I'm
baaaaaaaaacckk! With a fic, woot! So, this is different from the
others I've written, so bear with me. I know where I'm going with
this but I don't wanna reveal too much, so without further ado, this
is Shelter:
The usual disclaimer: I own no one.
Shelter.
Chapter 1.
XXXXXXX
May 2007
Indigo.
That's all Derek saw.
Indigo.
His favorite color, something he liked.
He couldn't breath, at least not like normally. He could only take short small breaths. His mouth gaped, trying to catch the air his nose wouldn't.
He saw indigo in his tightly shut eyes. He didn't dare to open his eyes. No.
He was afraid to see the white top of the ambulance that was pressing his body to the cold asphalt leading to the entrance of Seattle Grace's Emergency Room. If he saw it, he would feel the pain.
It had happened so fast.
Three cars rapidly turned the corner a second after the ambulance stopped at the ER entrance.
The patient was already out of the ambulance and he was coming around the passenger window, yelling at the driver to get out, knowing of the inevitable crash.
He was right, the cars swerved on the icy concrete.
Next was the sound of a blustering crash.
Then he saw indigo.
He chose to see indigo and nothing else.
Just indigo.
Indigo.
XXXXX
Breathe.
Breathe, Addison.
That was all she repeated in her mind.
She stood still, as if her feet were fused to the ground. She hadn't moved since she saw it happened before her eyes. Everybody had tried to get her inside, but she couldn't move.
She was rushing to the ER for another patient the slippery road had claimed. Derek was getting the patient out of the first ambulance hurriedly, hers was still not in sight, but the three cars were.
She was later informed that it had been a group of very drunken, heavily intoxicated bastards who had decided to race the ambulance. She saw the speeding sport cars, and then her head snapped to Derek as he walked to the passenger side, yelling at the driver to get out.
It happened so fast.
She yelled at Derek to get back because she, too, knew of the impending crash. He didn't hear her, the engine sound of cars was ear-deafening. She saw the cars swerving out of control and cringed at the screeching of their tires against the asphalt.
Then simultaneously, not even a second in between, the three cars hit the driver side of the ambulance, tipping it over.
She screamed as the big emergency vehicle came down on its side, trapping Derek on the ground from the chest down.
She couldn't move, nor could she come near him.
She moved from her original spot only because the staff accidentally shoved her to the side of the ER entrance on their way to get the driver out of the car and to rush to Derek. The Chief, Burke, and Bailey tended to Derek and left her alone.
She didn't know how long she had been standing here, watching Derek. He was alive, he was breathing. He nodded and shook his head when questions were asked, but he refused to open his eyes.
Burke asked if he felt any pain, Derek shook his head no. Addison had never felt a greater wave of relief washed over her.
Breathe, Addison.
Breathe.
XXXX
He could move his head and his hands and fingers.
He could hear voices.
He heard Chief's, Burke's, Bailey's, and Meredith's.
They asked him questions. He nodded yes and shook his head no.
They asked him to open his eyes. He decidedly cannot oblige to that request.
He already felt the ache seeping in. The trauma had sent his body to numb the indescribable pain from the unbearable weight of the ambulance, but it was beginning to wear off.
He groaned.
He heard the Chief cursed, knowing what was happening and what was to come as well.
"Talk to him, something good, something happy—anything to distract him," he heard Bailey told Meredith.
Meredith's voice came closer, trembling. Her hands slipped in one of his and held it tight.
He focused on her voice, he was bright and shiny with her, she could make him forget the pain.
She told him about the funny stories they had shared over bubble baths, about the antics Doc used to do, about the talks they had when they used to meet to walk Doc, about the ferryboats.
He groaned.
Encouraged by Bailey, Meredith continued talking, but he could barely focus.
The pain will come. Get me out. The pain will come. This isn't enough.
He groaned louder.
"Get me out," he said breathless. The first thing he uttered.
Bailey told him they were trying and she told Meredith to keep talking.
She stammered to find other good memories to tell.
He felt a surge of pain and groaned even louder.
Then he heard another voice, a familiar one: Addison's.
"Derek, listen to me."
He did.
XXXX
Addison heard him groaned.
She knew what it meant, everybody knew.
She heard Bailey's yelling out something to Meredith, and her ex-husband's lover immediately rushed to tell him of their love story.
She felt pain and another set of fresh tears fell.
He groaned again. Bailey told him they were getting him out soon and told Meredith to keep talking.
She watched as the young intern stammered through her words.
Derek groaned again, louder, and for the first time in what seemed to be forever, Addison moved.
She dashed for the group of doctors surrounding him, shoving her way through, and knelt by the top of his head, both hands on the sides of his face.
"Derek, listen to me."
She took a deep breath and choked back the sobs.
"Remember the times with your dad when you were a kid? He'd take a day off from work to spend time with you…to get away from the girls…to have some men time—" she let out a small laugh—"Even though you were only five?"
He nodded.
"He used to take you on the ferryboats…you'd spend the whole day going to Liberty, Ellis, and Staten Islands…. He bought you ice cream, funnel cake, everything you wanted…and…and…he carried you on his shoulders…and he told you stories of him and your grandfather…."
She wiped her tears that were threatening to fall on his face.
"You told me he loved looking at the skyline from the ferryboats. He had a thing for view…."
