Chapter 11: A Suture in Time, Saves a Life

Lights flashed above his head, in and out of his vision as the gurney raced down the hallway," I *told* that tech to..."

"Meredith go get Hunt and Mark, I've cleared that OR," Addison seemed to take complete control as she pressed the floor number on the elevator," Meet you in the OR," Meredith could have sworn there was a smirk on her face.

"Addy?" he called her by her old nickname for the first time in years.

"Right here, HunniBear," she put a hand on his cheek.

"You..." he coughed," swore...no one would know," a faint smile played on his pale lips," about...that name."

"We're alone for the moment, your secret's still safe," she couldn't help a small laugh,' Gee, how did I cheat on this,' even with the bandages and suture marks covering most of his chest and stomach she could still make out the lines of his pecs and those gorgeous abs she used to trail her fingers over after a steamy shower,' You're not getting away again," she vowed silently.

"Where..." his strength drained the rest of his sentence.

"Heading to the OR to tie up some loose intestines," she giggled when he smirked,' He still remembers our old jokes,' she mused,' there's still a way I can save thi...us.'

Derek's head spun, his chest felt so tight it could burst, and he could feel whatever drugs they'd put him on fading. He panicked as he realized the room moving and his vision blurring,' Don't throw up on Addy's shoes...' he closed his eyes and tried to will his stomach to feel normal again,' those are her favorite shoes,' he tried to put his left hand on his forehead and surprisingly it moved freely,' They took the cuff off?'

"You passed out and Owen cut the cuff off with some bolt cutters," she put a hand on his and he could swear he saw her blush," You know, it's been years since we've..."

"A-Addy," his sight faded a bit and his stomach ruined whatever 'moment' Addison was trying to have with him as the elevator doors opened.

"Well, while some super-secret surgery is going on I'm stuck babysitting..." Alex Karev was flipping through a chart and grumbling to himself. As he stepped into the elevator he looked up and his eyes met Addison's, they stood in silence for a moment before he recognized Shepherd," What the hell?" he jumped back as Derek threw up on his shoes," What's wrong with him, too much sushi?" he smirked.

"No! Someone attacked him," Addison put her hand on Derek's forehead and held him steady while he helplessly heaved his guts up.

"He okay?" Karev held the elevator open while he stepped out and grabbed a sheet off a vacant bed in the hallway.

"Does he *look* okay?" Addison patted his back and helped him back on the sheets. He was pale and his lips stained with blood, the taste was like metal against his tongue and made his teeth hurt," We're going to an OR to meet ortho, keep this quiet," Karev nodded," I mean it Karev!"

Callie took inventory of her equipment and then stared at the x-rays on the wall," So my plan here is to put a metal splint here," she pointed.

"That's a pretty big incision, what about the lacerations?"

"Let's just re-set the bone and see how it goes," Hunt donned gloves," We might not have to open him up at all."

"Then why are we risking sedating him?" Callie tied her hair up in her cap.

"I'm not putting him through anymore hell," Hunt's eyes almost glazed over.

The door opened and Meredith walked in," We're ready in here."

"Okay, do we have an anesthesiologist in there?" Hunt looked through the glass into the OR.

"No need, I ordered an epidural instead. Less stress on us if we know how he's feeling."

Addison joined them in the scrub room and started washing her hands," So what are we looking at doing?"

"WE," Meredith pushed her aside," are planning on re-setting his knee and then we're going from there based upon the amount of damage done," Meredith used Addison's sink and started lathering her own hands.

"You don't think I'm going to..."

"You'll sit in the gallery and see to it we're not disturbed and no one's watching. He's scared enough as it is I'm not having his nerves shot to hell because some jackass wants to watch. Besides, I called Callie to help us," Meredith smirked this time," After all I mean she is head of Ortho."

