Broken Down

Author's Note:

Hi! Welcome to my third story: 'Broken Down'. This story takes place immediately after the plane crashed and will let you feel and see how all of the docs survive there in the woods without any immediate help on the way. The story will be about 15-20 chapters I think and will also follow the docs after they're rescued. It's mostly a MerDer story so that's where the main focus will be on but other characters will also appear in the story. For all the Lexie fans out here, a nice thought, she will live in my story ;)

Oh, and the start of this story is not completely the way it went in the season's finale. Most dialogues are the same but not all of them and some scenes from the finale I didn't include into this story so there are some new scenes I added and not everyone has the same injuries as in the season's finale. So there are some inconsistencies with the finale and my story but I try to make it as real and equal as possible.

Also, If you detect any grammar faults or inconveniences, my apologies, English is not my first language. I just graduated from High School like a few weeks ago and still has to learn a lot about writing.

For now I can only say, enjoy the first chapter and I hope to read your thoughts and/or suggestions on my story.

Warm regards,

Isabel

Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or its characters. I'm just borrowing them for my own fun.

Chapter 1: Screaming Silence

Silence. It was the only thing that could be heard throughout the forest, but could you theoretically seen even hear silence? She didn't know. There were absolutely no screams heard, nothing at all, only the deathly silence that made her insides scream. Was everyone still alive?

''Arghh'' She grunted as she slowly tried to get into a sitting position. She rubbed her eyes and tried to take in the situation she was in. What she saw shocked her through her bones. Pieces of the plane lay everywhere, the smell of kerosene making her nauseous.

''Derek!... Mark!... Lexie!... Anyone!'' She screamed but she got no response.

''Cristina!'' But when she yet again got no response her hope was slowly seeping out of her veins. She started thinking about the worst despite knowing that that was the last thing you should do in such situations. 'Maybe they're just not awake yet, they can't be dead can they?' she thought to herself. She grew up with dead and family members abandoning her. The universe couldn't possibly give her another blow. Could they?

As she was about to stand up to go looking for them a searing pain snapped her back to reality. She averted her eyes to where the pain was coming from and it was only then that she saw the piece of metal sticking out of her leg. She was deciding whether to take it out or leave it in and came to the conclusion that in case of infection it was better to take it out now and wrap a piece of clothing around the wound to stop the bleeding.

She was about to take the thing out when she heard the rustling of leaves in front of her. She looked up and saw her friend walking up to her. ''Mer, thank god you're okay'' She said. C

''Cristina! Do you know where Derek is?'' She asked worried and didn't seem to care about the injuries of her person who was holding her arm securely to her side.

''No..'' She said out of breath. ''He..he was sucked out the side when we hit the trees and the back of the plane came off, it.. it came off!''

''Lexie was in the back of the plane!'' Meredith said worried, her eyes tearing up at the thought of the possibility of both losing her sister and husband at the same time.

She looked at her leg again and pulled out the piece of metal in one move, a moan of pain escaping her mouth when she did so and wrapped a piece of clothing around the wound to stop if from bleeding.

''Where is she? Cristina!'' She asked her friend who was frantically looking around her, her eyes focusing on nothing particular at all.

''I don't know, I only have one shoe!'' She screamed.

''Shut up, shut up!'' Cristina screamed a few seconds later and it was only then that Meredith realized that someone was screaming and she looked behind her, seeing Arizona trapped under a huge piece of plain, her face smeared with dried blood and her eyes radiating her fair. Her fair of dying and that way leaving her beautiful wife Callie and their daughter Sophia behind.

Suddenly Arizona's screams stopped and both Meredith and Cristina turned around, hearing the rustling of the leaves again. Mark appeared and looked just as distraught and shocked as everyone else. They looked at each other, their eyes distant. No one spoke and just at that moment they heard a sound, not the sound of the engines but an odd sound they couldn't quite place.

''Do you hear that sound? Where is that sound coming from? Meredith asked.

