Chapter 10 – tequila...

He would be able to go home soon. Today in fact if his STATS continued to improve at the rate they had since the morning. It was silly to clog up a bed with a patient who now really needed nothing more than bed rest, in his own bed, surrounded by his own familiar belongings. The majority of patients who frequented the hospital all said the same thing – when they were in the comfort of their own home they instantaneously felt better, a 7 became a 5, a 5 became a 3, a 3 became a 1 the minute they walked through their front door. She could probably discharge him within the next few hours as long as he had someone to monitor him at home and make sure he didn't go off saving lives again for a while and took things easy. He wouldn't have to be her patient anymore, she could say goodbye to him...

But if he didn't have anyone to prevent him sliding down poles or rescuing cats from trees or whatever then he should stay, definitely stay, if his mom was tied up with her own thing or mark was caught up in surgery then it would mean he would be alone for a large proportion of the night and that wouldn't be good, not at all, his oxygen levels could fall in the night, his body could still get a secondary infection from the high levels of carbon dioxide that had been running through his veins, he could collapse, feint, anything...so if there was no one at home then he definitely needed to stay...

So she could look after him?

This was the inner battle Meredith was having with herself as she began the familiar walk back to Derek's room. The corridor seemed narrower than before as she fought with her feelings over Lieutenant Shepherd's discharge yet she was grateful it was empty as she felt sure that people would be able to read her mind if they passed her, the confusion was written all over her face. As she was in touching distance of his open door she paused and leant on the wall for a second.

If he left the hospital she could forget about him, she could carry on exactly the way things were before he arrived, if he left though, which he would do at some point, then she would no longer be his doctor, she would have no reason not to accept his offer of a date, dinner...more..., but if he stayed then she could still stare into those pools of blue daily and have a glance of the rippling physique she knew was under his grey t shirts that he seemed to be obsessed with wearing and she could keep him at arm's length.

She was driving herself crazy Doctors don't date patients.

Izzie had found that out the hard way and been sacked on the spot for her indecent behaviour with Denny Duquette a couple of years earlier when she was an intern. She had ignored the pleas and fears of her closest friends to follow her heart and not her head and in an instant had her surgical career at Seattle Grace whipped out from underneath of her, all for a cheap frill in his bed. It had been drilled into them since then, her career was her life, she couldn't have anything or anyone jeopardising her dreams...

But what about ex patients...?

'Grey what is with the snail like stroll, do you need more work?' the familiar sound of Miranda Bailey broke her thoughts as she turned to face the women who was fast becoming her mentor (not that she would admit that to her face), not mentor in terms of the surgical field she wished to take, but mentor in the way she remained so focussed on her career, so determined, she strived to be the very best, and she was succeeding. She had the respect of everyone in the hospital, and that was what Meredith wanted more than anything.

She wanted to be the Grey everyone thought of when they heard the name, she wanted to outshine her mother, because deep down she knew that was exactly what her mother would want.

There was no second place in this game.

Only the best.

Be an extraordinary women Meredith...

'It's just taken you a good 7 minutes to walk exactly 130 metres so if you are trying to kill time I'm sure I could arrange something...'

'I have plenty to keep me busy, I'm just heading in to check on Lieutenant Shepherd, I think we can say goodbye to our local celebrity in a few hours and then I'm scrubbing in on a shunt with Nelson before an evening of tequila and...More tequila at Joe's, you should come you know, if you're not too busy, yeah, you should definitely come.' She smiled as she saw Miranda's face relax before her.

'You want me, to go drinking with you and the other lazy good for nothing interns I had to put up with for long enough?'

'We aren't interns any more. Besides Alex might actually behave and stick around for the evening if you are there, he won't dare mess around in your presence, which means I wouldn't have to listen to Chantal or Crystal or whatever her name may be scream into the early hours...'

'I may take you up on that offer grey, I haven't been out of this place for a long time, and I don't seem to be everyone's first choice drinking partner.'

'And imagine the look on Alex's face when he realises he has to remain in his booth all night like a good little boy, it will be priceless.'

'You're on, thanks Grey, I appreciate it.'

'No worries, 8 o clock, Joes, right across the street, and if the shunt runs late then Cristina and Alex will already be in there.'

'See you then.' Bailey smiled as she headed off to check on her own patients as Meredith took a deep breath and headed into her Derek's room.

'That's nice dear that you get to escape the hospital for a few hours.' Mrs Shepherd spoke as she looked up from the magazine she was reading as she noticed Meredith walk in.

'Sorry, what?'

