It had been nearly twenty minutes since Addison had felt all Meredith's strength give way through the touch of their hands. But it had felt like an eternity. Derek had been with them for only ten of those dreadfully long minutes, and they felt even longer every time Addison snuck a glance at Derek's facial features, the pain etched on his face at the thought of… no, they weren't thinking like that. But as the minutes slowly ticked by, they waited impatiently for some sign from Meredith. Maybe a twitch or a flinch. Eyelids fluttering or a heavy sigh. A mumble, or wrinkling of the nose. Anything that would give them hope that she wouldn't be out for very much longer.
A word hadn't been spoken from any of them since Derek and Addie had exchanged a quick, reassuring hug and Derek had pronounced the words that they all prayed and hoped were true. She'll be fine… She always pulls through. They tried desperately to keep that in mind, but it was getting harder and harder for them to keep the negative from drowning out all the positive thoughts that waltzed through their minds.
Stephanie was cradled in Finn's arms, Finn leaning against the right side of the car. Derek and Addie were more against the back wall, at Meredith's head. Meredith was laying her head more towards the left, but her feet were nearing the door. Addie's hand rested on Derek's lap, as if there for support, even though at this point there was no use. Derek was tightly gripping Meredith's limp hand, as he held onto the smallest flicker of hope that everything would be okay.
"What happens from here?" Derek asked quietly, his voice coming out with difficulty. He needed to know what would happen if Meredith didn't wake up. He needed to know the chances of survival for both her and the babies.
Addie looked up to him. "I… Derek… I…"
Derek sighed. "As Meredith's doctor Addie," he pleaded. "I need you… you need to tell me… what happens… what happens if…"
Addison took a deep breath as she pulled up the courage to become Dr Montgomery for a moment. "Derek, I'll be honest…" she started. "Whenever this happens in a regular case, the mother is rushed to an OR for an emergency C-section. But in our situation…"
Derek shook his head. "How long do we have?" he asked as a small whimper escaped his lips.
Addie felt herself get more and more discouraged. "Labor usually lasts about sixteen hours, but with a case like Meredith's… anything could happen. If her labor was to last sixteen hours, I'd say she'd have about eight to ten hours since her contractions started, to wake up. Otherwise… it'll be too much…"
Derek nodded painfully as he tried his best to accept this. It was hard, but they didn't know whether or not they would have that problem yet. She could wake up soon… she could…
"How long… how long does someone usually stay unconscious?" Finn asked quietly.
Addie sighed. "Not very long…"
"Isn't that a good thing?" he asked, but by the looks on Addison and Derek's faces, there was something more.
"It would be, again, if Meredith were a regular case… she's gone unconscious before, during her pregnancy… and… and she was out… for five days…" Derek wept into his hands as Addison placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Derek, we'll figure something out. They'll get us out of here soon." Hopefully
"What if they don't? What if we're in here for hours? Days?"
"Then we'll come up with something," Addie said, determined she wasn't loosing anyone today.
Derek thought about it for a second, then looked up at Addie with a hopeful look in his eye. "Karev and O'Malley. They… they performed surgery in an elevator… it had broken down and… and they did operate…"
Addie looked at him incredulously. "Are you thinking about doing a C-section in here? Are you absolutely crazy? What about once the babies are out? Derek, I don't want to be harsh, but they are going to be in critical condition and will have to be looked after and taken care of the second they leave Meredith's womb. We can't… unless you want to lose them…"
Derek shook his head. "We can't… we can't lose them… Meredith… she's gone through too much just too… we can't lose them…"
"Can't lose them…"
The two of them spun around immediately at the sound of Meredith's shaky, powerless voice. Her eyes were parting slowly and Derek couldn't help but cry some more. This time though, they were tears of joy and relief.
"Meredith…" he mumbled as he knelt down beside her and helped her to sit up straight as she fumbled to move. She was still light headed and slightly fuzzy and in pain. But she managed to sit up propped in the corner and Derek made sure she was as comfortable as she could be. "How do you feel?"