''There'' Arizona pointed. ''It came from over there''

''Derek!'' Meredith yelled while the three of them walked over to where the sound was coming from.

''Derek! Lexie!'' She yelled. They were coming close by now as the sound got louder and louder.

Suddenly they stopped and stared straight ahead. ''Lexie'' Mark said in shock, he couldn't believe his eyes. Lexie was alive even when there was a huge piece of plane laying on top of her, crushing God knows what.

Mark immediately lay down on the ground, coming face to face with Lexie.

''Lexie.. Lexie'' He said and felt for a pulse.

''You.. need.. to shut up'' Lexie said.

''How is she?'' Meredith asked.

''She's awake and responsive'' He replied while trying to look around to see if there was any chance to get that thing off of her. He knew it was crushing her body and that it was bad. If only they could use something…

''How you're doing in there?'' Mark asked softly.

''Oh, I'm.. I'm doing great'' She said and flashed a small smile.

''Yeah? Good girl'' He smiled. ''I'm gonna get you out of her okay?''

''Okay'' She replied immediately and looked around her. She was scared. Scared of dying, scared of leaving Mark and her sister and all of her friends alone.

''She's tachycardic and short of breath but it could be just from the shock. Her pelvis seems crushed but I couldn't detect any other injuries. We need to get her out of there as soon as possible'' Mark said breathlessly as he talked to Meredith and Cristina.

''We have to find Derek'' Meredith said desperately. Her mind going to all places. Her sister was hurt and trapped under a piece of plane and her husband was still missing. 'Why does this always happen to us?' she thought. 'Why us?'

Cristina looked at her and saw the hurt in her eyes. ''Okay, you know what, we found Lexie, so go find him go..go try and find him''

As she walked away Cristina faced Mark again who was desperately lost as he didn't know what to do to free Lexie. ''We have to get her out of there'' He said as he clutched the right side of his chest.

The same desperation as Meredith was evident in his eyes and it was the first time she had compassion for him, he was always the strong and funny guy but seeing him so distraught was making her core melt.

''Pop it back in'' She suddenly said and Mark looked at her for a second before nodding and laying a hand on her shoulder, ready to pop her shoulder back into its socket.

''Oh, wait, wait wait! She said as the pain flared through her shoulder and she had to catch her breath.

''Okay, do it'' She said confident and Mark looked at her for a second knowing what was to come before popping her should back into its socked causing a scream of pain coming out of her mouth.

''Derek!'' Meredith screamed as she was walking through the immensely big forest, trying to find her husband. She knew that it was possible that he couldn't hear her screams, conscious or not, but she knew she had to try. Derek was a fighter and wouldn't ever give up, no matter what. So even if he was badly injured and couldn't move, he would still do everything in his power to stay alive and fight like hell to not leave her and Zola alone.

''Derek!'' She tried again but still got no response. Her leg was begging to throb and ache and she didn't know how much longer she could keep up her pace but she had to find Derek, not matter what.

''Derek!''

''Arghh'' He grunted as he tried to get into a sitting position. He looked around him hazily, his eyes couldn't quite focus. He heard someone screaming in the distance, the sound just loud enough to hear his own name being screamed.

''Meredith?'' He questioned softly as he was trying to focus.

''Derek!'' She screamed again and Derek began getting worried. With the thought of Meredith hurt or trapped and maybe all alone, he tried his hardest to get into a sitting position but he couldn't. He couldn't, how hard he tried, he couldn't sit up.

He then put his hand on the wing to try and get more strength but then he saw it. His hand was stuck in the wing. It was swollen and bruises and dried blood covered his whole hand. He looked at it in shock and his mind was racing with thoughts on how to get it out of there without damaging it too much.

''Meredith?'' He asked desperately, hoping that maybe she was able to hear his soft scream for help although he knew that it was impossible for her to hear him.

