"Trauma 1 now!" Hunt shouted.

They quickly arrived in the elevator but he started to seize,

"As soon as we get in push 1mg of lorazepam." Hunt instructed.

They all ran into the trauma room and Derek instantly injected the lorazepam into Alex's arm. He began to come out of it and he woke up very groggily.

"Alex, it's okay, you passed out and had a seizure." Meredith reassured.

Meredith placed the oxygen mask over his face to try control his rapid panicky breathing. He began to calm down with the oxygen,

"Hang 2L of isotonic sodium chloride 0.9% solution to rehydrate him and give some Tylenol." Dr Sloan said.

"Mer, sleep?"

"Can he sleep or not?"

"Ummm...yes he needs to rest." Bailey said.

Alex slowly fell back asleep as the others worked around him.

When Alex woke up again he was in a different room, he knew he was in the neuro ward. Meredith and Derek were sat at the side of the bed,

"Mer?" Alex whispered.

"Hey Alex, do you remember anything?" Derek asked

"A bit,"

"What was the last thing you remember?" He continued.

"Finding out about my brother and then everything going black."

"Okay, you passed out and had a seizure in the ER. You also cut your head pretty badly so I stitched it up for you."

Alex looked so depressed by all this like this thing could destroy him.

"I'm going to go now Mer." Derek said reading the sense of the room.

"Okay I'll meet you later." Meredith said.

Meredith turned to him and smiled weakly.

"Move up then." She laughed.

He did as she said not wanting to argue or having the will to argue. Meredith wrapped her arm around him and held his hand, that was all she knew she could do. She hadn't ever had to do this and it was different when it was with Alex, she knew how in pain and how hurt he was. Alex was far more vulnerable that he put on and how the littlest thing could hurt him.

"Meredith."

"Yes,"

"I miss them."

"I know you do."

Alex started to cry and Meredith hugged him tightly. Meredith could feel his shoulders shake every time a sob took over his body. He didn't stop crying for maybe 5 minutes when he felt the usual bubbling sensation grow stronger and stronger.

"Mer, garbage or something..." He stuttered.

"Oh Alex."

Meredith reached out for the pink bucket next to the bed. She placed it on his lap and he leant straight forward hugging his aching stomach. Alex threw up and Meredith ran into the bathroom to grab a tissue and some water. When she walked back in Alex was leant back panting for air, Meredith ran back and gave him the water.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Take this Alex." Meredith said handing him some water.

"Thank you again." He said.

"I am going to take you home now Alex."

"Okay." He sighed.

Meredith grabbed his clothes from the bag at the end of his head and passed them him.

"I'll wait outside while you change." She said leaving the room.

Meredith went out to see Hunt who was waiting outside to discharge him.

"How is he?"

"He's thrown up once but medically he seems okay, emotionally he is absolutely destroyed and in the most pain he probably ever been in."

"Oh, I am giving him a minimum of 2 weeks paid vacation and you too so you can take care of him. He needs someone and now Izzy has gone you and Cristina are all he has. To be honest Cristina probably isn't the most helpful in this situation."

"Okay thank you."

"Are you taking him home?"

"Yes, Derek is waiting for us in the car."

"Okay."

"See you later Chief." Meredith said before going back into Alex's room.

"You ready to go?"

"Yes, what time is it."

Meredith looked down at her watch,

"6:45am."

"Okay thank you."

"Let's get you home."

Alex smiled very weakly and using all of his strength sat up. Meredith grabbed hold of his arm and helped him stand up, once stood up they slowly walked out of the room towards the elevator at the end of the very long corridor.

"Tired...dizzy." Alex murmured.

"Erm...sit down here." Meredith said sitting him down on the wheelchair next to a room.

After a few minutes the dizziness had subsided however he was still absolutely exhausted.

"Alex, are you ready to go?"

He nodded his head weakly.

They walked out of the hospital after 10 minutes as he was so incredibly weak. Derek was reading a case in his car until he saw Meredith practically holding the strong resident up. He couldn't help but be shocked at just how weak the feisty man was. Once they got in the car Alex slumped back on the backseat. Meredith went around the car and sat shotgun. Derek smiled at her and they set off towards Meredith's.