Meredith sighed. "I… I don't know… overwhelmed… scared… slightly in pain… tired… but relieved."
"Relieved?" Derek asked.
She let a small smile escape the corner of her lips. "Yeah, relieved… because… well when I went into labor… you … you weren't here…"
"I'm here now Meredith," he said as he kissed her forehead. "And I'm not leaving."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
None of them wanted to call. They knew they could, they knew that they could get an update at the touch of a button, but none of them knew whether calling was a good idea right now. Addie or Derek would call if they needed something. And they didn't want to be burdens. So they waited to hear what was going on.
"I hope everything is okay…" Lexie mumbled as Mark pulled her close. He couldn't handle the broken look on Lexie's face, the pained expression as if she felt all of the pain Meredith was going through in her core. He held her tight as to assure her that everything would be okay, and that he would never let anything happen to her.
"We all hope everything is okay," Miranda mumbled. She too was frightened immensely by all of this. They had all expected an antagonizing labor for Meredith, but nothing near what she was going through right now. Stuck in an elevator… who would have thought.
The security guard who had been with them throughout the entire situation approached them slowly, not wanting to interrupt, but wanting to share the information he had gathered.
"We have a security guard posted at the doors of the elevator on the third floor so that there are no gossip mongrels wanting to get a look at the action," he said, and everyone thanked him as he continued. "They've managed to get Dr Shepherd in, but they want to let as little people as possible in the car. If they are in need of something, we will deliver it to them through the emergency hatch."
"Thank you," Mark said, voicing everyone's gratitude.
Suddenly Mark's cell phone started ringing and he rushed to pull it out of his scrubs, thinking maybe it was Derek. But when Sam's name appeared on the screen, he let out a sigh.
"Hello," he answered.
"Hey… Mark, you don't sound so good. Is everything okay?"
Mark sighed. "No, everything really isn't okay."
Sam knew right away that this wasn't to be taken lightly. "I tried calling Addison, but she didn't answer… Mark, what's going on?"
"Addison, Meredith, Stephanie and a guy named Finn are trapped in an elevator that stopped functioning when the power went out. Everything was going fine, but Derek showed up informing us that he had gotten a phone call from Finn informing him that Meredith is in labor. Derek is now with them, but we don't have any other information at the moment."
Sam couldn't believe all of this. "So you guys don't know if Meredith is okay?"
"No," Mark mumbled.
"Well, if you hear anything else, let me know… I wish there was some way I could help, but I'm stuck here… keep me posted."
Mark nodded. "I will." With that, he hung up.
"Who was it?" Cristina asked as soon as Mark removed the phone from his ear.
"It was Sam… he didn't know anything yet."
They all nodded silently.
"Why can't the power just come back on?" Amy sighed in frustration. "How do these things always end up happening to Meredith?"
Everyone shrugged. They all wished they knew. They all wished they could have an answer. But most of all, they wished that Meredith would be okay.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Carolyn has left soon after Sam's phone call to go to the washroom. She needed to escape, breath, think about things rationally. What had been the chances? What had been the chances that Meredith end up stuck in an elevator and that she go in labor? What were the chances that any pregnant woman go into labor stuck in an elevator? Not very likely.
She sighed as she thought about all the things Meredith had been through. First, the incident with Derek and Jackson. She knew that Derek had insecurities when it came to that type of situation. He would always be insecure with that after what happened with Addie and Mark. That had turned out to be a learning experience for him. He truly realized that Meredith would never do anything like that. But for Meredith, it had been the beginning of a long and agonizing pregnancy.
Then there had been Rose and all of her stunts. Carolyn had had the chance to witness with her own eyes what Rose had been up to. She had caused Meredith more trouble than Meredith needed. And it didn't help any with her condition. Luckily that had come to an end when Derek was finally able to fire her.
