Chapter 25: We Found Her!

Meredith opened her eyes with new determination. She wasn't giving up. She wouldn't give this son of a bitch the satisfaction. She suddenly stood, causing the approaching man to stop with surprised eyes. He quickly recovered and gave her a suspicious look.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Meredith eyed her distance to the door and then the distance to the item that caught her eye. She took a slow step to her right as his large hand reached to grab her arm.

Meredith was too fast, and the man got a fist full of light blue scrubs instead. He yanked with startling strength, ripping the thin material down the middle.

He looked down surprised at the material in his hands and then back up at his prey, who now stood tense in front of him, red bra and creamy skin clearly visible. In that moment, his expression changed from amused suspicion to something dark and chilling, full of lust.

Meredith's heart began to pound fast as she moved again, this time his hand reached up and grabbed a fistful of hair. She called out in pain as her body jerked back involuntarily. She felt a sick hand grip bruisingly around her arm, as the other still tangled in her hair. He moved his body swiftly behind her and pulled her close, feeling his putrid hot breath on her bare neck.

"I've overcame women a lot larger than you Meri. Stop resisting and I'll show you how a real man pleases his woman."

He let go of her hair and she felt his hand move to her waist. Meredith steadied her breathing as she felt his clammy skin move across her bare stomach to the waist band of her scrub pants under her navel. She swallowed the vile that rose in her throat as she put all her strength in a forceful elbow to his stomach.

Once again, the man was taken off guard and his tight grip released from her arm as he gasped for breath. Meredith made an attempt to escape again, and this time got across the room to the open cabinet before he was on top of her. She swung and clawed and writhed and kicked as he desperately tried to gain control of the surprisingly strong woman.

The frantic assaulter was so busy trying to restrain Meredith, he didn't notice when she reached towards a shelf and retrieved her target.

As the struggle continued, Chris O'Dandridge became frustrated, and his movements became more violent and rough. He grasped at her clothes and yanked at her hair, trying to force her mouth close to his.

Meredith held on desperately to her strength and the belief that she could make it through. She wasn't going to give up. She owed Derek that much, she'd fight with every ounce of her being until her last breath was taken.

She felt her body growing tired and shook at the realization that he was only growing stronger. Her scalp started burning at the other end of the patch he had seized tightly in his hand and she could smell his breath as it hung heavy over her face. He moved his lips close to hers and she turned her face just in time and sunk her teeth into a smooth patch of skin on his cheek. She forced her teeth together hard until she tasted the warm blood and heard him call out in pain, shoving her to the floor roughly.

Pain seared through her tail bone, but she wasn't deterred. She franticly fidgeted with the stolen item behind her back as the irate man hovered over her, a hand held to his injured cheek.

"Bad move bitch." He hissed as he lunged at his victim. He overpowered her with his heavy body and pinned her against the hard floor. "Now I'm really going to give you what you deserve."


The men fanned out down in the targeted area of the basement. They opened doors and frantically searched closets. The forgotten rooms of the hospital had to be somewhere. They were close, and not one of them would give up until they found it.

"Hey look at this!" George called out from inside a dark storage room.

The others were behind him in an instant, curious to what he found.

"This isn't a closet. it's a hallway!" Alex shouted.

"Let's go!" Derek was in the lead as all six men hurried in, making their way through the dimly lit hallway, adrenaline now pumping through their blood.


Meredith called out in pain as the man knocked her back hard and pulled her arm to an unnatural position. His heavy weight was crushing her petite frame, but she grasped her last hope tightly in the fist of her other hand out of view. The scuffle went on, Meredith refusing to give in, as he yanked at her pants trying to release the tight knot of the drawstring.

He was grunting in frustration, and she was gasping in pain and her sore head was pounding in her ears. Yet through the noise she heard something, far away, in the distance.

Meredith held her breath and strained to hear it again, praying it wasn't just her imagination.

And then there it was. The sweetest sound she could ever remember hearing in her entire life. Her name. She was sure of it. Someone was calling her name.