The pain had been excruciating. He had spent most of his time curled in the fetal position around the toilet, groans escaping from his lips as she tried to make it easier for him. His head had been killing him, so she had turned off the lights, demanded that all the phones be unplugged. She had done everything possible to make it easy, and instead he had suffered most of the day on the bathroom floor.

It had seemed okay at first. After throwing up at the hospital he seemed okay. On the way home he had been nauseous but it hadn't actually led to vomiting, and he had complained of a headache but he hadn't wanted any pain pills. She had fooled herself into believing that he was feeling a bit better and the grief subsided a tiny bit. Instead by the time he wanted pain pills he hadn't been able to keep them down.

She couldn't actually count the number of times she had put the anti-vomiting pills on his tongue, couldn't count how many times she tried to get him to swallow the pain pills, only to watch them end up in the toilet as he vomited. It was above and beyond bad. It hadn't been easier. She didn't actually think it being this bad.

He was trying to speak to Mer but most of the time he had been in too much pain to even manage that. The pain was killing him and she had never seen her best friend in so much pain. Meredith had no idea how she was supposed to deal with watching her best friend in this much pain.

He didn't expected her to do this. He didn't expected her to be strong and do this. That wasn't how he thought she was but she was there trying to comfort his aching body. He didn't want to admit it but he needed her. He had spent all day clinging to her desperately, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he buried his head in her lap. He needed her and no one else. Even when she had moved to grab a washcloth for his head or his pain pills, he had grabbed onto her and whimpered, begging her not to leave him. Alex's fever and pain made him go into a sort of dissociative state so he didn't know he was doing any of it.

She understood. If she was feeling like he was, she knew Alex would be there taking care of her. He was her person so now she had to be his. She just wasn't sure how she was supposed to be his person when she certainly needed one herself at least she still had Cristina. He hadn't ever clung to her like that , he hadn't held onto her like he needed her to be there. She didn't know how to handle that.

Meredith knew how rough his childhood had been so when he was ill Alex probably had no one to help him. He would take care of everyone but himself, he still does that now. If he was ill as a child he would have either been beaten or he had to take care of everyone else. Now Meredith was helping him which if he didn't feel so sick would've felt nice.

He was fast asleep drenched in sweat in the foetal position around the toilet, Meredith was sat next to him stroking his hair. Lexie and April must have just gotten home because she could hear Derek talking to them softly.

"Mer, Meredith." Derek said softly walking into the bathroom.

"Yes?" She whispered.

"I'm here to take over from you for a little while. Just 10 minutes, you haven't eaten all day or even got changed. It's 5pm now, you have been on the floor for nearly 10 hours. I will sit with him for a bit whilst he is asleep and if anything happens then I will tell you." Derek whispered seeing how exhausted his wife was.

"But-"

"No buts Meredith go." He instructed.

Meredith sighed and stood up. She smiled at Derek and kissed him on the cheek softly before walking out of the room. Just then Alex started to wake up clutching his stomach as hard as he could to try get rid of the pain.

"Alex?"

Alex only murmured a few words that Derek couldn't really work out except the word 'sick.'

"Alex are you going to be sick?"

He nodded his head slowly and tried to sit up but couldn't. Derek lifted him up and rested one hand on his shoulder to keep him up. Almost instantly he threw up and with his other hand Derek rubbed his back. Once he had finished, Derek flushed the toilet and grabbed a piece of toilet roll and wiped his face for him. He gently laid him back down on the cold floor where he fell asleep as soon as he touched the floor.

Lexie and April walked in to the bathroom to see how he was doing and both gasped when they saw him laying on the floor like that.

"Shhhh..." Derek whispered.

"How is he?" Lexie whispered.

"Not good at all."

"Does he need anything?" April asked

"No...actually could you get him a washcloth and a glass of water."

"Does he need any meds?"