Drake Hansen… he had been one of the biggest issues. No, he had been the biggest issue. Carolyn couldn't imagine anyone as heartless as he had been, to do something like that to a pregnant woman. It was indescribable, the rage she felt when she thought of the man she didn't even know. And Carolyn didn't get mad very easily. But just the thought of anyone hurting her children angered her with a passion.
She was glad, however, that Meredith had come to her, in the circumstances. She didn't necessarily agree with not having told Derek, but she understood where Meredith had been coming from. She needed to feel like she wasn't being brought down to be able to recover. Carolyn couldn't explain the sensation she felt at the thought of Meredith having run to her. They had only spent a small quantity of time together, but in that time they had built a connection that was stronger than an in-law relationship. They had built a mother daughter bond and the woman who Derek had told her 'didn't do families' fit more than perfectly into her heart.
The surgery had been next. Although it had not been all bad in the end. More stressful on Derek than on Meredith. The time had been lighter, especially finding out she was having twins. Psychologically, it hadn't caused any harm on her, she had been okay with it and it had been her decision to go through with it right away, she was able to make a choice about something in what seemed like forever when it came to her pregnancy, so it had been easier on her.
And then there was her near coma, as they called it. Again, it hadn't affected her all that much psychologically. A long nap, as she put it. But just like the surgery, it had had an effect on her physical state, it had taken its toll on her body. It had weakened her, and had taken away some of the strength she had gathered for the rest of her pregnancy. But still, she didn't let it break her down.
Now she was stuck in an elevator, in god knows what condition, and there was nothing they could truly do about it at that very moment. Wait and be patient. She had people there for support, inside and outside of the elevator. Addie and Derek were by her side, and Carolyn couldn't think of anybody better to have at her side. Obviously, Derek needed to be there for her, but when she thought of Addison, she knew she was Meredith's best option. Not just because she was her doctor either. No. But because Addie had seen her through it all, and she had been the person Meredith confided in. She was passionate and had a heart of gold, and Carolyn knew that Addie had been the person who had kept everyone positive throughout Meredith's pregnancy. And she needed a little positivity right now, even if the odds were against it. Positivity was…
Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of her cell phone. It echoed off of the walls in the large bathroom. Carolyn jumped slightly at the sound of it, but frantically tried to find it in her purse. She didn't even glance at the screen before answering.
"Hello?" she said, her voice full of anxiousness as she waited and hoped it was an update on Meredith.
"Mom," Derek's pained voice said over the line.
"Oh Derek," Carolyn answered. "How is she?"
Derek sighed. "She was out for about twenty minutes and we had the worst fear of our lives, but she's awake now and things are looking a little more positive."
Positivity. "That's good. How is she feeling?"
"Overwhelmed mostly… here, I'll let you talk to her."
Carolyn smiled. She had wanted to ask if she could talk to her, but decided against it knowing Meredith was in a tough situation right now.
"Mom," her voice came over the line.
"Oh Meredith hunny," she answered and relief washed over her at the sound of Meredith's strong voice. She was still strong. "How are you feeling?"
Meredith giggled slightly, which not only surprised Carolyn, but brought a warming sensation to her heart. "Definitely not the way I thought it would feel. I'm… well it's overwhelming, and I'm petrified, but that's normal. I'm also worried about what happens if we can't get out of here… the babies… they need to be cared for as soon as they're born, and I know that… but if I have them in here…"
Carolyn cut her off. "I am going to tell you the same thing I've been telling Mark all afternoon. You are not having those babies in the elevator. Understand?" she asked with a smirk.
Meredith made a soft giggling noise. "I'll try my best."
Carolyn thought about how uncomfortable she must be, in the elevator without any physical comfort. "Is there anything I can get you?"
Meredith thought about it, then answered. "Some pillows and a blanket would be nice. At least it could feel more like a bed that way," she finished with a laugh.
Carolyn laughed slightly too. "Okay, I'll be there as fast as I can."
"Thank you."
