Chapter 36: Our First Save

Meredith sprinted into the lobby and saw Cristina waiting for the elevator.

"Hey, how was the date with Hunt?"

"It wasn't really a date. Just drinks at Joe's."

"Still. How was it?"

"Easy. Interesting. I can be myself with him. There is none of that fake I'm on my best behavior shit. We just talked forever."

"Well. That's good right?" She thought back to last night with Derek. He had seen her at her worst, and he still came back for more.

"Yeah. I just don't know about getting involved with a superior. I mean. What's going on with you and McDreamy?"

They stepped into the elevator. "I don't know yet. He makes me feel…"

"Warm, mushy, and full of secret feelings?"

"Shut up!"

Cristina laughed and said seriously, "You can't help who you fall in love with."

Meredith scrunched her nose up. Love? Well, there was lust for sure. But love… He was just so friggin perfect. And she was…

They stopped talking as the elevator filled up. They both didn't need the added gossip about dating a boss.

As they walked to the locker room, Cristina said, "I'm sorry about your patients. I tried to call you. Need to vent?"

"No. I talked about it with Derek. And I don't want to think about it any more."

"Okay."

The others walked in and quickly changed. Meredith saw what Derek had put in her bag. Dozens of protein and granola bars, dried fruit, vitamin packs, and V8. She stuck a few of the granola bars in her lab coat pockets and put the rest in her locker.

Dr. Kent came in and said, "Grey. You are in trauma. Look for Dr. Hunt. Yang. You are in gynie. Look for Dr. Montgomery. Stevens. You are hanging with me today. Karev. You are with Sloan in plastics. O'Malley. You need to finish your charts again and then come find me. Dismissed!"

As they left the locker room Cristina whispered, "I kissed Hunt."

Meredith whispered back, "I slept with Derek."

Cristina stopped in her tracks and said loudly, "You slept with…"

Everyone turned around to stare at them.

Meredith said quickly, "I said I got a great night's sleep last night!"

They all continued down the hallway.

Meredith hissed, "I slept, as in sleep only. No sex. Nothing!"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Cristina mocked as she went on her way, "What are you in high school?"

Meredith mumbled, "Isn't this high school with scalpels." She turned towards the pit to go find Hunt.

Hunt wasn't around, and a third-year resident told her to grab a gown and meet him outside. They waited until the ambulance pulled up.

The paramedics took out a guy and said," Unrestrained driver, DOA at the scene. Just need someone to pronounce him."

The resident did a quick vital sign check and said, "Time of death 0715. Let's get him inside."

They transferred him into a cubicle and the resident said flippantly, "Get an ID, notify the family, and get the morgue guys up here to dispose of him."

Meredith frowned and thought, Asshole! He was a person! He deserved some dignity. Even in death.

She gently reached into his pockets for some ID and noticed a small facial twitch. She took his pulse and didn't find any and then listened for heart sounds. Nothing. She sighed and again went to find an ID. She heard a faint sound. Shit! She listened again for a heart sound and knew she heard something extremely faint. She pushed the code button above the bed and said as a nurse ran in, "Page Hunt stat! I think this guy is still alive. And page Shepherd!" The trauma had been to his head.

Hunt ran in and said, "What do you have?"

"He was pronounced dead, but I heard something faint. I think he's…alive."

Hunt quickly examined the patient and said, "You might be right. It's faint. But it's there."

Meredith stepped back as numerous people suddenly swarmed into the room. It was all a blur as so many people worked on him. She saw Derek run into the room.

A short time later, Hunt said, "Dr. Grey. Come with me please."

"Okay. Is he…"

They were in the x ray room and Derek said, "The back of his skull is completely disconnected from his first cervical vertebrae."

Meredith gasped, "He's been internally decapitated! Holy crap!"

Hunt said, "Yeah. Ninety percent of these die in the field."

Meredith asked, "And the other ten percent?"

Derek said, "I've never seen one live."

Meredith asked, "There's always a first time though, right? I mean he came back from the dead."

Owen and Derek looked over at Meredith. Owen thought, shit she was green, but she may have just saved this guy's life.

Derek thought that enthusiasm. That inquisitive mind. That hope. "He needs surgery immediately. Dr. Grey. Are you in?"

"Me?" She glanced over at Dr. Hunt.

Dr. Hunt said, "You're catch. You deserve it. Shit! I am so glad you are here early Shepherd. Nelson wouldn't have a flying fuck what to do with this poor guy!"

