"Meredith!"
She looked over her shoulder to see her best friend running down the hallway towards her. Fear automatically laced her heart and she set her chart down on the desk quickly. "What is it?" She stepped toward Izzy with trepidation. "Is it Denny? Is he okay?" She searched her friends frantic face—but as she got closer she could see that it was filled with elation, not fear.
"He's wonderful!" Izzy gushed, tears filling her eyes. She grabbed Meredith by the shoulders and squeezed.
"Awwww!" Meredith, growled, easing away and rubbing her arm. "Lay off the arm, sister!"
"Sorry." Undaunted, Izzy shook her head. " So, I have a favor to ask you." Her blue eyes bulged with excitement.
"Does it include getting me a new arm, cause I think you just about did this one in!"
"Shut up." Izzy said quickly. "Who cares?"
"I care----says the injured woman—you are actually freakishly strong when you want to be—"
"This—" Izzy hissed excitedly. "Is my moment! So, will you please shut up while I ask you the important question?"
"Okay–okay." Meredith teased. "What is so important that you had to hurt me to get my attention?"
"I want you to be my maid of honor." Izzy threw out her arms in 'ta da' fashion. "So, will you?"
"I'd love to be your maid of honor!" Meredith was touched. "Did you finally decide on a date?"
"Uh huh." She put her hands over her mouth as if to stop any access words from flying out but it was clear that there was so much more to the story.
"So, when is it?"
"Now."
"Now when?"
"Now. As in right now. As in as soon as the chaplin can come to the room." Izzy babbled.
"Seriously?" Meredith's eyes widened in genuine excitement for her friend. It then dawned on her how crazy the whole situation was and the lack of time that they had to pull it off. "Seriously!" She yelled, disregarding the looks of several nurses and doctors around them.
"Seriously!" Izzy squealed back.
The two friends embraced and jumped up and down. George, came around the corner to the nurses station and stopped. "What are they doing?" He asked a red-headed nurse named Francey.
"Who knows?" Francey snapped. She'd always been jealous of the two beautiful interns. "Making fools of themselves."
George looked at her, then set his chart down. Jealous girl. Oh well. No matter how silly it looked, he wanted to be included. He'd always thought of them as his girls and he never wanted it to change. He went over to the girls and put his arms around both and joined in the jumping. "What are we jumping for, my ladies?"
"Izzy's getting married!" Meredith answered. Tonight!"
They all stopped jumping, but their arms remained around each other. "Seriously!"
"Uh huh! And I want you to give me away, George! Will you?"
"Of course I will. I"d be honored." George grinned. "And where exactly are we doing this?"
"In Denny's room as soon as the chaplin can get here." Meredith answered. She directed herself to Izzy. "Iz, are you sure you want to get married like this? You don't have a dress and you won't even be able to spend the night with him. You're sure that you don't want to wait until the end of the week?"
"I've never been more sure of anything in my whole life." Izzy confirmed.
"Well then—" George slapped his hands together. "My ladies---Let's get crackin!"
By the time everyone gathered in Denny's hospital room, Meredith was sure that she had never seen anything so romantic in all her life. The obvious love that Denny and Izzy shared was the same kind of love that she felt for Derek. She looked from one to the other and smiled. Izzy was so happy and Denny was grinning from ear to ear.
The room was filled with colleagues and friends. Even Dr. Webber was there, along with Dr. Bailey and no one had a problem with the fact that Izzy was marrying a patient. Meredith and Cristina stood beside Izzy, next to Denny's bed and George was on the other side. Dr. Burke stood on the other side, deemed the best man—asked by Denny himself. Cristina had found a bouquet of flowers at the gift shop for Izzy, Meredith and herself, which they all held. Alex was the only one missing, claiming that he had better things to do.
As the Chaplin began Meredith's gaze was drawn toward the door. Derek came in and stood off to the side.
"Doc—come on in here and stand next to Meredith!" Denny called out. "Everyone come closer!" Meredith blanched, but Derek only nodded and proceeded to stand beside her.
"Hi." Meredith whispered as she stood next to her. Damn, he smelled so good, she thought, as she tried to concentrate on the impromptu ceremony.
"Hi." He said softly.
"Denny and Isabelle have chosen to say their own vows." The Chaplin explained to the group. "Go ahead, Isabelle."
She took a deep breath and smiled at everyone around them. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I bet when you all came to work today that a wedding would be the last thing on your minds." The group laughed. "But it's the only thing that I've been thinking about for days and I'm happy that you all could be here. It means a lot to Denny and me."
She turned to Denny and took his hand and brought it to her lips. "Denny Duquette, you are the man of my dreams. You have given love to me and I want to spend the rest of my life making your dreams come true, holding you in sickness and in health—hopefully there will be no more sickness—but if there is I will always stand by you and hold you hand. I love you and I know that the minute you came into my life that I was blessed."
She took a moment to wipe a tear that had fallen down her cheek. "I take you to be my husband, to have and to hold, to cherish from this day forward. In front of God and these witnesses I promise to love you and support you till death do us part."
The Chaplin cleared his throat. "Denny, go ahead."
Denny's lips quivered and Izzy reached down and wiped the tear that had spilled over his lid tenderly. He looked at the group gathered and took a deep breath. "It means everything to me that you all would be here with us, supporting us and letting us know that you believe in what we want to do. You've all become like family to me over the past few months and I want to thank you all for that. You have made my time at Seattle Grace much more enjoyable than it should have been."
He turned back to Izzy and smiled. "Isabelle Stevens you are the woman of my dreams ten times over. You brought me back from death, from a life without hope, and you took my hand and brought me home—and now my home will be wherever you are. I promise you that from this day forward I will be the man of your dreams. I promise that I will love you in sickness and in health till death do us part. I love you more than any other. My future is you. My future is with you and with the children that we will bring into this world together. I love you."
"By the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." The Chaplin intoned. There were cheers and whistles and clapping for the newly weds as Denny and Izzy kissed.
Meredith couldn't help herself. The love that the two shared was beautiful and pure. Tears poured down her cheeks as she watched. Derek looked over at her and his heart seized. He wanted to be with her----wanted to declare his love for her—wanted to live his life with her.
"I'm okay." She whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes.
He reached down between them and grabbed her hand. He heard her sharp intake of breath as his hand touched hers but she didn't pull away----just laced their fingers together----knowing that somehow, someway, things would be alright.