With that she hung up, a smile playing on her lips and hope in her heart that everything would be okay.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Addie and Derek were in pure amazement. They were in an unbelievable amount of stress and everything was overtaking the little amount of pleasure this moment should be providing them. Meredith was about to have her babies. The little ones they had been waiting for for so long now were finally going to make an appearance in the world and all the two of them could think about was all the things that could go wrong. Yet Meredith, the one living all the stress of the situation on her shoulders could make light of it. She had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.
"It seems like the two of you have seen a ghost," Meredith said as she hung up the phone. They had been listening to her side of the conversation the entire time and heard the few little giggles she had let out. And they had seen the beautiful smiles that had taken over her features. She was… indescribable.
"It's just…" Derek tried to explain, but had difficulty finding the words he needed to describe what he was thinking. "You're… we're in an elevator… and… and things… and you're… laughing?"
Meredith smiled. "I'm staying positive, because if we're all negative, than none of us will survive this."
"Meredith is right," Addie said as she got up. "We need to keep a positive frame of mind. Smile a little more. Laugh if we can," she said with a smile, one that was less forced than she had expected. "Things will be okay. They always end up okay."
"Exactly," Meredith said. They sat in comfortable silence until there was somewhat of a knocking noise on top of them. The hatch opened and Carolyn peered her head through the crack.
"I came as fast as I could," she said, a little out of breath. She had gone straight from the bathroom to the stairs, since they were closer to the bathroom than they were to the lobby, where everyone else was waiting for an update. She'd give it to them after. After making her way to the third floor, she found a nurse who led her to a supply closet and gratefully gave her a couple of pillows and a large blanket. She thanked her and ran off to the elevator, where she explained to the guard that she was the mother of the woman in labor and that she had been asked to come. He believed her and let her through, explaining to her how to open the hatch.
Meredith smiled. "Thank you," she said as Carolyn slipped the pillows and the blanket through the hatch.
Addison laughed. "It's beginning to actually look like a hospital room."
They set the pillows up in the most comfortable way they could in the elevator and Meredith managed to make herself comfortable as she wrapped herself in the blanket. Derek, feeling a little more lighthearted than before, took a seat beside her and Meredith fell into his embrace, which brought a smile to Addison and Carolyn's faces. Stephanie and Finn stayed quietly in their corner for the most part.
"I would invite you to come in," Meredith said with a smile. "But I don't think I want you to attempt the jump."
Derek shook his head. "As much as I'd love to have you here, like Meredith said, the jump is too much. Trust me."
Carolyn shook her head with a smile. "I need to go let the others know you're all right. Besides, I'll be by your side when they get you out of here and you've got your own room and everything."
Meredith nodded. "Thank you, again."
"You need to stop with the thank you's. It's my duty as you're mother and as grandmother to watch out for my little ones. You just stay strong."
Meredith smiled. "Just one question before you leave. Who exactly are the 'others'?"
Carolyn laughed. "You've got an entire support team at in the lobby for you. Mark, Lexie, Cristina, Jackson, Richard, Miranda, Amy, Catherine and Teddy. Oh, and Dylan is with them. And you've got Sam who's also there for you from a distance."
"You've heard from Sam?" Addison asked, confused.
"He called Mark when he couldn't get a hold of you."
Addie nodded and Meredith smiled. "Tell them to stay positive and that I'm doing just fine. And a good fine, not my usual fine."
Derek smiled as he kissed the top of her head.
"We'll all be just fine."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
The group has dispersed slightly. Not very much, but just enough for it to be noticeable. Jackson and Dylan had volunteered to go grab some coffees for everyone and had been gone for a few minutes. A nurse had come by asking for Richard, the situation of the power outage and the lack of mobilization of patients still needing someone who had been prepared for this type of situation to take control. They had promised to keep him updated as he left without wanting to. He had wanted to stay with everyone else so he'd be sure to get an update on Meredith as soon as someone heard something.
Also, still missing from the group was Carolyn, who had been gone for over half an hour now. With Meredith on everyone's mind, they had all sort of forgotten about Mrs. Shepherd.