He struggled to get a word out, "You…too…."
She drew in a sharp breath.
"You like…cute little viewfinders…." He took a series of short breaths, "Brownstone…Hampton house…great views…."
Addison cried. Derek remembered a tiny memory of their life together, the Derek and Addison that she was sure had turned into a bad memory for him.
"You're doing good, Addison," Bailey whispered. "Keep going."
She made an effort to pull herself somewhat together, "Yeah, Central Park…and the Hamptons. You hate the Hamptons, though…."
"You know…that I…secretly love it…."
"Yeah, I do…."
XXXX
He heard Addison. She was crying, but she held it back as she told him stories of his childhood. He remembered those happy memories of his late father and started to relax as she talked.
He muttered something about her having the same fondness to scenery as his father did, and it being the reason she had picked the brownstone and the Hampton house.
She sobbed, but Bailey whispered something and Addison continued.
She told him more stories from his childhood that he had told her. She remembered, Addison remembered.
She was telling him the story when his sisters and he tried to make a surprise dinner for their mom's birthday one year. His oldest sister was only twelve, so of course it had been a disaster.
He smiled when a similar memory came into his mind, "Remember when…you and Nancy…cooked Thanksgiving…."
He felt her tears dropped on his face and her hand that wiped them off.
"Nancy and I had a conference in Chicago earlier that week…and you insisted on coming…."
"Bad weather…" he whispered.
"Our flights were canceled and we couldn't get to Mom's on time…. Nancy decided we should have our own Thanksgiving, so we got a suite near the airport. We bought a turkey and everything…."
"Disaster…."
"We had Mom on the speaker phone, giving us instructions, and we still couldn't get it right…."
He chuckled even though it hurts. She laughed a little too.
"Chinese…bad Chinese…."
"Yeah," she continued softly, "We ended up ordering Chinese and it was bad…."
"Like med school…."
For the first time, Derek felt safe to open his eyes. Addison gasped when he did.
He saw her. Her face above him, it was red from crying, tear stains visibly painted down her cheeks.
"Don't cry, Addie…."
A tear rolled down her cheek onto his, and she wiped it off his cheek once more.
"Yeah, like med school…except we didn't have exams to study for…. But we had Mom's yelling at us…."
"Cold…" he whispered, it had started to sprinkle.
He saw people yelling for blankets and Burke whispering to Addison to keep him awake.
She told him another funny story of his sisters, but he grew weary of the childhood stories. He wanted to hear something else. He needed to hear something else.
"Remember…Pier 1…Brooklyn?"
"Of course." She smiled sadly, "One of our favorite spots…."
"Tell me…."
"When you first took me there, you didn't say why we were going to Brooklyn. You only said I would love it, and I did."
"The view…."
"You took me there to watch the sunset. We waited for the colorful lights to lit Manhattan and the Bridge…. It was gorgeous…."
"We had our bench…." He felt blankets draped over his body, but the cold persisted. "So cold…."
Tears came down her face again, "I know…just hang on a little bit more and we'll get you out…."
"Sleepy…."
"No! No…Derek, you have to stay awake, you hear me?!"
He knew. He was going into shock. He had to stay awake.
He saw her moved to his side, the side where Meredith was. He remembered Meredith was there before, but he had no idea where or when she left his side. He only wanted Addison there. He only needed her, she kept the pain away.
XXXX
Listen, when all of this around us will fall over
I tell you what we're gonna do
Hey, you will shelter me my love
I will shelter you
If you shelter me too
I will shelter you
I will shelter you
XXXX
Addison lay on her side next to him, curling her body somehow so it was pressed against his, doing everything she can to warm him. He felt one of her hand in his and he squeezed it tight. He rolled his head to look at her, their faces merely inches apart. This was the closest he had been with her in a long time, and he realized how much he missed her.
"Remember Today's show and cereals?" she asked.
He smiled, "Every day-off…on that futon…and the big couch after we moved…."
"You had a crush on Katie Couric."
"Yours was Matt…but secretly…."
She chuckled, "Al Roker."
"Weirdo…."
"We're ready," the Chief informed both of them.
He felt dampness on his cheek, not from her tears or the rain, but from his own tears.
Her hand in his trembled.
They knew what was coming. They were getting him out, but he could die. He was pale, his heartbeat was slowing, signs that he was going into shock. As soon as they lifted the ambulance, he would feel the monstrous pain, and with the addition that he could have been bleeding internally, it could be too late to do anything to repair any damage.
"I don't…want to die…."
"You're not going to…."
"Addie…"
"No, Derek! You can't!"
"You know…"
"No! No, I don't know! They'll save you and you'll live!" She cried uncontrollably, "I can't…you can't die…. Don't die…"
He gazed sadly into her eyes, "I don't want to…."
"So don't…please…. I can't lose you like this…."
Bailey came over Addison, gently pulled her hand out of his and slowly tore her away from him.
"No! No, don't go!" He caught a few breaths, "Miranda…please," he begged. "Don't take her…Addie, no…."
He heard the sound of her sob faded and cried out as the weight was lifted off his body and the indescribable pain shot through every part of him.
Then he saw black and nothing else.
Just black.
Black.
XXXX
Sooo, tell me what you think, yay or nay? Review por favor!