"He can't keep them down Meredith has been trying all day."

"Okay."

The girls ran to get him the stuff Derek had asked. Alex woke up once again and tried to sit up, Derek helped him up and he threw up. Derek rubbed his back gently and Lexie and April ran back.

"Oh my god." Lexie said seeing her friend hunched over the toilet throwing up his guts, seeming so vulnerable.

"Can you pass me those things?" Derek asked still rubbing his back.

Once he had finished, he placed the glass of water on his cold pasty lips and Alex took a small sip but he threw it straight back up. After, he laid back down on the floor and Derek dabbed the cold cloth on his forehead to try get rid of the sweat and fever.

"Lexie, can you please go get Meredith?"

Lexie nodded and ran to find her. It had been 20 minutes but he needed he her, he needed things that Derek wasn't capable of giving. Meredith ran back in when Alex had fallen asleep again.

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

"He's thrown up 3 times and he can't even sit up on his own."

"Oh god, should we get him in bed?"

"Yes, he might be a little bit better in there." Derek agreed.

Meredith crouched down next to Alex who was shivering like mad but sweating at the same time. She started to rub her hand up and down his arm to try wake him up,

"Alex, Alex can you hear me?"

He slowly opened his eyes and grabbed Meredith's hand weakly.

"You have been laying on the floor for nearly 10 and half hours now so we are going to get you into bed." She said.

He groaned slightly and closed his eyes again, Meredith and Derek both grabbed hold of a shoulder and pulled him up until he was sitting.

"Do you feel sick?"

"Very." He whispered.

"Are you going to be sick?"

He shook his head so they both lifted him off the floor. The sudden movement made him go really dizzy and he fell down a bit but they both caught him.

"It's okay Alex." Meredith reassured.

Lexie and April were stood looking aghast at their friend being lifted off the floor looking so ill and destroyed.

"Lexie can you go get a kitchen bucket for Alex please?"

"Yes." She said running downstairs.

They reached Alex's room next to the bathroom and they laid him down on the bed. Meredith went around the bed and sat next to him against the wooden headboard.

"Are you staying with him?" Derek asked.

"He needs me to Derek."

"I know, I'll leave you to it."

Derek smiled and left the room as Lexie came in with the bucket. She passed it Meredith before walking out again. Meredith placed it on the bedside table next to her and then held Alex's hot shaky hand.

"You sleep Alex, I'm not leaving you."

Alex tried to smile but the depression had already taken over his ill self. He laid back in the foetal position, placing his arms around his stomach and fell straight to sleep.

Meredith had fallen asleep too and when she woke up it was 8am, Alex was still asleep but his colour was significantly paler. That worried her a bit, she stood up and walked around to him. Then she saw the sweat covered covers and the sick all over them.

"Alex, Alex, wake up." She said nudging him gently.

"Hmmm..." He groaned.

"DEREK!" She shouted as loud as she could.

Derek came running in and looked straight down at the bed,

"We need to get him up and showered." Derek said.

"Alex we need to get you up now." Meredith said grabbing his arm.

Derek and Meredith stood him up and started to walk him into the bathroom but on the landing he collapsed onto the floor.

"ALEX!" Meredith screamed.

Mark who came to give Derek something ran up the stairs.

"Mark?" Derek asked.

"What happened?" He asked.

Meredith was shaking him to try to wake him back up, Derek was crouched down next to him tapping his shoulder. After a minute he woke back up and threw up all over himself again.

"Alex your okay, we're going to get you into the shower to clean you off." Meredith said rubbing his back gently.

Meredith, Derek and Mark all helped him up and into the bathroom where April was brushing her teeth.

"Oh my god, I've finished, do you need me to get anything?" April said panicking.

"No we don't need anything April, can you just leave?" Derek said.

She ran out of the room and they all sat Alex down on the floor so they could run a bath for him.

Meredith sat next to him and held his hand, he was absolutely terrified. He couldn't control his body. Alex couldn't stop throwing up, his head, stomach entire body was killing him and he was so dizzy.