"Mom!" Amy exclaimed as she realized what everyone else lacked to notice. "Mom's been gone for too long…" she said more to Lexie and Mark. "She was going to the washroom. She should be back by now…"
"Do you think something might have happened to her?" Catherine enquired, as she had been sitting right next to Amy.
"Let's hope not," Mark mumbled. "We've already got enough to worry about."
"I'm going to see if she's still in the washroom," Amy declared as she stood up.
"I'm coming with you," Lexie said as she followed. She hadn't been feeling good since hearing about Meredith being stuck in the elevator. She blamed it on the stress of everything, and suddenly felt nauseous as she stood up.
"Are you okay?" Amy asked as she noticed the greenish expression on Lexie's face as they had almost reached the bathroom. Lexie was about to answer, but instead made a mad dash for the bathroom and made it to a stall just in time to empty the contents of her stomach.
She flushed the toilet and turned to come face to face with a worried looking Amy.
"It's nothing," she said. "I get sick when I'm overly worried. I was sick for the first few days after Meredith disappeared and when she wouldn't wake up… She seems to be my main cause of worry."
Amy nodded. "She seems to be everyone's main cause of worry."
Lexie sighed as she leaned against the counter. "We didn't get the chance to be sisters growing up like you were with Kathleen, Nancy and Natalie, but we've grown close in the last few years and I don't want anything to happen to her," Lexie admitted. "I hate to see her like this. It drives me insane. She's been through so much, and I feel guilty having had a good and easy life when she had lived through the toughest life any kid could have gone through, even though we're sisters. How could things like that be possible? How could people do things like that? I mean, I loved my father and I always thought of him as the best dad anyone could have, but then I look at Meredith, who's father had abandoned her when she was just a little girl, and I can't see how my father was that man. Life… life just doesn't make sense."
Amy brought her in for a quick hug. "Lexie, Meredith may go through a lot of crap on a day to day basis, but she's happy. I don't know how she does it, but she's happy and even though she had to suffer through it all…"
"She's happy," Lexie finished for her. "She's suffered through a lot of crap, but this crap is worth it because she's happy."
Amy nodded with a smile. Then, she suddenly remembered why they had come to the washroom in the first place. "Mom's not here," she mumbled as she pushed herself off the counter and Lexie followed her out.
"Maybe she heard something," Lexie suggested with a twinkle in her eye.
As soon as they had left the washroom, they noticed the elder woman coming down the hall in the opposite direction. They immediately noticed the smile on her face and Lexie and Amy exchanged a glance. They knew where Carolyn had been.
"Mom!" Amy exclaimed as the two of them rushed to catch up with her. "How is she? Is everything going alright? Has Derek had a panic attack yet? Oh my goodness, are the babies born?"
Carolyn chuckled as they continued to walk towards the lobby.
"She's fine," Carolyn answered as they walked into the lobby and when everyone noticed them enter, they rushed over to hear what she had to say. "Meredith wants me to assure you she is fine. She had been unconscious for over twenty minutes but Derek and Addison suffered more from that than she did and at the moment, it's her that we need to worry about. Derek and Addie will get over it. She's being positive and other than that one incident, according to Addie everything is running as smoothly as they could be going. The babies seem to be in no great rush, which is good right now, and we're hoping it'll stay that way."
Everyone let out breaths they didn't realize they were holding. They had finally been updated. And things were looking good. The update had been repeated to Jackson and Dylan who had arrived just moments after Carolyn with loads of coffee. Miranda had taken it on herself to go and update Richard as soon as she had had a chance to take in the good news.
"She's fine," she said, and gave him the details Carolyn had given them. The nurses who had overheard them then shared the information with other nurses and staff members, and even some of the visitors had had the chance to hear the update. A dark cloud that had been sweeping over Seattle Grace hospital had cleared up slightly, and when they glanced out the window in the cafeteria, they realized it wasn't just indoors that things were looking brighter. The storm was starting to pass and the dark clouds had started to look less menacing. The day was taking a turn for the good. And this brought smiles to everyone's faces.
No authors note today other than enjoy and review please (:
