Chapter 45: Mom and Baby are in Trouble

Derek's Point-of-View

Everything was a blur from that point on... starting from when I scooped Meredith up in my arms and made the mad dash to the hospital. Then having Bailey try to kick me out of the room as my wife laid there screaming in pain. I fought my way back to her side and convinced the ER doctors and surgeons on call to let me stay there for support. They allowed it.

We got the ultrasound done first thing and the baby was doing ok, stats could've been better but at least Nudger was alive. For how long is what I was worried about. Meredith continued to bleed, something was wrong, but no one seemed to know just what. The on-call OB came charging into the room without even looking at the chart and said he wanted to do a STAT cesarean section.

To hell with that! Meredith was only 28 weeks pregnant; the baby could survive outside the womb at that gestational age, but of course it was better if he or she stayed in. Meredith was crying" It's too soon, it's too soon." I knew I would have to accept it if that were the case between life and death, but I wouldn't accept it…not unless I heard it from the best. I gulped, after throwing the idiot OB out of the room, I stepped out myself but not far. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed a number I never thought I would again.

"Well, well, well." She said with a smirk in her voice, "Never thought I'd see your number light up my phone again."

"Cut the crap Addison." I muttered. "I need your help."

"Only if you ask me nicely."

"Addie." I mumbled in desperation; my voice broke "please."

"Oh." Her smart-ass tone left her voice "You sound serious."

"I am." I sighed as I tried to stuff the tears down deep inside.

"Well what is it?" she asked, then let a giggle out "That blonde bitch you married trying to leave you in the dirt with nothing to your name."

"I never married Brooke." I muttered.

"Oh, smart man." She said much too happily.

"I am married Addie… I have a baby on the way." I quickly interjected before she could come to the wrong conclusion as to why I called her, there was a long silence on the other end of the line and I would've paid to be able to see her face "Which is why I need your help."

"Ok." She said slowly.

"Meredith, my wife, is 28 weeks pregnant. So far everything is going fine, until tonight when she started having contractions and bleeding. I'm no gynie doctor Addie. I'm lost here. I don't know what to do. The OB here is an idiot and he says we have to do an emergency c-section and I honest to god don't want him touching her! Tell me what to do Addie, just tell me what to fucking do!"

"Calm down." She said in a soothing and very adult voice "Breathe, just take a deep breath." She inhaled and exhaled slowly with me, I had to admit, she was always good at telling me to calm down.. something about liking Yoga on the beach when she was off work.. "Where are you and, Meredith?"

"Meredith yes." I said "We're at Seattle Grace Hospital, its where we work. Is there any way you can be here by morning?"

"I can do better than that." She said. "I'm actually in Seattle right now, I am doing a TTTS case at Seattle Pres. I can be there in an hour."

"See you in an hour."

I hung up and went back inside, Jackson was in there trying to comfort Meredith with some kind of jokes, she was rolling her eyes at him but not really laughing, I could feel the worry in her face, I felt it too. She looked up at me scared to death as her hand absentmindedly, held her small belly in a protective manner.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I have someone coming." I said, "She's the best in the field."

"Don't tell me its Addison." Cristina scoffed, I shot her a glare and her eyes widened as she realized she'd said too much.

"Addison?" Meredith asked naturally "Who is Addison?"

I took in a deep breath "She's the best in the field, she's the top sought after neonatal surgeon, she's also got credentials in genetics and is a top notch obstetrician gynecologist, you'd be in good hands."

"She also happens to be your ex-wife." I heard behind me at the door, I sighed and turned to look over my shoulder at my mother. "Are you sure about this?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have made the call." I grimaced.

"You called…." Meredith gasped; she was starting to get upset again "You called your ex!"

"Only for her doctoring capabilities." I promised "I just want the best for Nudger, and for you...it's the only reason."

"Oh." She gulped as she tried to calm herself "Well if it's the best thing for Nudger."

At that moment, I knew that she couldn't have been the more perfect choice of mother to my children. I felt my heart pitter-patter as I fell in love with my wife all over again.