Once Derek had finished running the bath he and Mark left the room for Meredith and Alex. She decided just to bath him in his shirt and underwear because it was too much effort for him to get them off. She helped him take off his hoodie and sweatpants and then stood him up. Alex was almost unconscious by the time he got in the bath.

Meredith washed his hair and face so after 10 minutes she helped him out the bath. Mer wrapped a blue towel around him and sat him down on the floor before going to get him some new clothes. When she went back he was trying to dry himself but he was very weak so was struggling.

"You change into these clothes and I'll wait outside." Meredith said passing him some clothes.

"Okay." He whispered.

Meredith stood outside the door for 5 minutes before he heard a bang.

"Alex?"

"I've finished." He said quietly.

She went back in and saw him practically holding onto the sink for dear life. Meredith ran over and grabbed his arm, Alex leaned into her immediately taking comfort from him not having to hold himself up.

"Do you feel at all better?"

"No." He sighed.

Are you going to be sick again?" She asked.

"No," he shook his head.

"Pretty sure I'm empty." He laughed

"Okay. Still feeling nauseous?"

"Yeah," he sighed.

Meredith sat him down on the floor and went to find some Lorazepam in the bathroom cabinet. She popped 2 out of the packet and grabbed a glass of water from the sink. Meredith gave them to Alex and he took them.

"The Lorazepam should help," Meredith stated.

"If it doesn't, we try something else." She suggested.

"Okay." Alex nodded.

"Do you want to try to get some rest," Meredith said,

"I'll bring by some soup and crackers for lunch."

"Lunch," Alex groaned.

"You need to eat, Alex," Meredith murmured.

"I know," He sighed.

"But...god..."

"Oh, Alex," she breathed as he hunched back over the toilet vomiting.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'm here." She reassured, rubbing circles on his back.

"Yeah..." he breathed

"I'm here," she repeated over and over as Alex vomited again, his shoulders shaking, a tear streaming down his cheek. She was there. She had to be there. Because that was Alex.

That entire day like the day before was spent on the bathroom floor. He was absolutely exhausted but every time he would fall asleep he would wake up again and throw up. Alex looked like absolute death and he was in so much pain. It was 9pm before they even attempted to move. He hadn't thrown up for nearly 2 hours and Alex's temp had broken finally.

"Alex, I think we should get you into bed now what do you think?" Meredith asked stroking his hair.

"Okay." He sighed, his voice shaky.

Derek had been at work since 10 and so had Lexie and April so they had been home alone. That also meant that she hadn't been able to leave him for more than 5 minutes, she had been able to run and get herself a drink or a bite to eat but nothing more than that.

"Let's get you up then." Meredith said helping him sit up.

"Meredith? Alex?" Derek shouted coming up the stairs.

"Bathroom Der." She replied.

He walked in but his face dropped when he saw the same sight from the night before,

"How long have you been like this?"

"Since after he had a bath."

"You should've rung me and I could've come home to help out."

"No, can you help me get him in bed?"

"Yes,"

He walked straight over and knelt down to grab hold of his arm. They pulled up his body but Alex was so weak he could hardly support his own weight beneath him. Meredith and Derek were basically carrying him. Meredith looked so upset, tired, worried; Derek wanted to help her but he didn't know how. They got into Alex's room and laid him down on his freshly made bed. He laid straight on his side and fell asleep instantly because he was so exhausted.

"Meredith, you go into our room and sleep in there tonight and I will stay in here with him. You are no help to him if you're not rested, I'm not working tomorrow either so you don't have to worry about that. I will grab some pillows and a duvet and sleep down here. If anything happens I will wake you okay?"

"But what if he wakes up?"

"I will get you now go!" Derek whispered.

"At least let me get you your stuff." Meredith said leaving the room.

Derek sat down in the chair and looked at the weak resident. Mer came back a few minutes later with a thick duvet and blanket.

"I love you."

"Love you too." She said exiting the room.

Derek grabbed the pillows on his bed and placed them on the floor. He got himself as comfortable as he could on a hard floor and fell asleep.