pendant he had given her will reciprocate the luck.
"Oh my god! YES!" Nancy screamed, "This is awesome!" She cradles the chart, looking at it fondly.
"What happened Nancypants?" Mark asks inquisitively. Derek looked up apprehensively.
"Come in, let's wait for Addison to come back from CT. Derek I promise you she's fine."
"Addie!" Derek grinned, "Are you feeling okay?"
"My stomach still hurts," She sounded like a hurt six-year old.
"Addie! Derek!" Nancy drew the attention back to herself, "You're pregnant! I'm going to be an aunt!"
Derek now looked whiter than the sheets. Although he wanted a child of his own, he was afraid as to what comes next, "Nance, you're not telling us something. What happened that made Addie faint?"
"She's okay. I promised, remember? Just no more fifty-hour shifts. She has mild anemia, you guys obviously know what that is. I think she might have hyperemesis gravidarum, which is the extreme form of nausea and vomiting. Only if she faints again, the bring her here immediately," She paused, "I'm going to be an aunt!"
Derek breathed a sigh of relief. They were overjoyed. A baby was part of their dream. Marriage, house, and then children. Everything was coming true.
"Addie," Derek looked at his wife joyfully, "We're having a baby!"
She started tearing up, "We're having a baby."
"I love you," he pulled her into a kiss.
"Guys! Get a room!" Mark and Nancy simultaneously shouted. Suddenly, the room exploded with laughter. Everything was right again.
"Can I take her home?" Derek asked Nancy.
"Of course, just make sure to make her rest and take the week off."
"You guys talk of me as if I am not here. I refuse to take the week off! I have a TTTS case!" Addison sighed indignantly, but then she covered her mouth with her hand. Derek quickly brought up the bowl and she vomited again.
"Addie," Nancy sighed, "I'm sorry to say this to the TTTS baby, but your child is so much more important."
Derek looked amused at his sister; for once she was siding with him. It was refreshing. Then, he directed his attention to his wife, the little color that had returned to her face was near gone now, "Addie?" Derek asked concerned, "Addie. It's okay. Just breathe." He sat down on her bed then rubbed her back.
She grabbed his hand and held tightly, "I'm fine. It's okay."
"Addie, tell me what is wrong."
"Nothing, I'm just really tired."
"Derek, let's just stay here tonight," Nancy urged Derek.
"Okay."
"Der?" Addison asked, "Can you hold me?"
"Okay, " he crawled into her little hospital bed and pulled her close to his chest, "You're okay. Just go to sleep."
"I love you Der."
"I love you too," she fell asleep immediately.
After a couple minutes of silence, Nancy quietly poked Derek and pointed outside. Derek instantly thought the worst. They walked outside.
"Nance, what didn't you tell us?"
"Nothing, honestly. It's not serious. She'll be fine. It's just," she hesitated, "did you see how easily she tired? Is there anything else going on?"
"No. But remember? She got sick a week ago with the flu."
"I just think that she is at risk for preeclampsia or pre-term labor. Just keep her safe. Try to convince her to do ten-hour shifts or something. Make sure to keep her home for the next week. After the first trimester, everything should be fine." She noticed her brother staring into the room through the window, "Derek?"
"Hm?"
"You're having a baby."
"I am having a baby." His smile spread throughout his face.
"Go back in there now."
"Yeah, I will," Derek hugged his sister, "Wait, Go do Addie's TTTS case before she sneaks away from home to do the surgery,"
"haha. Okay!"
"Thanks Nance!" He turned around and tip-toed back into Addison's room.
Seeing her peacefully sleeping, he made sure not to wake her while slipping back into their previous position: cradling her body against his. "I love you Addie," he whispered before falling into a slumber.
End of Ch 1
So, what did you all think? I'm thinking of making this a threeshot, but we'll see. This was really fun to write. Anyways, reviews are my best friend. Leave as many as you want. Questions, Comments, Concerns. All cool with me!
Love,
Shannon