He tried yet again to get into a sitting position but was taken aback by the pain radiating from his sternum.

''Argh'' He grunted slowly and knew that it was possible that his sternum was broken. He tried to assess his injuries quickly and was relieved that he was still able to take deep breaths although they were slightly painful.

''Meredith?'' He tried again but knew it was in vain.

''Arghhh'' He tried his hardest to free his hand but it wouldn't move. He then looked to his side and saw a stone in hand reach. He thought about the consequences. Thought about what it could do to his already damaged hand but knew he had get out of there as quick as possible.

He grabbed the stone and flashed one last look at his hand before lifting the stone up and smashing it with great force on his left hand.

''Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh''

''One, two three'' Mark counted as both him and Cristina tried to lift the heavy piece of plane off of Lexie's body.

''Arghhh'' They grunted as they tried their hardest to try and make the piece of plane move but it wouldn't move.

''Again'' Mark yelled but the it didn't move, it didn't even budge.

''Lex, Lexie, you still good?'' Mark asked as he lay down on the ground and held her hand.

''Yeah, yeah, it's just my pelvis I think. Quite lucky huh?'' She smiled and Mark flashed a smile too. Lexie was always the positive one of the two Grey's and she admired her for that. She barely complained about anything in life and above all, she was an amazing surgeon.

''Just don't die on me Lex'' He said and looked at her in the eye.

''I promise'' She smiled and wanted nothing more than kiss him in that moment but knew she couldn't. She then opted for something stronger, something she was sure she felt for him.

''I love you Mark'' She said and smiled a loving smile that made Mark's eyes tear up.

''I love you too Lex. I love you so so much. Don't ever forget that'' And he tightened his grip on her hand before placing a kiss on her bloodied but beautiful soft hand.

She chuckled and her tears welled up at Mark's sweet words. He looked up at her and smiled again. She was so beautiful. He made a silent promise to himself that he would never ever let her go again.

''We're gonna get you of here Lex and then we will get married and have kids and have an amazing life. We're gonna have it all Lex'' He smiled, and his eyes glistened with tears.

She chuckled lightly and nodded. ''Sofia can have siblings''

''Yeah, a sister and two brothers''

''That's nice'' She smiled.

''Yeah. We're gonna be so happy Lex'' He smiled and placed another kiss on her hand. ''We're gonna be so happy.

''Derek!'' Meredith yelled again as she and Cristina were walking through the forest again, in search for Derek who was still nowhere to be found.

She began getting worried by the minute as she still got no response from Derek signaling he was at least alive. She could deal with him being hurt. She had seen many people hurt , even relatives. She could with that. The only thing she couldn't deal with was him being dead and that thought sent shivers down her spine.

''Derek!'' She yelled again with all her energy left. A tear leaking from her eyes thinking about the worst. It couldn't be. He couldn't be dead. He's Derek, he's strong and healthy and..

''I don't understand how.. this keeps happening'' Cristina interrupted Meredith's thoughts.

''Cristina, we have to find him''

''I'm serious. I do not understand how this keeps happening''

''We have to find him Cristina because I don't think he went for help'' Meredith said.

''We keep dying. We're in a plane crash. Like.. like right now'' Cristina said and Meredith knew she wasn't going to listen to her anytime soon.

''If he went for help. If Derek had gone for help he would have sent a message or something. I mean we have to find him'' Meredith cried. ''Something's wrong''

''I can tell you one thing'' Cristina went on without seeming to care about what Meredith was telling her. ''When we get out of here, I'm getting the hell away from Seattle Grace Mercy Death and I'm never looking back!''

''Cristina..'' Meredith cried.

This time she did listen as she heard Meredith's voice which was full of tears and sadness and turned around to see her person standing there, so defeated, so broken. Tears were pooling in her eyes and she looked at her with pain in her eyes. Derek was her everything. She loved that man to death and knew that she would die inwardly if he died.