Derek felt something he hadn't felt in years, vulnerable and scared, his entire body hurt and stung like needles were piercing every inch of his skin. Meredith came into view on his right side, mask not yet over her mouth," Hey," she smiled sweetly at him and he relaxed," we're doing an epidural to make sure you're okay through this," he barely understood what she'd just said but nodded anyway. Meredith put an arm around his chest and underneath his left bicep, the other under his neck and pulled him onto his side. He winced and drew in a breath as his left hand instinctively grabbed her gown," Let us do the work," she put her cheek against his arm and kissed the bend of his elbow.

"Okay, this is the local for the epidural," he heard Mark behind him and felt a pinch on the small of his back, insignificant compared to the rest of his wounds but still a pinch nonetheless," Tell me when you can't feel my hand," Mark poked two fingers around the injection site.

"Derek, what is it that you say?" Hunt tied his mask behind his head," It's a..." he paused.

"Beautiful...day to-to save lives," he coughed and saw a spot of blood on Meredith's sleeve.

"Can you still feel me?" Mark was poking him again.

"Barely."

"All right," he opened the epidural kit and began organizing his supplies," then you shouldn't feel much of this," he rubbed the area with an iodine swab and felt for the break in the vertebrae," Here we go."

Derek braced himself for the pain but only succeeded in tightening his arm and sending tendrils of pain through his chest and back, he couldn't breathe and panic was welling in his throat.

"All over," Meredith lay him back on the table and kissed his forehead," in a few minutes you're going to feel all tingly, just go with it and let me know if you start having trouble breathing."

Derek nodded and took a deep breath to try and settle his nerves, he found this to be a bad decision when his broken ribs screamed and he fought for air.

"Ok Dr. Shepherd how you feelin'?" Callie's voice came from across the room. He tried to move his fingers and found they were useless and numb, he nodded to Meredith.

"He's good," she ran her fingers through his hair, his eyes closed and he felt his breath returning.

"This is going to sound bad," Callie grabbed his ankle and pointed Mark's hands to their position on his thigh and hip," Hold there and I go on three," she whispered.

"Focus on the pretty lady," Mark winked at him.

"One, two," Callie mouthed," Three," she pulled hard and his knee snapped back into place.

He heard the pop and thought he would be sick,' This bothers me even when I'm not the one on the table,' Meredith continued petting his hair and face.

"He okay?" Mark turned around.

"Fine, just like a champ," Meredith smiled and Derek thought his heart would burst.

"I'm going to need some help with this Dr. Grey," Hunt was cutting the bandages away from his chest and stomach," you got this?"

Meredith donned a pair of fresh gloves and gave Derek one last kiss before tying her mask over her mouth," I got this Owen, thanks."

"Okay, we need a game plan for this," Hunt pointed to the temporary steri-strips that were barely holding most of his wounds together.

"I say we start here," Meredith pointed.

"Okay, I'll work down here then," Hunt positioned a drape over the area and pulled his tray closer to him with his foot.

"You need some more Diazepam?" Meredith asked as she picked up forceps, he shook his head and tried to raise it," Lay back and try to relax, you won't feel it this time. Tell me if you start feeling too anxious, I have Valium on hand."

"Okay, I'm f-fine," he lay his head back on the pillow and tried to distract himself.

"Do any good surgeries lately?" Hunt offered as the steri-strips came off and the wound reopened.

"Brain t-tumor," he tried to steady his breathing," the other doctor thought it was inoperable."

"And you were able to remove it?"

"Yes," he stared at the monitor to his left and counted his heartbeat.

Callie was taking advantage of his condition and had began exploring the inside of Derek's knee with a laproscope and trying to repair the damage.

Derek felt himself losing a grip on reality and falling into flashback hell again. He remembered not knowing where he was and being terrified, screaming and fighting and...

"Derek?" Meredith tried to snap him back to reality.

"Give him this, he can't handle this yet," Hunt handed her a syringe.

Meredith pulled her gloves off and popped the cap on the needle," It's okay, Derek," she put the needle in the spare IV port," Focus, look at me," she saw fear in his eyes and pushed the plunger.