Title: A Matter of Faith
Author: Fate Believer
Pairing: M/D, B/C, some mentions of Addison and Derek
Summary: After the events of 2x17, what if Meredith hadn't been okay after the explosion? AU from that point on.
Rating: Teen to Mature.
Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy does not belong to me. It belongs to Shonda Rhimes and ABC.
Author's Notes: First of all, this is my very first GA fic. This is the second time I've had to write this chapter because my computer ate it the first time. Secondly, some of these events DID take place, as they were noted in Nurse Debbie's blog.
Preston and Derek rode the elevator up to the fourth floor in silence. To be truthful, Preston had no idea what to say to his colleague that would bring him any comfort. He knew that had it been Cristina with her hand on the bomb, there would be no words of comfort, especially not if the said bomb had exploded with her in the hallway. He didn't think she was seriously injured, but she was unconscious for a good five minutes.
He'd made sure she had been checked out as soon as someone could get to her. Cristina had accompanied her and he knew all that Derek had seen of her was her being wheeled down to X-ray. He was certain she'd have a concussion at least, just due to the fact she had hit her head hard enough to knock her out. He had to give him credit though. He'd managed to successfully revive his patient, even after finding out that it was Meredith with the bomb. He hadn't lost his focus, although Cristina had said Dr .Sheppard had the same look in his eyes that Cristina had when she had found out he was going to be operating on a patient with live unexploded ammunition inside their body cavity.
Bailey's husband was going to be just fine, but Preston wasn't so sure about Derek. Derek had been silent since his last glimpse of Meredith. His eyes looked wild with worry, the same worry he had himself when Cristina had collapsed in the OR not too long ago. He mused on what that meant. It was no secret in this hospital that his fellow doctor still cared very much about Dr. Grey. He wondered briefly what this would mean for the Sheppard's marriage.
Preston liked Addison. She was brilliant, one of the best neo-natal surgeons in the country, and not mentioning the fact she had saved Cristina's life. As a doctor, he had the utmost respect for her. As a person, he didn't know what to make of her. Cristina didn't really care for her too much because of the whole Derek and Meredith thing and honestly, Preston didn't know if he could be as big of a man like Derek was to take back a woman who had cheated on him with his closest friend.
He had been surprised to learn that Meredith didn't know about Addison. He'd always though Derek to be an upstanding, honest, up-front kind of guy. So when he'd learned that the two women didn't know about one another, he'd been a little shocked. Now how Addison knew that Derek was sleeping with Meredith, well he was almost certain he knew how Addison had come across that bit of information. Chief Webber had after all brought Addison to Seattle.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened up. He and Derek both stepped out , heading towards the cluster of people waiting for them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Derek's eyes darting around wildly.
"Derek, " he acknowledged.
"Preston, " was the answer he got.
Then they parted ways.
His brain had gone into auto-pilot when he saw Meredith being wheeled away. Preston had assured him that he thought Meredith merely only had a concussion, but Derek paid him no mind. He was the neurosurgeon after all. How he had managed to get through Tucker's surgery after Cristina broke the news that Meredith was the girl with the bomb, he still wasn't sure. His heart stopped at the same time Tucker's did.
Now, here he was amidst this group of people, and the one person he was looking for, he couldn't find. He wandered aimlessly, checking everywhere he could see.
Please be okay, was the only thought running through his mind.
Actually, that was a lie. His mind was running a mile a minute, but that thought was the most prominent. The second thought was that she could have died and he would have never gotten the chance to tell her that he loved her.
He passed the Chief , who was standing watching him with his wife, Adele. Both of them were looking at him curiously.
"Where is she, " he asked, hoping he sounded calmer than he felt.
He got no answer.
"Where is she, " he repeated, not asking this time. No, he was sure that was a demand. He was also pretty sure he just raised his voice to his mentor.
"She's right here, " was the answer he finally got as he heard his name called.
"Derek , " a voice whispered. He turned. It was Addison. Rushing towards him and wrapping her arms around him. He embraced her automatically. His eyes found Chief Webber's and he fought the urge to push his wife away and run until he found Meredith.
"That was not the she he was asking for , " he heard Adele tell Richard quietly before she walked off.
After talking to Bailey and checking on Tucker, Derek began his search again. He checked the on call room, thinking maybe she'd be resting, he checked the locker room, the cafeteria. No Meredith. He changed out of his scrubs and into his own clothes It occurred to him he hadn't seen Stevens or Yang either. He didn't like where his train of thought was heading as he approached Webber's office. Webber didn't even look up. Nor did he seem surprised that Derek was there.
"If you're looking for Grey, I sent her home with Stevens , " again, he didn't even look up from his paper work. Something that pissed Derek off to no end.
"You sent home a woman who sustained a head injury that left her unconscious? Please tell me you're joking Richard, " Derek replied, a hard edge creeping into his voice.
"First of all Dr, Sheppard, that woman is a doctor. She lives with doctors, I'm sure they are capable of watching her. Secondly, Dr. Grey is not your concern. I understand you're worried about her, but you made your choice. Go home to your wife, " Richard finally looked up at him.
Derek glared at him before turning and walking out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.
Go home to your wife, he fumed to himself. My wife wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you!
Derek felt a small pang of guilt. Addison probably would have shown up sooner or later. Derek just really wished it would have been later. He had been planning on telling Meredith about Addison the night that she had shown up. Unfortunately, Addison had beat him to it. He still wasn't able to shake the image of her face when she found out.
It bugged the hell out of him that he had been able to tell Addison that he was in love with Meredith, but not been able to tell Meredith herself. He could still recall her speech to him before he made his choice.
Pick me, Derek. Choose me. Love me.
Oh why hadn't he listened to his heart instead of his head?
He fished his keys out of his pocket and headed towards the parking lot.
He had to make sure she was alright.