Ch.3

He saw her knees buckle, her eyes roll back. He quickly moved, catching her as she sank to the ground.

"Meredith!"

He gently sat her down.

"Mer, open your eyes."

"What is going on here?"

Bailey was running up beside him.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, she just collapsed."

"Let's move her to room 321, it should be open."

Derek stood up, picking Meredith up in his arms.

She started stirring.

"Derek." She murmured.

"Hold on Mer, you're gonna be ok." He quickly followed Bailey, entering the room and setting her down on the bed.

Meredith blinked, trying to focus.

"Grey, talk to me," Bailey said trying to get her attention.

"I'm alright," she coughed. Her eyes scanned the room.

"You don't look ok, you look like death."

Derek placed his hand gently on her forehead wiping away the stray hair that was covering her eyes.

"You're pretty pale Mer."

"I'm fine," she said. "I just didn't have time to eat this morning before pre-rounds. MY sugar is probably just low."

Bailey and Derek looked at each other, not believing a word she was saying.

"I swear, I'm fine. I'm sorry if I scared you guys, but it's not a big deal."

"I still think we should run some tests, just to make sure," Derek suggested.

"No, it's not necessary. Really." Meredith looked at Bailey.

Bailey was taken aback by the fear in Meredith's eyes. She knew she wanted to tell her something.

"Dr. Shepard," Bailey said. "I can take it from here."

Derek shook his head.

"I want to stay and make sure she's ok."

"Shepard, you're probably needed back down in the OR…I'll make sure she's fine."

Derek looked back and forth between the two women, noticing neither one of them would make eye contact with him.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "Page me if you need anything."

He walked towards the door.

"Dr. Bailey," he turned around. "Didn't you need to talk to me about something?"

She looked at Meredith.

"We can talk about it later," she said. "I'll page you."

He nodded, giving Meredith one last look before leaving.

Bailey turned to her.

"Ok…start talking."

"Why did you ask Derek to come to our meeting? I needed to talk to you and Dr. Webber privately."

"You said you had to talk about something important…I figured it was more Dr. McDreamy Drama…figured I might as well have the two of you together so we can get this whole mess straightened out, once and for all."

She sighed.

"This isn't about him."

Bailey rubbed her chin.

"SO what is it Grey? I know you're lying about something…you never were a good liar."

Meredith laughed.

"Well, you're right about that."

Bailey pulled up a chair as Meredith told her everything, leaving her in a stunned silence.

A first, for the Nazi.

Derek paced around his office.

She was hiding something. Something big.

Something she didn't want him to know about.

What could it be?

He thought for a moment.

"Oh my god…"

He sat down, the air leaving his lungs.

"NO," he said out loud. "She can't be."

A small laugh escaped his throat.

"Could she?"

Christina, Izzie, Alex and George were eating lunch outside.

"Christina, what's wrong?" Izzie asked.

Christina snapped out of her daze at the sound of her name.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."

"What, is Burke not putting out?" Alex asked laughing.

Christina reached over and punched his shoulder.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

Alex just smiled.

"Leave her alone Alex," George said. "If something is bothering her, she'll tell us if she wants to."

"Aww, what a gentleman," Izzie laughed.

He threw a chip at her.

"Shut up."

They all laughed. Suddenly, Derek ran up.

"Is Meredith here?"

They all stopped laughing and looked at him.

"We've barley seen her all day," Izzie said. "Why do you need to see her? Feel like breaking her heart again?"

Derek groaned.

"Could you just cut me some slack? Please? For one day, just act like I'm not some jerk who hurt your friend."

"Not possible."

Christina could see he looked worried.

"What's going on Dr. Shepard?" She wondered if he knew.

"I just need to talk to her. It's important."

"Oh, here she comes," Alex said, pointing.

They all turned and saw Meredith and Bailey walking towards them.

Christina stood up.

Derek ran over to them.

"Are you ok?" he asked when he reached her.

She nodded.

"K, cause I need to talk to you."

"Derek now's not a good time…"

"Now's a perfect time."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"What is your deal?" she asked.

"What aren't you telling me?"

She squinted.

"What?"

"You're hiding something from me…and I think I know what it is."

Meredith gulped.

"You do?"

"Yea, I do…" he laughed.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?"

"Pregnant?" She cried.

"Pregnant!" Izzie, Alex, George and Christina said in unison.

Derek and Meredith jerked around at the sound of their voices.

"She's not pregnant," Christina said.

"She's not?" Derek asked.

He turned to her.

"You're not?"

Meredith looked at her friends, confusion written on their faces. Bailey and Christina were solemn.

"She, she cant be pregnant," George stuttered.

"I'm not pregnant." She said rubbing her forehead.

"Ok, what is this? Izzie asked. "Someone better start explaining right now."

"Calm down Blondie," Bailey said. "You don't need to concern yourself."

"IT'S ok," Meredith said. She gave a sad smile. "Oh this is so not the way I wanted this to come out."

She looked at her friends.

"I know you all have been worried about me these past couple of weeks. I know I haven't exactly been myself."

Everyone's eyes immediately roamed to Derek.

"Hey," he said defensively, putting his hands up.

"No, this isn't about him," she said. "This is something more…something that is going to kill me to tell you."

Christina walked up to her and stood next to her.

"You got me," she whispered.

Meredith smiled at her friend.

"Ok," she stated. "Here's the deal." She paused.

"I have cancer."

She looked at everyone to see their reaction.

No one moved.

"So that's it. That's the big secret I've been hiding. I have cancer, I just found out about it, and now I have to leave the program temporarily so I can start treatment."

She sighed.

"Ok, somebody say something please."

Izzie walked up to her and hugged her.

"Meredith…I don't know what to say…"

"She's gonna be fine," Christina said. "Come on, it's Mer. She the toughest girl we know."

Meredith laughed, wiping away the stray tear that had fallen.

Suddenly, she turned around.

"Derek…"

He was gone.

"He left."

George walked up and grabbed her hand.

"Come sit down," he said softly.

"He really left," she said to herself.

She let her friends lead her to the table and sat down.

For the first time, in a long time, the six friends had nothing to say.

Derek made it back to his office in a daze.

Cancer.

Just thinking the word made him sick to his stomach.

And now Meredith, his Meredith…

He closed the door and sat down at his desk. Slowly, he opened his drawer, pulling out the picture of them they had taken just months earlier.

She looked so beautiful, so happy…

So healthy.

Suddenly, he was filled with an intense rage.

"Damn it!" he yelled, throwing the papers on his desk across the room.

He laid his head down, tracing the curves of her face on the picture.

Later that night, Meredith was back home, sitting in her living room, gazing out the window. She was getting ready to get up and go to bed, when all of a sudden, she saw him in her front yard.

Slowly, she stood up, meeting him at the front door.

She opened it. He stood there, staring at her.

Without saying a word, he leaned in and kissed her, shutting the door behind him.