'Oh I'm sorry dear u didn't mean to listen in, but the echo around this place beats any cave, drinks tonight with your friends that sounds nice.'

'Oh yeah, it will be.' She smiled as she allowed her eyes to fall on a sleeping Derek. 'It's not that often we are all off on the same evening, so tequila, cheap bar food and a juke box usually results in an interesting night.'

'Joe's is that a friends place?' Mrs Shepherd asked as she watched Meredith note down readings off the machines and begin to take down the empty fluid bag that had been hanging next to her son's bed.

'No its the bar across the street, a homage to most interns in their first year, and a place for residents' to escape to once we make it out of the hell that is our first year.' Meredith smiled as she continued to record the necessary results.

'I don't mean to pry with all my questions, please forgive me.'

'Its fine honestly, its conversation, it's nice...or whatever.'

'How is he?'

'Good, really good considering what he went through, honestly you might be able to take him home tonight.' Meredith smiled as felt a warm glow rush over her as she saw the relief flood out of the elder women's body.

'Really? He is ok? But what about the machines? The oxygen? Can he breathe?'

'his STATS are stable at 99%, he is breathing taking in a regular level of oxygen and expelling the carbon dioxide just as we would expect to see after breathing in smoke and dust like your son did. I'm going to have to wake him in a moment and have him monitored for the next couple of hours without all of these' she smiled as she pointed over to the machines that filled the space along one side of Derek's bed 'and as long as there is no sudden dip in any of these levels then there is no reason for him to stay. He might as well be at home being spoilt by you.'

'Oh he won't come back to my house, that I'm certain of, to independent for his own good that one. But I will stay with him, or Mark, I just can't believe he can go home.'

'if his levels remain stable.' Meredith reiterated as Mrs Shepherd moved closer and wrapped her arms around Meredith

'I know I've already said it but thank you, thank you for saving my boy.' She stuttered as Meredith noticed the tears building in her eyes.

'He really is going to be ok.' She reassured.

'I believe you Dr Grey, I really do, thank you. I'm going o have to go and ring his sisters before they all swoop down on the place, I'll go and put them off. He is coming home...' she smiled as she moved out of the room, before stopping and inconspicuously leaning on the door frame and watching Meredith rouse her son from his sleep with her smile on her face.

'Hey Sleepy you need to wake up if you plan on getting out of here anytime soon.' Meredith whispered as she tapped Derek on the arm in an attempt to wake his from his sleep.

'out? What?' he croaked as he opened his eyes and saw his favourite view leaning over his bed.

'you are making excellent progress and as long as it remains that way over the next couple of hours without any help from any of these machines, then you're out of here.' She smiled as she took his hand in her own and prepared to remove the needle that had allowed the anti biotics to drip directly into his veins.

'I need to remove this and start you on an oral anti biotic to prevent any secondary infections sweeping in and attacking your system, but as its highly unlikely, as long as you demonstrate good lung capacity on the next 4 peak flows that will happen over the next 2 hours then I think you will get to spend tonight in your own bed.'

'So I'm out of here?' he smirked before wincing as the needle was removed from the back of his hand.

'As long as your breathing remains stable and you have someone who can stay with you the next few nights then yes you are out of here.'

'Are you free?'

'Pardon?'

'To look after me.' He smirked as he noticed the blush spread across her cheeks.

'Mark or your mother will only be too glad to help, or one of the 300 hundred sisters it appears you have.' She shot back as she reached for his notes and made a few more scribbles inside.

The minute she had walked in the room she had awaken his senses, the beautiful lavender smell had infiltrated his nostrils and he had fought with his eye lids preying that they would remain closed so he could listen in on the conversation between his mother and his doctor. Except it now seemed that she wouldn't be his doctor in a few hours time, she would be this incredibly beautiful women who he could ask out and date without any fears hanging over her head, she couldn't resist for much longer, could she?

And she was going to Joes where ever that was to drink tequila, he didn't see that one coming, wine maybe, beer was a high possibility, but tequila, that as hardcore, he was impressed, and if he got his own way, he was going to Joes too, mark would break, he knew it and just maybe he would get to buy her that tequila.

'I have surgery shortly so I will have someone else come in to check in on your progress, as long as nothing changes you will be discharged, and that's likely to be when I'm still in the OR, so good luck with everything.' She smiled as she headed to the door, hanging onto her professionalism by a thread.

'Dr Grey?'

'Yes?'

'Tequila's no good for you. It doesn't call, doesn't write, not nearly as much fun to wake up to.' he smirked as she became rooted to the spot, her body a statue as his words washed over her.

He heard?