''I think Derek is dead. He would've come for us by now. He definitely would've come for us by now'' She sobbed ''I think he's dead Cristina''

''Mer…don't think that way. He's Derek, you know what he's like. He won't give up without a fight'' She said an stepped forward. Cupping her cheeks between her hands she tried to calm Meredith down. This wasn't going to help her or Derek and they had to keep the hope. Had to keep the faith that they were all going to get out of here alive.

''We're gonna die out here Cristina. We're all gonna die out here'' She screamed.

''Keep it together'' Cristina said suddenly while laying a hand on her cheek to try and comfort her person.

''No! You keep it together!'' Meredith replied with a scream.

''Keep it together anyway'' Cristina said softly while Meredith broke down right in front of here. It was not the first time though, as her person had witnessed so much tragedy in her life, so much hurt. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve any of it.

''Do you think Derek is dead?'' Meredith asked.

''I don't know, maybe. But I've got PTSD so you know I'm not reliable'' Cristina said to her person who was still so broken thinking that her husband was dead.

''Cristina.. you're still my person. Even when I'm not..'' But she couldn't finish her sentence as she once again broke out in crying.

''Meredith'' Cristina said, feeling her person's fear and hurt. ''Meredith..''

''Meredith?''

They both turned around at the sound of Derek's voice and stared in shock as they saw him walking towards them, stopping a few feet in front of them. He was holding his bloodied hand and cuts were all over his face making him look sick and hurt.

He was breathing heavily but he obviously looked content that he had finally found them. ''I.. I heard your voice… '' He said in between breaths. ''I thought.. I thought I was dreaming'' And just like that he collapsed. Right in front of them.

''Oh my God'' Cristina said as they rushed towards where he lay there, motionless.

''Derek! Derek!'' Meredith said while slapping his cheek lightly to get him to wake up. ''Please wake up Derek'' She said and let out a cry.

''Mer, look at his hand'' Cristina gasped and pointed at his mangled hand which was heavily swollen and displayed all kinds of a typical crush injury.

At the sight of his hand she broke down in sobs again and began stroking Derek's sweaty hair. ''It's gonna be okay Derek. We're gonna be okay'' She whispered into his ear as a tear leaked from her eyes and fell on his face. He looked just like he was asleep and was grateful for the fact that he couldn't feel the incredible amount of pain he sure must be feeling for his arm right now. He lay there so peacefully, so quiet, that as long as he was going to survive she was fine with him not waking up anytime soon so that that way he wouldn't be in pain. She hated seeing him in pain and every time he was hurt or broken something inside of her died and she couldn't imagine the pain he must feel and the fear of not being able to operate again if they didn't got help fast.

''It's completely shattered'' Cristina said shocked. She couldn't believe her eyes seeing Derek's hand so messed up. The thought of him not being able to operate ever again flashed through her mind and she knew that if that was what was going to happen, it would brake him. Both form the inside and the outside. He was Derek, he was one of the best neurosurgeons in the country and he had an ego the size of Texas. No, she couldn't even think about him not being able to operate ever again. It would shatter both him and Meredith, she was sure of that.

''Derek'' Meredith said as she saw the fluttering of his eyelids.

''Merrr…'' He mumbled as he was obviously trying to wake up. ''Arghh…'' He groaned as the pain suddenly overwhelmed him, squeezing his eyes shut in pain.

''Ssshh. I know it hurts Der, but please open your eyes for me'' She coached him as she wanted to see if he had any other injuries aside from his hand.

He slowly, cautiously opened his eyes. He blinked a few times trying to get the shapes in clear view.

''Mer…''

Derek, where do you hurt?'' She asked worried.

''My hand..'' He said. ''And my chest.. but only slightly''

He looked around trying to see where he was and if the rest was here too. He swallowed a few times before looking at his left hand again.