The familiar voice was coming closer, and it was followed by others, all calling out for her. Derek's rang out loud above the others and tears filled her eyes. He came for her. Her knight in shining whatever was coming.

Meredith turned back to her assaulter and saw the fear and unbelief cross his face. His eyes darkened and he forced a rough hand over her mouth, making it difficult for Meredith to get enough oxygen.

"Don't you dare breathe a word or I'll snap your neck in two." He hissed in her ear.

Meredith felt herself suffocating under his grip as the voices got louder and closer. She knew this was it.

She brought her knee up fast and hard, making a satisfying connection with her attackers' groin and he pulled back in hot pain.

"DDDDeeeerrrrreeeekkkkk! Help me please!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she pulled out the small sharp knife, she had grabbed moments earlier and lunged it at the man on top of her.

His eyes grew wide in surprise and flinched to the side, his body scarcely dodging being speared by the blade.

Another struggle ensued, this time for the knife she had possession of. He gained control for a moment, and she felt dull pain radiate from across her lower arm. Warm blood washed over the wound as she continued the battle.

The knife slipped onto the floor and a hand grabbed it and thrust it deep into the flesh. Both gasped as the red liquid quickly spread. She slowly looked up to meet his eyes as his large hand came flying back, connecting with her temple, causing everything to go black.


"Did you hear that?!" Derek asked, his heart jumping into his throat. He knew he wasn't mistaking; it was Meredith. His Meredith, and she was screaming for him.

His legs felt like rubber and his hands shook. He needed to get to her.

"It was coming from over here… hurry!" His jog turned into a sprint as he followed Mark and Burke down a new hall. They began opening doors on both sides in a frenzied search. They all heard the scream and the struggle that followed. And now it was quiet. Too quiet. It left an unsettling feeling in the pit of their stomachs and each frantically picked up their pace.

They were nearing the end of a hallway and bleak desperation was beginning to settle in. Only a few more rooms and dark corners to check.

Mark watched as Derek, Webber, and George disappeared around a corner as he Alex and Burke opened a door to the left. It was dark and Mark felt along the wall for a switch and flipped it up as his hand connected.

All three men gasped in horror as their eyes registered on the sight before them.

"Oh.."

"No…"

"Damn…"

Mark was at the side of Meredith's still body instantly as his eyes swept around the room. "Get me one of those sheets!" He barked to Alex who obediently grabbed one of the old folded sheets that sat on a shelf to the side of the room.

They wrapped her small body in the white cloth as Preston checked for a pulse.

"Her heart rates steady… I think she's just knocked out. But we need to get her upstairs stat!"

They all nodded at the cardio thoracic surgeon as Mark gathered her in his arms. Alex checked the blanket and secured that she was covered, before exiting the room.

"Karev, go find Derek….Sloan, get her upstairs, I'm sure Derek will catch up with you….and I'll try and find one of the SWAT guys to get them to check out this corridor for that bastard… he can't be too far."


"Where the hell can they be?!" Derek was slowly loosing hope. He had heard her, he was sure of it.

"Shepherd!"

He turned to see Alex running towards them, his face pale and out of breath.

"We found her! Sloan's taking her up… she…she was unconscious…."

Derek didn't wait for him to finish. His legs once again took on a life of their own and carried him quickly down the hall. He retraced their steps, around dark corners and threw long hallways until his best friend's form came into view.

"Mark!" His voice cracked as he called out, causing the light haired man to stop and turn slowly.

Derek's eyes rested on the lifeless body of his fiancée in his friend's arms and hot tears sprung to his eyes.

"Give her to me." Derek's words shook as he fought the trembling of his own lips.

"Derek…" Mark tried to contend, needing to warn Derek.

"Give. Her. To. Me!" He demanded reaching out and pulling her warm body to his as he turned and started for the elevators, knowing she needed medical attention as soon as possible.

Mark followed behind; the other men trailing as well as Derek spoke reassuringly to Meredith's tranquil face.

"Hold on Mer. We're almost there. I love you baby, I'm so sorry. Just hold on. Please, just keep holding on…"