Owen glanced at Meredith and said, "Sorry about the language."

Meredith said simply, "Nothing I haven't heard or said before Dr. Hunt."

Derek laughed and said, "I was up early so I thought I'd come in. With the rain, I figured we would have more accidents than normal. Okay. Let's do this."

A short time later they walked into pre-op and Derek said, "Henry. I'm Dr. Shepherd. The back of your skull is disconnected from your spine. I'm going to try and reconnect it in surgery. Do you understand me? Blink once for yes and twice for no."

They watched as he blinked once.

Derek said, "Okay. That was good. I know it's scary, but I promise you. I'm going to do everything I can. Do you have family? All right. We're going to contact them okay."

Derek told Meredith. "All right. Let's get him in a halo."

"Okay."

Derek turned so Henry couldn't see and whispered, "Contact his family and find out if he's an organ donor. Then scrub in and I'll meet you in the OR."

Meredith ran out and started making calls. While she waited, she reached into her pocket and wolfed down her granola bar. She made her way to the scrub room excitedly. Derek and Owen were in there already.

She said, "I talked to the family, and they are on their way. His driver's license said he was an organ donor and I verified that with his wife."

Derek said, "Good. The entire OR is on hold. We don't have much time. The only thing holding his head on to his body is skin and muscle. If he moves even a fraction of an inch, it could kill him."

Owen said, "His injuries are severe. They are traumatic in the extreme. If you can pull this off Shep, it will be a miracle."

Derek smiled at Meredith and said, "I'm feeling lucky today. I woke up this morning feeling…on top of the world."

Meredith blushed a little as she remembered being in bed with him.

He winked at her discretely. They all walked into the OR where Henry was under anesthesia.

Derek looked at Meredith and then said, "Okay people. It's a beautiful day to save lives."

Derek said, "I'm starting the fusion now."

Owen said, "Get closer Dr. Grey. You may never see another one of these."

Meredith inched closer to the table.

Derek worked calmly for awhile explaining everything that they were doing. Meredith glanced at Henry and asked, "Oh God! Did he just move?"

Owen said, "Oh. He definitely moved."

Derek said, "The anesthesia's light. Hunt and Grey. Stabilize his neck. Smith. Grab his feet. We need to keep him very still until he is under again. We can't risk even the slightest movement."

Meredith mirrored what Hunt was doing on her side and everyone held their breath. She bent down and saw Henry slightly open his eyes and she whispered to him, "You can't move. Do you hear me? This is not an option. Everything will be fine if you don't move. Don't even blink. You can't leave the people you love. They need you. Not just the memory that you love them. Your wife and your little boy and girl are waiting for you."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Meredith said, "His eyes are closed again." Derek glanced at the anesthesiologist, and he nodded back."

Owen said, "Nice work Dr. Grey." She caught Derek smiling at her and he nodded.

After a few hours, Derek said, "I think we are over the worst part. Dr. Grey. Why don't you give his family an update?"

"Me? By myself?"

"Yes. You can handle it. Say that's he'e critical, but stable. They can see him in an hour or so. And explain to them what we did. And then come find me."

"Yes sir."

Meredith scrubbed out and found the family. Because of Derek's confidence in her, she managed to be articulate and managed to calm Henry's wife down a bit. She found them a comfortable family room to allow them to have some privacy. She told them she'd keep them informed.

She went back to the OR and Derek and Hunt were scrubbing out.

Dr. Hunt said, "Nice catch Dr. Grey. You saved his life."

Meredith said, "Well, I noticed he was breathing. I think you guys did the actual saving."

Owen said as he left, "I'm going to let you stay with Dr. Shepherd the rest of the day so you can follow through with your patient. I'll let Dr. Kent know where you are. I have to go kick a certain resident's ass who prematurely called time of death!"

"Thanks."

Derek smiled as Hunt left the room.

"Finally. Alone."

She giggled, "In a scrub room…. with a big window. With scrub nurses watching."

He looked up and scowled. "Manicured vultures! Well, this is a gift. I wanted to work with you but didn't want to ask. You know. To avoid any favoritism. You did great Meredith. I really mean that."

"That was such a high. I don't know why anyone does drugs!"

Derek cocked his head and said," Relish this, Meredith. Your first save."

Meredith smiled shyly at him, "Our first save."