Meredith followed his gaze and bit her lip as she knew exactly what he was thinking. ''It's gonna be okay Derek. We're gonna wrap it up with something when we get to the others okay? It's gonna be fine''

He nodded slightly but knew it wasn't going to be fine. He was a neurosurgeon, he knew in what shape his hand was and knew that it was bad.

''Derek, can you stand?'' She asked as she looked at his face for the answer as he often lied when it came to his own health.

''Yeah, I… I think so'' He said and supported his left hand with his right hand before slowly standing up with the help of Meredith and Cristina as they walked slowly back towards where the other were.

''Jerry, how do you feel?'' Arizona asked as she was leaning against the part of the plane, her bone was exposed to the open air and she knew that she was at great risk for an infection and other kinds of things but she tried to shut out her thoughts and focus so that her thoughts were elsewhere and not with the possibility of never seeing her wife again.

''I.. I don't know. I can't feel my legs and I'm a bit light-headed but otherwise I'm good'' He said, trying to stay positive.

''Okay, good..'' Arizona replied, a cough erupting from her lungs. As she put her hand away she saw a few sprinkles of blood on her hand and looked at it in shock. Possible causes flashed through her mind making her nauseous. She knew what it could mean but it were just a few sprinkles. 'If it doesn't get any worse, It will be okay, help will come' She thought as she let her eyes droop….

It wasn't long before she opened her eyes again to the sound of someone smashing bags and suit cases.

''Cristina?'' She said sleepily.

She stopped and turned around at the sound. ''Oh, hi'' She said dryly and turned around again to go on with what she was doing.

''What are you doing?'' She asked confused. Open bags and suitcases lay everywhere, pieces of clothing and shampoo were sprawled all over the ground making it look like one big mess.

''We found Derek'' She said and Arizona looked beyond Cristina seeing Meredith lowering Derek to the ground and putting a cushion behind his head so he could lay against the rock. He looked so pale and his hand was looking so bloodied and swollen that she cringed at the sight of it. It barely even looked like a hand anymore.

''I need some t-shirts for a tourniquet, do you know if we have some?'' Cristina asked suddenly while digging her hands through the several bags and suitcases.

''I.. I don't know. Probably'' She replied.

''Got it!'' She raised her hand in the air, holding the t-shirt, and quickly went over to where Derek lay.

''Here Mer'' She said and gave her the t-shirt. She quickly formed the tourniquet just above his elbow and he grunted as she used the bottle of contacts liquid to disinfect the deep cuts on his lower arm and hand.

''Where's Lexie and Mark?'' He hadn't seen his sister-in-law and best friend and didn't know if they were alive or dead. He couldn't bear if they hadn't made it. He just got to like Lexie and things were finally looking good between him and Mark and he needed him. He needed the both of them in his life.

''They're over there'' Meredith pointed towards the back of the plane which lay a few feet away from them behind the bushes, completely intact. ''Lexie's trapped underneath it''

He looked at his wife, seeing the pain in her eyes. She hadn't known about the existence of her sister only a few years back but they had gotten so close that he knew they couldn't live without each other even though she wasn't as physically as close as with Lexie than with Cristina.

''Is.. is she gonna be okay?'' He asked frightened, hoping that his wife would say yes.

''Yeah, we think so. She only seems to have broken her pelvis but we don't know for sure because we can't asses her and we tried moving that thing off of her but it's too heavy'' She rambled while tying the last knot in the tourniquet.

''Loosen the tourniquet a bit'' He said.

''You will bleed to death''

''I need to save my hand'' He replied.

''Well, I'm trying to save your life'' She replied and looked at him stern, hoping that he knew that what he was saying was stupid and irresponsible.

''Safety pen, safety pen!'' Cristina suddenly said while she was rummaging through another suitcase trying to find more t-shirts and useful products to treat Derek's hand.

''Bring that!'' He immediately replied. ''And do you have a t-shirt or a bandana?''

''Got it, got it!'' She replied as she pulled another t-shirt out of the suitcase and walked over towards Derek. She positioned herself behind Derek's hand and gave Meredith the safety pen.