"I have to apologize to the both of you." Ma said as she stepped to the side of the bed "I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't realize it would cause so much strain."

"No." Meredith shook her head "No it wasn't stressful, surprised yes, but we're glad to have you. I'm sorry so much is happening, and we can't sit down and visit."

"What she said." I nodded.

"Well the logical part of me says to stay out of this and go home." She says, "The mother part of me is saying that my child…" she reached over and touched Meredith's belly "And grandchild are in trouble, and if it's alright with you, Meredith, I'd like to stay."

"Yes." She whispered and smiled the best she could "I'd like that."

"Well, well, well, looks like the party is in here." I heard in a familiar voice, the room got quiet and stale as I turned to see a tall leggy red-head, her face dropped as she scanned the room "And your mother…who hates me… is part of it."

"I don't hate you Addison." She rolled her eyes "I don't like you... but I don't hate you."

"Hmm!" she hummed as she pulled the chart and looked it over, she smiled at Jackson as she passed him and I thought I heard Cristina growl under her breath, Addie moved to the side of the bed and looked at the ultrasound scans, she then looked at Meredith and smiled "I need to do an examination, do you want the audience or no?"

"NO." I answered for her, all the women in the room shot a glare at me, I didn't care. I'd rather not that my wife's va-jay-jay not be on display "I mean…I think she'd like some privacy."

"We should give her some then." Ma said, she reached out and looped her arm through Cristina's as she led her out the door, Jackson following them "So darling Crissy, tell me what's this I hear about you being with child."

I cringed for her, but closed the door behind them as Addie started to examine my wife. I held her hand as she cringed and tried not to shift uncomfortably. I saw on the monitor she was having some slight contractions, but the baby's heart rate looked normal enough. Addie finished up pretty quickly and tossed her gloves in the trash.

"So, what's going on." I said after hearing nothing from her, she finished writing her notes in the chart before looking at me, which both worried and irritated me.

"There is a tear in the placenta." She said, I felt Meredith's hand squeeze mine "Right now it's not a big tear, but small tears almost always turn into big tears and can lead to complete placental abruption, meaning I would have minutes to get the baby out before it suffocated to death."

We both cringed at the terrifying thought of that "But I'm only 28 weeks, the baby might not make it."

"Its early yes." Addison smiled at Meredith "But I am good at what I do. I can elevate you for the next 24 hours so we can feed the baby steroids to help the lungs mature, but my professional opinion is that the baby needs to be born soon."

I heard a strained gasp come from Meredith and looked to see tears roll down her cheeks again, I saw guilt in her eyes and I knew she blamed herself, Hell, I blamed myself too. Was it anyone in particular's fault? Probably not. I leaned over and kissed her softly.

"It'll be ok." I whispered. "Our baby is strong… just like us."

She nodded as she was overcome by sniffles, Addison gestured for me to follow her out of the room and I kissed Meredith and followed her out. She turned to me in the hallway with a look of worry on her face.

"Derek, I'm sorry about this."

"Is there something you weren't telling us?" I asked with worry.

"Yes and no." she said "I'll do my damndest to keep that baby in there until tomorrow evening to give it a good chance for it to get the steroids../"

"But you don't think she'll make it that long."

She looked at me sadly "I'm guessing you want Meredith to make it through til tomorrow too."

"Of course!" I said harshly. "She's the love of my life."

"I know." She said sadly, then put her doctor face back on "Her bleeding isn't stopping, and I'm guessing it won't stop until the placenta is removed completely. So, your wife is slowly bleeding out Derek. You're a doctor, you know what that'll do."

"Why didn't you tell us both this?"

"I don't have to be a mother to know what a mother would choose Derek."

So, I was now not only faced with the possibility that my baby was going to be delivered early, and have to fight to make it.. but that my wife may not live through this either? This was so unfair; how could I possibly make the choice between one or the other.

"Save Meredith." I begged as tears filled my eyes "If it comes down to it, I want you to save Meredith."