''Okay, we have to close the wound'' He said. ''Use the safety pen.. move you way inside and out and then put the bandana on top of it.. and tape it''

''And where's the bandana for? Cristina asked.

''Put it in my mouth'' He said. ''I'm probably gonna scream a lot and I'm.. I'm gonna pass out''

''Okay'' She whispered calmly and put the bandana in his mouth.

''I'm sorry, I'm sorry'' Meredith cried as she maneuvers the safety pen through the big gash. ''Please pass out, please pass out, please pass out'' She repeated as he tried to scream through the bandana blocking most of his painful screams.

''Got it'' She said after a good 15 seconds and clipped the safety pun shut. The bleeding stopped and both Meredith and Cristina breathed a sigh of relief. They both looked at Derek who had finally passed out halfway through. She could only hope that he wouldn't remember the incredible amount of pain he just experienced.

She then grabbed the tape and some bandages and securely splinted his hand before placing herself next to Derek and allowing herself to close her eyes for a moment.

''Meredith?'' Mark yelled as he walked over towards where he knew Meredith and Derek were. Cristina had come up to him to inform him that they had found Derek and that he was stable. Arizona was sitting a few feet away from them and was looking stable from what he could see. He felt guilty for not paying enough attention to her but Lexie was still trapped underneath that piece of plane and he still had no idea how to get it to move.

''Mark'' Meredith said and went to stand up. ''How's Lexie?''

''Stable, but I still got no idea how to get her out of there Mer'' He said worried. ''How's Derek?''

Suddenly he heard a grunt coming from next to him and he looked over towards Derek who just opened his eyes.

''Hey, buddy'' He smiled and kneeled next to him. ''How you doing?''

''Okay'' Derek replied. ''Did you got Lexie out?''

''No, I don't know how we can get her out. The thing is too heavy to move'' He sighed.

''I can help'' Derek said suddenly.

''No Derek'' Meredith said stern. ''Look at your hand''

''I have an idea. It can work, really'' Derek said and looked at Mark who hesitated.

''How?'' He said.

''Okay, Mark, you go over there and take that side and Mer, you can take the other side'' He pointed. ''Cristina, you can take the front''

''But which side do you take?'' Cristina asked him as they all positioned themselves around the plane wreck

Without answering her question he walked over to the other side of the plane wreck which had a bigger opening than the side where Lexie lay and kneeled down just under the larger opening.

''No'' Meredith said. ''Derek no! You could get more hurt. Don't be so stupid''

''Mer, I know what I'm doing okay and we don't know how much time Lexie has left. We have no other choice''

''Derek…'' Meredith said, her eyes pleading not to do this.

''Mark, Cristina, you ready?'' Derek asked, ignoring Meredith's pleads.

They both nodded. ''Okay, on my count. One.. two…three.. pull!''

''Arghhhhhhhhhh''

''Pull, pull!'' Derek yelled as he put his right foot in front of him and put the tension on his legs as he slowly tried to raise from the ground, his back coming in contact with the metal. ''Arghhhhh'' He grunted as his legs started to hurt from the heavy force they had to carry.

''I can.. I can't take it anymore!'' Both Cristina and Meredith yelled. ''It's too heavy!''

''Derek! Get out of there!'' Meredith yelled.

''Pull, pull! We're almost there!'' He coached as the piece of plane was moving steadily.

''You still doing okay Lex?'' Mark said.

''Yeah, keep going, you're doing great''

''Okay, pull people pull come on! We're almost there!'' Mark coached.

''I can't… I can't..'' Both Meredith and Cristina said but they didn't seem to hear them. ''I..I..''

Then it happened. Their hands slipped from the metal and the piece of plane made an abrupt move to the opposite side, the side where Derek was pulling and came down with a loud thud. An ear -deafening silence followed before an heartbreaking scream filled the silent air.

''DEREK!''